What you need to start embroidering

A list of what you need to begin embroidery:

Material - Look for something medium-weight to start with. Cotton (e.g. an old pillow case) is perfect. Silk might be a bit too delicate and light, whereas tweed/twill will probably too heavy.

Embroidery hoop - You can order these online - for example here. I prefer wooden hoops. I’d go with a medium sized one to start with. Small hoops are good for ‘on the go’ embroidering, but sometimes a bit constricting. Large hoops mean you loose tension more easily and need to keep re-stretching the material.

Embroidery floss - Embroidery floss is comprised of several strands of cotton/silk/satin. You can separate the strands of floss to vary the thickness of the thread you are embroidering with. Choose a set with a variety of colours unless you have a particular colour scheme in mind. Here is an example of satin embroidery thread in various different colours, which you can order online.

Embroidery needles - I would start with large-ish needles like these - if you have small tapestry needles or large sewing needles, they can also work.

Scissors - you don’t need fancy embroidery scissors, but scissors are essential.