Framed Embroidered Lettering

Okay, here is my first How-To so any feedback is welcome!  Today I am going to show you how to make framed embroidered lettering, perfect for kids rooms, nurseries,  bedrooms, gifts, living rooms, or basically any where you want to put it and how ever big or small you want to make it. 

In this case I used a 6” hoop frame and white cotton fabric.  I tried to find a medium weight cotton because other things I had embroidered showed any cross stitching on the back.

First off, here’s the materials:

-Hoop of desired size (6" in this case)
-Cloth of your choice (Cotton in this case)
-Font of your choice
-Ribbon of your choice
-Picture (optional)
-Paper and Pencil
-Tracing paper
-Tracing Stylus
-OR-
-Paper
-Iron-On Transfer Pen
-Embroidery Floss colors of your choice
-Embroidery Needle
-Embroidery Scissors

I started off by picking a font on the computer and blowing it up to fit inside the frame.  I used KG ABCs for the lettering this go around.  I held up the frame to my computer as I was blowing it up so that I could make sure it fit in the frame how I wanted to.  

 

 

After I picked the font and picked the size I traced the inside of the hoop on a piece of paper.  I held it up to my computer to trace, kind of like a light box.  After I traced it I sketched it out a little cleaner so that I had a good template to work with.  Then I added designs and the other pictures.
 

The way I measured the fabric I needed to use was by putting the hoop on the blank fabric and cutting around it.  After that I laid it flat on the table to trace the pattern.  I used Carbon Transfer Paper and Tracing Stylus to trace the letter pattern on to the cloth.  You need a hard flat surface to use the paper so that you dont poke holes in it.  You can also use Tracing Paper and Iron-On Transfer Pen if you prefer to work that way.  

 

After I get the pattern on the cloth I wrap the frame with the ribbon that I want to use to go with the Embroidery Floss colors I am working with.  With the J I chose rainbow ribbon and rainbow colors for the pattern.  For the S I chose black sparkly ribbon to go with the black, purple, green and blues I chose to work with.  After I get the frame wrapped I put the cloth in and make sure it's centered so I dont have to move it.

 

I stitched the pattern, in this case I used mainly the back stitch.  The twinkle stars were a little more challenging to secure on the back because there wasnt much to tie them to.  When everything is done, I make sure the frame is secure and not going to move and cut the access fabric off the back of the frame so that it doesnt show.

 

                                        

And Ta-da!  You have a framed, embroidered picture!  The examples I used are presents for my friend's two kids and two for my own :)   

 

 

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to give feedback below!

Erin