When learning a new craft, some of us will find a class, some will go to the library, some will watch videos, and others will find a craft kit and get their hands into it right away. Me, I tend toward some combination of craft kit and the library, but I certainly have attended plenty of classes and watched hours of videos. My style, however, is tactile, so I need to get my hands busy to learn.
When I was in high-school, I decided to learn embroidery and bought a kit at a local Frank's Nursery. (Who remembers that store?) I had some slight experience with hand sewing, having repaired a few things (badly) and thought that it couldn't be all that difficult.
I am (almost) too embarrassed to post the photo of that first embroidery work. I planned to make it as a gift for my Grandma, but as soon as I was done with it, I disliked it because it looked nothing like the photo on the package. I had it framed and gave it to her anyway. It hung in her bedroom until she passed and then it was returned to me.
My first embroidery, ca. 1985
Twenty years on I picked up embroidery again with a number of carefully chosen kits. This time I focused on slowing down, with more emphasis on the process, not an end goal. And there was the true benefit of hand needle work. It is slow by nature and cannot be rushed.
Tamar Plant Lady Embroidery Kit
Kiriki Fox Doll Embroidery Kit
Tamar Rabbit Embroidery Kit
Creativity is not about speed. It requires experimentation, thought, and mistakes. Human creativity begins with the human hand learning to guide a tool, whether that be a needle, a paint brush, a pen, or a stick.
And in-between our cultural obsession with speed and productivity, not only do we deny ourselves the creative process, we also deny ourselves the mindfulness and mental health benefits of slowing down and enjoying the process. The product of creativity can be beautiful and functional, but it is the process of creativity that makes us human. There is no shortcut.
RikRack Kit Peony Bowl
Hook Line and Tinker Blue Heron Kit
Rikrack Potted Plant
Rikrack Potted Plant
Rikrack Mushrooms
These kits came from a variety of designers, although you may notice that I have changed the patterns as I worked. I was never the kid who would follow the directions in a coloring book or a paint-by-number kit, so why would I do that with embroidery? Anyway, here are some links to help you on your own journey.
If you are a beginner, I recommend kits from Hook, Line and Tinker and Rikrack. These are beautiful patterns and use only one or two stitch techniques so you can focus on building basic skills.
When you are ready to move into something more intermediate, I love the patterns from Tamar Nahir-Yanai and the doll kits from Kiriki Press.