Embroidered Hoop Adventures, Part 1: Fox

Time for some embroidered hoop making adventures, into the woodland first with this very cute fox

I have had an idea for some embroidered hoops for a while now and have finally had a chance to sit down and draw up the patterns and start getting them made. They have come together surprisingly quickly as I thought it would take a lot longer to do the stitching, this is a bonus as it means I will be able to get more made in the time I have!.   I had some green Ombre Trends fabric by The Craft Cotton Company in my stash that was perfect for my first hoop make – a little fox.

I first drew out the outline of my fox on paper and went around in a dark marker so I could see the lines through the fabric. Next I traced the outline onto my fabric in pencil. I went around these outlines using a back stitch, and next filled in these outlines using different stitch patterns.

Finishing an embroidery hoop make with felt backing:

• Once I had completed the fox I made sure it was aligned correctly in the hoop I wanted to put it in and made sure I tightened the hoop well.
• I cut away the excess fabric at the back 4cm from the edge of the hoop and stitched around 2cm from the edge, pulling it tight to bring in the raw edges to the middle.
• To cover the back I cut a piece of felt slightly smaller than the hoop and stitched this onto the back.

• I attached a ribbon loop  (30cm) to the top of the hoop through the hoop fastening along with a ribbon bow (55cm).