Hand embroidery: a beginner's guide

Embroidery is decorating fabric with a needle and thread. Here is how it works, what to expect and the order to learn things in.

Embroidery is one of the oldest forms of needlework. The stitches found in early pieces (chain, blanket, running, satin and cross stitch) are still the ones beginners learn first today.

• You stitch through fabric held taut in a hoop, following a design drawn or printed on the fabric.
• Stranded cotton (six-strand floss) is split into fewer strands for finer lines; two or three strands suit a first project.
• A handful of stitches covers most designs: running, back and stem stitch for lines, chain stitch for bold lines, satin stitch for filled shapes, and French knots for dots.
• Start small: a 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inch) hoop and a simple line design.
• The Royal School of Needlework has supported the art of hand embroidery since 1872 and runs courses in the UK.

Pinny's tip
Learn one line stitch really well (back stitch) before you try fillings.

Sources

All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.

1. Wikipedia: Embroidery
2. Floss Field: How to start embroidery
3. Simply Sewing: Embroidery for beginners
4. Royal School of Needlework