What material?
With this article I answer those who ask me what material I use in my job.
I have always been passionate about tools.
Note that Nimuë is not a haberdashery but a designer of embroidery patterns, which is why you will find in this article links to other merchants. Only materials related to subjects created by Nimuë are available on this site.
1- The environment, I create better in a setting that makes me feel good:
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Old tables to display materials.
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Some original antique furniture to put a little salt and memory in the atmosphere.
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A perspective to the outside
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Green: branches, trees with birds chirping on their branches.
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Cats who monitor the progress of the work (as well as the birds chirping on the branches.)
I am also greedy for space. I like to spread out and leave in place.
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2 office tables
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1 table to lay out the cones and trays of skips.
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1 table for cutting the fabric
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1 table to sort the threads
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1 table to assemble
Good and Beautiful tools are part of the inspiration
The light.
2- Here are the tools …
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Needles
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Son
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Canvas
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Patron
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Scissors
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Glasses, Magnifier
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Accessories: beads, charms, etc.
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Drum, craft
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Needle sticks
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Lamp
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Displays
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Armchair
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Table
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Storage
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Computer, software
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Frames
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drums and crafts
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Magnifying glass
Let’s detail each element one after the other:
1- Needles
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Round end embroidery needles n ° 26 on 12-thread (6 stitches / cm) or more fabrics, n ° 28 on thinner fabrics.
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Bead embroidery needles n ° 10. Short needles with a very fine cat.
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Quilting needles (short) with pointed tip for edging or special stitches on layers.
- The n ° 26 are easy to put on,
- bead embroidery needles are essential for fixing embroidery beads which are smaller than seed beads in jewelry,
- quilting needles are my favorite when embroidering border stitches with metallic threads.
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2 sons
a- My work base is done with the DMC 117 mills.
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the colors are deeper, more nuanced, more subtle
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The richer shades of green and I use a lot
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Shades for skin effects are also more relevant.
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At the Silkworm. Very old French company specializing in silk threads, Algiers silk, Paris silk, but also braided or looped metallic threads of very high quality. Brand to be preferred before any other if you use metal wires.
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Ets Toulemonde better known under the name of Fil au Chinois. Another very beautiful French house of yarn, distributed by SAJOU. Although being a very large industrial spinning mill in the North, Bruno Toulemonde is passionate about French know-how and regularly saves some of them from oblivion. This company is able to manufacture any yarn on demand. By partnering with Sajou, he gives us access to a mountain of creative possibilities. Fil au Chinois, Tonquin , Baudry cocoon, etc.
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mohair, mohair and silk yarns. Lots of different brands of wool or wool to embroider: Wisper special brand embroidery, Debbie Bliss for mohair and silk, Lang and others for simple mohair.
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Wool and fancy materials.
If you do not want to tear your hair to embroider particular threads such as Metallic braided or curly or mohair or silk, only use renowned threads like those mentioned above. You will not regret it. Your experience will be very different.
3-Embroidery fabrics
- I really enjoyed embroidering on Gander linen when I started out because there was a great color scheme. Unfortunately the production stopped a few years ago.
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I then looked for a canvas that came close to it and I opted for Zweigart . Because I like flexible and thick fabrics without too much starch, that is to say without cardboard effect. However, I sometimes buy from other suppliers if I cannot find the colors that interest me.
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Sometimes I also use Murano , Zweigart 12.6 thread count cheesecloth, if I’m looking for a uniform canvas or for a question of color.
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Aida is useful to me when the subject has a more childish design: example the Mic & Mac on linen aida .
4-Pattern, grid
5- Scissors
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a small curved and very sharp end to go cutting wires in tiny spaces for precision operations
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a small round toe for most of the time
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one with spring so as not to tire the thumb
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a special classic fabric
- on the left a small round-end embroidery scissor 10 cm in all!
- on the right the same but with a pointed and curved tip for delicate operations
Classic textile scissors 25 cm for fabrics as well as wools or bundles of threads
I love this pair (26 cm blade) because it allows you to cut fabrics by really feeling the thread of the weft without tiring your thumb because the blade is activated by a spring
So much for the basics. But of course you need additional elements for comfort.
For comfort
1-Glasses, Magnifier
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A few months ago I asked my ophthalmologist for a special embroidery pair. It allows me to see from 20 cm to 80 cm: I love it, it has changed my life. If you are farsighted it is not a luxury.
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if despite everything I have a very precise detail to realize, I take a pair at 10 € which grows a lot. And that’s what I used for embroidery before I decided to go to consult.
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I do not use a daylight type magnifying glass, I prefer glasses that will accompany the movement.
My advice: If you see badly, if it becomes complicated with age, know that a small pair of glasses even at 10 or 15 € can allow you to continue embroidering comfortably. We must not deprive ourselves of it. If you have more means … a little trip to the optalmo is a solution.
Above My Glasses and how I ended up narrowing down to a pair …
Below, a few choices of inexpensive glasses to continue embroidering! Comfortable or stylish, it’s up to you. You choose the magnification and you’ll get 4 or 5 for less than $ 20.
2-Accessories, beads, charms
- Accessories and charms : I am China . I collect , until the moment I need it. So I have to look for a supplier who will do wholesale to be able to make kits. If I don’t already have plenty of immediate possibilities to create on hand, I won’t move forward. So I collect whatever I like and one day I use it.
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Pearls : Mill Hill, Cousines & Compagnie, Reflets de Soie, seed beads, etc. so special embroidery beads but not only.
Findings or small miscellaneous accessories, special embroidery beads from 1 to 2 mm.
3-Drum, loom
- I stopped using a drum when I created La Clef. My linen had completely deformed from putting on and taking off the circle. I haven’t taken it back since.
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I used a loom to embroider the braids of Nimuë Sépia . When you have a lot of material to pass through the canvas, you have no other choice than to stretch your canvas to prevent it from deforming. So I used a standing loom for this.
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I use a turn under the thigh when I practice the Bayeux Tapestry. this allows you to have both hands free.
4-Spades-Needles
on the left my mushrooms and below some proposals
Elisabeth’s proposal left in comment:
Needle Minder : small magnet object for needles
5-Lights
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Office daylight, since I embroider sitting at my desk.
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Daylight on flexible stand if you are embroidering in an armchair or sofa.
I have been using the left model (its initial version) since 2003, without ever having to change the lamp (tube). If you have any thoughts on this, additional information to share, I feel free to put your comments at the end of the article.
6-Armchair
Choose a chair that is height-adjustable and tilts back, with lumbar support. It is not that you will always be propped up to the bottom of the seat, but the inclination of the seat will force you to stand up straight.
7-Display
The one on the left has magnets that allow you to fix and follow the grid. It can also be used to magnetize the needles. The one on the right is a large A3 format (2 A4 sheets)
Elisabeth’s proposal left in comment:
Pattern Keeper : digital application to follow the progress of your works. Here is the link: https://patternkeeper.app/
It is an application to be used with a tablet or an android phone (windows). To use it on a computer you will need to install a second tool.
The developers promise us an IOS (Apple) version soon.
No French translation for the moment but here too the developers promise us that it will come!
8-Table
Choose what is best suited to your space: with or without storage, to put on a sofa or on a coffee table … anything is possible!
9-Storage
- I logically use plastic boxes with transparent drawers of different formats as needed. Boxes with drawers make it possible to stack and optimize space and see what’s inside at a glance without having to rummage.
- For yarns, if we don’t want to waste our skeins and throw away because we no longer know what the reference is, think about cardboard boxes and their reel.
- If you travel, especially with the end of the year celebrations when you spend more time outdoors with the family, nomadic bags allow you to organize your business well even on the move.
10-Computer, software
11-Frames
- For small embroidery, take frames in standard formats if possible, which is the least expensive. You will find pretty ones in decoration stores, or type Gifi, Maisons du Monde etc.
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For large embroidery, treat yourself to a real beautiful frame to highlight your work. I usually go to Eclat de Verre. I take my embroidery, I try my wands on my own among hundreds of choices. After a while someone from the store comes to see if I’m okay. She advises me or not if I hesitate. Sometimes I layer 2 chopsticks to really get what I want. An hour later I come out with my chopsticks assembled and some featherboard. I do the editing at home. I might do an article on coaching if you’re interested.
I rather choose frames with vintage patinas because it is what corresponds best to my works. Sometimes ovals! The one below is 25 x 20 cm
To sum up
We discussed
- the frame, the environment in which one settles to embroider.
- The conditions of light and even of company.
- 5 essential tools, those without which there is no embroidery
- 11 tools that give us comfort and pleasure, but also organization
Conclusion
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