DIY Network

Embroidered Furniture Embroidery takes on a new dimension when it's worked on a plastic toy chest. From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-127

Combining traditional needlepoint with uncommon canvases is the focus of the group a.k.a. Andrea Keller decorates the front of a plastic drawer with needlepoint to turns it into a toy chest. She lays her pattern on the front of the drawer, drills holes for her pattern and then uses traditional blackwork and cross-stitch to fill in the design and lettering.

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Materials:

Embroidered Furniture

furniture drawer or cabinet door
photocopy of pattern (enlarged or reduced as required)
masking tape
tape measure for centering design
hand drill
drill bit (approximately 2 times the apparent diameter of the thread)
tapestry needle
Cascade 220 (worsted-weight) yarn in red, aqua and gold, or preferred colors (less than a skein)

1. The design can be prepared on basic graph paper, following patterns from books or available for free online (see Resources list, below, for two websites offering free patterns). Cross-stitch and blackwork are especially well suited for stitching on solids, as you can create the pattern with a simple grid.

Remember: As you will be drilling every hole for the design, keep the overall scope of the project fairly limited. Each stitch on a solid surface will be bigger than a stitch on canvas or Aida cloth (I recommend a grid of at least 1/4", which is the same as most graph paper available in stores.)

2. Mark with a dot each corner that will require drilling; photocopy the pattern so that you do not destroy the original, sizing it up or down as required to fit your drawer or cabinet door.

	Figure A
	Figure B

3. Tape the original to the cabinet piece and secure well with masking tape (figure A).

4. Carefully drill every hole to be sewn (figure B), taking care to let the drill cool if it gets too hot (a hot drill will melt plastic if you are stitching on plastic or Plexiglas®).

Please use the following precautions when you're drilling:

• Always be in a comfortable position, and never reach at an awkward angle to drill.

• Always have a sharp drill bit: dull bits take much longer to drill, may skip on the material or damage the surface and will generate heat.

• If you are drilling a material that generates shards, such as metal, be sure to use protective eyewear. Generally a paper pattern will prevent any debris from coming toward you, but it's a good precaution to use goggles or glasses if the material is brittle.

5. Once every hole is drilled, remove the pattern and carefully brush off all dust or debris from the work, wiping with a soft cloth. You are now ready to begin stitching.

Figure C

6. Knot the end of the string to secure it behind the board and, using a large tapestry needle, stitch the cabinet piece just as you would a piece of fabric (figure C). Weave in all ends when you have completed each string.

The stitching requires no special protection; when you have finished stitching, your work is complete.

RESOURCES :
Free cross-stitch patterns
www.freepatternsonline.com/xspatterns2.htm

Free blackwork patterns
www.blackworkarchives.com/bw_bord.htm

Cascade yarn
Website: www.cascadeyarns.com

GUESTS :

Andrea Keller
E-mail: andreakeller@earthlink.net