Embroidery tips? Also, what are you working on while you’re staying home?

Are you staying home? What are you working on to stay busy?
I purchased an embroidery kit off amazon. I’ve never tried embroidery before, and I’m excited to play with it! Any tips?
What are you working on?
– Christine
Replies
HI Christine! I am staying in and planning some projects to sew.
I have some embroidery tips for you. Don't knot the thread tail - that will make bumps when you go to stretch and frame your work. Instead, leave like an inch-long thread tail and secure it under your stitches. Make sure to press the linen thoroughly before you hoop it, so you don't have any creases. I also like to prevent fraying by binding or zigzagging close to the linen's edges. One last thing - I don't leave the needle in the body of the work - sometimes it can leave a hole or god forbid if you don't work on the piece for a while, a rust mark.
I hope to make a summer mini-wardrobe while I'm staying in - cute tops, skirts, and maybe some culottes in some cheery colors!
- Sarah
Sarah - I loved your reply. So many good tips for hand embroidery. I am planning to use some of my at home time to get back in touch with machine embroidery. I have a few tee shirts that can use some decorative stitching and I want to work on this. Also a few projects for the grandchildren.
Liz
I've had so many projects planned for my embroidery machine. With this little hiatus, I'm going to spend every day practicing something new in my sewing room! Here's a pocket monster.
I use a small divided storage box to store my yarn. I wrap the thread on flat plastic spools and put the DMC thread number and the embroidery chart symbol on each spool. I organize them by color in the storage compartments. And this is easy to pack for travel. And I use the plastic see through bags in which beddings come to put my work in progress.
Great tips! Thanks all!
Here's a wonderfully helpful website showing just about every embroidery stitch:
https://stitchfloral.blogspot.com/p/stitch-directory.html
Happy Sewing!
Jan