Clover Needlecraft

Tool School: Embroidery Stitching Tool

Learn about the Embroidery Stitching Tool and its accessories that enable us to punch needle embroider floss, ribbon or yarn to our desired fabric easily and precisely.

What is it?

So what is this thing called punch embroidery?  It’s actually one of those “mature” artforms that is pretty much old school, something our grandmothers may have loved. 

While traditional machine embroidery has its obvious applications, lately more and more of us have had our fiber-creative senses re-attuned to the amazing textures created with punch needle embroidery.

Punch needle embroidery is a hand application process that uses a hollow needle to create loops of thread, yarn, floss or even ribbon on fabric giving us a textured pile surface that resembles a miniature hooked rug.

The result is nothing short of stunning textile art. The creative potential is limitless. We don’t even need a pattern. But if we do use one, there is an endless number of ways we can switch it up and make it ours. 

We can mix and match different colors, fibers, weights and stitch heights to create textures and designs that fulfill our creative vision.  Since it’s a tufting technique we get both a “flat” side and a “loopy” side.  We can use either side for our design or mix them up. 

It’s essential, however, that all of these hand applied stitches be precisely where we want them. Otherwise it becomes creative confusion and no one wants that. Embroidery Stitching Tool enables our precise placement of fibers and is the very best way to ensure that our creative experience is all we want it to be.


What does it do?

Hand embroidery with a punch needle is a fiber art technique that involves looping yarn, floss or ribbon in the format of a pattern through fabric. The Embroidery Stitching Tool and its accessories enable us to apply our desired fiber to any selected fabric easily and precisely.

Embroidery Stitching Tool – The punch embroidery technique requires a special needle that is thin, hollow and attached to a comfortable handle for easy manipulation.  Our selected embroidery fiber flows through the handle and down through the needle exiting through the eye at the point. As the needle is punched through the fabric and retracted it leaves a loop on the opposite side of the fabric.  Succeeding loops fill in our pattern. The handle of the Embroidery Stitching Tool accepts three different sizes of needles to accommodate different sizes of fibers and even has a guide to show us the direction of the needle for successive stitches.

Embroidery Stitching Tool
Art. No 8800

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Threader – The Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Threader enables us to pull our thread, floss or ribbon from the entry point on the top of the handle all the way to the eye of the needle. Easy peasy and no frustration.

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Threader
Art. No 8810

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refills – Embroidery Needles are available in three sizes:

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (1 Ply) – preferable for one strand of six-strand floss.

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (1 Ply)
Art. No 8801

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (3 Ply) – preferable for two to three strands of six-strand floss.

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (3 Ply)
Art. No 8804 

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (6 Ply) – preferable for four to six strands of floss or perhaps even 2mm silk ribbon.

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (6 Ply)
Art. No 8803

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (Med/Fine) – preferable for medium to fine yarns. 

Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (Med/Fine)
Art. No 8802


How do I share it?

Three dimensional embroidery accomplished with the Embroidery Stitching Tool often resembles legendary works of art. Put up some great samples. That will get everyone’s attention. Classes from beginning to advanced skill levels will result in infectious enthusiasm. Once your friends become skilled in the basics of punch embroidery they’ll be creating on their own. The best part is it’s fun, fast and just very cool to be able to create with this unique needle art form.


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Projects Ideas

Embroidered Unicorn Wall Hanging

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