DIY Network

Hand-Stitched Vacation Map From "Scrapbooking" episode SCB-534

Guest Melinda Barta preserves summer travels with a hand-stitched map.

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	PDF Melinda's stitched map pattern.

Materials:

Threads - 100% cotton 6-strand embroidery threads, 1 skein each of the colors of your choice (here, guest used DMC Embroidery Floss (Article 117), 8.7 yards (8 m)/skein, 1 skein each of #815 medium garnet, #920 medium copper, #924 very dark gray green, and #3371 black brown)

Fabric -100% cotton, sage green, 7 x 7 inches (17.8 x 17.8 cm), 1 piece

needle, embroidery size 9
photo album, 8-1/2" x 10", with a 2-1/2" square window
Embroidery hoop, 6" diameter
Photocopy of a map
Permanent marker, fine point, black
Fabric-marking pen or pencil

1. Draw or photocopy the map of your journey and draw a square around the areas you want your embroidery. Working on the photocopy with the permanent marker, draw over the paths you wish to highlight in your embroidery and outline the important reference points like roads, waterways, and county/state boundaries.

2. Reduce or enlarge the drawing or photocopy so that the drawn square is the size of your scrapbook window (in this example, 2-/12" square).

3. To transfer map pattern to fabric, first tape pattern to window, tape fabric atop the pattern and trace lines onto the fabric using fabric-marking pens.

4. Next, mount map in an embroidery hoop by first placing the inner ring on a flat surface. Center the design to be stitched over the ring, and place the outer ring of the hoop directly over the inner ring to sandwich the fabric. Press down with even pressure and tighten the screw. (It is best to use a hoop that is larger in diameter than the motif to be stitched so that the fabric does not need to be moved during stitching and stitches are not pressed between the rings.)

5. Now you’re ready to being stitching the outlines you made onto the fabric. Thread embroidery needle with two strands of thread. Begin by threading the needle with a needle threader or wet the thread before you slide it through the eye of the needle. Double-knot one thread tail; do not knot the ends together. Bring the needle up on the wrong side of the fabric. See "Basic Stitches" at bottom of page.

6. Once you've completed your design and thread runs out, take the needle to the wrong side of the fabric, make a small stitch next to the base of the thread, and pull the needle to create a loop; insert the needle through the loop and pull taut to knot. Repeat. If you do not secure the tail of a thread with a knot, weave the needle through the back of several previous stitches; pull the thread taut and trim. Remove the fabric from the hoop and trim as needed to fit the window of your photo album.

Tips:Consider stitching an actual map to save time. Simply fuse a piece of medium-weight interfacing to the back of a paper map according to the manufacturer’s directions and stitch the areas of interest with contrasting threads.

Basic Stitches for Map:

• Backstitch (used for roads) - Working from right to left, bring the needle up at 1 and insert behind the starting point at 2. Bring the needle up at 3, repeat by inserting at 1, and bring the needle up at a point that is a stitch length beyond 3.

• Running stitch (for trails and mountains) - Working from right to left, make a straight stitch by bringing the needle up and insert at 1, 1/8" - 1/4" (3 to 6 mm) from the starting point. To make a line of running stitches (a row of straight stitches worked one after the other), bring the needle up at 2 and repeat.

• Couching stitch (for lakes, streams and rivers) - Working from right to left, use one thread, known as the couching or working thread, to tack down a laid thread, known as the couched thread. Bring the working thread up at 1 and insert at 2, over the laid thread to tack it down; repeat by inserting the needle at 3. This stitch may also be worked from left to right, and the spacing between the couching threads may vary for different design effects.

• Couching and satin stitch (for map’s legend, compass and mileage bar) - Generally worked from left to right, this stitch is used to fill shapes. Bring the needle up at 1, insert at 2, and bring back up at 3. Repeat.

RESOURCES :
Interweave Press
Website: www.interweave.com

GUESTS :

Melinda Barta
Website: www.hiptostitch.com