Hi and welcome to Cute, I will leave someone else to answer your question. Ah just looked on your profile and see you are on the Wirral, there are others closer to you, hopefully they will intriduce themselves. Most of us have embroidery machines. I will think for a bit and re answer. Happy sewing

Welcome to cute!
How much do you know? I assume you have an embroidery machine. Did you get lessons with it? What kind of machine do you have and what embroidery format do you use?
Do you want to know how to use stabilizers?
There is so much to offer that I need a starting place.
If you just want to do hand embroidery do you mean freehand on the machine? Or needlepoint?

Welcome to the best place "Cute".

Welcome Jayney... I'm sure you will find lots of answers here from many "Cuties". first off are you hand embroidering or machine. Are you looking for designs or patterns? this will help us a little better to assist you. Most everyone here is machine embroidery, but there are some that still hand stitch. Here are some links for needlework. I hope you can use them. I no longer do needlework due to arthritis, but I used to enjoy that and Crewel work...Hope to hear from you soon.

Dear Jayne,

Welcome to the best site in the world. I am sure everyone will help you out. I see you want to do bibs by hand. Do you have an embroidery machine too?

I see "Keeponsewing" has given you some sites to look at. So I'll just add a flower to your number - the little green thing at the end of your post.

So you will now have 9! Love and blessings Chris, Newcastle, Australia

If you don't have a machine I would suggest the Aunt Marthas transfers. You iron then on and follow the lines. You can get them in most fabric stores.

Hello Jayney, and welcome to this great site -

I saw you're from Wirral and thought, 'Ah ha, another Aussie!' but no! I think you're from north western England.
I would so love to sit down with you and show you how to do hand-embroidery. It's great fun and really isn't difficult. Of course, practise makes perfect - if perfection is what you want right at the beginning.
If your first attempts at embroidery aren't so neat you could always cover them up with iron on Dream Weave Fusible web by Floriani. It's what we iron onto the back of machine embroidered stitching to stop it from irritating baby's skin, or Nana's skin for that matter.

If you haven't anyone nearby who can show you how to get started in hand embroidery then you should Google 'Hand embroidery for beginners.../

You will find lots of helpful information in the various sites that will appear and some videos, too, but the best would be someone sitting next to you also embroidering so you can see how it's done.
To do hand embroidery you'll need iron-on transfers or a special pen to draw the design on the bib, hand embroidery threads called floss, nice sharp embroidery needles and small sharp scissors.

Embroidery machines can be expensive, depending on what you are looking for. You'd need to do your homework about them, speak to dealers of different brands, speak to as many people as you can who own embroidery machines and then decide if machine embroidery is the way you want to go. Besides the machine you'll need stabilisers to keep the fabric firm while you are stitching, embroidery threads and good sharp scissors.
If you do go down the machine embroidery path you'll have a great deal of fun and be able to create items you'd never guess you could ever make.

I really think you should make some local enquiries at a haberdashery shop, a sewing centre shop or even an op shop where older people might be able to point you in the right direction. Anyone who does quilting or sewing should be able to give you some worthwhile information. You never know where help is going to come from once you put out some feelers.

I'm wishing for you a grand new world of fun, interest and achievement and hope your first baby bibs turn out just beautifully for you.
AlmaG.

Hi Jayney! I think hand embroidery is so much more personal than machine embroidery. This site is for machine embroidery. There are so many sites for a hand embroider to start :) Check YouTube--in search box, type in "beginning embroidery". When I started crocheting, I couldn't believe the videos there. Anything you do will be special for whoever you are doing it for, just because you are doing it out of love, and by hand.

Jayney, welcome to the CUTE family - I don't do hand embroidery much any more - but have always loved the look of it - that is why I love machine embroidery - my hands and eyes wouldn't allow me to do it, now. Hope you find many idea's here and continue to come around. Hugs, Shirlene

WELCOME TO CUTE....you are definitely in the right place for any and all help needed....I was never any good at hand embroidery and now my wrists won't allow me to do all the other things I loved to do....But i fell in love with the machine embroidery and everything that goes with it....Unfortuanetly here we tend to gather mored designs and get caught up with the friendships we create instead of doing what we started out to do....If you go to the projects on the top of the page and start going through, you can get so many designs and look at others projects....When you see a bib design you can always click on that persons name and send them a private message asking them what and how....Since they have posted their project, I am sure they can give you valuable inside info...We have soooooo many talented people here you will be overwhelmed with their generosity of knowledge....Never be afraid to ask for what you ask may help someone else in their journey also...Again welcome aboard and enjoy.....deanna

Welcome to Cuties. I am also fairly new but I have received so much help that I feel one of the "oldies". I see that you do hand embroidery. This site is mainly for machine embroidery.
I bought my second hand embroidery machine a couple of years ago and have never looked back. I wish I had bought one years ago. They are expensive but many of the shops sell their demo models.
I wish you lots of luck with your embroidery. Sending you a flower for your Cutie garden.

Hi Jayney
Big huge welcome to cute :-)
Big hugs from London
Maria xxx

Wow u are on the other side of the world to me. I am in Australia. My father taught me to hand embroider and one of the VERY importamt things he taught me was that the wrong side MUST look almost like the right side. Knots and threads always hidden & not to show. All my hand embroidery was done this way. Now he is no longer here to see my work, hand or machine, but I do remember his words each time I stitch a design. Good luck with your ventures and welcome to CUTE. An amazing site with beautiful family to advise, teach and support you. As listed already there are many sites on the web for hand embroidery as well.> Helen

Hello Jayney and welcome to cute. I also used to love doing hand embroidery, but you need more time than I ever had. The main thing, as I see it, is to start with something very plain. THere must be craft or sewing shops that can at least help you with the main stitches, such as stemstitch and lazy daizy stitch,blanket stitch, etc. These can later on be varied to form borders, patterns, etc. The most important thing is never to give up, because the more you try, the better you wil become. Patience is also a big thing. Give yourself some "me" time, when you can sit by yourself and do some work without being desturbed. Soon you will be hooked.

Jayney Welcome to Cute , You are now a Cutie and there are so many other Cutie's willing to help you with your questions. I don't do hand embroidery anymore . I started with a less expensive machine , I was so afraid to use it I kept it in the box for 1 year before I got the nerve to try it out. When I did I didnot stop . I have upgraded to another machine and I still use the first machine also. I suggest if you can to start out with the less expensive machine and I know you will love it.* Nancy

Welcome Jayney, you have found the best group on the IN. Hope you like us enough to stay. This is a wonderful place to ask any questions you need help with, there are so many kind "Cuties" with lots of knowledge. For many years I did hand embroidery--then I got lazy and invested in a embroidery machine. It is sooo much faster then all the hand work.Tee hee!! H&*

Welcome to Cute Jayney!!! Hope you visit us often. I used to (and still do occassionally) do hand embroidery. But I have to admit, the designs on machine emb are just so nice, I could never do it that good by hand. But one thing I do each year, the day after Thanksgiving, is put on my Christmas tablecloth, then everyone signs it with black marker, that comes to visit us til the day after the new year. THEN I hand embroider all the signatures. It takes me almost a year to do it! Hahaha! Sooooo Welcome to Cute!

welcome to Cute. I see you have many wonderful answers. I don't do hand embroidery or cross stitch, but am definitely addicted to machine embroidery. When I bought my first machine, I didn't even have a computer. The machine was a whiz to learn, but i am still computer challenged. By all means, find several dealers and take your husband along so he can be fascinated and not have sticker shock when You find a must have deal. Kay

Welcome!!!I use to do hand embroidery and really enjoyed it, but then I bought a embroidery machine and discovered the wonderful world of machine embroidery....I find stitching up designs can be very relaxing....I hope to one day be able to afford a digitizing program for my hubby....again welcome and enjoy this great site....Janet