When facing a project I have to admit I do not always start with a Moodboard like I’m supposed to. I guess every one has it’s own process and I will share mine with you.

Having a moodboard is great, but sometimes making them feels like a lot of work. I already have all the information in my head and I just need to translate it into a drawing to start the embroidery. Luckily I do have an artist friend that gets this ideas perfectly and make the most amazing drawings out of them. So basically most times I just start with a concept and an image that represents it.

Once I have the concept clear I pick up the color palette and materials from what I have in stock. Living in Lima, Peru there are not a lot of places to buy good quality materials, so over the years I have found a lot of online stores where I can buy different things. Also every time I have the chance to travel abroad I look for anything that could hopefully be useful sometime in the future. Therefore, I have a respectable amount of stuff to select from.

With the color palette and materials selected, I proceed to write notes in the design pointing out the stitches and materials I would like to use in each part imagining the result; this of course doesn’t always comes out as planed and I do make changes in the way but these initial notes gives me a pretty good idea of the overall result. When making this notes I take into consideration the balance I need to give the piece in order to make each material complement the other and let them shine on their own. Giving the design space to breath is as important as placing the right material in the correct space. This is why it is so important to choose the right fabric for your embroidery, you want your medium to be as pretty as your embroidery to give all your hard work justice.

Combining shining materials with matte ones is a good idea, as is using some accents too, like crystals or cabochons for example. The use of color to enhance the forms is a clever way to make the most out of your embroidery. The size of the materials is very important for your embroidery to look pretty and well finished; I mostly work with size 15/0 and 11/0 seed beads, I think they are more delicate and makes any embroidery look elegant. As a rule you must buy the best materials you can afford, always remember the most expensive part of your embroidery is the time and effort you will put into making it.

When choosing the techniques I always take into account the movement of the design so I don’t mess up with the natural flow of the lines. Respecting the direction of the stitches in the design will make all the difference between your embroidery looking professional made or amateur. Don’t forget this important tip.

That’s what Broderie D’Art is all about after all, finding balance between all the textures, colors and volumes in a piece. As everything in life is all about practice, just go for it and learn something new from every creation, and have fun with it!

How do you feel about designing your embroideries? Are you comfortable with doing so or do you still feel you need guidance to achieve what you expect? Let me know in the comments if this was helpful, if you have any doubts or if there is something you think I should consider? I would love to read you. XOXO