How to make a pattern to hand embroider

Here is a peek of the dress I am making. I know the fabric is not designer, but what can I say, my husband is a cheapass! When I told him I needed new fabric to make the dress he said "Didn't your mother just give you a suitcase full of fabric?" Yeah, she did... Thanks mom. No really I appreciate FREE fabric, but Chris isn't going to let me buy new until I have used up my stash. My words to him "It's called a stash because I am stashing it, not because I want to use it right now..." Ha!

Anywho, I am no artist. I cannot draw a straight line, let alone anything of cuteness or quality. So to make my hand embroidery pattern, I like to go online and print out the pictures I want to use. For this project I decided I was going to do a pink outline of a bird so I googled "vintage bird" and printed out the bird I liked best.

Next up I put a lamp under my glass coffee table. If you don't have a glass table, you can put a piece of glass on two chairs and a light under, or tape it to the window with good sunlight. 

Place your fabric on top of paper making sure you have it lined exactly where you want it. Then trace the pattern with a water soluble pencil carefully. 

Tada! Easy! And it looks great!

Next iron some lightweight fusible interfacing onto the back of your fabric.

Slip your fabric onto an embroidery hoop. 

So my mom gave me this really old needle kit! It has some neat needles in it! Anyways, If you don't know how to embroider, you should try... It is easy really when it is broken down. I used a split stitch and the stabbing method. Here is the website to the video I used to learn. There are alot of other stitches on the site as well that will be worth learning.

Anyways, I hope this helped. I know I never thought I would be embroidering, but I find it fun and this is my second project where I have embroidered. 

Happy crafting!