What is hardanger embroidery?

Traditionally used for linens, caps, and especially aprons, the work was carried out on white fabrics as fine as 50 threads to the inch using white thread, but coarser fabrics and coloured threads are often used nowadays.

I'm scared of cutting the wrong thread!

My students tell me that the most helpful thing I told them in the beginning was to remember to breathe whilst cutting the threads.

Beginners step by step course

If you want to learn more about Hardanger you can't do better than getting yourself a copy of Janice Love's Hardanger Basics and Beyond. Follow this up with her Fundamentals Made Fancy and your hardanger library will be off to a great start. I found her books indispensable when I first began doing hardanger embroidery.

Threads to use in Hardanger embroidery

Pearl cotton is ideal for this embroidery and the following table will help you choose the right size thread to use of your particular hardanger fabric.

Fabric Count	Thick thread	Thin thread
22 count hardanger or oslo	Pearl no. 5	Pearl no. 8
28 count evenweave	Pearl no. 5 or 8	Pearl no. 8 or 12
32 count evenweave	Pearl no. 8	Pearl no. 12 (or crochet cotton)

Needles and equipment for Hardanger

Very sharp, pointed embroidery scissors are necessary for cutting the threads cleanly, those with angled blade make life a little easier.

I find that the kloster blocks and surface stitching is easier to do if the fabric is secured in an embroidery hoop. I remove it before cutting the fabric threads, however. Like me, you may also find the needleweaving easier to do "in hand" rather than with the fabric in a hoop.

A small pointed pair of tweezers may also come in handy for easing out the fabric threads after they are cut. Oh and a little container, in which to pop the cut threads, can help to keep your working area neat and tidy.

How to follow Hardanger patterns

I prefer to produce charts where each fabric thread is shown as one line on the graph, so that if the graph shows 4 threads then you count 4 threads of the fabric. This is the way you will have learned to stitch this needlework technique if you have followed my course. It seems more straightforward and easy to follow in my opinion, but can lead to patterns being printed over a number of pages.

My hardanger patterns are available in a downloadable form that you print from your own computer.

Do you have a question about Hardanger embroidery?

Whether you are a beginner to Hardanger embroidery or you have been stitching it for years, this is the place to ask for help or share your knowledge.

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