Welcome to a new series: Enchanted Embroideries, tutorials to guide you in using embroidery and fabric magic in your stitch witch practice. In this episode learn how to make your own embroidered protection talisman.
Stitch witch. Fabric magic. Enchanted embroidery. The embellishing craft of many names. Please allow me to introduce you to the world of Magickal Embroidery: Summoning charms to hang at your door, love spells within dainty handkerchiefs, banishing lockets. You name it embroidery can effectively create, contain and deepen the power of any spell.
So why use embroidery in your magickal craft?
Well it’s fairly easy, cheap, pretty and discreet. It’s also great for capturing spell remains and taking a spell or charm with you everywhere you go effortlessly. It also strengthens your spell or charm because your will is involved, your hands spend time touching this, weaving your will into it, it becomes imbued with your own potent power. -Oh, and did I mention it’s really fricking pretty?
So today we are going to make our very own enchanted embroidered talisman and capture a protection charm inside it.
This project might look a little fiddly but the steps come with pictures and are easy to follow. The embroidery may take some practise but I promise it gets easier the more you do it. The embroidery is very basic and the protection spell is simple making this whole ritual great for beginners and advanced stitch witches alike.
What you need for the embroidery
🧵 any pencil and eraser
🧵 paper -to create your pattern
🧵 Either this pattern or your own pattern (trace this design by turning the screen brightness up on your phone and zooming in until the pattern is the right size)
🧵 Embroidery scissors -large scissors will work in a pinch but be very careful not to cut your design accidentally. Also embroidery scissors are very sharp so be careful if you are using them and never use them to cut anything else (like paper) than the floss.
🧵 necklace setting to insert your embroidery into.
🧵 a jump ring to match the metal colour of your setting
🧵 18” chain to match the metal colour of your setting or a velvet ribbon choker (my absolute favourite)
🧵 Tea. Optional but makes the stitching part feel more like a ritual.
Here is a good value for money embroidery kit to get you started. These items may seem expensive at first but there is enough here for hundreds of projects meaning you will have plenty of supplies for future stitchwitch tutorials
How to get started
1. With a pencil on your paper trace around your necklace fitting’s inner tray. Any pattern you trace or create must fit inside this oval. It is the worst thing to spend an hour embroidering only to find out it’s too big for the jewellery.
Sketch your design within this shape. A pentacle is a great place to start especially for this protection charm. You can screenshot my design (indicated later with a *) and then trace that. Or you can draw your own and add details
2.) Line it with a black marker. Go over your pencil marks with a pretty thick fine liner (you need to be able to see it through your fabric. DO NOT PEN IN YOUR OVAL JUST THE DESIGN INSIDE IT.
3.) Rub out the pencil marks. (*screenshot this image below for the clearest image to trace.) Turn up screen brightness and zoom in or out to make the design fit within your shape.)
4.) Hoop up your chosen fabric: place the fabric down so the weave is straight (runs horizontal and vertical) between the 2 hoops and pull the fabric taught in the hoop then tighten the screw (it should sound like a drum if you lightly tap it.)
5.) place your hoop over your design, backside facing you (so the fabric is flush with the paper, front ways would create a gap between fabric and paper)
and trace your design. DO NOT trace the outline of the tray in which you drew your design. Just the design itself (no border.) If your fabric isn’t see through like mine you can use a light box -a window if it’s day or an iPad (google white background on the iPad and turn the screen brightness up) or a lit tv screen work great if it’s night, also your phone screen works well for small projects like this.
6.) Remove the fabric from hoop and flip over and reinsert your fabric so your design is now at the front of the hoop.
7.) Pick out your colours of threads and get stitching!
The colour key for my pattern:
Any brown for the pentacle
A bright green for the leaves
A baby pink for the daisies
A lilac for the flower buds
8. Threading your floss. Most floss comes with 6 strands. Cut about a forearms length of floss, separate 2 strands and thread these through the eye of your needle: if this is a struggle lick fingertips and pinch end to make the 2 strands glide smoothly through the eye. Tie a knot in the other end of your floss and start by stitching from the back to front. Have an experiment but it really is quite intuitive once you get the hang of it.
9. The stitches.
The stitch key for my pattern:
Long stitch -for the Pentacles
Short stitch -for the daisies and the leaves
French knots -for the flower buds
You can find a guide to the stitches you need here
When you have finished your design remove it from the hoop and take it to your altar or a safe place where you can spellcraft
What you need for the charm
✨your usual method and ingredients for casting a circle/setting up for a spell in your own way
✨palo santo
✨ crushed dried sage
✨dried lavender
✨a white candle
✨a blue candle
✨4 quartz crystals of any shape and size
✨white thread
✨needle
✨thick card
✨necklace fitting
✨glue/hot glue gun
1. Gather all your ingredients
2. Take the paper pattern and trace the outline onto thick card. Cut out and check this fits in your necklace tray with a little wiggle room. Set aside
3. Cast a circle or prepare for spell craft in your usual way.
4. Place your 4 quartz pieces at north, east, South and west with your blue and white candle in the centre. Light your white candle, hold your embroidery close to your heart as you light the palo santo with this candle. Be careful not to get any ash on your design as you carefully cleanse the embroidered work by wafting the smoke all around it (I like to go anti-clockwise around it thrice)
5. Cut around your design, leaving an inch all around. Do a running stitch all around your design leaving enough room that the stitches will not be seen from the front and making sure your start and end point/thread is at the front and leaving enough thread both ends that you can pull on them.
6. Flip over and add a small pinch of the sage and lavender into the back middle of the fabric. Add the card and then gently pull the start and end threads of your running stitch. You will now have created a small pouch with your embroidery work bubbling out on the front with a flat card back. As you tie your ends threads together, closing this pouch say this protection incantation:
“Sage powerfully repel, lavender calm and soothe.
My craft reveals in others the solemn truth.
And if of harm they mean to be
Cast them far away from me.”
7. Finish your piece by trimming the left over fabric on the back then stitching the back from left to right and pulling taught. Then from top to bottom and repeating. This makes the front nice and smooth. As you are stitching this closed imagine a white protecting light wrapping around you securing and grounding you.
8. Glue that baby in with your glue gun and add your jump ring and chain/ribbon.
9. Consecrate this jewellery for your work. Hold it high above your blue candle and say:
“I bless and consecrate this talisman so it may do the work I necessitate
I wrap this around my neck to signify divine protection in any way, place or date”
Ceremonially put your talisman on and blow out your candles as you hold this in your palms, feeling it glow with positive protective energy
That’s it. If you perform this spell please post it on Instagram and tag me, I’d love to see your finished work. I hope you’ll join me in another enchanted embroideries adventure soon
love ya, lovelies 😘✌️
