Split-Stitch Embroidery on Woolen Hoods

Here is a project that I worked on back in August to help some friends. They were running a big event and wanted a way to identify key people on the event team, like the Head Herald, List Keeper, Head Cook etc. They came up with the idea of different coloured hoods, and I volunteered to embroider some of the designs.

Marking out embroidery designs on wool can be problematic. Normally I would recommend tracing out the design with ink, lead pencil, chalk or removable felt tip pen or Frixion pen. Sometimes, using the prick and pounce method works well. None of these methods were appropriate for this particular surface as the wool was rather fuzzy and absorbent.

I printed out the designs that I needed, then traced the design onto tracing paper.

I (pretty thoroughly) pinned the paper into place on the hood. It is important to have the design pinned down well so that it doesn't move at all. I sewed over the design in a very small running stitch.

Once the design was marked out in yellow hand sewing thread, I carefully ripped off the tracing paper, trying not to pull or distort the running stitch.

This left me with a faintly marked line of stitching to follow.

I went over the running stitch with a double strand of embroidery floss in split stitch.

I was very pleased with the final result. The motifs stood out well against the green and black wool.