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Ladybug Brooch
Introduction
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If you’re not familiar with the punch needle technique, be warned—you might be about to get hooked!
This new tool makes raised embroidery accessible, easy, and fun. Even total beginners will be tempted to try their hand. Punch needle embroidery requires only a few materials and is a very practical way to use up your leftover yarn!
From home décor items to fashion accessories to soft toys, there are plenty of projects in this book that are sure to inspire you, so jump in and start punching!
Materials
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For your punch needle projects, you will need:
1. Different sizes of punch needle
2. A palette of yarns of different colors and textures
3. An embroidery hoop or a wood picture frame to hold your fabric in place
4. Fabric scissors
5. Fabric for your base (to be embroidered)
6. Fabric for the back sides and linings of some of your creations
7. Thin foam board
8. Fabric glue
9. A heat-erasable fabric marker and/or pencil
10. Miscellaneous items such as a ruler, thread, needle, wire, eyelets, and sometimes a sewing machine
Fabric
Choose fabrics that have a canvas-like weave. The weave in the fabric should be large and the threads easy to separate. Use weaver’s cloth, jute, or linen, which are fairly thick and strong. It is also recommended that you use fabric that can be stretched tightly. This will make the punching process go more smoothly.
Yarn
There is a wide selection of yarns, threads, and colors to choose from. To help you create your palette, look for inspiration in paintings, photographs, magazine pages, and online. In this book, the projects were made with DMC brand yarn and embroidery floss, but you can use any brand and any yarn that suits. You may need to test out your yarns before beginning a project. Some yarns don’t glide through the punch needle well and may be of a texture that is too rough, hairy, or brittle. Note: All color names are given as general descriptors of the suggested color; they are not branded color names. All color codes, however, are for the specific DMC product that was used to create the project. But, again, you can use any product you want!
