Herringbone stitch ombre heart hoop
Love is in the air in week 6 of The Happy Stitch Project, as we’re stitching this super cute herringbone stitch ombre heart hoop! I love the effect of ombre colours, and it’s something that I come back to time and again because it’s just so effective.
But you don’t have to use ombre colours if you don’t want to! This design would work well in rainbow shades, a mix of colours from your loose ends jar or even just in one single colour. Have a play around with what you have – or treat yourself to some new DMC thread colours if you fancy! I had a piece of white quilting cotton left over from a previous project and decided to use this here, but you could stitch it on any plain or patterned fabric that you already have.
This project uses just one stitch, which is herringbone stitch. Herringbone stitch is another new stitch for me this week! I have stitched it for the first time ever on camera in the YouTube tutorial, so you can see how that went when I did it freestyle. I had definitely improved by the second time in my IGTV video, but it’s one that I’ll need to practice. I was keen to test out the stitches by drawing on some lines to see if that helped, so that’s where this project comes in! If you’re a complete beginner then I’d definitely recommend drawing them on. You can see on my YouTube tutorial that it was a bit wonky the first time around without any guide (which is absolutely okay!), but if you want to feel confident that they are even and level, then definitely draw some lines on first. You’ll notice that mine haven’t quite disappeared yet – that’s okay! Sometimes it just takes a bit longer, and I didn’t have enough time to leave it before taking photos for this week’s post.
I’m using a really lovely selection of DMC threads for this project which work so well for ombre stitching. They are the same colours that I used for the Keep Your Hopes Up hoop in my book, Colourful Fun Embroidery, because the pinks just blend so beautifully. You’ll notice that my stitches aren’t 100% even here, and that’s absolutely fine! It’s about the overall effect of the blending of colours and stitches here, so don’t worry if yours are slightly off too. This is the first project I’ve ever made with this stitch so no, it isn’t perfect by any means. But the process of stitching was wonderful, and this project is well and truly helping my creative block no end! So don’t worry if it’s new to you and if you feel like it’s wonky. We’re learning new things together, making progress, and (most importantly) having fun! 😊
Materials list
A 12cm (5″) embroidery hoop
Some white fabric – I’m using some quilting cotton here, but linen would also be super
Some embroidery thread – I’m using DMC shades 601, 602, 603, 604 and 605
A transfer pen – either an air erasable pen (like I’m using here) or aqua trick marker would be great
Heart shape templates (click here to download)
A needle
Some small sharp scissors, plus a bigger pair to trim the fabric
Some perle thread to finish the back of your hoop
Watch the herringbone stitch ombre heart hoop video tutorial!
If you’d like to watch the herringbone stitch tutorial first, click here.
Step 1
Secure the template to a flat surface, and place the fabric over the top. Carefully trace the design onto the fabric with your preferred choice of pen (trace the heart and the lines).
Step 2
Thread a needle with three strands of the first colour, 605. Start stitching your herringbone stitches on the second row down, before stitching the top row in the same colour. Follow the shape of the edge of the heart as you go – see the video for tips!
Step 3
Once the first colour is complete, move down the heart shape from lightest to darkest shades. I stitched two rows of 605, two of 604, one of 603, and then two each of 604 and then 605 at the bottom.
Step 4
If you wish, you could stitch a back stitch around the edge for definition. I decided to leave mine without an edging, as I like the look of how the herringbone stitches create the shape.
Step 5
Finish the back of your hoop using your preferred method (mine is in the project video). Ta-dah! It’s ready to display or give as a gift to your Valentine!
If you’ve enjoyed this post, you may also like…
Make some yummy rose shortbread hearts – a perfect handmade gift:
If you’ve enjoyed stitching this herringbone hoop, you might also enjoy this project from week 3:
Give your craft project some extra love with these pins:
Newsletter sign up
Sign up to my newsletter, 'Take time out to be creative' - it only drops in your inbox once or twice a month, and is packed full of creative inspiration.
