Hiya guys and gals! We’ve gotten to know each other for awhile now, so… I think it’s about time I come clean with you all. I have a confession to make.

I am a crafter. I like making costumes for Halloween and cons. I like stitching stuff. When I go to Home Depot, I like buying random things with hopes of converting them into props for future endeavors. This comes as a shock, I know, but that’s my dorky revelation.

Just yesterday, I finished some embroidery work on a new pair of sneakers. After sharing the pics, a few of the guys on staff wanted me to post them here. Well, have a look! Hit the jump for close-ups and a rough, I-didn’t-have-a-game-plan-to-begin-with guide to embroidering.

A certain Michael Tucker suggested that I write a li’l how-to on making your own embroidery, but there’s really not much to it! You don’t need a sewing machine. Choose the picture you want to copy, and buy the right colored thread. For this pair, I stitched a Triforce bird and super mushroom because video games, and Nintendo especially, are important to me (…they are also small designs that use only two thread colors! Yes!).

It’s easiest to embroider if you’re working directly on cloth. All you need to do is learn how to sew–embroidery is taking this skill a step further, by sewing a pattern and filling it in with more stitches. My suggestions are: A) pick a needle that’s especially thin, so you can squeeze the threads together more easily and B) make sure you have plenty of thread, so you aren’t left using a different color when you’re out of the one you started with. All it takes is a lot of thread, a lot of time, and a lot of patience!

If you’re doing this for the first time, you might want to practice with thicker thread. Like using a thick marker, it won’t look quite as professional, but you can fill your design much more quickly for a rough and cutesy look. There’s no rush. Try something simple, and work your way up. Here’s an example of a thick-thread Triforce I put on my hat:

Borders are your friends. If you mess up, don’t be afraid to cover it up with an outline. That’ll make it look classy. Black thread for the win!

The best thing to do is begin by stitching an outline of the pattern you want to use. When that’s done, start from one side and work your way to the other, filling in the holes with a series of parallel stitches. If your design uses multiple colors, it’s easiest to finish all the parts using one color, then work on the others one at a time. Unless you’re filling a really narrow space, try to keep your stitches in the same direction. Trust me! Just like shading sketches on paper, it’ll look a lot better if your lines are pointing the same way. You can stitch like \\\ or like |||, or even like ///. It doesn’t matter as long as they’re even.

On this particular project I used iron-on patches, since the material on shoes is rough and difficult to work with. You can get a few of these squares (simply cloth with rubberized backing) from your local crafts or dollar store for cheap, sew on your design, then iron the patch to your final product. Iron-on patches are your friends! Try to leave a decent amount of space around your design so the patch will stick to its new surface. The rubbery stuff of the part you’re working on will probably be covered in thread!

Make sure your iron is dry (no steam), and let it warm to the highest setting. Once it’s heated, brush it over the surface you’re working on (the shoe, for example) just slightly so it’s warm to touch. Now, place the completed patch onto the spot and press your iron down flat on it (don’t move it!) for 30-40 seconds. Try to keep it firm! Your goal here is to melt the backing of the patch so it sticks to its new surface. Make sure the seams are pressed down and… voilà! Your masterpiece is done! It’s time to share your fandom with the world.

That’s it, Rebs! This will probably be my last real article for a bit, ’cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane tomorrow. It’s vacation time! Go forth and make stuff, and hope you all have fun this summer.