Embroidery Materials: What to Buy First
Each embroidery supply, what it is for, what to buy as a beginner, what you can substitute, and what is optional.
The short list
A hoop, two or three needles, three or four skeins of floss, a fat quarter of cotton, and small sharp scissors will see you through every stitch lesson here. Everything else can wait.
Item by item
| Item | What it does | Buy as a beginner | Substitute or skip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embroidery hoop | Holds the fabric taut so stitches lie flat | One 5 or 6 in (13 or 15 cm) wooden or plastic hoop with a screw | None really. Small pieces can be stitched in the hand, but tension is harder |
| Embroidery needles | Sharp point, long eye for several strands | A mixed pack of sizes 3 to 9. Use size 5 to 7 for 2 to 3 strands | A large-eyed sharp sewing needle |
| Embroidery floss | Six loosely twisted cotton strands you can separate | Stranded cotton in 3 or 4 colours you like | Pearl cotton size 8 for bold lines (not divisible) |
| Fabric | The ground you stitch on | Medium-weight plain-weave cotton or linen, light colour, not stretchy | A clean cotton pillowcase or old shirt |
| Embroidery scissors | Snip thread close to the fabric | Small scissors with fine points | Nail scissors or thread snips |
| Marking tools | Draw the design on the fabric | A water-soluble pen for light fabric | A sharp soft pencil, used lightly |
| Transfer paper or tracing tools | Move a printed design onto fabric | Not needed at first: trace against a window | Dressmaker's carbon paper for dark fabric |
| Thimble | Protects the finger that pushes the needle | Optional | Skip until you stitch thick fabric |
| Needle threader | Pulls floss through the eye | Optional but cheap and useful | Fold the floss over the needle and pinch |
| Stabilizer | Supports stretchy or thin fabric while you stitch | Only when stitching on knits or very fine fabric | See the garment guide |
| Practice fabric | A place to try stitches before the real piece | Any plain cotton scrap | An old sheet |