Alexandra Stratkotter - The Embroidered Closet: Modern Hand-stitching for Upgrading and Upcycling Your Wardrobe

For Oswald and Violet,

my greatest creations

And for my Omi,

who inspired my love of nature

And my Opa,

who showed me the value of hard work

My embroidery story began six years ago, when my son entered the world. At that time my hobby, and side hustle, was painting oil portraits, an art that doesnt lend itself well to rearing young children who dont really sleep. Often, during naptimes, I would get my palette and workspace prepped, and just as I began getting into the flow of painting, I would hear a cry from the other room. Those few spare moments didnt give me much time to paint, but I was still creatively fulfilled, which made me a happier person and a more attentive mother.

Then, when my son wasnt even two years old, he decided that napping just wasnt for him. With nap time cancelled, I found myself inadvertently trading paint-brushes for Play-Doh and portraits for playdates. Life eventually fell into a monotonous routine of stroller walks, laundry, and endlessly sweeping Cheerios off the floor.

Without a creative outlet, I grew restless for something to keep my hands busy. As I began to consider new crafts, embroidery unexpectedly caught my eye. I quickly fell down an Instagram rabbit hole and soon my screen was constantly flooded with images of wooden hoops that framed threaded florals, houseplants, swear words, pets, family names, and feminist affirmations. Instead of the delicate floral stitchwork I was accustomed to seeing at my grandmothers house, social media boasted images of embroidery designs for absolutely anyones tastes. This was a familiar art, but it felt modern and exciting. I wanted in.

When it comes to new crafts or hobbies (actually, life in general), Im known for my impulsiveness. Embroidery was no exception. I dropped everything, bought out the entire needlecraft aisle of my local Michaels, and started stitching. My first embroidery hoop was a hot mess, but it didnt matter. I fell in love with the slow, meditative process, the sheen of the embroidery floss against the cotton, and the beautiful textures and combinations I could create with only a few simple stiches. The best part? How easily embroidery could be picked up and put down.

When a close friend of mine welcomed her second baby into the world, I lovingly designed a hoop with the name of her babe surrounded by a wreath of florals. In preparation, I watched countless YouTube videos, yet none explained how to stitch letters or how to convert a drawing into stitches. I made so many mistakes with this hoop, but I learned so much. My friend cried when I gave her the finished product, and I felt like I had arrived home. After posting a photo of the embroidery on Instagram, a friend asked me to make them a hoop. Then another friend. Then another. Soon I was charging for floral hoops, and six months later I started my online embroidery shop, Florals and Floss. As Florals and Floss has blossomed into a full-time creative business, I no longer sell custom-designed pieces. I now spend my time teaching embroidery workshops, creating instructional patterns and kits, and browsing thrift shops for clothing to stitch on.

Like the rest of my embroidery journey, stitching on clothing also started with my son. He can wear through an item of clothing faster than he can grow out of it! I started mending small holes in his clothes with embroidered mushrooms, leaves, and other little woodland motifs that he calls nature treasures. I was so pleasantly surprised by the social media enthusiasm over his embroidered clothing that I began experimenting on thrifted adult-size garments. I played with tapestry wool, different fabrics, and spent a whole lot of money buying all the wrong types of stabilizers. Through my experimentation, Ive learned a lot about what works for clothing, what doesnt, and what ultimately doesnt matter.

Im thrilled to share my love of embroidery with you through this book. The instructions will give you the confidence and the resources needed to take your embroidery further than just stitching hoops to be hung on a wall. I hope youll be inspired to snuggle up on the couch with an audiobook or a TV show and begin stitching on your favorite T-shirt. In a fast-paced world, embroidery offers the chance to slow down and take pleasure in the process. Embroidery is about the destination, but also the journey. Enjoy.

This collection of projects will guide
you through the complete process
of embroidery and the intricacies of
stitching on clothing, and they will
give you a look at my creative process.

Youll learn how to add a little personal flair to your favorite dress, stitch beautiful botanical motifs on thrifted clothing, and breathe new life into that unloved shirt at the back of your closet.

In the initial chapters, youll find all the basics. Whether youre a seasoned stitcher in need of a refresher or youre brand new to embroidery, Ill take you through all the necessary tools and materials and will show you how to transfer patterns, use stabilizers and interfacing, and choose the best garments for embroidery. Next, well focus on the most exciting part: how to actually stitch on clothing! Ill offer my advice on thrifting as a way of responsibly sourcing clothing, the art of mending garments, and how to clean and preserve your newly embroidered clothes.

Each design is presented with a supply list, a stitch guide, and a color guide, and youll find the corresponding patterns at the back of the book. If you need help with any stitches, you can refer to the stitch guide for step-by-step instructions.

Be creative, have fun, and rememberif you mess up, theres nothing a good pair of scissors cant fix!

Its been my experience that once you start telling people youve taken up embroidery, everyone youve ever known will offer you a box of their grandmas old embroidery supplies! If this doesnt happen to you, or you simply dont want to use a gifted shoebox of tangled threads, Ive got you covered. Embroidery supplies are inexpensive and easily purchased online or in the needlecraft aisle of your local craft store or specialty fiber shop. If youre thrifty, you can usually find embroidery materials hanging around secondhand stores. You might even uncover some gemsall my prettiest antique embroidery hoops have been thrifted.