- base for embroidery;
- beads of several colors and different sizes;
- gimp;
- durable nylon or polyester threads;
- scissors;
- beading needle;
- marker;
- acrylic paint;
- brush;
- thick cardboard;
- fabric for the wrong side;
- pin for brooch;
- glue.
The sketch can be drawn directly on the embroidery base, but this should only be done if the work is not being done for the first time and no problems have arisen before. For the first few times, it is advisable to first apply the image to paper or graph paper, and then copy it using tracing paper. Having cut out the silhouette and checked the symmetry, you need to cut out another similar outline from thick cardboard. This cardboard will be placed inside the brooch and will provide it with the required rigidity.
Using a marker, the outline is transferred to the base for embroidery.Any non-fraying fabric can be used as a base, but when working with gimp, it is important that the base is not fluffy. There is too much lint on the felt traditionally used for embroidery, which clings to the thread during work, unwinds it and greatly complicates the process. Therefore, for this brooch we used doublerin glued in three layers. To prevent white fabric from showing through the beads, it should be painted in the desired color using special acrylic paints for fabric.
After the fabric has dried, the outline of the patterns is applied. The first step is to sew on the gimp, since its installation requires free space.
Then you need to sew contrasting beads close to the outline of the gimp, from the inside or outside, depending on the intended pattern.
There can be more than one bead of a contrasting shade; colors that are similar in tone when used give a good result.
Large beads between the curls are sewn at the same time.
Having finished embroidering one wing, move on to the next, but you can embroider them at the same time if it is more convenient.
After all the curls and patterns on the wings are embroidered, fill the background with small beads of the main color selected for this.
Lastly, the back and belly of the moth are embroidered.
This order of work is more convenient, as it allows you to make the wings more symmetrical. The embroidery, cut along the contour with seam allowances, is combined with the fabric prepared for the reverse side of the brooch, inserting cardboard in the middle so that the brooch holds its shape. You need to secure a brooch pin on the wrong side by making slits in the fabric and additionally securing it with several stitches of thread to match the fabric.
When assembling a brooch, it is advisable to glue the cardboard with the fabric on the backside so that its destruction from friction during wear occurs more slowly. You should not glue cardboard to embroidery from the inside out. Even the densest base, where it is punctured by a needle, lets glue onto the front side, and it is very easy to spoil the embroidery. Beads that have not been tested in advance for durability can change color from contact with glue, the same can happen with gimp; silver-colored coatings especially often suffer.
The finished brooch can become a decoration for a coat, scarf or bag, but it should be remembered that contact with moisture is often undesirable for the gimp. When wearing outerwear, you need to protect yourself from rain and strong snowstorms.
