For this workshop you will need:

• Linen
• embroidery floss
• size 20 chenille needles
• a chalk pencil
• scissors

optional:

• 3 in 1 needle puller
• plastic bin to organize threads
• pencil, tracing paper, sketchbook

I do not receive any compensation for any of the products I recommend, these are strictly things I have found that work well for me.

Linen

I highly recommend 100% natural linen because it is very easy to stitch given its looser weave, and has a lovely drape.

There are a variety of weights of linen available from sheer gauze (2.8 oz) to heavy rustic linen (7.1 oz). The gauze weight linen is so sheer that stitching from the back will show through. Handkerchief linen (3.7) can make a nice lightweight scarf, but I have found the mid-weight (5.3 ounce) linen is my favorite weight to stitch.

There are many sources for good quality linen. My favorite source in the US is Fabrics-Store.com be sure to check the sale page for weekly discounts, and use the promo code ILOVELINEN for 7% off.

I always prewash my linen to shrink it and soften the fabric, but I always cut it to size first. Unwashed linen has a naturally crisp finish making it much easier to cut straight on grain. After machine washing the linen in warm water, the edges will fray and likely be a tangled mess after removing it from the washer. Cut away the tangled threads and untwist the fabric before putting it in the drier.

I like the fringed edge that occurs from washing and drying the cut linen, but feel free to hem the edges if you prefer a clean finished edge.

After drying I always give the linen a good pressing with a hot iron and some steam.

Size 20 Chenille needles

I prefer chenille needles because they have a large eye, making it easy to thread with all 6 strands of embroidery floss. The shorter length helps stitching curved lines. Long sashiko needles are better for stitching straight lines.

A large assortment of 6 strand embroidery floss.

I use a variety of brands of floss, I have DMC floss that I've had for years but it can pricey when using a lot of thread to cover a big piece of cloth. I have found that some polyester flosses can work just as well as cotton and are at a lower price point for heavily stitched pieces. I am most interested in having a wide range of colors at an affordable price. One of my favorite purchases of floss that I have made a few times has been from a company called Caydo on Amazon that has packs of 200, 300 and 447 colors for a great price.

Floss bobbins

Floss bobbins make it easier to organize and store floss. To be more sustainable they can be made from chipboard (cut from cereal boxes, etc), poster board or Manila file folders. Cut a slit on each end of the rectangle of chipboard to keep the ends of the thread from unraveling. Some people wrap floss on clothes pins, although very cute that would get way too bulky for the amount of threads I generally have in my stash. Or you can purchase classic plastic bobbins.

Chalk pencil

A good chalk pencil for marking fabric is a must. I like this set because of the range of colors of chalk. You will need to use a contrasting color of chalk to mark your linen.

Tip: always test bright or dark colors of chalk on a scrap of fabric before using to be sure that it rubs off. I've had issues with the orange colored chalk in the past.

I tried using a chalk wheel but found that it snagged on the linen, making it hard to draw with. As another option you can also use flat triangular tailors chalk, but it won't be as easy to draw designs as a thin pencil type chalk would be.

I'm not a fan of the blue fabric marking pens that are removed with an iron or washing, mainly because I may change my mind when I'm drawing a design and I like that I can just brush off lines of chalk and draw new lines when finalizing a design to stitch. I also know a few people who used those marking pens on their quilts and had the lines return on the fabric when they encountered cold temperatures. The heat of an iron makes the lines fade, but they don't actually go away. The last drawback I have is the blue ink won't show up on black or dark colors, so chalk works better for me.

scissors

You'll need a small pair of sharp pointed scissors for cutting thread and occasionally removing stitches.

Optional:

An organizer bin for thread

Artbin makes a variety of plastic storage cases with dividers that are very helpful to organize threads. You can buy them in most art and craft or hobby stores or online.

3-in-1 needle puller

A 3 in 1 needle puller is a handy little tool to help grip the needle and pull it through fabric. It is great for boro stitching denim or sewing heavy weight fabrics. It can also be helpful when there are a large number of stitches stacked up on the needle making it hard to pull through the fabric. Sometimes the needle can feel slippery when trying to grip it, or you might have occasional arthritic joint pain that prevents you from pulling the needle through the fabric. Overall I find it to be a very handy little tool.

pencil, sketch book, tracing paper 

I personally like inexpensive sketchbooks that are not too thick, and stitched with thread or staples so they lie flat without a giant coil in the way. I would rather have a pile of thinner paperback sketchbooks than a large one, because they are lighter weight, and one can easily be stuffed in a backpack, tote, or purse making them more portable. They also don't feel intimidating to draw or doodle in the way large sketchbooks seem to. I always feel like every page needs to be a masterpiece or something in more expensive large sketchbooks.

I do not use an embroidery hoop, I find a hoop is often in the way while stitching, needing to be secured in place and then moved and clamped in another disrupting the flow of stitching. Smoothing out the fabric with my fingers as I stitch works much better for me and I have one less large awkward tool to carry.

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Traveling with Scissors

I love to take my stitching along when I travel, not only to pass the time, but also to keep perpetual flight delays from making me crazy. An extra hour at the gate can be something to look forward to when you have an engaging stitching project along.

One thing I have to say about traveling with stitching supplies is to check the security requirements of each country you are going to. On my last trip I went through security in the US, and again in New Zealand on my way to Australia with 3" pointed scissors in my carryon with no problems, but when we boarded a flight from Sydney to Uluru I lost 2 pair of scissors in security, I hadn't realized I had second pair in my toiletry bag (ugh!). The US loosened up on some of these restrictions years ago and you are allowed to carry pointed scissors that are 4" or smaller on board a plane.

Australia has some of the strictest security requirements in the world and ban small pointed scissors (and knitting needles), although small round blunt tip scissors are allowed. One of my students gave me this cute little pair of 2 1/2" scissors that went through security just fine for the rest of my trip in Australia.

As an alternative to scissors one could also carry a pair of nail clippers or a pendant with a built in cutter often sold with notions and quilting supplies.