Embroider an Initial on a Felt Bookmark
A stitched initial turns a strip of felt into a personal February gift for a reader. Keep the design near one end so the letter can peek out above the pages. A single layer of thin felt keeps the bookmark from wedging the book open.
Choose the letter and materials
- One piece of firm 1 mm felt, 4 by 16 cm
- About 60 cm of six-strand embroidery floss in a contrasting color
- Embroidery needle, scissors, ruler, chalk pencil and paper for a practice sketch
Draw a block capital about 2 cm high on paper first. Give curves room and avoid tiny serifs that will disappear into the felt. Copy the letter lightly onto the felt, centering it across the width and starting about 1 cm from the top. Use marks light enough to brush away afterward.
Follow the outline with backstitch
Cut a 35 cm length of floss and pull out two strands together. Thread them through the needle. To start without a bulky knot, leave a short tail underneath and trap it beneath the first few stitches on the back. Bring the needle up on the chalk line and make one stitch about 3 mm long. Bring it up one stitch length ahead, then send it back down into the hole at the end of the previous stitch. Continue, shortening the stitches on tight curves.
On letters with separate strokes, weave the thread under several stitches on the back and start fresh at the next stroke instead of stretching a loose thread across the gap. Once the initial is complete, secure the last tail the same way and trim it close.
Keep the felt smooth
If the strip curls around the stitching, the floss is too tight. Back out the puckered section and pull the replacement stitches only until they lie against the surface. If the letter looks broken on a curve, fill the visible gap with a shorter stitch rather than doubling a long one. Brush away the chalk and round the four corners with small scissor cuts so they do not catch between pages.
