DIY Hibiscus Flower Embroidery Kit Review 手工绣 芙蓉花 挂画

Kindly Note: If you find the images somewhat blur, clicking into it will show you a much clearer version

Flower Embroidery Kit Details

• Item Number (货号) : 7287
• Product Name (品名): Hibiscus mutabilis, also known as the Confederate rose, Dixie rosemallow, cotton rose or cotton rosemallow (芙蓉)
• Size (尺寸) :  Around 20X20cm 
• Package Included: 1 Plastic Embroidery Hoop, 1 Printed Cotton Fabric, Colour Embroidery Threads, 2 Embroidery Needles, Instruction Manual (Printed in Mandarin)

What You Need to Know Before Starting

First things first, DO NOT PREWASH THE PRINTED EMBROIDERY CLOTH! The blue pattern will dissolve if you do so. I tried it on the 芙蓉 mandarin words that were on the side, by spraying some water on it, it disappeared within a few minutes. 

The shop that I bought it from recommended that ONLY AFTER COMPLETING, soak it in water for about 10 minutes to make the seal pattern disappear.

Secondly, find the best way to split your thread. Most embroidery thread is composed of six strands that are twisted together and many embroidery designs call for different strands of thread, so you will need to separate them. 

For this project, two strands are needed for each pattern. Initially, I wasted a lot of time because I tried to separate the tread 2 by 2, it took forever and it got knotted at some point.  I didn't know I was supposed to remove the number of strands one at a time and rejoin them later. 

This is a really good guide on how to separate them.

Thirdly, try not to allow the thread to twist up as you stitch.

Embroidery Stitches Used in this Project

There are four different types of embroidery stitches used in this pattern:

1. Straight Stitch (直针绣)
2. Stem Stitch (轮廓绣)
3. Satin Stitch  / Use Straight Stitch for Filling Areas (直针绣满画面)
4. Long and Short Stitch (长短针绣)

The Instruction Manual is in Mandarin (can be translated to English via Google Translate)

End Result

Natural Lighting (No Filter)

Expectation vs Reality

The back - not too messy for a beginner?

Overall

I think it's a really good DIY Embroidery Kit and will definitely buy the other patterns in the future. 

• The plastic hoop is sturdy.
• There were more than enough color threads.
• The flower pattern was easy to follow & the results seems pretty nice. 

I guess the only complaint I have is that the cotton embroidery cloth was a bit too thin. Making the back pretty visible - meaning I can see thread "shadows." But after Google-ing around, it could be a skill issue, based on this article. 

I haven't decided if I would like to transfer it to a frame or to leave it in the hoop to hang :/ 

If you do decide to use the hoop framing method, I find this blog informative.

Thank you for reading my review. If you have any other questions on the DIY Hibiscus Flower Embroidery Kit, just let me know by commenting below. I'll do my best to answer them. Have a great week ahead and stay safe :)