Arrow Embroidery

Arrow Embroidery Tutorial: This easy, inexpensive sewing project tutorial is perfect for Valentine’s Day, or for an adventure themed nursery or home decor.

This pretty little arrow embroidery is the perfect little project for a long, cold winter evening. I’ve been puttering with it a few days.

I started out with one that I sketched onto the fabric with a pencil. I have to say it was hard to make the lines straight with the pencil drawing -let’s just say ‘straight as an arrow’ was not working out. So I went off to the fabric store and picked up a disappearing ink marker.

The disappearing ink marker worked great to sketch out a precise pattern -with fairly straight lines.

The marker shows up really well, but disappears after about 3 days. And if you make a little mistake, you can rub it with a damp cloth and get rid of it immediately. I decided to do this one all in reds and pinks, inspired by Valentine’s Day.

Materials:

small embroidery ring
disappearing marker
plain cotton fabric
pink and red embroidery cotton
needle

How To Make An Arrow Embroidery Piece:

1. Put your piece of cotton on your embroidery hoop.

2. Draw out your arrows with a disappearing marker. I alternated directions, and sue different arrow heads and tail feathers for each one.

3. Use embroidery cotton to stitch your arrows and enjoy!

I really like how it turned out in the end. After the first attempt, then the trip to the fabric store, and then the second attempt, and then a day of chasing light around the house to take some good pictures, I’m really pleased with the final results. It really is the sweetest addition to our Valentine’s Day decor.

Slowing Down Enough To Sew

What started as a not too busy week has just seemed to disappear, like they do. Monday was a snow day, and a bit of a write off, and now it’s already Thursday. I’m taking pleasure in not having to rush though. Perhaps that’s what these long days of winter are meant for. Days when our ancestors moved in-doors for housework and put-off jobs from the busy days of spring, summer and fall, days when there was finally enough time to create something with needle and thread.

Sewing has a way of slowing you down, especially when you’re making it up as you go along, and un-doing and re-doing as you go along. I suppose there are life lessons here to be learned.