Tips on How To Memorize Lines Quickly

The seemingly impossible task of memorizing lines, may take a toll on your mind. The anxiety kills you, and makes even the simplest lines slip out of your mind, but you should realize that, several days of rehearsals and practice make a great speech or play. Even the thespians and orators with a decade of experience, may sometimes find memorizing lines difficult, they might even forget their lines on the stage, but their confidence and charisma never makes the audience realize such blunders.

How to Memorize Lines Quickly?

We all know how hard it is to learn our lines, the lack of time given to memorize the lines, makes things more difficult for us. Here are some tips that you can use to make things easy for you.

Believe in Yourself
Many people just lose their spirit if they find a long monologue in their script. They just develop a prejudice that the lines cannot be memorized by them, this hinders all their attempts to learn the lines. So, it is very important to have faith in your potential. Believe that you can achieve everything you want, if you try. The belief in your abilities will keep you motivated, even when you feel that it is impossible to learn your lines.

Character Key
Before you start your attempts to memorize, you should try and understand your character in the play. Understand what the character demands from you, and comprehend the emotions that you need to portray. This will help you understand your lines better, which will help you memorize the lines quickly.

Loud and Clear
When you rehearse your lines, make sure that you say the words aloud. When you do this, you are aiding your memory. Your pronunciations should be clear, and you are bound to realize the flaws in your pronunciation only when you say it loud. This technique will help your mind register the lines speedily.

Picture Perfect
I agree that everyone does not have a photographic memory, but visualizing the scene when you are rehearsing at home, will surely make memorizing faster. In addition to this, you can use inanimate objects to represent other characters. You can also use pictures as a prompt when you practice, then eventually you will remember all your lines by just imagining the pictures in the appropriate sequence.

Mirror Magic
Here is one of the oldest tricks to assist the pace of memorizing the lines; use a mirror! When you practice your lines, just look into the mirror (be loud and clear), this gives you a feeling that you have company, and will reduce the probability of getting bored quickly. Thus, you can maximize the time for practicing in a day, thereby reducing the days required to memorize the lines. Seeing yourself emote, can be quite amusing too!

Who's Line is it?
When you practice a scene, you should always incorporate the dialogues (read it from the script) of other characters in the scene. By this, you maintain the flow of the scene, and when you are in the flow, you will tend to recite your lines automatically! Well, knowing the lines of other characters can also serve as a prompt on the stage.

Write it Down
This is something that has helped me a lot. While doing your lines, simultaneously write (do not type) them. This technique reinforces the lines in your brain. I know it can be tedious to write all your lines, so you can just jot down the lines, which you feel are impossible to remember.

Record and Recite
Record an entire stage rehearsal and listen to it when you find time, recite your parts when they appear in the recording. Some mute the instances of their lines in the recording, as they do not want to recite their lines along with their voice. By recording, you can practice your lines even while doing other activities like walking, driving, etc.

Feedback Factor
If you do not memorize it right, then what is the point in memorizing! The main drawback in rehearsing your lines alone is, you seldom realize when you go wrong! So call over a friend, ask him/her to help you with your lines, and point out the areas where you can improve.

You can also memorize your lines, by reciting it like a song, but this might be risky, as you might end up singing on the stage! Using mnemonics is also a good idea, but I have seen people who end up just remembering the mnemonic, while forgetting the actual lines. Initially you might feel that you may not be able to learn your lines, just try out the tips mentioned above and you will find that it wasn't so difficult after all.

Pediculosis Pubis Symptoms

Pediculosis is the medical term for lice infestation, which may occur in different parts of the body. Lice are groups of wingless, obligate ectoparasites, classified under the taxonomic order Phthiraptera. While head is the most common site for infestation, specific types of lice called crabs (pubic lice) attack the pubic region and the condition is called pediculosis pubis or phthiriasis pubis. The crabs are identified as insects that feed exclusively on blood and complete their life cycle in human hair. In addition to head and pubic lice, body louse infesting the body is also identified.

How to Identify Pediculosis Pubis Symptoms?

Pubic lice (Phthirus pubis) are named as crabs, owing to their enlarged appearance under the microscope. Although they can affect all sexually active people, the rate of occurrence is highest amongst teenagers. Both males and females are equally susceptible to infection by these skin parasites. The worst part with pediculosis pubis is, crabs (pubic lice) are transmittable from an infected person to another during sexual activity and via direct skin-to-skin contact. Sharing of towels, clothes, bedding and other personal items with an infected person can also spread crabs.

As per statistical data, this ectoparasitic infection is diagnosed in about 2 percent of the population. Based on the disease etiology, pediculosis pubis or crabs infection is classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Symptoms of pediculosis pubis may start soon after infection, or several days (up to 4 weeks) after infection takes place. Regarding identification of pediculosis pubis signs and symptoms, an individual infected with pubic lice will experience the following.

    * Intense itching or pruritus in the genital and perianal areas is a typical sign of pubic lice infestation. It usually aggravates during sleep, and itchiness is more in regions where pubic hairs are present.
    * Itchiness and burning sensation in the pubic-hair region results from the body's reactions to crab saliva. As with other ectoparasites, head louse injects saliva while biting and feeding on blood.
    * Noticeable wheals, excoriation and papules are present on the bite sites. Also, the infected areas usually have open sores and lesions. Scratching in the itchy areas may lead to development of other infections.
    * A symptom that indicates biting by pubic lice is the presence of discolored sores (maculae ceruleae), which are bluish-gray or blue. In severe cases, crab infestation gives off a foul smell in the infested area.
    * In order to confirm pediculosis pubis symptoms, look for presence of flat, light-brown adult lice and eggs at the roots of pubic hair. Both adults and eggs (nits) are visible to naked eyes. Nits laid by the female pubic louse hatch within 6 - 8 days.

Those who have multiple sexual partners are more prone to this parasitic infection than others. So, are there any pediculosis pubis complications? With pubic lice infestation, there is no severe medical complication as such. The only concern is, constant scratching over the infected areas, leaving open skin sores and increasing risks for secondary infections. This can be minimized by treating lice infections in the early stages. On the better side, STD crabs infection responds well to treatment and personal care. Learn more on STD symptoms in women.

How to Treat Pediculosis Pubis?

People having suspected symptoms of crabs infection should avoid close contact with others until the condition is diagnosed and treated promptly. For crabs diagnosis, suspected pediculosis pubis symptoms are examined carefully. Once confirmed, the doctor may recommend topical formulations containing permethrin for both partners. This topical cream is to be applied at night and rinsed the next morning. In addition, shampoos are available with the same chemical ingredients. To fetch prompt results, always keep the genital area clean, and follow the instructions for using creams and shampoos religiously.

Use of medicated creams or shampoos should be continued after 7 - 14 days for pediculosis pubis treatment. This is to make sure that the recently hatched lice are exterminated too. Besides this, adopting good personal hygiene tips is necessary to address pubic lice infestations. Bedding, linens, undergarments should be washed with hot water, and dried properly to kill the lice. And for preventing pediculosis pubis, avoid sharing clothing with an infected person and also, don't try on swimsuits of others. Simple tips like these will surely help in preventing spread of pubic lice.

World Famous Vegetarians List

It is commonly heard that being vegetarian is getting fashionable these days. People turn to a vegetarian lifestyle out of curiosity, for health benefits, on adoption of a new religious belief or out of mere compassion towards animals. Historical facts however, show that being vegetarian or vegan has always been a mode of lifestyle for some communities around the world. Some well known communities that have always followed vegetarian lifestyle hail from India. There have also been some inspiring and famous die hard vegans all around the world who have always sworn by their natural green diet. Here is a compilation of names of world famous people who prefer a green diet.

Some Famous Vegetarians

    * Leonardo da Vinci: This world famous artist from Italy was known for his vegetarian lifestyle. So profound was his love for animals that he would rescue animals from meat markets and let them free. He is famously supposed to have said "As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other."
    * Paul McCartney: He is an ex-member of 1960s hit band Beatles. He turned vegetarian along with his wife Linda McCartney who was an animal rights activist. He propagates vegetarian lifestyle and supports charities that work for animal rights. He has previously confessed that he finds the aroma of bacon tempting but then he has vowed to stay vegetarian for the rest of his life.
      He one said in an interview, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian!"
    * Tiruvalluvar: He was a famous saint from southern part of India. He is famous for his quote which states, "How can one, who eats flesh of others to swell his flesh, show compassion?"
    * Pamela Anderson: A popular Canadian actress and showgirl, Pamela Andersen promotes vegetarianism. She has been an advocate on animal rights and one of the foremost members of PETA. She is said to have turned a vegan ever since her teenage.
    * Tobey Maguire: The spiderman of hollywood is a staunch believer in a vegetarian lifestyle. He has altered his diet to a great extent and abstains from eggs and dairy products. He has even altered his lifestyle and made his home free from any leather products.
    * Mike Tyson:A retired American boxer, Mike Tyson is the undisputed world champion in the heavyweight list. He won his first title at the age of 20 years and successfully defended the title nine times. The heavyweight start vouches for a completely vegan diet. He regrets that he was not a born vegan.
    * Amitabh Bachchan: Known as the biggest bollywood star, Amitabh Bachchan is known for his extraordinary screen persona. He has a popularity rating much higher than actors like Marlon Brando or Robert de Nero. This iconic actor supports PETA and rigorously promotes the 'go green' campaign. He himself has been a strict vegetarian for quite a substantial part of his life.

World Famous Vegetarian Actors

Name of Actor     Country
Pamela Anderson     Canada
Jim Carrey     USA
Amitabh Bachchan     India
John Abraham     India
Casey Affleck     USA
Gillian Andersen     USA
Alec Baldwin     USA
James Cromwel     USA
Tobey Maguire     USA
Lisa Edelstein     USA
Joanquin Phoenix     USA
Brad Pitt     USA
Alicia Silverstone     USA
Billy West     USA
Cristian Bale     UK
Julie Cristie     UK
Sadie Frost     UK
Anne Hathaway     USA
Natalie Portman     USA

World Famous Vegetarian Athletes

Name of Athlete     Sport     Country
Adam Myerson     Cycling     USA
Greg Chappel     Cricket     Australia
Martina Navratilova     Tennis     Czech Republic
Sachin Tendulkar     Cricket     India
Mike Tyson     Boxing     USA

Other Famous Personalities (Past and Present)

Name of Personality     Profession
Leonardo da Vinci     Artist
Amos Bronson Alcott     Transcendentalist
Confucius     Chinese Philosopher
14th Dalai Lama     Religious Leader
Albert Einstein     Physicist
Adolf Hitler     Nazi Leader
Aristotle     Thinker
Plato     Thinker
Pythagoras     Mathematician
Socrates     Thinker
Mahatma Gandhi     Indian Leader
Swami Vivekanand     Philosopher
George Bernard Shaw     Playwright
Issac Newton     Scientist
Leo Tolstoy     Writer/Author
Mark Twain     Writer/Author
Michael Jackson     Singer
Benjamin Franklin     American Political Leader
Henry Ford     Entrepreneur
Louisa May Alcott     Writer/Author
H G Wells     Writer/Author
Ringo Starr     Singer
George Harrison     Singer
Charlotte Bronte     Writer/Author
Charles Darwin     Naturalist
Bryan Adams     Singer
Gulu Lavani     Entrepreneur
Heather Mills     Social Activist
Mac Danzig     Martial Arts Fighter
Prince     Singer
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam     Scientist
Rabindranath Tagore     Poet and Painter
Paul McCartney     Singer
Chelsea Clinton     Bills Clinton's daughter

The lists given above may be long but they shall always be incomplete. So much has been said and done to propagate a vegan diet, that many famous personalities and commoners are turning towards vegetarian diet permanently. It helps make your life healthy and animal friendly. So what are you waiting for? This is the right time to start a vegetarian journey of life!

Famous Sports Couples

Famous sportsmen and sportswomen from all around the world have long held our fascination for living glamorous lives and getting paid tons of money for playing our favorite games. But behind all the glamor and flashlights are long hours of struggle, loneliness and personal failures that are known only to them. This side is never shown to the public eye, and the only people who can truly understand the pressures involved are fellow sports personalities. As a result of this, hook ups and marriages between sports personalities are inevitable, and they always end up capturing the watching world's imagination like nothing else.

Celebrity couples have always held a very special place in the minds of people, and when both members of such couples are famous sports stars, things get even more interesting. Everyone wants more details about how the couple met, where they go, how they feel about each other and how their entanglement is affecting their performances. Newspapers and journalists build up these couples with the most romantic notions only to watch most of them crumble under the pressure, because ultimately, the stress gets to them all. Nonetheless, there are some famous sports couples that manage to work at it and see themselves through the rocky patches and the intense spotlight and lead a happy life together.

Famous Couples in Sports

These couples are listed in no particular order. Their involvement with each other has been the source of much entertainment and controversy for many parties, and how they have managed this stress is commendable. Moreover, the couples here also include pairs with one member a famous sports personality and the other a famous celebrity.

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf
When it comes to famous tennis couples none can match this high profile sports couple. They met on the winners ball in the French Open in 1999 and started dating. They married in 2001 and are now the proud parents of a son and a daughter. They currently reside in Las Vegas and are rarely seen out together. This is undoubtedly the first couple that pops to mind when one wonders about couples in the sporting world.

Iker Casillas and Sara Carbonero
Casillas is the captain of Real Madrid FC and is also the captain of the successful Spanish football team that won Euro 2008 and the last edition of the World Cup. He is also the most capped goalkeeper in the UEFA Champions League, so his love life will definitely create headlines everywhere. Carbonero is a famous sports journalist in Spain and was recently voted the 'The Sexiest Reporter in the World'. They are dating each other and their public appearances cause many a stir around the world today.

Shelden Williams and Candace Parker
It is very rare to find a couple that plays in the NBA and the WNBA, and this couple achieves just that. Williams is a retired basketball player who played for the New York Knicks, and he was famously known as 'The Landlord'. Candace Parker plays for the Los Angeles Sparks and is one of the most recognizable stars of the WNBA. Along the way she has broken several rookie records and she also happens to be the younger sister of Tony Parker. They were married in 2008, have one daughter and are leading a healthy married life away from the spotlight.

Sasha Vujacic and Maria Sharapova
This couple has been together since 2009 and recently got engaged as well. Sharapova was the heir to Anna Kournikova's title of most attractive Russian female tennis player, and she actually won titles to back this up as well. She was the world number 1 for a long time, and she is still only 24 years old, so her tennis career is still wide open. Vujacic is a professional Slovenian NBA player and he plays his trade for the New Jersey Nets.

Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm
When it comes to athletic couples, it truly does not get better than this. Garciaparra is a former baseball player famous for his time with the Boston Red Sox. He was also on the Olympic team for his sport, and so was his wife, Hamm, for soccer. She is one of the most popular women soccer players in the world, and she also happens to be a world champion and an Olympic champion. The couple regularly stays away from the spotlight. They were married in 2003 and had twin girls in 2007.

Ronaldo and Milene Domingues
The Brazilian Ronaldo was a true phenomenon in his time as a soccer player, and if not for his serious knee injuries, he would have surely been known as the greatest player ever. Apart from his dazzling skills on the field, he was also famous for scoring off the field. His flamboyant lifestyle led to several hook ups, and none could perhaps match up to his marriage with Domingues, the most expensive female soccer player in Spain. Their marriage lasted 4 years, and in that time they played for Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid respectively, and the flashbulbs and paparazzi literally followed their every move.

Some more famous sports couples are listed below as well.

    * Soccer star David Beckham and Spice Girl Victoria Beckham
    * Pop singer Enrique Iglesias and tennis player Anna Kournikova
    * NBA player Carmelo Anthony and VJ turned actress Lala Vasquez
    * Cricketer Michael Clarke and model Lara Bingle
    * American footballer Tom Brady and model Gisele Bundchen
    * Footballer Reggie Bush and reality TV star Kim Kardashian (not involved anymore)
    * Basketball player Tony Parker and actress Eva Longoria (not involved anymore)
    * Soccer player Ashley Cole and singer Cheryl Cole (not involved anymore)
    * Baseball player Alex Rodriguez and actress Kate Hudson (not involved anymore)
    * Tennis stars Jimmy Connors and Christine Evert (called off their wedding and split up)
    * Tennis stars Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters (not involved anymore)
    * Soccer star Sol Campbell and tennis player Martina Hingis (not involved anymore)

These were just a few of the celebrity couples that were involved in the sports world and as you can see, most of them could not work it out for various reasons. This just goes to show how hard it is for such couples to actually be together, and this is what feeds the newspaper columns and the gossip magazines from all corners of the world.

How to Embroider by Hand 2

Hand embroidery is an interesting craft and since many generations provided women with many hours of pleasure. You can read more about this traditional hobby in histroy of embroidery. Hand embroidery is a type of needlework or handicraft, that is to be done without a machine. You need to learn to embroider by hand as the stitches involved are very intricate and require practice. You need to outline a pattern on the cloth piece to be embroidered. Let us go into the details of how to embroider by hand.

How to Embroider by Hand
The first thing to do is choose the cloth you want to try embroidery on. Then plan the design you want to stitch on your cloth. Choose the colors of the threads and the thickeners of the thread. You need to then choose a pattern from a chart or pattern sheet, that will help you decide the types of embroidery stitches to use. Then draw the pattern or trace the design over the cloth with a washable fabric marker or quilting pencil.

Tread your needle with the thread you wish to embroider your design. You can use thick cotton or wool yarn, in case you are trying to embroider by hand on pillow cases and napkins. In case of delicate patterns like monograms or fashion trims, you may use embroidery floss, silk thread or cotton thread that is divided into sections.

Now stretch the fabric on a tension hoop. You can keep the use of tension loop optional if you are not comfortable using it. But be sure that the fabric is stretched and not pulled out of shape. Now, holding the fabric in your left hand (right hand, if you are a leftie), begin stitching at the bottom of the fabric. Secure the threads with a double stitch to get started. Then push the needle up through the fabric and down again at the end of the stitch. Remember, the length of your stitch depends on the type of stitch you are following.

Once you are done with a particular color or section of your embroidery, weave the end of the thread at the bottom of the fabric in a secure knot. Continue to stitch till you complete your project. Remove the frame from the hoop only after completion. This was something about how to embroider by hand. Let us take some idea on interesting and easy embroidery project, for those trying to learn to embroider by hand.

How to Embroider Words by Hand
How to embroider words by hand is not a very difficult project to try. You need to choose your fabric and the colors of your embroidery threads. You need to follow a pattern for the words to be embroidered like block letters, cursive letters, etc. With a washable fabric marker or fabric pencil trace the image of the word you wish to embroider by hand. You can read some tips on embroidery stitches

Now, place your fabric in a hoop and begin stitching from the left bottom edge of the word. Push the needle up through the fabric from the bottom and leave a tail of embroidery floss of about two inches. Pull the thread across the width of your word and push the needle back down into the fabric. You need to follow this step till you finish the entire word. This simple stitch of embroidery by hand, is known as satin stitch. You can learn to embroider by hand with many other stitches like chain stitch, cross stitch, back stitch, etc. The answer for how to embroider words by hand also answers your query how to embroider letters by hand. Just follow this simple step for an single individual letter.

How to Embroider Flowers by Hand
Just like a word or letter, you need to follow the above mentioned steps. Trace a flower design on your fabric with washable fabric marker or pencil. Then choose the colors of your embroidery thread. You can let your creativity flow with a flower design. You can try dual colors for the petals and to show the shading in the leaves. You can even embroider by hand with double shaded embroidery threads. You can choose a satin stitch for the petals and leafs. You can try French knot stitch for the center of the flower. The stem can be stitched using a stem stitch. You can refer to an embroidery magazine for ideas and the type of stitches you can try. You can read more on custom embroidery patterns and design.

This was a bit in short, about how to embroider by hand. Hand embroidery is a very interesting arts and crafts hobby, that will keep you engaged for hours on end. You can decorate your pillow covers, scarfs, wall hangings, table cloths and many more things in your house with your embroidery by hand. You can even give think about hand embroidered personalized gifts. You can learn to embroider by hand very easily. Once you learn to embroider by hand, you will get hooked on to this interesting hobby for life.

How to Embroider by Hand

We often exchange gifts with our friends, and friendship bands and bracelets are good gifts. To add a personal touch to your gift, you can make your own friendship bracelets. Usually threads or embroidery floss are used to knot these handmade friendship bracelets. The knots in these embroidery floss bracelets signify the strong bond between friends. Friendship bracelets are available in a variety of styles and patterns.

You can craft embroidery floss friendship bracelets and gift them to your friends to make them feel special. They would love to tie it on their hand. Believe me, crafting a bracelet does not require much time and effort and it is simple and easy. And the best part is that it is inexpensive!

You can start with a simple pattern and as you get more experienced you can make more advanced patterns, and try designing on your own. Here are the steps to make an embroidery floss friendship bracelet.

How To Make Friendship Bracelet?

Things required:

   1. Embroidery floss
   2. Scissors
   3. Measuring tape
   4. Masking tape
   5. Clipboard

Steps for making embroidery floss friendship bracelet:

    * Take four colors of embroidery floss thread. Cut a 25 inch strand of each embroidery floss.
    * Tie a knot of two inches at the top of the floss strands.
    * Tape the knotted side of the floss strands to your work surface or clip it to a clipboard.
    * Spread out the floss strands. From now we will refer to them as strand 1, strand 2, strand 3 and strand 4. Start with strand 1, loop it over strand 2. Hold strand 2 and pull the knot until it is snug.
    * Now, take the strand 1 and make double knots along strand 3 and strand 4.
    * Again, begin with strand 2 and make double knots with strand 3, strand 4 and strand 1.
    * Repeat the process with strand 3 and 4, one by one.
    * When you finish with this, tie a knot to secure the end.
    * You can add a colored bead before the end knot.

Now your embroidery floss bracelet is ready to be tied around the wrist. Wasn't that easy? You may also like to know more on how to make friendship bracelets.

Color Schemes for Embroidery Floss Bracelet

You may use different color schemes to prepare your embroidery floss friendship bracelet, like primary colors - red, yellow, and blue, or secondary colors - orange, green, and violet. Using a dark color with white is one of my favorite combinations. You can also try to combine light and dark shades of the same color. There is another scheme called, analogous color scheme, that uses two or more colors, that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, for e.g., yellow and violet. Some other possible schemes are white and red/pink on Valentine's day, yellow, pink, and pale green for Easter or you can go for American patriot - red, blue and white. The best combination would be, your favorite color knotted with your friends' favorite color. This also shows that although, you both may have different choices, you are still bonded to each other. And your bond is as strong as the knots in the friendship bracelet.

It is said that, "Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookie of life." Do not wait for friendship day. You can gift these bracelets any time. It would be the best gift to your summer class buddies or to your high school friends, on graduation. Embroidery floss bracelets are memorabilia, that will be treasured deeply by your friends.

How to Smock

Smocking a fabric is a popularly used embroidery pattern since years. This type of embroidery pattern is widely used in making clothes more fashionable. It is used to fancify skirts, shirts, frocks, kids wear and pillows as well. You can either smock a fabric using a sewing machine or with your hands. If you are wondering how to smock a dress, how to smock a pillow, how to smock by hand, how to smock with elastic, then this article will answer all your questions. Here is the detailed procedure of how to smock fabric.

How to Smock Fabric: Step-by-Step Procedure

Material You'll Need

    * Fabric
    * Cotton thread
    * Needle
    * Fabric pencil/chalk
    * Elastic
    * Pearl pins
    * Smocking pleater (if available)

Procedure

Step 1
The first step of how to smock a fabric is to pleat it. You can mark the starting and ending point of smocking with a fabric pencil. While using a smocking pleater is an easy way of doing this, you can also do it without this equipment. While working on the fabric just remember 3:1 ratio and start pleating the fabric. This means, that you have to take 3 inches of un-pleated fabric and then 1 inches pleated fabric. Go on doing this. Read more on sewing.

Step 2
Pin the pleats with pearl pins as you move on. Keep 3 inches fabric plain from both borders. The total number of pleats formed must be even. Now mark a horizontal line along the length of the pleats.

Step 3
To keep the pleats in place use a running stitch, which you can easily remove later. Go on removing the pearl pins used previously while pleating the fabric. Mark the required number of rows for smocking on wrong side using a fabric pencil/chalk.

Step 4
Now thread the needle with 3 strands of cotton thread, tie a knot at the end. Now let's see how to smock with elastic. Take a narrow elastic of size bit smaller than length of the fabric you have after pleating. Now place the elastic thread on the wrong side of fabric, over the marking of second row. Go in stitching it in a row. Once you reach the end, put a back stitch so as to secure the stitches properly. Now put a knot and cut off the remaining thread. Learn how to embroider by hand.

Step 5
Start working on the next row below it in the same way with elastic and thread. Go on doing this till you finish the number of rows you have marked for the project. The smocked fabric is ready to be used. Instead of using thread and elastic you can use an elastic thread as well.

Remember, that if you want to smock a particular part of a dress, first smock this part and then join it with other pieces to form a dress. Also, make all the marking on the wrong side of the fabric that won't be visible. Usually, the cuffs or sleeves of a dress are smocked. Smocked chest line is a popular fashion for dresses. This gives a classy touch to the outfit. You can have variations in the smock pattern. You can have wider or tiny pleats to have a detailed smock pattern. You can try this on a rough piece first and do variations as desired on the final fabric, to have a fantastic pattern ready!

Blanket Stitch Instructions

Any good seamstress will tell you that one of the most handy stitches to know is a blanket stitch. It is used to sew the edge of thick blankets or any other heavy and thick fabric. It is also used for sewing hand appliqué to a fabric. Of all the different types of embroidery stitches, it is the easiest to master and is usually done by hand, although you can do it in a sewing machine too. The trick to having a nice even looking blanket stitch is that all the individual stitches should be of the same size and they should be evenly spaced. Blanket stitching will come in useful for many other sewing projects for both adults and children. Here we are going to give you blanket stitch instructions.

Simple Blanket Stitch Instructions

Here is a step by step blanket stitch instructions that will teach you how to make a simple blanket stitch on a piece of fabric.

    * The first thing that you need to do is to thread a needle with a strand of embroidery thread and then make a secure knot on one end.
    * Take your piece of fabric and hold it tight in front of you. Draw a line about ½ cm away from the top edge of the fabric, which is parallel to it.
    * Now insert the needle from the bottom side to the top at the edge of the fabric at the left. Now insert the needle again from the drawn line and take the needle out at the edge of the fabric, directly opposite to the location where the needle was inserted.
    * As you draw the needle out through the top edge of the fabric, make sure that the thread is under the needle.
    * The resulting stitch will look like a square and this is what we are aiming for.
    * Again insert the needle at the line at equal distance and take it out parallel to it at the edge.
    * Place the thread under the needle and draw out the needle slowly, making sure that the stitch is secure.
    * Repeat steps, making sure that the height as well as the spacing of the stitch is maintained.
    * When you finish, insert the needle through the back of the stitch and secure with a knot.

Machine Blanket Stitch Instructions

It is possible to do blanket stitch in a sewing machine provided you have the right embroidery sewing machine. Different sewing machines depending upon whether they are manual or automatic, will have different setting for sewing it. For a manual sewing machine, you need to set the set the needle tension to 1. Then you have set the fabric into the machine and start stitching along the edge of the fabric. You can also roll the edge of the fabric to make decorative blanket stitch along the edge of the fabric.

Embroidery Blanket Stitch Instructions

Many beautiful embroidery can be made with blanket stitch. It is also used in knitting patterns for baby blankets. Another very important embroidery that is made with the blanket stitch is called as the button hole wheel. It is often used for making floral motifs while embroidering. To make this stitch, you need to simply make a blanket stitch in the form of a circle so that each stitch passes through one central point. Make sure that the blanket stitch are evenly and tightly spaced, otherwise the embroidery stitches will be ruined and these tips on embroidery stitches will go waste.

This was all about blanket stitch instructions. Blanket stitch is one of the most simple and easiest stitch to master. It comes in very useful for making appliqués and for embroidery. Now that you know how to make blanket stitches, you can make any embroidery project with it.