Jump Into Punch Needle: For Beginners; 6 Embroidery Projects; Step-by-Step Guide

Learn the Punch Needle basics

Punch needle embroidery involves using a small hollow needle through which you run your embroidery floss. You punch the needle into fabric, creating loops on the underside of the fabric. In this book, each punch of the needle into the fabric that creates a loop is referred to as a stitch. The finished piece is referred to as a patch. You can use one to six strands of floss for punch needle. You can also use perle cotton. For the projects in this book, I used three strands of floss and a needle size appropriate for three strands of floss, but the technique is the same no matter how many strands of floss and what size needle you use. Once you learn the basic technique, you can experiment with larger needles and more strands of floss or perle cotton.

Tips & Tricks

As you punch, the needle must penetrate the cloth until the gauge or stopper meets the cloth. Pull the needle up and drag the tip of the needle over a few threads of the weaver’s cloth. Insert the needle again up to the stopper or gauge. Stitches you are not happy with can be pulled out

and re-punched. With your needle still threaded, pull the stitches out and drag your fingernail back and

forth across the fabric to close up the holes made by the needle. Place the tip of the needle on the fabric, and, with your nondominant hand, pull up any slack in the floss from the handle of the needle.