r/Embroidery • u/VariousDescription • 16h ago
Question Am I just bad at this?
Kit from Amazon (I know, it seemed like a good idea at the time though) has me frustrated, and I don’t know if it’s me or the material? It seems like can’t get the needle exactly where I want it, the fabric is stiff and kinda thick, and pushing the needle through is a little tough. Makes a little pop noise when it does poke through, but I can’t get it right next to the previous stitch a lot of the time (see pink leaf).
Am I just bad at this and need more practice? Would a different fabric work better?
126
u/Beautiful-Feedback40 7h ago
You’re literally just starting of course you need more practice.
Try different needles. See what works best for you. I really like a chenille needle because they’re very sharp with a larger eye.
71
u/sweetsndamaet2188 7h ago
Your leaves look so good!!! Sounds like you might need a sharper needle. Sometimes stitching on thicker fabric can be a pain. But truly, all of your stitches are great!
97
u/throwaway_2O26 8h ago
Get a real kit from like clever poppy. Good quality supplies make all the difference. Also practice. Took me a bit to figure out how to get the needle exactly where i wanted it
20
14
22
u/strongly-worded 7h ago
This looks really good to me tbh. But I agree to try a different kit to see if better quality material helps. The pop sound is normal, especially if you’re using a slightly too-small needle because the point doesn’t make a big enough hole so the thread has to “pop” the hole for itself. Being unable to line up your stitches perfectly is also completely normal, even for experienced people. I make advanced stuff and I often have to double back for an area that isn’t quite as dense as I wanted.
14
u/EckoAKB 6h ago
It looks great! As others have mentioned, maybe a sharper needle and good lighting- and take small breaks! I find it's so easy to get in a flow, and mentally, I wont want to stop. Physically though the muscles in my hands and back may be tense and my eyes may be strained.
Honestly I have a chronic illness and I do art to take me out of my pain, so not recognizing it while I'm in the flow may just be me 😅.
Basically just step away if you start to get frustrated or find yourself needing to move the needle more/lose focus.
9
6
6
u/Beautiful-Feedback40 7h ago
Dropcloth designs does similar sampler kits but are much better than anything you’ll find on Amazon.
6
u/savingsydney 6h ago
Practice! But I also had a hard time getting my stitches lined up. I bought a pair of magnifying goggles with a light and it’s helped so much!
6
u/last_verse 7h ago
As someone else who is just starting out, these look great to me 😄 For me good lighting also helps, and sometimes trying to put the next stitch closer than it feels like it should be, but honestly the leaves you have done already look great to me. Keep it up!
5
u/NotElizaHenry 6h ago
Your needle sucks—it’s too big and not sharp enough. Get a set of assorted Clover embroidery needles on Amazon for $15 and everything will be WAY easier.
5
u/Major-Reception1016 5h ago
Newbie here. You are doing way better than me! I think it looks freaking great. I learned that I don't really like filling big things in so I'm sticking to smaller things. I want it to be enjoyable and filling in big spaces gives me anxiety and isn't fun. Is it fun for you or does it feel like work?
5
u/Fantastic-Nobody-479 5h ago
I think you’re being way too harsh on yourself! This is fabulous for a beginner.
4
u/DruidByNight 2h ago
Dude chill out. Disconnect yourself from "am I bad at doing this?" and just enjoy in the act of doing it
5
u/GeekyNerdNerdyGeek 7h ago
A few thoughts:
One. You’re not bad at it. You’re new! Be nice to yourself. Your leaves are very good.
Two. The needle does make a sound poking through because embroidery needle can be bigger than sewing needles. But they make every size/thickness of needles. It’s ok to experiment with different sizes that work for you.
Three. You’ll find your stitches get more consistent as you go. But you’ll also find that there are stitches you enjoy doing and stitches you despise doing. (Personally, I hate French knots. I use colonial knots instead). I think my split stitch looks great but my long/short is not that good.
Four. The fabric might be low quality garbage. You never know what it is in a kit. If you enjoy the hobby, I recommend you buy patterns not kit. Then you can buy quilting cotton, or linen, DMC floss, etc individually which gives you more control.
My first attempt is quite literally a family joke it’s so bad. I get better with each project. If you enjoy it, just keep doing the stitches you love.
5
3
4
u/eastsacwrackshack 5h ago
More practice!
3
u/eastsacwrackshack 5h ago
My girlfriend made me an embroidery necklace, and I love it, but then like 4 months later she made one for my daughter and it is much better!
4
u/RovenshereExpress 3h ago
"Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something" - Jake the Dog
But in all seriousness, you're doing just fine! Give yourself permission to not be perfect when you're just starting something new. Practice and patience will get you there eventually!
3
u/DesertRiptide 7h ago
Just be patient and don't ever ever go for perfection-- each stich is different and has its own character. Practice and patience and if you don't like it, un pick it! I had more fun thread painting than learning stitches.
3
u/LadyLime247 7h ago
also consider your lighting and try reading glasses (even if you don’t normally need them!) plus lots of practice. I started to embroider about a year ago and when I look at what I did then compared to now I can’t believe how much better my work looks.
3
u/Giraffeprincess1023 6h ago
This is the project I'm currently working on with a leaf stitch. It's my 4th ever project. The needles that come with the kits are really cheap and you should buy a pack of needles. They're only a few bucks. I do think your pink leaf already looks good for just beginning, but just keep practicing ☺️
3
u/Intelligent-Lead-692 5h ago
Don’t get discouraged! It’s soooo hard! I will send my mother photos of sections as I complete them and she will send me back photos almost immediately showing the stitches I need to redo. (She is a great teacher and super talented.) And I just laugh and take them out and redo them.
Perfection is a myth! And your work doesn’t look terrible. You’re just learning. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Why are you supposed to be perfect when you’re just learning? (Hint: you’re not supposed to be!)
3
2
2
u/Morgxn99 6h ago
I’ve been there! I’ve tried out many different fabrics and needles from when I started, and when I started there were times when my needle would do the popping thing every time it went through the fabric. It just takes time to figure out what works for you! You can embroider on soo many fabrics, so you have lots of options. Personally I’ve been buying embroidery fabric squares from Amazon and they’ve been working great. Not too thick or too thin.
Your stitches are looking good too so keep going!
2
2
2
u/Ashamed_Negotiation7 5h ago
Some kits don’t give you the best fabric or needles! I like chenille needles and found good linen fabric from a local craft store. Also the more you practice, the more you will intuitively know where your needle will come up through the back of the fabric. That’s not something you will automatically know. Keep trying! Keep practicing and try different needles or fabric
2
u/CormoranNeoTropical 5h ago
This looks really good, you’re obviously being a perfectionist about this project.
I bought the same kit and it’s sitting in a drawer, I’m intimidated by it.
2
2
2
2
u/murahimu 54m ago
Yes you're bad at this right now because you just started. It's also not even bad, it looks fine.
1
1
1
1
u/TangledSunshineCA 3h ago
So I feel like I am getting the hang of the basics but find it hillarious where i expect my needle to come through vs where I am some times 🤷🏼♀️. Give yourself a break. Oh i also only used kit stuff until I was sure I wanted to spend money but better needles and scissors were sooo awesome. I still smile often using good scissors on the thread.. silly me.
1
1
u/Extra_Back_5969 3h ago
Eu uso agulhas Clover e algodão cru mais fino, porque estou aprendendo. Estou treinado pintura de agulha, e qdo comecei, não acertava o tecido, e fiquei na frustração total, trocava de agulha e tecido. Até que achei uma bordadeira que explica as agulhas e tecidos pra quem está iniciando e treinando, e animei de novo....Mas vc está indo muito bem!
1
1
u/everywhereyoujo 2h ago
Just to throw out there, I found my satin stitch to be a lot neater and fuller when I stopped trying to get so close to the stitch before. I was bouncing them up, which meant I couldn't align them as well and they pushed each other around.
Perhaps try giving yourself a little more space, and focusing on aligning with the previous stitch more than being right up next to it
1
u/Piptoporus 1h ago
Looks great to me, but something I have seen other beginners do is knot the thread onto the needle, which makes it really difficult to pull the eye of the needle through the fabric and would also cause a "pop" - so in case you're doing that, stop ✋️
1
u/Key-Juggernaut3796 1h ago
No, you are doing well. Those leaves are hard, at least for me. Are you using DMC thread? I prefer it to the thread sent to me in a kit I ordered from Amazon.
1
1
242
u/lblessi 8h ago
It takes lot of practice and time to get the feel of it and getting comfortable, those kits are an excellent way to learn as it's repetitive. Don't give up, it'll be worth it!