If you've ever come across a piece of embroidery with delicate lace-like patterns sitting inside a neat grid, there's a good chance you were looking at reticello. It's a traditional Italian needlelace technique, and it looks far more complicated than it actually is once you understand the steps. Reticello combines two things: a withdrawn-thread grid (where threads are removed from the fabric to create an open framework) and needlelace stitching worked over that framework to b

If you're not sure where to start with hand embroidery, felt is the perfect first embroidery project, as it's one of the best materials to begin with — and it's not just beginners who love working with it. There's a reason felt ornaments are such a popular project, whatever your experience level. What Makes Felt So Beginner-Friendly? It doesn't fray. Unlike woven fabric, felt won't unravel at the edges when you cut it. That means you can cut clean shapes without worrying abou

The 5 most useful hand embroidery stitches you should learn as a beginner

A beginner's guide to what you need to start hand embroidery