Maggie Schnücker - Botanical Embroidery: 30 Effortless Designs That Showcase the Beauty of Nature

Maggie Schncker

Creator of Maggie Jos Studio

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Copyright 2021 Maggie Schncker

First published in 2021 by

Page Street Publishing Co.

27 Congress Street, Suite 105

Salem, MA 01970

www.pagestreetpublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Distributed by Macmillan, sales in Canada by The Canadian Manda Group.

eISBN 978-1-645674-19-1

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021931368

Cover and book design by Rosie Stewart for Page Street Publishing Co. Photography by Maggie Schncker

to nana. Lets get breakfast.

Hello friend. Im Maggie of Maggie Jos Studio. This book of botanical patterns has made quite the journey to reach you now! Whether its your first time trying embroidery or youre a seasoned lover of the craft, Im excited for you to stitch these pieces and Im thankful to you for giving this book a go.

I didnt discover modern embroidery until fairly recently, and Im very excited you found your way here too. Embroidery is incredibly therapeutic with its rhythmic nature, the sounds of needle and thread pushing through fabric, the feel of the finished stitches. Plus, you get to stab something over and over and it turns into a beautifully textured piece of art.

I started embroidery in 2017 when I was knocked off my feet for health reasons. Id just graduated college with a degree in graphic design, but I didnt find joy in it like so many people I knew. Nevertheless, Ive always loved the intricacies of lettering and of design. One day as I was scrolling through freelance job postings, I saw a finely stitched, hand-lettered embroidery hoop that someone was using as their logo.

Id never seen anything like it before and I was intrigued. I threw my curls into a scrunchie and flew out the door to my local crafts store. I picked the fabric and a shiny bamboo embroidery hoop, some thread colors, a needle that seemed about right and golden stork snips. Every artist and crafter can relate to the glory that comes with exploring a new corner of a crafts store.

I got home and sketched a million designs full of florals and letters and foliage, and soon I found my niche in colorful botanicals. Two of my greatest lovesgreenery and arthad finally met in a way I loved so much.

In just a few months, Id embroidered myself into a hoop tower. I decided to give selling the pieces a go and started an Instagram and an online shop. My following was growing more and more, and people began asking for patterns of my designs so they could make them too. I didnt even know what that meant, but I thought that maybe all of those hours Id spent teaching myself the craft could all be gathered in one place so others could learn too.

My patterns started out simply, with a color guide and a drawing. I wasnt sure how exactly to teach people to stitch because I basically made it up as I went along, like a lavish but random pot of soup that made you wish youd written down the recipe. After quite a bit of reading, constructive advice from patrons and time, I was finally able to write multipage instructional patterns. That led to my monthly pattern subscription, Flourish, which led to this book.

All of that said, I hope you come to this book with fresh eyes. I tend to stray away from classic embroidery techniques and have found my way into the contemporary embroidery world, where freedom and messiness and color in your work are welcome. Its a timeless and wholesome way to create a piece of art, and the experience is fully yours.

Every time you complete an embroidery pattern, it will take on a life of its own in your style. Youll also have your own memories stitched in. When I look at embroidery hoops Ive stitched in the past, from as far back as my very first one, I can remember the conversations I was having, audiobooks I was listening to or exact thoughts I had while listening to music. They turn into your own personal little story, whether its your own design or youre completing a pattern.

I urge you to enjoy the process of embroidery and give yourself grace. Like anything, youll get better with patience and time. Your stitches will get neater and neater and youll learn to flow with the thread and manipulate the fibers in a way that creates your vision. No matter what, embroidery will take you to a whole new world of creativity, color and relaxation as you stitch through this book and beyond.

As you embark on your embroidery journey, youre going to find many different approaches to the craft. Ive illustrated general guidelines for embroidery here, but with time youll find your own rhythm and ways you like best. Ive tried many different fabrics, threads and stitch methods, and this book will take you through my absolute essentials and favorites.

The basic materials needed for these patterns are a 6-inch (15-cm) embroidery hoop of your choosing, a needle, 6-strand embroidery floss, fabric, scissors and a water-soluble marker.

A back stitch is the best way to outline a shape or create stems and branches on your flowers and leaves. Generally, back stitches are all the same length, but I like to allow myself a lot of freedom in length when Im stitching.