Earlier this week, I stumbled upon the wonderful work of Nea on Etsy. She uses spectacular vintage embroidery hoops and rich linens to make wall decorations that are, if I do say so myself, way more fetch than usual Grandma faire. In fact, I was so inspired I thought I'd find out how to do similar pieces myself.

First, of course, you have to learn how to embroider. The Threadbanger lesson will certainly help.

Once you've got the basics down, you have to keep track of your supplies. I love how Nea goes beyond white fabric and uses alternative pieces for her canvas. Try using large pieces of scrap lying around, or buying fat quarters. Most embroidery crafters choose linen or wool as their canvas, but any sturdy fabric where you can easily see the grain will work. For hoops, use vintage or decorate a new one from a craft store.

With simple stitches, you can design your own patterns. Here are come images I found that I might use.

 

If you want to do some more advanced embroidery, check out these free patterns.