I’m a fan of hand stitching. It doesn’t take as much time as you might imagine, it can add both color and texture to your projects, it is inexpensive, and it really is fun. Amy Tangerine released two embroidery stencil kits, and today I want to take a closer look at this product and tell you what I think. The best way to really see this of course, is via video. Here is a quick video showing the kit in action:
Above you see my first attempt. I was playing around and I wanted to just test things. Just see how it would work, how I could play with paper + stitching and if it would be easy (or hard) to do a more complex design. While I don’t like my finished product – and that’s ok – I do really like how simple these stencils are to use. Everything you need right down to needle + thread is included, and the stencils are sheer enough (yet sturdy) so you can potentially layer paper and very precisely figure out where the stencil should go.
Now here’s a more successful attempt at layering paper + stitching:
I really like the shapes, and while a bit more time consuming I think they are a lot of fun and I’ll enjoy playing with them more. I could make accents with paper to later add to projects, or I can stitch directly onto projects!
While I have and am using the set with mostly shapes, there is also an alphabet set that you can purchase. Which one you would want I think depends on how you see yourself adding stitching. Here’s a layout I made – one of the shapes included on my set is the word “love”.
Supplies Used:
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The hearts were fun to stitch – and I really like the size and shape of those hearts. I think in the future I’ll be using them a lot!
Overall I think this is an excellent product – and it is really well done! The supplies you need to get started are all included, and the stencils are durable enough that I think they will last a long time. You can find Amy’s stencil kits in stores now, including 2peas, Simon Says Stamp, Blue Moon, and Scrapbook.com.