Embroidery Blogs

Welcome to the Paraffle blog! Here you’ll find a compilation of Sammy’s tips and tricks from years of embroidery experience, helpful tutorial videos which you can follow along to practice stitching, and even some downloadable patterns! 

Stitch Tutorials

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5 Hand Embroidery Stitches for Letters
5 Hand Embroidery Stitches for Letters
7 Flower Embroidery Stitches for Beginners
7 Flower Embroidery Stitches for Beginners
What Are the Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches That Every Beginner Should Learn?
What Are the Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches That Every Beginner Should Learn?
An embroidery stitch sampler with seven types of stitches in different colours
Embroidery Stitching Full Guide
A photo of back stitch embroidered in blue thread on a cream fabric.
Back Stitch
A photo of stem stitch embroidered in red thread on white fabric.
Stem Stitch
A photo of a needle embroidering split stitch in blue thread on white fabric.
Split Stitch
A photo of chain stitch embroidered in blue thread on a white fabric.
Chain Stitch
Close up of whipped back stitch, in two colours of embroidery thread against white fabric
Whipped Back Stitch

Embroidery guides

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A hand holding a bunch of coloured embroidery thread alongside text saying 'the ultimate guide'.
Ultimate Embroidery Guide for Beginners
An embroidered orange on pink fabric sits alongside text saying 'what is embroidery?'.
What is Embroidery?
A bright piece of embroidery on teal fabric with the phrase 'you're the best' stitched on it sits below text saying 'how difficult is embroidery?'.
How Difficult is Embroidery?
An embroidery hoop with a stitched rainbow design, alongside text saying '10 tips for beginners'
10 tips for Hand Embroidery Beginners
Cream text on a navy background saying 'how to start and tie off' alongside a picture of bright pink fabric, a needle, and embroidery thread.
Starting and Tying off your Embroidery
A hand holding a bunch of bright embroidery thread, alongside orange text saying 'best threads'
What are the Best Threads for Hand Embroidery?
Stacks of bright fabric on each side of the image, with cream text against an orange background saying 'which fabric?'
Best Fabrics for Embroidery
A small patterned dish containing embroidery thread and scissors alongside large text saying 'top tools'
Embroidery Tools for Beginners
A hand holding an embroidery hoop against a cream background with text saying 'how to choose your embroidery hoop'.
How to Choose and Use an Embroidery Hoop

Ideas and free patterns

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Sustainability and Materials
Sustainability and Materials
Paraffle's 2025 Scottish Independent Gift Guide
Paraffle's 2025 Scottish Independent Gift Guide
An inset picture of a Peacock embroidered on blue fabric surrounded by the text '6 tips for metallic thread'
6 Tips for Using Metallic Hand Embroidery Thread
An embroidery hoop with a multicoloured sampler pattern using 8 stitches.
Free Modern Embroidery Sampler
A woman wears a stripy blouse dress embroidered with floral designs and a small bee on the pocket.
How to Customise Clothes with Hand Embroidery
An embroidery hoop holding green fabric stitched with a smiling sloth design.
Sustainability and Carbon Offsetting
A photo of an orange dress in an embroidery hoop with a half stitched pineapple pattern.
What can I Embroider?
An embroidery hoop stitched with flowers and names for a wedding gift.
How to embroider letters
A photo of an embroidery hoop with a floral design stitched on navy fabric.
How to Embroider flowers