DIY || Embroidered Sweater

As we all strive to find those perfect presents for our loved ones, I want you to consider this- the best presents many times can't be bought. Aside from hugs and kisses (those are for sure the best!), homemade items like for example a delicious cranberry chutney or a personalized embroidered sweater (like the one above) really take the meaning of LOVE to a whole other level. I'm going to share this easy DIY with you today and hopefully inspire you to try it, if not for a Holiday present this season maybe for a Valentine's Day gift (that gives you a couple of months!). You can embroider a favorite phrase or saying of your loved one or something fun you think they will get a kick out of. For this DIY, I was inspired by the Lingua Franca sweaters I have been seeing all over social media. They are cute, but quite expensive. So here was my solution-

She actually loves school but she loves this saying. Most of all she loved telling everyone her mommy made it for her.

And here is mine-

I'm not wild at all but it's a phrase that has really stuck with me. It reminds me to relax a little bit when my OCD traits kick in. And I have to tell you who helped me to get this sweater started- my sweet friend Mariana from Hibiscus Linens. I have taken a couple of embroidery classes with her (uhm life-changing! check out future classes here. She is always traveling to different cities so keep checking if your city is not listed yet) and when I told her about the project she started me on my way. If you don't know her work, it is really beautiful and unique (look at these wreath cocktail napkins). Her work has been featured in none other than Town & Country and Veranda among others. I do have a fabulous teacher I must say.

My baby is getting so tall! How are these kids growing up so fast while we stay exactly the same?

So these sweaters are fun- you can express yourself. Get political or philosophical or simply spread some cheer.

This is what you will need-

|| Two or three cotton spools of embroidery floss (like this kind here).

|| A wooden embroidery hoop

|| Chalk

|| A Needle with a large eye

|| A Sweater (we got ours from a JCrew Sale)

STEPS

1 || Write the message your want with white chalk on your sweater.

2 || Place the wooden hoop so you encase the first letter. I like to work one letter at a time.

3 || Cut a piece of floss equal to an arm's length. This should be enough for you to start and finish one letter. The floss has 6 strands, you can either use three (my sweater has three) or 6 (my daughter's has six). I personally prefer the look of the thicker letters (I would use 6 if you want my opinion) but this is up to you. Make a thick knot at one end and start from the inside of the sweater so you can't see the knot.

4 || Do a back stitch to outline the entire letter (this video is an easy tutorial to follow)

5 || Then do a whipped stitch (or candy cane stitch) around the back stitches you already have. Here you bascially wrap around each stitch without pulling any fabric. (This video shows you how).

When you finish a letter tie a knot inside and then start all over again with the next letter. It is a labor of love, but so worth it! I estimate my daughter's sweater took me three or four hours to make. Maybe? I don't remember, but I promise it's not too long, it's rewarding, and so wonderfully meditative. I felt like I had gone to therapy when I was done.

Have you embroidered before? Give it a whirl!

NAHHHH, I PREFER TO BUY MY SWEATER ALREADY MADE