This article has been on my mind for a while because I have to confess something... I have been embroidering much longer than I have been sewing 😅! And for good reason, I started at the age of 5 with large cross-stitch canvases featuring Disney motifs, animals... I’m sure some of you will remember!

Then, I continued with cross-stitch on finer canvas and took courses throughout my teenage years: ribbon embroidery, needle painting, hardanger, drawn thread work... Then I entered the workforce and put away my embroidery materials... until last year, when the desire came back... probably sparked by the combination of wanting to customize my sewing creations and a wonderful meeting with a French embroiderer named Mélanie at the Artesane booth during CSF 2021. 

At the end of 2021, I was back at full speed and eager to share my passion with you—that’s how the first hoops, scissors, and since then skeins arrived in the shop... So, if you’re tempted to start embroidery, I invite you to discover the basic materials needed to start well without breaking the bank! 

First of all, as in sewing, I recommend starting with good tools. You’ll see, you can easily put together a basic embroidery kit (sometimes drawing from your sewing kit, by the way). You’ve understood, the goal of this article is not to burden you with unnecessary items but to create a set of essentials to start embroidery under good conditions. If over time, other desires arise, you can happily add to your embroidery box. So, let’s get started! 

1. Embroidery needles

Embroidery needles differ from hand sewing needles. Indeed, these are shorter. They also come in different sizes. Sizes range from 1 to 26. To help you understand, know that the higher the number, the finer the needle.  

For cross-stitch on aida toile, it’s best to choose short, blunt-tipped needles. The most commonly used needles start around size twenty. 

For tight weaves, it’s better to choose sharp-pointed needles to pierce the fabric. The needle prepares the thread’s passage by pushing apart the fabric fibers. The hole made by the needle must be wide enough for the thread to pass through the fabric without snagging or pulling... So you’ll understand that the thicker the thread, the bigger the hole the needle must make to allow the thread to pass. These needles are numbered from 1 to 10, with size 10 being the thinnest and 1 the thickest. I like to use a mix of needles from 3 to 9 or 5 to 10 depending on the toile I’m embroidering. 

2. The hoop

The embroidery hoop or frame allows you to stretch the toile to make embroidery easier. Beginner hoops usually consist of two parts (most often made of wood like bamboo or beech) that fit into each other. The outer hoop is topped with a screw that, once the toile is stretched and the other hoop fitted, tightens the whole assembly to keep the fabric taut between the two parts. 

There are several hoop diameters depending on the designs to be embroidered but also on personal working preferences. I really like embroidering with hoops about 18cm in diameter, which allow me to work on "medium"-sized designs without having to move the hoop too often. For small designs and beginners in embroidery, the 12.5cm hoop is a very good choice. 

3. The toile

There are many types of embroidering toiles, from the most affordable to the most expensive! 

You can embroider on any type of fabric, but obviously not all are as easy for beginners.

If you want to get started with cross-stitch, then go for the 5.5 aida toile. It’s the standard toile that makes it easy to begin. 

If you want to start classic embroidery, you can choose percale toile, but also poplin. For my tests and beginnings, I like to use calico toile, ... yes, the one for my sewing fabrics. I find the texture of this toile easy to use and it gives very nice results when starting out without breaking the bank. 

In the shop, you will find aida toile (in coupon or by the meter), percale, and calico toile. 

4. The thread

As in sewing, I highly recommend using good embroidery threads right away. They are much more pleasant to use. They glide well on the toile, thread better, and most importantly, they don’t fuzz or break like low-quality threads. 

The best way to start is with stranded cotton threads. These consist of 6 strands, and you can choose to embroider with 1, 2, ... up to 6 strands at once depending on the desired effect.

Personally, I have been using DMC threads since I started embroidery. They are good quality threads and come from a short supply chain as they are produced in France. 

To start, you can turn to embroidery thread kits/sets. They come in basic colors, pastels, floral... depending on the patterns you’d like to embroider. I find these are good alternatives when you’re not yet used to combining colors to create designs; the color palettes are designed to offer beautiful combinations. 

Once you become more experienced, you can move on to other types of threads depending on your preferences, such as metallic thread, variegated, silk, wool, pearl... in short, there’s plenty of fun to be had with embroidery. 

5. Storage boxes

Storage is necessary in sewing and embroidery. So when I buy a skein, I make sure to "wind" it on a small cardboard holder where I note the thread color number. That way, if I run out of thread during embroidery, I’m sure to buy the exact shade I need. 

On the other hand, storing on cards prevents knots from forming when I use embroidery threads in skeins. 

Finally, the cards are easily stored in storage boxes and are easy to carry. 

6. The scissors

I use a good pair of small embroidery scissors when working on my projects. Embroidery scissors are small, fine scissors with sharp blades. They allow you to cut all the small threads so the work looks as "nice" on the front as on the back; a sign that the embroiderer took care of their work. They also allow you to cut the "length" of thread needed for embroidery. 

My first scissors (which I still have) are the classic ones with a stork pattern. In the meantime, I received pretty engraved silver scissors as a gift from my mom, and I bought a pair in Japan with a rabbit pattern. There are many versions available. 

7. The needle threader

The needle threader can be very useful when you embroider with fine needles with a narrow eye or when your eyesight is declining. The threader is a small, inexpensive purchase but very helpful! 

There is the classic silver version, but you will find more and more decorated ones. 

8. The marker or a ready-made pattern

When embroidering, it’s good to have a pattern to follow:

• or we buy a ready-made kit with a pre-printed pattern
• or we create a counted cross-stitch pattern
• either we draw it with a marker

When I started at 5 years old, I had designs printed on heavy fabric; today, I really enjoy embroidering designs I draw myself on the fabric. For this, I use water- or heat-erasable markers. For dark fabrics, I use solufix on which I draw my design and then stick it onto the fabric to be able to embroider the design. 

9. The needle holder or pin cushion

To avoid losing or scattering your needles, think about using a holder. This can be a magnetic needle holder but also simply a ball/pin cushion where you stick your needles. 

Along the same lines, I recommend keeping a small trash bin next to you during your embroidery sessions to dispose of all the little cut threads. Having a tidy workspace is key. 

10. The storage box

As I said in point 5, having skeins neatly arranged on cardboard gives a nice overview of the available color palette to create your designs. 

Every time I start a creation, I get my storage box and put together my color palette. I recommend you put together your little box too 😊. 

I also carry around a metal box in the colors of Côte d'Or (Belgium and chocolate oblige) where I store my scissors, my needle boxes, but also my metallic threads on spools. 

Bonus: the embroidery course or a good book to learn

Obviously, having the right materials is one thing, but having the right advice is another.

I can only strongly advise you to take some courses to start classic embroidery. Some will prefer to get started with a book or a video. 

However, don't overlook the learning phase because even if embroidery may seem simple, it's important to start well to then let your creativity run free! 

There you go, you now know what to include in a beginner's embroidery kit. 

And don't forget... in embroidery, it's repetition that creates regularity (just like in knitting)... the hand learns.

So once again... get your needles ready!