How to Make an Old-Fashioned Embroidered Profile

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If you know me, you know I like old things. And new things that seem like old things. So one thing I’ve been wanting to make for a while is a good, old fashioned-feeling embroidered profile of my kid. 

I’d never attempted anything similar to this before, so I had no idea how difficult it might be, and if the finished product would look nice enough to be worth the effort. I’m happy to report that the process, while tedious at moments, really wasn’t too bad, and I absolutely love the end result!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Photo
• Pencil and paper
• Embroidery hoop
• Piece of fabric
• Sewing needle
• Black embroidery floss
• Glue gun (or some type of glue, preferably fast drying)

So here we go. First, you’re going to want to find a good picture of your subject human in profile. So go through your phone and look for a photo that will work, or if your subject human is nearby, just have them stare at the wall and snap a photo from the side.

Next comes the somewhat tedious part. You’re going to trace your photo so that you end up with an outline on a piece of paper. The way I did this (and it very well might not be the best way), is I opened the photo on my iPad, zoomed in on it until it was the size I wanted, laid a piece of paper directly on the iPad screen, and began lightly tracing with a pencil.

I say “lightly” because the screen was so sensitive that touching the piece of paper to hold it steady kept making the photo jump around on the screen, thereby wrecking the delicate tracing process. So don’t expect that piece of paper to be an adequate shield between your fingers and a touchscreen!

In retrospect, I imagine this process would be much easier if you have a printed version of your picture. Live and learn, right?!

At any rate, once you have the outline of your photo traced onto paper, you then cut it out. Make sure not to omit the small details that make your special human who they are. Leave in the errant curl, the cowlick, the special way they hold their head. All these things really help retain the personality and individuality of your subject. I also like to make sure I include eyelashes, even if they’re not necessarily visible in the photo.

Now, prepare your embroidery hoop. These are pretty inexpensive and can be found at most any craft store, or check out these on Amazon. I like to use wooden ones in lieu of plastic. Even the cheaper wooden ones still make a great frame for your finished project!

Loosen the screw at the top of the embroidery hoop and separate the two circles of the hoop. Cut your piece of fabric at least an inch larger than your hoop, then place it over the smaller hoop. Then replace the larger hoop, sandwiching the edge of your fabric between the two hoops. Pull gently on the edges of the fabric to ensure that the fabric is held fairly tight and that the tension is even across the surface. Retighten the screw, and you’re all set!

Now place the tracing of your photo onto your prepared hoop and trace around it. I just used a pencil. Orient your tracing so that the screw is at the top. You could use tape or possibly pins to hold your paper steady as you’re tracing, or you can just wing it like I did.

Now you’re ready to start sewing!

First, you’re going to outline your image by following the line you just traced. I used a simple backstitch.

Once you’ve embroidered your outline, now you’re going to fill it in. I started at the neck and worked my way up, just going from one side to the other, straight across the entire face. Nothing fancy going on here. Once my needle was on the back side of the work, I brought my needle back out either a little bit above or below where I had just ended my previous stitch, then went back across the front of the work to the other side. By “leapfrogging” my stitches like this, I was able to keep most of the thread on the front of the work and not have long lengths of thread going across the back, which obviously wastes a ton of thread.

Continue filling in your profile, gradually working your way up until no fabric is visible in between your stitches. Once you get to the top, if you notice that there are any small gaps between your horizontal stitches and your outline, you may want to put a round of stitches on the inside of your outline to fill in those little spots. While doing this, you can also throw in a few more stitches all the way across if you notice any areas that are thinner than others. One way you can assess this is by holding your work up to the light and seeing where the light comes through.

You’re going to blow through quite a bit of embroidery floss with this project, but don’t be shy when you’re filling in your profile! You want to end up with a picture that is bold, high contrast, and seems to jump off the wall at you. At least that’s what I was going for….

Once you’ve got your profile filled in, all that’s left is to deal with the raw ends of your fabric. I like to trim it down to about ¼-½ inch, then hot glue it to the inside of the embroidery hoop.

And that’s all, folks! Hang ‘er on the wall where all your kid’s friends will see it, and your dear child will love you forever for it. 😉

A few last notes….

If you’re more talented at embroidery than I am, you may want to add the person’s name, an inspiring quote, or perhaps a charming flower border.

You could also get creative with your fabric choice. I went with a basic neutral linen blend, but I’ve also wanted to try this on a vintage floral print, or even an old piece of clothing.

If you give this project a go, I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below!!

– Kendra

Attempted crafter, stitcher, etc.