* If you just learning how to embroider you would better choose simple pictures with 5-6 coloures. It will prevent you from becoming intangled in threads and coloures. Your work will be finished quicker and this will give you inspiration for another work because one always wants to see the result of the work as soon as possible and to admire the first embroidery.

* It is better to use canvas with the holes for needle that you can see clear. In this case you will not become intangled and your sstiches will be equal and fine.

* Canvas with small holes is not very good for your first embroideries because your eyes will get tired very quickly because you are not used to this work and it will complicate the process of learning.

* The best material for canvas is flax or you can use cloth for counting embroidery. It will be easier to achieve equal stiches.

* It’s better to avoid black canvas because this canvas is also difficult to work with.

* You can mark out your canvas in 10×10 (stiches) squares net so it will be easier for you to find necessary stiches in the scheme and your canvas. But be carefull! Before you will do it you’d better make sure you can easily get rid of this net. You can use special pen that can be washed off at the end of the work. And don’t mix it with self-dissapearing pen because it will dissapear in 48 hours and probably before you will have time to finish your embroidery. So you will have to do your net again. You also should know that some tailor’s chalks not always can be washed off easily. And so they are not very good to make this net. And pencil can’t be washed off.

* If you don’t want to become intangled in your scheme you can cross out made stiches there, but don’t do it with pen. It’s better to use pencil for this. You can erase signs of a pencil but not a pen! Imagine that your friends liked your embroidery so much that you can’t get rid of them and have to give them your nice scheme 😉

* It’s better to choose neddle with long eye and with rounded point so it won’t catch on the canvas. And the main thing is its diameter, it shouldn’t be larger than the diameter of a hole.

* While cutting the canvas you’d better leave some reserve. It will be of use if you are mistaken by chance in your calculations and you need it to stretch your picture under the frame. You shouldn’t only embroider beautiful picture it also has to be nicely designed.

* It is recommended to start embroider from the centre. But there are some variants. If it is more convenient for you to start from any edge you can do it. Though it will be more difficult to create nice inside. Try to make your embroidery beautiful not only from the outside but also from the inside.

* Before starting embroider you’d better check if your threads don’t lose colour. Oherwise the first attempt to wash your work will reduce all your efforts to zero.

Good luck!