BEGINNING A NEW STITCHING PROJECT IS ALWAYS FUN. After due consideration you have made a choice, gathered together the materials that you will need, threads, needles, fabric and hoop, and set aside some time to make a start. You may be familiar with all the stitches that are used or there may be one or two that are new to you or, perhaps your new project involves a technique that you have never tried or tried once or twice but are not too confident about working. If so, it’s probably a good time to take out some spare thread and spend a little time practising. ‘Practice makes perfect’ is a well-used proverb and the belief that the regular exercising of a skill leads to proficiency certainly has merit. Think back to the first time you worked a piece of embroidery or the first time you tried to work a complex or unfamiliar stitch or technique. Unfamiliarity with a new skill makes us tentative and it is only when we have some practical experience that we become familiar with the ‘nature’ of a particular stitch, thread or fabric. This familiarity leads to an increase in confidence and it doesn’t take long before what was once challenging becomes an everyday part of your stitching repertoire. Those who love the challenge of new stitches, and the added challenge of perfecting them, develop a large, articulate, stitch vocabulary. Taking time to really get to know a stitch through practising helps to develop an effective stitching rhythm, improves spacing and tension and increases knowledge of both the potential and limitations of the stitch. By increasing our knowledge and understanding of stitching we can only become much better embroiderers. So, the next time you see a new or difficult looking stitch, take the challenge to learn how to work it and the time to make it a perfect addition to your stitching journey.