You will need

If you’d like to stitch your own you’ll need to download the templates from Mollie Makes, and then enlarge it to 150% for a large pineapple. You will also need:

A needle and small sharp scissors

An air erasable pen

White fabric

An 8 x 12″ oval embroidery hoop – I got mine here

Paint and paintbrush (optional)

The thread I used is DMC thread in the following colours (Anchor thread numbers also given), and you’ll need 1 skein of each:

Shade 1 = DMC 3842 / Anchor 164

Shade 2 = DMC 3760 / Anchor 169

Shade 3 = DMC 807 / Anchor 168

Shade 4 = DMC 519 / Anchor 1038

Shade 5 = DMC 828 / Anchor 9159

Shade 6 = DMC 905 / Anchor 257

Shade 7 = DMC 907 / Anchor 255

Shade 8 = DMC 904 / Anchor 258

Shade 9 = DMC 472 / Anchor 254

Shades 1-5 are pinks, and 6-9 are greens (refer to template for shade numbers and placement).

Stitching tips

I’ve really worked hard to improve my satin stitch recently, and I’ve found that doing the stitches with little gaps and filling in works a treat. It’s much neater (for me) than doing the stitches immediately next to each other. I also love to use Thread Heaven conditioner on my thread, as it keeps it together as you stitch. I got mine from Cloud Craft. It’s a lifesaver! It definitely helps to keep the thread together more if you’ve split it up. I generally use 3 strands at a time for satin stitch, as I’ve found that this gives the neatest finish.

When embroidering the leaves, you can either draw a line down the middle of each leaf so that you can work out where you are stitching to, or just do it freehand like I did. Start at the outer edge, and stitch diagonally inwards. I varied the angle on each leaf to give contrast.

This blue pineapple was part of a larger embroidery of three pineapples – the middle, larger pineapple is the original colours, and I also included a pink one too. I love how the colours work so well together, and the bright turquoise hoop compliments it I think. I still used an 8 x 12″ hoop for this design, so these pineapples are a little smaller than my original big pink one. It’s actually nice to stitch smaller, although slightly more fiddly.

Hope you have a great weekend! Have you got any stitching plans?

The post Blue pineapple embroidery appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

I love embroidery and I love badges, so this little project is perfect as it combines the two! It’s also a really good way of using up fabric scraps – I hate having random little bits of lovely fabric left over with no idea what to use them for. I’ve made these badges using coverable buttons – the small one is 29mm and the larger one is 38mm – and they are so versatile. I’ve got lots of ideas for these badges, so look out for more projects to come soon!

You can get a tool to make coverable buttons, but the biggest size on the tool is 29mm. I was worried that this would be a problem, but the larger buttons are really easy to pop together so it doesn’t matter. When choosing fabric small patterns work best, and I’ve chosen contrasting colours so that the embroidery stands out. To mark out the letters you could use an invisible pen (mine disappeared too fast for me to be able to see it!) – here I used some parchment paper and embroidered through it as I find this much easier. This paper is actually baking parchment but it makes amazing pattern paper – this is my top sewing tip!

You will need:

Metal self-cover buttons (I found these on Ebay)
Parchment or pattern paper
A pencil
Some fabric and embroidery thread
Sharp scissors
Needle and pins
Tweezers
Some brooch backs
Superglue

Step 1:

Remove the wire from the inside of the front of the button, and draw around it on the the parchment/pattern paper, leaving a bit of room around the edge. Then write your word(s) so it fits inside the circle (don’t go too close to the edge – and keep your word choice short enough for your button size!). Cut out the paper and pin onto your fabric.

You may wish to use an embroidery hoop to keep the fabric steady – I find it easier to hold a smaller piece, so I cut it out. Do whatever works for you!

Step 2:

Thread the needle with your chosen colour cotton and then sew over the letters. I prefer to use a split stitch, but you could use any you like as long as the letter is clear.

Make sure that when you change a thread, tie a knot and trim the excess as close as you can to the fabric.

Step 3:

Carefully remove the parchment paper. You may need to hold on to your stitches at times! Use tweezers to remove any small, tricky pieces.

Step 4:

Place the fabric face-down on a flat surface, and then line up the front of the button over the embroidery. Hook the excess fabric over the back of the button and adjust as necessary. Once lined up, place the back of the button over the top and pop into place.

Step 5:

Very carefully, use the superglue to attach the brooch back to the button, making sure that it is horizontal in relation to the embroidery. Make sure that you don’t get any on your fingers! Leave to try for a few minutes.

There will be a little bit of discolouration with the superglue, but it is on the back so who will know?! I’ve tried loads of other glues and none of them hold, so this is the best option by far!

That’s it – as soon as the glue is dry, your badge is ready to wear! There are so many options with this project, and the possibilities are endless. I have some others in the making but I can’t share them with you just yet…you’ll have to keep looking out for them!

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