About

Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Purple Posy 4: Preparing Parts for Finishing

 

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Moving along in our Purple Posy Stitch Snippet stitch-along here on Needle ‘n Thread, today we’re going to transform the embroidered design parts of Purple Posy into the pieces of the tape measure cover.

I’ll give you the list of supplies I used for finishing – gather all your supplies before you start and read through the instructions! – and then I’ll take you step-by-step through making up the pieces of the cover.

For those who are just joining in, you will find all the previous articles for this stitch-along available here in the Purple Posy Project Index.

If you are a member on Patreon, you have received the PDF download for this part of the project – all the way through to finishing the decorative edge.

And if you would like a kit for Purple Posy, we still have some available! You can find them here. The kits have all the materials you need for finishing, including the template plastics and the interfacings (not to mention the tape measure), to save you money and time in hunting down supplies.

Purple Posy: How to make a tape measure cover
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Wool Embroidery Threads – Stitched & News

 

Following up on this previous article comparing crewel wool embroidery threads, today we’re going to look at a few stitched samples of these threads so you can see how they work up.

News: The Purple Posy stitch-along installment that should have been posted today is postponed until next week, due to some eye problems and medical issues that I’m currently dealing with. As soon as I can spend a little more time on the computer, I will finish those lessons up and get them posted. I hope to be able to finish them up this weekend! Keep your fingers crossed that my eyes cooperate – they are recovering from another ocular stroke and subsequent blind spot.

Crewel Wool Embroidery threads comparison - stitched
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Fabulous Embroidery History in a Great Mini Class!

 

Do you get really nerdy-interested in the history of embroidery? I do. I can’t help it! I like to read about, hear about, learn about those interesting characters in history who have brought something to our world of needlework.

One most interesting character in needlework history is Martha Edlin. As a child, Martha produced beautiful, well designed, planned, and executed embroidery projects. Her embroidery skills as a youth reflect her intelligence and her talents that, as research shows, continued to develop and display themselves throughout her life.

Martha Edlin mini course
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Purple Posy 3: Side Band & Beads

 

Last week, we embroidered the top and the base of the covered tape measure in our Purple Posy Stitch Snippet stitch-along.

If you are just coming into the project and you want to catch up, you can find all the previous articles for Purple Posy listed here in the Project Index.

If you are a member of the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon, you have already received these instructions in a downloadable and printable PDF format.

If you haven’t acquired a materials kit yet for this project, you can find the full materials kit for Purple Posy available here.

Today, we’re going to stitch the side band of the tape measure cover and then we’re going to add the beads. We’ll also see how to manage the beads when working with a hoop.

Purple Posy: Side Band & Beads
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Purple Posy Project Index

 

Today, just a quick note to set up this project index for the Purple Posy stitch-along, so that you can easily find all the articles relating to the project here on the website.

As we continue with the stitch-along, I’ll add each new installment to the list of articles.

You’ll find this Index under “Tips & Techniques” in the main menu here on Needle ‘n Thread.

For members in the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon, I posted the latest PDF that covers embroidering the sides and adding the beads, so that information is already available over there.

Purple Posy Stitch-Along
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Crewel Threads: a Close Look at Wool Embroidery Threads

 

Friday strikes me as a great day for some Thread Talk, don’t you think?

Today, we’re going to wiggle our toes about in the waters of Wool Threads to get familiar with them, and then we’ll take the plunge into thread comparisons and explorations.

First, I’ll introduce you to my plan for discussing wool threads and talk about them in general. We will look at four popular brands of crewel wool up close and see what’s different about each of them.

Down the road, we’ll go further with stitched samples and comparisons, and then we’ll bring in some lesser-known brands and work with them a bit, too.

Wool Embroidery Threads: Comparisons and Explorations
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Purple Posy, Part 2: Embroidering the Top & Base

 

Today, we’re going to get going on the embroidery for Purple Posy. We’ll be embroidering the decorative top and base of the tape measure cover.

If you are just joining in, we started this project last week and you can find the first installment here.

If you would like a materials kit, we still have a small number of kits available here.

If you are a member of the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon, you have already received all of this information in a handy-dandy PDF format for downloading and printing, so you’re good to go! Still, it won’t hurt to read through today’s article below, just in case I mention something or link to something that you might find helpful.

Let us begin to stitch…

Embroidering a tape measure cover: purple posy
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Embroidery Tip: The Order of Work

 

Whenever I start working on the preparation stages of a new embroidery project, it tends to occupy my thoughts quite a bit.

That’s what happened this weekend. We recently started preparing a new goldwork project here in the studio, and it was on my mind a lot this weekend. Mostly, I was thinking about the order of work in embroidery.

The order of work is the logical sequence you follow when working on a project. Sometimes, order of work doesn’t matter at all. But sometimes, it matters quite a bit. In the goldwork project that’s coming up, the order of work is quite important. And that’s why it was occupying my thoughts.

But even on little projects, order of work can be important simply because it might save us a little frustration. I’ll illustrate this with the recent wool embroidery project I’ve been piddling about with.

Wool Embroidery Bouquet and the Order of Work in Embroidery
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Purple Posy, Part 1: Design, Materials, and Preliminaries

 

Here we go! Time to get started with Purple Posy: a Tape Measure Cozy!

In this first installment of the stitch-along, we are going to talk about materials, the design, and other preliminary information, including transferring the project. We aren’t going to cover stitching just yet, as I can’t fit everything in one blog post! Today’s information will get you started and set-up, ready to stitch.

If you have the Purple Posy kit, which is available here, you’re in great shape – you have everything you need to create the tape measure cover, except typical embroidery tools like a hoop or frame, scissors, and a few incidentals for the finishing work (like glue, pins, and sewing thread).

purple posy set-up
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The End and The Beginning: More Wool Explorations

 

On Friday, I shared with you this exploration in wool thread, using DMC’s new Eco Vita line of crewel-weight needlework wool.

I had planned to finish the piece that very day – after all, wool stitches up Fast – but as luck (and Time) would have it, I never did get to my coveted afternoon stitching session. And I didn’t have one minute of stitching time over the weekend, either. What is this world coming to, I ask you?!?

But Monday came around, and lo! I snatched time in the afternoon to finish the project up.

DMC Eco Vita crewel wool embroidery thread
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Stitch-Along Explanations & Expectations: FAQ’s

 

Happy Monday, Everyone! It’s a fresh start to the week – and a very exciting week it is, too, because we’re going to start the Purple Posy Stitch Snippet stitch-along this very week!

Most of you have had a chance to receive your kits in the mail. Those who are following along without the kit will be able to source materials, working from your own stash, or with materials purchased from your own resources, or with possible suitable substitutions that we will talk about as the project progresses.

I have had a small influx of questions about the stitch-along, so today, I want to address those questions to better clarify what a stitch-along is and what you can expect from it.

It seems I haven’t been clear enough about what you can expect, and I apologize for that. Part of this is the nature of blogging. We live in a world of hurry, hurry, hurry and short attention spans. We tend to skim rather than read, and often, we miss the information that’s there, especially if the formatting is poor or the blogger (that would be me!) tends to say too much, and people just see words, words, words. (Guilty as charged!)

So… without further ado, here are some Frequently Asked Questions and their answers concerning the stitch-alongs here on Needle ‘n Thread!

Besides these questions below, I encourage you to read this article from a couple weeks ago that introduced Purple Posy.

Stitch-Along FAQ's
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Preliminary Stitching on a Wee Wool Project

 

I’ve had a couple pleasant afternoons this week, concocting and then stitching, a wee embroidery project with which to test the wool threads that I mentioned here a while back.

I’ve not finished the project yet, but it won’t take too long to finish it, I reckon. That’s a Great Thing about most wool embroidery thread (crewel weight wool) – it stitches up really fast!

The first test stitching I’m doing is with the new Eco Vita line of crewel wool from DMC. I doodled up a little design that I thought would work well with the more muted, almost vintage-like natural hues of this thread.

DMC Eco Vita crewel wool
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Hardanger Filling Stitches – Review & Pre-Order

 

Here in the US, the time is drawing near for the release of Yvette Stanton’s newest needlework book, Hardanger Filling Stitches! Yay!

This is a book I’ve been anticipating ever since I heard she was writing it! So I’m pretty excited it’s almost here, and I’m even more excited to be able to offer it to you through my shop, where you can pre-order it now for shipment in the first week of March.

Hardanger Filling Stitches is everything you could want in an instructional book on Hardanger fillings, from traditional to contemporary. If you are a Reticello enthusiast, you will immediately recognize that the filling techniques covered in the book can apply equally well to Reticello and other forms of gridded cutwork that produce a lace-like effect.

Let’s take a look at the book up close…

Hardanger Filling Stitches by Yvette Stanton
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Purple Posy Materials Kits are Here!

 

Today’s the day! Wooohooo! I am So Excited about launching Purple Posy and getting started with the stitch-along!

There’s nothing better than getting a project going, is there? And I love it when we have a project going together. It’s fun to be a little more “connected” as we work through the stitch-along, don’t you think?

Besides launching the kit for Purple Posy today, I have some other technical news for you having to do with small changes in Needle ‘n Thread operations, so please read on so that you’re not taken by surprise.

Purple Posy Stitch Snippet stitch-along
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My Current Bullion Knot Frenzy

 

I’ve been experimenting with a different, new-to-me method for making bullion knots.

It came about this way:

A couple inquiring minds directed me to a reel on Instagram and asked me to explain to them what was going on in the reel and what the resulting stitch was. They thought it looked like a bullion knot, but it didn’t seem to be made like a bullion knot.

Subtly, there’s more than one aspect to their question at work here, which I plan to explore further down the road. It will be fun to delve deep into all facets of their question, because without knowing it, they’re proposing a couple different really interesting topics related to embroidery stitches.

Experimenting with a different bullion knot method
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Introducing Purple Posy, a Tape Measure Cozy!

 

At the end of next week, I’ll be launching the kits for the first Stitch Snippet stitch-along of 2024. I’m very excited about it, and I hope you are, too!

Stitch Snippets is a series of stitch-alongs here on Needle ‘n Thread. The instructions are offered here on the website for free, for you to follow along at your own pace. If you are a member of the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon, you’ll receive all the lessons for the stitch-along in a downloadable and printable PDF format, along with other little bits of instruction that we’ll talk about along the way.

With every stitch-along, my goal is to offer a project that results in something finished and ready to use or display. So whether the embroidery project results in a small framed piece for display (like Autumn Fire) or a needle and scissor wallet (like Cotton Quartet) or a bead-embroidered pincushion (like the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion), at the end of the whole step-by-step process, you’ll have a finished piece of embroidery that you can be mighty pleased with!

This approach will not only help you learn different aspects of embroidery, but it will also increase your confidence in finishing your own embroidery into beautiful and useful items.

Without further ado, then, I’d like to introduce you to Purple Posy, a tape measure cozy.

It’s a fun Snippet, with all kinds of great learning aspects to it!

Read on, and I’ll tell you what you can expect…

Stitch Snippet: Purple Posy Tape Measure Cozy
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This Just In: Life in Seasons!

 

Today, I’m going to review a gorgeous new book that’s just arrived in the studio – Nicola Jarvis’s Life in Stitches, Volume 1: Winter / Spring. It’s our first new book in the shop this year, and I’m excited to share it with you!

At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the book. I am familiar with Nicola’s style and approach to embroidery, but I wasn’t sure how it would come across in a printed volume.

If you’re already familiar with Nicola’s work, you know that her “signature look” lately features artistically rendered wildlife and floral combinations. She is an artist, and her embroidery projects are imbued with her exceptional qualities as an artist, foremost.

Life in Seasons is a project and instructional book, but it’s also a very personal book. The author really transports the reader into her world and into her artistic life. And because of this, I find the book exceptionally unique and compelling.

Life in Seasons, Nicola Jarvis
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Fire & Thread: What’s a Burn Test?

 

Have you ever come across a stray piece of fabric or an labeled skein or spool of thread and wondered what type of fabric or thread it was?

Sometimes, you can know just by looking. But sometimes you can’t. Especially if blends are involved, discerning a type of thread or fabric can be tricky.

To help me figure out what an unlabeled or thread might be made of, I usually resort to a burn test. A burn test involves igniting fibers to see how they burn and behave. This is something you can do at home with a few simply tools.

The more you burn test different fibers, the more you’ll get a better notion of what to look for in the burn, the ash, and the smell, to help you discern particular fiber content.

Burn test for threads and fabric
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Embroidered Writing – My Favorite Stitches for It

 

It’s happening again!

I’m getting lots of emails lately about embroidered writing – which has me thinking that there’s either a big project going on out there somewhere involving embroidered text, or embroidering hand-written text is becoming trendy again on the social media waves.

I always know Something is Up out there somewhere, when I get an influx of email asking basically the same questions. Sometimes, it happens with particular stitches that are featured in sped-up reels that are hard to follow; sometimes, it’s a technique that’s being used in a kit that’s gone viral. Or sometimes, it’s just something that’s become trendy again.

In this case, I’ve had quite a few questions about embroidering hand writing.

I wrote this series of tutorials for embroidering lettering and handwriting eons ago, but that series doesn’t include my now-favorite stitch for this type of embroidery, so if you’re interested in embroidering handwriting or text, I’ll point you to some tutorials below.

Quaker Stitch for embroidering handwriting
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Wool Threads to Play With!

 

Lately, I’ve been chomping at the bit to finish the project I’m working on so that I can start playing with some new threads!!

New Threads!

Hurray for New Threads!

I tend to go a bit batty over needlework threads in general – they’re my One Weakness (among oh-so-many other weaknesses), and when I get some, they consume my thoughts.

So, while I’m finishing up one project, my mind is gurgling over with plans for playing with two different types of wool thread that have come my way.

I’ll be working with them both in depth, soon.

New Wool Threads to Play With
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Beads, Glorious Beads!

 

Anna and I went bead shopping. It was not as much of an adventure as I would have liked, simply because there are so few bead stores within driving distance here in Kansas.

In fact, for the type of beads we were looking for, there are only a couple. We picked the most promising of the two, and hit the road early in the morning.

Now, I know most people would think, “Yay! An opportunity for a day out shopping! Hurray!”

No, no! We were women on a mission, focused and determined. We were finished and on our way back home pretty quickly.

Bead testing
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More Bullions & Home Stitching

 

During the Great Freeze of Aught 24 (Music Man reference – do you get it?), and since I was sick anyway, I worked on a few things from home.

I discovered there’s a big disadvantage to working on arts, hobbies, and crafts at home when you normally work away from home in a separate studio. When you have a dedicated space, you’re used to having all your tools and paraphernalia – and all your extra tools and paraphernalia, including the ones you didn’t know you needed – on hand.

For example, I don’t have a decent camera at home, or a laying tool, or a good ruler, a functional drawing pencil, or even, to my great chagrin, the thing I wanted most – a stand to hold my embroidery hoop.

Despite the drawbacks, I did have fabric, embroidery floss, needles, a hoop, scissors, and a good light, so I was able to continue some test stitching on my little bullion piece that I mentioned here last week.

Bullion knot flowers
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Encyclopedia of Monograms – a Nice Resource for Embroiderers!

 

Greetings from a rather chilly Kansas. Good grief! It’s really winter!

To warm up your winter days – or cool down your summer ones, depending on where you are – I thought I’d share a nice little online resource for embroiderers who are interested in working with monograms.

Monograms are such a wonderful subject for embroidery. They are a decorative way of personalizing linens and the like, marking them distinctly and uniquely as your own.

A monogram that’s well-embroidered is a very personal thing of beauty!

Encyclopedia of Monograms
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Testing with Bullion Knots

 

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been testing a little embroidery piece that will be finished into something entirely useful. I’ve been using bullion knots. I love bullion knots!

Unfortunately, bullions get a bad rap as a difficult stitch. Yes, it’s true they can be a bit fiddly sometimes, but they’re not necessarily difficult. I think the biggest problem with bullions is the instructions that normally come with them.

Let’s chat a little bit bullion knots, shall we?

bullion knots - tips
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My Brainy Mittens & 40 Meters of Crewel Wool

 

When I showed you this Christmas break project the other day, you might recall that I mentioned a couple times that I was glad – very glad! – that I didn’t choose a pink or coral-to-red color scheme for them.

I almost did choose a pinkish-coral-to-red color scheme. The corals were a better contrast against the gray background of the felted mittens, compared to the purples. But something in me just wanted to use those glorious purples!

And it’s a good thing.

A very good thing.

Wool embroidered mittens
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Kicking Off 2024 at Home – Wool Embroidery

 

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2024 on Needle ‘n Thread! I hope you all had a joy-filled, restful break for the holidays!

I sure did! It was low-key, quiet, and restful almost to the point of comfortable stupefaction. My break consisted of some decorating, some cooking, some family-visiting, some reading, some watching, some sleeping, some listening, some eating, some friend-visiting, some tea-drinking, some merry-making, some cocoa-drinking, some game-playing, some carol-singing, some cheese-eating, some wool-embroidering, some mitten-felting, some soup-making, some cookie-decorating, more tea-drinking, more cheese-eating, and a little more tea-drinking. And cheese-eating. And soup-eating. And finally, some year-planning. And a some more embroidering. And some more sleeping.

I think that about covers it!

I’m not quite ready for the holidays to end – and in fact, they don’t officially end in my mind until January 6th. I leave my decorations up and keep the whole holiday vibe going until after the Epiphany (January 6th), which is the end of the real twelve days of Christmas. I’m always sad to see the lights, ornaments, trees, garlands, bows, sparkles and twinkles of Christmas disappear. But I suppose the transition out of Christmas makes next year’s preparation and festivities all the more welcome when they come around again!

Over the break, I started something so that I’d have a project to work on at home. I’ll show you…

Embroidering Felted Mittens
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Quiet Time in the Studio & a Break

 

Now that we are officially finished with our Christmas Stitch Snippet for the year, and now that we’ve pretty much organized our inventory areas and prepared them for next year and Many Wondrous Things to Come, we have settled into The Quiet Time of the Year at the studio.

For us, this means working on plans for next year while we finish test stitching the small project that will kick off 2024. It means a more relaxed schedule and some coveted time off!

It means we finally finished setting up this:

Christmas I-Spy preview
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Stitch Snippet: Christmas Wreath, Part 5 – Final Finishing Techniques

 

We have arrived at the final installment of the final Stitch Snippet for 2023!

Today, we’re going to go through the final finishing techniques on our little wreath ornament! We’ll add the cord and the felt backing and work the decorative edge.

For members on Patreon, I’ve already shared a PDF that covers all the finishing techniques, so you can retrieve that over there, for easy downloading and printing. I’ll also have a video out next week for the dedicated and avid stitcher levels that covers all the techniques we talk about today.

If you’re just joining in, you’ll find all the articles for this stitch-along project listed chronologically in the Christmas Wreath Ornament Project Index here.

Ok! Let’s get going!

Christmas Wreath Ornament: Final Finishing Touches
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Stitch Snippet: Christmas Wreath, Part 4 – Beginning the Finishing

 

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

Today, we’re moving ahead with the Christmas Wreath Ornament stitch-along. We’re going to start the finishing, which is split into two parts. So, after today, only one more installment and your ornament will be beautiful finished and ready to hang!

If you’re just joining in, you’ll find all the articles relating to this stitch-along listed in the project index here.

If you are a member on Patreon, all the finishing steps will be available in one PDF by Friday. I’ll also be posting a video on part of the finish work (the more complex part, focusing mostly on the edge work) for dedicated stitchers and higher membership levels.

If you have purchased the project e-book, Twelve Wreaths for Christmas, you’ll find step-by-step finishing instructions in that PDF as well. For those who have access to all sources of information on this project, take advantage of them and read the instructions here on the blog, in the PDF, and on Patreon. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of what’s ahead so you know what to expect and can launch in with great confidence!

Be not afraid! This is not a difficult process!

We’ll start by talking about supplies, we’ll do a little prep work, and then we’ll begin constructing the finished ornament.

Come along! Let us do this thing!

Christmas Wreath Ornament - Fist steps in Finishing
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Christmas Wreath, Part 3: Beads & Bow

 

Time to move on with the next installment of our last Stitch Snippet stitch-along for 2023!

Today, we’re going to add the embellishments to the wreath that we embroidered on Monday.

If you’re just joining in, you can find all the previous articles for this stitch-along listed here in the Christmas Wreath Project Index, in chronological order so that you can follow along easily!

For members on Patreon, you’ve already received today’s installment in the PDF that was posted for you earlier this week.

Today’s lesson is short and sweet!

Stitch Snippet Wreath Ornament: Beads & Bow
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Christmas Wreath Ornament – Project Index

 

If you’re following along with the Christmas Wreath Ornament stitch-along here on Needle ‘n Thread, you will find this project index under “Tips & Techniques” in the main menu on the website – along with all the other Stitch Snippets and stitch-alongs we’ve worked together in the last several years.

I will list in chronological order all the articles that have to do with this project, so that you can easily find them as you work at your own pace.

Christmas Wreath Ornament Project Index
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Stitch Snippet: Christmas Wreath, Part 2: Embroidery

 

Welcome to Part 2 of our Christmas Wreath ornament stitch-along!

This project is part of the Stitch Snippet Stitch Along series here on Needle ‘n Thread. You can find previous Stitch Snippets listed under Tips & Techniques here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Previously, on this project, we covered the introduction, materials, and transfer information here, plus some additional information here on fabric layout and cuts, especially for those who are using the materials kit that goes along with my new project e-book, Twelve Wreaths for Christmas.

A little bit later today, members over on Patreon will find a new downloadable PDF for the stitch-along. The PDF will cover all the embroidery and embellishment of the ornament (including beads and bow, which can’t cover here in one article due to space). And oh, hey! I’ve also added a new chat feature on Patreon for members in the “Avid Stitchers” category who use the Patreon app on their smart phones. Look for that, if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s in the test phase at this point, but I think it’s worth trying!

Ok, on with Part 2!

Christmas Wreath Ornament, Part 2: Embroidery
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First Explorations of the St. Matthew Embroidery

 

A few weeks back, I shared the initial images of this St. Matthew embroidery that I acquired via an eBay auction.

It’s been a long time since I’ve explored a similar piece of embroidery (I wrote about one here). There is so much I enjoy about owning a piece like this – not least of which is the fact that I can handle it and do whatever I want with it.

My first approach to any piece of embroidery like this is to take some initial pictures of it – especially photos that will get me close-up to all the nitty-gritty details you might not see when you step back from it. Then, I just start exploring it from all kinds of angles. Every time I look at it, I generally find something new that interests me or excites me!

St. Matthew Embroidery
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Wreath Ornament – Fabric Layout Correction!

 

I’m dropping in very quickly this morning to let you know that I made some corrections on yesterday’s article introducing the Christmas Wreath stitch-along, specifically concerning the ground fabric for the wreath ornament.

You need a 5″- 6″ square (or rectangle) piece of fabric to embroider the ornament on. If you are not using the kit, I recommend a 6″ square to give you more hoop room, if you’re using a 4″ hoop.

If you have purchased the Materials Kit for Twelve Wreaths, you have a 6″ x 15″ piece of natural colored linen in there. You can do two things with it. The first method below is preferred, especially if you want a little more hoop room with your fabric.

Fabric Layout for Wreath Kits
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Stitch Snippet: Christmas Wreath Ornament, Part 1

 

Here we are, about a month before Christmas, with just enough time to squeeze in one more Stitch Snippet before the end of the year!

We’re going to create a little embroidered wreath ornament from my latest project PDF, Twelve Wreaths for Christmas, which is available here.

If you’ve already purchased the PDF, you have the basics for this wreath – plus a whole lot of other wreath designs just waiting for your needle and thread. Here on the blog, we’ll go into a little more detail on certain aspects of the project.

The wreath that we’re going to work through together is the traditional evergreen wreath with the red silk ribbon bow, Wreath #1 in the e-book.

Christmas Wreath Ornament Stitch-Along
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Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Here in the States, it’s Thanksgiving Day – and a great day it is, too, unless you happen to be a turkey.

No matter where you live, even if you’re not officially celebrating Thanksgiving Day, I think we can all understand the universal idea of Gratitude and taking time to be thankful for the blessings we have. I hope that your life is filled with abundant blessings to be thankful for!

Without a doubt, you are all a huge blessing in my life and I am especially grateful that you are a part of this online needle-and-thread-loving community! Thank you so much for your ongoing enthusiasm, inspiration, participation, and support over the years as we keep a little fire burning for all things hand-embroidery!

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Perfectly Portable Projects!

 

Do you ever make a decision to do something and then wonder, What the heck was I thinking?!?

I do that with embroidery projects all the time (if you hadn’t noticed). More to the point, I do it with embroidery deadlines.

After all, it’s one thing to say, on a day like January 12th, For Christmas this year, I’m giving everyone a hand-made ornament.

It’s another thing altogether to say the same words on a day like, for example, November 1st.

But I tend to do things like that.

Twelve Wreaths for Christmas - portable projects
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Twelve Wreaths (and Snippet) Kits Available Now!

 

Oh, good morning and Happy Friday!

Before I start blathering, I’ll cut to the chase and let you know that the Twelve Wreaths for Christmas kit (which also works for the next Stitch Snippet) is now available. Woohoo!

The downloadable PDF project book that goes with the kit is also available. I chatted about both of these in yesterday’s blog post, if you’d like to read more on what they’re all about.

Twelve Wreaths for Christmas kit and e-book
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Tomorrow! Stitch Snippet, Kits, and New Projects!

 

It’s hard to believe we are at the mid-point of November and rushing towards the close of 2023, isn’t it?

Anna and I have been working like little fiends… errr, elves… here in the studio for weeks and weeks, with an eye on tomorrow. And at last, tomorrow is here! (Almost.) And we are ready for it! (Almost.)

Tomorrow, a couple things are happening here on Needle ‘n Thread: we are launching a new project e-book (a PDF download), and we are also launching a materials kit that goes along with the e-book. The same materials kit can also be used with the final Stitch Snippet stitch-along of 2023, which will begin here on the blog the week after Thanksgiving.

So, three things with noting: we have a new project e-book coming out, we have a new kit coming out that goes with that project book, and we have a Stitch Snippet coming up that also corresponds with the kit and the project book.

Christmas Wreath embroidery project
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St. Matthew Embroidery – Gotta Love an Auction!

 

I’ve spent the last five days watching an auction for this piece of Very Old Embroidery.

It’s kind of fun, to watch auctions – all the while hoping that you won’t see the price suddenly start to sky rocket.

Now, by “watching an auction,” I don’t mean I sat and stared at the screen for five days. It’s more like remembering, now and then, that I’m watching an auction, and taking a second to pop in and see how things are developing.

This looks to me like an exceptional piece of embroidery, and I’m glad to say I won it for almost a pittance in the scheme of things.

St. Matthew Embroidery
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Studio Life: Behind the Scenes!

 

Occasionally, I like to share a dose of reality about life in the studio here at Needle ‘n Thread.

I met an online friend for the first time the other day. She declared that she was glad to see I was “normal” because my workspace was a bit of a mess!

I asked what she imagined studio life to be at Needle ‘n Thread. Her response cracked me up.

She imagined some kind of Pinterest-perfect studio, color coordinated, immaculately clean, everything organized in particular nooks and crannies and drawers and shelves and nothing out of place. Every thread, every tool on my work table laid out in order, like a surgeon’s tray. Soft music and silence, birds chirping, the sun shining in the windows and a tea kettle always ready (ok, fine, yes, it is). Matching china for tea at a particular time every day. (!!! I must visit this parallel universe some day !!!)

She went on and on, painting this strange fantasy world that is entirely not Needle ‘n Thread. I just kept laughing as she described the sheer unreality of what she imagined my work life to be.

And I wondered how she came to have these impressions. Surely that’s not what comes across here in my blog posts. But just in case it does…

Studio Life at Needle 'n Thread
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Embroidery Progress & Finishing: Getting There!

 

Before I ever launch a Stitch Snippet stitch-along, I have to stitch the thing we’ll be stitching along. Sometimes, as we work through the stitch-along, I’m also stitching the thing. But it’s usually at least the second time, usually involving the improved version from the first prototype.

With the Stitch Snippet that I’m releasing in a couple weeks, something completely different is happening. I’m releasing a new Christmas downloadable PDF with multiple little projects in it this – like Twelve Trees for Christmas or Snowflakes: Twelve Winter Embroidery Projects. For the Stitch Snippet, we’ll actually be working through one of those projects together.

This means that I’ve stitched through at least twelve projects before the Stitch Snippet stitch-along goes live. And actually, I think there are about sixteen samples floating around here right now!

Yep, here at Needle ‘n Thread, the stitching fun never ends! Today, I’ll tell you a little bit about what to expect with the upcoming stitch-along, the kit, and the new downloadable project e-book.

Stitch Snippet and Christmas Stitching
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Stella Lights for Embroidery & Other Tasks

 

Lighting technology has changed a lot over the years.

With the advancements in lighting technology, these are some of changes I’ve noticed in task lighting in the past two decades:

LED task lights have vastly improved in color spectrum and in brightness (kelvins and lumens), making it less necessary to invest in bulbed task lights that require expensive replacements, that are heavier to move, and that generate heat.

The structure of task lights has changed significantly. They are lighter. They have better diffusion screens. Good quality task lights are made out of better materials for longer lasting use, and for better flexibility on the shafts and heads.

Cordless technology has significantly improved, allowing for longer-lasting battery-operated lights that don’t dim as as their life-juice drains. (This is a game changer for those who travel with lighting or who attend workshops and the like.)

Stella Lights for Needlework
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Best Sources for Good Embroidery Needles

 

You can’t embroider without a needle.

Every time I say something like that, I pause and think about it. It sounds so definitive. After all, maybe someone out there does embroider (in the standard way we think of embroidering) without a needle.

Thinking…. Thinking….

But no. I can’t fathom it – not in an efficient, easy, comfortable way, anyway.

So I’ll stand by that statement: you can’t embroider without a needle.

You can get away with stitching without a hoop. You don’t even need scissors, since there are other things that will cut thread. But a needle? It’s pretty essential.

When it comes to needles, there are needles. And then are Needles.

Because I’ve gotten some inquiries about needles lately, it’s a good subject to revisit.

Best Sources for Good Embroidery Needles
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How Many Beads

 

We’ve been weighing mountains of beads here in the studio.

When assembling supplies for kitting, I buy beads in bulk and then we break them down into little packages based on weight. I’ve written about weighing beads here, if you want to read about how we do it.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to make a distinction in types of embroidery involving beads. The way I see it, “embroidery with beads” implies that you’re working an embroidery project that involves beads, usually as accents. The majority of the work is regular embroidery with thread, and the beads are added for a bit of sparkle and zing.

On the other hand, “bead embroidery” is a type of embroidery that is worked with beads, and beads pretty much make up, or are involved in, the majority of the project.

For the most part here at Needle ‘n Thread, it works like this: I embroider, and I happen to accent some of it with beads, especially when creating festive ornaments and the like.

So I call it “embroidery” … with beads.

Gold seed beads for embroidery
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Smooth & Flat – The Key to a Good Finish

 

As we finish up all our sample embroidery projects for the next Stitch Snippet – and for a new Christmas ornament PDF that we’ll be releasing next month (oh, and for a kit!) – it occurred to me that this is an ideal time to reiterate one of the most important steps that you don’t want to skip when you’re finishing an embroidery project.

It is by far the most satisfying step of the finishing process. It’s easy, too, so there’s no reason to skip it, as long as you’ve allowed yourself just a little bit of time for its magic to happen.

The step is damp stretching, and if the concept is new to you, then here’s the how and the why you should do it.

damp stretching Christmas embroidery close up
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For Sampler Lovers All!

 

I love embroidered samplers. It doesn’t matter what era they come from, it doesn’t matter if they’re structured or not, whether they’re just marking samplers, whether they’re exquisite or rough, sophisticated or juvenile – it doesn’t matter. I love samplers!

I’m referring mainly to the extant samplers of history – those that served as records of stitches, as catalogs of designs, as testaments of skill, or all of the above. I find them charming, informative, and captivating.

Samplers serve as records of more than just stitchery, although that was certainly the primary purpose of the sampler.

Before the advent of printed designs and instructional materials, the sampler served as reference material for the embroiderer. They were repositories of design and technique.

And while they were often an exhibition of skill, they attested to the discipline, patience, and artistry of the stitcher as well.

historic sampler design course
Continue reading “For Sampler Lovers All!”

The Plymouth Tapestry – Wonderful Update!

 

Way back in November of 2019, in this little news snip here on Needle ‘n Thread, we chatted briefly about a major work going on here in the US, just outside of Boston – the Plymouth Tapestry:

A visual exploration of history, memory, and culture, the Plymouth Tapestry illustrates the experiences of the Wampanoag people who inhabited the region for thousands of years, and the Pilgrims, the English settlers who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 to establish a new home. Stitched in wool and silk on linen, the Tapestry is comprised of twenty 6-foot-long panels, each one narrating through imagery and text the contexts and events that shaped Plymouth Colony’s beginnings. ~From the Plymouth Tapestry website

Since that mention back in 2019, the tapestry has come a very long way!

Plymouth Tapestry
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Bead Embroidery Tips, Sources, and Big Mess

 

I was going to title today’s article In Which I make Big Mess, and talk to you all about my current Big Mess.

But after last week’s article on incorporating beads in embroidery, a lot questions came in on different aspects of embroidery with beads. I think the answers to those might be more useful to you than a whole lot of chatter about my Current Big Mess. But I’ll use pictures of my Current Big Mess as illustrations and share some insights into the Mess, too.

White embroidery with white beads and sparkle
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The Festive Magic of Sparkly Beads in Embroidery

 

Here in the studio, we’ve been stitching up sample after sample on a project collection that I’ve had on The List for about five years now. We never seemed to find the chunk of time needed to tackle the idea.

Suddenly, this past August, we decided we’d just leap in and do it this year, no matter what.

We started finalizing our doodled designs, turning them into useable vector drawings, then we gathered threads and fabric, and then…

…and then we got interrupted by a gazillion other fires that needed squelching.

Here we are, mid-October, weighing whether or not we can meet an end-of-October deadline for the stitched samples. Can we do it? I think we can! You know why?

Because truly, there’s nothing better than having a Good Excuse just to stitch all day, playing with threads and stitches and fabrics and … BEADS!

Yes. Beads!

For me, beads are the highlight of embroidering small holiday projects.

Lately, I find that beads propel me out of bed in the morning. They drive me to work at unreasonably early hours. Beads occupy my waking moments at night. They insinuate themselves into my dreams. Beads rise up out of the haze of doing laundry and cleaning house. And they leap into my imagination when I’m supposed to be concentrating on other tasks … oh. Look! There they are, floating in front me as we speak…

Beads in Embroidery - add some Holiday Sparkle
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Dorset Buttons: Tutorial Resource

 

With the holidays coming up, hand-made trinkets, ornaments, and decorations are on my mind!

They are especially on my mind right now because, here in the studio, we’re in the throes of creating a little line of lovely and fun Christmas ornaments. That shouldn’t surprise you – I’ve been sneak-peeking parts of them to you for a little while.

I was juggling some ideas around in my head, playing with certain ornamental notions, trying to create a finishing solution, when the Dorset button popped into my head.

I always think of Dorset buttons as a really fun adventure. There’s a lot you can do with them, and the variations that you can achieve as you play with them are pretty much endless.

Dorset Buttons
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The Art of the Mistake, or How to Improve in… Everything!

 

As embroiderers, we’ve all spent time picking out stitches, pulling out threads, repairing small errors – indulging in what is (affectionately?) called reverse stitching, frogging (rippit! rippit!) or similar terms of endearment.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a body in possession of life is prone to make mistakes.

And in the world of hand embroidery, we are not immune from the mistake-making tendencies of humanity. It is part of the game.

But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – mistakes should never hold a person back. We’ve surely heard all the sayings: “A mistake is an opportunity waiting to happen,” or “it’s not how many times you fall that matters, but how many times you get back up” – plus many more. And they’re all true. Perception and reaction, when it comes to mistakes, are everything.

Every misplaced stitch, every knotted thread, every tangled mass, every unfortunately chosen color or thread – they all have a silver lining, depending on how you look at them and how you react to them.

The Art of the Mistake: We all Make Them
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Weekend Distraction: Boutis, Quilting, Embroidery, Stuffing…

 

I’ve always been fascinated by the boutis quilts of southern France.

Once upon a time, I told myself that I was going to make my own boutis-style coverlet by hand, some day. A big one!

I’ve pretty much abandoned that plan – my to-do list will already outlive me, and I have too many items higher up on it – but I’m still in love with the style. I enjoy reading about it, exploring it now and then, and whenever a video comes my way that focuses on boutis, I tend to devour it.

Boutis quilt technique video
Continue reading “Weekend Distraction: Boutis, Quilting, Embroidery, Stuffing…”

I Found It! or The Tale of a Lost Embroidery Tutorial

 

Sometimes, I sit and ponder an embroidery design for a long time before I settle on a particular stitch to use on it.

Or sometimes, I dive right in with a particular stitch in mind, find out it’s All Wrong, take it out, and then ponder.

I find it’s usually more efficient to ponder first, but I tend to learn more when I dive right in. Ahem. I learn things like the fact that it’s more efficient to ponder first…

Stem Stitch Rose Tutorial
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Love Your Eyes: Lighting for Embroidery

 

We can talk all we want about favorite needlework tools – the best scissors, the necessity of a good hoop or frame, the perfect needle, our favorite accessories, the can’t-do-without somethings that we habitually reach for when we stitch – but there’s a non-contestable Absolute in the world of needlework that I think we can all agree we can’t do without if we want to stitch.

These are built in tools. They are unfathomably complex. And, if we’re doing needlework, every one of us uses them.

You know what I’m talking about:

Our eyes.

Love your Eyes: Lighting for Embroidery
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A Little Project in the Works

 

Yesterday, when all was calm and quiet in the studio, the blinds were drawn against the sun (because, yes, we’re up near 100 degrees here in Kansas! gaaaaaaah!), a book was playing in the background, and I had the place all to myself… I started a new and small embroidery project.

This is the type of project I really love, because it can be finished in a weekend.

And I don’t mean a weekend only devoted to stitching, either. It’s a project that you can start on one of those Friday evenings when the weekend has started, the weather is cold, the dark comes early, you don’t feel like going out, but you need something to do. Creative things fill that need well!

You start the project, you entrench yourself in it, you work most of the embroidery that evening. Saturday comes, you want to get back to it but you have all those typical Saturday chores, so you get them done and – voila! You’re back to your project. You finish the embroidery. And at some point on Sunday, you take an hour or so from your day and you finish the project into a beautiful little something.

It’s that kind of project. I love that kind of project.

I’m not going to show you the whole project just yet, but I promise that I will soon! For now, I just want to introduce you to it and chat a bit about “quick” slow stitching.

embroidery stitches and greenery
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Powerful yet Beautiful Embroidery Tools

 

As I was trucking along on this embroidery project I showed you on Monday, finishing all the line stitching and venturing on to the satin stitched berries, I decided to put two powerful – and yet very beautiful – embroidery tools to use.

I’ve mentioned these tools and their maker before, but this particular set of tools is so intriguingly beautiful, so luxurious to hold, so exquisitely balanced, so smooth and glassy while being nicely weighty… aaaaahhhhh! I just have to share them again.

aficots and laying tools for embroidery
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Weekend Stitching & Thoughts

 

I managed to get in a bit of stitching this weekend!

That’s Big News! Once upon a time, weekend stitching was a normal thing in my life. I’m trying to reclaim that.

And while I didn’t get massive amount done, it was nice to get something done. Just a little bit of progress is always better than no progress at all, after all.

The stitching I’ve been doing on this project is very simple, very relaxing, not complicated at all.

Holly & Evergreen project on pre-finished linen
Continue reading “Weekend Stitching & Thoughts”

Sweet Marguerite – The Finishing Touch on the Hemstitch

 

And here we are! At the final installment of Sweet Marguerite – the longest stitch-along in the history of the world, in relation to the size of the actual finished piece of embroidery (or so it seems!).

This project has been quite a journey, not so much because of the project itself (which is relatively small, but somewhat challenging), but mostly because of all the interrupting episodes of life that have gone on in the last five months.

But today, we draw the project to a close! Yay! Then we’ll have a little break in stitch-alongs before we approach the next one. Never fear, though – we’ve got lots of Other Stuff going on to share with you during that break.

Just a reminder to members on Patreon, you presently have all this information in the last PDF that was posted over there.

Come! Let us finish up Sweet Marguerite!

Sweet Marguerite: Finishing Touches
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Sweet Marguerite: The Decorative Side of the Hemstitch

 

Today, very quickly, we’re going to look at the functional side of the hemstitch on Sweet Marguerite.

Last week, we worked the functional hemstitch on the drawn thread area, using the hemstitch to pick up a bit of the hem with each stitch.

Today, we’ll work the opposite side of the drawn thread “frame” in this short tutorial.

If you are a member on Patreon, you have already received all this information in the most recent PDF posted for members over there. The PDF covers all the hemstitch and takes you through to the end of the project.

Sweet Marguerite: The Decorative Hemstitch
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Autumn Stitching: Free Designs & Projects

 

It’s that time of year when many of us – not all of us, true, but many of us – start to delve into seasonal stitching.

Because hand embroidery is a slow process, it makes sense to stitch a season or two ahead, depending on your project. But sometimes, seasonal changes dictate The Mood. For me, I know when that first autumn chill hits, I suddenly want to stitch anything and everything Autumn. And as the daylight hours shorten, I am prone to be inside earlier and ready to take evening handwork for longer stretches of time.

For me, autumn stitching doesn’t necessarily have to be on a particularly autumnal design; it might just be stitching with those autumn colors that I love so much! The vibrant palettes and the muted palettes of this time of year tug at my little autumn-loving heart strings with great ferocity! They are color palettes that I find hard to resist.

But for most stitchers, it’s more of a question of what to stitch. Once you have the design, you can pull your own favorite seasonal colors of threads out and put them to work.

Today, I’d like to share a collection of hand embroidery designs and embroidery projects that are autumn-themed, most of which you can find right here on Needle ‘n Thread for absolutely nothing. The designs work great on household linens, in small frames, for hoop art, accent pieces, and anywhere you can conceive of using embroidery. Maybe one of the designs will spark your interest and awaken that Autumn Mood in you, too!

Autumn Embroidery Designs and projects on Needle 'n Thread
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Sweet Marguerite: The Functional Hemstitch

 

This is going to be a very long article today!

When we last visited the project, we basted the turned hem in place, so that we could launch right in to the hemstitch, so if you’re at this point with me, you should have your hem turned on the back of the work and your corners mitered, and the hem basted in place.

Today we’re going to accomplish the first step of the hemstitch around the frame of Sweet Marguerite, stitching the hem in place along the way. The hemstitch that we are working will be both decorative and functional, since it is hemming the accent linen.

We can’t cover the entire hemstitch process in one article here on the website, so we’ll finish off the decorative parts of the hemstitch next week.

If you’re a member of the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon, I’ll have the PDF up for you soon covering all of the hemstitch process through to the end of the project. I’ll be adding a few extra diagrams to the PDF, so that you’ll have photos and diagrams to take you through the hemstitch process. Although I’ve fallen way behind on working with video, I’ve got one video almost ready on the drawn thread / re-weaving process, so once that’s finished, I will post it over there, too. In the meantime, if you want to move ahead on the project, the instructions below will get you going on the hemstitch.

As always, please read through all the instructions carefully before you begin. In fact, it doesn’t hurt to read through them twice, so you know where you’re going as you work.

Sweet Marguerite: The Hemstitch
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Hobbies, a Felted Pumpkin, an Autumn Pincushion

 

I’m a firm believer that people need hobbies.

For those of us who stitch, we can safely say that embroidery (or cross stitch or needlepoint or whatever kind of stitching we do) is our hobby. For many of us, it might be our only hobby. But for many of us, it might be one among several hobbies.

Over the years as I’ve corresponded with lots of embroiderers around the world, I’ve noticed that many of us pursue various textile-related hobbies. I’ve noticed that many of us have other hobbies across the whole gamut of the visual arts. And I’ve noticed that many have hobbies that go beyond the visual arts and into completely different realms of creativity.

We tend to be hobby-rich people. And I think that’s a good thing!

Although I consider embroidery my main hobby (and my profession – I think it can be both!), and although I have a couple other hobbies I indulge in pretty regularly, I felt like I needed (yet another) hobby outside of embroidery.

Strangely enough, my hobbies seem to be seasonal. One of my late-in-the-year hobbies is needle felting.

Needle Felted Pumpkin Pincushion
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Linen Harvest from BBC Archive

 

This morning, to start your week off on an entertaining note, I thought I’d share a short, vintage video about the making of linen.

The video is from BBC Archive on Facebook, but you don’t have to have a Facebook account to watch the video.

If you’re a linen lover, a textile enthusiast, or if you like vintage cinema and the like, you might find this video as entertaining as I do!

The Linen Harvest from BBC Archive
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Revisiting Richelieu: Beautiful Cutwork Embroidery

 

There are not very many resources for Richelieu embroidery these days, but the technique is enjoying a revival of interest, which is a good thing!

Richelieu is a form of whitework, where portions of the design are cut away from the ground fabric, creating a lace-lake effect. “Brides” or “bars” created from the embroidery thread connect between the edges of the cutwork to add stability and are part of the design feature.

Richelieu - cutwork embroidery
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Testing Stitching on a Lovely Linen & a Tip

 

For those of you in the States, I hope you were able to enjoy a good three-day weekend! It’s hard to believe September is upon us and trucking forward so quickly. Labor Day in my mind always marks the end of summer, because school always started up again after Labor Day when I was a kid.

I took advantage of the three-day weekend to set up and get started on a new test project. In my downtime – evenings, weekends, when I can grab some stitching time – I’ve been test stitching on some different pieces of linen.

The design that I’m stitching right now is the holly & evergreen design that’s on this ready-to-stitch towel set. I reduced the size of the design and filled out the edges a little more, making it suitable for the corners of a small but lovely linen table cloth.

The linen the table cloth is made from – it’s a pre-finished blank – is gloriously beautiful stuff. I swear, there are few things that make my heart sing quite like beautiful linen does! Good linen is always such a pleasure to stitch on.

holly & evergreen embroidery on linen
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Sweet Marguerite: Hem Preparation with Mitered Corners

 

On Monday in our session on Sweet Marguerite, I demonstrated how to withdraw threads from the linen ground fabric and re-weave the edges of the fabric so that we can finish the accent linen with a decorative hemstitch.

Today, we’re going to turn the hem and miter the corners so that the only one step remains to finishing the linen: the decorative hemstitch. Hurray!

If you are a member on Patreon, you already have this information that we’re covering today available to you in PDF format. By the way, for members who didn’t catch the latest news over on Patreon, I’ve organized some “collections” in the Needle ‘n Thread community there, so you can easily find each post and PDF for the Stitch Snippets and other projects.

Let’s get this hem stuff finished, shall we?

Sweet Marguerite: Turning the Hem & Mitering the Corners
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We’re Kitting! But… Should We Kit More?

 

Here in the wilds of the Kansas cornfields, we are kitting. We’ve been kitting all summer long.

Recently, we’ve kitted Stitch Snippet kits, we’ve kitted the Leafy Tree project, we’ve tentatively kitted (most of) Jacobean Sea and Goldwork Rose, we’ve kitted thread packs… and we’re almost kitted out.

But we have a few more kits to put together – and these are kits that we plan to use this autumn and pre-holiday season for a couple local workshops and for some local retail events associated with town festivals and whatnot.

Christmas embroidery kits
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Sweet Marguerite: Preparing for Hemming I

 

Today, we’re going to get technical!

As we near the end of Sweet Marguerite, we have to prepare the hem for the decorative hemstitch. This process is going to be the most fiddly part of the whole project, and it will take two articles here on the blog. If you take it slowly and carefully, the results will be satisfactory, and the hemstitch will be a breeze!

For members on Patreon, I’ve already posted the PDF that covers everything in this article and in the next article, so you already have this information! Still, it’s helpful to read the blog post, too, because you never know what tips you might pick up!

The first step in the whole process of preparing for the hemstitching – once your embroidery is finished – is to damp stretch the piece.

I’ve written about damp stretching numerous times here on Needle ‘n Thread (and in many of the projects we’ve done so far), so I’m just going to refer you to these two articles – Damp Stretching & Blocking Embroidery and A Damp Stretching Tip – to show you how it’s done.

The second article is how I invariably damp stretch small embroidery items these days. You’ll need sewing pins, a spray bottle, and surface to pin your work down. Once the piece is completely dry (I usually leave mine overnight), you’re ready to move on to the rest of the preparation process below.

Sweet Marguerite: Preparing for the Hemstitching
Continue reading “Sweet Marguerite: Preparing for Hemming I”

Making Room – a Book Sale!

 

We need room! Our little studio is about to expand with a few delectable things – we’re awaiting a nice shipment of linens, we’re assembling a boatload of kits, we have some new specialty kits coming in, we’ve got boxes of threads arriving any day now, and we are expecting brand new books in the next month.

I was contemplating all this, and looking at our shelf space, when I decided we really need to move some books out.

And so, to alleviate the crunch, I’m having a 15% off sale on all the current, in-stock embroidery books (not e-books) in my shop. If you have any of these fine embroidery books on your wishlist, now is a great time to grab them for your library!

Read on to get the discount code and the details of the sale…

Embroidery Book Sale!
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Sweet Marguerite: Embroidering the Leaves

 

My friends, a little heads up: if you are planning to travel to Kansas in the next week (because I know that Kansas must be the vacation mecca of the world), don’t. We are melting here. We’ve been shortening our work days somewhat, to accommodate this uptick in heat indices. By mid afternoon – with the southern sun pelting the front of the building – we’ve been wiped out. So we’ve been going home early, where we can sweat in peace. It’s putting a crimp in my catch-up plans, but such is life! It’ll pass soon – autumn is coming!

My last act of today, then, before heading to potentially cooler accommodations, is to leave you with this installment of Sweet Marguerite, where we finally finish the embroidery by stitching the leaves.

Members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community over on Patreon, I posted a PDF this morning for you. It covers all the embroidery on the project, so please pick that up over there if you’re on Patreon.

Sweet Marguerite embroidery on leaves
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I’m Coming! I’m Coming!

 

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been AWOL (absent without leave) this week so far. And I apologize for that!

I’ve had a few things come up and an inordinate amount of appointments and the like lately. Normally, I pre-write my articles and have them more or less ready to publish each day, but I’ve gradually fallen so far behind that I have no pre-written articles in the queue, let alone any pictures edited and ready for spontaneous writing.

I’m catching up this week – and to that end, I will be “out” on Friday, too.

Hexie Quilt in Progress
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Sampling Stitches: the Whys & Wherefores

 

Oh! I had a big surprise earlier this week in response to Wednesday’s article – Where Did the Blogs Go? – at the end of which I asked if you had any topic suggestions or anything specific you wanted to learn regarding embroidery.

It worked out well, because I already had today’s article somewhat in the works, as a continuation of the “revisiting” series that I started earlier this summer. In that short series, we revisited topics or projects that I’ve covered in the past here on Needle ‘n Thread.

I received a lot of feedback on Wednesday’s blog post, and many good suggestions for embroidery topics to visit – or visit again – here on the website.

A repeated request had to do with learning stitches. And I realized that a lot of time has gone by since we chatted about one of my pet embroidery topics …

sampling embroidery stitches: the whys and wherefores
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Sweet Marguerite Part 3: Satin Stitch

 

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend – mine was hairy! But I’ll tell you more about that, and show you some fuzzy stuff, a little later.

The last time we visited Sweet Marguerite, we cleaned up the tissue paper from the transfer and we stitched the foundations and padding.

Today we’re going to tackle the satin stitch!

If you’re a member on Patreon, I’m still working on the complete PDF for you, that covers all the embroidery. I’ll have it up for you soon!

Sweet Marguerite Stitch Snippet Satin Stitch
Continue reading “Sweet Marguerite Part 3: Satin Stitch”

What’s a Needle Minder and How to Use It

 

I’ve had this article in the works ever since we first launched our collection of hand-crafted bisque needle minders last month. I talked about them at the end of this article. Our first small batch sold out really quickly!

Since then, I’ve had many inquiries from stitchers of every level – from beginners to advanced – who have not used needle minders before. It’s true that they’re not an essential tool for the embroiderer, so no, you don’t need a needle minder to embroider!

Still, I like tools that provide a good service, and I like tools that are pretty. I like the little accessories that go along with needlework, especially when they perform a job and do it with a wee bit of attractive flair!

how to use a needle minder
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Helena Wintour: A Story Worth Seeing

 

Today, I want to share with you a somewhat obscure story involving embroidery that took place during a much-misunderstood and misrepresented time in history – a time during which, in fact, an extensive amount of needlework history was destroyed.

This is a story of a woman’s courage, independence, skill, and dedication, and I think it’s worth seeing.

Despite the historical roots of the title of the exhibition, it’s an unfortunate title and it can seem somewhat dubious. But don’t let it put you off!

Helena Wintour: A Story Worth Seeing
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Sweet Marguerite Part 2: Tidy Up & Whitework Foundations

 

Good morning! (I think I missed morning today. Sorry! A little life-glitch in the schedule.)

And Happy Monday!

Today, we’re going to continue forward with Sweet Marguerite. The work that we’re doing at this point is still “preliminary,” but now we’re looking at those steps that build the foundation of most of the whitework. Before we get there, though, we have to tidy up our transfer work.

For members on Patreon, there is no PDF today. Later this week, I will post a PDF that will cover all the embroidery, including this lesson and the rest of the whitework, in one document. I can’t cover all the embroidery in one article here on the blog because it’s just too much information for one blog post, but the PDF for Patrons later this week will have everything you need to finish the whitework embroidery. In the meantime, you can follow along here on the blog to start the foundation steps.

Ready?

Sweet Marguerite Part 2: Whitework Foundations
Continue reading “Sweet Marguerite Part 2: Tidy Up & Whitework Foundations”

Sweet Marguerite Embroidery Project Index

 

Before we get too far into Sweet Marguerite, here’s the project index for this stitch-along.

If you visit Needle ‘n Thread and go to the Tips & Techniques page (linked in the main menu), the first section is titled “Hand Embroidery Lessons & Step-by-Step Projects.”

This is where I list project indexes, so that you can more easily browse through various projects that I’ve blogged about and follow their development in chronological order.

It also gives you the opportunity to bookmark the index for any project, so that you can easily get back to it.

With the stitch-alongs, I like to establish an index as early as possible, to keep things as neat and tidy and clear as possible! I don’t know if it helps all that much, but I hope it does!

Sweet Marguerite Project Index
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A Chipper Snail – and a Question for Quilters

 

Just a little midweek break here from our workaholic world! Everything’s been so busy lately, we hardly ever have a chance for some simple relaxation and contemplation of Things Embroidery.

So today, I’d like to introduce you to a chipper snail and offer you some fun browsing in embroidery history.

I also have a question (more of a favor) to address, especially to quilters.

Two completely unrelated topics, but both of interest to stitchers…

Embroidered Bookbindings
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Sweet Marguerite 1.5 – Finishing the Set-Up & Sizing Information!

 

We’ll call this Sweet Marguerite Part 1.5 because we’re finishing the set-up that we started on Friday.

If you’re a member on Patreon, these preliminary steps have already been covered in the PDF, so you won’t receive another PDF or posting for this.

However, there are some questions here that came up over the weekend, so please read the whole article so that we’re all on the same page.

Basting for the drawn thread
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Sweet Marguerite Part 1: Preparation & Set Up

 

Today, we start Sweet Marguerite, a small accent linen with a touch of whitework and a decorative hemstitch.

If you don’t have a kit for Sweet Marguerite, we still have a couple colors of the kit in stock here and ready to ship. It’s a great way to have all the supplies on hand!

Please read through the entire article carefully before you begin.

We’ll be talking about materials to use for the project (for those who do not have a kit) and we’ll discuss preparing the fabric and setting it up for stitching.

If you’re a member of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon, I’ve already posted a downloadable PDF over there that takes you through the transfer method that I used with this project.

We won’t be able to cover the transfer process here on the blog today, because it’s just too much information for one blog article, but we will get to it on Monday.

As always, if you have your own favorite methods of doing things and those methods work well for you, stick with them! There are always different ways to do things in the embroidery world, and I promise that none of the embroidery police are going to be checking up on how you work your own project!

I hope you enjoy this project. Let’s get started!

Sweet Marguerite Stitch Snippet embroidery project
Continue reading “Sweet Marguerite Part 1: Preparation & Set Up”

Something Fishy: Picking Colors & Stitches

 

Our newest set of ready-to-stitch towels has proved to be quite popular!

Something Fishy is a cute, fun towel set for summer, great for vacation stitching and for adding a little touch of tropical sunshine to your life!

For those who would like some ideas on color choices and stitch choices, here’s my final line-up of colors and some information on the stitches I’m using on this set.

Something Fishy - Ready to Stitch tropical towels
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Revisiting the Mini Goldwork & Silk Rose

 

It was twelve years ago that we first explored this goldwork and silk rose together here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Twelve! That’s a dozen!

Imagine setting about to eat a dozen donuts. By the time you faced donut 2.5, you’d certainly realize that a dozen is a lot!

Continuing on my quest to highlight some favorite project and tutorial series from the past, I thought I’d offer up this goldwork & silk rose tutorial for those who haven’t seen it and for those who may have forgotten about it but might find it enticing and useful now.

Goldwork & Silk Embroidered Rose
Continue reading “Revisiting the Mini Goldwork & Silk Rose”

Sweet Marguerite – Kits Available!

 

Gosh, I was thinking Friday would never arrive this week! I’m so excited that Sweet Marguerite is now duly launched.

You can find the kits for Sweet Marguerite, our next stitch-along project, right here in the shop, just waiting for you.

At this time, we’re out of beeswax petites and we’re out of needle minders. I always have an early shopping event for members on Patreon before I launched a new product in my shop, and – due to the hand-made, slower-made nature of those products – we didn’t have as many as I would have liked. But we are making more. I will let you know when they’re ready again.

We also sold out of the blue option on the kits during the early shopping event, but we have enough blue linen to prepare more and get them shipped right away. I’ve put some more blue in stock for you. Just note that the project is a sample project – it’s to learn a few techniques – and all the colors are the same high quality linen. So if the blue sells out, don’t hesitate to grab another color kit!

Now the kits are ready to ship, let’s talk about how the stitch-along will unfold!

Sweet Marguerite Stitch Snippet
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Sweet Marguerite Introduction & Other New Tidbits

 

This morning, I would like to introduce you to Sweet Marguerite and tell you all about this little Stitch Snippets stitch-along project!

I’ll tell you what we’ll learn during the course of the stitch along and what you can expect as the project develops here on the website, including kit information, scope of the project, and other useful information.

After we’ve discussed Sweet Marguerite, I’ll share a few other bits that I think are pretty exciting, too – especially news about our new line of beautiful and functional needle minders!

Sweet Marguerite: accent linen in whitework and hemstitch
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Hemstitching & the Finishing Touches

 

Good morning and Happy Monday! And Hurray! This is The Week!

It’s the week we’re launching the second Stitch Snippet project of 2023! And we’ll do that on Friday. So, this Friday, we’ll be launching the kits for Sweet Marguerite, which is a small hemstitched linen square, decorated with a sprig of whitework embroidery.

I’ll go into more detail on the project as the week progresses, and tell you a little more about the kit on Friday when it launches. Suffice it to say for now that the kit contains everything you need to complete the project, except scissors and a hoop! I even included a great little pair of tweezers that is ideal for your embroidery workbox. The kit for this project will float around the $22-or-less price range.

In the meantime, here’s the final sneak peek, after finishing up the decorative hemstitching on one of the samples.

Sweet Marguerite: Whitework and Hemstitch embroidery
Continue reading “Hemstitching & the Finishing Touches”

Revisiting Antique Pattern Library

 

Well, here we are! Almost back on track! I hope all of you in the US had a grand holiday weekend / week-beginning.

I returned home from a short break in Kentucky just in time for the 4th of July festivities here in Kansas, which were wildly outdone by huge storms that swept through on Tuesday evening, replete with 85-mph winds and loads of rain. It’s still a bit of a mess!

Today, let’s continue with this series of revisiting older topics on Needle ‘n Thread. Instead of talking about a needlework technique, though, we’ll talk about a wonderful needlework resource.

I’ll send you down one of my favorite rabbit holes with some good reading for the upcoming weekend, and I’ll share with you the exciting things coming up next week on Needle ‘n Thread!

Antique Pattern Library
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Gingham Embroidery – Summery and Sweet!

 

We’ve revisited gingham embroidery on Needle ‘n Thread several times over the years, but when summer comes, I always think it’s a subject worth drawing to your attention again.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly ten years since I put together this index devoted to embroidery on gingham (also called “chicken scratch” here in the US). And some of the information and tutorials stretch all the way back the first years of the blog! That’s seventeen years! Crazy!

Gingham embroidery is one of those styles of needlework that evokes a certain nostalgia, I think. There’s something very homey about it. While it seems a bit old fashioned and relegated to a certain era, it isn’t, really. It’s so easy to update the look of gingham embroidery with modern color trends, bright and crisp fabrics, and different types of fibers.

This is a colorful and fun style of embroidery that’s accessible to anyone – from child to adult, from beginner to advanced stitcher.

Revisiting Gingham Embroidery on Needle 'n Thread
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Let’s Look at Lettering in Embroidery

 

There are so many stitches out there in the embroidery world! And there are so many opportunities to use them to write with embroidery!

Favorite sayings, personalization, motivational aspirations – or the comical reverse – can all be said with embroidery. Embroidered words, phrases, names, places, dates – these can all be added to larger projects like quilts, blankets, samplers, decorative towels, pillows and pillowcases, wall hangings, and more. There’s no end to what you can do with embroidery and words.

What stitches work best for embroidering words? Well, it really depends on several factors: the size of your project, the design layout, the words you want to emphasize, the use your project will be put to, or simply the look you like. You have to take into account many factors when you consider what stitches to use.

What’s the best way to know how to determine what stitches to use where? Trial and error, really. Practice over time, experience – these things will help to teach you what works, stitch-wise, in different scenarios.

One of the best ways to get in that kind of practice is simply to stitch. A lettering / text sampler can help, and that’s what I was doing when I put together these lessons for hand embroidered lettering and text some umpteen million years ago.

Hand Embroidered Lettering and Text Tutorials
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Revisiting Drawn Thread Embroidery!

 

Today, we’ll take a quick delve into the archives here on Needle ‘n Thread and touch on some embroidery techniques that I really, really love but that I haven’t had a lot of time to indulge in.

I’m remedying that with the next Stitch Snippet project that will launch in July (it’s called Sweet Marguerite – and it is little and sweet). In this project, we will work a decorative hemstitch edge on the piece, involving drawn thread embroidery.

Drawn thread techniques can seem daunting – after all, you’re removing threads from the ground fabric! – but it’s not. Not at all! And the results can be very satisfying.

Adding some simple drawn thread techniques to your embroidery repertoire is a great idea, because they work so well for finishing embroidered goods, especially household goods like tablecloths, cloth napkins, towels, table runners, placemats, and the like.

So let’s see what’s in the archives, shall we?

Revisiting Drawn Thread Embroidery
Continue reading “Revisiting Drawn Thread Embroidery!”

Revisiting Stitch Fun!

 

Over the next couple weeks here on Needle ‘n Thread, we’re going to be revisiting some beloved embroidery topics, projects, and series. There are quite a few hidden gems here on the website that I want to highlight again, especially for those who are new to Needle ‘n Thread – or for those who have been around so long that, like me, you may have forgotten what’s even on the website!

You might think I’m kidding about that, but I’m not! I just came across a few articles on a topic that I’ll be writing about soon, and I had one of those forehead-slapping moments:

“I’ve already written about this???”

And a few minutes later, after perusing the articles: “Wow. I really did write about this already. How could I have forgotten?!”

It’s always good to take a fresh look at old topics. And to that end, we’re going to re-visit some older topics and projects here on the website that, despite their age and despite all the advances in online technology in the past 17 years, have not gone “out of style.” They still have valuable information in them that is worth tucking away in your needlework repertoire.

One of the my favorite series here on Needle ‘n Thread will kick off this Topic Rejuvenation. It’s the Stitch Fun! series. While the series stretches back deep into the history of Needle ‘n Thread, it is not defunct, nor is it anywhere finished or complete. It’s an ever-developing series. I’m sure I’ll be adding more to it in coming months and years.

But for those who haven’t seen it and don’t know what it is, or for those who have forgotten about it, here’s a little recap of the series.

Stitch Fun Embroidery Series
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Summer Production in the Studio

 

There are certain times of the year at Needle ‘n Thread when we tend to take a breather – a couple days around Thanksgiving, a few days around Christmas, a few days around Easter. The rest of the year, we pretty much work in a frenzy, except for summer. In the summer, we usually go into a calmer, looser mode of work, where we get in more time with planned stitching on upcoming projects and the like.

When you’re stitching, everything slows down. Everything becomes more relaxed. It’s quieter. Calmer. Perfect for summer.

So in the summer, we’ve always been a bit looser with the work schedule. We stitch a lot, yes. We do some production, yes. But it’s pretty looser and more flexible than the rest of the year. The kids pop in. We do impromptu activities with family. Things like that.

This is the time of year when I can usually take a scheduled vacation for a week while Anna covers for me. And visa-versa. (Technically, we can do that any time of the year, but summer always seems to be when it actually happens. The other times of the year are just too crowded.)

But this year has been different. It started off in a royal mess, with my house problem right as we were just settling into the new studio for work. And it never really improved – we’ve been chasing the proverbial tail all year long.

Although summer has finally come, there is definitely something different about it this year. Now, we are in full production mode on every single front. With an extra part-time set of hands, we’ve been working full days and then some, with little variation except for personal appointments and the Life Things that still pop up.

I’ll show you some of the things we’re working on so you can get a taste of Studio Life!

Kit Production
Continue reading “Summer Production in the Studio”

Tips for Framing Embroidery

 

I’ve had a lot of questions lately about framing embroidery pieces.

Now that I have a studio space with a Big Wall, I’m more inclined to frame more of my sample pieces to hang as a kind of gallery on that wall. I wrote about the wall here, if you’d like to read about it and see how it has developed since we moved into this space last autumn. There’s still quite a ways to go on it! It’s just a matter of sorting stitched samples (I have about a gazillion) and finding the right frames for them.

I like framing embroidery! And I like doing it myself, because I’ve had too many problems when taking pieces to framers who don’t quite know how to handle needlework. This frame job was disaster, for example. Considering the cost of the job, in fact, it was a huge disaster.

And it was that disaster that convinced me once and for all that it’s just better to undertake framing on my own.

So, today, some quick framing tips for you, in a nutshell, with links that you can explore further if you’re interested in framing your own embroidery pieces.

Do it Yourself: Framing Embroidery
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Kew Book of Nature Samplers – Trish Burr!

 

If you haven’t heard the great news yet, I’m excited to tell you that Trish Burr has once again produced a beautiful embroidery book, and it is (nearly) available!

If you are remotely interested in learning how to create beautifully shaded embroidery, if Trish’s beautiful needlepainting embroidery style is up your alley, or you just want inspiration and ideas for stitching lovely elements of flora and fauna, you’re going to want to add this book to your wish list, get it pre-ordered, or send out your Christmas hints for it now!

I’m pretty sure this book is going to be even more popular as an instructional and project book than the previous Kew Gardens embroidery book by Trish Burr.

There’s so much to recommend about this new book. It’s one of those books that is eminently suitable for absolute beginners all the way to experienced stitchers. Today, I’ll tell you what makes The Kew Book of Nature Samplers particularly desirable, and I’ll show you some of the projects that are in it.

Kew Book of Nature Samplers by Trish Burr
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Studio Work, Threads, and Summer!

 

Here on the studio end of Needle ‘n Thread, we’re gearing up for our first summer in our new (very old) building. While the first half of 2023 has proven to be a wild adventure involving much upheaval on every level, I’m really hoping the summer settles into a quiet, focused, productive era!

Here’s some fabulous news: I’ve expanded our staff! We have part-time morning help for the summer! Christine – a young lady who participated in my kids’ classes years ago when she was just a wee thing – is a teacher with some summer time off and she was looking for part time work. She’ll be a great fit here! This means we can catch up from the frenzy of the first half of the year. It means we can actually get kits assembled and out in a timely manner for the next Stitch Snippet! It means we can restock on ready-to-stitch items – and bring out two new summer sets (remember that camper?!). And it means that we can finally bring a pet project of mine to fruition!

Am I excited? You bet!

Frankly, I’m excited that we’re at the point where we can offer some employment to locals who are looking for flexible part time work. It’s so important in small rural communities that there are job opportunities! And I hope that Needle ‘n Thread continues to grow enough to be a viable part our our community in that way.

Anyway, my pet project! It has to do with thread, of all things! Surprising, isn’t it?

Building color collections of floche
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The Leafy Tree – Relaunched for 2023!

 

By far one of the most popular projects here on Needle ‘n Thread is The Leafy Tree, which developed here over four years ago in 2019. So much has happened since then in the world and personally, that it seems like it’s been much, much longer than four years!

If you’re new to Needle ‘n Thread in the past four years and you’re not familiar with the project, I’ll tell you a little about it. If you’ve been hanging around here with me since the tree first emerged, you might enjoy reading about the 2023 version.

Despite the design being a whole four years old (in tree-life, I suppose that isn’t very old), it still exudes a contemporary and colorful charm – which is why I just love this little tree!

The Leafy Tree embroidery kit for 2023
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Little Blooms Part 8: Finishing Touches

 

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! I hope you had a terrific weekend!

It was a holiday weekend here in the States (Memorial Day), so a three-day weekend for many. Here in Kansas, my weekend involved (finally!) moving into my newly rebuilt / renovated house…

…only to have to move out again Monday evening (this time to a temporary Airbnb rental), due to a major plumbing issue.

So life is still quite hectic here.

I’m convinced that there must be, eventually, a season of calm ahead. Well, the key is to forge on ahead! And to that end, today, we’re going to finish up Little Blooms. Specifically, we’ll accomplish the two finishing touches – the embroidered scalloped edge on the flap and the snap closure.

Let’s go get this project finished, shall we?

Little Blooms - Finishing Touches
Continue reading “Little Blooms Part 8: Finishing Touches”

Little Blooms Part 7: Construction

 

Finally, today, we construct the Little Blooms mini snap purse!

Today’s article is rather lengthy because we need to cover the whole construction process so you can finish it in one work session. I can’t fit the finishing touches into this article, though, so next week, we will cover the final bits – adding the hand embroidered trim on the outside edge of the flap and sewing the other half of the snap in place. (I have an easy method for that!)

If you are a member on Patreon, today you will have the final PDF for the project and it will take you through all the construction as well as the finishing touches.

And – Big News! – if you have been patiently awaiting a materials kit for Little Blooms, at long last, we have some available now!

Let’s get on with the construction!

Little Blooms - Construction of embroidered purse
Continue reading “Little Blooms Part 7: Construction”

Adding a Gemstone to Goldwork Embroidery

 

Another topic that generated a lot of questions around the goldwork altar cover project is how I attached the large semi-precious gemstone to the medallion, the central decorative piece on the altar cover.

There are different ways that stones can be attached to goldwork. When considering how to attach a stone, you have to think in terms of size and, especially, of usage. If your piece is going to be framed and rarely if ever handled, you have some wiggle room in how stringent you are with the attachment of the stone(s). But if you’re creating a piece that will be used, moved, folded, and so forth, it’s a good idea to figure out some way to make sure the stone is super duper secure.

Initially, we were looking at a faceted stone for this piece, but two problems presented themselves: 1. a faceted stone of any size is normally very deeply cut on the back – and that was the case with the stones that we had to choose from. Their depth made them problematic. 2. Because of their depth, setting them into any hardware (jeweler’s setting) would increase their weight and their height and make sewing them on and working them into the embroidery difficult and – I thought – rather ungainly. As much as I prefer a faceted stone for its brilliance, if the stone doesn’t have a flat back – or at least a very shallow back – it seems awkward on a textile.

adding a semi-precious stone to goldwork embroidery
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Pasting the Back of Goldwork Embroidery

 

One of the techniques we used on the goldwork altar cover we recently finished was coating the back of the embroidery with adhesive or paste.

When I mentioned this briefly in the finish article on the project, it generated a lot of discussion and questions via email. Several people asked if I would revisit the topic and explain how we did this step.

So, today, briefly – because it’s a very simple, uncomplicated process – I’ll show you what we did.

rice paste on back of goldwork embroidery
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Little Blooms Part 6: Preparing for the Finish Process

 

Last week in our Little Blooms stitch-along, we finished the embroidery on the project.

Today, we are going to start the finish process with two preparatory steps that you should not skip.

These two steps are preliminary to cutting out and constructing the snap purse. They will make the finishing easier and the final outcome better

If you’re just joining in, you’ll find the previous installments of this stitch-along all listed here in the Little Blooms project index. Members of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon will receive a downloadable PDF that will include all the finishing steps in one download. This last PDF will cover today’s installment (part 6) as well as part 7 (construction) and 8 (stitched trim), and it will be available when we get to the construction part of the purse in the next lesson.

Little Blooms: Preparation for Finishing
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Working Ahead: A Small Whitework Test

 

Last the week, I took the opportunity (that’s code for “I started this thing that I should have started two months ago”) to test a little whitework project.

I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek today.

And that’s code for “I had planned a much more intricate blog post for this morning, but it isn’t ready, so instead, I found something short and sweet for you.”

whitework, satin stitch, and hemstitch
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Splendid Embroidery in Abundance!

 

Here’s a little secret I’m almost embarrassed to share:

I didn’t immerse myself in any of the “Royal Events” for the coronation last week.

I know! I know! Even with all that embroidery to gaze upon!

When I finally had the time and the inclination, though, I scoured about for some good needlework chit-chat related to the grand event. Of course, the anointing screen worked on by the RSN was big news. It seemed to take the forefront in embroidery chatter.

But to me, the most impressive thing that I read about was Jenny Adin-Christie’s involvement in refurbishing the heralds’ garb, which she talked about here on Instagram. That is pretty cool! What a job! And I loved her pictures of the goldwork applied on the velvet.

But let’s morph into another subject here – along the same lines, but perhaps somewhat more accessible?

Embroidery Convention UK 2023
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Little Blooms Part 5: Finishing the Vines

 

Finally, we’re back on the road to finishing Little Blooms! Thanks for your patience with this stitch-along!

If you’re just joining in on this project, you’ll find the Project Index for Little Blooms available here. That’s where you’ll find all the previous articles relating to this project listed in chronological order so that it’s easy to follow along.

If you’re waiting for a kit for Little Blooms, we’ve started putting a new batch together, but we are waiting on a few items still. As soon as they’re available, we’ll have kits ready again. Please keep an eye on the website for the announcement of new stock.

For members of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon, I’ll post your PDF a little later today, covering parts 4 & 5, with little extra tips and stitch tutorials. For Dedicated and Avid Stitchers on Patreon, I’m working on two more videos for this project and I’ll post them as soon as they are ready.

And now, let us move forward with Little Blooms!

Little Blooms - Finishing the Vines
Continue reading “Little Blooms Part 5: Finishing the Vines”

Goldwork Finish – Getting Back on Track!

 

Last week, we (just barely) met the deadline for the goldwork altar cover project that’s been developing for almost a year now. You can find the backstory on this project here.

After the crunch (which was particularly crunchy!), it took a few days to get things back into working order here in the studio, and then it took a weekend to recuperate in general on all the normal aspects of life that were pretty much on hold since the last week of March.

As of today, we’re back to our normal operations – still catching up, but everything should even out again this week!

Today, I’ll show you the finish. And then later in the week – delayed, but not forgotten! – we’ll be back to our regular program, including Little Blooms.

Goldwork medallion for altar cover
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Goldwork … and Holding!

 

Well, here it is. Wednesday, April 26th! The deadline for this goldwork project!

Ok, ok. It’s what I called “the first deadline.” I really wanted to be finished by today, since we have a family wedding this weekend, with family coming in from out of town for the event, and all kinds of activity going on. I knew it would get hairy around here! The “absolute” deadline is next Tuesday.

There were multiple spanners tossed into the works on pretty much every front lately, so, alas, here we are. Unfinished goldwork. Deadline looming. Wedding this weekend. Medical appointments. Last minute tree removal in front yard. House still in the process of construction. Another new toilet to be ordered. Little Blooms awaiting progress. And on and on and on.

But hey! Who doesn’t have this type of Life Episode now and then? It keeps things exciting (!) – and it gives us a chance to appreciate the those quiet, peaceful days. There’s bound to be some of those ahead shortly.

Today, I’ll share goldwork progress from Monday – we’ve gone a little farther since then – and then regretfully, I have to put you on hold for a wee bit. I’ll tell you about that below.

Goldwork medallion, Marian monogram altar cover
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Little Blooms Part 4: More Stitches on the Vines!

 

Welcome to the next installment of Little Blooms: A Mini Snap Purse – a Stitch Snippets stitch-along on Needle ‘n Thread. If you are just joining us, you’ll find all the previous information on this project, plus a chronological list of previous lessons, in the Little Blooms Project Index here.

In Little Blooms Part 4, we’re going to take a quick look at two more vine treatments.

For members on Patreon, the PDF will come out next week. It will cover the vine stitches in general. Today’s installment here on the website will get you going on the vines, if you’re ready to move ahead. Otherwise, next week, I’ll map out all the stitch combinations for the vines in one PDF.

Today, we’re going to stitch two parts of the vine, using some composite and combination stitch techniques.

Little Blooms Part 4: More Stitches on the Vines
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Little Blooms Project Index

 

As promised, here is the Project Index for Little Blooms: A Mini Snap Purse, part of the Stitch Snippets series here on Needle ‘n Thread.

In this stitch-along, you’ll learn all the embroidery techniques and finishing techniques to create, at your leisure, your own beautiful little snap purse.

All the instructions will appear here on the blog until we’ve worked our way through the whole project. The instructions include the pattern and materials that I used, along with stitching tips and techniques.

All members of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon ($1 / month or more) receive each lesson in a downloadable and printable PDF format. The PDF lessons also include extras, like step-by-step photo instructions for stitches used on the project. For Dedicated and Avid Stitchers on Patreon ($3 – #5 / month), supplemental video tutorials for different parts of the project are also available.

You are welcome to purchase a materials kit if you would like to use the same materials I used on my finished sample. The materials kits have sold out a couple times now, but we’ll restock them as we can. The next re-stock will most likely be mid-May. I’ll let you know when we have them ready!

Stitch Snippets Mini Blooms Project Index
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Little Blooms Part 3: Snap & Scrolls & More

 

Welcome to Part 3 of Little Blooms!

If you are just joining along with this stitch along, we’re working through a small project together here on Needle ‘n Thread. You can read the preliminary information in the project preview here, and you can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Next week, I will post an index where you can find all the lessons for the project listed chronologically in one spot.

For those who have asked, we will be restocking a supply of Little Blooms kits later in May. We have to wait for supplies to arrive and then prepare them. We won’t be able to start preparing them until the beginning of the second week of May.

If you are a member of the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon, you will find the PDF download for today’s lesson posted later today. If you are signed up as a Dedicated or Avid Stitcher, I’ll have a supplementary video for you later this weekend.

As usual, please read through all the instructions before you begin stitching! Often, the questions you might ask if you jump in to stitch have already been answered a little further along in the article.

Little Blooms Part 3: Snap & Scrolls
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Goldwork – Central Medallion in Progress

 

Good morning from Kansas! I hope you all enjoyed a beautiful weekend.

We had a lovely Easter here! I took the whole day off – not one stitch, despite a looming deadline. I had spent the day before picking out a lot of embroidery, so I knew I needed to take a good full day’s break so I could come back with fresh eyes! Sometimes, you just have to step away.

I’ll go into more detail on this part of the goldwork altar cover project a little bit later. I’ll cover information on threads, techniques, tips and so forth in a future article. But this morning, I just wanted to show you what I’m working on and tell you where we are on this project, which is due two weeks from today.

(Did I just say two weeks from today?)

Goldwork Altar Cover - Central Medallion
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: The Distress of God

 

Today, on Good Friday, I thought I’d share a highlight from the regalia or paraments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The details below come from this antependium (a hanging made for the front of an altar), which is held at the Imperial Treasury of Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kunstkammer).

Can you imagine embroidering something like this? Or at least being a member of the company of artisans who embroidered it?

The Trinity - center panel on antependium, Order of the Golden Fleece, Imperial Treasury Vienna
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Little Blooms Part 2: Stitch the Flowers

 

Welcome to the second installment of Little Blooms: A Mini Snap Purse, wherein we explore stitching the flowers clustered here and there around the design.

If you are not familiar with the way a stitch-along works, you can find further information on what to expect with this project in the preview of Little Blooms here.

Last week in Part 1, we setup the project. That’s where you’ll find the pattern and the embroidery design, along with information on transferring the design.

Members of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon will find the PDF for this installment already available. If you’re in the Dedicated or Avid Stitcher levels, I’ll be posting a video supplement for you a little later this week.

So that’s the backstory – now let’s jump into the flowers, shall we?

Little Blooms: Stitching the Flowers
Continue reading “Little Blooms Part 2: Stitch the Flowers”

A Fine Tradition 2: Book Review

 

In 2021, Inspirations Studios launched a new book by Margaret Light called A Fine Tradition, and it was very popular for good reason! Packed with lots of very accessible and appealing embroidery projects, the book is suitable for beginners and beyond who want to stitch and finish beautiful embroidered things. You can read my review of A Fine Tradition here.

I’m super excited to say that the second volume by Margaret Light – A Fine Tradition 2 – is now available! So today, we’re going to look at the inside of the book and I’ll tell you what you can expect from this extremely accessible project and instructional book.

Before we go forth to explore the new volume, you should know that I have a limited quantity of both books in stock right now! So if you didn’t have a chance to get the first volume, it’s been reprinted and you can add both to your needlework library. They’re available here in my shop. If these books have been on your radar, now’s a good time to pick them up!

A Fine Tradition 2 by Margaret Light
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Little Blooms Part 1: Materials, Design, & Preparation

 

Welcome to the first installment of Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse!

I’m going to kick off the stitch-along for this project by sharing the pattern and embroidery design with you, talking a little bit about materials and possible substitutions, and telling you how I set up the project to prepare it for stitching.

For members of the Needle ‘n Thread community over on Patreon, you’ll find Part 1 available as a downloadable PDF over on Patreon already – it was posted yesterday. For members at the $3+ level, I’ll be posting a supplementary video for you this weekend!

Let’s jump right in!

Mini Blooms Stitch-Along on Needle 'n Thread
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It’s a Wrap! On Your Hoop, That Is

 

Embroidery hoops – they’re one of those tools that are pretty essential to the embroiderer. No matter what approach you take to surface embroidery, eventually, you’ll run into the need for a hoop.

So whether you’re a stretcher-bar fiend, a slate frame fanatic, or a Q-snap connoisseur, some day, at least for a project or two, you’ll have to be a hoopist. Or a hoopie. Or a hooper? Yes, a hooper!

And if you’re going to be a hooper, you should also be a wrapper.

I bring this up now – and I’ve brought it up before – because, as we launch into Little Blooms on Friday, many of you will be hooping up the project to get it ready for stitching. I want you to have a really good experience using an embroidery hoop on this project. And at the end, I want you to have an equally good experience with the finish work. Your hoop and how you use it can have a lot to do with that!

Binding embroidery hoop with cotton twill
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Drawing Embroidery Designs in Inkscape & News

 

Happy Friday!

Today, I’ll chat a bit about what I’ve been up to on the computer, sharing some techy info, especially for those who often and frequently ask about software for creating their own embroidery patterns (or line drawings to use for embroidery patterns).

We’ll also touch a bit on Little Blooms – the upcoming stitch-along here on Needle ‘n Thread – and the kits at the end of the article.

designing embroidery patterns in Inkscape
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Chipping Away at Goldwork and a Workstation Rig

 

Time is ticking and there’s no way to stop it.

I always realize this when a deadline looms and it seems like everything is moving in the slowest of motion and there’s no noticeable progress on anything, anywhere.

Time is ticking. There is no way to stop it.

To be comfortably finished with this goldwork altar cover, we’ve got 34 days. Will we make it? I don’t know. But we’re giving it our best!

We can add five days and be finished at the Absolutely Deadline, but I’d rather say we have 34 days and keep that in my head, because I don’t want to be frantically scurrying at the Absolute Deadline. I want to be able to breathe a bit at the very end of the project.

Now, there may be no way to stop time from ticking away, but there are ways to speed up processes, to make more of your time – even if it’s just in the tiniest of ways. It all adds up!

Chip work on goldwork altar cloths
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Boycotting the Bullion Stitch – Help!

 

Sometimes, certain embroidery questions pop up with more frequency in my inbox than others do. Lately, I’ve had a few questions about the bullion knot.

Several readers have expressed some frustration over the stitch, and after a recent exchange with a very determined beginner, I decided to write about it here, in case others are facing similar frustrations.

I’m here to tell you today that you don’t have to use bullion knots! The bullion stitch is a lovely stitch, but if you’re a beginner and the stitch is putting you completely off embroidery, don’t use it! Substitute other stitches, and as your confidence grows, tackle the bullion later (if you want).

This very determined beginner told me quite bluntly, I’m boycotting the bullion stitch forever. I hate it! Can you suggest other stitches I can use on [the name of a project by a specific designer – she also attached a picture] in place of bullion stitches? Sincerely, Bummed by Bullions

Ribbed stitch flowers
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Little Blooms! The Materials Kit is Available!

 

Today’s the day!! Hip hip hurray!

Today, we launch the materials kit for Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse – the first Stitch Snippets stitch-along project for 2023! I’m so excited to get this project underway!

In Monday’s preview, which you can read here, I explained how the Stitch Snippets stitch-alongs work and what you can expect as we progress through the project together.

Today, besides letting you know that the materials kit is now available here in the shop, I’ll give you the details about what’s in the kit, what supplies you’ll need to complete the project, and a little bit about substitutions for those who want to make the project but can’t get the kit.

We’ll also chat about some timing details, so you can anticipate the beginning of the project.

Stitch Snippet: Little Blooms
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Preview! Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse

 

Welcome to the official preview of our first Stitch Snippet stitch along project for 2023. It almost feels as if the year is halfway over, but I like to think we slipped under the wire before the absolute end of the first quarter!

Stitch Snippets is an ever-developing series of stitch-along projects available here on Needle ‘n Thread for free. In each stitch-along, we embroider and finish small projects into items that are useful, decorative, or both.

In 2022, we were able to work through four Stitch Snippets together: Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Cotton Quartet Tool Wallet, Autumn Fire, and Christmas Tree Ornament.

This year, we’re going to start the series by embroidering and constructing a small snap purse – a little case that you can slip into a handbag, your pocket, or wherever you want it, and in which you can stow small things, from cash to ear buds to your lucky paperclip to you-name-it!

Here’s a little introduction to the first Stitch Snippet of the year and what you can expect.

Little Blooms embroidery project 2023
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Drizzling & Parfilage – Goldwork in Reverse

 

My sister’s pajama pants are made from fabric that has a metallic thread running through it.

The other day she confessed that she finds it addicting to pick out the metallic thread. She carefully picks, breaks, and pulls out the metallic threads, bit by bit, when she’s wearing those particular pj’s. And she likes doing it!

This cracks me up! The addiction to picking apart textiles and pulling out metallic threads is not a new thing. Unbeknownst to her, my sister belongs to a history of rather grand people who engaged in the activity known as “parfilage” (the French term) or “drizzling” (the English term).

Parfilage is the practice of picking out or removing metal threads from textiles – from fabric, from braids and laces and the like – in order to recover the metal threads either for the fun of collecting them or to sell them. The hobby was pretty popular in Europe from the 17th through the early 19th centuries. They even had fancy tool sets just for engaging in the practice!

Picking apart goldwork embroidery
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Embroidered Birds & Their Habitats

 

With spring coming here in Kansas, bird life is picking up exponentially as each day passes.

I like birds! I find them extraordinarily beautiful (even the plain ones) and highly amusing. Even though I’m not a devoted twitcher, I love to watch birds, and occasionally, I’ll even go to pretty good lengths to see particular birds in their natural environments.

With all this in mind, I thought that this new book, Embroidered Birds and Their Habitats by Judy Wilford, would be a good candidate to kick off a series of book reviews. It’s one in a stack of books that I’ve been planning to share with you for a while, so … here we go!

Embroidered Birds and Their Habitats
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Just Another Pic on the Wall

 

Last November, Needle ‘n Thread moved into our new working studio in a commercial building in downtown St. Marys, Kansas. I wrote about that here and here.

Evaluating our first four months, I’d say we’ve settled in pretty well! We’ve become much more work-efficient in this space, because we have a better layout and we have more room.

Mostly, though, I think that we work better because we’re in a working environment rather than a residential environment. It makes a Huge Difference in the mindset when coming to work, getting into the work day, and carrying through the work day with focus.

Needle 'n Thread Studio - Picture Wall
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An Embroidery Fail: Digging Up the Past

 

In a conversation with a fellow (not embroidery) blogger the other day, we were discussing trendy blogging and social media topics. We got on the subject of how words are used these days, and I listed off a few pet peeves.

For example, I don’t like the prevailing use of verbs as nouns and nouns as verbs. I gave a few examples: fail as a noun, adult as a verb, art as a verb.

I have to pay bills. I guess it’s time to adult.

I’m going to art all day long today!

I had a big adulting fail yesterday, when I slept till noon and missed work.

Cake fail. Cooking fail. Building fail.

It rubs me the wrong way.

As the topic progressed, I was challenged to write an article about an “embroidery fail,” and to use the term “fail” the way I don’t like using it.

(I’m only explaining this whole backstory so that you know why the title of today’s article is what it is!)

And just to clarify – I know that there is a history of “fail” being used as a noun in the academic sense. The way it’s used today, though, is just as a shortened version of failure.

Silk embroidery on silk fabric
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A Stitch Snippet Sneak Peek

 

As we rapidly approach the end of February, I thought I’d offer a sneak peek of the first Stitch Snippet stitch-along project for 2023 here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Earlier, I hinted at the colors and threads I’m using on the project. And just so you know that I’m not too much of a lazy bum – I really have been working on it – today, I’ll highlight some of the stitching that we’ll be doing together on this little thing that we’re going to make.

We’ll also talk about a feasible time line for the project, so that you can know what to expect when it’s ready to launch.

Stitch Snippet 1 for 2023
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Cherry Blossom Roundel from Jane Nicholas

 

A long time ago, back in August of 2022, I reviewed Jane Nicholas’s latest embroidery book, Japanese Motifs in Stumpwork & Goldwork, which you can read about here.

Jane Nicholas is a professional embroiderer and embroidery designer from Australia. She’s instructed at the EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America) National Seminars and regional workshops, and she’s traveled around the world as a teacher. I’ve written about her pretty abundantly here on Needle ‘n Thread, too, reviewing many of her books, so many of you are likely familiar with her work.

Jane’s beautiful designs have a pristine, clear quality about them. They’re unmistakable – you can always recognize them as hers, even thought she draws from myriad styles of art.

Cherry Blossom roundel from Jane Nicholas
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Flax to Linen – Your Weekend Viewing

 

My all-time favorite fabric for hand embroidery is linen. I love good linen, so I’m always at pains to seek it out and acquire it, not just for personal stitching but also for the kits and supplies that I offer here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Linen for hand embroidery is fairly widely available these days, if you really go to the effort to look for it. But quantity is one thing – quality is another. We have that “embarrassment of riches,” but it still takes effort to find the Good Stuff.

Luckily, there are people out there who care about getting really good linen into the hands of stitchers. There are companies that still make beautiful linen (predominantly in Europe), there are distributors who go to the effort and expense to bring it into the country so that shop owners have access to it, and there are shop owners who understand that there are stitchers who want good linen and they go to the effort and expense to stock it. And all this investment in money and effort keeps awareness up and it keeps the supply line going for now. And that’s a good thing!

But have you ever thought about how linen comes to be?

Flax to Linen Video
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Jacobean Sea & Jacobean Bird – Project Index

 

Good morning, and Happy Monday!

I would love to tell you how great things turned out last week with the eye procedure, but in fact, it hasn’t happened yet. It was delayed until today, so I’ll be heading in for that shortly. There’s nothing quite like extending the anxiety factor just a little bit longer!

I love starting a week this way. It’s get better, though! The front half of my house is being demolished this week. I admit, I’m keen to watch the progress on that.

In any case, that’s where we are. 2023 is off to such a great start. There’s nothing for it, but to laugh!

Today, I’m just doing a bit of housekeeping on the website again, by way of another project index, this time for Jacobean Sea and its bird variation.

Jacobean Sea Embroidery Project Index
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Computer Life: The Floral Heart Project

 

Wouldn’t it be great if Needle ‘n Thread were only about needle and thread? I imagine our days would be spent stitching away, creating beautiful things, experimenting, enjoying a bit of stitch fun here and there, finishing this project, starting that project – life wrapped up in Only Stitching.

It doesn’t really work that way. Even if you’re not into needlework as a business, it doesn’t work that way. You know how it is! We all have lives outside of stitching! And hopefully, they are lives that we love!

But for those of us who are pretty enthusiastic about needlework, needlework is always there. It’s our carrot. It’s The Thing that gets us through less pleasant bits because we have something creative to look forward to. It’s our relaxation, our entertainment, our creative outlet – it’s part of those aspects of life that contribute to our happiness.

Here in our little cozy studio in Kansas, there’s another aspect of Needle ‘n Thread that goes on every day. It’s what I call Computer Life, and if you’re in business these days, it’s unavoidable. Luckily, I don’t hate Computer Life. I like it! Maybe not as much as the stitching part of things, but still. I like it! Otherwise, whoa! “Work” really would be Work and it would be a Major Slog.

My Computer Life right now consists of this:

Floral Heart Computer Life
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Goldwork Altar Covers – Project Index

 

Time to do a little house cleaning here on the website!

Whenever I work a long term project that I blog about, or whenever we have a stitch-along of sorts, I like to create a project index. With a project index, you can easily navigate the various articles written about the project.

You’ll find this index – and many more – listed under Tips & Techniques in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread. Project indexes are listed in the first section under “Hand Embroidery Lessons & Step-by-Step Projects.”

If you’re ever looking for some follow-along embroidery projects with loads of tips that you can apply to your own embroidery – or maybe you just want to browse for the fun of it – feel free to check out that list of the many projects and tutorials that have developed here on Needle ‘n Thread over the years. There’s lots of ’em!

Goldwork Altar Cover Project Index
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Ready-to-Stitch Sets are Back … and a book!

 

Now that we’ve gotten into the hang of working in our new space, we’ve been able to turn our attention to getting some ready-to-stitch goods back in stock.

For those who aren’t familiar with our ready-to-stitch towel sets, we offer flour sack towels in sets of three, with coordinating designs already printed on them so that, when you get them, they’re ready for stitching. Some of the sets have the same design on all three towels, and some have variations of the design, or of a theme, on each of the tree towels.

Ready to Stitch Garden Party towel set
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Murder & Mayhem, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and Overdyed Linen

 

Well, I have a piece of linen that came to me from origin unknown. It’s a Mystery!

I like mysteries. I’m pretty sure this one involves murder and mayhem, based on the piece of linen.

I’m curious about the linen and what people think of it. And apparently, so is the original owner of it.

I have a feeling I’m going to be sticking my neck Way Out and ruffling some feathers here. It’s not my intention.

Let me clarify: I don’t know everything going on in the needlework world. So if this is some big project out there, social media thing, mystery stitch-along, or what-have-you, well… beats me. I don’t know all the details!

But I can give some thoughts that occurred to me about the linen, since that’s what I was asked to do.

And since the question of using overdyed linen comes up a lot in my inbox, I figure I might as well take the opportunity to write about it. I’m going to do that in a meandering way, so bear with me! There’s a point in here somewhere.

Overdyed Linen questions
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Goldwork Inspiration

 

Goldwork has been much on my mind lately, as we continue to work our way through the lettering on this major goldwork project that’s been underway here at Needle ‘n Thread since last summer.

Our time is running out. April is coming. And yet, we can’t seem to find more time! So we’re a little under the proverbial gun here, and I’m starting to feel a bit sweaty-in-the-palms about it.

I’ve been on the hunt for fringe that will finish off the edge of the cloth the letters are going on. And while searching for the fringe, I took a good look at the blog of Sebastián Marchante Gambero, a goldwork embroidery workshop in Spain which features gorgeous ecclesiastical goldwork.

Sebastian Marchante-Gambero-goldwork-embroidery
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Answering Common Questions about Floche & Other Threads

 

Here on Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve talked a lot about cotton floche, because it’s an embroidery thread I really love.

A lot of people aren’t familiar with floche, and newcomers to our little community here may not have had the opportunity to learn about it or see what it can do as a unique embroidery thread.

I’d like to highlight some details about floche and answer the most common questions about the thread. I’ll be linking you to previous articles that will take you into further depth, if you’d like to know more. If you’ve been around here a while, this will be a little refresher, and if you’re new, it may open up a whole new world of thread for you!

Cotton Floche Embroidery Thread
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Problem Solving for Stitchers: Needles without Nickel

 

When it comes to embroidery, it would be nice if all the supplies, all the tools, all the fibers, all the fabrics, all the lights, all the stitching aids, all the *everything* that we like and use with our needlework were universally usable for every single person, no matter what.

Often, it’s simply not the case. Allergies, sensitivities, physical difficulties with vision, with motor skills, and more – all of these things can hinder the pursuit of needlework.

Sometimes, many who love embroidery, who find happiness, a sense of calm, relaxation, or alleviation of stress with needle and thread, end up giving it up altogether because of some hinderance that is hard to overcome.

They lose something beautiful in their lives.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if they were able to find solutions to their difficulties, that would keep them stitching?

These are topics I’d like to address more frequently on Needle ‘n Thread. I would love to hear from fellow stitchers who either have a solution to a specific hardship that would have kept them from stitching, or from folks who are looking for a solution to some difficulty that’s keeping them from stitching.

I think it’s important to address these challenges and to share the solutions to them! And we can do this best when we all put our heads together! Please feel free to contact me if you have some experience and input on the topic!

Needles without Nickel
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Stitch Snippets, 2023: The First Adventure

 

Happy Friday!

To whet your appetite for upcoming projects on Needle ‘n Thread, this morning I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at our first Stitch Snippets adventure for 2023, and introduce newcomers to the concept of the Stitch Snippet Series here on Needle ‘n Thread.

I’ve had a lot of feedback from last year’s series, and it seems that participants really enjoyed it! I’ve also had some constructive feedback that I very much appreciate!

Floche for a Stitch Snippet
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Goldwork Progress: Moving Forward!

 

Anna sits on her side of the frame.

I sit on my side of the frame.

We’re catty-corner to each other, each hugging the edge of the slate frame and trying to manipulate our arms around the trestles as we embroider letters situated near the edge of the ground fabric.

We work pretty much in silence, except for some soft background music.

And slowly and steadily, we make minute progress on the goldwork lettering that we’ve been working on since last spring.

It’s been a while since we’ve been able to sit and concentrate on embroidery, but at long last, we’re finally able to dedicate specific time to stitching.

Goldwork Lettering
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Embroidery & the Arts & Crafts Movement

 

I tend to be somewhat infatuated with the Arts & Crafts Movement. There’s much about it – historically, socially, and artistically – that I admire and that intrigues me.

The Arts & Crafts Movement was an era of development of the decorative arts, spanning about 1875 to about 1920, give or take some years.

As with any era or trend in the decorative arts, it’s hard to establish an exact beginning date and an exact ending date, because no trend in art is isolated from its preceding and subsequent trends. What came before influences the era; what comes after develops from the era or as a reaction to it. But roughly, that’s that time frame – 1875 to 1920, beginning in Britain and spreading throughout Europe and America.

Arts & Crafts Movement
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Floss Trucking & Visitors!

 

It was the perfect end to the holiday season.

Come Monday morning, I knew that the time had come to take down the hastily-prepared and seldom-enjoyed Christmas decorations, but I didn’t want to. This year, the Christmas season didn’t seem very holiday-ish. Everything went by in a blur. So, early that morning, I found myself thinking that I don’t really want to end Christmas just yet. “We need to do something to mark the season here at work,” I said to myself. Something aside from slapping up some last-minute decor and then squishing it all away into a box, forgotten until next year.

I didn’t know what to do, so I put on some light Christmas jazz and started the day, Christmas lights twinkling in the window and the world madly rushing by once more according the expected rhythm of life.

The sun rose and the morning commute traffic slowed down. The Christmas lights turned off. I turned down the music. Anna arrived for work. We turned our attention to making a gazillion twists of thread while planning the next few months.

The clock ticked towards noon.

And then it happened! A First in the history of Needle ‘n Thread! And when I think about it, the perfect end to the holiday season!

What happened, you ask?

Why, the Floss Truck arrived!

Floss Truck
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Thread Talk: A Great Way to Start the Year!

 

I’m back in the studio! Happy 2023! It’s lovely to be here!

Golly, life has been crazy for the past 2.5 months. It started with the big Needle ‘n Thread Studio Move, which aligned with the launch of the last Stitch Snippet of 2022. Lesson learned: never upheave when you’re launching a project! (Not that we had a choice, but…)

Just as we began shifting the studio, I found out, on the home front, that I’d have a full house move at the beginning of January. But we settled into work in our new space, and all was well as the holidays approached.

Then we all took turns with sickness of various sorts, and that was fun!

Then we got back to work just in time for Christmas, right after which, I started packing and sorting at home.

And last week, with the help of my trusty sidekick Anna and two nephews who were furloughed from work for a week, we managed a whole house move. We finished by 7:30 pm on Friday. Dad and I are settled for at least the next 2.5 months in the same duplex where I operated Needle ‘n Thread for about four or five years. It’s comfortable and cozy. Change, they say, is as good as a vacation, and there is something very adventurous and relaxing about our new situation. I even actually kicked back and started reading a real printed book this weekend!

But man, oh man! Was it ever GREAT to walk into work this morning! I’m so excited to get this year underway! I feel weirdly buoyant this morning – the Looming Clouds of Massive Jobs to Tackle has dissipated, the sun is shining here in Kansas, I’m finally back in touch with all of you, and Life is Good!

So let’s celebrate! Let’s talk about Thread!

Heathway Crewel Wool
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Happy New Year: 2023!

 

Once upon a time, a gazillion years ago, just as the 1980’s breathed their last and I was starting the Great Adventure of Life in my first year of college, I had a memorable conversation with a friend.

We spoke about about books. She was a sci-fi fan. I was not.

One of the reasons I gave her was that my mind simply could not grasp with ease those far-flung futuristic dates like… “2023.” That was the exact example I gave her.

Happy New Year 2023!
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Merry Christmas! And Reticello Winners!

 

Well, well. Wednesday has finally arrived without too much mishap! I hope you’re hanging in there, too!

It’s a little early yet for Christmas wishes, but Anna and I are both going to take some time off until next Wednesday, December 28th so that we can do Family Things.

At first, we were planning to work through Friday afternoon, but we’re expecting a fairly unusual large winter storm and some wickedly cold temperatures starting this evening. I took the executive decision that we’re better off staying at home, where we can get other things done!

Merry Christmas!
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The Tables We Chose and Why

 

After the tour of the new studio a couple weeks ago, I received a flood of questions about our furniture – specifically about the tables in the work & classroom space.

My intention all along was to tell you about them in a little more detail because, truth be told, they are already a source of work-related joy for us. They’re probably the best investment I’ve ever made in furnishings. And they’re one of the only larger purchases I’ve ever made in my life where I have not suffered one iota of the dreaded Buyer’s Remorse.

So I’ll tell you about them, what they are, what they do, and why we got them. There’s no affiliation with anything here. I hope that some of you find the information useful, especially if you’re setting up your own sewing or craft room.

Uplift tables for sewing & crafts
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Buon Natale! Reticello Kits & a Give-Away

 

Good morning from a cold and crisp and winterly Kansas. No snow – just grey. And cold! Rumor has it the sun will make a showing today, though. Ho ho ho. I can’t wait!

Speaking of ho ho ho, today we’re going to do another pre-Christmas give-away featuring new kits that I’m bringing in from Italy, to accompany the reticello books by Giuliana Buonpadre that we started offering this year.

I’m excited about these kits! I’ve brought in just a few at this point, to test the waters. My reasoning for bringing them into the US is that we don’t really have a wide array reticello kits on the market in the US (if any). And yet, I know there are many embroiderers who love reticello and traditional Italian needlework. There are many who want to learn it or to learn it better. The kits provide a structure for learning and all the supplies necessary for a project.

So today, I’ll show you some of the kits close-up and I’ll give away one of them, along with two of Giuliana Buonpadre’s beautiful reticello books, Il Reticello and Herbarium, so that you can learn the techniques and then take them further.

Reticello Kits
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Christmas Tree, Part 3: Finishing the Ornament + Giveaway Winners

 

Well, here we are, December 13, behind schedule, but catching up! It was a recuperative weekend, but I’ll tell you what – the old rusty-not-trusty laptop from home just doesn’t cut it. I knew I should have kept up my North Pole connections!

Today, we’re going to finish up the Christmas Tree Ornament series, and I’ll also announce the give-away winners for this beautiful silk ribbon give-away from Di van Niekerk.

Without further ado – because it’s going to be a long one! – let’s go!

Christmas Tree Ornament: Finishing Process
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All New Studio: A Photo Tour!

 

Before we start today with a tour, I have a quick announcement! For those waiting, I do have a limited number of Christmas Tree Ornament kits ready to go right now! I wish we could have gotten more together, but we’ve done our best, and I hope you are able to get one if you’ve been waiting. I’ve also restocked Christmas Flowers and Snowy Cabin, two 4″ kits that sold out quickly.

On to today’s topic!

I sorely wanted to use video to walk you through my new studio space where all things Needle ‘n Thread now happen. Alas, video wasn’t in the stars.

Instead, I’m going to take you on a little photo tour, where we can walk through the space together and I can tell you about it.

Be not alarmed! We didn’t clean up before this! We’ve been working hard and we have stuff out. Shock, horror! It’s inevitable. We’re a workshop more than anything else, and some days, we just don’t have a chance to do a thorough put-away at the end of the day. So things might look somewhat cluttered here and there.

Enough excuses, right? Let’s go for a stroll.

New Needle 'n Thread Studio space, 2022
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Glorious, Lovely Silk Ribbon Galore!

 

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to Yet Another Monday!

I was at a design meeting at the end of last week, signing a contract, and I had to ask what the date was. When the fellow said “12 / 1,” I thought he was referring to some future date, when our project would begin. And I said, “But what’s today’s date?” I was entirely befuddled. How did we get to December? Did we even have November?

It’s time to slow down, isn’t it? At least a little, as we approach Christmas. This is the time of year when I like to retreat a bit out of the rush. I hope you’re having a chance to do just that!

Today, to help spread a little pre-Christmas cheer, and thanks to the generosity of Di van Niekerk, who is absolutely the Queen of Silk Ribbon Embroidery, I have a gorgeous give-away for two winners.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Silk ribbon from Di van Niekerk
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Christmas Tree, Part 2: Prepare the Ornament

 

Good morning, my friends! For those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend, I hope you had a very happy holiday!

I apologize for being a little late with today’s article. It should have been up yesterday, but there were unforeseen circumstances popping up all over the place! There are still a few brewing in the background, but I’m determined to ignore them until we get our Christmas Tree ornament prepped and ready for the final assembly.

So let’s get started!

Preparing the Christmas Ornament
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Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Tomorrow, here in the States, it’s Thanksgiving Day!

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving break was The Best. We had a four day weekend – the first of the school year – and it was full of family, fun, food, friends, and frolicking about.

As a kid with few responsibilities and lots of older sisters to do dishes, there was never any pressure. Aside from a few chores here and there, we “little guys” in the family could pretty much do what we wanted. We usually watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, and then we played. Eventually, we showed up for dinner. And we played some more.

It was very uncomplicated.

Happy Thanksgiving!
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In the Studio: Developing a New Skill Set

 

I’m still surrounded by a bit of mayhem, but we are slowly getting organized and established in our new studio space.

Fortunately for me, Anna is the Queen of Organization – she keeps everything in check when I start unraveling project materials all over the place. And she has done a great job making sense of the new space and getting things set up for reasonable and efficient work flow.

But we aren’t there yet!

Last week, I developed a new skill set. I think I could officially be an IKEA furniture assembler for hire… if I liked assembling furniture. Which I don’t! But we did manage a good day’s work, setting our main organizational area for our workroom.

Today, I’ll tell you what we did and why we did it.

setting up organizational space in the studio
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Christmas Tree, Part 1: Stitch the Kit

 

Oh, jolly day! Two big events: we’re starting the final Stitch Snippet stitch along for 2022 today, and…

I’m writing my first blog article from my new studio space. Very exciting, on both accounts!

Next week, I’ll show you where we are with the studio space. For now, suffice it to say that we are completely in the new space, but we still have a lot of work to do to get entirely settled.

Today, we’re going to launch straight into this year’s final Stitch Snippet – a Christmas Tree Ornament. We’ll talk about embroidering the kit, including things I did differently that you might (or might not) want to do if you’re stitching the same project. Any 4″ embroidery design will work for this particular project, and you can apply all the finishing concepts to any size (or shape) flat ornament.

I’ll also tell you where to find the kit if you’re not in the US. Or, if you already have the kit and you don’t have my extra finishing kit, I’ll share information on extra materials that I used.

Shall we begin? Oh yes, let’s!

Stitch Snippet 2022: Christmas Tree Ornament
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The Plan: It Has Begun

 

Well, after a four-and-a-half-day weekend dedicated solely to shipping (I hope all your goodies arrive safe and sound, and you’re as excited about them as I am!), we are back to packing and moving.

In fact, the Move has Begun. And while it’s going on, I have a slightly different, short-term plan for the blog.

I’ll tell you about it below!

 

Moving to a New Space
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Today’s The Day! Stitch Snippet, Kits, and More!

 

I’ve been anticipating and planning for today for a long time!

Today, you see, is a Banner Day! And it’s a Banner Day for many reasons.

Today, we start our final Stitch Snippet journey for 2022, with a beautiful Christmas Tree kit that we’re going to embellish further and finish as an ornament.

The kit set (which includes the embroidery kit for Christmas Tree by Tamar Nahir-Yanai and the finishing kit from Needle ‘n Thread) is now available! You can read how the stitch-along will go in the sneak peek I posted on Wednesday.

Christmas Tree Stitch Snippet 2022
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Preview: Snippet Kits & Other Delights

 

At the beginning of 2022, I launched a series here on Needle ‘n Thread called Stitch Snippets, where we work together through a manageable embroidery project from start to finish, highlighting some particular aspect of embroidery or finishing (or both).

Along with the stitch-along, we had kits available for you, so that you would have all the same supplies on hand that I was using while we worked through the project together.

This year, we’ve finished three projects together here on Needle ‘n Thread: Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Cotton Quartet, and the most recent finish Autumn Fire.

And this week, we are ready to launch the fourth and final project of the year! Yay!

Today, I’m going to give you a sneak peek of the last Stitch Snippet for 2022 and explain how this final stitch-along will work (it is slightly different from the previous three), what we will be focusing on, and how you can join in.

I’ll also tell you when the kit will launch and what other products will be available at the same time so that you can save a bit on shipping while taking care of your Christmas wish list!

Please read to the end of the article so you know what to expect and how to participate.

Stitch Snippet: Christmas Tree
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Embroidered Pumpkins: Homage to a Squash

 

Well, here we are! October 31st: Halloween!

To bid farewell to October and herald in November, I thought I’d pay short homage to that ubiquitous winter squash that shows up absolutely everywhere this time of year:

The Pumpkin.

Here in the States, the pumpkin is often (but not always) associated with sweet things – like pastries and dessert (the pumpkin pie, the pumpkin roll, the pumpkin cake, the pumpkin muffin, the pumpkin scone, the pumpkin mousse, the pumpkin brownie (!)…) or sweet drinks (the unfathomable pumpkin spice latte or the more unfathomable pumpkin spice milkshake or the still more unfathomable pumpkin spice cocoa) or cloyingly sweet smelling candles and the like.

Rarely do we appreciate it as a savory and healthy addition to a good meal in its more natural state as squash.

But sometimes we do!

Pumpkins, whether you like them or not as a food item, are iconic here in the autumn. But they aren’t just regulated to Halloween jack-o-lanterns (which was my first childhood exposure to pumpkins). They’re a part of autumn decor all the way up to Thanksgiving at the end of November, at which time they magically disappear in one fell swoop and are replaced by Christmas trees and lights and snowflakes and Santa Clause and creepy elves and peppermint flavored everything.

More and more, the transition between pumpkin and peppermint is happening earlier and earlier – almost to the point that, by the time the kids are sorting their Halloween candy and coercing a Tootsie-Roll-for-Anything-Else Trade Agreement, the jack-o-lantern is replaced by a ho-ho-hoing Santa on the front porch.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! There’s still time to stitch a pumpkin or two!

Pumpkins in Embroidery
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Calligraphy Design = Embroidery Inspiration

 

A while ago, while perusing calligraphy websites (I don’t do much calligraphy, but I dabble occasionally), I came across an article on an older blog that looks, in fact, defunct at this point.

But the article is good. It’s on drawing borders, and it contains a lot of principles that can translate into embroidery design, too.

If you like doodling your own embroidery designs and you’re looking for inspiration and ideas, you might enjoy this article!

Calligraphy websites are a rabbit hole that I think many embroiderers might enjoy falling into, because it’s pretty easy to see how calligraphy and illumination can interpret into embroidery.

Calligraphy borders for embroidery
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Autumn Fire Kits, Books, & the Paradox of Packing

 

Today’s short little message is more of a Public Service Announcement, especially if you’re interested in picking up some of the specialty books that we offer here at Needle ‘n Thread, or if you’ve been waiting on the Autumn Fire kits to restock.

It’s funny how things work out. We’re packing up the studio for an imminent move to a new space. Everything is going in boxes, labeled, ready to move out, so that we can unpack and re-situate our goods in an orderly (!) and sensible (!) fashion.

But at the same time, new stock is coming into the studio almost every day, as we restock the Autumn Fire kits, as we prepare the last Stitch Snippet kit of the year, as we bring in some delectable stitching accessories, and as books from abroad arrive.

And so we find ourselves packing on one side of a room and unpacking on the other side. We are, in fact, unpacking so that we can pack.

Or are we packing so that we can unpack? I’ve lost the string of logic, but I know that the process – whatever it is we are doing – seems to be working for now.

And on that note, here’s a bit about what’s in, for those of you who have been waiting for specific books that we carry or for those awaiting Autumn Fire kits.

Passion for Needlework 4
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A Bit about Linen Weight

 

Happy Monday! Woohoo! The beginning of another week. I hope it’s going to be a great one for all of us!

If you’ve been hanging about with me on Needle ‘n Thread for a wee bit, you probably know that I’m a sucker for linen. It is by far my favorite fabric – not just for embroidery, but pretty much for everything.

Linen, made from flax, has been around since the beginning of written history and earlier. It’s the oldest excavated fabric.

It’s beautiful. It’s versatile. It’s rough. It’s fine. It’s sacred. It’s secular. It’s elegant. It’s casual. It’s long-wearing, warm, cool, heavy, light. It’s the stuff of heirlooms.

Linen, in short, is Awesome!

Linen for hand embroidery
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Autumn Fire 5: Finishing for Framing

 

Today, we finish up Autumn Fire! Yay!

Autumn Fire is the third Stitch Snippet project for 2022. You can find all the instructional articles for Autumn Fire listed here in chronological order, so that you can follow along with them at your own pace.

You’ll find all the Stitch Snippet 2022 projects listed under Tips & Techniques in the main menu here on Needle ‘n Thread.

If you’re a member on Patreon, you received today’s installment last Friday, in the final downloadable PDF for Autumn Fire.

We will have a limited number of Autumn Fire kits available hopefully by mid-week next week, so if you are hankering to stitch this project – or you want to stitch it in the future when time allows – keep an eye out next week for those. I’ll announce it here on the blog when they are ready again.

Now, onto the business of the day! We’re going to prepare Autumn Fire for framing.

Autumn Fire: Preparing for Framing
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Virtual Event: The Tudors – Art & Majesty in Renaissance England

 

This is a slight interruption to our regularly scheduled needlework program, in order to let you know about a virtual event (free) that’s going on this evening and 7:00 pm Eastern Time.

Since no art is ever isolated from its era – or from the other art within the same era – I think The Tudors: Art & Majesty in Renaissance England, a current exhibition at The Met, will be of interest to avid fans of needlework history, especially those who are enthusiastic about the Elizabethan era.

The Met - The Tudors: Art & Majesty in Renaissance England
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Autumn Fire Project Index

 

Today, by way of housekeeping, here’s the index for Autumn Fire, the third project in the Stitch Snippets 2022 series.

This little embroidered fall tree is a small project that provides a quick and satisfying finish.

In this project, we’ve learned how to work with spun stranded silk; how to combine colors for a nice gradual color change; and how to prepare a project for framing.

The entire project is worked in very simple stitches. It is straightforward and suitable for beginners and beyond.

Autumn Fire Project Index
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My Mellor = More Mellor

 

What is this gibberish? you may well ask.

I like the word mellor. Say it over and over again, and it starts to sound a little odd, but it has a nice mouth feel, for a word. Tack a British accent onto it and it sounds quite posh. Say it as an American and it sounds round and full and comfortable.

Mellor.

What is it? It’s a goldwork tool. I’ve talked it about it before on Needle ‘n Thread, but today, I’m writing about it for a different reasons. I’m writing about it today by way of REJOICING!

And I’ll tell you why…

Goldwork Mellor
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Autumn Fire 4: Grass & Blocking

 

Here we are, finishing up the embroidery on Autumn Fire today! One more installment after today, and we’re finished with this little Stitch Snippet! Hurray!

If you are new to this project, you’ll find links to the previous stitch-along installments for Autumn Fire at the end of today’s article.

If you’re a member of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon, the PDF this week – which will post before the end of the day on Friday, if not sooner – will include this installment plus the rest of the project to the end.

Before the project is over, I’ll also make a more permanent index for it under Tips & Techniques in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread, where you’ll find the previous Stitch Snippets projects already available from earlier this year.

For those still wanting kits, yes! We will have more kits. We’re just waiting on one element. Remember, you can stitch the project at your own pace. The instructions will be on the blog for those who need to catch up later.

And now, we move forward to the next part of the project!

Autumn Fire: Grass & Blocking
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Oh Wow! A Passion for Needlework at the Whitehouse Daylesford

 

Several years ago, Inspirations Studios launched a new series of books called A Passion for Needlework. Each volume is a celebration of exquisite needlework projects, displayed in extraordinary, beautiful settings.

The books are not only project and instructional books, but they are wonderful display books that are perfect for a coffee table or side table in your home. They’re a great way to share your passion for needlework with visitors, family, and friends who can enjoy meandering through the books and reveling in the beauty they present.

At the same time, they are very usable project and instruction books. The projects are, of course, inspirational in themselves. Since the first book was published, I’ve always thought that creating each project in each book would be a roadmap for an incredible embroidery journey.

A Passion for Needlework 4 / The Whitehouse Daylesford is the newest book in the series. It is also the largest – an impressive tome of beautiful needlework and sumptuous photography in 240 pages sewn into a hard cover, linen binding, gold foil, a ribbon bookmark, premium print quality, and a pocket for pattern storage.

A Passion for Needlework 4: Whitehouse Daylesford
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Autumn Fire 3: Leaves & Color

 

Woooohooo! Today’s the fun color day with Autumn Fire! We get to do two things that I just love doing, when it comes to embroidery:

1. We’re going to work with silk thread; and

2. We’re going to manipulate color.

If you’re just joining in, Autumn Fire is part of the Stitch Snippets series here on Needle ‘n Thread. This is a series of a stitch-along projects that develop here on the website and are available as PDF downloads for members on Patreon.

Although the first round of materials kits sold out, I’ll have more available in the near future. We’re just waiting on a couple key supplies.

Last week, we talked about design transfer and embroidering the trunk and branches of the tree. This week, we’re adding the fiery foliage.

Autumn Fire 3: Leaves & Color - cover
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Goldwork Progress: Moving on to the Sparkly Parts!

 

Oh golly. It’s Friday! Hurray!

Here in my small hometown in Kansas, it’s the last weekend of the Flint Hills Shakespeare Festival (Othello this year – spoiler: everyone dies). And that means that it’s going to be another busy weekend!

Next week, with that yearly milestone behind us, we will settle down again to some Big Progress here in the studio. We’ll be focusing on two things this coming week: 1. organizing, reducing, and packing supplies up for the eventually-imminent studio move; and 2. Goldwork. Goldwork. and More Goldwork.

We’ve been making some progress on the goldwork altar cover, I’m happy to say. Anna has been plugging away at the couching – which is finally all finished! – and I’ve started the chip work on the tiny tail of one letter.

Goldwork Altar Cover lettering
Continue reading “Goldwork Progress: Moving on to the Sparkly Parts!”

Autumn Fire 2: Transfer & The Trunk

 

Time to launch into the official work on Autumn Fire!

Last week, we covered some preliminaries. Today, we are going to talk about design transfer and how to stitch the trunk and limbs of the tree.

As usual with stitch-alongs on Needle ‘n Thread, I’ll eventually have an index of these articles available so you can easily find them in one place here on the website, under Tips & Techniques in the main menu.

For members on Patreon, you’ll receive the instructions in PDF format, which makes it easier to save and print.

For those looking for the materials kit for Autumn Fire, we will have those in stock for you again. We’re just working on getting supplies in. Thanks for your patience!

Let the fun begin!

Autumn Tree: Transfer & Trunk
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Silk Embroidery Threads: A Recap

 

Good morning, and Happy Monday!

When we started warming up for the Autumn Fire stitch-along (which launched last week with the design and which we start stitching on Wednesday), many questions about silk embroidery threads started rolling in. In most cases, these questions are from our fellow stitchers out there who haven’t had the opportunity to work with silk threads and who feel a little intimidated by the idea.

That’s why today, I want to offer you – especially if you’re new to Needle ‘n Thread – some previous articles on silk threads. If you’ve not embroidered with silk before and it seems like a mysterious and inaccessible thread to you, hopefully this will put your mind at ease and perhaps it may even open up a whole new world of fiber for you!

Silk Threads for Hand Embroidery
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Autumn Fire 1: Preliminaries & Design

 

At long last! Today, we start Autumn Fire, the project I wanted to begin with you at the end of August, and here we are, approaching the end of September.

On the bright side, we’re just getting a taste of autumn here in Kansas. Perhaps my Autumn Mood (which is usually pretty chipper!) will kick in and the project will progress even better because of it. Two days ago, it was still 100 degrees here, after all. It’s hard to be cheerful about autumn when summer won’t release its hot little hands…

So, let’s talk about what to expect, cover some preliminaries, and then I’ll hand off the tree design to you. We’ll also chat a bit about the transfer of the design to your fabric.

Autumn Fire 1: Preliminaries & Design
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Fine Whitework: Techniques, Projects & Pure Inspiration

 

I know what you’re thinking! And I don’t blame you!

After my article on Monday about my book dilemma, here I am, writing another book review.

Oh, ye hypocrite! you may well cry. But this is The Thing: This book is so beautifully thorough that I could pretty much eliminate every other book I own on this type of whitework embroidery, thereby saving quite a bit of shelf space!

Of course, I won’t do that. I have several books on whitework that I very much appreciate and use.

But wow! Jenny Adin-Christie’s new book, Fine Whitework, is a barn burner from cover to cover. I think we are super fortunate to have this book available, written by a master embroiderer who has such a profound artistic sense and such notable teaching skills. It seems to me that only Jenny Adin-Christie could have written this book and pulled off such a masterpiece that makes traditional fine whitework accessible to today’s embroiderer.

That’s just my opinion. But let’s look at the book up close. It’s hard to review, because there’s so much valuable content in it. How do I choose what to highlight?!

Fine Whitework by Jenny Adin-Christie
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The Bookshelf Dilemma: True Confessions

 

There is a slim chance that I have an obsession with needlework books.

I’ve always been a book lover. I like to read. I love holding a real book in my hands and reading it. And when my hands are occupied with work, I like to listen to audio books.

Throughout my reading life, I’ve sunk my teeth into many genres of literature with insatiable enthusiasm until eventually glutted. Then, I moved on to the next genre and became a devotee of it until duly gorged. Right now – and for about the past five years – I’ve been on a non-fiction binge. I’ve found, much to my extreme delight, that non-fiction is possibly the best genre I’ve ever wallowed in, despite my calculated aversion to it when I was younger. You know the kind: well-written, accurate, supported by meticulous research, and related in the best tradition of story-telling? I just can’t get enough non-fiction these days.

Needlework books don’t really fall into any of the categories of regular literature that I’m talking about above. They are the Other Category of book that I tend to over-indulge in. I love needlework books! And I have a great excuse for constantly acquiring them, after all.

This poses a question: can you ever have Too Many needlework books?

Recently, I’ve been evaluating this question. I think the answer could be yes.

Needlework Books on Shelves
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Friday, Fabric, Goldwork, and Cutting Things Up

 

Goodness gracious me oh my. What a week! Thank you all for your very enthusiastic interest in the new goods in the shop that I mentioned on Tuesday, and for your enthusiasm over Autumn Fire, our next Stitch Snippets stitch along that starts next week!

Let’s tie up some loose ends from this week’s launch first, and then we’ll talk about fabric and cutting up goldwork samples and such.

Goldwork Lettering on blue velvet
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Autumn Fire Materials Kits & More!

 

Good morning! It’s an exciting launch day here at Needle ‘n Thread! I love it when we can finally release a kit!

Autumn Fire is the third Stitch Snippet project for this year, and it is truly more snippet-ish than the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion and Cotton Quartet.

Autumn Fire is a small project. The embroidered autumn tree is just over two inches tall, and it fits in a custom-cut arched mat (supplied with the kit) for a 4″ square frame.

Here’s a little more information about the project and the materials kit, which you will find available here.

Autumn Fire Stitch Snippet
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Tool Talk: Sweet Threaders & Swell Scissors

 

Today, let’s chat about embroidery tools!

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been building a small curated collection of retail goods in my online shop. When I add something to this collection, it’s always something I already have that I like for some good reason or another. And I try to offer goods that I believe solve a problem or serve to help embroiderers in some way.

Next week, when I add Autumn Fire to my shop (around 10:00 am central time next Tuesday, September 13), I’m also adding a few extra retail items that I plan to offer regularly. I’m posting it all at once instead of stringing out new additions, so that you have the opportunity to save a little bit on shipping if you want multiple items.

Among these new retail items that I find useful are the tools we’re going to talk about today: some sweet, functional, beautiful little needle threaders (oh, how I have learned to love the needle threader!) and some absolutely swell scissors that I’ve been using for several years now.

Needle Threaders for embroidery
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R is the Biggest Letter in the World

 

The title might not be perfectly accurate.

But when you’re doing goldwork – endlessly couching double strands of passing thread – couching, couching, couching – it sure begins to feel like R is the biggest letter in the world.

Last weekend was a holiday weekend here in the States, and I used a portion of all three days to get the rest of the smooth passing thread couched down on this R. In the three days, I put in about 15 hours on the R, which was already well under way.

I can’t figure out why it took so much time! I think I was in Molasses Mode.

Goldwork embroidery: the letter R
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Jacobean Embroidery: Era & Style, not Technique

 

Something Jacobean-ish must’ve been rumbling about in the embroidery world in the last month or so.

I always surmise there’s a workshop or a new kit out or a new article or tutorial out there on a specific subject, when I suddenly get an influx of multiple requests for more information (or tips, or tutorials, or instructions) on that particular technique or topic.

I’ve had a number of emails lately requesting tutorials for Jacobean embroidery. Here’s one question (used with the author’s permission):

I’m doing Jacobean embroidery and I’m struggling with the instructions. Can you do some tutorials on Jacobean embroidery, or do you know of a book with illustrations or diagrams?

The reason this is a difficult question is that “Jacobean embroidery” is not a technique. We’ve talked about this before on Needle ‘n Thread, but the topic is buried a bit. So I thought I’d dig it up here.

Jacobean Sea: Silk embroidery in Jacobean style
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Good-bye August, Hello September: News!

 

Flabbergasted. Truly flabbergasted! How can it be the last day of August already?

Am I the only who feels this way?

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time of year when summer subsides, school resumes, and the impending Autumn triggers the close of the year, seasonally and calendorically. (I made that last word up myself.)

It’s also the time of year when I look around and realize I’m not where I planned to be.

Autumn Fire Stitch Snippets
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Restoring & Conserving Embroidery & Other Textiles

 

Today’s article is more of a Public Service Announcement than anything else – but it may also provide you with a weekend rabbit hole for further exploration of all kinds of topics.

I can’t tell you how many people have reached out to me over the years to ask how to clean, repair, restore, fix, or conserve a precious piece of embroidery that they’ve usually inherited from someone they love. When time, use, or environment have wrought havoc on an important textile that you want to keep because it has special meaning to you, what do you do?

Earlier this week, an article from Piecework caught my eye. It answers similar questions from the expert’s point of view, with helpful suggestions and resources.

piecework magazine online
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Embroidery Design: Summer Wheels!

 

In the spring of 2021, I dabbled about with a project that I thought I would bring out as a small group of designs with stitching & finishing tips. It was called Summer Wheels.

If you’ve been following along on Needle ‘n Thread since last year, you might remember that I finished the small camper into this tote bag.

I still use the tote bag almost every day. It makes a great project bag! I released the Happy Camper design for members on Patreon, but I never quite got the whole design group together and stitched.

Recently, I’ve had a couple inquiries about the bike.

Yes, there was a bike!

Summer Wheels embroidery design - bike
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More Adventures with Floche

 

This floche Garden-Bright thread pack that we released last month was a pretty big hit! I really thought we would have the threads in stock for a while, but they sold out quickly, and I’ve been compiling an advanced notice list for those interested in the next batch. (If you want to be on that list, please contact me to let me know – I’ll add you!)

We started preparing some new floche packs right away.

It’s a long and grueling process, but I think it’s worth it!

Floche thread preparation
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Japanese Motifs in Stumpwork & Goldwork by Jane Nicholas – a Pre Review!

 

I am So Excited that Jane Nicholas has a new book coming out!

I’m a huge fan of Jane’s beautiful work, and I love all of her books and projects. I have to admit, if Jane had groupies, I’d be one of them. (Come to think of it, maybe she does have groupies…?)

So yes, you can imagine that I was pretty excited to find out that Jane has a new book coming out. I was even more excited when an advanced copy landed in my mailbox!

The new book is Japanese Motifs in Stumpwork & Goldwork, and guess what? In many ways, it’s not like any of her other books.

Let’s look at it together, so you know what to expect when it hits the shelves!

Jane Nicholas: Japanese Motifs in Stumpwork & Goldwork
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Flipping a Monogram

 

Monograms are a fabulous way to embroider something very personal, whether it’s for yourself or as a gift for someone else.

Once upon a time, monograms were used primarily among upper classes to mark their household linens and other goods with a certain level of distinction and as a clear designation of ownership. A monogram (or decorative initials or ciphers – there’s a difference, and you can find an article on this point here) clearly stated, “Not only can I afford this quality fabric (or silver or porcelain or gilding or stonework or jewelry or carriage or what-have-you), but I can afford to have it artistically marked as mine so that no one can confuse it with anyone else’s.”

Hurray for you.

Today, monograms (using it as an umbrella term) are much more widely used and much more accessible, but their purpose is still clearly to mark something in a distinctive way, designating ownership or connection. Your monogram is personal. It represents you, and it says something about you and your relationship to this particular thing – even if it’s just a dish towel.

WG Monogram with Acorns
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The Scissor Fob & the Laws of Gravity

 

Not too far into my stitching life, I was introduced to the scissor fob, an often-decorative Something that is looped or hooked to the handles of a pair of scissors.

I don’t remember how or when or why the introduction was made. But I remember being told that the scissor fob, besides being decorative, has a very useful purpose, and that I should “always keep a fob on my scissors.”

I never used scissor fobs much – and truthfully, I still don’t use them much in action. I have some that adorn some of my favorite scissors so that I can see at a glance where a particular pair is. But once I have a pair of scissors in play on a project, if it has a fob, I usually remove the fob. I find that it gets in my way when I’m intensely working.

Don’t get me wrong! I love the fob’s decorative aspect and I love the fact that a fob can help me hone in on a pair of scissors quickly. But these are not the reasons that I was told “You should always have a fob on your scissors…”

And the reason I was told this, in fact, isn’t even true. So here comes a little debunking.

Scissor fobs and the laws of gravity
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Tool Talk: Simple Scissor Care Tips and the Sheath

 

Embroidery scissors! Nothing beats a Great Pair of Embroidery Scissors!

One thing that I’ve discovered over the years is that a great pair of embroidery scissors does not have to equate with a jaw-droopingly expensive pair of embroidery scissors.

In fact, I have it on very good authority that some of the most expensive embroidery scissors on the market today don’t hold a candle, mechanics & functionality-wise, to some of the comparatively moderate-to-lower-priced scissors that are available.

The measure of how good a pair of scissors is, then, doesn’t necessarily depend on the cost of the scissors.

That said, scissors that have a little more oversight and care in their design, production, and finishing are bound to be better scissors, and they often cost a little more than the blister-packet scissors you might pick up at a big-box store.

I’m going to venture a personal opinion (which isn’t unusually – I do it all the time), and it is this:

If you want a good pair of embroidery scissors, there’s more involved than just buying the scissors. Let me explain…

Embroidery Scissors & the Sheath
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Autumn Fire: A (Very) Close-Up Sneak Peek

 

Well, here’s something fun – a little sneak peek on a wee project coming up. (Not-So-Subtle Hint: the next Stitch Snippet.)

It’s called Autumn Fire, and it’s a small snippet-of-a-project, in which we will learn many good embroidery things.

The launch date for this particular project, which will involve a kit, is yet uncertain, but it should happen before the end of August.

There are Big Things going on here, though – including a whole studio move – but I am hoping to launch the kit before the move happens. I will certainly keep you abreast!

Autumn Fire: Upcoming Stitch Snippet
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The Goldwork Word Game

 

In the wee hours of the morning, when the sun was just coming up and the rooster was starting to crow, I put my down my needle, pulled out my phone, and took the following pictures.

(In other words, the pictures aren’t great!)

And as I looked back over them, I realized that we could play a game – almost as good as Wordle, only backwards.

Here in the studio, we’ve made more progress on the ongoing goldwork lettering that I’ve been writing about lately.

We are, in fact, over half-way way finished! Well, with the first half of the goldwork on more than half of the letters, anyway.

That’s almost like being “practically done” – only not really.

Here are the letters that are halfway (or close to it) finished so far – that is, the smooth passing thread areas have been filled, and we’re ready to move on to chip work.

Goldwork Altar Covers
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Stitch Tip: It’s Ok to Swap Threads Midstream

 

Sometimes – often, in fact – as you embroider, you’ll be faced with the dilemma of swapping out an old thread for a new thread midstream – that is, when you’re in the middle of a line of stitching.

Lately, I’ve received several questions about changing threads in the middle of embroidery – when to switch to a new thread, should I switch to a new thread, how do I switch to a new thread, and so forth. I think the topic was prompted when folks were reading about floche, because it’s a thread that works best with slightly shorter stitching lengths.

Guess what?! This is a subject we’ve covered a few times here on Needle ‘n Thread. So let’s talk about it, and then I’ll show you some examples. I think that, if you see how it’s done on a few stitches, you’ll get the hang of it for any stitch.

Starting New Threads
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Goldwork & Blue & Encouraging You

 

The velvet arrived for the altar cover that we’ve been working on here in the studio. It’s … whoa. So pretty!

I like blue and gold together. I like blue and silver together, too, but I really love blue and gold. There’s something extraordinarily regal about it.

Just so you can get an idea of where we’re going with the goldwork project that I’ve been covering here on the blog, today I’ll show you the velvet and then share some thoughts that were prompted by comments and questions from recent articles on the goldwork project I’m working on.

Incidentally, before we jump into that, I apologize for missing you on Monday. Four things happened: 1. we launched these new products, including colored linen sampler packs, Cohana scissors (which sold out), and some favorite needles; 2. I had a problem with my shipping app (of all days!); 3. I had an external disk drive problem (of all days!); and 4. We got in several shipments of things over the weekend that didn’t fit anywhere and had to be sorted out so we could actually breathe and move. It was a crazy morning! Something had to give, and unfortunately, it was a blog post that was supposed to be edited and published first thing.

But enough of that! Let’s talk about goldwork!

Goldwork Altar Cover project
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Something New, Small, and Blue – and Scissors!

 

I’m working on this little project pictured below, and I’d thought I’d share a wee sneak peek with you.

It’s small. It’s on blue linen.

It’s the linen I want to talk about, because I’ll be launching a colored linen fabric pack next week, and I want you to know a little bit about why I chose this particular linen.

Additionally, there’s some scissor talk at the end of today’s article, for all my fellow scissor-enthusiasts!

small tree on blue linen
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Embroidering with Floche: Some Tips

 

Thanks to all who purchased the Garden-Bright floche thread pack last week!

I was really excited to get those launched, and from the feedback so far, I’m glad to hear you’re as enthusiastic as I am about the threads! We have more floche winging its way to us right now, and we’ll be restocking those packs as soon as possible.

I’ve received a few questions about floche since launching the thread packs, so I’m going to revisit the thread here with a few little tips.

I’ve written so much about this thread already, though, that I’m pretty sure most questions you’d have about it are already available here, in-depth, on the website. Feel free to use the link at the end of this article to explore the thread in more depth.

Stitching with Floche - Tips
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Cotton Quartet 10: Finishing the Edge

 

My friends, it is time to finish Cotton Quartet! Yay!!

It was a long project, but a fun one! I’m not sure it quite fits the notion of a “Snippet,” but I hope you enjoyed it and learned a lot while you worked through it.

If you’re just joining in on this project, you’ll find a project index here that will take you step-by-step through creating Cotton Quartet. Each article contains tips & techniques for completing the project and links to other helpful tutorials.

Members of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon already have all the instructions in four downloadable PDFs. You’ll find all the download posts listed under the tag Cotton Quartet, if you’re logged in as a member.

Installment #10 is pretty brief. We’re going to add the decorative beaded edge around the outside of the finished needlework tool wallet.

Cotton Quartet: finishing the beaded edge
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A Great Way to Try Floche: Garden Bright Color Collection

 

A project that we’ve been working on for a while here in the studio is putting together some glorious thread packs of cotton floche.

Cotton floche is one of my favorite hand embroidery threads, and I want to do my bit to give people the opportunity to stitch with it. To that end, we’ve gathered together a collection of what I call Garden-Bright Colors into a new offering available now in my shop.

If you have always wanted to try floche, or if you are already a tried-and-true lover of floche thread but hesitant to invest in full hanks, these floche packs are a great way to start a collection of the thread for use in multiple projects.

Cotton Floche Thread Packs
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Field Trip: The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

 

A few weeks ago, while visiting friends in Kansas City, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.

Did you know that there’s a national museum of toys and miniatures? And did you know it’s in Kansas City? Even though many people consider Kansas a fly-over state, I just want you to know that we have some Real Happenin’ Things out here!

This museum is one of them. It’s a gem. I could spend hours and hours on the first floor, which houses the Most Spectacular collection of miniatures. These tiny little works of art are enchanting and mesmerizing.

Needlework figures into these miniature worlds in numerous ways, so I thought I’d share some quick snaps with you, to whet your appetite for more and encourage you to visit the museum if you’re ever out this way.

National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
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Cotton Quartet 9: Assembly & the Inside

 

Today, we get one step closer to the end of Cotton Quartet, a stitch-along project here on Needle ‘n Thread that we’ve been working on for a while.

After this installment, we only have one more step to go, and you’ll have a beautiful tool wallet for your favorite scissors and needles!

Before we launch into today’s lesson, a little tip: read through the whole article before you begin this part of the project. This is a long article today, with a lot of photos.

For members on Patreon, you already have this lesson (and all the lessons to finish Cotton Quartet) – they are part of the 4th PDF posted a week ago.

Cotton Quartet tool wallet: Assembly & inside
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Letters on a Large Embroidery Frame

 

Good morning, and welcome back! I hope you had a lovely weekend. We had a grand ole time out here in Kansas with the family. The weekend extended a little longer than originally planned, but all for a good cause! Nothing like a little family togetherness to highlight the summer!

But it’s good to get back into the swing of things here at the studio, where Anna and I are moving forward in small steps on the large goldwork project that we talked about a couple weeks ago.

Goldwork lettering for altar covers
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Cotton Quartet 8: Preparing for Assembly

 

Today, we’re going to tackle the most challenging part of finishing Cotton Quartet: we’re going to measure, cut, trim, and prepare the two parts of the project (the outside sampler cover and the inside gingham lining) for assembly.

Whenever you’re doing finish work on something you’ve put hours and hours of embroidery into, it’s a good idea to operate with this old adage in mind: measure twice, cut once.

My version goes more like measure ten times, cut once. Better to overdo it on the measuring than to make a mistake that you can’t undo.

The other tip to keep in mind: you can always trim more off, but you can’t add more on. So when you cut, it’s ok to give yourself excess fabric. It’s not ok to short yourself.

Final tips before we launch in: read through all the instructions before you start this part, gather all the supplies you will need before you start, and give yourself a good bit of quiet, uninterrupted time to work in.

Cotton Quartet 8: Preparing for Assembly
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Embroidery Tools – Thinking, Thinking, Thinking…

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of some embroidery tools must be in want of more embroidery tools.

I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere.

I’m not wholly convinced it’s true, but I can confirm from personal experience that it’s not unusual to end up with a wide variety of embroidery tools if you’re an avid stitcher.

Scissor Fob
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Revisiting Gingham Embroidery or Chicken Scratch

 

Last week, after posting the most recent tutorial for Cotton Quartet, I received an influx of communication with questions and commentary on the style of embroidery that I worked on the gingham.

It’s a type of embroidery that, here in the States, is usually referred to as “chicken scratch.” It’s also known by various other names – gingham lace, gingham embroidery, hen scratch, broderie Suisse, depression lace…

Many of you recognized it, asked questions about where to find more information, patterns, and so forth, so I thought I’d just touch on the type of embroidery and re-share my resources on it, since we haven’t talked about it on Needle ‘n Thread in about five years!

gingham embroidery / chicken scratch
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My Colorful World

 

Right now, my world is very colorful, and all this color has me really excited!

At long last, I have in my hands (not quite literally) on an array of lovely linen in beautiful colors – high quality linen that performs marvelously for both surface embroidery and counted embroidery. And did I mention, it’s in color?!

As icing on the cake, I’ve just gotten in some silks in Massive hanks. They’re the kind of hanks that plop when you set them down. They’re so heavy and luscious and lovely…

embroidery linens: colored
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Cotton Quartet 7: Gingham Embroidery

 

Now that you’ve finished up the cover for Cotton Quartet, it’s time to embellish the gingham lining and prepare both the cover and the lining for construction.

Today, we’re just going to look at the gingham embroidery inside the tool wallet, and then we’ll talk about prepping the two pieces for construction.

If you’re just joining in on Cotton Quartet, you’ll find all the articles for this project listed here in the project index.

If you are a member of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon, you’ve already received these instructions in the PDF that was posted last week. The next PDF will cover all the construction instructions, but at this point, you have already received all these instructions.

Cotton Quartet: Gingham embroidery & preparation for construction
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Goldwork Threads & Idea Walls

 

When we first started chatting about the altar cover that we’re working on here in the Studio, I mentioned the whole issue of selecting the right materials and so forth for the project.

I think one of the greatest difficulties is making a decision when there are too many choices!

Especially if you need to keep things relatively simple in order to finish a project more efficiently, I think it might be best to have fewer choices.

Goldwork Thread Choices and Idea Walls
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Geeking Out on History: Embroidery & Lace

 

If you’re looking for a relaxing dive into needlework history this weekend, here’s something for you!

Do you ever delve into exploring something, knowing that you’re going a bit too far in – getting kind of geeky about it?

Well, I do that with old embroidery books (as you have probably figured out by now). I doubt I can count the number of downloaded PDFs of historical embroidery books I have on my computer. I try not to download them and just forget them. I usually transfer one at a time to Dropbox, so I can access it from anywhere while on my phone or tablet. This way, when I have the opportunity, I can explore the book in depth.

Lately, I’ve been perusing a book on the history of embroidery and lace.

Embroidery and lace: their manufacture and history
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Cotton Quartet 6: Last Rows on the Sampler Cover

 

Ok! It’s time to finish up the outside sampler cover for Cotton Quartet! We’re going to finish the outside today, and then the next steps will be the inside embroidery, followed by construction and then finishing the outer edge.

So we’re not too far away from the finish. The finishing requires a bit more instruction than the rest of the project, though, so I’ll try to break it down into really manageable, easy-to-follow steps.

If you’re just joining in on this stitch-along project on Needle ‘n Thread, you can find all the previous installments (with instructions, tips, & techniques) available here in the Cotton Quartet project index.

For members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community over on Patreon, I’m going to be combining this lesson with setting up and embroidering the accent on the inside lining of the tool wallet, as well as other pre-finishing tips. I will have that PDF up for you before the weekend.

Cotton Quartet 6: The Final Rows on the Sampler Cover
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Your Weekend Rabbit Hole: Cora Ginsburg Archives

 

Happy Friday! I hope today’s the gateway to a beautiful weekend for you.

I just love weekends. You know – laundry, housework, grocery shopping, menu planning, cooking. All the fun stuff in life that I’d personally rather avoid, if the truth be known. And yet… we must do what we must do. And besides, if we never did the unfun stuff, how could we appreciate the fun stuff?

Still, on the weekend, I always enjoy a good delve into a rabbit hole or two of various interests, one of which usually involves needlework. Today, I’ll share a lovely resource with you, so that you can enjoy a bit of a reprieve from the humdrum parts of the weekend, too.

Cora Ginsburg Catalog Archive
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Cotton Quartet 5: Completing the Right Side

 

Today, we’re going to complete the right side of the sampler for Cotton Quartet, and then hopefully, we’ll move forward a little faster to catch up the left side!

A quick note to members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community over on Patreon: You already have this lesson in PDF format – it’s part of the second PDF that was already posted. I can fit a lot more in a PDF than I can in a blog article, so you’re already ahead on this! We’ll be moving forward again over there soon, too, finishing the left side and doing the embroidery on the inside lining.

Cotton Quartet 5: Finishing the Right Side of the Sampler
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Goldwork Testing, 1-2-3

 

In the studio, we’ve been gearing up for a very big project. It involves design, lots of goldwork embroidery (and other embroidery)… and did I mention it is Big?

We’ll be making altar covers for a new church here in Kansas. The altar covers – also known as vesperale or “vesperal cloth” – are essentially dust covers that go on top of an altar in a church any time the altar is not in use, in order to protect the linens underneath it and to keep them free of dust.

The vesperale is sometimes plain, but it can also be embellished, and, in many churches, it is typical to see lettering of some sort across the front fall (the front of the cloth falling over the edge of the mensa or “table” top of the altar). The typical lettering is usually “Holy, Holy, Holy” or “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” or something similar.

Goldwork on Altar Covers
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Cotton Quartet 4: Bands K, L, & M

 

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Here in the States, it was a three-day weekend in honor of Memorial Day. We had terrific weather through the weekend, until Monday evening, when we had some fantastic storms. It was nice to have a bit of a break, but it was great to get back to work yesterday.

Today, we’re going to look at three more bands on Cotton Quartet – bands K, L, and M. The last one (M) is a bit more time consuming than most of the bands we’ve had so far.

Members on Patreon will find these bands (and more) in the last PDF I posted, so you already have this information. I can fit a lot more in a PDF than I can in a regular blog post, so you’re already a bit farther ahead. I’ll post the next PDF once we’re a little closer to catching up on the blog.

Cotton Quartet: bands K, L, M
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Vintage Transfers for Your Consideration & Some News

 

Recently, I was the happy recipient of a box of antique pattern transfers. The owner didn’t want them to be thrown away, and she thought I might be able to add them to my collection of old patterns and whatnot.

I love going through this kind of stuff! Early this week, we had the opportunity to sort and categorize the patterns, and I took a few photos along the way – mostly of the patterns that amused me!

You know the saying “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should“? I think that can apply to design. Take a look at these old pattern transfers! I have theories about them, and we’ll talk about those down the road when I share some other photos of already-transferred designs with you. But for today, to lead into the three-day weekend, here are some photos for your consideration.

vintage pattern transfers
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From Rose to Rose by Elisabetta Sforza – Book Review

 

Today, I want to introduce you to Elisabetta Sforza’s newest embroidery book, Di Rosa in RoseFrom Rose to Rose, a collaboration between two artists: Patrizia Silingardi who paints with watercolor, and Elisabetta Sforza who paints with thread.

From Rose to Rose features a collection of delicate rose and floral sprays that originated as watercolors and were then ingeniously interpreted into stitches by Elisabetta. The result is embroidery that is exquisite, ephemeral, airy, and just really beautiful.

Elisabetta combines traditional and basic embroidery stitches to create these light sprays of flowers that are slightly dimensional and quite realistic.

Let’s take a look at the book!

From Rose to Rose by Elisabetta Sforza
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Hoops, and Kits, and Books, and a Sale, Oh My!

 

Good morning, and Happy Monday!

I spent most of the weekend working on all kinds of Needle ‘n Thread Things, good and bad. It always fees great to tie up loose ends!

This morning, we’re having a sale on a few things in the shop! I rarely run sales on tangible goods, but it’s time to make a little room.

We’ll also chat about hoops and books coming in and embroidery kits and other bits and sundries.

embroidery books on sale
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Cotton Quartet 3: Stitching Sampler Bands F – J

 

In the previous installment of Cotton Quartet, we covered several sampler bands to the right of the center embroidered band on the sampler cover of the tool wallet.

Now we’re going to shift to the left side of center for a little bit, and I’ll tell you why. We’ll also talk about “filler” bands, spacing, and project orientation while you work.

Cotton Quarter embroidered sampler bands F - J
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Cotton Quartet Project Index

 

Since this is a stitch-along project, you’ll find it helpful to have a project index where all the lessons for Cotton Quartet are listed in one place.

In this project index, you’ll find all the lessons listed in chronological order as we work through the project. I’ll also take you on a small tour of my website, so you know where to find this project index (and lots of other embroidery projects!), if you’re new to Needle ‘n Thread.

Cotton Quartet Project Index
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Reticello Progress, a Tip, a Tool, and Books

 

Buongiorno! Good morning! Or just plain howdy, as we say in Kansas. (Well, some of us do…)

While getting back into the Studio Routine last week after a short break, I revisited my impromptu reticello sampler and discovered that it doesn’t take long to forget certain important steps. It’s weird how a week away from routine can be so disorienting!

Today, I’ll show you some slight progress on my sampler, I’ll share a tip and a tool with you, and then I’ll share some news about some fabulous books that I’ve brought in for you!

reticella sampler
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Cotton Quartet 2: Stitching Lines C, D, and E

 

Welcome to the second installment of Cotton Quartet!

If you’re just joining us, you’ll find the first installment of this stitch-along project here, with background information and instructions on getting started.

Today, we’ll add a few more rows onto our sampler tool wallet, using some pretty simple stitches. (Hey! Never underestimate the power of simple stitches! You can do a lot with them!)

If you are a member on Patreon, you’ve already received these instructions in the PDF download posted week before last, so you’re ahead of the game. You also have the stitch dictionary at the end of the PDF, so that you have access to the stitch instructions in one place.

I’ll also share a couple tips today that may help you avoid some frustrations. These are points that occurred to me while I was writing today’s blog post, and thankfully, I already had some pictures.

While the lesson today is relatively short, two of the stitched bands take a while to stitch, so you’ll have time to get those finished before next week’s installment.

Cotton Quartet sampler tool wallet instructions
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It’s All in the Details: Embroidery Up Close

 

Good morning, my friends! I missed you on my short hiatus!

As things worked out, I didn’t have the wherewithal to get any blogging done right (or well) while I was away, so I resigned myself to catching up with you once I was home again. And I am home again! There’s loads to catch up on – that’s the huge disadvantage of taking a break – but Anna kept things going well, so the load isn’t as much as usual.

While I was gone, I added about eight hours onto my trip to make a wide detour up north to Dayton, Ohio. I knew I probably wouldn’t get away again this summer, so on a whim, I decided to take advantage of my escape and hightail it northwards to Dayton. Given the extra driving, I only had a short time to spend at the University of Dayton’s Marian Library, to see the Anichini exhibit there that features two of the Loreto Embroidery panels on loan from the Royal School of Needlework.

Loreto Embroideries at Anichini Exhibit University of Dayton
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Cotton Quartet 1: Preliminaries & First Stitches

 

Welcome to the first installment of Cotton Quartet: A Sampler Tool Case! I’m excited to get going, and I hope you are, too!

This project is part of the Stitch Snippets Series for 2022 here on Needle ‘n Thread. In this series, we’ll explore several projects from start to finish, so that you can recreate the project at home, at your own pace. We’ve already completed one project – the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion – and we have more coming up!

When possible, Stitch Snippet kits or partial kits will be available to purchase, so that you don’t have to source supplies from all over the place. We’ll do that for you, and put them all together in a tidy package.

Even if you’re not stitching along with this project, you’ll find tips and techniques along the way that you can apply to your own needlework adventures, so please feel free to read along!

Cotton Quartet: Preliminaries & First Stitches, Intro
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A Meditation in Silk & Gold: Online Presentation

 

If you’ve been hanging about here with me at Needle ‘n Thread, you already know that I’m almost giddy with excitement over the fact that two of the panels of the Loreto Embroideries from the Royal School of Needlework are here in the US on exhibit.

They can be found at the Marian Library at the University of Dayton through August 26, as part of their Vision of Art and Faith exhibition, focusing on the works of Italian artist Ezio Annichini.

Loreto Embroideries on exhibit at University of Dayton
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Cotton Quartet – Kit News & Updates

 

Thanks so much for all of you who purchased the materials kit for Cotton Quartet earlier this week!

For those who want the kit, never fear – we are frantically making more!

I’m afraid I upset some of you by selling out of kits again. You’d think, after the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion kits, I would have figured it out.

In fact, we prepared twice as many kits for Cotton Quartet.

And yet it was still another epic fail in gauging the level of interest in the kits and preparing enough in advance! (I’m getting very good at getting it wrong, anyway…)

Cotton Quartet Materials Kit
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Cotton Quartet Materials Kit – Launching Tomorrow!

 

Good morning!

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend and a happy Easter!

Here in Kansas, we celebrated Easter with family and friends, lots of good conversation and fun. Other than that, it was a fairly low key weekend, which worked out well. It’s always nice to have some quiet time!

And I didn’t get any stitching done, except on my hexie quilt, here and there. I had reticella plans, but alas, they did not materialize – too many other little things to do!

Today, I’m very excited to tell you about the materials kit for Cotton Quartet, the new Stitch Snippets project coming up, which will be available very, very soon!

Cotton Quartet: a Sampler Needlebook & Scissor Keep
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The Great Framing Project of 2022

 

Yet another project underway in the Needle ‘n Thread studio this year is one instigated by my rather brilliant sidekick Anna. It’s being completely managed by her as well. It’s one of those projects that has hung over my head for years, that just keeps growing… and growing… and growing.

When I work up embroidered samples of things to demonstrate techniques or to illustrate ideas for the blog, normally, those embroidered pieces end up relegated to a box or a folder. I pull them out when I have classes, or when someone wants to see some work up close.

When it comes to my home, I’m always of a mind that there is such a thing as Too Many Framed Pieces, but at work, it’s a little different. We have a good bit of wall space in the studio, and it’s pretty much blank! Plus, it’s a working studio, not a home.

A Wall (or two) of Inspiration seems to be a good idea.

Framing embroidery pieces
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Cotton Quartet: The Next Stitch Snippet – Coming Soon!

 

Yay!! It’s time to get ready for the next Stitch Snippets project here on Needle ‘n Thread!

Stitch Snippets is a series of follow-along embroidery projects here on Needle ‘n Thread. We began the series this year with the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project.

The idea behind the series is to explore projects that are small enough to be completed within a relatively short frame of time. Developing from start to finish, the result is a completed work that is either functional or decorative (or both!), that’s not languishing in an unfinished state. So whether we construct something (like the pincushion or the project below) or simply prepare a small and beautiful piece of embroidery in a frame, we will do it together, from the beginning to the very end.

With each Stitch Snippet, there is an instructional or exploratory “angle.” For example, with the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, we learned how to work with beads in embroidery and we learned how to build a pincushion.

Cotton Quartet: a Sampler Case
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Weekend Viewing: Bayeux Tapestry History

 

Just a short little visit today to point you in the direction of an interesting conversation on the Bayeux Tapestry, hosted by The British Museum.

I love little bits of exploration on topics that have to do with historical needlework. There’s no doubt that the Bayeux Tapestry is one of the greatest extant pieces of historical needlework, so this discussion is right up my alley. I’ve always had a fascination with the Bayeux Tapestry, and I know many of you do, too.

Bayeux Tapestry Video from the British Museum
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Easter Windows: Reticella, Mistakes, and a Question

 

On Monday, I showed you the little reticello sampler I’m dabbling with. It’s an exploratory thing, just for my own information at this point. Many of you have asked if this will be in the Stitch Snippets series this year. No – no no. Oh no. Nope! That’s not to say it won’t develop into something else, but the Snippets for this year are pretty much planned out already.

This piece is really just for my own information, learning, trials and errors, and so forth.

I have a question I want to ask you about it, though, so I’ll do that at the end of today’s article.

Reticella sampler progress
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Reticello Sampler & Explorations: Watch this Space

 

I’m making up a little reticello sampler.

Reticello is a style of Italian cutwork + needle lace, or cutwork lace. I’ve been exploring it, by following the directions in some new Italian needlework books that I plan to show you soon.

I figure if I really want to test the book’s instructions thoroughly, I need to pick up my needle and do as the book says. So far, so good.

I’m having a wonderful time exploring, and I’m learning a lot. This is a style of needle lace that I have loved for a long time, and although I’ve dabbled in it, I’ve never really explored it thoroughly.

Reticello Sampler & Explorations
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Stitch Challenge: Trilby Stitch

 

Let’s do something a wee bit different today, shall we?

Normally, when we explore stitches together, I launch right in and show you the stitch and how I do it. You can see examples of this approach all the way through the Stitch Fun series that you’ll find here – lots of stitches to explore there!

Today, though, let’s take this in a different direction. I’m going to challenge you to work the stitch from a set of old instructions, and then I’ll show you my explorations with it in the next article, with some reflections and ideas and whatnot.

Stitch Challenge: Trilby Stitch
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Bead Storage & Organization, Revisited

 

Several years ago, we chatted about organizing and storing beads. If you dabble with beads in your embroidery, chances are, you’re going to acquire some containers of beads along the way, and it’s nice to be able to put them in some kind of tidily organized storage solution.

My bead collection has expanded quite a bit since then, and I’m still using the same storage system. But… I’m using it with some reservations now (I’ll explain below).

So, I thought I’d update you on my bead storage and show you one thing I’ve changed (at a reader’s suggestion) that has worked out well.

Beads for Embroidery: Storage and Organization
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Annunciation Cope and More

 

When spring starts to tickle the landscape, my thoughts turn to travel. There’s nothing I like better, when the weather gets warmer and the landscape comes back to life, than to indulge in exploratory day trips (or two-day trips) that have some kind of needlework potential to them.

Whether it’s visiting a distant needlework shop (we don’t really have any close-by fine needlework shops) or a distant museum with some great textiles, either makes a great excuse for day tripping.

If you live in the Midwest, if you’re hankering for a road trip, and if you’re into ecclesiastical embroidery – or fabulous examples of beautiful embroidery – today, I thought I’d highlight two pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery appropriate for the day, that are within road-trip reach of Midwesterners this spring (and beyond).

(For those who don’t know, I live in Kansas. I tend to think “Midwest” frequently, but this isn’t to say that people outside the Midwest can’t visit these destinations as well!)

One exhibition is time sensitive. Even though I’ve mentioned it before, I think it’s worth mentioning again because it’s a grand opportunity to see two magnificent pieces of embroidery here in the States that you’d have to travel overseas to see, otherwise.

The other is a permanent exhibit that you can visit if you’re ever wandering through the wilds of northern Missouri.

Annunciation Cope, Clyde Missouri
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Finishing 2.5: The Top & the Stuffing

 

OK! It’s time to rectify yesterday’s blunder, wherein I published the final article on the pincushion (the Palestrina stitch edge) when I should have been publishing this article on the second-to-the-last step.

On the Bee-Jeweled Project Index page, the articles will be listed in the correct order of work for proceeding normally through the project, so if you have to come back to this later in the year (maybe you aren’t stitching your pincushion just yet), you’ll find all the articles listed in the project index, in the correct order.

So let’s look at how to add the top to the pincushion and stuff it and close it. Please remember to read through all the steps thoroughly. Don’t rely solely on the pictures, since some steps are not pictured but are explained in the text.

Finishing the top and stuffing the pincushion
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Finishing 3: The Palestrina Stitch Edge

 

It’s time to bring the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project to a close!

If you have not had a chance to stitch the pincushion yet but you still want to, you can find all the articles, with design, materials lists, and step-by-step instructions, here in the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Project Index.

I’ll continue to stock the pincushion kits in my shop, so if you decide you want one, I can help you with that! They are out of stock right now, but I’m taking a waiting list via email, so if you drop me a line, I’ll add you to it. It’s an affordable way to gather all the materials you need from one source.

Today, we’re adding the Palestrina stitch edges to the pincushion. We’re going to embroider the bottom edge first and then the top.

Please read through the instructions before you begin!

Palestrina Stitch edge for Pincushion
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Finishing 2: Side to Base Construction

 

Today, we’re going to continue with the finishing instructions for the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project, and we’ll just jump right into it!

If you want the backstory, or the previous step in finishing and constructing the pincushion, check out this article, where we started the finishing process by preparing the embroidered fabric, cutting it, and preparing the base of the pincushion.

Today, we’re going to prepare the side strip and sew it to the base.

It is important to read all the way through the instructions, making sure you understand the sequence of steps, before you start. Please read and don’t rely solely on the photos. Some steps are not shown in the photos because they are easily explained (and there’s simply not space for every move), so you have to read the instructions to follow all the steps.

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Project: Finishing part 2 - construction of sides and base
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Finishing, Part 1

 

This morning, we’re going to head into the final stretch on creating your own Bee-Jeweled Pincushion – the finish work! This is where we construct the pincushion into something beautiful and serviceable.

Now, this is The Thing about finishing: it is a multi-step process. To make it as clear as I can, I’m including a lot of photos in the process. In order to accommodate the whole process here on the blog, it will be broken into multiple parts, which I’ll publish over the next several articles.

If this is the first time you’ve built a pincushion or something similar and you are hesitant or a little worried about the finishing process, I recommend waiting until all the articles on finishing the pincushion are published before you start finishing your project into a pincushion. There are some steps below that you can do ahead of time, though, to prepare your work.

If you’ve finished embroidery projects into things like pincushions before and you’re confident about what you’re doing, then you can probably guess where I’m going with each step of the process and you can most likely move ahead and finish your pincushion with techniques that you’re already familiar with.

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Finishing part 1
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Monday Musings, News, and Interrupted Programming

 

Yeeeeegads. I’m a morning person. And I don’t mind getting up at what is naturally 4:30AM for me.

But 3:30AM is pushing it! The spring time change is not my favorite, no siree bob!

But I promise I’ll try not to be a grump!

Speaking of being a grump, I have some not-so-great news (well, in the scheme of Major Things in Life, is it bad news? not really!) and some great news for you.

Come along. Let’s have a calm, quiet, sensible chat to ease us into the day as we await the sunrise (which is a riffemrackemfrickemfrackem hour later than it should be. Uhhh…that’s my grumpy side coming out.)

Cotton stitch samples
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Pet Portrait Embroidery – a Fabulous Book!

 

When it comes to embroidery books, there’s nothing better than a systematic, logically-presented instructional book on a niche subject.

If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of a particular type or style of embroidery, or a particular subject for embroidery, you’re really lucky when you can find a book on specifically what you want to stitch.

Pet Portrait Embroidery by Michelle Staub is just such a book. It’s a niche subject matter – not embroidery in general, but specifically the embroidery of dogs and cats. It is a meticulous instructional book laid out in a logical and systematic way. It’s a fabulous book for those who have ever wanted to capture their pets in needle and thread – or anyone who wants to learn to stitch realistic animals.

I thought I’d show to book to you up close. It’s hard not to love it, if you love animals!

Pet Portrait Embroidery by Michelle Staub
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The Forest & the Trees: Lessons from Whitework

 

Recently, I had a conversation about embroidery with a friend who was obsessing about stitch length and stitch spacing.

She found herself using a ruler to measure the exact length of her stitches, marking 1/8″ on her fabric along her design line so that she achieved Mega-Precise stitch length and spacing.

She was frustrated on two accounts: it was taking her a long to stitch and she felt like she wasn’t getting the hang of stitch length and spacing like she thought she would if she meticulously marked out her stitch lengths.

So we had a long discussion about things we sometimes obsess about – in needlework and other things – and why it’s important to step back.

The whitework altar cloth that I’ve been showing you lately is a really good example of what we were talking about. It illustrates well why it’s important to step back from your embroidery now and then.

Cutwork embroidery on linen: altar cloth
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Adding the Beads!

 

It’s time to bling up the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion with a sumptuous line of beaded flowers along the pincushion’s sides!

This is, to me, the really fun part of this project, but it takes a little time. There’s also a method and order to it that you want to follow, especially if you are relying on the materials kit for the pincushion.

If you’re just joining in here on Needle ‘n Thread, the project that we’re working on is called the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion. You can find all the previous articles on this project listed in this Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Index, so that you can stitch your own pincushion, too. The pincushion is the first in the Stitch Snippets, 2022 series of step-by-step embroidery projects that you’ll find developing here on Needle ‘n Thread throughout this year.

If you happen to be a member over on my Patreon page, you’ve already seen this lesson on adding the beads. I’ll be uploading the finish work lesson over there early this week.

So let’s look at how to bead this little thing up!

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Bead Embroidered Flowers
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Oh, the Guilty Pleasure of Stitching What You Want

 

You might find it hard to believe that there are times when I feel guilty about embroidering. Weird, huh? Especially considering I do it for a living!

There is a certain guilty pleasure in stitching what you want to stitch, when you know you should be stitching what you need to stitch, when you stitch for a living.

Do you remember, growing up, your parents explaining to you the difference between a want and a need? I’ve always tried to keep the difference in mind when I prioritize things.

But sometimes… sometimes… you just have to capitulate to the guilty pleasure of want as opposed to need. And this week, even though I needed to get some other stitching accomplished, I really wanted to get this thing started.

And so I did!

White & Peri Project
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The Well-Laced Slate Frame Wins

 

After we chatted last week about slate frames, tensioners, and the like, I thought I’d revisit the topic today after making adjustments and playing around further with slate frames all week.

Just like Bach and his well-tempered claviers (which I happen to be listening to as we speak), I say you can’t go wrong with a well-laced slate frame.

And that point is pretty much the upshot of this week’s toying about. But! There’s more to it than just that.

For those of you exploring framing options, slate frames and their tension is a topic worth pursuing a little more, think. There were some questions that rolled in last week – and some ongoing discussion back and forth with some readers on the topic of frame tension – so I thought I’d bring up the questions and some of the points that were discussed.

lacing a slate frame for embroidery
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Supply Information

 

At long last, I’ve lassoed the supply list for the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project and, after a bit of a struggle, fought it to the ground.

Below, you’ll find the supplies I used on the sample version of the pincushion and on the various in-progress sections that you’ve seen along the way. I’ll include substitutions that I had to track down for some parts, and a few suggestions for other possibilities.

I do have more supply kits coming out, and I’ll try to keep at least some stocked on the website after the initial demand is met. At this point, much depends on supply availability.

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Supply Information
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Slate Frame, Tension, and Tidbits

 

Today, we’re not really chatting about embroidery on the cutwork project we’ve been discussing lately. Instead, we’re going to go on a little detour.

I often find myself meandering into diverging paths, away from embroidery, when I’m trying to figure out solutions for tools, work station set-up, and the like for larger projects.

Oh, who am I kidding? Not just for larger projects – for any projects! I like the tool side of embroidery, I admit it. And given the opportunity, I will explore toolish ideas like a dedicated hound dog, if my interest is piqued and I think there’s value to the tool or it offers a unique or efficient solution.

I’m not into tools that are beautiful but completely impractical. I like tools that do their job well, and if they can be beautiful to boot, well, that’s just icing on the cake! When it comes to tools, I love nothing better than those that are both practical and beautiful.

Slate Frame tensioners and work area
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Little Floss Flowers

 

Today’s lesson for the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion is rather short and sweet!

The longest stretch of stitching on this project is in the next lesson, where we tackle the bead embroidery. Oooooh, fun! I love sewing on beads!

But in the meantime, you’ll want to get all the floss embroidery finished. I always try to leave bead embellishment on any particular area on a project for the last, because it’s sometimes a pain in the neck to embroider with floss around beads. The floss can catch on the beads, and I always figure why put up with those little frustrations that slow you down while you’re stitching?

So today, I’ll tell you how to stitch these very very very simple little floss flowers across your flower line.

Floss Flowers on Bee-Jeweled Pincushion
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Stitchy Bits and Kits and Books, Oh My!

 

Lots of little loose ends to tie up today here in the studio and on the website. Bear with me! It’s been a crazy, wild ride this week and last on this end of the stick. Golly!

But first, today, I want to show you, calmly, some bits of stitching that will most likely finish up my coverage for quite a while of the whitework linens we’ve been talking about. (Well, I don’t say that with certitude, but maybe more with hope. Remember, they’re not my project!)

Whitework, cutwork on linen for altar cloths
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Project Index

 

This is the official Project Index for the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Project that developed step-by-step here on Needle ‘n Thread in the first part of 2022.

In this project, you’ll learn how to set up the embroidery project, how to stitch it (including some bead embroidery), the preliminary work of finishing an embroidery project into a useful item, how to construct a pincushion, and how to add a decorative edge on a finished pincushion.

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Project Index
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Stitch Your Greens!

 

Moving right along with the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion embroidery project, today we’re going to stitch the greens.

If you are awaiting a kit, gathering your own supplies, or you just haven’t had a chance to start your pincushion yet, don’t worry! You can work this at your own pace. Next week, I’ll be adding a Project Index for the pincushion so that you can easily find all the installments on the website when you’re ready to start stitching.

Last week, we embroidered the top of the pincushion – the hexagon filling in white using stem stitch. We’re going to continue with stem stitch today as we work the greenery on the strip that makes up the sides of the pincushion.

In the order of work, you definitely want to stitch all your greens first, because the floral bits made up of embroidery and beads will sit on top of the stems and leaves.

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion - stitching the greens
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Big Projects: Embroidery Design Transfer Methods

 

I introduced you a few weeks ago to the set-up work I’m doing on some Really Big embroidery projects (that I’m not embroidering).

Yep. It’s true. I get to do the fun part! You know, figuring out how to set up these relatively huge projects so that the transferring of the designs can be done in a reasonable amount of time, in a way that will produce a precise, clean transfer.

And then doing the transferring. And then framing up the projects so that they’re ready to stitch. And then perhaps a little coaching on how to stitch them. Maybe some troubleshooting on the difficult areas.

That’s my part of these projects. And it really is the relatively short part of the process. Those who are doing the actual embroidery will be living with these projects for at least a year.

Testing embroidery design transfer methods for big embroidery projects
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Just in Time! Where Meadows & Gardens Grow

 

You may have noticed that in the last couple years, I’ve been stocking embroidery books from publishers outside the US, that aren’t available through the typical book markets, and that have something decidedly special and wonderful about them.

In this first half of 2022, I’m adding one more book to the collection. I’m completed Stoked, as they say, to offer you Where Meadows and Gardens Grow, published by Inspirations Studios and featuring the embroidery of UK embroidery artist Jo Butcher.

For those of us in the doldrums of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, the timing could not be better!

Today, I thought I’d highlight some of the projects in the book and tell you why I love Jo’s work, what I think is unique about it, and give you a little taste of what you can expect from the book, which is available here right now for pre-order. (You can read more about the pre-order at the end of the article.)

Where Meadows and Gardens Grow: The Embroidery of Jo Butcher
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Materials Information & Stitching the Top

 

Howdy, and welcome to the next installment of the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project, which is part of the Stitch Snippets series here on Needle ‘n Thread!

The idea behind this series is to take you step-by-step through small embroidery projects, and we’ve kicked of 2022 with a beautiful little pincushion. We’re going to embroider it and we’re going to assemble the parts into a pincushion that’s not only useful, but also mildly attractive.

It’s a fun project, and I hope you get a chance to try it out!

Last week, we chatted about fabric for the pincushion, and I showed you how I set mine up for stitching.

Before we launch into today’s short lesson, in which we embroider the top of the pincushion, I need to update you on materials and other news relating to the project. Please read carefully, so that you know what to expect in the coming weeks with this project. There have been some hiccups (which I will explain), so things are not unfolding as I would want them to. I expect them to straighten out within the week.

So let’s get started!

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Tutorial: stitching the top of the pincushion
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Goldwork & Silk Shading Inspired by Nature

 

This book review for Hazel Everett’s Goldwork & Silk Shading Inspired by Nature published at the end of last year is long overdue!

And since I’ve had a little timing and scheduling glitch going on with the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project (more on that, on Friday!), today is a perfect day to fit it in.

If you’ve not seen this book yet, now’s a great time to take a look at it and see if it’s right for you. It’s a combination technique-and-project book that covers a wide range of goldwork, shading, and some other embroidery techniques, and condenses them into an equally wide range of projects, from simple to complex. I think it’s a good book for beginners and beyond, and you’ll certainly find some excellent gems of instruction and inspiration within!

Goldwork & Silk Shading Inspired by Nature, by Hazel Everett
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My Case for Trailing – Exploring Whitework Options

 

Last week, I introduced you to some prep work I’m doing for some major embroidery projects.

As is always the case when preparing any embroidery project, the methods and techniques occupy my mind considerably long before the stitching begins.

With these particular cloths – 21 feet of 17″ wide linen – the first option for the cutwork was, of course, Richelieu. The design was made for Richelieu embroidery, and it seems that this would be the direction to go with the embroidery.

But my mind went in a different direction, especially after I started test stitching.

Cutwork altar cloths with trailing
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Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Fabric & Set-Up

 

For those of you following along with the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project, today we’re going to chat about fabric and set up. It’s a long, detailed article, so grab a cup of something before you delve in!

Normally, I figure if you’re taking on a project like this, you have some notion of basic embroidery and how to set up a project. Still, I don’t like to assume, and so, as a preliminary, I’m going to go over my method of setting up this project to get it ready for stitching.

We’ll also chat about using a hoop or a frame while embroidering the pincushion, I’ll give you some tips, and I’ll show you my preferred set up for this type of project. I’ll also mention alternatives.

If you’re not following with the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, never fear! The tips below can be applied to practically any similar embroidery project.

Ready?

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Project Set Up
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A Huge Embroidery Project: Linen Preparation

 

Today, I’m going to chat with you about a Massive Embroidery Project that I’m not actually doing.

Well, I’m doing part of it. The least-fun part! I’m doing all the set-up and helping with some pointers to get it going.

I don’t consider it “my” project, since I’m not actually doing the embroidery. *Sigh*

It’s actually a good thing, because this project is Huge.

Cutwork Altar Cloth
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Stitch Snippets: Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Introduction

 

Today – woohoo! – I’m introducing the first of the 2022 Stitch Snippets, a series wherein we explore together some embroidery projects from start to finish.

The projects in the Stitch Snippets series will be of varying degrees of smallness. Some will be finished items. Some will be decorative springboards for your own ideas.

To kick the series off with a big ole bang, we’re starting with a project that I’ve named Bee-Jeweled Pincushion – a hexagon shaped embroidered pincushion embellished with beads and a little bee charm.

I’m so excited about this project! It’s a lot of fun to work, without taking too long to get to a very satisfactory and usable finish.

Let’s chat about what you can expect from the series, including when (date & time) the kits for this project will be available and what they entail.

Stitch Snippets: Bee-jeweled Pincushion Introduction
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Morphing Embroidery Stitches – Some Explorations

 

When it comes to embroidery stitches, there’s not a whole lot that’s new under the sun. Pretty much all embroidery stitches build off what’s come before. Embroidery has been around for a long, long time, after all, so there’s a lot that has come before.

Still, occasionally, I like to explore ideas for embroidery stitches that don’t necessarily exist in the wide, well-known deposit of embroidery stitch collections.

For example, I was contemplating edging stitches for finished items. It started with this pin cushion, which I edged in one of my favorite stitches – one that I’ve used numerous times to edge finished items.

I got to thinking that maybe I’d play around with some ideas for other methods of edging. And while there are loads of stitches out there that can be used for edging an item, I started putting together in my mind possibilities for variations and approaches that I’ve not tried.

Experimenting with embroidery stitches
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That Happy Factor: Decorative Sewing Pins

 

When I was working to bring this pincushion project about (which we’re going to launch in about one week!), I started looking for decorative sewing pins.

You see, once in a while, I realize I need to put at least some effort into visual marketing. I don’t do this too often, admittedly. I wish I could. I wish I had The Flair. The Knack. The “perfect touch” sort of gift, to be able to bring about Instagram- and Pinterest-worthy photos that, by virtue of their meticulously styled visual perfection, they can entice people in, hooking them on a website or into … yes… (because for most of them, it’s all about marketing) … a sale.

But I don’t really operate that way. It’s never the foremost thing in my mind. Should it be? I don’t know. Some people say yes. Some people say no. But I really don’t know! These are things I think about.

Still, when this pincushion project began to materialize, I decided to go on a search for decorative pins, because I have long wanted decorative pins for pin-related photos.

Decorative Sewing Pins: Stitch Snippet Pincushion
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Stitch Snippet Sneak Peek

 

Last year, when contemplating the Stitch Snippets series for 2022, I wasn’t really sure what direction to go in with the series.

I had a notion of what I wanted to present, but it wasn’t until a little later in the year – around September, as we finished up this dragonfly project – that my ideas began to solidify.

Today, I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek of the first Stitch Snippet for this year, tell you some of its story, and let you know what you can expect with this particular project which will shortly begin to develop here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Stitch Snippet: Pincushion Sneak Peek
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Winter Needlework Project: Evenings with Hexies

 

This winter, I decided that my evening needlework project (as well as my grab-and-go, no matter where I go project) Must Be my hexie quilt that I’ve been working on for … oh… almost two years now. Otherwise, the thing will never be finished.

So, in the winter evenings, when it’s dark and cold out and it’s time to hunker down for the day and warm up a bit before heading to bed, I’ve been engrossed with those little tiny hexagons. Even though it’s not embroidery, it is needlework – I’m making a full-size hand-pieced quilt using English paper piecing – so I don’t mind sharing progress occasionally here on Needle ‘n Thread.

For those who are new to Needle ‘n Thread, I’ll share a little bit of the backstory and refer you to previous articles. Today, I’ll show you progress, discuss a few pitfalls, and mention three things that have improved my hand-piecing experience tremendously. I’ll also mention a couple tips on thimbles.

Hexie Quilt
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The Design Collective: Pincushion – Book Review

 

Ahhhh, finally, at long last! I can share with you, up close, the first book in the new Design Collective series from Inspirations Studios, on Pincushions!

I mentioned before that I’m excited about this Design Collective series, for two reasons. The first is that the first book is on pincushions (which are manageable, small, makeable projects); and the second is that it’s a series. And a series is always a good sign in the needlework industry. It means more good stuff to come, and a confidence in the strength of in the industry and in the growing interest in the needle arts.

This first book is a doozy, on a number of levels. Let’s take a look at it!

Design Collective: Pincushions - Book Review
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Cutwork Embroidery – Richelieu Kits

 

A long, long time ago, I wrote about the Richelieu embroidery design booklets produced by Joanna Jakuszewska in Poland.

When it comes to new designs for Richelieu, Joanna is an excellent source. While cutwork is a gorgeous, and relatively simple-in-concept, whitework technique, it is not necessarily as easily accessible, design-wise, as other techniques. Because it’s a small niche under the greater whitework umbrella, it can sometimes be hard to find contemporary designs.

Today, I’ll introduce you to Joanna’s latest venture, since she is no longer publishing the Haft booklets, and talk a little bit about why I’m revisiting cutwork right now.

Richelieu embroidery cutwork designs and kits
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Happy New Year with the Dawn of 2022

 

We have arrived at 2022! Hip, hip hooray!

At the end of last week, as I prepared for this week, I was musing about what image I’d use to kick off the year here on Needle ‘n Thread. I thought a stellar composite of past and future embroidery projects would be Just The Thing.

But it just never came together.

I wasn’t feelin’ it.

Then, this morning, as I was contemplating the day in my head, I thought of my view. I thought of it literally and figuratively. So here’s a typical morning view of mine – my favorite morning view – that heralds the day here in Kansas.

Happy New Year, 2022!
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Stitcher’s Christmas 9: More Books for Your Creative Library!

 

Welcome to the last installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas for 2021!

The Last, you say? Weren’t there supposed to be ten?

Welllll… some unfortunate news: there were supposed to be ten, but the final give-away collection, titled “My Favorite Things,” didn’t come together as planned due to some shipping problems. I’ve waited as long as I could to announce this, thinking that by some miracle, a special package would arrive here by now. Alas, it didn’t.

No worries – I’ll try to revamp and run a special give-away in the New Year at some point. Maybe a “Beat the Winter Blues” give-away or something!

Don’t be sad! Today we’ve got another Big, Beautiful give-away from Search Press North America. And that’s worth celebrating!

I’ll also announce the recipient of the floche pack from Friday. Then, I’ll finish up with a bit of news, so you know what you can expect on Needle ‘n Thread for the next couple weeks.

Read on, read on…

Stitcher's Christmas: Creative Books
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Stitcher’s Christmas 8: Key to My Heart Floche Pack

 

Happy Friday, my friends, and welcome to the 8th installment of this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas!

Today, it’s all about thread again, because … well, who doesn’t like thread?

In particular, it’s a thread pack full of vibrant colors of floche, for a project that I’ll be releasing in the first part of 2022 (finally!). The project is called Key to My Heart, which I showed you here. And here. And even a little bit here.

You can, of course, use the floche for any project you want. The colors are particularly bright and happy, and they’ll be a perfect antidote for the winter doldrums after Christmas (if you’re in a wintery climate).

Stitcher's Christmas: Floche thread pack
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Stitcher’s Christmas 7: Expand your Needlework Library!

 

Oh, golly.

I am a book lover. And when it comes to needlework books, I might be somewhat of an addict. I learn so much, and I take so much enjoyment, from well-written and well-presented books. I doubt I’m the only one of us who does… right?

This is what I’m always so delighted when Search Press North America joins in on A Stitcher’s Christmas. They offer wonderful books… fun books! Fabulous books! And always generous collections of them.

Today, we’ll look at the first of two installments from Search Press North America, in which you have the opportunity to expand your library with one of two lovely collections of needlework books.

But first, business – I’ll announce the winners of Monday’s Snowflakes!

Needlework Books from Search Press North America
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Stitcher’s Christmas 6: Snowflakes!

 

Welcome to the sixth installment of this year’s A Stitcher’s Christmas! This morning, we’re going to go a bit light – as light as snow, actually.

Before we dive into today’s gifts, which are coming from me here at Needle ‘n Thread, I’ll announce the winners of Friday’s gorgeous kits from Inspirations Studios.

Come along, and let’s get things rolling…

Stitcher's Christmas - Snowflake Ornaments
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Stitcher’s Christmas 5: Inspirations Handpicked Embroidery Kits!

 

We’re at the halfway point of this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas series, and today’s gifts are exquisite and timely!

From Inspirations Studios comes three delightful embroidery kits from their new handpicked line, which I’ll tell you all about below.

First, though, I’ll announce the winner of Wednesday’s stocking kit and ornament, so read on!

Stitcher's Christmas 5: Embroidery Kits from Inspirations Studios
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Stitcher’s Christmas 4: A Stocking Kit & Ornament

 

We’re moving along pretty quickly here – one more give-away, and we’re half-way through this year’s series.

As Kermit the Frog would say, time’s fun when you’re having flies!

Today’s Stitcher’s Christmas features miniature stocking ornaments – finished and unfinished. I’ll explain below, but first, I’ll announce the lucky duck who gets to select a five-skein collection from Colour Complements!

Stocking embroidery kit & stocking ornament
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Stitcher’s Christmas 3: Pick Your Own Thread!

 

I don’t know about you, but I love embroidery thread! If you love it, too, then today’s episode of A Stitcher’s Christmas should be right up your alley!

Lorraine from Colour Complements – a small business specializing in hand-dyed fibers – is offering a you-pick selection of five skeins of her thread for today’s give-away.

Oh, yummmmmmm!

First, I’ll announce the names of last Friday’s give-away, and then we’ll look at today’s lovely gift.

Stitcher's
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2021 Stitcher’s Christmas #1: Ribbon Embroidery Treats

 

As we near the end of 2021 and approach Christmas, it’s time for my yearly Stitcher’s Christmas series here on Needle ‘n Thread!

This is a series of give-aways leading up to Christmas, where other small needlework-related businesses join me in some Christmas Cheer by offering some stellar give-away prizes for the community here on Needle ‘n Thread. It’s a way of giving back to all the folks who support small needlework businesses throughout the year.

We’re going to kick off this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas with some gorgeous ribbon embroidery treats all the way from South Africa!

Read on for information about today’s give-away and for the guidelines for entering all the Stitcher’s Christmas give-aways this year. (The guidelines are important – please read them!)

Stitcher's Christmas 1: Ribbon Embroidery Treats
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First Ever Needle ‘n Thread Sale – on Everything

 

Good morning, and Happy Day After! For those who celebrated yesterday, I hope you had a jolly Thanksgiving! We did, and the turkey was dispatched in excellent form.

I will jump right into the Needful Message this morning – there’s a Big Ole Sale on Needle ‘n Thread this weekend! The First Ever Full Shop Sale on Everything!

Read on to hear all about it…

2021 Thanksgiving Weekend Sale on Needle 'n Thread
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Happy Thanksgiving – and a Puzzle!

 

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

I hope that this Thanksgiving Day, even if you don’t celebrate it the way we do here in the States, is a beautiful and happy day for you and yours, and that you have many reasons to be thankful in your life, too.

Needle ‘n Thread – and the community we have all built around it – is one of the greatest blessings of my life. I am grateful to each one of you for keeping me motivated, inspired, and always learning! Thank you so much for being a very special part of my life!

Happy Thanksgiving, 2021!
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The Final Dragonfly: Simple Background, New Colors

 

It’s hard to believe it is the week of Thanksgiving here in the States! It always ends up being a hectic week on the family front and here in the Studio for some strange reason. The only way the whole lively pre-holiday vibe could increase at this point would be if we got snow. Wouldn’t that be something?

But we’re going to put snow and holiday thoughts aside a little longer, and finish up the second dragonfly that we started last week. This is the final tutorial in the How to Embroider (Blank) series for 2021. But never fear! There’s more coming! Next year, we’ll have a similar series, with a better name and some really fun projects.

Let’s dive into the final dragonfly episode, shall we?

Embroidered Dragonflies: Stitching Tips
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Embroidered Dragonfly #2: Design & Materials

 

Good morning and Happy Friday! Yay! It’s the workend!

I have lots of dabbling to finish up this weekend so that we can explore some other stitching ideas in the near future. So I’m not thinking in terms of weekend these days. Fortunately, I love my work!

But in the meantime, I thought it might be a good idea to continue with the final part of our Embroidered Dragonflies series, by presenting the design and materials list for the second dragonfly.

Embroidered Dragonfly #2 - the dragonfly in a setting
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The Organization of Stuff: Thread, Beads, Needles, & Tools

 

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about organization of specific needlework-related stuff, and recently, I’ve had lots of questions come in about the topic.

There’s always the thread question: How do you store your threads?

And recently, with the article this past Monday, lots of inquiries on the bead storage containers in the photos.

But I’ve also had a couple questions about storing needles and about scissor storage and organization.

As it happens, I’ve written about all these subjects before. But for those who are new to Needle ‘n Thread, or those who’ve been around for a while and would like a reminder, I thought today I’d answer some of these questions on The Organization of Stuff.

Needlework Organization: Boxes & Tins
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The Weekend Dabble: Experimenting with Threads, Beads, Fabric

 

Say you have a project in your head, and you know exactly what you want it to look like, and you know exactly what kind of threads and embellishments you want to incorporate on it, but you’re not exactly sure if it will all work the way you want it to.

Thread weight, bead size, embellishment size, stitch choice, colors, densities – all these things have to be taken into account when you’re planning a project, especially if you’re planning it to fit within certain parameters.

Exploring thread weights and bead sizes for a small project
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Embroidering Dragonflies pt 4: Tail & Eyes

 

Good morning and welcome to the last installment of Dragonfly #1 in this series of tutorials on how to embroider a dragonfly!

If you’re just joining us, you will find all the articles relating to this tutorial – plus several other tutorials, including how to embroider wheat, strawberries, daisies, and grapes – in this project index. Lots and tips and techniques in there, so why not have a browse?

We’ve already embroidered the thorax and the wings on our dragonfly. Today, we’re going to embroider everything else: tail, eyes, and little bits to enliven the bug.

As usual, Needle ‘n Thread members on Patreon will receive the latest tutorials of the series in a handy-dandy PDF format for easy printing. I’m rolling the last tutorials into one download, and it will be available soon.

Embroidered dragonfly - tail, eyes, and bits
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Maple Leaf – Free Hand Embroidery Design

 

Sometimes, you need to embroider just a touch of the season. Instead of a full-fledged, all-out, massive seasonal embroidery project, a simple nod to the season may do.

And what better nod to fall than the maple leaf? It’s the quintessential emblem of autumn color.

Granted, it’s not the only fall foliage that enflames the landscape (I’m rather partial to the sumac that lines the backroads of Kansas like a blazing fire this time of year), but the maple leaf is certainly the grand contender when it comes to flashy autumn color changes.

So, for your stitching pleasure, here’s a single maple leaf design for hand embroidery – simple, quick, and seasonal.

Maple leaf embroidery design
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Diversions from Needlework: Different Needlework!

 

Did you miss me yesterday?

I meant to be here, but I got held up by a wee problem: to wit, I was stuck on the phone with my insurance company after someone attempted to break into my car, ruining the window in the process. These little things! (I live in a comparatively tiny rural town, so a rare and odd occurrence.)

Then, I spent a much more pleasant rest-of-the-morning recording a chatty podcast with Gary at FiberTalk, which will be up sometime soon.

So, not an all-unpleasant morning, the first part being one of those little life glitches that, in the scheme of things, is not that big of a deal – after all, it could have been worse – and the second, being a pleasant distraction and escape from normal routine. (An excuse not to work? Hmmmm…)

Clothesline Rug
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Embroidering Dragonflies: Winging It!

 

I’ve been waiting to write this post, just so I could title it winging it.

Today, we’re going to look at an easy way to embroider the wings on a dragonfly, and we’re going to go about it with a very loose approach. You’ll see what I mean!

The last time we looked at the dragonfly, we stitched the little body or thorax of the bug. Today, wings…

Embroidering the wings of dragonflies
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Weekend Reading: Samplers & Tapestry Embroideries

 

Happy Friday – and happy weekend!

Gosh, we’ve been pummeled out here in the Midwest with bleak and rimey weather – maybe not quite frost (that comes tonight), but with wind and rain and chill. It’s been positively lovely! It’s always lovely when you don’t have to go out in it, right?

Just in case you’re stuck indoors this weekend, or even if you’re not, here’s a fabulous book on the history of samplers and tapestry embroideries that you might enjoy perusing. It’s truly a rabbit hole, if you have any interest at all in historical needlework, in sampler stitching, in embroidered tapestries, and the like. I enjoy it for its historical perspectives and its delving into the make-up of samplers.

Samplers and Tapestry Embroideries
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Embroidering Dragonflies, pt 2: Wee Bodies

 

I almost titled this morning’s article Vile Bodies, as a nod to Evelyn Waugh (an author I like), who was born 118 years ago tomorrow.

However, Vile didn’t really work. Wee definitely works better, because the dragonfly body (or thorax) that we’re going to embroider today is pretty darned small, in the scheme of things!

Today, we’re moving on with installment 2 of embroidering dragonflies, and we’re going to stitch the thorax.

If you’re just joining in on this tutorial series, we started with the introduction a couple weeks ago, and the first installment last week, where I talked the supplies I used and made the design available.

All episodes of this series are available under the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread, under Tips and Techniques, in the How to Embroider (Blank) Index. In that index, you’ll find all the tutorials that we’ve covered this year in the series.

So – the dragonfly body! C’mon, let’s do it!

how to embroider dragonfly body
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On Pincushions & Ports

 

I really wasn’t going to write about this until I had Needful Things in hand, but many of you have asked, so I thought I would put a little placeholder in your head for this!

This year, Inspirations Studios initiated a new series of needlework books, beginning with volume 1 in The Design Collective, which is dedicated to the making of pincushions.

Because it’s coming from Inspirations Studios, we can reasonably surmise a few points: it’s going to be a fabulous series, it’s going to be packed with gorgeous projects, and the instruction will be excellent!

Plus, the pilot book in the series – on pincushions – is a great way to kick the series off! Why? Because pincushions are small, they are charming, they are multi-use, you can never have too many of them, and they are eminently doable as far as a project goes.

The Design Collective: Pincushions
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Embroidering a Dragonfly, pt 1: Design, Materials, Set-Up

 

Good morning and welcome to the first official installment of How to Embroider a Dragonfly, wherein we will talk about the design, materials I used on the sample, possible substitutions, and setting up the design for embroidering.

This project belongs to the How to Embroider (Blank) tutorial series, which you will find here.

Before we launch into the dragonflies, a little announcement: The Mini Sampler Stockings ornament kits are at long last ready to ship! The supply lines being rather slow these days, it is not likely I will be able to restock these before Christmas. If you want one, please get them while you can!

Now, let’s talk about dragonflies!!

How to Embroider a Dragonfly part 1
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Embroidering Dragonflies – An Introduction

 

This year, we’ve enjoyed a few different series of embroidery tutorials covering a range of stylized botanical subjects, including wheat, strawberries, daisies, and grapes. You can find all these tutorials listed here, in the How to Embroider (Blank) index.

The last series of tutorials for this year is going to focus on something not-so-botanical, but garden-related nonetheless: the dragonfly.

Reaching back into the dark recesses of my memory, I’m pretty sure the reason for exploring this particular wingéd creature was related more to the materials rather than the subject. Don’t get me wrong – I love dragonflies. They’re such curiously different bugs.

But really, it was more about the materials when I thought of this particular project.

embroidering dragonflies
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Anichini Exhibition & Loreto Embroideries in the US

 

Over the years here on Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve written a bit about the Loreto Embroideries that are held by the Royal School of Needlework in the UK. They are fascinating embroidered panels depicting 12 titles of the Virgin Mary from the Litany of Loreto.

These 12 embroidered panels depicting illustrations of titles of the Virgin Mary in the Litany of Loreto are exquisite works of art in their own right. However, Ezio Anichini, the Italian illustrator behind them, was a prolific artist.

If you’ve not heard of Anichini and the Loreto Embroideries, take a look at this article, which includes a downloadable PDF of John Schaffer’s scholarly article on Anichini.

Now – the big news! – if you live in North America and you don’t have the opportunity or inclination to travel abroad, here’s some great news for enthusiasts who would like to see the Loreto embroideries and the artwork of Anichini in person. Ready?!

Litany of Loreto illustrations by Ezio Anichini
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Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators – It’s Coming! Don’t Miss It!

 

This is one of the books I’ve been Absolutely Dying to get to, to let you know about! Now that the release date is getting very close, I’m really excited to write a review of it.

The book is Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators: An Insect Lover’s Guide to Silk Shading Embroidery by Victoria Matthewson. It is a lovely book from Search Press, and it falls into a very interesting category. It’s pretty much a nature journal in thread, combined with instruction and projects.

I knew it was going to be good. I follow Victoria’s Instagram feed and really enjoy seeing her work. So, yep. I was excited to get an advanced copy and see the book in person! Let me show it to you…

Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators by Victoria Matthewson
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Announcements: Glad Tidings, Fine Tradition, & Other News

 

Just a little housekeeping today, so I can get back on track with regular “work”!

First, A Fine Tradition is back in stock, if you’ve been waiting for it. You’ll find my review of this beautiful embroidery here, and it’s available now here.

Second, last week, I showed you these Glad Tidings towel sets that we’ve been diligently working on lately. I had planned to release these last year, when the Christmas Cheer towel set came out, but there simply was not time. They’re finally ready for you here.

Below, I’ll share with you some stitching tips and the colors I used, and then tie up with other news bits.

Glad Tidings Towel Set
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Opus Anglicanum – Book Review

 

A whole book on Opus Anglicanum! An instruction book and a project book. Gosh! If you’re a lover of historical needlework, what more could you want?

Today, I thought I’d show you this new book on Opus Anglicanum by Tanya Bentham. It’s a practical guide the historical techniques of early English embroidery, and it is a fabulous book!

First, we’ll chat a bit about Opus Anglicanum and then delve into the book.

Come along…

Opus Anglicanum by Tanya Bentham
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Glad Tidings Materializing, Too!

 

Happy Tuesday and welcome to the first week of October. Good grief.

Fall is my Absolute Favorite time of year. When spring arrives, I wonder if my favorite time of year is spring, but when autumn arrives, I have no doubt it’s my Absolute Favorite. I love autumn!

As the year winds down, I usually start looking towards stitching for fall and then stitching for Christmas.

Sadly, I didn’t concoct a new autumn project this year. For autumn stitching, though, if you’ve been hanging around with me for a while, you’ve probably seen my Festive Fall (as a pre-transferred towel set and as an instructional e-book, with patterns) and the Autumn Variety pre-transferred towel set that’s also available.

And there’s the Leafy Tree project – available as an e-book now, and coming out as a kit again soon.

Glad Tidings pre-transferred towel sets
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Backorders on Threads…but Still Kitting!

 

Putting together embroidery kits can be a lot of fun! If you’ve ever considered stepping from stitcher to designer or teacher, developing your own kits and so forth, it’s exciting to figure out the details and see the final plan come together satisfactorily.

But it can also be somewhat frustrating, especially recently as the supply chain grumbles and groans under the pressure of demand, slower production speeds, and slower shipping speeds. I don’t think I’m the only person out there who is eking out kits little by little as backorders are only partially filled – and slowly at that.

This is life at the moment, and we make the best of it!

Many of you have signed up for my advanced notice list for the Mini Sampler Stocking Kits that I’m running again. This year, I decided to make some changes in the kits that I think you’ll appreciate. As small bits of backordered threads make their way to my front stoop (I rejoice every time a box of thread arrives, even if it’s only the size of half a shoe box!), we’ve been assembling a few kits here and there.

Assembling embroidery kits
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Art Needlework: A Complete Manual of Embroidery in Silks & Crewels

 

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday. Things are starting to level off here, and next week, I should be back to the normal Mon-Wed-Fri publishing schedule, if all goes as planned. Yay! More on that below…

Today, I wanted to share an online treasure with you, thanks to a friend who sent the link. There are So Many old needlework books online, that it’s hard to recall which ones you’ve encountered. I try to keep a list of favorites, and I always download them as PDFs, if there’s an option. There is an option on this one, so do download the PDF if you can. Then you can browse through the book at your leisure.

Art Needlework: A Complete Manual of Embroidery in Silks & Crewels
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Hoop Tips: Get the Most out of your Embroidery Hoop!

 

Tool #1 in embroidery, in my mind, is the needle. Without a needle, embroidery would be rather difficult, wouldn’t it?

Next up, Tool #2, is a good hoop or frame.

I know, I know! Scissor lovers out there might argue with me! A nice sharp pair of scissors is certainly necessary, but we can actually get away with a pair of kids’ scissors or household craft scissors if we had to.

But a good hoop or a good frame, used correctly, can make a huge difference in the finished results of a project.

Today, I’d like to pay tribute the The Embroidery Hoop by recapping some previous helpful articles on the subject, with tips so that you can make the most of your embroidery hoop.

If you’re knew to Needle ‘n Thread, you may not have seen these articles from the archives; if you’ve been hanging out with me for a while, a good refresher is always helpful!

Embroidery Hoop Tips
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Whoops! Time Correction & Expanded Enrollment for Tomorrow

 

Gosh, twice in one day! This happens when I make Big Mistakes.

So sorry to post again today and interrupt your inbox, but it came to my attention very quickly this morning that I messed up the time zones in my earlier announcement about tomorrow’s chat with the folks at SFSNAD.

Also, the spots filled very quickly and many of you were not able to register. So I reached out to see what we could do about that. Here are the details!

Time Zone clarification for chat with SFSNAD
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The Finished Grapes

 

Today, I thought we could take a very general look at the finished bunch of grapes from the “How to Embroider Grapes” series that was moving along just swimmingly until cataract surgery and recovery upset the schedule.

Fortunately, the grapes were finished before the surgeries took place. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to edit all the photos. Grrrr. Hindsight is 20/20, they say – I should have taken the time to do a lot more preparation than I did. So sorry!

But, for those following the grapes and working on your own version, today’s article will show you how we finished the project, if you want to work your way through to the end. I don’t think too much details is required for the finish, as it is pretty simple!

How to Embroider Grapes - the Bunch
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A New Appreciation & an Old Motto

 

Hello, my friends, hello! It has been almost a week and a half since we’ve had a visit. It has been Way Too Long – I have missed you!

Today, I’m really just checking in with you, to let you know I’m still functioning. I’ll share a little something that I’ve been sort of working on. And for those who are interested, I’ll fill you in on the details about how things are going with the Eyes. I’ve had many requests for more details, coming especially from those of you who are facing the option of cataract surgery. So I’ll touch on my experiences so far.

I’ve been debating about going into detail, as it’s not really On Topic – except for the fact that, without eyes, not too many of us would be enjoying handwork, would we? Talk about essential tools!

Glad Tidings Angel embroidery
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Linen Samples, Beads, Thread Tags, & Steam

 

Well, well, well! Happy Friday!

I was going to share a book review with you today, but I decided it would be hardly fair to the author, since photo editing isn’t happening at the moment.

Only five more days until Eye #2! Eye #1 is doing great – I can’t even imagine how wonderful it will be with both eyes equalized.

Even though detail work is put aside for the moment, other things are getting done…

Linen Fabric Samples
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Inspiration Books Back in Stock & News

 

Just a quick check in today. Yes, my eyes are still wonky.

Thank you so much for all the emails and comments of encouragement regarding the whole Eye Thing! I really appreciate it!

Unfortunately, I can’t spend much time on the computer, reading, typing, and whatnot. It makes me almost seasick. I have to keep one eye closed, move my head from one side to the other, and bring my face in and out to see anything. It’s quite bizarre, and tiring.

Next week, mid-week, I’ll have the second eye finished and things will equalize. I have high hopes that this will make a huge difference in almost everything that I do. I will keep you posted on how things go!

Inspirations Books: Willing Hands 1 & 2, A Fine Tradition
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Fly Stitch Couching & Some News

 

Goodness gracious sakes alive!

I have eyes, thank the Good Lord!

But they’re not quite working in sync right now. On Monday, I had cataract surgery and lens replacement in my right eye, due to rapidly declining vision over the past five years, post chemo. Wow! It will make a difference once it’s all finished, I have no doubt. But my eyes are going to be wacky for a few weeks. My blog posting may end up being irregular, because it’s pretty uncomfortable. So far, the most tedious thing for me is trying to see a screen.

Talk-to-text is a marvel on the phone, though. It doesn’t work so well with the computer, because it’s extra hard to make corrections – and you must correct talk-to-text copy for public blog posts, because you never know what the computer will spit out in place of your words!

Incidentally, verbal commands to my computer don’t work at all for photo editing. I tried. “Crop!” I yelled. But nothing happened.

I haven’t even tried to stitch yet. I’ll leave that for a couple days.

Last week, in anticipation of this week’s upheaval in regular scheduling, I started to put together an update on my Stitch Fun 2021 sampler, so I’ll share a portion of that with you today with a very simple tip.

Fly Stitch Couching
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Free Hand Embroidery Design: Floral Small, a la Dillmont

 

Good morning, and Happy Saturday!

I don’t normally pop in on you on a Saturday, but I wanted to share with you a little floral embroidery pattern that I recently adapted from one of the old Therese Dillmont DMC books.

If you’ve followed along here on Needle ‘n Thread for years, you know that I have quite a collection of old embroidery books and that I like the play with old designs. I rely on old books for inspiration and ideas, especially when my mind gets stuck. There’s nothing like browsing through old treasures to get the juices flowing!

Over the years, I’ve adapted many designs from these books that are now in the public domain, adding my own details and turning them into easily printable vector files to use for hand embroidery.

For the past year, I’ve been on a “smalls” kick. I’ve been drawn to small elements to embroider, and I’ve built up quite a collection of possibilities for future projects. By adapting old designs, or doodling my own new designs, or maybe expanding a little clip out of a larger design from an old publication, I’ve amassed quite a few usable smalls.

Here’s one of ’em!

Dillmont floral small hand embroidery design
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How to Embroider Grapes 5: The Last Grapes

 

Happy Wednesday! Midweek already – I’m not sure how we got here!

Following up on the previous grape embroidery session, it’s time to finish up the last grapes on the bunch in the How to Embroider Grapes series. We’re going to embroider the three final grapes, and they will go very quickly because they’re very simple. We’ve done all but one of the techniques before.

Because one of the grapes involves some goldwork thread, I’ll recommend some reasonable and more accessible substitutes for the sake of the tutorial.

I’d love to do this whole bunch of grapes in goldwork, to tell you the truth. It’s an idea that’s percolating with the millions of other project ideas that are constantly vying for attention in my head.

But in the meantime, let’s just keep it simple, shall we?

how to embroidery grapes - last grapes
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The Embroidery Book Shuffle – Treats Available!

 

Well, well, as it happens, I spent the weekend doing the Embroidery Book & Blog Post Shuffle!

It’s always a fun exercise, and a good way to keep me on my toes.

Today’s article is mostly a matter of getting some news out. If you’re not super interested in retail items (oh-so-lovely books!) available through Needle ‘n Thread, I wholeheartedly encourage you to give me a miss today.

Willing Hands and Willing Hands 2 on Needle 'n Thread
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Floche, Floche, Floche! It’s Everywhere!

 

I’m never quite sure if I should ply you with the mundane details of everyday life in the studio.

Lately, though, since I’m surrounded by one of my favorite cotton embroidery threads, I thought I’d show you what’s up these days.

You see, in my world, everything gets done in small pieces. When it comes to kitting things up – whether it’s a full blown embroidery kit with everything in it, or thread packs, or sets of ready-to-stitch towels – it’s all done in increments, one small step at a time.

The floche thread packs that are coming together right now are a good example of the step-by-step process.

Floche embroidery thread for thread packs
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Erica Wilson: A Life in Stitches – Quick Review

 

Recently, a friend dropped me an email to find out if I had ever gotten ahold of Erica Wilson: A Life in Stitches, which reminded me to mention the book to you sooner, rather than later!

It’s been on my reading list for a while, and I go back and forth to it, reading it in small increments when I can, but I haven’t finished reading the whole book yet.

I generally like to read the complete book before I review it, but some books take much longer than others! This book requires a quick mention, because it’s one of those “get it before it’s gone” publications.

Erica Wilson: A Life in Stitches
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Embroidered Grapes 4: Structured Fillings, Shisha, and Overcast

 

Let’s truck along with some grape embroidery today, shall we?

We’re almost finished embroidering the grapes in this project, which is part of a series of tutorials you can find in the How to Embroider (Blank) Index here.

Members on Patreon will find today’s tutorial posted as a downloadable PDF on my Patreon page here shortly. It may not go up today – more information on that below.

The grape bunch we are embroidering features a sampler of techniques that you could use to embroider grapes. You probably wouldn’t combine all these techniques into one coherent design (if you wanted it to be coherent!), but the point here is to give you many options for embroidering grapes. You pick the options you like!

Today, we’re going to look at grapes 9, 10, 11, and 12 in the bunch. We’ll be exploring two new filling options and a new outlining option.

Embroidered Grapes tutorial: fillings and outlines
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Daylight Smart Travel Lamp – Review

 

Have you ever looked at your embroidery in the bright light of day and discovered that the last thirty minutes of stitching that you put in the night before doesn’t look quite as good as you thought it did?

This has happens to me all too frequently. Sometimes, it might be a matter of stitching when I’m tired, or when I’m just not into it and being attentive.

But sometimes, it happens because the night before, I abandoned my stitching light and sat somewhere else, making do with whatever light was on hand. It pays to stick with my good light!

When we travel, though, we don’t often have the option of our favorite stitching lamp. Mine are too big and too heavy to tote about. So I have several small lights that work well for travel. They never work quite as well as my studio lights, true. But they work well enough for the type of stitching I take with me when I go somewhere.

Today, I’m reviewing the Daylight Smart Travel Lamp for you. It definitely has pros and cons, and they’re both worth considering carefully before making the investment in the lamp.

Daylight Travel Lamp review - pros and cons
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Needlework History: On Mills, Floods, and Embroidery Threads

 

Last week, my interest was piqued by an article from Piecework that led me down the kind of rabbit hole I particularly like – the kind that involves a complicated but exciting era in US and world history, and that also involves the development (or non-development, depending on the events) of needlework and the needlework industry.

The Industrial Era was a crazy time in history, really, full of contradictions. Every era of history is easier to evaluate retrospectively, of course. While it is obvious that many good things sprang from the Industrial Era, or took root during that era, it was yet an era fraught with abjectly dismal circumstances and consequences in many regards.

Today, needleworkers in the US who want to work with silk obtain silk threads as imported goods. We don’t manufacture silk in the US.

During the Industrial Age, however – from the early 1800’s well into the first half of the 20th century – we actually had mills that produced embroidery silk that was popular around the world.

Initially, the silk was produced from worm to fiber, but that didn’t last long. Eventually, with the opening of Japan for trade, it made more sense to import the raw silk from Japan, where centuries of breeding and raising silk worms had already established a flourishing industry producing the best quality silk. The silk was then finished in the US into various textile-related products.

Corticelli silk history - Florence MA mills
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Stitches Built on Foundations: Texture & Dimension in Embroidery

 

There’s little I love more than the composite embroidery stitch – that is, the stitch that’s built on other stitches.

Today, I thought I’d offer a list of stitches that are built on foundation stitches. Foundation stitches are the first stitch that goes down in a composite stitch, providing a base on which to build some sort of composite effect by incorporating other stitches and techniques into the foundation.

The final result of these types of composites can range anywhere from simple to complex.

The great thing about composite stitches built on foundation stitches is that they are, more often than not, highly textured and slightly dimensional. This makes them excellent techniques to add into any embroidery project where texture plays a big role.

Embroidery Stitches built on Foundations: Texture & Dimension
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Scissor Talk: 3 Claveles from Spain

 

A few weeks ago, we began chatting about embroidery scissors that serve as good alternatives to Dovo embroidery scissors.

Dovo has long been my favorite source for excellent embroidery scissors, but sadly, the business has gone under. Never fear, though! There are other good scissors available out there!

Some, of course, are very pricy, but I often find excellent scissors in middle prices ranges that are sturdy, sharp, mechanically smooth, and promise to be long-lasting.

That’s pretty much what I look for in embroidery scissors.

3 Claveles embroidery scissors
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Embroidered Grapes 3: Outlining Instead of Filling

 

Good morning and a Happy Monday all around!

Today, we’re going to pick on the Embroidered Grapes series and move along on five more grapes in the bunch. These grapes will be quick to stitch!

When we last visited the grapes, the first three at the base of the bunch were embroidered with fillings. Four of the next five are all simply outlined, to demonstrate two points:

1. you don’t always have to fill a design when you embroider; and

2. if you choose to outline instead of fill, you can use very simple outline stitches, and you can mix things up a bit to add variety.

Sometimes, when we outline embroidery designs, we tend to stick with one stitch and solid colors. But by opting for different line stitches and by mixing colors, you can add visual interest to simple outlined embroidery.

We’re also going to look at the seed stitch for lighter filling.

Embroidery Grapes: using outline stitches
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Embroidery Books – These are Coming Soon!

 

If you subscribe to the Inspirations Studios weekly newsletter (it’s a lovely newsletter!), you are probably aware that a couple books are coming to the embroidery world quite soon. In fact, they’re already out in Australia and en route to the US.

I’ve had quite a few inquiries about these two books from Inspirations Studios in Australia. I’m bringing them in for stitchers who want to avoid the cost of international shipping and the long (really long!) wait.

I thought I’d let you know sooner rather than later what’s coming to Needle ‘n Thread in the way of much-anticipated needlework books, and when you can expect to see them.

A Fine Tradition: The Embroidery of Margaret Light
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Embroidered Bicycle & The Punch

 

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig, as the nursery rhyme goes! I’ve been away from the studio for a little while, and now that I’m back to work, playing among fabric and threads, things are beginning to move again at a snappy pace.

One thing that didn’t happen at a snappy pace – in fact, it barely crawled – was progress on any stitching over the past week and a half. I thought I would have the bicycle that I showed you here finished… but alas!

As I work through my inbox, I’ve noticed a few questions about the last installment of the grapes project tutorial, so I’m going to answer the most prominent one – what is a 1/2″ mylar punch and where do I find one? – below.

So, today, just by way of catching up, here’s the progress on my casual stitching (the bicycle) and an answer to The Punch, so that everyone can be prepared for The Punch.

Embroidered Vintage Bike - Summer Wheels on Needle 'n Thread
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Stitch Fun: More Rolled Woven Picots

 

Oooooh, now it’s time to do something kind of fun with that rolled woven picot that we looked at on Wednesday!

I’m afraid this could just be the beginning. There are so many ideas brewing in my head – alterations, combinations, variations and whatnot on the rolled woven picot!

I love playing with stitches like these, to see where the exploration takes me. Sometimes, admitted, my explorations can end in a flop. But sometimes, they can lead to some surprisingly fun and fabulous results. I hope that you take some time to play with the stitch, too, to see what you can come up with!

Today I’ll show you a larger woven picot roll and what I did with it. The key point here is how to anchor a larger roll to the fabric. It requires a slightly different approach compared to the smaller roll that we looked at on Wednesday.

Large Rolled Woven Picot, Stitch Fun Tutorial
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Stitch Fun: Rolled Woven Picots

 

On Monday, we looked at how to make a really long woven picot without using a pin or needle.

Today, we’re going to look at one thing you can do with a long picot. We’re going to roll it!

For this first foray into rolled woven picots, I’m not using a very long picot. I did use a moderately long pin to create the picot, but overall, the picot isn’t much longer than one that you’d make with an average quilting pin.

Let’s take a look at the rolled woven picot!

Rolled Woven Picot - embroidery stitch
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Stitch Fun: Making Long Woven Picots without a Pin

 

I like woven picots! You can do a lot with them!

A woven picot is a dimensional stitch that looks like the petals on this sunflower and this daisy. They can be flower petals. They can be leaves. They can be seaweed. They can be grass. They could be teeth on your favorite monster. They could be shark fins. Duck feet. Bird wings. They can be thick and long and luscious. They can be narrow, fine, and spindly. They can be attached or not attached.

They can be a lot of things.

We have two tutorials (more like stitch explorations) coming up that involve woven picots, but before we delve into those, I thought I’d show you a simple little trick for making woven picots – especially long woven picots – especially Really Long woven picots – when you don’t have a Really Long pin or needle to help you out.

It’s simple, really!

Let me show you what I mean.

Really Long Woven Picots
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Dovo Scissors & Substitutes

 

Over the years, I’ve written frequently about my second-favorite embroidery tool: scissors!

My first favorite is the most essential embroidery tool – the needle – but they’re such small things and they don’t require huge investments, so we don’t speak about them in the same reverential tones that we often use when speaking of scissors.

Once you really get into needlework, you’ll probably find that one of the first things you’ll want to acquire is a really good pair of embroidery scissors. The qualifications for a good pair of embroidery scissors are pretty simple: they’re small, they’re sharp, they’re well-made, and you fit your fingers.

Dove embroidery scissors & Substitutes
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Embroidered Grapes 2: Three Basic Fillings

 

Here in the States, we enjoyed a three-day holiday for Independence Day this past weekend, and I took advantage of the break to finish my organizational and cleaning projects. Whew! Done for now! It was a crazy, dirty, sweaty, labor-intensive week last week – I’m glad to be back to some sedate embroidery this week!

Last week, we looked at the first installment on the embroidered grapes project. Today, we’ll move forward, looking at three basic fillings for embroidering solidly-filled grapes. We’ll also talk about the order of work and why it’s important.

You’ll need to think of this version of the project more as The Grape Sampler. I’ll be presenting all kinds of ideas for embroidering grapes, all in one design. It will look a little bizarre, because it’s not what we’d expect to see in a coherent piece of embroidery. The idea is that we can then pick techniques that we like best, and work a coherent bunch of grapes using one or two effective techniques.

embroidered grapes - basic fillings
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How to Embroider Grapes, 1: Design & Initial Color List

 

The fourth project in our How to Embroider (Blank) series is a bunch of grapes. I shared a brief preview of the project with you a couple weeks ago, when we talked about making preliminary decisions and planning on an embroidery project like this.

Today, for those who want to follow along – or maybe you just want to stash this away for a future project – I’ll give you the design and talk about materials, including an initial color list.

We’ll also chat about what you can expect from the project, and how it is going to progress.

How to Embroidery Grapes - Design & Colors
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Hoops and Linens and Towels – Oh My!

 

Happy Monday, my friends!

It’s hard to believe that June has slipped away once more and we’re facing High Summer here on the Plains. Why is it always a surprise when July arrives?

Especially for those wise embroiderers who like to stitch ahead for the seasons, I have some exciting news for you! I’ve been really busy stocking those new utility shelves that went up a couple weeks ago, so I thought I’d send out a quick announcement to let you know what’s available and to tell you what’s coming!

Embroidery Supplies in stock, June 2021
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Transfer & Stitch – Another Transfer Book!

 

This morning, I want to give a quick heads-up for another transfer book that’s on the market, for those looking for an easy solution for transferring embroidery designs onto your fabric.

You might remember my review earlier this month of the Embroiderers’ Guild Transfer Collection.

Today’s book – Transfer & Stitch – is another problem-solving transfer collection that covers a range of embroidery design types.

Many of you wrote in with enthusiastic thanks for pointing out the Embroiderers’ Guild collection, so I thought you might want to know about this one while it’s brand spanking new!

Transfer & Stitch - embroidery design transfers
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Necessary Trial Stitching: Size, Perspective, & Design Tweaks

 

A couple weeks ago, I shared this Happy Camper project that I embroidered and turned into the front panel of a quick tote for summer, perfect for favorite books, a project, or other totable things.

I’ve had lots of eager requests for the design by itself, or as part of the set (“Summer Wheels” – which includes a vintage bike and a wheelbarrow as a series of three designs), and as a pre-printed towel set. And they are coming! They really are!

Unfortunately, they can only come when they’re ready.

There’s one aspect of bringing a project to the Ready Stage that I never like to skip entirely, and that’s trial stitching. I’ll show you why, with this particular project.

Summer Wheels embroidery projects
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Re-organized Supply Room – Almost There!

 

Normally on Fridays, I spend much of the day preparing articles for the following week.

Last Friday, though, I was in the throes of the Great Studio Overhaul of 2021 – which perhaps isn’t as great as it sounds. Still, it’s functional and organized, there’s a place for everything, and hence, it’s a big deal to me.

So this morning, I thought I’d show you what was achieved at the end of last week and share a few suggestions in case you’re planning an overhaul job of your own.

Studio Shelving - a bit industrial
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Overhauling the Studio – Another Summer Job

 

One other notable, big project going on here in my studio is a bit of a studio overhaul.

And I will admit, it’s a big job, but it needs to be done. My trusty sidekick Anna is really good at this kind of thing, and she actually seems to like it (strange girl), which works out well for me.

She’s a Huge Help for this type of project, and I trust her organizational mindset. It is much better than mine!

Needle 'n Thread studio space set up
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Setting Up Grapes: Color & Stitching Considerations

 

A couple weeks ago, I sneak-peeked the colors for the next embroidery project in the How to Embroider (Blank) tutorials and asked you to guess what we’d be stitching.

Many of you chimed in with irises and other flowers, some chimed in with fruit, and, in fact, it’s grapes!

This is definitely a project we will feel our way feel our way through together, slowly. It’s going to be a little more complicated and challenging than the projects so far. But it’ll be fun, and, taken slowly, it’s definitely manageable.

How to Embroider Grapes
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Sea to Stitch – Finished Monogram!

 

At long last, here’s the finished embroidery on my Sea to Stitch monogram designed by Elisabetta Sforza and available in her book by the same name – which, if you’re interested in procuring a copy, is out of stock at the moment but you can drop me a line to be put on the advanced notice list when new stock arrives.

My blog publishing schedule and correspondence will return to normal by Monday. I’ve been on hiatus for a week, and without regular internet, but I’m back, catching up, and things should settle into the summer routine of moderately smooth sailing now, with only a few small schedule blips for a couple upcoming events. Thanks for your patience!

Sea to Stitch Monogram on Needle 'n Thread - finished embroidery
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Books for Embroidery Inspiration – but not Embroidery!

 

Inspiration for needlework can be found just about everywhere – and I like to find it in books that aren’t necessarily needlework books, but are somewhat art-related.

Last year, I added two books to my library, and I really, really like both of them. Especially if you’re interested in botanical subjects for embroidery, you might find them enjoyable, too.

For me, it’s the tie-in with literature and poetry and art that caught me with these two books, Botanical Shakespeare and The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.

Books for Inspiration for Embroidery
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Embroiderers’ Guild Transfers Collection Review

 

Oh, Happy Tuesday! Today we’re going to look at an embroidery design book that came out earlier this year. But before we launch into my review, I have a wee bit of news to cover.

First, we’re pushing out some changes today to my online shop here on Needle ‘n Thread, so there may be a couple hiccups on the site, but hopefully not! I’m excited about the new layout – it should make it easier to keep the shop organized and easier for you to find things. Yay!

Second, I’m taking a short break for the next week, and I will have limited internet connectivity. I have some articles scheduled – including some project finishes – but I won’t be able to respond to email or moderate comments as frequently. I’ll check in as I can.

And now, for the book!

If you tend to hesitate to jump into an embroidery project because of the transfer process, then you’re going to love this! If you like source books for embroidery designs, you’re also going to love it.

The Embroiderers’ Guild Transfers Collection is a unique book, so let’s look at it a little more closely.

Embroiderers' Guild Transfers Collection
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Same Movement, Different Directions, Different Results

 

While I work with particular embroidery stitches, I always find it entertaining to think about the stitches.

One of my pet musings: Who was the first person to stitch This Particular Stitch? What instigated it? What happened next?

It’s not a novel thought. I’m not the only person in the word to wonder who was the first to do This Particular Everyday Thing. Charles Lamb, after all, pondered out the roasting of pigs in a whole dissertation!

But I do wonder about such things. Who, for example, first paired strawberries and cream? And what genius followed that by adding a bit of sugar and vanilla… and then froze it? Who put peanut butter and jelly together for the first time and found it good? (Or my mom’s incomprehensible favorite, peanut butter and mayonnaise?)

I ponder these types of questions about stitches. And while I could never tell you who came up with the two stitches we’re going to talk about today, I can guess that both stitches must have come about simultaneously (it only makes sense!), and that the original stitcher must have enjoyed a very smug satisfaction with the results.

Raised Stem & Ribbed Stitch - embroidery stitches side by side
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Summer Embroidery Project – Sneak Peek!

 

One of the marvelous things about embroidery is that it can be as serious as you want it to be… or as whimsical.

It can be a Magnum Opus. Or it can be all Fun and Games!

I’m of the opinion that it should occasionally be all fun and games. Otherwise, we might take it too seriously. It might lose its ability to charm us.

And in fact, it might do the opposite of what it does so well: it might end up being a stress producer rather than a stress reducer.

And we wouldn’t want that!

Here’s a project that’s mostly fun and games, except for One Little Detail – one little moderately-wrong decision on my part, which I’ll share with you below.

Happy Camper Embroidery Project
Continue reading “Summer Embroidery Project – Sneak Peek!”

Colors for Embroidery Projects – Take a Guess!

 

It is the best of jobs. It is the worst of jobs.

Picking colors for embroidery projects can be great fun – but it can also be really hard!

Today,I’m going to sneak-peek the colors for the next tutorial series (I’ll let you guess what the subject matter is) and chat a bit about selecting colors and narrowing down a final color palette for an embroidery project… or at least, how I do it, for what it’s worth!

We’ll also discuss a few miscellaneous tips for project organization.

Choosing colors for embroidery projects
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Weekend Reading: Old Needlework Books Online

 

I love to come across old needlework books available online. There are several good sources for public domain embroidery books that are digitally archived, thanks to the effort of many institutions and individuals.

For your weekend reading, inspiration, leisure, perusal, browsing, curiosity, or for downloading for later, I thought I’d highlight a few online books from my own lists.

While I have physical copies of a couple of these, they’re not in the best shape! So when I want to glean a tidbit of information, or maybe find some inspiration for designs or projects, I prefer to look at them digitally.

You’ll also find some tips below on how to view and download.

I hope you enjoy these!

Old embroidery books online - public domain
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Embroidered Daisies Part 5: Satin Stitch & Finished!

 

Rainy Wednesdays are a perfect day for embroidering daisies, and today, we’re going to finish up the series on How to Embroider Daisies with this final installment!

If you’re just joining in, you’ll find all the previous tutorials in this series here.

Scroll down for the Daisies, which were are the third project in the series. Earlier this year, we looked at How to Embroider Wheat and How to Embroider Strawberries. And there are a few more to come in 2021!

If you’re a member over on Patreon, you’ll already find the printable PDF for this installment available for download. I put parts 4 & 5 together in the same PDF.

In Part 5, we’re going to look at a relatively simple final daisy. It’s worked in satin stitch with French knots for the center. There are two key tips, though, that will help you create a great satin stitched daisy.

Continue reading “Embroidered Daisies Part 5: Satin Stitch & Finished!”

Stitch Fun: Multi-colored Ribbed Wheels

 

How about a quick tutorial on how to stitch multi-colored ribbed wheels?

I’m a huge fan of ribbed stitches. We’ll actually talk about them a little bit later this month, as we compare two types of stitches and discuss how the direction of a stitch can change everything!

For now, this little Stitch Fun! tutorial is pretty basic, but it will help you create uniform color changes on ribbed wheels and other similar stitches.

Stitch Fun: Multi-colored Ribbed Wheel Stitches
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Embroidery Daisies 4: Long & Short Stitch and Turkey Work

 

It’s time to get back to embroidered daisies! Yay!

Our last installment of these tutorials on how to embroider daisies covered a lot! Today’s tutorial doesn’t cover quite as much.

Today, we’re going to look at Daisy #4, which is embroidered in long and short stitch, with a turkey work center.

This is my favorite daisy in this series of tutorials.

How to embroider daisies: long & short stitch with turkey work
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Kit Re-Runs: Leafy Tree, Stockings, & You?

 

Well, well – a Glorious Wednesday to you! Things have been hopping here in the studio this week. I keep thinking the pace is bound to slow down, but it doesn’t.

Among various other tasks, I’ve been pulling out my ordering lists to re-run kits that I’ve already produced, that you might be interested in.

I’ve had a couple requests for the Leafy Tree kit and the Mini Sampler Stockings kits. I’d like to get the opinion of a wider audience, so I thought I’d ask you!

Embroidered Tree with Large Leaves
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Sea to Stitch – Project Index

 

It’s Organization Time!

In an attempt to keep things a bit organized, and to help folks who are looking to find the whole collection of articles on the Sea to Stitch monogram that I began embroidering at the end of last year, here’s an index for all the articles in this project.

A quick update on the project: I had hoped to show you the finish at the end of last week. That was the article planned for Friday which never appeared. Many obstacles collided at the same time, and I didn’t get the stitching finished. So it’s still languishing out there, somewhere seaward!

I’ve also run into a little problem on it that I hope to solve this week. I will tell you about it once I work through some possible solution.

Sea to Stitch monogram M - embroidered seashell
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Embroidered Daisies, Part 3: Stems & More!

 

Good morning!

I’m going to launch right into today’s topic, which is the third installment of this tutorial series on how to embroider daisies.

Today, we’re going to look at embroidering the stems and the leaves, plus we’ll talk about some corrections (or just changes of mind) and we’ll embroider the large central daisy on the motif in approach #3.

This is a rather long tutorial, and for those who are following along, it will probably keep you busy for a while!

And, as usual, members on my Patreon page will be able to download the PDF for printing later today. Keep an eye out for it!

How to embroider daisies, part 3: stems, leaves, and more
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Thread Organization: Solving the Twist

 

To my rather tunnel-visioned brain, there’s nothing quite as lovely as an abundant collection of glorious silk thread all gathered into one mass of twisty, colorful, smooth, shiny Possibilities.

A few weeks ago, we chatted about this collection of overdyed Soie de Paris from Chameleon threads that are new to the studio, and since then, I’ve started some tentative planning with them.

I have Ideas, you see.

Chameleon embroidery threads - over-dyed Soie de Paris twists
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Home Sweet Home & White Linen Sampler

 

I’m so excited that Inspirations Studios decided to print a 10th Anniversary Edition of Home Sweet Home by Carolyn Pearce!

This is a fantastic book – it was when it was first published ten years ago and it is even more so today. The new edition features a few changes. I’ll tell you about those below.

I’ve also been putting together the next offering of embroidery linen samples, the White Linen Fabric Sampler Pack. I’ll tell you all about it below, too. It is… oh golly! It contains a little bit of everything I love about beautiful, crisp, lovely white linen! If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to stitch on the type of linen used to make those time-tested antique linens used for fine whitework, monogramming, ecclesiastical use, and more, read on!

Home Sweet Home: 10th Anniversary Edition
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How to Embroider Daisies, Part 2: Simple Petals & Stem

 

Last week, we began our exploration into embroidered daisies, using the design & materials list that you’ll find in the first article in this series, here.

Today, we’ll start stitching!

We’re going to dispatch the first two daisies – they are very simple – and a little bit of the stem.

As we progress with this project, you’ll find all the articles for this series of tutorials on daisies listed in this index, so if you’re just joining at some point and you want to see what we’ve already done, check in there. Links to each tutorial in the series will be added as the project develops. You’ll also find other tutorials in this collection of How to Embroider (Blank) available in the same index.

As usual, members over on Patreon will find today’s tutorial (along with all the previous tutorials) available later today, as a downloadable PDF.

Ready?

How to Embroider Daisies Part 2: Simple Petals & Stem
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Project Organization: Documenting Threads with Thread Cards

 

Over the years, I’ve solidified how I keep track of my embroidery journey – whether it’s ideas I’m trying to develop, designs I’m working on, projects and their materials, mistakes and adjustments, and so forth.

While my website Needle ‘n Thread is probably the most thorough record of my journey, I keep lists and notes while I work through projects, and all of these lists, notes, designs, ideas, adjustments, and what-have-you end up in a project notebook.

Still, with each project or each idea, I still find small adjustments that I make in the information that I record and my methods of recording it.

Keeping these notes and tidbits of information all in one place helps me in numerous ways, not just in developing ideas for projects, but also in answering your questions, ordering supplies, or simply remembering!

Lately, I’ve started adding real-thread color cards to my project notes. Let’s look at The What, The How, and The Why!

Thread cards for embroidery project organization
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How to Embroider Daisies: Design & Materials

 

Good morning, and happy Monday!

It’s spring here in Kansas (no comment about the expected 2-4″ of snow tonight and tomorrow!), and what better time to start thinking about embroidering summer flowers – specifically, daisies! Or, if you want, any of the daisy’s many varieties and relatives – from ox-eyes to marguerites to gerberas to asters, black-eyed susans, common sunflowers, and on and on and on.

What I love most about daisies is their distinct petal pattern and overall shape and structure. And while I like the simple common daisy, I’m drawn mostly to colored versions, like asters or gerbera daisies, or Kansas’s ubiquitous common sunflowers that grow wild by the roadside or more tamely in garden beds.

No matter what variety, daisies are happy flowers. There’s just something ever-so-cheery about them!

And that’s why the daisy is the focus of this third collection of lessons on How to Embroider (Blank).

In today’s first installment, you’ll find the design and the materials used for the stitched sample.

How to Embroidery Daisies: Design and Materials
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Briggs & Co Patent Transferring Papers: 1846-1901

 

I was reading an old needlework book the other day, published in 1907, when I came across a section on design transfer for embroidery. It began thus:

The transferring of designs on to the material is at no time a very easy occupation, and is certainly one which most people prefer to have done for them.

Some things haven’t changed much since 1907, methinks! Most of us who embroider for relaxation, for enjoyment, as a creative outlet, and even for a living are faced at one point or another with having to get a design onto fabric. For some, it can be a monumental deal-breaker. “If I have to transfer that, forget it.”

And while there are folks today who (hilariously – it always makes me chuckle!) will spurn iron-on transferring as if it is some kind of innovative, unworthy, inaccurate, or even harmful method of transfer (despite the massive leaps and bounds of ink science in recent decades), iron-on transfers have been the friend of the embroiderer for a long, long time.

Way back decades and decades – we can almost say centuries ago, and certainly longer than a century ago – methods of transferring embroidery designs were revolutionized by the iron-on transfer. And we continue to enjoy the benefits of the iron-on transfer today, thanks to those early pioneers in the process.

One of those pioneers was Briggs & Co.

In 1880 – that’s 141 years ago! – Briggs & Co published their catalog for patented iron-on embroidery transfers here in the US.

Briggs & Co transfer papers for embroidery
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Embroidered Strawberries Part 7: Last Touches & Finished!

 

Time to finish up the Strawberries!

We’ve followed this embroidery project featuring five strawberries from concept to completion, step by step, through a series of seven tutorials to finish the design.

If you’re just joining in on the tutorials, you’ll find the complete list of all the articles in this series on this Index Page. You’ll also find other How to Embroider (Blank) tutorials listed there as well.

Today, we’re going work the large leaf at the top of this design and all the stems, to finally arrive at this finish:

How to Embroider Strawberries - Completed
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How to Embroider a Wee Ladybug

 

Time to take a break from Strawberries!

I thought I’d show you how I embroider the wee ladybugs on the Garden Party ready-to-stitch towel sets I released a couple weeks ago.

I love little garden critters, and the ladybug (or “ladybird” depending on where you’re from) is always a favorite to add to whimsical floral designs like Garden Party.

At the end of the tutorial, we’ll talk about when and why you might make a slight alteration in technique on these little buggy dots.

How to Embroider a Ladybug
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Embroidered Strawberries Part 6: The Last Strawberry & Blossoms

 

After a nice little break over the holiday weekend, it’s time to get back to stitching! And what better way to do so, than to forge forward with our embroidered strawberries?

This is the second-to-last installment of this project. Today, we’ll look at the last strawberry – the small one, embroidered in long & short stitch – and we’ll see how to stitch the very simple blossoms.

Next time we visit the project, we’ll talk about stems and the large leaf.

This is a quick little episode! Ready?

How to Embroider Strawberries five different ways
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Happy Easter! With a Puzzle & Game for Spring

 

Good evening (here in Kansas, anyway!) and Happy Easter tomorrow!

I’m sending my Easter greetings out a little early, because I’ll be off tomorrow and Monday, celebrating Easter with my family here in Kansas.

From my house to yours, I wish you and yours the glory and joy of a beautiful Easter!

Just in case you’re looking for something Really Exciting to do this weekend, you’ll find this year’s Spring Eye Spy game and accompanying jigsaw included below. I hope you enjoy it!

Spring 2021 Eye-Spy Puzzle from Needle 'n Thread
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Embroidered Strawberries, Part 5: Battlement Couching

 

Today, we have to deviate slightly from our normal course of embroidering strawberries.

In this installment on How to Embroidery Strawberries, we’re going to stitch Strawberry #4 – which is the largest strawberry in the design.

But two things happened that detoured the original planned approach:

1. A photographic oversight – there are no photos for Strawberry #4 as it was worked on the original project (whoops!); and

2. Since I had to re-stitch Strawberry #4, I ended up adjusting the design a little bit.

I’ll explain as we go – but don’t be alarmed that this particular strawberry looks a little different from the one in the original design, or that it is isolated.

You can apply all the concepts you learn in this lesson to the original strawberry, or you can adjust your design to match this strawberry. I supply an adjusted design at the end of this article.

Embroidered Strawberries: Battlement Couching
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Ready-to-Stitch Garden Party & Thread Bunnies!

 

Every year, I find myself preparing some kind of embroidery project in anticipation of Spring – something I can enjoy while winter slides away. Something that promises sunny days and cheery blooms ahead!

Over the past few years, I’ve turned these projects into ready-to-stitch towel sets that you can enjoy, too.

This year’s ready-to-stitch Spring collection is called Garden Party! It’s a light, colorful, whimsical design set, replete with lady bugs, a butterfly, and bright stylized florals scattered along a series of swirly vines.

Garden Party ready to stitch towel set
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Strawberries Part 4: Lattice Work & Some Thread News!

 

Are you ready for Part 4 of this series on how to embroider strawberries? I am!

Our last installment focused on Burden Stitch as a stylized filling for a strawberry.

But before we go any further, I have two things to tell you:

1. Hallelujah! It is Friday!

and

2. There’s now a specialty thread pack available for the perle cottons I’m using in the strawberries.

So read on, and I’ll tell you all about it…

How to Embroider Strawberries: Lattice Work
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Embroidery Hoops – Binding & Other Tips

 

I’m so happy there was a lot of enthusiasm for the square-round embroidery hoop we talked about on Monday! If you wrote in to be on the advanced notice list for those, I have duly placed you on it. I’ll notify you when they’re available again.

In the meantime, I’d like to show you how I bound the inner ring of that hoop using the 3/8″ cotton twill tape that I packaged with the hoop.

Do you have to wrap the inner ring? No. But I think it’s a good idea. It protects your fabric, it adds a touch more friction, and it’s a job you only have to do once if you do it right. It’s worth it!

We’ll also touch on a few tips about using hoops and clarify a misconception or two.

Square round embroidery hoop - tips and binding the hoop
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The Sqround: The Marvelous Square-Round Embroidery Hoop

 

You know that feeling of delight when you try something out – whether it’s a new piece of embroidery equipment or a new pair of shoes or a bowl of porridge – and you find yourself saying, “Oh yes. This is just right!”?

You half-way sigh and wonder why this wasn’t in your life just a little bit sooner.

Well, that’s how I felt when I started using a rather unique embroidery hoop that I’ve subsequently fallen in love with.

I call it The Sqround.

The Square-Round embroidery hoop
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How to Embroider (Blank): Project Index

 

This year, we’ll be working our way through a series of tutorials for embroidering (blank) – that is, a number of different embroidery subjects.

We’ve already worked through how to embroider wheat five different ways, and we’re on our way through strawberries at the moment. You can see in the image below a sneak peek of what’s coming up after the strawberries.

How to Embroider (Blank) - tutorial series
Continue reading “How to Embroider (Blank): Project Index”

How to Embroider Strawberries: Burden Stitch & Leafy Bits

 

Time to move along with our embroidered strawberries adventure!

Just to start, I made some corrections on the color list in the first article in the series. I corrected a typo on a DMC color (it should be 3705 in the pinks) and changed one of the House of Embroidery colors (it should be 4C, not “U”).

Last time we met on this project, we talked about blending thread colors in the needle and we stitched a very simple little strawberry.

Today, we’re going to fill one of the larger, plumper strawberries and crown it with some dimensional leafy bits for the sepals.

Let’s move on, shall we?

How to Embroider Strawberries: Burden Stitch and Woven Picots
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Two Stitched Rows … and a Thing

 

Last time we visited Stitch Fun 2021 – my yearly sampler that I am endeavoring to add a little to every singly day – I’d already laid the foundation for the composite stitch that makes up one of the decorative bands I’ll show you today.

There are a few things here I want to chat about. One is thread. We all like talking about thread, but today’s approach is more by way of a warning!

I need to branch off and get away from decorative bands for a while – and I started to do that the other day and then I lost my bearings.

So here’s where I am so far on this sampler. As we look at it, I’ll note a few thoughts, ideas, problems, and so forth.

Stitch Fun 2021 embroidered sampler
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Embroidering Strawberries, Part 2: Simple!

 

On Monday, we started a series of tutorials on how to embroider strawberries five ways, and in that first article, which you’ll find here, there’s a materials list and a free pattern for the strawberry design.

You can stitch along with the series – it’s not too late to start – or you can come back to it here on the website whenever you want! If you’re on my Patreon membership page, you can also download the PDFs for the series to your own computer for future use or printing.

Today, we’re going to start very simply. We’ll chat about blending colors, and we’ll work through the first strawberry.

Embroidering Strawberries: Tutorial for five ways to stitch strawberries
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Striped Shell, Stitching a Starfish & Getting Crusty

 

Last time we visited my M monogram from A Sea to Stitch, I was contemplating the tulip shell – that conch type shell in the center of the M. I wanted to make it striped, remember?

And it ended up a bit wonky some five times, and I had to keep picking it out.

I finally quit picking it out, determined just to consider it an anomaly: a wonky seashell.

I call it an anomaly, because most seashells are pretty nigh-on perfect. They don’t all look the same, but within their own little construct, they usually reflect a marvelous perfection of coloring, pattern, shape, and structure. Golly, I love seashells! I could contemplate them all day and never grow bored.

Maybe not this one, admittedly… though I’m not unhappy with it. I can see clearly what the problem is, but I’ve moved on to my overzealous crusty starfish, and I’m not going back. No siree, Bob.

Embroidered monogram M with seashells
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How to Stitch Strawberries, Part I: Design & Materials

 

Today, we venture into a new little project: embroidered strawberries!

In this series of tutorials, we will journey through embroidering a stylized, simplified bunch of five strawberries. Each strawberry is embroidered in a different technique, so that you can experience several ways to stitch your own scrumptious berries.

The series is suitable for beginners and beyond. I’ve tried to keep everything, from the design to the techniques, accessible to all levels of stitchers. You should know how to transfer a design and set up your project for stitching.

Today, we’ll talk about materials and I’ll give you the design! Let’s go!

How to Embroider Strawberries: Free Design & Tutorials
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Natural Linen Fabric Sampler Pack

 

Do you ever ponder the question of what fabric to use for your hand embroidery projects? Do you ever wish you could try out fabrics that you’ve heard of or seen, so that you can learn what you like and don’t like to stitch on?

In embroidery, we often think about embroidery thread more than we think about fabric, but believe it or not, the choice of ground fabric is as important as the choice of thread!

The right ground fabric makes a huge difference – sometimes, the key difference – between a-raging-success-of-a-project or a-ho-hum-it’s-ok-ish sort of project.

In the interest of giving folks the opportunity to try out different ground fabrics so that they can make informed choices, I’ve decided to put together sampler packs of various linens that I like, that make beautiful ground fabrics for hand embroidery.

natural linen sampler pack
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Ready to Stitch Some Strawberries? Introduction

 

Last month, we explored together a collection of tutorials on how to embroidery wheat five different ways.

This month, we’re going to embark on another little stitching expedition together, focusing on how to stitch strawberries. And yes, five ways! For some reason, five was the Magic Number. (I think the next collection will feature six ways to embroider a Certain Something…)

The purpose of these little vignettes are two-fold: to help generate ideas for your own stitching, and to give you confidence in making choices when you stitch. Sometimes, it’s useful to see that things can be embroidered in more than one way.

At the same time, they provide nice little embroidery projects that are kinda pretty (ok, I might be biased) and that are relatively quick.

Before we launch into the strawberries formally next week, I want to cover some background information and some queries that came up during the wheat adventure.

How to Embroider Strawberries - Introduction
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Sampling Along on Stitch Fun 2021

 

Just a little Stitch Fun 2021 sampler update this morning, to kick off the week and the month of March!

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been fiddling with a new camera – certainly no great, complicated thing. I just use a point and shoot for most of my blog photos. And often, I just use my phone.

But I need a regular camera for certain situations. And for the most part, it has to be a small, quick camera. If I have to tussle with a monster camera every time I needed to take a photo, I’d get nothing done.

My favorite all-time camera over these blogging years has been my trusty-rusty Canon G12. But I think I’ve practically used it to death. It’s starting to limp. So I invested in a new point and shoot – one of the latest in that line of Canon cameras – and galldernit, it has a learning curve. I think it’s going to be a great camera, as soon as the Interface to the Chair (that would be me) can figure out its nuances.

That’s my excuse, if you’re not keen on the images posted today!! I’m working on it!

Stitch Fun 2021 embroidery sampler
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Piled High & Deep: Stitch Dictionaries on my Table

 

I’m a huge advocate of SDO – Stitch Dictionary Ownership.

You don’t have to own a gazillion stitch dictionaries. But I do think that every person who goes beyond the initial dabble into embroidery to pursue it as a developing interest should invest in at least one good stitch dictionary.

I won’t go so far as to say in at least two stitch dictionaries, since we have such easy access to the internet and a million online tutorials. But it’s always good to have one, as well as one or more other sources (including online) for cross referencing.

Right now, I have stitch dictionaries piled high and deep on my work table. You’ll find out why later!

Stitch Dictionaries for Hand Embroidery
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Embroidery Magazine Winner and the Bayeux Tapestry

 

Today’s quick little article contains two somewhat unrelated subjects: who won last week’s give-away for a collection of beautiful, new copies of Giuliana Ricama… and a fun resource for anyone who wants to get a closer look at the Bayeux Tapestry.

I’m going to be quick so that we can all tackle Monday with vim and vigor!

(If I find any vim and vigor, I’ll let you know…)

Bayeux Tapestry online
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Embroidered Wheat Five Ways, Part 4: Last Stalk & Leaves

 

In this previous installment of our series on how to embroider wheat five different ways, we stitched the two stalks on the right side of the bundle using bullion knots in different ways.

Today, in the last of the four tutorials in this collection, we’re going to work a relatively quick satin stitch for the kernels on the middle stalk in the bunch of wheat, and then we’ll stitch the leaves.

I’ll be referring you to some tutorials here on Needle ‘n Thread to help you out, if you’re a beginner, so please feel free to follow the links to various tutorials that go into detail on the stitching techniques. It’s a good way to pick up little embroidery tips!

How to Embroider Wheat 5 Ways: satin stitch, long & short stitch
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La Dolce Vita… with Needlework! (and a Giveaway)

 

Buongiorno (and howdy, too!) from frozen Kansas. Whoooooeeeee – it’s cold here! Time to take advantage of inside activities like embroidery and … embroidery … with a little hot-tea-drinking thrown in for good measure.

Yesterday morning things went a bit awry on my end. And then in the afternoon, we went into conservation mode, utilities-wise. I’m sorry I didn’t get this post out to you as intended first thing in the morning! I was probably daydreaming about sunny Italy. I think it’s time to read Enchanted April again!

Italy has a gloriously rich tradition in the needle arts, from far back into the ages of the early Roman emperors, right on up into our modern era. I’ve written before about a relatively new embroidery magazine on the market called Giuliana Ricama, and today, I want to remind you about it, and also offer a little give-away of some recent editions.

Giuliana Ricama embroidery magazine
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How to Embroider Wheat part 3: More Texture with Bullions

 

If you’re just joining us here on Needle ‘n Thread, we’ve been exploring five different ways to interpret wheat in hand embroidery.

Last Friday, we looked at how to embroider wheat in two quick and simple ways, using daisy stitch and granitos on two different stalks.

Before that, in Part 1, I posted the free design that we’re using here, along with the materials I’m using and any introductory information.

Today in Part 3 of How to Embroider Wheat five different ways, we’ll look at adding a little more texture to the wheat using bullion knots.

We’re actually going to look at 2.5 ways to use bullions, because I wanted to show you a possible variation to bullions that you might like as well.

Ready?

How to Embroider Wheat five ways, part 3, bullion knots
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How to Embroider Wheat, Part 2: Two Quick & Easy Stalks

 

Good morning, and welcome to installment #2 on how to embroider wheat five ways!

Today’s tutorial will take a lot longer for me to edit the photos and write the article than it will for you to embroider the wheat. These are two very quick and easy ways to embroider wheat.

If you’ve been around Needle ‘n Thread for a while – or if you’ve embroidered my Festive Fall design – you will be familiar with the first method. It’s pretty much as basic as you can get.

The second method – also pretty basic – is probably my favorite way to embroider wheat. It always turns out looking really good, without a lot of effort!

Let’s get started…

How to embroider wheat five different ways
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She Sews Seashells – Embroidered Seashells!

 

Do you know what an “ear worm” is? It’s a song or sometimes a phrase or saying that keeps running through your head. I think the term is usually used when it’s music that you can’t get out of your head.

I won’t mention any particular songs, because I wouldn’t want to do that to you!

But every time I’ve picked up my Sea to Stitch project from this book by Elisabetta Sforza, that little tongue-twister pops into my head: She sells seashells by the seashore. This morphs into She sews seashells, and then Seashows soshells and Sheshews sheshows… and on it goes, knocking about in my head in every possible configuration.

So far, I’m liking the seashells! There are a few little bits that I wish I had paid more attention to, perhaps adjusted a little, but overall, the letter is coming along pretty well, and I’m infatuated with the shells.

Sea to Stitch Monogram M Seashells
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Get Comfortable! Extending Fabric to Fit the Hoop

 

I’ve been steadily plying the needle each day for at least 20 or so minutes on my “Stitch Fun 2021″ sampler – a completely random, no-rules (except a few), year-long stitching exercise.

Through the first weeks of January, I had some frustrating moments which I chalk up mainly to the set-up of this piece. The linen I’m using for it is quite a narrow strip – under 8″ wide, just under a 6” wide stitching width. I really should have planned better, but I was using a strip of fabric I already had cut and it seemed a good way to use it up.

If you’ve ever stitched on a piece of fabric that’s really too small, you know it can be frustrating. If you’re trying to use a hoop, you have to use one that’s smaller than you’d like, so you have to move it around on the embroidery – and that takes time and its own level of annoyance.

If you just barely fit the stitching area into a barely-fitting hoop, it makes for uncomfortable stitching. Everything feels cramped! You don’t have enough fabric on the sides to make adjustments in the hoop easily. And as you approach the perimeter of your stitching, which is being rudely encroached upon by your too-small hoop, you have to … uh… jump through hoops to get your needle in and out of the fabric on the very edge. And then don’t even mention having to turn the work over and fight with ending the thread for stitches crammed right up against the edge of the hoop! What a pain in the …!

Yes! You get the idea!

I decided to solve the problem on my SF2021 sampler once and for all, and then I ditched the hoop and substituted another solution altogether. This is how I solved my cramped-hoop problem – and this is how you can solve similar problems, when you need to make your fabric bigger, to fit a hoop or frame more comfortably.

Extending Fabric to fit an Embroidery Hoop
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5 Ways to Embroider Wheat Part 1: Design & Materials

 

One of my plans for Needle ‘n Thread in 2021 includes going back to basics in some respects, with more emphasis on embroidery tutorials. But not just stitches – stitches in action!

While it’s important for any embroiderer to know the mechanics of embroidery stitches and to develop at least a small, ready repertoire of them, it’s even better to know how to choose and use different stitches in designs, to add interest to our embroidery projects and to make stitches work for us.

To help with that, this year I will highlight small practice projects that demonstrate how to interpret design elements with different stitches.

This first tutorial focuses on how to embroider wheat five different ways.

Why wheat? You’d be surprised how many people ask me “Do you have a simple, realistic design for wheat?” or “I have a wheat design, but I don’t know what stitches to use on it.” (Also, I’m from Kansas. We do wheat.)

To kick off to this short series of tutorials for five ways to embroider wheat, here is a simple, realistic design – it’s pretty! – and the materials I’m using, with some tips for getting started.

How to Embroider Wheat: five ways - free embroidery design
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Early Modern Embroidery & Lace Pattern Books

 

Good morning and happy Monday! It’s a bleak and rimy day here in Kansas, with a bit of a winter storm going on. In short, it’s a perfect indoor day!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been digging about online for old embroidery inspiration, concentrating mostly on early 19th century and before. It’s really unbelievable how much information about early textiles is available online, right at our fingertips, through vast collections of old print material, made digital.

It’s a blessing… and a curse. It’s a blessing, because – wow! We can learn so much and see so much that we otherwise would never see!

It’s a curse, because… well, I call them rabbit holes. Once you head down them, it’s easy to go farther and farther and farther, and it’s hard to crawl back out.

But these online collections are such a good source of inspiration for embroidery and other forms of needlework. So I’d say they’re much more of a blessing than a curse, don’t you think?

online collection of embroidery and lace pattern books
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A Fine Tradition – It’s Gorgeous!

 

A Fine Tradition: The Embroidery of Margaret Light hit the market a little earlier than expected, and once I saw it was out, I was so anxious to get my paws on it!

It was the exuberance of the cover of the book that caught me, of course.

Yes, yes! I know! Never judge a book…. But! You’ve got to admit, if you’re an embroidery enthusiast, if you like historical embroidery but with a contemporary flair, if you are fascinated by stitches and the way they work together, if you like crewel work, if you like interpretive possibilities… the cover on this books speaks volumes.

So, yep. When I first saw it announced, and being familiar with Margaret Light’s projects that I’ve seen off and on over the years in Inspirations Magazine, I was pretty eager to get the book! And I knew, deep down in my little heart, that it would be a fine book, indeed.

Let’s take a look at it!

A Fine Tradition: The Embroidery of Margaret Light
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An Embroidery Hodgepodge

 

Every year, I have this idea that January will be a quiet, calm, peaceful month. After all (at least in Kansas), it’s usually the doldrums – that part of winter that’s just gray and cold and not much is going on. It’s a good time to reflect, to calmly approach the year, to get one’s proverbial ducks all lined up.

But it never actually works that way. I think it’s a matter of ideas boiling over and that feeling that it’s time to act on all of them. Then, of course, I get into a bit of a frenzy, with loose ends going everywhere, and I find by the second half of January, I’m desperately trying to evaluate where I am and where I’m going. I have to slow things down, prioritize, organize, think things out.

And by the end of January, I generally feel a little more together.

This happens every year.

Today, I thought I’d share an embroidery hodgepodge with you. This mix represents a little bit of where I am and where I’m going right now and then heading into the next couple months. I’m at that point where I’ve put the brakes on and I’m prioritizing and working in a more systematic way to get things together! There’s no particular order to this particular hodgepodge.

I suppose that’s what makes it a hodgepodge.

Silk embroidery threads - color collection for project
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Project Progress: Changing Colors Midstream

 

Towards the end of last week, I tucked into my Sea-to-Stitch Monogram M project, to try to finish up the background color on the M.

I didn’t get as far as I wanted to (isn’t that always the case), because I found myself pausing the play with around with colors.

If you caught up with the project last week here, you’ll see that the water elements on the monogram were finished, and I was just starting to stitch in the background color. Today, we’ll talk about where things went from there, and why!

This is where I am now:

Sea to Stitch Monogram M: color selections
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Needle Identification and Organization… & a Morality Tale

 

We’re revisiting the topic of the ‘umble needle today – that little tiny, but mighty, little tool.

Truly, it’s the only tool that those of us into needlework really couldn’t do without.

Imagine if needles disappeared. Poof! No more needles!

It would be hard to indulge in this art that means so much to us, wouldn’t it? Sure, we could figure out how to make one to get by, but … it wouldn’t quite be the same. I want to be embroiderer, anyway – I don’t want to be a needle manufacturer!

So now and then, I like to talk about needles. I have a healthy respect for them, for many reasons. Today, I’ll recap some information on different types of needles and how to identify them, give some suggestions for organization, and to top it off, I’ll share a little morality tale with you.

Embroidery Needles: Identification & Organization on Needle 'n Thread
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A Project Update: Sea to Stitch Monogram

 

I’m determined that this monogram from A Sea to Stitch by Elisabetta Sforza (you can read my review of that project book here) will be finished before January comes to an end! (Update, May 2021: yes, well, that didn’t happen!)

But then again, there are two more projects underway that I keep saying the same thing about. Oh dear.

Here’s a project update. I’ll tell you a few things I’m doing differently and share some whys and wherefores. Come, let’s take a look…

Sea to Stitch Monogram M, embroidery in silk on linen
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Needlework News Snips – Four to Explore

 

Good morning and happy Monday!

Normally, I gather up a more extensive list of needlework resources when I share news snips, but these four artistic, inspirational, useful, or informative topics are worth taking a little time over. I wanted to share them with you on a Monday morning to give you the opportunity to enjoy them during the week as you have time.

Sometimes, for me, Monday morning is my quietest time. It’s when I do my weekly planning, but it’s also about the only time during the week that I spend time reviewing online needlework finds. Maybe you’re in the same boat.

Go grab a cup of something warm and cozy, and let’s have a little browse together!

Needlework News Snips, January 2021
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A Week In: Completely Random Embroidery!

 

Golly! If a week’s worth of stitching on this yearly sampler idea that we talked about here is any indication of how my year is going to go, mildly chaotic would be a good prediction!

I need to pull in the reins.

Or not!

This week, my listening time was a little longer than it will be in future weeks of 2021, because I’m finishing up a series of lectures that I promised I would not fall behind on… that I fell behind on. So I’ve added those to my listening regime at lunch time, so I’m getting in a few more stitches on this project than originally planned.

Today, I thought we could talk briefly about random embroidery, just how random is random, whether or not random works for me (and how to know if it works for you), and I’ll try to mention a few helpful bits of information, too, for those interested in stitching this type of project.

Stitch Fun 2021 band sampler
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Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery – Book Review

 

Good morning, and welcome to the first embroidery book review of 2021!

I have an ever-growing stack of needlework books on my book table at the moment – some fabulous bookish treasures have appeared in the past year! – but I really wanted to highlight Sharon Boggon’s Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery right away for several reasons, not least of which is that Sharon’s was the first embroidery website that I ever found and followed (way back when it was called “In a Minute Ago”), before craft blogging was big. She’s been online for a long time, and of all the contemporary embroiderers out there, she is one of the most thorough and creative when it comes to manipulating the stitch.

Sharon heads an initiative every year called TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) in which she presents a stitch every Tuesday, highlighting variations, and encourages the participants to explore the stitch thoroughly, experimenting with combinations, variations, threads, colors, embellishments – all the aspects that can bring a different look and life to the stitch.

Predominantly, Sharon is a crazy quilter. But her embroidery goes beyond crazy quilting. She creates fascinating embroidered works of texture, color, and combinations, all hinging on getting the most out of each type of stitch she uses.

Creative Stitches in a Contemporary Embroidery is the natural outcome of Sharon’s explorations in stitch. It’s a book for embroiderers who love embroidery stitches of all kinds, from simple to elaborate, and who find fascination in the creative ways they can be employed.

Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery by Sharon Boggon
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Happy New Year! And We’re Off….!

 

Happy New Year to each and every one of you! I hope that the recent holidays brought you an opportunity to rest, relax, regroup, regenerate, and perhaps stitch a bit!

And I hope that 2021 proves to be an exceptionally stellar year for everyone. As with any year, on a personal level, it will be what we make of it, I suppose. Don’t let what you can’t do keep you from doing what you can! Here on Needle ‘n Thread, I hope to make 2021 a Great year!

I have Plans, you see… so let’s start out by chatting about a couple projects and unfolding some January Plans!

C’mon! Let’s go!

2021 Stitch Fun Sampler
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Merry Christmas – & Some Puzzles!

 

Merry Christmas to one and all!

While 2020 has been a tough year for most of us in one way or another, I hope you have still found some blessings in your everyday life to be thankful for, and that this Christmas, all those blessings are doubled and even tripled for you! May joy abound all around!

To add a little Christmas cheer, here’s my Christmas 2020 Eye-Spy game and jigsaw puzzle for you! I hope you enjoy them!

I’ll also announce the winners of the last give-away in this year’s Christmas series. And so… read on!

Christmas-2020-Eye-Spy-needlenthread
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #10: Embroidery Books Galore from Search Press!

 

Happy Monday! And welcome to the Last Installment of this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas series!

It’s been a fun series of give-aways this year, with some wonderful prizes, and I hope that you’ve enjoyed it – and that you will keep the businesses who contributed to the series in mind when you are looking for needlework goodies!

Today’s final installment features three grand collections of needlework books, courtesy of Search Press North America! This means that three of you will receive one of the collections, based on the order in which names are randomly drawn. Each collection includes a themed group of books to add to your needlework library.

At the end of today’s give-away, I’ll announce the winner of Friday’s episode and share any pertinent news, so … read on!

Stitcher's Christmas: Search Press needlework books
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #9: Blackwork – a New Book & a Materials Kit!

 

One more week until Christmas – and things are winding down for the year here in my wee studio. What a year, eh?

Before we get entirely into today’s edition of A Stitcher’s Christmas, some brief news: I’ve restocked some holiday towel sets in my shop, as well as Alison Cole’s Goldwork and Stumpwork Masterclass books – and one stray Mini Stocking Kit. You’ll find them all here. If you’ve been waiting for any of the above, they’re available now, and I will ship priority this afternoon (for any purchases made before noon today) and again on Monday for any purchases made through noon Monday, and then … I’m done! I’ll be taking a short hiatus for Christmas, so Monday will be the last shipping day for a short bit.

Ok, now, onto the fun stuff! Today’s give-away focuses on blackwork embroidery – specifically, the beautiful blackwork of Jen Goodwin, who has recently written an extensive and thoroughly instructive book on the subject.

I’ll give you the details about the give-away – and a little information about the book, since I haven’t yet had a chance to review it thoroughly – and I’ll also announce the winner of Wednesday’s give-away below. So … read on!

A Stitcher's Christmas: Blackwork book and materials kit from Jen Goodwin
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #8: Threads, Tools & Accessories!

 

Happy Wednesday, and welcome to the 8th installments of A Stitcher’s Christmas for this unforgettable year of 2020!

Today’s give-away is courtesy of Needle in a Haystack, where Cathe Ray has been busily producing needlework tools and accessories! This give-away includes a nice sampling of them.

I’ll also announce the winners of Monday’s gifts at the end of today’s articles, so read on!

Stitcher's Christmas: Needle in a Haystack
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #7: Stitch Palettes for Color Selection!

 

Happy Monday! Hard to believe it’s less than two weeks until Christmas and we are over half-way through with this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas series.

There have been some fabulous gifts in this year’s series, don’t you think? And there are more to come! A huge thank you to all the small businesses who have participated! Remember: your support of small needlework businesses is crucial to keeping needlework alive. These businesses rely on you to stay open. So please support them when you need needlework goods!

For today’s give-away, we’re going to look at a tool that will help you with the color-selection process for embroidery. Then I’ll announce the winners of last Friday’s give-away and share some news with you – so read on to the end!

Stitch Palettes for color selection in embroidery
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #6: Metallics Galore… & a Little More!

 

Bonjour, my friends!

This morning, for the 6th installment of this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas series, we’re heading over to The French Needle!

Today’s give-away is pretty exciting, especially for those of you who might be a wee bit like me and a little bit infatuated with sparkly things! Or if you just love thread…

First, we’ll talk about today’s Christmas gifts, and then I’ll announce the winners of this past Wednesday’s give-away. So read on, s’il vous plaît!

Stitcher's Christmas: Au Ver a Soie Metallics & More
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A Stitcher’s Christmas: Monograms & More!

 

Today, a little lull in the excitement of new and thrilling give-aways, and instead, something quite and subtle … but fun!

You see, much of today’s give-away will be a mystery. Why? Because I’m either very busy, very lazy, unprepared, or some, or all, of the above. You choose!

I’ll tell you what it’s all about, and then I’ll announce the winners of Monday’s give-away from Inspirations Studios.

Monograms & More!
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #4: The Gift of Inspiration… and a Turtle!

 

Happy Monday! And welcome to the fourth installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2020!

It’s hard to believe we’re already into the second week of Advent, which means that Christmas is not too far away!

I think one of the best gifts we can ever receive at any time is the gift of inspiration – that stimulation to do something particularly creative, thoughtful, or even brilliant; that flash of an idea that’s perfectly timed, that’s profound or eye-opening. It’s somewhat difficult to nail down exactly what inspiration is, the way we use the term today, but I think I’d say it’s an awakening of the soul that moves us to do or think above our normal level of doing or thinking.

Keeping that in mind, I think that Inspirations Magazine is aptly named, because for embroiderers, it does just that. Don’t you reckon?

Anyway… enough profundity. Let’s get on with it!

Today, I’m going to introduce a fantastic give-away, courtesy of Inspirations Studio, that makes me a wee bit jealous that I can’t participate in this one! I’ll admit that there’s a little bit of twitterpation on my part going on here. And I think you’re going to love it, too!

At the end of today’s article, I’ll announce the winners of Friday’s give-away, too. So read on through!

Stitcher's Christmas: Passion for Needlework & Jewel of the Sea kit
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Stitcher’s Christmas #3: Italian Delights from Giuliana Ricama

 

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2020, installment #3!

Today, it’s straight out of Italy – specifically, two beautiful gifts from the publishers of the embroidery magazine Giuliana Ricama, which is available in both an Italian and an English edition. I wrote about the magazine a while back, if you’d like to learn more about it.

I’m also going to announce the winner of installment #2 at the end of today’s article, so please venture on to the very end to see if you get to enjoy one of Di van Niekerk’s gifts this Christmas!

2020 Stitcher's Christmas #3: Guilana Ricamo magazine and a kit
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Stitcher’s Christmas #2: Silk Ribbon Extravaganza!

 

Good morning, and welcome to Installment #2 of this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas – a series of delectable needlework give-aways leading up to Christmas!

Today’s give-away includes a gorgeous kit, silk ribbon collection, and books, courtesy of the Queen of Silk Ribbon, Di van Niekerk! More details below…

I’ll also tell you the winners of Monday’s give-away, so make sure you read through to see if your name is on that list!

Also, I’m going to tighten up the give-away guidelines, so please read those carefully. Thanks!

Stitcher's Christmas: Silk ribbon goodies from Di van Niekerk
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2020 – the Kickoff!

 

Here on Needle ‘n Thread around Christmas time, we have a little Stitcher’s Christmas party – a series of fun embroidery-related give-aways featuring beautiful needlework goods offered by small businesses who are happy to assist in giving something back to the Needle ‘n Thread community.

So, for the next several weeks leading up to Christmas, you can expect a series of fabulous needlework give-aways! Threads, kits, books, tools – they’re all here, and who knows? They might end up in your stocking or under your tree!

There are a few guidelines for the give-aways – I’ll remind you of those at the end of each give-away.

To kick off this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas, courtesy of Colour Complements, it’s everybody’s favorite – Thread!

A Stitcher's Christmas 2020, 1: embroidery thread from Colour Complements
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Embroidery Projects for Christmas – Ready Now!

 

Good morning, my friends!

Today, I’m so excited to share a new kit with you and some other delectable Christmas stitching projects. All the projects released today are suitable for beginners and beyond – though the Mini Sampler Stockings include some finishing (which I made super easy for you!).

First, I’m going to tell you a little bit about the Mini Sampler Stocking supply kits and the separate downloadable instructional ebook that are now available! These are my Favorite project right now!

Once you see how versatile they are, how deceptively easy they are, how festive they are, and how quick they are to complete, I think you’ll understand why I like them. I’ve been playing with all kinds of combinations and approaches for stitching these, because … well, once you start, it’s kind of hard to quit!

Mini Sampler Christmas Stocking Ornaments from Needle 'n Thread
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Happy Thanksgiving! And a Game!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

No matter where you are, there’s always a reason to celebrate Thanksgiving, so even if you’re not here in the US, I hope you have a very happy day full of many blessings!

I’m so grateful for our wonderful community we’ve built around Needle ‘n Thread! You are such a special part of my life, and I hope you know that! It’s been a rough year for so many of us, but I hope that you can find much to be thankful for and that you find some joy and contentment as the year comes to a close.

Last year, I started putting together these holiday eye-spy games, with a jigsaw puzzle to go with it. So, for your Thanksgiving treat, here’s this year’s Eye Spy. Read the ditty and see if you can find all the stuff! (Or just check for my mistakes!)

Thanksgiving 2020 Eye Spy - Needle 'n Thread
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Stitching for Christmas – Upcoming Delights!

 

I love stitching for Christmas!

And when it comes to this time of year, I love stitching for Christmas as we get closer to it. It’s hard for me to think about Christmas stitching in July. Even in September, it’s not foremost on my mind.

It’s funny – come mid-January, I can stitch ahead for spring without a problem. But there’s just something about the longer nights of late fall and early winter, the inside weather, and the anticipation of the Christmas season that makes me want to stitch particularly Christmassy things right now.

I’ve got a few new things coming out this year for Christmas stitching. All of them are relatively “quick” projects (for hand embroidery, anyway!). I tried to vary them according to how they might appeal for different levels and interests of stitchers, and I hope you like them! Here’s a little sneak peek, and some information on when they’ll be available on the website.

Mini Sampler Christmas Stocking ornament kit
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Stitch Fun! Beaded Fly Stitch in Two Variations

 

As we move into the weekend, I thought it might be fun to explore some stitch variations. Maybe these will get some ideas flowing for some weekend stitching experiments!

Stitch Fun! is a series of embroidery stitch tutorials here on Needle ‘n Thread, where we explore combinations, composites, and variations of embroidery stitches. There’s a hefty list of photo tutorials in the series, if you want to check it out here.

Today’s tutorial is the result of working on the instructions for these Mini Sampler Stockings I showed you last week, that go with my Christmas ornament kits that will be out in about a week.

Some of the stitch explorations didn’t make the cut, simply because I didn’t end up using them on the models for the e-book. Even so, I’ve included lots of stitches and ideas for variations in the instructions, so that you can explore and experiment to your heart’s content. It’s a great way to end up with a finished ornament or two that are uniquely you!

In the meantime, this is a fun way to play around with fly stitch and beads…

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Beaded Fly Stitch Variations
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Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival – Virtually!

 

Don’t you find that the happiest people you know are the people who have a creative outlet of some sort?

They pursue an art, a craft, a hobby – something creative that brings a consistent, quiet joy to their own lives and to the lives of those around them. They generally tend to be optimists. They have things to look forward to! Plans and ideas occupy their minds, taking them outside, and above, the often-drudgery of the world around them. They see things differently. The Mundane becomes interesting through their eyes.

One positive thing that has happened in 2020 is that many people are rediscovering – or discovering for the first time – what it means to be creative. As a result, the virtual world is hopping with all kinds of ways to tap into creative pursuits.

With the holidays coming up, you might think it’s the wrong time of year to pursue creativity or to discover new creative paths. But even though it can be a busy time of year, it’s really the ideal time to slow down, calm down, and focus on some quiet pleasures that help bring the joie back to joie de vivre.

To help you do that, there’s a really fabulous-looking Virtual Art & Crafts Christmas Festival coming up, organized and hosted by Search Press. When I heard about it, I figured I better share it with you, because it sounds pretty darned good and I think it will be a lot of fun!

Search Press Virtual Art and Craft Christmas Festival
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A Passion for Needlework: Blakiston Creamery

 

So many wonderful needlework books made their debuts this year – one very positive aspect of 2020! – and perhaps the most beautiful among those books is the third edition of A Passion for Needlework at Blakiston Creamery.

A Passion for Needlework is a developing series of project books published by Inspirations Studios. You’ll find my review for the first book in the series here, and my review for the second book, Factoria VII, here.

Each book features unique and exquisite needlework projects to stitch. The photography and the settings in which the projects are displayed for the purpose of the book are a feast for the eyes. The books are a combination of art forms, really: needle arts, art, architecture, and skillful photography.

While they make wonderful projects books (the projects are fabulous!), they also make perfect coffee table books – the type of book that you’d set out as decor on its own, that friends and family can browse through and wonder at, even if they aren’t inclined to the needle arts.

Today, we’re going to look at the third book, photographed at Blakiston Creamery in South Australia. The book features a dozen projects, so I’ll show you each one and let you know what you can find in the book. It’s not all about the pretty pages, after all – there’s much to learn herein!

A Passion for Needlework: Blakiston Creamery
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Free Embroidery Design: Lace Reinterpreted

 

More often than I like to admit, I come across half-started embroidery projects floating around my studio, or half-conceived ideas for embroidery projects floating around on my computer.

I was scouring through my collections of embroidery designs, ideas, scans from old books, and whatnot, desperately looking for a design that I know I have, that I’ve even embroidered, but that I can’t seem to find! I can’t remember what I named it. Something clever, no doubt – so clever that it evades me.

But when I’m on a digging mission like that, I come across these half-conceived ideas that I had Once Upon a Time, but haven’t yet had the time to pursue. And that’s what this design is.

Lace Reinterpreted hand embroidery design
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Mini Sampler Christmas Stockings! I couldn’t wait…

 

Over the last many years, I’ve tried to put out some fun designs and projects to stitch for Christmas. This year, I had six ideas floating around in my head.

But only one really emerged. And once it did – well, it became an obsession! I kept coming back to the notion of little projects that combine fun stitches, a bit of sparkle and bling, and an easy finish into something usable … and these little mini stockings are what developed.

I’ve been dying to share them with you! You’ve seen a few sneak-peeks now and then, but I didn’t want to go all out until I was sure that I could do with them what I wanted to.

But they’ve been So Much Fun to stitch and to develop into finished ornaments, that I just can’t wait any longer. I haven’t even taken Christmassy photos of them yet – I just want you to see them now!!

Mini Sampler Christmas Stockings
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Beeswax for Goldwork Threads – Heavenly Stuff!

 

Quite a while ago, we chatted about thread conditioners used in the needlework world, and I gave my two-cents’ worth of profound thought on the subject.

I’m not a fan of thread conditioners – you can read the article to see my reasoning – but I am an unabashed fan of beeswax.

But, before there’s any confusion, I’m not a fan of beeswax for conditioning or taming cranky needlework threads. Not at all! (I mention why in that article, too.)

But I do use beeswax for goldwork, to strengthen threads and protect them from abrasion from the metal threads. (And, yes, we talk about that in the previously mentioned article, too.)

It just so happens that I have a beehive in my backyard. And that beehive produces honey and beeswax. It’s my brother-in-law’s hive, and this past year, he harvested some nice wax. I got a little bit of it.

This weekend, I was beset with a headache that kept me from stitching and from computer work, so instead, I set about preparing little wax pats for goldwork kits.

Preparing Beeswax for Goldwork Threads
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Pulling Silk Threads & Beads for a Project to Savor

 

The other day, I pulled threads and beads for an embroidery project I have a mind to do.

It’s a project I want to savor. And although I won’t be starting it right away (still finishing up some Christmas stuff!), once I do start, it’s going to be one of those no-pressure projects. I’m going to take it slow and easy and really enjoy the heck out of it!

It’s a monogram from Elisabetta’s book, Ricamare Il Mare (A Sea to Stitch), which I reviewed here and which you will find available here in my shop.

I’ve been itching to stitch one ever since I clapped eyes on Elisabetta’s samples! I couldn’t resist pulling threads and other delectables for it the other day. I felt a little sneaky because I had other things to do, but you know how it is when a project is stewing in your head and you just can’t resist its siren call!

For my version, I’ll be mixing up some silk threads, specialty threads, and beads. Once I start on it, I’ll keep you updated on my progress, I’ll share tips and discoveries along the way, and I’ll let you know what choices I make along the way as far as materials go. If you want to follow along when I get to that point, you’ll need your own copy of the book (of course). I won’t be sharing Elisabetta’s patterns, her interpretations of elements into stitches, or anything like that. Just my journey, which you’re welcome to join me on when I finally head out!

A Sea to Stitch Monogram in Silk, Beads, & Specialty Threads
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Embroidery with Beads – Thread Follow-Up!

 

Last week, I we chatted about using certain types of fishing line for embroidery with beads.

I distinguished what I mean when I say “embroidery with beads” (as opposed to “bead embroidery”), we looked at the difference between using embroidery floss for fixing beads in place (which is a perfectly acceptable way to sew bead accents onto embroidery projects), and I recommended the two types of line that I’ve used for embroidery with beads.

The article generated a Massive Amount of Questions, so I thought I’d break from regular programming and answer a few of those. Here on the website, I’ll link to this article from the original article, in the hopes that it will be helpful to future readers, too.

Using Fireline and Nanofil for embroidery with beads
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Embroidery with Beads What Threads?

 

Once upon a time here on Needle ‘n Thread, I distinguished between “bead embroidery” and “embroidery with beads.” I’m not really sure if there’s an official distinction, but if there isn’t, I think there should be (just for the sake of clarity).

And just for the sake of clarity, when I’m writing about beads and embroidery, I tend to think of “bead embroidery” as embroidery that is done entirely with beads. Take, for example, these beautiful bead embroidery kits by Mary Alice Sinton at Blue Bonnet Studio. Exquisite! And entirely beaded.

When I think of “embroidery with beads,” on the other hand, I think of work that is predominantly thread-executed embroidery, accented with beads.

I like both. (Who am I kidding? I love both!) There’s just something that appeals to me about the sparkle of beads.

But most frequently, when I’m playing with beads, I indulge in the latter – embroidery with beads.

Incidentally, neither of these should be confused with beading – creating jewelry or other structures, usually devoid of fabric and relying only on thread or wire as the structure, entirely from beads. Nor should either be confused with weaving with beads. Both of these are entirely different from embroidery, or the embellishment of fabric, with beads (even if some beading can involve fabric and weaving results in a kind of fabric…)

Confusing enough? Well, for today’s topic, let’s just stick with the notion of embellishing fabric with embroidery that is accented with beads.

Embroidery with beads - what threads to use
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Yellow to White: Whitening Yellowed Linen, Part II

 

A couple weeks ago, we chatted about this yellowed and stained piece of linen that I was freshening up and (hopefully) bringing back to white.

Many of you wrote in with some great suggestions for whitening old linens – if you are missed that article and you’re looking for ways to whiten linens, make sure you read the previous article and the comments.

After boiling with cream of tartar, which can be a successful way to remove stains and some types of markings from linen, I plunged into the Buttermilk Adventure detailed in the previous article.

You see, this was an experiment of sorts. I had read about using buttermilk to whiten linens in older books. I just wanted to see how it would work. Curiosity and all…

And guess what? After a 36-hour soak, I conceded that buttermilk doesn’t really work. It made perhaps a mild dent in the yellowing, and it may have lightened the stain a fraction, but not really enough to notice at a glance. So I decided to move on.

I have successfully struck the Buttermilk Soak from my bucket list.

Whitening Yellowing Linen
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Embroidered Communion Pall – Finished

 

I’ve been trying to tie up loose ends lately, finishing up smaller embroidery projects here and there. There’s something rather satisfactory about being able to put a completely finished project away – to tidy up the work table, to put threads in their place, and all that!

This piece of ecclesiastical embroidery that I showed you earlier is finished, so it’s ready to pack up.

I’ll show you the finish, talk a bit about trimming, blocking, and so forth, and then we’ll chat about (literally) putting it away and how I go about doing that.

Hand Embroidered Communion Pall - IHS - by Mary Corbet
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A Sea to Stitch – and It’s Gorgeous!

 

My heart is full of delight when I look at this book. It speaks to me on So Many Levels!

A Sea to Stitch (or Ricamare il Mare in Italian) by Elisabetta Sforza is her newest publication highlighting a beautiful sea-themed alphabet and decorative elements to embroider. The designs are exquisitely imagined and stitched!

If you have any penchant for the sea, if it calls to you as it has for so many people through the ages, then you will find something very enticing about this collection! For me, the designs in the book elicit a kind of tranquil wonder – that awestruck feeling that sweeps over a person when beholding the sea after long separation, or when looking upon something new and beautiful for the first time.

Today, I’ll show you the book in-depth, so that you know what you can expect inside its pages. I’ll also share some photos of some finishing ideas from Elisabetta’s collection. Finally, if the book is up your alley as much as it is up mine, you’ll find it available to purchase in my shop.

A Sea to Stitch by Elisabetta Sforza
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Get it Straight! Cutting Linen Along the Thread

 

Just a quick note before launching into today’s topic: I’ve restocked the Autumn Variety, Festive Fall, and Holly & Evergreen ready-to-stitch towel sets. You can find them all available here right now!

Earlier in the annuls of Needle ‘n Thread somewhere (here, to be exact), we had a chat about cutting fabric along the grain, and what that means.

Today, I’m going to very quickly show you why it’s important to cut embroidery fabric (in this case, linen) along the thread of the fabric, which is precisely along the “grain” – not just sort of guessing in the general direction of the grain.

I’ve been preparing some kits lately – that’s what was going on when we discussed weighing beads in this article.

Well, if you thought weighing beads seems tedious, precisely cutting precisely measured linen is even more so. When I prepare embroidery kits, I always cut the linen along the thread of the fabric, so that I know that you are getting the full amount of fabric, that it is square on the grain, and that there’s no senseless waste.

Let’s look at why it’s important to cut linen along the thread of the fabric.

Cutting Embroidery Linen along the Thread
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“Iron” is a Four-Letter Word

 

In my world, the verb iron is a four-letter word.

You know what type of four-letter word I’m talking about – like darn or drat. Or even crud.

That type of four-letter word.

I’m not a huge fan of ironing.

However, embroidered household linens usually need to be ironed if you really want them to look nice.

And while I only iron my clothes when I absolutely must, I iron embroidered household linens – such as table cloths & runners, hand towels, flour sack towels, pillow cases, and so forth – whenever they need it. The satisfaction of seeing the pieces beautifully ironed outweighs my disinclination for ironing in general.

I also iron fabric for sewing or for finish work whenever I need to, and that kind of ironing is satisfying, too.

Since the question about ironing embroidered flour sack towels has come up a few times, I thought I’d show you my ironing set-up and tell you how I iron such things.

Ironing Hand Embroidered household linens, felt mat
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Stocking Embroidery Books: a Beautiful One Coming Soon!

 

When I first stocked Alison Cole’s Goldwork Masterclass (which you can read about here – and which is in stock again here), I received a few inquiries about why I would stock other people’s embroidery books on Needle ‘n Thread.

Since bringing in Alison’s books, I’ve also had inquiries about other books becoming available on Needle ‘n Thread.

And so, today, I thought I would address the rather sticky question of stocking embroidery books. It’s sticky for a number of reasons.

And yes, I have another beautiful book coming from abroad! So I’ll tell you just a wee bit about it, before I officially show it to you in all its detailed glory once it’s in stock.

A Sea to Stitch by Elisabetta Sforza
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Whitening Yellowed Linens: An Adventure of Sorts

 

It may seem like a mundane and not-so-exciting project, but I’ve been tackling the problem of whitening a piece of yellowed embroidered linen these days. In addition to whitening the linen, I need to replace the lace and do some minor repair work.

But first things first: the linen is Sooo Very Yellow with (not very old) age and use, and there is a significant stain on it.

The piece I’m working with is an embroidered linen pall that I made years ago, which I wrote about here and here. It is, in fact, only 11 years.

Whitening yellowed embroidered linen and removing stain
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Hexies in the Almost-Ozarks

 

Last week, my sister and I took my dad down to Warsaw, Missouri, where my dad’s sister lives and where his parents (our grandparents) used to live after my grandfather retired from working in Kansas City. I was suppose to write to you from there on Friday with this article, but alas, the WiFi was too sluggish.

I took my hexies with me, of course! I knew they’d enjoy a little rest, relaxation, and attention, too, after all. I also knew about a quilt shop there that carries the fabric line I’m using. And, well… you know how it is…

Hexies on the Road in the Ozarks
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How to Embroider a Beaded Pumpkin

 

I love little embroidery tutorials. And I love autumn. And I love pumpkins.

But if you’ve been following along on Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you probably already know all this. There are quite a few fall-themed embroidery tutorials, patterns, and projects floating around here!

The other day when I was sorting beads, I decided to play with some orange beads. The next thing I knew, I was working up this little pumpkin. So I’m sharing it with you, so that you can stitch it, too.

Maybe you’re a crazy quilter and you’d like to add a touch of fall to a square? Maybe you’d like to make up a little autumn card and add a bit of embroidery to it? Or maybe you just want to embroider a little beaded pumpkin, just for the fun of it!

Whatever the case, if you’re a pumpkin enthusiast, if you like embroidery, if a little beaded bling is up your alley – I’m sure you’ll find a use for it!

How to Embroider a Beaded Pumpkin
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Beads, Embroidery Kits, and Weighing Things

 

“Weighing Things.”

It sounds as if I’m going to write about profound, thoughty subjects.

I’be been weighing things in my mind.

And I have been weighing things.

I’ve been weighing tiny things! Beads, as a matter of fact.

Have you ever thought about the embroidery kits that we use and enjoy, and what it takes to put them together? I think about it every time I encounter a new kit. The packaging, the arrangement of supplies, the amount of thread, the extra touches. The box or bag. The labeling. I notice it all, and I think about it.

Let’s talk about beads in embroidery kits, for example…

Beads in Embroidery Kits - weighing and packaging
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Thread Love: Au Ver a Soie Metallics

 

We’ve chatted about Au Ver a Soie metallic threads before here on Needle ‘n Thread, but I can’t help it! I have to revisit the subject and share them with you again. Why? Because I’ve been working on something sparkly!

When it comes to hand embroidering with metallic threads, it’s true that there’s often a bit of dread involved. That’s usually because we’ve had bad experiences with metallic threads.

Normally, if stitchers across a wide range of disciplines have consistent frustrations with a particular type or brand of thread, I generally figure the problem is not the stitcher – it’s the thread!

Because so many embroiderers have problems with many available metallics on the needlework market today, metallics in general get a bad rap. And that’s unfortunate, because there are metallic threads out there that are better than others, that are easier to stitch with, and that yield lovely results.

Au Ver a Soie’s metallic threads fall into this category. They are by far my favorite metallics to use when I want to add some sparkle to my embroidery projects.

Au Ver a Soie metallic threads for embroidery
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Catching Up! 17th Century Beadwork, Samplers, and Other News

 

Good morning, my friends! If you love historical needlework, today’s news bit is for you!

I’m also going to share a picture of the wedding dress that I mentioned the other day, for those who asked. And there were many of you who asked!

The last many months, things have been a bit discombobulated in my life, but I think (I hope) that life will settle down into a controllable routine for a while now. There’s much to catch up on behind the scenes, and I’m working again on a normal publishing schedule for the blog. As the days unfold, you should notice a little more regularity here, if all goes as planned. Thanks for sticking by me!

Ok, to move forward, this is time sensitive information. October 2nd and 3rd, an auction of a fabulous collection of historical needlework is available online, and I want you to know about it. You might not be able to participate, but you can certainly take a peek at the items being auctioned and perhaps glean a bit of inspiration for your own pursuits.

17th century bead embroidery auction
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Hand Beading a Wedding Gown

 

This time of year, there’s always loads of stuff going on in my studio. Besides autumn embroidery (I can’t resist stitching something in anticipation of autumn each year), I’m already looking ahead to Christmas while trying to tie up loose ends from earlier in the year.

I have a lot of loose ends this year – those projects that I should have written instructions for by now, those kits that I should have ordered supplies for by now, those tutorials I should have videoed by now. This year, I’m a bit more behind than usual.

But that’s ok! Everything happens for the best, and everything that’s supposed to happen, will happen in good time.

To avoid stress in my Needle ‘n Thread world, I try to stick to the principle of not letting what I can’t do keep me from doing what I can. Or, in another sense: I do what I can do, and I don’t worry about what I can’t do.

But there are some “little” projects that come up unexpectedly, that I don’t mind doing – in fact, that I want to do, that I’m excited to do, and that I’ll put aside other things in order to do. And this is one of them!

Hand beading a wedding gown with pearl beads
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Autumn Variety – Ready to Stitch Set Available Now!

 

Here in Kansas, Autumn is spreading over the landscape pretty quickly. The trees are changing color, chilly nights are the norm, and Fallishness is showing up everywhere!

To celebrate my favorite season, I’ve put together another collection of ready-to-stitch autumn towels featuring maple leaves, oak leaves and acorns, and, of course, a pumpkin. The new set, called Autumn Variety, is available now in my shop.

It’s a fun set! The designs are a little less complicated than the Festive Fall design (which is also in stock right now) and they work up pretty quickly. You’ll have them adorning your autumn kitchen before you know it!

These sets are definitely embroidery for relaxation, and now that the darkness falls from the wings of night a little bit earlier each day, it’s a perfect time to cozy up to this type of stitching.

Let’s take a closer look at the set, and I’ll tell you a bit about my color choices and stitches.

Autumn Variety ready to stitch towel set
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A Practical Guide to Needle Lace

 

I have long loved needle lace in most of its forms.

I’ve not explored it in serious depth, but I have dabbled with it, read about it, and in general, I’m always attracted by needle lace, both ancient and modern. There are certain types of needle lace that appeal to me more than others, and there are various practical uses of needle lace techniques in embroidery (or in finishing) that I think are worth knowing for any embroiderer.

Lately, I’ve been considering some further explorations of needle lace, and to that end, I’ve been pulling together my own resources and discovering a few new ones.

Today, I’d like to show you a needle lace book that I came across lately, that I like and that I think has some excellent merits when it comes to instructional content.

A Practical Guide to Needle Lace by Jacqueline Peter
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When to Use a Frame instead of a Hoop

 

I’ve had quite a few embroidery projects going on in the studio this year.

For example, you might remember that we kicked off the year with a voided monogram in floche. And then there was the whitework variation.

There’s been quite a bit of sampling going on this year, too – like this project, and this project, and this project.

There were some new spring towels, and some scroll towels, and some new folk towels.

Here, the Key to my Heart was finished as a hanging sachet and another voided monogram was finished as a needlebook.

Anna finished her Jacobean Bird, and I finished Jacobean Sea.

I started some more miniature stitching, I started (and finished – but I haven’t shown you yet) an ecclesiastical embroidery project, and Anna finished a gold and silk work project, which I have just started and hope to finish soon.

In and out of everything, I’ve worked on my hexie quilt project, too.

And there are a couple other projects still simmering and stewing, which I haven’t shared with you yet.

The reason I’m bring all of this up is because I’ve been asked several times lately a few questions about embroidery frames and hoops. The questions distill down to these general inquiries: What makes you decide to use a hoop over a frame or visa-versa, and should I be using a frame instead of a hoop?

Embroidery frames vs embroidery hoops - when to use one instead the other
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Trish Burr’s Embroidery Transfers – The Shortest Book Review Ever

 

Since we’re moving into the weekend – that blessed time when we can contemplate leisure activities and The Next Project – I thought it would be a good day to share a very short book review with you.

It’s challenging to write a book review about a book that has very few words in it. But I’m sure I’ll manage to say something. The most notable Something is this: if you struggle with transferring embroidery designs accurately, that struggle is about to end. (Yay!)

So please allow me to present this new book on the market – soon to be released, bound to be very popular, and definitely worth getting your pre-order in!

Trish Burr's Embroidery Transfers
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A Bit of Progress on Ecclesiastical Embroidery & Thank You!

 

Good morning!

Yesterday was my first day back to scheduled work and to getting any stitching done, so today, I’ll show you a little progress on this ecclesiastical embroidery project on linen that I started many weeks ago.

In my last article on this project, I mentioned the easy stitches I’m using on this particular piece of embroidery. Using basic stitches is working out really well, because I’m able to progress quickly on the embroidery whenever I can get a stitching session in. This piece doesn’t take long to embroider if you stick with basic stitches!

That said, I’m mulling over more complex choices for other types of embroidery with this same design.

Hand embroidered pall on linen - ecclesiastical embroidery
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A Brief Update & a Short Break

 

Dear Friends,

I’ve received many inquiries about where I am these days, along with inquiries about my mom, so I wanted to post a brief update to ease your concerns.

My mom passed into eternity last Friday evening. She died surrounded by those who love her, with her parish priest at her bedside to bless her on her way. After many, many weeks in severe pain, she died peacefully.

My Mom - May she Rest in Peace

Her Requiem and burial are Friday.

As for Needle ‘n Thread, well… Mom was my greatest fan! So of course, I’ll be back soon!

Thank you for your encouragement, prayers and support for me and for Mom over the past many weeks! Your kindness is overwhelming and a real comfort.

See you soon! Continue reading “A Brief Update & a Short Break”

Embroidery Sampler Samples

 

If you say the word “sampler” or “samples” over and over again, they will both start sounding like very weird words.

I hesitated to use the title of today’s post, because it seems somewhat redundant. Sampler Samples. That’s like saying samples for samples of samples. But they really are sampler samples.

Last week, I mentioned an idea I wanted to develop this year and here’s a little more development on the idea.

Embroidery Samplers - small samples
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Advanced Embroidery Projects for Beginners

 

Sometimes, beginner embroiderers jump into embroidery with enthusiastic gusto, leaping into projects that might seem too advanced. This can sometimes lead to frustration, feelings of inadequacy, or even quitting altogether.

I’ve always believed that, if enthusiastic and determined enough, you can tackle a more advanced project from the very beginning of your creative journey – as long as you tackle it through an accessible route.

And that is the approach that I’m pretty much taking with the ecclesiastical project that I first mentioned here.

Today, I’ll show you how far along my sample project is, and tell you how to make a seemingly advanced-looking project accessible for the beginningest of beginners.

Hand embroidered communion pall
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Embroidery Projects in the Studio

 

Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through another week, and I thought I’d take the opportunity to share with you some of the embroidery projects underway on my side of the computer screen.

I’m trying to streamline my stitching time and balance it a bit with my computer time, both of which I’m trying to juggle with my “life-sometimes-gets-in-the-way” time. It’s the Best Laid Plans problem, and it is ever thus when it comes to human endeavor. We can plan all we want. But as Robert Burns put it so aptly, The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley.

I’m pretty sure he just meant that plans go awry – though he said it with a much more musical lilt…

2020 mid summer embroidery projects
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Tool Talk: Revisiting the Laying Tool

 

Do you stitch with a laying tool?

There was a time when the laying tool was an infrequent visitor at my stitching spot, but over the years, it’s become a tool that I use more and more frequently. On some types of embroidery, I can’t do without it!

Today, I’m going to recap what a laying tool is, talk about how to use it, and explore what to look for in a good laying tool.

Laying tools for hand embroidery
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery on Linen with Floche

 

Recently, I was asked if I would teach a local class on ecclesiastical embroidery – specifically, how to make what is called a pall.

Things being what they are, the preparations were a little rocky. And I haven’t progressed as far as I’d like in my sample project for such a class.

And in fact, I’m not sold on my sample project, as little as it has progressed!

But I’m going to show it to you anyway and share some thought processes…

hand embroidered pall on linen with floche
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Looking Ahead – Some Autumn Embroidery

 

After about two weeks straight of hexies-only stitching (due to the reasons mentioned in this article), it will be good to (eventually) get back to some hand embroidery.

Don’t get me wrong – I love my hexies and I love their portability. But really, I love hand embroidery better, and I can’t wait to do some again.

In the meantime, these casual bits of autumn embroidery have been developing behind the scenes. I kept my cohort Anna busy, despite her broken leg, by test stitching some fall designs.

Autumn Variety embroidery designs
Continue reading “Looking Ahead – Some Autumn Embroidery”

Taking a Break!

 

Well, it is inevitable. Something had to give, and I’m afraid it’s this week on Needle ‘n Thread.

I mentioned last week that my mom was in the hospital. She was discharged a week ago Saturday and ended up back in this past Wednesday. I’m the designated visitor. Only one visitor is allowed, and it has to be the same visitor for the duration of the patient’s stay, due to recent health regulations. You can imagine what this does to the rest of the family, how exhausting it is for the designated visitor, and what it does especially to my 90-year old dad, with his wife of 65 years wondering where he is and not understanding why he can’t be there with her.

It’s not exactly a fun situation, and it’s a little stressful. But I figure where there’s stress, there should be handwork. It can at least help alleviate some of the stress.

So I’ve been taking my hexies with me as my companions in distress. And they’re holding up well…

Hexies in the Hospital
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Quaker Stitch Tutorial: Perfect for Embroidered Writing

 

Years ago, I wrote a series of articles on hand embroidered writing. The articles take you step-by-step through different embroidery stitches that work well for embroidered writing.

Today, we’re going to add a stitch to that list – particularly, a stitch known today as the “Quaker Stitch” because it was formulated to work as the stitch used for the text on the Quaker Tapestry. The stitch is a combination of split stitch and stem stitch, so, in effect, it is a split stem stitch.

While at first glance, it might look like stem stitch, the ingenious splitting of the “inside” portion of the stitch raises the stem stitch line up to make a nice, precise, slightly raised line ideal for writing with thread.

Let’s take a look at it!

Quaker Stitch embroidery tutorial
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Embroidery Needles for Newbies – and Beyond!

 

Good morning and a Happy Monday all around!

When it comes to hand embroidery, the needle is really the most important tool that you have.

Sure, a hoop is nice. But you can embroider without a hoop. Scissors are nice, but you don’t need them to embroider. (That said, I think it would be somewhat difficult – and inadvisable – to cut embroidery threads with your teeth…)

But you can’t really embroider without a needle. Something has to transport that thread in and out of the fabric, after all.

I’ve written many, many articles about hand embroidery needles over the years…

Embroidery Needles for Newbies and Beyond
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Goldwork Masterclass – Book Review & Stock for You

 

After thinking about it for a while, I realized I could write this review in one line:

“If you have any interest at all in goldwork, Goldwork Masterclass by Alison Cole is the definitive book on goldwork that you need to own.”

In fact, I think it’s such an important book for anyone who wants to learn goldwork and pursue excellence in goldwork, that I’ve decided to stock it. This will give US readers an opportunity to acquire the book without delay. Alison publishes her own books, so they are not available through other book sources. You can order them from her or from folks who order them from her. So, more on that at the end of today’s review!

Goldwork Masterclass by Alison Cole: Book Review
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Free Embroidery Stitch Tutorials & Tips

 

Over the years, I’ve compiled a whole lot of embroidery stitch tutorials & tips here on Needle ‘n Thread.

For Needle ‘n Thread newcomers and veterans alike, today, I’d like to recap some of my favorite groups of stitch tutorials, so that you can explore them all from one spot. Many of you may have seen these before, so this may just serve as a reminder that the tutorials are there for you. Plus, you can add this article to your bookmarks or as a home screen shortcut, so that you can have easy access to several different groups of stitch tutorials and tips.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, why not explore some of the tutorials and practice some of these stitches on a doodle cloth? It’s a great way to add to your stitching repertoire!

Free Embroidery Stitch Tutorials & Tips
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Killer Squirrels & Miniature Stitching

 

You know when you have an idea in your head that won’t go away until you at least try to do it?

Well, ever since I made the little tapestry smalls in my Thousand Flowers collection, I’ve had this idea to make a tiny treasure box using an extended version of the tapestry smalls – a version that incorporates all the animals and lots of flowers.

And I set about measuring and “engineering” the box mentally not too long after finishing and launching A Thousand Flowers. I charted the main piece I’d need. And not too long ago, I set up the project and starting some stitching on it.

A Thousand Flowers - Box Panel
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Whitework Inspirations – 8 Lovely Embroidery Projects

 

I’m slowly making my way through the stack of needlework books on my side table, and today, I want to share a particularly lovely new book on the market dedicated to whitework.

Did you know that I actually read every book I review? I keep a stack on my side table, with a block of post-it notes and a pen. And when I have a chance, I dig into the stack. I can never quite seem to eliminate the stack completely!

But this book was a quick one to read, and thoroughly enjoyable.

The projects are beautiful! If you love whitework, or if you’re interested in learning and practicing whitework techniques, I think you’ll love it!

Let’s take a look!

Whitework Inspirations - embroidery project book
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Hexie Update, for the Curious!

 

After many requests for an update on my hexie project, I figured it’s about time to ‘fess up on where things stand with those thousands of little fabric hexagons just begging to be stitched up!

For those who are just making your acquaintance with this particular project, I’ll give you a brief background. Last year, I began a hand-pieced hexagon quilt made up of 3/4″ hexies. The quilt requires some 5,200-ish hexies for a full-sized quilt (sans border).

My purpose in undertaking this particular adventure was to have something ongoing that I can turn to whenever I want to do something with my hands that isn’t embroidery, and that’s portable, so that I can take it anywhere and have something to work on.

At the end of today’s update, I’ll link to previous articles on the project.

Let’s look at where things stand and chat about another organizational discovery that I’ve implemented.

Hand pieced hexie quilt with 3/4
Continue reading “Hexie Update, for the Curious!”

Willing Hands – Full of Great Embroidery Finishes

 

Good morning, and Happy Wednesday! It’s a good day for a book review, methinks.

The book I’m going to review today has been in my reading stack for a while. It’s been on the market since last autumn, and perhaps many of you – especially if you are counted cross stitchers – already have it. It’s a book chock-full of finishes.

The book is Willing Hands: The Counted Thread Embroidery of Betsy Morgan. And even though Willing Hands concentrates on counted thread techniques, I don’t see it so much as a counted thread technique book. Instead, I see it as a book that overflows with fabulous ideas for finishing embroidery into useful and beautiful needlework accessories.

Let’s take a look at the book and then chat about how it is a universally useful book for embroiderers of every discipline.

Willing Hands: Betsy Morgan - for embroidery finishes
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Beginner Goldwork & Silk Embroidery Project

 

Here in the studio, Anna and I have been having a boatload of fun, stitching and … well, stitching. (We do other things, but they aren’t always a boatload of fun.)

After Anna finished my Gertrude Jacobean design – which was a variation on this Jacobean design I just finished – she moved along to a beginner goldwork and silk project.

Anna makes a great guinea pig.

It’s wonderful to have someone to test stitching ideas and theories on. The idea I had for this particular design was to develop it into a beginner’s project for working with silk threads and goldwork techniques. So we picked out silk and gold threads, I gave her an overview of a general idea for stitching, and she set to it.

Beginner silk & goldwork embroidery rose
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Ta Dum! An Embroidery Finish, with Close-Ups

 

Finally and at long last… the Jacobean piece is finished.

Yay! Yesterday was a banner day, so I’m calling this embroidery project officially finished.

Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t make some changes. There are a few spots that I am mulling over, but I’m going to set the project aside – still on its frame – for a week or so. Then, when I look at it fresh in a little while, I’ll be able to make better decisions if I want to adjust anything.

Today, I’ll show you the finished design, close ups of the different sections, and share some random thoughts on the project as we examine it.

Jacobean design embroidered with silk
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Embroidery Update: Two Down, Two to Go

 

Good morning, my friends! Today, just a quick update on my Jacobean Sea embroidery project. It’s been a while since our last update. And yes, you’d think I’d have it finished…

It definitely should have been finished by now, and, while I’ve managed the last two large “leaves,” I still have two small ones to go!

I’m not necessarily completely finished with these two large leaves, either. The base leaf is ok – I think I’ll probably leave it – but the side leaf is awaiting one more color of thread, and I’m not quite sure I’m satisfied with it. We shall see!

So here’s a very quick update just to show you where I am.

Jacobean Sea Embroidery Project
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Tool Talk: Aficots & Laying Tools

 

Every hobby, craft, and artistic pursuit requires tools.

True, not all tools are essential to the craft.

If you take embroidery, for example, as things go, it requires very few tools. At the minimum, embroidery simply requires a needle. I suppose even scissors could be considered unnecessary – if you have good teeth!

But the fact is, good tools can make embroidery less frustrating and more efficient. And beautiful good tools can also add a certain aesthetic value to the embroiderer’s experience, enhancing the embroiderer’s pleasure while using them just by virtue of the fact that they are beautiful.

As you progress in your embroidery journey, it makes sense to add tools to your embroidery workbox that are not only useful, but also beautiful.

Today, I want to show you some beautiful and useful embroidery tools.

Aficot and matching laying tool
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Hoop Talk: Stitch Ezi Embroidery Frame-Hoop Review

 

Good morning, and Happy Wednesday! I hope last weekend was marvelous for you, and that you were able to get in some good bonding time with your needle and thread!

Today, we’re going to continue my mini series of embroidery hoop-related product reviews that I’ve shared with your recently.

Back in May, we looked at this Nurge hoop-holding floor stand, and then a couple weeks ago, we looked at this Morgan double hoop combo lap stand.

Now let’s look at the Stitch-Ezi Embroidery Frame Hoop, a hoop lap stand that I had heard about a while ago, so I purchased it to check it out. It’s another one of those needlework products that has definite pros and cons. In my book, it leans more towards cons (I’ll tell you why), though it does have a couple notable pros that many needleworkers would appreciate.

Stitch-Ezi Embroidery Frame-Hoop Review
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Needlework News Snips, June 2020

 

Howdy-ho and good morning! It’s been a while since we’ve browsed together through online needlework resources for inspiration, instruction, and interesting resources!

This morning, that’s what we’re going to do. You might savor delving into some discoveries over the weekend, too! There’s plenty here to explore, especially if you’re looking forward to a wet and rainy weekend like I am!

So, get comfortable, grab a cup of your favorite morning libation, and let’s have a bit of a wander together…

Needlework News Snips - June, 2020
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On the Grid: Calculating & Considerations for Counted Needlework

 

I’ve recently had some questions about changing fabric sizes for gridded embroidery, especially in relation to petit point on silk gauze.

The questions stem from my Thousand Flowers miniature silk gauze projects, because the kits are available again and several intrepid folk who love the medieval tapestry look and who enjoy a stitching challenge are working the projects as we speak!

I thought I would address the question here, for those who struggle with calculating fabric size for counted work. I also want to point out four important considerations when changing fabric sizes. This way, when questions comes up, I can direct folks here as a resource.

No matter what type of counted work – whether it’s petit point on silk gauze, counted needlepoint, counted cross stitch, or other myriad counted techniques – the concepts we discuss below will apply to them all, to some degree.

For those of you who are experienced in counted work, this will be old hat to you! For those who prefer to work off the grid, no worries – we’ll be off it again soon enough!

A Thousand Flowers miniature petit point silk gauze
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Morgan Embroidery Hoop Combo Review

 

In an ever-curious effort to seek out hand embroidery tools that may improve our hand-embroidery experiences – or that may help you avoid making costly financial mistakes – I’ve been hunting down, purchasing, and testing different embroidery hoop & stand solutions.

A few weeks ago, for example, I reviewed this Nurge embroidery hoop stand.

I have two other hoopish tools to share with you. Today, we’re going to look at the Morgan Lap Stand Combo Hoop.

Some of you may already use it, since there’s a fairly wide fan base of this tool out there. Some of you may have seen it or heard about it and are curious about it. And some of you may have never seen it or heard about it! So this review is for the latter two groups. I’ll show you the tool up close and offer some pros and cons for your consideration.

Morgan Hoop Combination Lap Stand
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Jacobean Embroidery – Almost There & Lighting Differences

 

Good morning! Just so you know, there’s a little news at the end of today’s article.

In the meantime, though – a project update and a chat about lighting differences when taking photos of embroidery.

Have you ever photographed your own stitching projects and wondered what’s the best lighting to use? Well, I have, too. And I can’t give you a definitive answer on that!

I do know that a “daylight” light gives me truer color when I take photos. And the higher the lumens, the better, with my lamp. But when it comes to the camera, I can’t really tell you “use this setting for this kind of light” and so forth. I’m just not that technically inclined when it comes to cameras.

I often go outside to take pictures of my embroidery, because I like to see the difference between the embroidery photographed in natural sunlight compared to embroidery photographed in indoor studio light. There’s a huge difference between taking photos of embroidery in direct sunlight and taking photos of embroidery in artificial light. And when you’re taking photos outside, there’s a huge difference between pictures taken on an overcast day, pictures taken in direct sun on a clear day, and pictures taken in the shade on a sunny day.

All of this is probably obvious, especially if you’ve been wielding a camera for any period of time.

At my last stopping point with my Jacobean styled embroidery project, I took photos in different circumstances. I’ll tell you what circumstances as I show you my progress on the project so far.

Jacobean Embroidery Project in silk threads with different lighting
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A Thank You for a Thank You: This Embroidered Quilt

 

A few weeks ago, I was surprised, astonished, gobsmacked even, a little humbled, very touched, and downright delighted to receive an unexpected gift in the mail. Today, I want to show it to you.

It’s the tale of eleven stitchers who put together their skills to create a quilt. They are all part of my Needle ‘n Thread Community page on Facebook. They corresponded by email, and the coordinator of the project included all their correspondence and their stories as they worked through the quilt in a notebook so that I could know each of the participants just a little bit.

The quilt is meant as a Thank You – I see it as a testament to the whole idea of Community and Kindness which naturally developes through needlework.

Much like this embroidered banner from the Valley Quail EGA chapter, the quilt will hang on my studio wall with pride of place. It will be a lovely source of inspiration and a conversation and instructional piece that I can use with my local students. It’ll be a source of cheer for me – a daily reminder of the kindness and generosity of the needlework community and of these eleven ladies!

Thank You Quilt with embroidered squares
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The Kew Book of Embroidered Flowers – Book Review

 

Good morning, my friends! And Happy Monday!

Over the next few weeks, off and on, I’m going to be sharing with you some embroidery and needlework books that have been stacking up on my side table for a while. It’s time to hew down the stack!

Today’s book is The Kew Book of Embroidered Flowers by Trish Burr – something I’ve been looking forward to for a long while! I can’t wait to show it to you!

The Kew Book of Embroidered Flowers
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Gertrude is Back, Better than Ever!

 

Many moons ago, while I was beefing up my tambour embroidery skills, I stitched this bird as a practice piece with the tambour hook.

You can find the bird design here.

I officially called the bird Little Bird of Paradise – but in my head, she has always reminded me of Gertrude McFuzz – the silly, vain bird concocted by Dr. Seuss – so that’s what I affectionately call her.

In Anna’s version of the Jacobean design that we are stitching congruently, Gertrude is the star of the show, replacing the main element on my version. So, perched on top of the typical Jacobean nonsensical and stylized tree, you will find the Little Bird of Paradise mentioned above.

I don’t know exactly why Anna’s embroidery is progressing so much faster than mine. Either she’s spending more time at it (somewhat likely?) or I’m just a slow stitcher (likelier!). She has a certain stick-to-itiveness for any given task, whereas I’m more of a Distraction Magnet. Give me any opportunity to be distracted, and I’m off!

Both of us have had our frustrating moments, picking out parts and re-stitching them.

Jacobean Design with Bird for Hand Embroidery
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Rippit, Rippit… I’m Back from a Hopping Weekend!

 

Well, howdy there!

I took a long weekend off from writing so that I could accomplish a few goals in the studio, have a little R & R break before the summer push, and get in some organizing on my publishing calendar. I needed to do some Thinking Work.

Did I accomplish everything I planned to accomplish? … uh. No. But I made some headway. I think the Rest & Relaxation got in the way. And that made it a great weekend!

I hope you had a great weekend, too!

I managed a bit of progress on my Jacobean design. See:

Jacobean silk embroidery design
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Jacobean Thing 1 and Thing 2: Stitching Progress

 

It’s time for a little embroidery project progress report!

Usually, on Friday afternoons and Tuesday mornings, Anna and I get a chance to work on our Jacobean-ish embroidery projects. By the time Wednesday rolls around, we finally have something to share. You’d think that we’d make faster progress, but lately, we’ve both been taking out as many stitches as we put in!

Right now, for lack of anything better, we’ve turned Dr. Seuss-ish, and we are calling the projects Thing 1 and Thing 2.

If you’re just joining in on our coverage, you can read more of the back story in the progress report from last week, which you’ll find here.

Today, I’ll show you progress on both Jacobean projects, and I’ll share some insights, thoughts, foibles, and whatnot that we’ve had along the way.

Jacobean embroidery design - project progress
Continue reading “Jacobean Thing 1 and Thing 2: Stitching Progress”

Nurge Floor Stand for Embroidery Hoops: A Review

 

It’s been a while since I’ve done any kind of in-depth needlework product review. This particular tool has been on my radar for a while.

When a friend inquired about it recently, wondering if I had tried it and what I thought, I figured I’d take the plunge and purchase it. That way, you can know if it’s something you’re interested, and you can be aware of pros and cons before you purchase it.

The tool in question is the hoop floor stand by Nurge, a company that I think is located in Turkey, that’s recently made some inroads in the wider needlework market, especially in Australia and a little bit in the UK. Nurge products aren’t widely available in the US, but they are showing up here and there, now and then.

I’ve tried their hoops – I bought a set of them many months ago and I’m not quite sold on them compared to those I already use – but today, we’re going to take a look at their floor stand, which can hold most types of embroidery hoops.

The review goes into great detail, so if you have questions, read through the review thoroughly first and then feel free to ask anything you want to know in the comment section.

Nurge floor stand for embroidery hoops - review
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Tulips & Tweets – Embroidered Folk Designs

 

Earlier this week, I shared a few projects that occupied my embroidery hoop over recent weekends, especially a cheery variety of folk-inspired designs that I had prepared for some (now-cancelled) local classes this summer.

I begged you for input on names, and golly! Did you all come through! So Many Good Name Choices! Thank you!

Debbie offered “Tulips and Tweets” – and I have to admit, the name immediately twitterpated me because it is light, crisp, short, sweet, and fun, all rolled into one easy to remember, and easy to say, title. I like it. Thanks, Debbie! And everyone, for all your good suggestions!

Tulips & Tweets Folk-Inspired Embroidery Designs
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Jacobean Progress: Embroidery, Beads, and Mistakes

 

Gosh, I have rotten eyesight. Often, when I’m embroidering, I don’t see a mistake right away. Often, I don’t see it until I start editing photos.

Even when I use my CraftOptics – which come in very handy if you’re eyes are not so great and you really want to see detail – I don’t catch certain mistakes. I think working with Soie Perlee is especially difficult for me, when I’m filling with it. The way the light plays on the silk makes it difficult to distinguish the stitches.

Still, what a thread to work with! I love it! (You can see how Soie Perlee lines up to other silk threads in this article, if you’re curious about the thread.)

I’ve made the tiniest bit of progress on my Jacobean design and Anna has made some progress on her version, too. If you’re just now joining me on this project, you can find the previous article on my progress here, and the backstory on Anna’s version here. Anna is my niece who works with me right now. She’s 26, and while she’s had a bit of experience in general embroidery, she’s never done this type of project. It is making her bead-obsessed.

Today, I’ll show you where we are, talk about what stitches we’ve used and why, point out my mistake and muse about how I’m going to fix it.

Jacobean Embroidery Project Progress and a Mistake
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In the Embroidery Hoop this Weekend

 

Happy Monday!

There were several things in my embroidery hoops this weekend. It was a fairly productive stitching weekend!

Every summer, I prepare a couple three week embroidery workshops for youth that start at the end of July and go well into August. This year, being a perpetual optimist, I plowed through preparations for this year’s sessions, thinking that things might change enough to reasonably plan for the classes. We take about 6 children or youth per 2 hour session, with two sessions a day, with the age groups meeting on a rotating schedule for a period of three weeks at a time.

They’re fun classes. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to give kids a skill that they can further develop, that will give them a hobby and creative outlet to turn to, and that, hopefully, will last them a life time.

Obviously, this year’s workshops aren’t going to happen. Even if Kansas is open enough to allow it by then, I don’t have space for social distancing – which would be the most unnatural thing in any craft workshop situation with young kids, anyway.

Weekend embroidery: Folk designs and linen tea cloth
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Thread Talk: Variegated for the Laundry

 

I’ve had some inquiries lately about variegated floss that can be used for embroidered items that will be regularly laundered.

DMC has a line of variegated threads that I like, called Variations. They meld with the DMC standard floss colors, and they are fairly easy to come by.

But other thread companies also have their variegated lines, and today, we’ll chat a bit about Cosmo’s Seasons.

Cosmo embroidery floss - variegated Seasons
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From the Bookshelf: Tudor Textiles by Eleri Lynn

 

I’m reading a book!

This is a big deal!

I’ve always been an avid reader, but lately, all my “reading” has been in audio format while I’m working. But the book I’m going to show you today is not available as an audio book (which is a good thing!), so it’s off the bookshelf and in my hands when I’ve got reading time.

Tudor Textiles is just what the title promises: a book about textiles during the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 in England). If you’re a history lover, an enthusiast for historical textiles, if you are curious about the Tudor period and the royalty and palaces from that era, if you’re into art history – you’ll love this book!

For the 17th century reproduction embroiderer, the book will give you insight into the whole foundation of the styles, materials, and so forth from the era.

Tudor Textiles by Eleri Lynn
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The Other Jacobean Embroidery Project – There are Two!

 

Personally, I don’t enjoy stitching two similar embroidery projects simultaneously. Sometimes I do this, so that I can troubleshoot or so I can try different materials with the same design.

There are, in fact, two versions of my current Jacobean piece underway.

On the very delightful-for-me side, I’m not embroidering the second one. Anna (my niece) is.

I suspect Anna will show me up. She has a doggéd determination to work through problems and to get things “just right,” and I’ve admittedly lost that kind of obsessive tenacity for meticulous detail with my embroidery over the years.

Part of it has to do with the fact that she’s a newbie and she hasn’t developed the confidence that normally goes with years of experience in any kind of craft.

This is her first embroidery project of this type. She’s done a lot of what I’d call “casual” embroidery. Flour sack towels. Some of my snowflake Christmas ornaments. She’s also done a bit of cross stitch and she sews clothes and such. So she’s familiar with a needle, but she’s never done a more complex surface embroidery piece for display, from start to finish, making her own decisions as she goes along.

Jacobean embroidery on natural linen
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The Stem & a Fill on Jacobean Sea – Stitching Progress

 

I’m pretty excited to get back to stitching this morning! I love developing an embroidery project and seeing how my ideas are going to pan out.

Believe it or not, I’m always unsure of every new project I start. I don’t know, until it’s finished, if I’m going to like it at all. I don’t know if it’s going to live up to whatever is percolating in my head. I can’t tell you how many times I say, “Well, that didn’t work!”

But I love the exploration! I love the trial and error! And when I fall asleep at night, my head is normally whirring with The Next Step.

I wake up super-charged to get to it. And it makes a great carrot! A developing embroidery project is always a marvelous enticement to get those Needful Things finished every day, so I can concentrate on stitching for a few hours in the afternoon.

Here’s a little bit of progress on the Jacobean design I’m playing with, with some starts and stops and explanations of my thought process – what went right, what went wrong, what I decided to change and why…

Jacobean design embroidery project in silk
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How to Iron Everyday Usable Embroidered Goods

 

You can iron your embroidery.

I do it all the time!

But I hear from a lot of people who say, “I know I’m not supposed to iron my embroidery, but I have this tablecloth…” or “…I have this pillowcase…” or “I finished a flour sack towel and I want to give it as a gift…”

Everyday, usable embroidery is bound to need ironing, especially for a nice presentation. If it’s being displayed in your home or it’s being given as a gift, you want it to look crisp and nice and fresh and smooth and pretty!

I’m going to use one of these scroll towels that I finished last week as an example of how I iron everyday, usable, embroidered household linens.

And you’ll find information at the end of the article about the ready-to-stitch towel sets available for this design group.

Scroll Design towel set for embroidery
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Needlework Snips & a Quick Catch Up

 

Goodness gracious, Happy Saturday! I don’t normally pop in on a weekend, except when I want to share a few links and online explorations that have to do with needlework.

So that’s what we’re going to do today – take a short little stroll out into the ether of the interwebs and explore just a few needlework-related links.

So grab a cuppa (tea for me!) and let’s kick back for a little meander!

Needlework News Snips April 2020
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Scrolly Designs: Stitches, Colors, Tips

 

On Monday, I shared a weekend embroidery finish with you – this scrolly design embroidered on the corner of a cotton towel – and I got flooded with a heap of email with questions.

If I spent as much time as I’d need to answer every question that comes in from the website, I’d have to live on my computer. So I generally peruse through questions and try to group together the questions that people ask, that are relevant and that are not already clarified in the original article. Then, I cover those in a blog post, including some stitch tips and whatnot that we can all benefit from.

So here’s a conglomeration of information on the project I posted on Monday, with some stitch talk, color information, and tips.

Embroidered Scroll Designs: Stitches, Colors, and Tips
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New Color Palette – Not-New Embroidery Project

 

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that it’s always a good idea to pick colors you enjoy embroidering with. If you Absolutely Cannot Stand a certain color palette, it would be difficult to carry through an entire project working with those particular colors.

Now, I love a blue-and-white, or a blue-and-yellow, and even a blue-and-natural color palette. And that’s what I had in mind for a Jacobean design that I have now started (and stopped on) twice.

Third time’s a charm?

I was having a hard time nailing down a range of blues I really liked. I tried to mix in some yellows to see if that would help. And then I tried blues and natural tones. And I was just never satisfied.

Then I kicked everything aside with a resounding harrumph (metaphorically speaking), and sat on it all for a while (equally metaphorically speaking).

Pulling new silk threads for embroidery project
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The Leafy Tree – a Project E-Book

 

Well, at long last, for those who have been waiting for The Leafy Tree in e-book form, it is finally available! Yay!

If you’re familiar with the Leafy Tree project as it was presented on the website, please note that there are significant changes in this e-book, which is sold independently from any kit.

So please read everything below so that you understand what you’re receiving with this e-book. I don’t want anyone to be disappointed!

Leafy Tree Project E-Book
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Happy Easter – with a Spring Puzzle & a Game

 

To all my Needle ‘n Thread friends, Happy Easter!

In my family’s traditions, Easter has always been a very joyful holiday. After Lent and the solemn days of Holy Week, on Easter Sunday, we normally have a big gathering of family and friends, Easter egg hunts, a good meal, and fun all around.

Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, which for Christians has always been the ultimate sign of hope. Regardless of the present crisis, this doesn’t change. So even if my family can’t all be together, we are still reveling in the joy of the day and celebrating as circumstances allow.

For me, today is a glorious day, despite the separation and the modifications to our normal Easter festivities. And I hope that you are seeing some of that glory and joy in your life, too!

For your Easter Entertainment, here’s another seasonal Eye-Spy game for you, as well as a link to a coordinating jigsaw puzzle. I hope they bring you a smile!

Spring Eye-Spy Needle 'n Thread, 2020
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Free Cross Designs for Good Friday

 

Today is Good Friday, a solemn day in the Christian calendar commemorating the crucifixion of Christ, so I thought I’d put together a collection of ecclesiastical embroidery designs for crosses – the predominant symbol of Christianity – for those looking for something sacred to stitch.

All of them can be used for hand embroidery projects, but they can also be used for other crafts, including paper crafts for card-making.

You’ll find below a list of links to the free designs.

Crosses for Hand Embroidery
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Two Embroidery Finishes & a Key

 

Just to prove that something really does get accomplished occasionally in my embroidery world, here are two finishes since the beginning of the week.

I’ve actually finished so many tasks since Monday morning, that I feel a little justified in taking at least part of today off. I think I’ll go out to lunch, go see a movie, do a little shopping… oh wait.

Nyah. I’ll just stay here and work. Why not?!

Ok, let’s browse through these finishes. I’ll add some commentary about what you’re seeing, but I’ll try to keep it pretty short!

Hand embroidered floral heart with key
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Finishing, Foibles, & the Proverbial Light

 

What a weekend! You’d think that, with the whole isolation thing going on, it would be really easy to focus and achieve Great Things when it comes to needlework projects.

For me, I’m more like the dogs distracted by the squirrels in Up. “Squirrel!”

Or the goldfish swimming around the bowl with its every-three-second discovery: “Oh, look! A castle!”

It was so easy to completely forget what I was supposed to be doing and to be instantly distracted by something else.

This is not a good thing, as I’ve established a number of deadlines for myself.

But deadlines are never as attractive as The Next Thing. That Big Idea. The Experiment I Should Try Right Now. Those Videos I’ve Been Meaning to Watch. (Squirrel!) Those Hexies and That Audiobook. That Little Bin I Found to Organize those Things. What Bin? (Hey Look! A Castle!)

That’s how my weekend went. I was the Queen of Procrasti-distraction. Maybe it’s not the worst personality foible, but it doesn’t get one very far. I was a little dismayed that Monday came without much to show for the weekend.

But at least Monday came! And it’s a good day to begin again!

So let’s talk about a needlework finish that’s not finished.

Floral Heart embroidered sachet - finishing
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Pick What You Like – Color Choices for Embroidery

 

I’ve had a lot of questions lately about color choices for hand embroidery, specifically when it comes to working designs like the Spring Variety designs in the ready-to-stitch towel set we looked at a couple weeks ago. (Incidentally, those and several other design sets on the ready-to-stitch towels are back in stock right now, if you’ve been waiting.)

Basically, the questions all boil down to this notion: how do I know what color to stitch where on an embroidery design?

This can apply to any embroidery design – we all face that color-making decision every time we stitch, if we’re not following someone else’s pre-determined color scheme.

And while this may seem like a very basic question, it’s a very good question. But it’s difficult to answer because there’s no set formula, despite theories of color, color wheels, design advice, and so forth.

Let’s chat about it a bit…

Pick What You Like: Color Choices for Embroidery
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Little Tulips for Spring: Free Hand Embroidery Design

 

Since it’s April 1st…

…and since it’s Wednesday (which doesn’t have that much to do with anything)…

…and since many of us are enjoying our forced hiatus by indulging in extra time to embroider…

…it seems to me like a great day to share a wee, simple, and free hand embroidery design that’s perfect for Spring!

Now, this particular design, which consists of the same little tulip repeated across a horizontal line and a vertical line, can be broken down and rearranged however you want! I’ll share some stitching ideas below.

Little Tulips for Spring hand embroidery design
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Haute Couture Rose, Collaboration, Supplies, and Winners!

 

Why, hello and a happy Monday to you! I hope you survived the weekend and got a heap of stitching done!

I managed a little bit of stitching and a lotta-bit of planning this past weekend. Things like measuring. Preparing to shift furniture. Getting ready to install shelving. It was all just way too exciting for words.

Today, I’ve got a few goodies for you. Ready?

Needle in a Haystack and Needle 'n Thread Accessories
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Cut First, then Measure? Whoops!

 

Remember my floral heart project that goes with the voided monogram set I’ve been working on? It’s that colorful, cheerful, fun thing I wrote about a couple weeks ago?

Well, the finish work on that provides a pretty good teaching moment – a good lesson for all of us. The lesson centers around an adage that you may have heard if you sew a lot, but it applies to embroiderers as well:

Measure twice (for me it should be “measure twice x 10”); cut once.

Floral Heart Embroidery - finishing
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My Little Pin Keep – and Keeping Things Going

 

For many embroiderers, needleworkers, crafters, and hobbyists of all ilk, tools and accessories are a part of our lives. The right tools and accessories not only make it easier, more efficient, or simply more pleasant to master a skill, but if they go beyond functional to attractive, they also add a real aesthetic pleasure to our leisure time.

Recently, I received a really pretty (and functional) little pin keep, and I want to show that to you today, tell you what a pin keep is and how it can be serviceable, and then talk a bit about the needlework industry and share some ideas as things get a bit sticky in our current situation.

Pin keep from Needle in a Haystack
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Miniature Landscape Needlepainting – Online Class & Give-Away

 

Good morning, my friends! I hope today’s article – and the needlework give-away that goes along with it – finds you well!

One thing I’ve noticed through your emails and conversations through different Needle ‘n Thread social media channels is that many of us who have needlework projects to fall back on are not too sad about being isolated or “sheltering in place” at the moment. Our creative outlets are going a long way to bring us some peace of soul. And that’s a good thing!

On the positive side, this is a good time to pursue creativity, to take advantage of down time to learn a new skill, to spend time completing works in progress, and even to organize! I’ve heard from folks who are finding a new lease on their creative lives, thanks to the time they’ve had to sort through their craft supplies and to otherwise organize their homes. Every cloud has a silver lining!

For those of you wanting to learn a new skill in the comfort of your home and at your own pace, I thought I’d point out Tanja Berlin’s new online class. It’s a needlepainting class that focuses on creating a miniature landscape, in which you’ll learn the skills of needlepainting and of bringing a landscape to life with needle and thread. I’m also going to give away two spots in the class and the kits to go with them! Yay!

Tanja Berlin Miniature Needlepainting Landscape
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Ready to Stitch! Spring Variety & Floral Corners Towel Sets

 

With what I hope is good timing for you, I’ve added a new set of ready-to-stitch towels (called Spring Variety) to the shop here on Needle ‘n Thread, to go along with a new supply of Floral Corners towels, too.

Many of us are a little isolated right now, and we might be feeling a bit anxious. I know I am!

In these circumstances, I think stitching – and really, any hobby or craft – is therapeutic. It calms the nerves and provides a creative escape from present worries. It gives us something to concentrate on, so that we can avoid hyper-focusing on things that we have little control over. It helps us maintain an inner peace.

With all of this in mind, I put together this springy, cheerful, ready-to-stitch towel set. It’s ok, after all, to still find joy in the good things that we can do!

Spring Variety Ready-to-Stitch Towel Set for hand embroidery
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Sampling Stitches – Who Needs Decorative Fabric?

 

Recently, I showed you the finish on this embroidered model for a new collection of designs and instructions I’m putting together.

Lots of folks commented on the back of the finished needlebook.

Today, I’ll show you the back of the cheerful heart I shared with you on Friday – just to illustrate that, when you’re finishing small embroidery projects, you don’t necessarily need to find a coordinating fabric to finish the back of an embroidered piece. You can make your own!

Sampling Stitches for finishing - embroidery with floche
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Giuliana Ricama – in English!

 

Giuliana Ricama is an Italian needlework magazines that focuses largely on embroidery of all kinds, as well as a good amount of needle lace and other techniques associated with Italian needle arts.

In its Italian editions, it is a beautiful magazine packed full of a lot of needlework inspiration. The abundance of photos made navigating through a language barrier easier than you’d think.

But now, for those of us in the English-speaking world, the magazine offers an English language edition, and that’s jolly good news!

Giuliana Ricama
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Three Cheers for Color!

 

To prepare a collection of hand embroidery projects around a theme, it takes a while to get all the samples stitched.

Lately, I’ve been sharing progress on the same basic embroidery design stitched a variety of ways, from these voided monograms with tons of color and filling all around them, to this whitework voided monogram on natural linen, and today, to a simple shape employing the same design with a little less fill.

Best of all, it’s in Spring Brights as far as color goes! And I say bring on the color – there’s nothing like a good dose of color to lift one’s spirits!

Colorful Hand Embroidery floral filling with floche
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Voided Monogram – Finished Embroidery Project & Some Tips

 

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?

Sometimes, when I’m planning embroidery projects, I don’t know if the finish I have in mind is going to work. And I had a few moments of hesitation when approaching the finish work on the needlebook from this embroidery project we chatted about on Monday.

But it came out ok, I think! Better than I expected. And that always makes me happy!

I had quite a few questions through email, comments on the blog, and social media about the beaded edge on this project, so I’ll share some tips with you below as I show you the final results.

Embroidered Needlebook with Beaded Edge
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Whitework Embroidery with a Touch of Blue

 

A few weeks ago, we chatted about sometimes having to quit on an embroidery project – not quit-quit, but just quit temporarily. It’s the idea of stepping away, especially if you’re getting frustrated with a piece of stitching or finishing.

In my case, I was trying to rush some finish work and the results were less than satisfactory.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is never to rush finish work. Perhaps you’re damp stretching embroidery and preparing it for framing. Maybe you’re turning a piece of embroidery into something particular like household furnishings (a footstool or a decorative pillow). Or you’re taking on the challenge of turning some small embroidery into a needlework accessory, like a needlebook, scissor fob, or pin cushion. Perhaps it’s even more complicated than that – or perhaps it’s a very simple finish, like framing it in an embroidery hoop.

Whatever the case, don’t rush it. Set aside a good chunk of time, prepare plenty of space to work, and lay out all your finishing supplies. Then sit down and go about the finish work in a steady, patient, methodical way. You’ll get much more satisfactory results!

Voided Monogram in Whitework with Blue Trim
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Needlework News Snips: March, 2020

 

Good morning, my friends!

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a little browse together online through newsy needlework bits!

This is a short little list of things I’ve come across lately or that have popped up in my various social media feeds, that I find either interesting, informative, or inspirational.

So, pull up a chair and let’s have a little chat and a browse…

Needlework News Snips, March 2020
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And Then There Were Beads…

 

On Monday, I shared with you my happy explorations of a linen shop in the Garment District of New York City when I visited the wee metropolis a couple weeks ago.

There were two other shops on my “must visit” list, besides the linen shop. One was another fabric shop that’s Huge and Overwhelming and just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The other shop was a bead shop. There are several well-known bead and trim shops in NYC, but I was looking for a shop that carried seed beads, and specifically, Miyuki seed beads. My research from out of town turned up only one shop that seemed likely to have a wide range of Miyuki seed beads.

Miyuki beads are my favorite beads for embroidery, because they have a huge range of types and colors and they are consistent, high quality beads. But when I buy them online (which is the only way I can usually buy them), I’m not always certain of the color. More often than not, I order beads expecting a certain color or shade, and upon arrival, they’re just not quite what I thought they would be.

The idea of shopping for beads in person, where I could actually see the colors, was quite appealing to me!

TOHO Shoji Miyuki beads NYC
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Shopping for Fabric in NYC

 

While I was out on my recent travel excursions – I went to visit three of my sisters who live in the Northeast – I was able to pop into New York City for a short bout of fabric shopping.

The Garment District in NYC features some great fabric shops, where, if you have the stamina and the guts, you can spend days exploring fabric inventory.

I didn’t have days, let alone stamina and guts. I had a day, and more specifically, a morning. And while I could have spent that entire morning in one fabric shop, I didn’t want to spend my short time in shops with overwhelming inventories. It’s just too much, and I’m not that kind of shopper.

I was thrilled to receive a very kind recommendation from a reader for a place in NYC to shop for linen, and after giving one of the larger shops on my list a quick glance-over (and determining that it wasn’t for me), I decided to seek out this particular recommendation. I’m so glad I did!

Gray Line Linen Corporation linens, NYC
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Home with my Hexies & a Quick Tutorial

 

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig!

My recent little spurt of traveling has ended, and I’ve brought my travel project – this hexie quilt that we last talked about here – home, safe and sound, with a little bit of progress on it.

Of all the articles that I published on the blog while out and about, that one generated a massive amount of emails filled with all kinds of questions about my hexie process. And since time won’t let me answer each email directly, I thought I would write an article on my grab-and-go hexie quilt project, covering my process.

Now, I’m sure you’ve probably noticed that Needle ‘n Thread isn’t exactly a quilting website. I don’t pretend to be a quilter. I can’t guarantee that my process is “right” or “the best way” – this is just how I do it, for those who are curious or who are wanting to take up a similar project.

That said, this isn’t really rocket science. There are many different ways to take on this type of project, and many different approaches to piecing this type of quilt. I don’t think there’s necessarily one right way. Just like embroiderers, quilters have their favorite ways of doing things, and the upshot is this: if it works, and you like doing it that way, then … have at it!

Hexie grab and go quilt project - my process
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Inky Wonderlands & Embroidery Designs

 

Did you know that creating your own hand embroidery designs really just starts with doodling?

Well, I take that back. I’d say it starts with conscious or mindful doodling.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, Johanna Basford published a new book at the end of last year, focusing on learning to doodle in her particular style, which happens to be as suitable for stitching as it is for coloring. In fact, you can see my embroidered version of one of Johanna’s drawings here, if you want to take a look at it.

How to Draw Inky Wonderlands is a fabulous little resource for stitchers who like the contemporary doodling style and would like to dabble in creating their own designs to stitch in that style.

Let’s take a look at the book and chat about how it can be useful to the hand embroiderer.

Inky Wonderlands & Embroidery Designs
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Embroidery Project Progress: Sometimes, You Have to Quit

 

Sometimes, you have to quit. It’s true! Sometimes, in the middle of a needlework project, you have to quit.

There can be myriad reasons why you have to quit a project. And the quitting may not be permanent. But it’s never a bad idea, when you feel inclined to quit, just to step away from it.

And that’s what happened with this whitework-on-natural embroidered monogram project.

Whitework on natural linen embroidered monogram
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Have (Embroidered) Casket, Will Travel?

 

Next month, from March 12 – March 15, Aiguille en Fête, one of the world’s premier needlework conventions, takes place in Paris at the Expo Porte de Versailles.

The convention and market boasts over 1000 hours of needlework workshops in all kinds of disciplines, with nearly 240 exhibitors showing off their wares. It is a “window on art and textile culture,” and it is well attended by people from all over the globe.

This year, Au Ver a Soie will be celebrating their 200th Anniversary, and their booth at the market will be all about celebrating that milestone.

Joining them will be Tricia Nguyen of Thistle Threads and Lamora Haidar of Access Commodities. These two intrepid ladies are the impetus behind bringing a multitude of beautiful new threads to the US market that are built on foundations of Au Ver a Soie silk.

Thistle Threads 17th century casket and Au Ver a Soie silks threads
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Color Schemes Galore! Resources for Stitching Color

 

Making good choices about colors to use in hand embroidery projects can sometimes be a real challenge.

On the one hand, color is a very personal (and subjective) thing.

But on the other hand, it’s also an objective consideration. Colors have to work together to achieve whatever it is the artist or craftsperson is trying to achieve. If they don’t work, it’s obvious, and it can be a real turn off.

This doesn’t mean that color always has to be “pleasing to the eye.” It depends on what you’re trying to do with your embroidery. Maybe you want to use colors that might be considered less than pleasing, to make a point. Maybe you want to create something that is shocking or that grabs the attention in a non-conventional way.

But for the most part, we normally strive to use pleasant color palettes that, objectively, most people will look at and think, “That’s beautiful!” or “That looks good,” or “That works,” even if they don’t personally like the color families. We don’t normally want our color choices to jar the audience or repulse the viewer.

Stitch Palettes website for color and embroidery
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Hexies & Traveling Needlework Projects

 

Traveling and needlework can very easily go hand-in-hand, depending on the type of traveling you’re doing and the type of needlework you’re toting along.

The travel and grab-and-go project that I’m working on this year (and last) is not actually an embroidery project. It’s a hand-pieced quilting project, using 3/4″ hexies. I first mentioned it here (which is where you can find some of the details about supplies and methods and so forth), and then I wrote a follow-up here, when things had moved along a bit.

The only other time I’ve mentioned the project is in this article, where I talked about using pencil and make-up cases and the like for needlework.

I’ve changed a few organizational aspects of the project, and I’ve made some good progress on it.

And since I’m traveling right now as we speak, I thought I’d show you how the quilt is coming along and mention a few organizational approaches I’ve taken with it. You can apply the same principles to embroidery projects as well!

Hexie Quilt Project update and Traveling with Needlework
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Thread Talk: Chameleon Threads

 

Gosh. Aren’t we so incredibly fortunate to live during a time when there’s access to So Very Many embroidery fibers?

It amazes me how many thread suppliers are out in the world! And while I will always gravitate towards my tried-and-true favorite threads, I enjoy playing with new-to-me threads.

Lately, thanks to Lisa at The French Needle, I’ve had the opportunity to try out some silk from Chameleon Threads. These are overdyed threads, meaning they are threads that have been dyed with different colors, with the colors applied over each other, so that the colors blend together in some places and retain their properties in other places.

The silk threads used by Chameleon Threads are from Au Ver a Soie. They dye both Soie d’Alger and Soie d’Paris.

Knowing that I like Soie d’Alger, Lisa sent along a set of greens for me to play with. So today, we’re going to look at overdyed Soie d’Alger from Chameleon Threads, so you can see if it’s something you want to play with, too!

Chameleon Threads: Overdyed silk embroidery thread
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A Needlework Tool Find: Kind of Cute!

 

Sometimes, I find fun needlework tools & accessories at locally owned quilt and fabric shops.

We don’t have as many of them in Kansas as you’d think – or at least, in this part of Kansas – but we do have a few notable shops that I love to go visit, either to browse their fabrics or to gawk at their notions wall.

I often find new-to-me notions in quilting shops – tools that I never knew existed, let alone that I needed.

Sometimes, I don’t need them, but I might pick one or two out just to try, to see if it’s something you need. I always have you on my mind, you see! And I like to look for things that might solve stitching problems for you.

Since needle threading is often a challenge for those of us whose eyes are not as they once were, I’m going to show you a really cute little needle threader that I came across serendipitously a while ago, that solves a couple problems: threading relatively fine needles and cutting threads when you don’t have scissors on hand.

Hummingbird Needle Threader by Dritz
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RSN Embroidered Boxes by Heather Lewis – Book Review

 

If you pre-ordered the new RSN Techniques, Projects & Pure Inspiration book on Embroidered Boxes, then you probably already have it in hand.

Written by Heather Lewis under the auspices of the Royal School of Needlework and published by Search Press, the book came out last week. It is one of 20+ books on hand embroidery that Search Press is publishing in 2020, their 50th year in the publishing business.

I think this point pretty well establishes the fact that hand embroidery is alive and booming! Yay!

My book arrived last week, too. I pre-ordered it, and it arrived on its release date. If you haven’t purchased it – maybe it intrigues you, but you’re waiting for a few more details – then this review is for you.

RSN Embroidered Boxes by Heather Lewis
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Free Hand Embroidery Designs for your Valentines!

 

Today, a couple things for you! I’m going to announce the winner of last week’s Appleton real thread color card at the end of today’s article, so read on for that!

And for the rest of it – well, guess what’s coming up next week?

That’s right! It’s Valentine’s Day! It’s that time of year when things turn rather heartsy.

I like heart designs for embroidery. (I’m working on one right now.)

But are hearts just for sweethearts? Of course not! Hearts are for everyone we love, and hearts are for all year long, too! After all, if you hold someone in your heart on the 14th of February, I imagine that person is tucked away in there on other days of the year, too, correct?

But yes, Valentine’s Day has become rather synonymous with the giving of tokens of affection (and a good excuse for indulging in chocolate – if you need an excuse!). So here’s a collection of free hand embroidery patterns in case you want to give a heart to someone you’re fond of – and not just any heart, mind you! A hand embroidered heart!

Free Hand Embroidery Patterns: Hearts & Valentines
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Silk & Goldwork Kits by Liz Tapper

 

A week doesn’t go by in my life that I don’t receive inquiries about where to find good embroidery kits these days.

There are many, many embroidery kits available today – from large companies producing kits for retail sale in craft stores all the way to designers who manage their own small needlework businesses, producing their own kits for their own designs.

I prefer needlework kits in the latter category, for at least these three reasons:

1. Kits coming directly from a designer usually (practically always) include higher quality materials.

2. The designer knows all the nuances of the piece, so if you run into trouble while stitching the design, you can usually contact the designer you purchased from for help.

3. When you purchase from an individual designer, you are a. supporting needle art at its very roots; b. you are helping an individual make a living; and c. you are contributing to the longevity of that person’s ability to keep designing. Without clientele, individual designers could not keep producing their goods, and the needle arts world (which is enjoying a good boom these days) would suffer indeed.

Embroidery Kits by Liz Tapper - The Art of the Needle
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Raising Up the Daisy Stitch – a Tutorial

 

How about a little bit of simple Stitch Fun! to start off the week?

With the voided floral monograms I’ve been working on lately – and the other floral filling I’m playing with on another sample – I’ve been fiddling a bit with how to take simple stitches just a notch upwards. In this case, I’m raising the daisy stitch.

This is a fun way to stitch a ring-like flower that has a little lift to it!

Raised daisy stitch ring: embroidery stitch fun tutorial
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Appleton Real Thread Color Cards – a Give-Away!

 

Real thread color cards – they are such a magnificent tool for the embroiderer!

Today, thanks to The Wooly Thread, I’m giving away a set of Appleton’s real thread color cards!

If you love working with wool (crewel or tapestry wool), if you do a lot of crewel embroidery or other fiber art with wool, then this will be a handy tool for you!

Appleton real thread color card give-away
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Making (Embroidered) Boxes – Books & Resources

 

This year, there are many embroidery-related books being published. Search Press alone has over twenty coming out in 2020, and there are other publishing houses with some notable works on tap for 2020, too. It’ll be a banner book year!

One of the books that I’m really looking forward to is Embroidered Boxes by Heather Lewis. I have a thing for box making – though not always out of embroidery. Fabric and paper covered boxes are fun and a bit quicker than embroidered boxes, and the techniques carry over into any method of decor that you want to use on a box.

For those of you who are intrigued by “cartonnage” – the craft of creating boxes covered with fabric, paper, or embroidered fabric – I thought I’d introduce you to some of my favorite books and chat a bit about box-making in general.

cartonnage or box making with fabric, paper, or embroidery
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From Color to Whitework – Same Design, Two Approaches

 

I’ve been sharing a bit of progress with you lately on this voided monogram worked with cotton floche. It’s a fun project, and I can’t wait to share the Whole Thing with you!

There’s more to it than meets the eye, too. As soon as the stitching on the samples is complete, I’ll be finishing them into something useful. It’s always nice to be able to finish small embroidery things into something useful, isn’t it?

And there’s also a non-monogram design that goes with this set. But more on that project a little later!

Today, I’ll show you two approaches to the same design, one worked in color and the other in white. You’re never limited in your interpretation of an embroidery design, after all!

Voided Monogram in Color & Whitework
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Embroidery Art in the Middle Ages – Exhibit Catalog

 

Last year, there was an exhibit at the Cluny Museum in Paris titled L’Art en Broderie au Moyen Âge – Embroidery Art in the Middle Ages.

Much as I would have loved to see it in person, it’s a bit of haul from Kansas. So I did what I often do when there’s a major museum exhibit that I can’t get to: I looked for the exhibit catalog.

Most major museums that host an exhibition of some importance produce an exhibit catalog, which is a book that details at least the major pieces (and sometimes all the pieces) in an exhibit.

Exhibit catalogs also include a lot of research and information on the individual pieces, the places, the times, and so forth. They’re worth having, if you have an interest in a certain area of art and there happens to be a good exhibition with a good catalog.

Embroidery Art in the Middle Ages
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Stitching Progress & Some Embroidery Tips

 

Welcome to Wednesday! It’s a slushy, snowy morning in Kansas, and promises to be a pretty glum and rainy day – perfect for staying in and stitching cheery things. (I’m not complaining!)

What a week it’s been so far! I’ll tell you more about that below. But in the meantime, here’s a bit of stitching progress and some tips along the way, for the floral floche piece I showed you last week.

Floral embroidery with cotton floche embroidery thread
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Remember those Tweezers? They’re Great for Needlework!

 

Many moons ago, back at the end of last October, I made this rather humbling confession about my messy embroidery worktable.

The problem posed was that I couldn’t find my tweezers. Many of you chimed in with questions about my tweezers. Many wanted to know… “What are those tweezers?”

I featured them in my Thanksgiving Eye-Spy puzzle here, and they showed up in my Christmas one, too.

They keep showing up here on Needle ‘n Thread, because I keep using them day to day. Lately, they are never off my work table.

Today, I’ll show them to you in all their little 1″ x 1.5″ glory. I’ll tell you what they are, why I like them, and share some pros and cons.

Pinzette tweezers for hand embroidery
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Multi-Packs of Embroidery Needles & How to Read Them

 

Whether you’re a newcomer to embroidery or you’ve been stitching for ages, one needlework tool that you could never deny the importance of is the ‘umble needle.

If you’re new to embroidery, you might find yourself flummoxed by the whole question of needles because there are a lot of types of needles out there, and they come in all different sizes.

Whenever someone new to embroidery asks me What needles should I get?, I always recommend starting out with a multi-pack of embroidery needles in a variety of sizes.

Multi-packs of needles, though, can sometimes cause confusion. Let’s take a look at them and chat about how to read them.

Embroidery Needle Multi-Packs
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Some Call it Poison – Don’t Underestimate Color!

 

Did you know that, once upon a time, the color green killed people? Up into the latter half of the 1800’s, arsenic was used as part of the green coloring process for different textiles, with deadly results.

These days, thankfully, we don’t have that particular worry when we use greens in textiles.

There’s another notion of “poison” in color theory, too, that can be helpful when choosing colors. Quilters use this approach quite often – adding a “poison” color to a main color scheme by choosing a color directly opposite on the color wheel to the main color scheme. This makes the main color scheme spring to life in a curious way and can add a certain vivacity to a scheme that may otherwise seem somewhat lifeless.

Today, let’s chat about a shade of green that was the springboard for a discussion I had last week. It comes across as a kind of poisonous shade – something you might expect to find glowing eerily through the heavy mist on a dark night when that radioactive thingamabob from your nightmares comes lumbering after you.

Neon green and pine greens in cotton floche embroidery thread
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And We’re Off! First Embroidery Projects of 2020

 

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of getting started!

You know when you have a task looming in front of you, and you’re just not sure where to start – or how to start, or the best way to start?

Sometimes, the key is just starting! And with that in mind, here’s my start on my first embroidery projects that will materialize into Something of Some Sort in 2020.

The way I go about projects and the way you might go about projects is probably slightly different, just because I use the projects I do as demos here on the website, or as possible kit or e-book content, or as a springboard for tutorials and so forth.

But in some respects, our approach would be the same. So here’s my start! And maybe it will give you some ideas on how to start your own potential project, too.

First embroidery projects of 2020
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It All Starts with Thread

 

I’m a little late to the New Year’s party, but now it’s time to kick off 2020 here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Happy 2020, my friends! I hope it is a fruitful year for all of us in every regard!

Over my short holiday (holidays always seem short to me… I wonder why?), I started lining up projects for the new year and assessing my carry-over projects from previous years (of which there are several).

While I was milling about, mulling over this project and that, I kept coming back to thread. It seems that every idea that’s brewing for Needle ‘n Thread at the moment comes down to thread. I have designs. I have fabric. I need to make thread choices.

Overdyed floche hand embroidery thread
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2019 – Tied Up!

 

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to the very Last installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2019, where I’ll let you know the winners for the last two gifts.

Before going any further, I want to send out a Huge Thank You to all the small businesses who joined in this year’s series. If you are looking for needlework supplies or goods that come from reputable small businesses with excellent customer service, please frequent them!

In fact, if you’re ever looking for a specific resource, you can drop me a line and if I know who might have it, or can point you in a direction, I’m happy to do that. It’s so important to support small needlework businesses if we want to keep the industry thriving!

Besides announcing the winners of today’s give-away, I’ll give you some numbers for those of you who diligently counted items in my Christmas card photo that I posted on Wednesday. And then a little Public Service Announcement…

Tying up a Stitcher's Christmas, 2019
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Stitcher’s Christmas #10: Floche – the Whole Set!

 

Good morning! Happy Eve of Christmas Eve – and welcome to the last installment of this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas series on Needle ‘n Thread!

Today’s give-away is a little bit different. It came to me out of the blue, from Phyllis Brown in North Carolina, who wrote to offer a whole set of cotton floche for this year’s series! Needless to say, for your sakes, I couldn’t resist! I’m really excited to offer it to you, because I love floche.

The give-away is for a whole set of 1/3-hank twists of floche (around 56 yards per twist, with one of every 90+ colors), to one super duper lucky winner! I’ll tell you more about it below.

I’ll also announce the winner of last Wednesday’s give-away for Jenny Adin-Christie’s beautiful needlework tools.

Stitcher's Christmas: Set of Floche embroidery thread
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Stitcher’s Christmas #9: Get Your Red & Green On!

 

Haaaaappy Friday!

As we get closer and closer to Christmas, we’re running out of Stitcher’s Christmas installments. I’ll be sad when this yearly pre-Christmas party is over – I love reading the comments!

For today’s gifts – there are two of them – we’re going to go to those traditional Christmas colors of red and green. That’s right! Lisa at The French Needle has put together two sumptuous packages of embroidery supplies, one red and one green. These are perfect for stash enhancing for any embroiderer who likes to mix things up with fibers, fabrics, and threads – and if you happen to be a crazy quilter, I think you’d be seventh heaven with the selections!

I’ll also announce the winners of Monday’s crewel wool collections from Renaissance Dyeing at the end of today’s article, so read on!

Red & Green embroidery supplies from French Needle
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Stitcher’s Christmas #8: Jenny’s Stitching Tools

 

Welcome to Installment #8 of A Stitcher’s Christmas for 2019!

I’ve noticed over the years of writing here on Needle ‘n Thread that there are two things that stitchers especially love: good thread and good tools!

This year’s Stitcher’s Christmas has featured a good selection of threads (and more to come), and we’ve had one installment featuring tools. As we come towards the end of the series, I’m very happy to present you with some more beautiful tools for hand embroidery.

After Jenny Adin-Christie launched her new website earlier this year, I reviewed this snazzy little laying tool of hers. It’s one of my favorite stitching tools!

I jumped on her newly-launched site and indulged in a few of her other bits and bobs, too – like her bead / goldwork trays, a ceramic waxer, and a delicate, hand-painted needle minder. There’s nothing on her site that isn’t lovely and isn’t, I’m sure, very well made.

So I reached out to Jenny to ask if she wanted to join in on this year’s Stitcher’s Christmas, and she gave a very enthusiastic yes, offering a nice selection of four beautiful tools for one of you.

I’ll tell you all about them and then announce the winners of last week’s book give-away. So read on…

Jenny Adin-Christie needlework tools for a Stitcher's Christmas
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #7: Renaissance Dyeing Crewel Wool!

 

Happy Monday, from a snow-covered Kansas!

Today’s give-away for A Stitcher’s Christmas #7 is very timely! Just when the weather is perfect for pulling out my wool mittens (these felted wool mittens that I embroidered and showed you here), we get to chat all about gorgeous hand-dyed wool threads from Renaissance Dyeing.

And I’ll announce the three recipients of last Wednesday’s gifts – the yearly subscriptions to Inspirations Magazine.

Ready?

Stitcher's Christmas 2019 - Renaissance Dyeing crewel wool threads
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #6: Best Needlework Books!

 

I’m a book fanatic, if you didn’t know. I like books – all kinds of books!

But I’m extremely fond of really good needlework books. I especially like the kind that combine the right balance of inspiration, instruction, and work all in a beautiful, well-presented package.

So you can imagine how happy it makes me to present today’s installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, courtesy of Search Press, which features four themed book collections of past and future books, for your present! That’s right – there are four winners for today’s give-away, and each winner will receive one themed collection of four exquisite needlework books.

Some of the books are not even in the public eye yet! So read on, and I’ll tell you a little about Search Press and a little about the books for today’s give-away. Then I’ll announce the winner of Monday’s give-away featuring needlework goodies galore from Needle in a Haystack.

Stitcher's Christmas: Needlework books from Search Press
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #5: Inspirations Magazine Subscriptions for 3!

 

Good morning, and welcome to A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2019, installment 5 – which means we are half-way through this year’s series of needlework gift drawings!

This morning, I’ll announce the winner of last Friday’s installmentPink Delight, a ribbon embroidery kit by Di van Niekerk – at the end of this article.

But first, we’ll take a good look at today’s gift, which is for three of you!

Courtesy of Inspirations Studios, each winner will receive one year’s subscription to Inspirations Magazine, the world’s most beautiful embroidery magazine. If you already have a subscription, the gift subscription will be added to your current subscription.

Let me tell you all about Inspirations!

Stitcher's Christmas 2019: Inspirations Magazine gift subscriptions
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #4: Needlework Goodies Galore!

 

Good morning, and Happy Monday all around!

Today is the fourth installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas – my yearly series of give-aways running up to Christmas, featuring delightful needlework products from small businesses around the globe!

At the end of today’s article, I’ll announce the winners for last Wednesday’s installment, where three winners will each receive a beautiful hand-turned wood tool from Stitch In Turn. So read on to the end for the winner list.

Today’s give-away is courtesy of Needle in a Haystack in Alameda, California. It features all kinds of delectable goodies for stitching!

Stitcher's Christmas 2019: Needle in a Haystack embroidery goodies
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #3: Silk Ribbon Embroidery Kit

 

Welcome to the third installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas for 2019!

If you haven’t joined in on the previous installments, you can still get in on give-away #2, featuring the lovely hand-turned wood needlework tools from Stitch In Turn. You can join in here.

The first installment ended today – I’ll announcing the winner at the end of today’s article.

Now, just in case you’re already tired of winter (if you live in the northern hemisphere) or you’re already sweltering in summer (if you live in the southern hemisphere), here’s a refreshing respite!

Complements of Di van Niekerk, who I consider the Absolute Queen of Silk Ribbon Embroidery, today’s installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas is a sumptuous silk ribbon embroidery kit, replete with everything you need to recreate Di’s garden scene, Pink Delight.

Stitcher's Christmas: Silk Ribbon Embroidery Kit from Di van Niekerk
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #2: Hand-Turned Tools

 

Welcome to the second installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas 2019!

We started the series on Monday, with a thread give-away from Colour Complements. I’ll announce the winner for that give-away this Friday, so if you haven’t joined in yet, do!

Today, courtesy of James and Tawney at Stitch In Turn, three winners will each receive one beautiful hand-turned wooden needlework tool. Read on for the details…

Stitcher's Christmas: Hand Turned wooden needlework tools
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2019 #1: Pick Your Own Threads!

 

It’s time to kick off this year’s series of A Stitcher’s Christmas, the original needlework Christmas series featuring honest-to-goodness give-aways of needlework treasures with no gimmicks attached!

For those of you who have been around for a while, you know what to expect! For newcomers to Needle ‘n Thread, I’ll explain below how the series works so you can know what to expect.

Today, we’re going to kick off the 2019 series with some luscious embroidery thread, courtesy of Colour Complements – because, after all, who doesn’t love thread?

Colour Complements on a Stitcher's Christmas 2019 - embroidery thread give-away
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Snowflakes: 12 Winter Designs for Hand Embroidery – Available Now!

 

Just in time for you to stitch up some winter holiday cheer for 2019 in the form of a dozen fantastic snowflakes, my newest e-book is ready for you today!

Snowflakes: 12 Winter Designs for Embroidery has been in the works for a long time, so I’m really happy to finally make it available! It was a gargantuan (but oh-so-fun) work, and I’ll tell you all about it below!

Snowflakes for Hand Embroidery
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Happy Thanksgiving! Forget the Football Game – Play This!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude is universal, so even if you aren’t celebrating Thanksgiving today, I wish you a happy day full of love and gratitude for all that you have and all that you give.

Did you know that you are right up at the top of my Gratitude List? You are! So a big, hearty THANK YOU for all your support, encouragement, advice, interaction, friendship, and everything else that makes Needle ‘n Thread the online embroidery community that it is!

EYE Spy though the Needle's Eye - Thanksgiving, 2019
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Folky Flakes Ready-to-Stitch Towel Sets – and some Holly, Too!

 

Just in time to give you something comfortable, cozy, quiet, and calming to stitch on through the holidays, I’ve added some ready-to-stitch towel sets to my shop.

The new set is a three-towel set of my Folky Flakes designs. These are stamped cross stitch snowflake designs, very simple to stitch, perfect for peaceful, relaxing stitching while you’re taking a break from the hubbub.

Here’s an overview of the towel set, some basic tips for stitching (you won’t need many!), and information on the availability Holly & Evergreen towel set, too.

Folky Flakes stamped cross stitch snowflake designs for holiday stitching
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What’s your Hoop?

 

My friends, a Happy Saturday all around!

I’m going to use today’s article to poll our community and get some help! I’ve been testing some embroidery hoops, making comparisons, and drawing conclusions lately, to prepare a detailed article on embroidery hoops of different types, their advantages and disadvantages, and the like. It’s an article that I hoop will be helpful to many!

I thought some community input would be a good thing! And so, today – along with some other knick-knacks, bits and bobs, bobbles and bibelots, gaudies and gewgaws, I thought I’d ask this question: What’s Your Hoop?

Hoops for hand embroidery
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A Damp Stretching Tip – Easier on the Hands!

 

Damp stretching (sometimes called blocking) is a crucial step you should never skip on embroidery that’s going to be finished into something, whether it’s framed art, an ornament, a needlebook, a pin cushion, a couch cushion, or anything else.

I’ve written about damp stretching – which I used to affectionately call damn stretching because it was often a frustrating pain for my fingers and hands! – here, with a tutorial. The tutorial will teach you the concept of damp stretching. As you progress through your embroidery journey, you will probably make little tweaks and adjustments to how you damp stretch your work.

At the beginning of this whole ornament-making process, I made some adjustments to my approach to damp stretching, and they are adjustments for the Oh-So-Much-Better. Why didn’t I do this before?!? Since there are some 20 snowflake ornaments floating around here now, I have a Massive Appreciation for these tweaks that have made damp stretching easier for me.

So I thought I’d share them with you! It’s really a matter of supplies, more than anything else…

Damp Stretching Embroidery Tip
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Finishing Trims for Embroidered Ornaments & Smalls

 

At the end of last week, I posted some photos of my finished embroidered snowflake ornaments on social media.

I then spent more hours than I can count answering questions, emails, messages, and so forth about the trims I used and the finishing techniques.

So I’m interrupting my publishing schedule here to bring you some highlights about trims for finishing, because it seems that many folks are looking for decent trims for finishing up their own embroidered things – whether for ornaments or other uses.

I also received a few questions about dating. Well, that’s kind of a personal topic – but I’ll answer that question below, too.

Hand Embroidered Snowflake Ornaments
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Never Underestimate the Simplest Tools

 

When you go about finishing your embroidery projects into something-or-other – whether it’s into a Christmas ornament (that’s what I’m doing lately), a needlebook, an elaborate box, or myriad other things – you’re going to need a few helpful tools.

I have one favorite tool that I could not live without during the finishing stages of any embroidery. But when it comes to making ornaments, this simple tool – rather ubiquitous in any sewing or needlework-related craft room – has to meet certain criteria.

Finishing embroidery into ornaments - tools
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Fascinating Embroidered Book Cover in the Works

 

Good morning, and happy Wednesday! I hope you’ve been able to enjoy some time with your needle and thread this week so far – and that, wherever you are, your stitches are just right, and you are safe and sound and comfy!

It’s been a wild several weeks on this side of the Needle ‘n Thread screen! November is flying by too quickly. I’m exceedingly thankful that Thanksgiving falls a bit later this year!

Each day gets me a little closer to finishing the snowflake collection we talked about Monday and even preparing some more Festive Fall and Holly & Evergreen ready-to-stitch towels (and a new line of ready-to-stitch Folky Flake towels, like the examples I talked about here). All of that should be ready for you by the end of the month, and perhaps sooner, if things go well.

Today, I’m sharing a super enjoyable video with you, though I expect it will go around online with all haste and you might run into it elsewhere. Remember this book:

Chloe Giordano book and a link to her video
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Needlework News Snips – November 8, 2019

 

Happy Friday! Most people call it the weekend – I’m calling it the workend. Lots to do this weekend with needle and thread (and scissors and glue and pins and batting and…), because I’m finishing up some ornaments. Yay!

Over the past week, I’ve built up a dandy little list of online bits related to needlework. There’s a little bit of instruction, a little bit of inspirations, some news – a whole conglomeration of things that popped up in front of me off and on all week and I thought worth sharing with you.

They’re in absolutely no particular order.

So grab a cuppa and let’s go for a meander, shall we?

Needlework News Snips November 8, 2019
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Slate Frames by TFWoodcraft!

 

If you’ve been embroidering for a long time, or if you’ve been following along with me on Needle ‘n Thread for years, you know what a slate frame is.

But if you’re new to embroidery and new to Needle ‘n Thread, there is a chance you’ve never come across the slate frame.

The slate frame is a very simple but effective tool for embroiderers. It’s been used for centuries in its most basic form, and in recent years, it’s enjoyed a renaissance of popularity.

I like to hunt down slate frame makers. Most of them are individual woodworkers who have found a niche in the needlework market with wooden tools. There’s nothing quite like a good wooden tool made by someone who knows wood and knows how to bring out the beauty and functionality in a good piece of wood!

TFWoodcraft has been around for a while, making wooden tools and other products for the historical reenactment camp and for other enthusiasts. I’d heard of them from several readers who recommended their products, so I thought I’d take a look.

For those of you looking for slate frame options in the US, then, here’s one to put on your list. Their frames are slightly different from the traditional slate frame, and they are beautifully made.

TF Woodcraft Slate Frames - Review
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Embroidery Hoops, Excess Fabric, & Huggers!

 

It’s funny how a single needlework topic comes up repeatedly in several different venues all at the same time.

For example, over the past couple weeks, I’ve had no less than six emails asking about how to control excess fabric when you’re embroidering something in a hoop. The topic has come up on Facebook three times in the past week.

When this happens with an embroidery technique (i.e. “I’m having trouble with plaited braid stitch, can you help me?”), I assume that folks are involved in a stitch-along or a class, or that a kit involving the technique has recently hit the market.

But when the topic comes up about something like how to control excess fabric when working with a hoop, I just figure there are a lot of people out there stitching who are being annoyed by excess fabric hanging off their hoops.

So I’m going to show you my solution, which I adopted probably about a year ago now, after perusing the notions wall at a locally owned fabric shop.

Spool Huggers for controlling excess fabric on embroidery hoops
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True Confessions: My Embroidery Work Table

 

Time to shatter (once again) that perception that all things in my Needlework World are perfect.

They aren’t!

Sometimes, my deadlines are not very realistic.

And sometimes, just when I think I’m on target for hitting a deadline, I do something really stupid. Most frequently, my stupid-doing involves making things Much More Complicated than they need to be. For example, yesterday, I spent six hours working on an idea for a snowflake. Once I finally had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, I started stitching it. And picking it out. And stitching it again. And picking it out. This went on for hours.

But one area where I chastise myself quite frequently is the area of tidy organization while developing projects.

I just can’t seem to do it! While I was perusing photos and bemoaning the fact that I’m a stitching slob, I came to a realization.

Embroidery Work Table
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Weekend Stitching: A Few Flakes Down, Two to Go

 

My adventure in embroidering snowflakes in October has anticipated a touch of winter – maybe not as odd as snow in Texas last week, but it looks like this week is going to be a bit flaky here in Kansas.

Of course, if I mention it, it won’t happen. Weather in Kansas makes a liar out of anyone who tries to predict it with any accuracy ahead of time.

But let’s move on to embroidery! This morning, I’d like to share a quick update from the weekend and last week’s stitching adventures. I’ll also relate the rest of my plans for this frosty collection that’s steadily growing into a veritable blizzard on my work table.

Embroidered Snowflake in icy blues with beads
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Stitch Fun! Basic Knotted Chain Stitch with Embellishment

 

How about a little bit of Stitch Fun?

Today’s tutorial comes about following an ongoing conversation with a fellow embroiderer, wherein we enthusiastically discussed the various merits of chain stitch …. and its almost infinite variations.

At one point in our discussion, I proposed that one of my favorite variations was the knotted chain stitch.

There then followed a short altercation in which we drew our chain stitch swords. I defended the point that knotted chain stitch and crested chain stitch are not the same stitch. I won that skirmish.

And then I sallied forth to demonstrate the merits of knotted chain stitch and to defend its worthiness for renown.

There is, after all, more to the stitch than initially meets the eye. To win a little recognition for this particular chain stitch variation, first, we’ll walk through a tutorial on how to work the knotted chain stitch (with a very simple embellishment), and then, in a follow-up article, we’ll look at a couple ways to make the stitch a little more accessible for wider use in free-style surface embroidery.

How to Embroider the Knotted Chain Stitch
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Pouches & Cases: They’re for Needlework, Too

 

Not every needlework accessory or needlework tool needs to come from the craft industry.

Take, for example, the magnet wand (like this one I wrote about here). Buy the unadorned, simple magnet wand at a needlework shop, and it could cost you upwards to $14. Step over to a hardware store and you can purchase essentially the same thing for about $4.

Today’s case in point (hardy-har-har) is the pencil case / make up bag / pouch-made-for-just-about-any-other-industry.

This conversation came up thanks to a post over in my Needle ‘n Thread Facebook Community, where Sara Rossi shared a photo of her travel embroidery supplies nicely tucked into a pencil case.

Pouches and cases used for embroidery travel kits
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Testing Embroidery Ideas: It Doesn’t Always Work!

 

Design ideas and embroidery ideas don’t always work.

It’s true! They don’t! Sometimes, in fact, they’re utter failures.

It takes testing, time, and sometimes a good dose of frustration to arrive at a design, a technique, a thread, a stitch, or an embellishment that leads to a resounding, “Oh yes! That will work! Yay!”

Some people might think it takes a lot of waste, too.

It’s true that there are pieces of embroidery that I entirely scrap, because they won’t work out. It’s true that I might go through a spool or a skein of thread before I admit that, as much as I like the thread, it won’t work for this. It’s true that I might spend a whole afternoon – maybe even a whole day – maybe even three days! – on a particular design or working with a particular thread, before I say, “No. This Just Won’t Work.”

None of that is waste. It’s called process – more specifically, it’s called the learning process. And all of us go through it to some degree or another every time we sit down to stitch. Embroidery designers go through it pretty often – mostly so that you don’t have to!

I’ve been working through a collection of snowflakes, and some have worked out fine. Others have been a wash. Here’s a bit of process for you, in case you ever wonder what goes on when I’m exploring and testing embroidery designs and ideas.

Testing embroidery ideas on snowflakes
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CraftOptics & a Discount for Readers

 

Here’s a subject that should be dear the heart of any embroiderer: eyesight.

We often talk about all the tools and accessories and favorite little things that make needlework enjoyable for us. But, hands down, the Most Important tools we have are built right in and we take them with us everywhere. We could not do the needlework we do without our very precious eyes.

I have lousy eyesight, and it’s been that way ever since I can remember seeing things (or rather, not seeing them). My first glasses came about when I first went to school and the teacher realized I couldn’t see the board.

I remember as a kid going to church and staring at a huge stain glass window and being mesmerized by the colors that all swirled together. I could move my eyes and my head around, squinting, and make the colors blend and move. It was all just color to me. There were no pictures. It wasn’t until I had my first pair of glasses that I realized there was actually a story to see in that window.

The drive home from the optometrist when we picked up my first pair of glasses was an eye-opener, too. It was the first time I actually saw, from a distance, leaves on trees – and it just happened to be fall in New England. That drive home is seared in my brain. I can close my eyes and see it as clearly now as I saw it then.

The upshot is this: glasses – or the equivalent – have been a necessary part of my life since then.

In fact, I’m going I’m going to the optometrist today.

CraftOptics with a Discount
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Can you Satin Stitch with It? Exploring Metallics!

 

Last week, when I updated you on my snowflake embroidery projects, Beth asked a very good question in the comment section, and never being one to shirk a stitching challenge when it really intrigues me, I decided to try something.

Beth asked me if I could satin stitch with the metallic threads I was using.

I should have been able to say, “Of course you can. They are made for stitching, after all.” But since I had not satin stitched with them, I figured I better try it before confirming or denying.

If you’d just like the long and short of it, here it is: “Of course you can satin stitch with this thread. It is made for stitching, after all.”

A Ver a Soie Metallics and Satin Stitch
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Jenny’s Little Laying Tool / Stiletto

 

This has been a long time coming!

Well over a year ago, I was sent a wee needlework gift (Thank you, Holly!). And ever since then, I’ve wanted to tell you about it. But I couldn’t, without burdening the person behind it.

But now I can! Yay! Why? Because Jenny Adin-Christie, needlework designer and teacher extraordinaire, finally has a new website with an online shop. If you haven’t seen her new site, you must.

I said it was a wee needlework gift – and it is small. Small, but Mighty! A testament that big things really do come in small packages.

Jenny's Little Laying Tool / Stiletto
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Flaking About: Color, Variety, and Workspace

 

Whenever I start playing around with a new project that I’m excited about, I tend to jump right into the experimental stage without any rhyme or reason, grabbing this piece of fabric, that skein of thread… just to “play” with the initial idea and see how it works out.

Once I decide that I like the idea, I try to take a more organized approach with things – especially because I usually write about or publish the projects here on the website, which means that the supplies I’m using can’t be too far out there (as in, no longer available or too hard to find).

I also make sure that I document the supplies and stitches I use as I go along.

When it gets to this stage, things slow down a bit – especially if I have to take progress photos. Wow. Progress photos can really slow things down! But worse than slowing down to take them is forgetting to take them altogether – which sometimes happens. That just means I have to stitch the thing over again. Heh heh.

I mentioned week before last that I was doodling about with snowflakes. Well, what started with a concept and some simple doodling has turned into a serious flaking adventure!

Snowflakes in hand embroidery
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Festive Fall: Patterns, Materials, Instructions, & Stitch Guide

 

For those who have been waiting for the patterns, material list, and stitch guide for Festive Fall, it’s time to Celebrate! I finally finished it!

Goodness me, it’s been a rather hairy four weeks. I apologize for the delay in getting this one out!

Read on for all the details about the Festive Fall, including what’s in it, how my e-books work (they’re PDFs, so nothing too complicated), and where to pick up your copy.

And, if you’re keen to have some ready-to-stitch towels to go along with it, there are a few sets available in my shop right now, too!

Festive Fall Autumn Designs for Hand Embroidery
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Weekend Stitching: Experimenting with Uncounted Cross Stitch

 

I used my snowflakes that we talked about last week as a carrot over the weekend.

I often do this with stitching. When I have more onerous tasks that must be done, I turn my embroidery into a carrot. I make myself stay on task for a certain amount of time, and then I take a short stitching (or other kind) of break, where I can do something completely different to take my mind of the more demanding job.

This weekend (and for the last couple weekends), I’ve been working on the e-book for Festive Fall, which I hope to have available for you on Wednesday. (Keep your fingers crossed for me.)

This type of work requires hours upon hours in front of the computer, editing photos, writing, and so forth. I have to make myself shift every hour, and usually, I take the break time to do other small tasks, like changing the wash, doing dishes, cleaning the bathroom, that kind of thing.

To keep myself a little more motivated this weekend, I added 15 minutes of stitching time into the line-up, and made that my carrot. It worked well! Between my 15 minutes here and there and some longer bouts in the evenings, I managed to get a good bit of embroidery done.

I was experimenting this weekend.

Winter Snowflake in Uncounted Cross Stitch
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October’s Embroidery Agenda – and More!

 

Did I just type “October” in the title line on this article? Good grief.

You know what? I’d love to hear all about what’s going on at your work table or at your favorite stitching station right now. I’ll link to the comment section at the end of this article so you can tell us what you’re up to right now. I think it’s always a good thing to share our needlework journeys a bit – you’d be surprised what little tidbit, what little morsel of knowledge or idea or project that we’re working on might inspire others in the wider Needlework Community!

I’m going to tell you what’s on my October embroidery agenda and share some random stitching topics – things I’ve been thinking about, projects I’m piddling with, materials I’m trying. Very Random Stuff…

embroidered snowflake-like doodle in red
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On Needle Threaders -and a Cheap One, but Hey…!

 

I’m always looking for solutions to share with you, to make your embroidery life easier.

So when the conversation about a lighted needle threader popped up over in the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Facebook, I found myself exploring a topic that I think could come in handy for those of us who have rotten eyesight for whatever reason – or for those who struggle to thread needles for whatever reason!

One of the gals in the community (thank you, Pamela) posted a picture of a cheap little plastic needle threader that’s lighted, and asked if anyone had tried one. An engaging conversation pursued about different types of needle threading and threaders.

Being somewhat attracted to gadgets, my only take-away was that silly little threader. I have seen lighted needle threaders here and there – I think Dritz, among other companies, makes one – but the reviews are always pretty average or below average. So I never bothered. But this one, for some reason, was different. I had to try one of those little cheap plastic needle threaders! It became a kind of obsession.

Plastic needle threader with LED light
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Embroidered Botanicals by Yumiko Higuchi – A Book Review

 

Good morning, and happy Monday!

Let’s kick off the week with a quick look at Embroidered Botanicals, the latest embroidery book by Yumiko Higuchi in the “Japanese craft style.”

I’ve followed Yumiko’s work on social media for a while – I really like the cleanness and precision of her style. And while I’ve not been thrilled with every book published under her name, I really like this book, and I’ll show you why.

You should be aware that the name is a bit misleading, though, as the book is not entirely devoted to embroidered botanicals. Part of it is, but there’s lots of other stuff going on in here, too.

Embroidered Botanicals by Yumiko Higuchi
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Needlework News Snips – September, 2019

 

It’s been a long, long time since we’ve taken a little browse together through needlework news and inspirations.

With the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer, I always find autumn to be a perfect season for embroidery. It’s the time of year when I start thinking of inside evenings and I start planning what to do once the weather starts chilling up and the dark settles in much earlier.

We’re not quite there yet here in Kansas (the weather here apparently has no idea that autumn starts Monday), it’s still a good time to start plotting and planning, rubbing your hands with delight as you contemplate new needlework adventures in the season ahead! Perhaps some of the bits below will inspire you or maybe they’ll fill in that one little blank that starts you off on a new project.

So grab a cup of your favorite brew, and let’s have a wander together…

Needlework News Snips for September, 2019
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Starts & Stops: Beginning & Ending Threads on Sheer Fabric

 

On Monday, we looked at some introductory tips and information about stitching on organza.

Today, we’ll talk a little bit about the starts and the stops – that is, starting and ending threads when embroidering on sheer fabrics. I’m also going to share some news with you at the end of today’s article – there are a couple worthwhile things there to take note of!

The tricky thing when you’re working with fabrics as sheer as organza is this: any bit of thread that extends beyond the embroidery on the front is going to show. Whether it’s a little hairy smidgeon of thread from when it was snipped, or whether it’s a slight build up of thread right behind the stitching, if your fabric is transparent, there’s no missing that little extra something peaking out from the back.

Because of this, the starts and stops on your threads are important to consider!

Beginning and ending threads on sheer fabrics in embroidery
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Embroidering on Silk Organza: Tips, Resources, and Inspiration

 

One of the Many Wonders of hand embroidery is that it can be accomplished on practically any ground fabric (and even stuff other than fabric).

Lately, there’s a trend in full swing in the hand embroidery world to embroider on organza, which is a sheer fabric with a bit of body to it.

Embroidery on silk organza is actually nothing too new – it’s gone on in the clothing industry (especially in couture houses) for a long time – but working stand-alone, framable embroidery projects using organza as the ground fabric is pretty trendy right now.

To successfully embroider on something like organza, you have to keep a few things in mind. So I thought we’d chat about the whole concept of stitching on organza and I’d share some tips, resources, and inspiration with you.

Hand Embroidery on Silk Organza - Tips, Inspiration, Resources
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Festive Fall – Ready-to-Stitch Towel Sets are Available!

 

Well, this morning was not the morning I was supposed to be launching these ready-to-stitch autumn towel sets – but everything has piled up in a weird way this September!

So, to try to get ahead of some future events, I wanted to make these available and get them out to you, since I promised I would.

Besides, October will be here before we know it, and as you know, that’s when everyone goes Pumpkin Mad. We might as well have a head start!

Festive Fall ready to stitch towel sets
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Stabbing the Coral Stitch – Solutions for Hooped Embroidery

 

This morning, I’d like to share a little embroidery stitch tip with you.

If you like to embroider with your fabric taut* in a hoop, you may have found that some of the diagrams in stitch dictionaries are hard to imitate.

This is because most diagrams in stitch dictionaries illustrate the stitch in the most space-efficient way by showing it “sewn” rather than “stabbed” – by showing the needle mostly on the surface of the fabric, scooping up bits of the fabric to make the stitch, rather than being taken all the way to the back of the fabric.

If you’re not sure what the differences between stabbing and sewing a stitch are, you might want to read this article on stabbing vs sewing that I wrote a while ago.

“Sewing” embroidery stitches when your fabric is drum-taut* in a hoop or frame can be awkward and difficult. Sometimes, it’s just darned hard to scoop the fabric up!

And often, with some stitches, a sewn stitch looks significantly different from a stabbed stitch, due to the way the different methods cause the stitch to interact with the fabric.

Stabbing the Coral Stitch for embroidery with a hoop
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Embroidery Needle Facts: Three Points worth Knowing

 

On a website called Needle ‘n Thread, it probably isn’t too surprising that I’ve written a lot of articles about hand embroidery needles.

For those who are just getting into the hand embroidery world and just becoming aware of the Broad World of Embroidery Needles – and even for those seasoned stitchers who might like a little brush-up – I’ll include some further reading about needles for embroidery at the end of today’s article.

But today, I just want to mention three facts about hand embroidery needles that you might not know, that might help simplify your Stitching Life a bit when it comes to using, choosing, and organizing your embroidery needles.

Embroidery Needle Facts: Three Points worth Knowing
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Portable Lighting Solution for Needlework: Coast Headlamp

 

I’m always on the lookout for good lighting solutions for hand embroidery and other needlework. Short of your needle, I think the most important “tool” when you’re stitching is your lighting.

And while excellent lighting can be had naturally in a sunny window or sitting outside, the fact is, many people don’t stitch during the day, and even if they do, they don’t always have the right situation to take advantage of the sunlight.

So, yep. I’m always on the prowl for lighting solutions to share with you so that you can find your ideal light.

As the summer winds down here in the northern hemisphere, with the days getting shorter, good lighting is even more important. And with seminar and workshop season going into full swing, with holiday travel coming up, with football season kicking in, and all the other myriad reasons we might take our needlework away from home, easy, good portable lighting solutions are ripe for consideration!

Today, I want to show you my latest lighting acquisition. I bought this on the recommendation of a friend who hikes and knits.

Coast Rechargeable Headlamp with Needlework
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A Finish – Embroidered Table Runner for Fall

 

Before I launch any kind of embroidery design with a stitch guide, I like to test it in several situations.

Besides working my Festive Fall embroidery design (you know, the one with the pumpkin, leaves, and wheat that’s been sneaking onto Needle ‘n Thread lately?) on cotton towels, I decided to stitch it on a linen table runner.

I learned several things in the process.

Overall, I like the results! Here are some photos right after it was finished – nothing “staged” to show it off all that well, but it gives you an idea of how the design worked on this small natural colored linen table runner.

Festive Fall - pumpkin, leaves, wheat autumn embroidery on linen table runner
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How to Embroider Wheat – a Simple Approach

 

Today, I thought I’d share a quick overview of a very simple method for embroidering wheat motifs.

I’ve received several questions about the wheat on this autumn design I’ve been exploring, so I thought I’d share a quick look at how I’m embroidering the wheat on my pumpkin design.

Incidentally, I think I’m going to call the pumpkin design Festive Fall – Decorative Autumn Corners for Hand Embroidery. So if you’re looking for it when I finally get it out on the website, that’s how it will show up! A stitch & color guide will be available, as well as some ready-to-stitch pieces with the designs already transferred for you. Look for them in September!

So here’s a brief overview of a simple approach for stitching wheat elements on hand embroidered items. Feel free to give it a try!

How to Embroider Wheat - a simple approach
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It Holds Embroidery Hoops, Too!

 

Way back a gazillion and some odd years ago, I wrote a review of the Needlework System 4 stand and frame clamp.

I’m told that this review has sold a lot of Needlework System 4 stands, and I’m happy to hear that! It’s a great stand. In fact, I’d go so far to say that the Needlework System 4 stand is my favorite embroidery stand for average sized projects. I’ve been using mine for some 12 years on a regular basis, and I’m still using it. I’ve had to replace some of the washers and make some minor adjustments, but for a stand that gets a regular workout and isn’t really treated with kid gloves, it’s held up really well!

When people email me and ask if I still recommend it after all these years, I give a hearty yes.

Lately, many inquiries revolve around the fact that there’s no mention of “embroidery hoops” with this stand. Is it possible, so the inquiries go, to use an embroidery hoop with this stand?

Here’s my reply.

Needlework System 4 stand and embroidery hoops
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Tool Talk: a Tool Block, a Laying Tool, and a Stork

 

To tell you the truth, the stork shouldn’t be in today’s title. But I figure questions will come up – since they are scissors, after all, and needleworkers have A Thing for scissors – so I’m including them, too.

It’s been a while since we’ve done some Tool Talk! Needleworkers love their tools, so now and then, I like to highlight some tools on the market that are exceptional.

Today, I’m highlighting a tool block with its matching laying tool and a pair of stork scissors. The tool block and laying tool are made from gorgeous, hand-turned wood, so if you have A Thing for beautiful wood tools, then wake up! You’ll love these!

Tool block for needlework tools
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Art Nouveau Floral Motifs for Hand Embroidery

 

The history of art is marked with specific eras of design styles. One short-lived era that doesn’t get a whole lot of attention in the hand embroidery world these days (though it is gaining popularity again) is the Art Nouveau era, which lasted – at its height – only about 20 some odd years, from the end of the 1800’s through the early 1900’s.

The style had its origins in the Arts and Crafts movement, but the features of Art Nouveau design can be isolated and made distinct from the design of the Arts and Crafts movement. Much more “modern” in execution, what we call Art Nouveau in general today was known by many different names at the time, including Style Moderne in France, “Tiffany style” in the States (think: the stained glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany), and, in the UK, “Modern Style” or “Glasgow Style” (after the Glasgow School of Arts). Throughout Europe, each country had its own name for the distinct style of the Art Nouveau age. Considering its relatively short-lived (but a bit frenzied) popularity, the style spread and was adopted very quickly around the globe.

The Art Nouveau style extended into not only the fine arts, but also the applied arts, so you’ll find not only paintings and sculptures in Art Nouveau style, but you’ll also find extant examples of stained glass, jewelry, metal, textiles, furniture, architecture, mosaics, and all kinds of applied, decorative artwork made during the era.

I like the Art Nouveau style. It’s so clean. It strikes me as a perfect fit, too, for the “minimalist” approach to a lot of decor these days.

But enough about the history part of things! Let’s talk about this book: Motifs Floraux Art Nouveau, or Art Nouveau Floral Motifs. I know there are a lot of embroiderers out there who are also Art Nouveau enthusiasts, so I thought this book would be of interest!

Motif Floraux Art Nouveau for embroidery - floral motifs in art nouveau style
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A Hodgepodge of Hand Embroidery Musings & Updates

 

Good morning, and a happy Friday all around!

Oh, joy! It’s the end of the week! This week is going out with a bang here in Kansas. Gee whiz. We had severe storms all night. I hope all my Midwestern buddies in the area are safe and dry this morning!

Today, I’m going to share a hodgepodge of embroidery musings here, including what’s going on in my Needle ‘n Thread life, some information on the Leafy Tree kit availability, and some answers to few questions that have come in lately – it really is just a hodgepodge.

Hopefully, you’ll pick up some tips or garner an idea or two for your own needlework adventures.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea (it’s definitely a tea morning here) and sit back with me for a bit while we chat!

Pumpkin and leaves autumn embroidery project on linen
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Free Hand Embroidery Design: Contemporary Grape & Wheat Corners

 

Because it’s Wednesday, because we’re half-way through the week, and because I love playing with embroidery designs, I think today’s a great day to share a free hand embroidery pattern with you!

I’ve been playing with this design for a purpose, which I’ll tell you about below. I haven’t had a chance to pursue working the design yet – hoping to start something this weekend – but in the meantime, I thought I’d share the embroidery designs with you.

free hand embroidery pattern: contemporary grapes and wheat
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Weekend Stitching: Pumpkins, Leaves, & a Little Wheat

 

Still trying to stitch slightly ahead of the season, I spent this past weekend working on a new autumn embroidery design that I first mentioned to you here.

Whenever I try out a new embroidery design like this, I end up having to work it several times. I want to know, after all, what kind of glitches might turn up. I want to know if it’s a reasonable design for stitching in a reasonable amount of time. I want to know if it makes sense to make it available the way I envision making it available. I want to know how different threads and colors will work on it.

And I want to know if I should add to the design, subtract from the design, or leave it just as it is.

To discover all these things, I get the pleasure of stitching the design more than once! And, as is practically always the case, I change my mind on many things along the way.

hand embroidery autumn design with pumpkin, leaves, wheat
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Reframing Embroidery: Disassembly & Preparation

 

Last week, I shared with you this botched framing job of an embroidery project that was causing me a wee bit of worry.

So many of you chipped in with great advice – thank you so much! I decided to re-do the frame job myself, salvaging the material components (the frame, mat, glass) and re-doing all the labor components of the frame job.

In fact, I was dying to open the thing up, just to see how they approached the job in the first place.

So, today, I’ll show you part one of my fix – where I disassemble the frame, remove the embroidery, and get it ready to re-frame it. And then Friday, I’ll show you the methods and materials I use for mounting and re-framing the work.

Reframing embroidery project: disassembly & preparation
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Prepare to be Charmed, Enchanted, Delighted, Amazed…

 

I’ve been waiting for this for a while!

I want to show you a new embroidery book that will be on the market very soon. I think I can safely say it’s going to be Huge – not size-wise, but popularity wise.

This is not your typical embroidery book. But oh! How I love it! It is everything I hoped it would be, all bundled up between two hard covers.

The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano is the type of book I’d like to browse through with you, page by page, sitting with our heads together over the book. Together, we would say things like, “Oh wow!” and “Look at that!” and “Awwww” and “Wait, let me read that!”

I’d like to show you every page right here, but I won’t! Instead, I’ll give you a taste of the book and tell you about it, so that you can indulge in the pleasure of turning each page yourself and discovering the delightful style of Chloe Giordano. I’ll tell you what makes Chloe’s book different from most embroidery books – and what makes her embroidery style so very captivating.

The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano - cover
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Embroidery Frame Up: A Quandary – and Other News

 

Before we kick off today’s article, thanks to all who jumped on The Leafy Tree embroidery kits yesterday evening! I’ll have more information about the kits at the end of this article for those who weren’t able to get one or for those who have further questions, shipping ideas, and so forth.

On to today’s topic…

I’ve written about framing embroidery projects here on Needle ‘n Thread only a few times in the past. It’s a subject, though, that must come up, if you embroider things that you intend to hang, finished, as art or decor in a home or elsewhere.

I’ve had quite a bit of work framed over the past 15 years, most of which has gone on to other places. Some of it, I’ve framed myself, and some of it, I’ve had professionally framed with different “grades” of professional framers.

Why is it, though, that every time I take a piece to a highly endorsed professional framer, I end up … well, a little disappointed?

I picked up a piece from a professional framer earlier this week. This is “high end” framing, with a framer who is not only highly recommended, but apparently experienced in framing needlework.

I’m in a quandary right now over the piece. You might remember it – it’s this piece, Fantasia in Silk.

Framing Embroidery: Fantasia in Silk
Continue reading “Embroidery Frame Up: A Quandary – and Other News”

The Leafy Tree Kit – Coming August 1st!

 

Well, if you’ve been awaiting The Leafy Tree embroidery kit, here’s the announcement:

The kit & e-book bundle will be released here on Needle ‘n Thread in my shop tomorrow, Thursday, August 1st, at 8:00 pm Central Time (KS, USA).

Here are all the details you’ll want to know ahead of time. (This guarantees that everyone reads the product description when they’re not in a hurry!)

The Leafy Tree Embroidery Kit coming August 1
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Looking Ahead & Playing with Embroidery Designs

 

A few weeks ago, when we talked about the whole Christmas in July thing, I asked about seasonal stitching.

Do you stitch seasonal things during that particular season, or do you stitch ahead of a season? I’ve always been lured into seasonal embroidery during any particular season or just shortly ahead of it, when I’m Really Yearning for a change of seasons.

I must be yearning for Autumn! Over the weekend, I put a little time into testing out some embroidery designs that I’ve been doodling around with for a while. They’re simple designs, but pretty, and great for relaxing with some stitching during the chillier evenings of Fall.

Pumpkins & Leaves: Autumn Embroidery
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Monograms & Words in Ribbon Embroidery: Book Review

 

Happy Wednesday!

Today, we’re going to look at another beautiful book by the queen of Silk Ribbon Embroidery, Di van Niekerk.

I’ve reviewed several of Di’s silk ribbon books here on Needle ‘n Thread. This one concentrates on a set of floral ribbon monograms and projects with embroidered words.

If you love silk ribbon embroidery, if you like dimensional stitching, if you enjoy a kind of multimedia approach to your projects, if you like crazy quilting which often sports ribbon work, if you are a fan of elaborate monograms – then this book will be right up your alley! There are lots of reasons to love it!

Monograms & Words by Di van Niekerk
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Hexagons, Happiness, and Expanding my Project Organization

 

I’ve lately received not just a few little emails asking about the progress on my hexagon quilt that I first showed you here, which is my “grab and go” stitching project at the moment.

I don’t have as much time to work on it now, and I’m not really making time to work on it now – not like I did when I first got the project going. Now, it truly is a grab-and-go project, something I grab and take with me when I know I’ll be waiting around, biding time, and needing something to do with my hands.

Surprisingly, though, there is progress on the thing, and a lot more than I actually realized!

So, for the curious, here’s my progress, some insights to my current thoughts on it, and a couple notes on how and why I had to expand the organizational aspect of my grab-and-go, hand-pieced hexie quilt project.

Hexagon quilt project on Needle 'n Thread
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Preparing Kids’ Embroidery Classes for a Monday Start!

 

Happy Saturday, and a Happy Weekend! What are you stitching this weekend?

Here in Kansas, where the temps are topping out in the 100’s and things are pretty sticky, I’m working on last minute touches for the first round of summer kids’ classes this coming week.

We’ve divided the kids into age groups and planned our projects accordingly. This year, there are two projects on the table – a stitch sampler needlebook and another hand embroidered flour sack towel.

Stitch Sampler Needle Book
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Christmas in July? You Can Start Stitching Now!

 

Christmas in July.

It’s just a bit overdone, isn’t it?

I know it’s a marketing ploy. And it bugs me in a number of ways, on a number of levels. I like my seasons – and the holidays that go with them – just as they are. I like them to show up when they’re supposed to. And I’m not too keen on the marketing trends that play havoc with them.

The only instance that “Christmas in July” makes any sense to me is when it comes to embroidery and other forms of arts and crafts that require time to develop.

Embroidery, after all, is a slow craft. You can’t just snap your fingers, press a button, and voilá! A hand embroidered gift pops out, ready to deliver.

So, while I tend to be a bit of a cynic who looks askance at “Christmas in July” as just another marketing gimmick, I have to admit that, when it comes to embroidery, thinking ahead to Christmas-in-December while sweating away in July does make sense.

And to that end, for those who want to get ahead on Christmas needlework, here are two ways you can do that…

Christmas in July for Hand Embroidery
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Weekend Embroidery: Stitching the Trunk, Floche, and Changing my Mind

 

I’ve made a little more progress on the Jacobean Blues embroidery that I showed you last week, but as usual when I first set out on an embroidery project and start exploring stitch options, I’ve had a few Moments of Pause.

I’ve changed my mind once.

And I’m pretty sure I’m going to change it again.

Today, I’ll show you what I’ve done so far, talk about the thread a bit, show you an element that got stitched & removed, and share my thought processes along the way, for whatever they’re worth.

Jacobean Blues embroidery project
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A Great Resource for Needlepainting Exercises

 

A couple weeks back, we chatted about different resources that can help embroiderers (from beginners to advanced) take the plunge into needlepainting, which is often viewed as an advanced, hard-to-conquer technique.

Today, I want to highlight another really good resource for those who want to learn the art of realistic shading with needle and thread. We’ll take a quick look at the embroidery works (and instructional ebooks) of Emillie Ferris.

If you haven’t seen Emillie’s embroidery work, I think you’ll really enjoy it. And there are a couple points about her approach – and her project e-books – that I think make her work unique and worthwhile to use as a springboard for learning and practicing needlepainting.

Embroidery by Emillie Ferris
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Jacobean Blues – Just a Bit of Embroidery

 

Quite a while ago, we talked about this Jacobean-ish embroidery design that I keep toying with.

I set the design up on new fabric (a natural-colored linen), and collected threads for it.

Finally, the other day, I started some stitching on it.

Today, I’ll show you some minute initial progress as I work my way through the beginning of the project; I’ll tell you my thought processes; and we’ll talk about gradual shade and color changes when you’re working with solid colors in linear stitching.

Blue Jacobean Embroidery Project
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Weekend Stitching: Finishing Up a Bright Garden Scene

 

Happy Monday!

This past weekend, I put the finishing stitches in this little embroidered garden scene that I showed you a couple weeks ago.

This is the scene we’ll be using for kids’ classes this summer. What I like about it – besides that it’s a bright, cheery summer scene – is that it doesn’t look as basic as it actually is!

And there’s plenty of room to make it even simpler, or to dress it up and make things a bit more complex, all depending on the level of the embroiderer or the amount of time the embroiderer wants to put into the project.

I’ll explain what I mean below, sharing some tips for simplifying or dressing up basic embroidery designs like these.

Embroidered Flower Garden Scene for Summer
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Embroidery Kitting Adventures – On Boxes and Thread

 

This week and last, and probably all of next week, there’s one thing on my mind: getting The Leafy Tree embroidery kit and the instructional e-book finished and ready for you!

A couple weeks ago, I showed you my fabric sticks for the Leafy Tree kits. All the components are now arrived and ready to package into kit form – with the exception of half of the boxes…but more on that below.

So now the fun part! When the fun part starts – that is, the assembling of everything – there’s not much room for anything else to go on in the studio. Kitting pretty much takes over the work area, especially with this particular kit, which contains an abundance of embroidery thread.

Leafy Tree Embroidery Kit
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Embroidered Country Gardens – Book Review

 

July is finally here, and this month – in just over a week – a book that I’ve been waiting to see for quite a while will be available!

If you love floral garden embroidery, especially if you like stitching small motifs that have an exuberant garden feel to them, you’re just going to love this book – Embroidered Country Gardens by Lorna Bateman.

The book covers a wide variety of garden elements that are stitched into various garden scenes that adorn several finished projects. So it’s an instructional book, an idea book, and a project book all rolled into one.

Let’s take a look at it, shall we?

Embroidered Country Gardens by Lorna Bateman
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Needlepainting, Silk Shading, Soft Shading, Thread Painting…

 

It goes by so many names, this technique of creating realistic shading in embroidery.

But no matter what name it goes by, and whether there are slight nuances in the meanings of the different names, all the techniques named above involve the dominant use of long & short stitch.

I use the terms in today’s title pretty much interchangeably, while I use the specific term long & short stitch to refer to the stitching technique used to shade – and which can also be used as a solid filling technique, too.

Lately, I’ve received several questions from beginners on how to get started with the techniques used in needlepainting.

So today, I want to share some resources that will help the embroiderer – whether beginner, novice, or advanced – take the plunge into needlepainting and learn how to successfully shade in embroidery.

Needlepainting Embroidery: Resources for Learning, for beginners & beyond
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Embroidery Stitch Templates – for Straight & Uniform Stitches

 

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Kathy Shaw’s new book, Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts. You can read that review here.

When I wrote about this little stitch sampler needlebook, I received quite a bit of feedback about the difficulties of keeping stitches and lines straight and consistent. With my little sampler, I used the linen to guide my lines and keep them straight, but we don’t always work on fabric with an easy-to-see weave.

And that’s where these embroidery stitch templates designed by Kathy Shaw and distributed by Creative Impressions come in handy. I thought I’d show them to you today, in case they are something that can benefit you in your embroidery journey. I’m going to explain what they are, how they’re used, and share some pros and cons with you.

Embroidery Stitch Templates
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Weekend Stitching: Embroidering a Different Scene

 

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! This morning, just a quick update on last weekend’s stitching!

I’ve been embroidering up some small garden border designs for upcoming summer classes.

Remember the mushroom question from last week? Well, I put that one aside until I can adjust it a bit, and I moved on to the next garden scene, which has a few more elements in it and is for older participants.

Small Garden Border Scene
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Indexing 100 Issues of Inspirations!

 

Last year, when Inspirations Studios produced the new index for issues 1 – 100 of Inspirations Magazine, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed one.

I have all the issued of Inspirations, thanks to my sister, who passed me all the older issues from the earlier years of the magazine.

Each issue is a delight, full of beautiful embroidery projects for every level of stitcher. There is a certain classic timelessness to most of the projects in the magazines, so they never really seem to age. I never grow tired of flipping through them!

But … there are times when I want to find a certain project that I know I’ve seen in one issue or another, and it takes a long time to flip through those individual magazines.

And that’s why a magazine index comes in so very handy. But the new 1 – 100 index is handier than most, thanks to the meticulous details in its arrangement. This is perhaps the most thorough search tool ever produced for a magazine!

Inspirations Magazine Index 1-100
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Fabric Sticks for Embroidery Kits … & Other News

 

I was going to title today’s blog post (which is actually yesterday’s blog post, but I had a publishing hold-up yesterday morning) “I’ll Give You Three Guesses.”

But then I started looking at the things, and I figured many of you would guess right away, anyway.

One of my biggest behind-the-scenes projects during June has been preparing embroidery kits and instructions for The Leafy Tree, a project I finished a while ago and for which I received many, many requests for a kit.

And so I’m putting together a kit.

This is one of the features of the kit, and although it’s time-consuming, I think it’s worth it:

Fabric Sticks for Embroidery Kits
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Prepping for Kids’ Embroidery Classes

 

It’s summer. And in summer, I like to host children’s embroidery classes. For those who don’t know, Needle ‘n Thread actually sprang from children’s summer embroidery classes that I taught way back in the summers leading up to 2006.

This past week, Needle ‘n Thread turned 13 years old. And even though there was a break due to lack of a teaching space, I’m happy to say that, as of last summer, I’m back to offering summer classes for local children and youth.

I think it’s important to teach children the needle arts, to show them that they can create beautiful things with their hands, and to give them the opportunity to learn a creative hobby. Even if they don’t stick with it “full time” in their early years, there’s a good chance that they will eventually come back to it.

I’ve been prepping the project samples for this year’s classes. We’re doing two projects. I showed you the first one (this sampler needlebook and a less complex variation thereof) already. The second one is another flour sack towel, because these give the kids a “picture” to embroider and a finished object to display.

But I’m not quite sold on this particular class sample below, and I’m thinking I need to make some adjustments. Take a look…

Sunflower & Toadstool: Embroidery Project
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A Stitch Sampler Needlebook & the Next Thing

 

Last week, we looked at the beginning of this little stitch sampler that I’m putting together as a summer class project.

Earlier this week, I showed you the line-up of stitches so far on the sampler.

Today, I’ll show you the finish. I’ll fill you in on the rest of the stitches I used, talk a bit about finishing the little sampler into a needlebook, and then I’ll show you the next thing I’m working on and the jolly mess that goes with it.

Stitch Sampler finished as a needlebook
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Botanica: The Three Dimensional Embroidery of Julie Kniedl

 

Perhaps you’ve already seen the book, Botanica: The Three-Dimensional Embroidery of Julie Kniedl?

It’s actually in its second printing right now, after being released earlier this year. Yes, it’s so beautiful and so enchanting and so unique, that the first print run went fast!

Today, I’ll show you the book up close and tell you a little bit about what you can expect from it.

Botanica: The Three Dimensional Embroidery of Julie Kniedl
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Weekend Stitching: Name those Stitches!

 

No, I didn’t finish the little line sampler I showed you on Friday.

I came close – about 1/2″ more to embroider – but the weekend was busy with graduation and family and the like. I just couldn’t eek out that last 1/2-inch bit, which meant I couldn’t finish the project into a made thing, either.

*Sigh*

I’m not all that disappointed that I didn’t finish, because it gives me something to look forward to today. It’s a good incentive to get Needful Things finished so I can concentrate on the Fun Stuff. Sometimes, embroidery makes the best carrot!

Lots of emails this weekend, asking if I could name the stitches in my sampler so far, for folks who want to stitch something similar.

Line Sampler of Embroidery Stitches
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Sampling Stitches – that is, Doing What I Love!

 

This week I got started on a couple project samples for kids’ classes this summer. This particular stitched sample that I’m going to show you today is for middle to high school aged kids. It’s a tad complex for little kids!

Before launching into stitches and such, I better get a little business out of the way, though!

For those who have been waiting for them, there’s a limited supply of the pre-transferred towel sets available in my shop – both the Floral Corners and the Holly & Evergreen (if you want to get a jump on Christmas). Purchases made before 10:00 am central time will ship today, and all others will ship Monday.

I’ve also posted a lettering sampler design for my patrons over on Patreon. It’s a spin-off of this Quick Brown Fox lettering sampler from a while ago. I added a lazy dog and a jumping fox and a few lines to turn it into a kind of combo band-sampler-lettering-sample-dog-doodle-thing. So if you’re part of the crowd on Patreon, you can pick that design up now.

And speaking of samplers… this is what I’m working on this week:

embroidery sampler of line stitches
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Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts – Book Review

 

Quite a while ago, Kathy Shaw asked me if I would be interested in seeing her new book, Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts, when it was published. And of course, I said yes!

For those of you who have been hanging out with me on Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you already know I’m a bit of a book fanatic. I love books, and I really love needlework books.

When it comes to the pleasure of just browsing a book, I really enjoy books that are visually exciting. I’ve noticed that most books on crazy quilting have that element of visual excitement.

Stunning Stitches is one of those visually exciting books, but it is much, much more. It’s a practical guide to traditional crazy quilting, presented in a very organized, accessible way for beginners and beyond. Let’s look at it…

Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts
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Weekend Stitching: Project Preparation, Color Selection, & Beads

 

A few months back, earlier this year, I started embroidering this Jacobean whitework project on blue linen.

There were a several reasons I decided to re-start the project, not the least of which was the fact that the blue linen I was using is no longer available.

This past weekend, I put my mind to the new version once again, and I got some preliminaries out of the way by narrowing down supplies and setting up the frame. Now I can start stitching on it! Yay!

Jacobean embroidery in blue and white
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Protect Your Magnifier – and Everything Else!

 

Today, a tip for those who use magnifiers (or might use one some day!) for embroidery and other needlework.

I don’t always use a magnifier, but I have a couple stand magnifier and light combo units that I really like – this one that I reviewed here is working out to be my favorite, because of the strength and clarity of the lens and the easy rotation and placement of the lens.

Now, I’ve always had the idea that every useful thing in my work space would also be beautiful, either embellished in some way with embroidery or beautiful in some other regard – like beautifully made wooden tools or beautifully wrought scissors or what-have-you. In reality, I have to admit, I have many purely functional things that can’t really slide into the Decorative or Beautiful categories. I mean, a screwdriver? A table clamp? A roller for packaging tape? An external hard drive? You get the idea.

Once upon a time, I had the idea I’d hand-make and embroider the thing I’m going to show you today. And some day, I might. Instead, I recently took a purely functional piece of packaging and recycled it for this use. It works well!

Using a Sheet Sack as a Magnifier Cover
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Three Favorite Filling Stitches & When to Use Them

 

Lately, I’ve been having a discussion with some beginning embroiderers about filling stitches that work well on surface embroidery projects, especially where you’re filling small elements here and there in a standard stylized or realistic design.

I thought I would share the results of that discussion here, in a distilled version, in case you struggle with how to fill different elements in your hand embroidery projects and where to use what filling technique.

So, now that the three day weekend is over, let’s get back to some basic embroidery tips by looking at my three favorite standard filling techniques and where and when to use them.

Three Favorite Filling Stitches & When to Use Them
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Some Embroidery & a Hodgepodge

 

I love the word hodgepodge.

Today’s a little hodgepodge of stuff embroidery related. I’m going to show you some small progress on my needlepointed flower and explain why the progress is so small and a dilemma I’m facing with it.

And, because it’s Memorial Day weekend, I’m going to share with you some information about Memorial Day sales that have to do with needlework.

And I’m also going to plug the fact that my Floral Corner flour sack towels with the pre-printed designs are back in (limited) stock. Oh, and all my e-books are on sale briefly this weekend, too! You can check all that out in my shop. Yay! Set yourself up for some summer embroidery projects!

And I’m going to share a fabric find with you.

Ok, back to the needlepainted flower…

Needlepointed Flower from the side
Continue reading “Some Embroidery & a Hodgepodge”

Some Good Needlework Tips on Video

 

Today, I’m going to send you down a sewing rabbit hole!

If you haven’t discovered the goldmine that YouTube is when it comes to looking for how-to information – not just for embroidery, but for just about anything – you might be missing the boat!

With today’s smart TVs, smart phones, smart tablets, wifi connections and everything else, it’s easier than ever to watch how-to videos easily, while you’re actually trying to do whatever they’re trying to show you.

My own YouTube video channel is here. The easiest way to always find the channel is to subscribe to it (it’s free – “subscribe” in this case just means “follow”) while you’re logged in to YouTube. That way, you can come back to it quickly by going to your own subscription list.

If you have a smart TV, you can pull my channel up by accessing it through the YouTube app using your own subscription list or by searching “Mary Corbet” on the app, and you can watch my embroidery stitch videos from the comfort of your stitching chair.

I subscribe to several YouTube channels (or “YouTubers”), covering different topics from needlework to travel to calligraphy to IT to my own family’s channels and more!

Today, I’m going to share with you two YouTubers that I think are handy for needleworkers. They don’t focus specifically on embroidery, but they supply good information that can pertain to embroidery. They are both professional tailors who hand finish the bespoke clothing they make.

Rory Duffy bespoke tailor video
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Tool Talk: Thimbles – Types & Usage

 

We’ve talked about thimbles somewhat frequently here on Needle ‘n Thread. I think they’re an interesting subject among embroiderers because generally, the topic can be divided into two camps: stitchers who use them and stitchers who don’t.

The majority of those who use thimbles learned to stitch using them and they use them habitually all the time. To stitch without them would seem awkward to the regular thimble-user.

Those who don’t use thimbles when they stitch find thimbles generally awkward and difficult to get used to.

I fall in the latter camp, when it comes to using thimbles with embroidery. I rarely use them, except in emergencies. To use a “real” metal thimble when I embroider slows me down and, in fact, makes every movement bumbly and awkward.

But, weirdly enough, I fall into the former camp when using (certain types of) thimbles for hand sewing. I always use one. I’ll explain the difference in usage of the terms embroidery and hand sewing below – and the difference in thimble usage – for me, anyway!

Let’s talk a little bit about thimbles, types, and usage. I’ll show you what I use when I need thimbles in an emergency when embroidering, I’ll talk about what works for me (and doesn’t work for me) when hand sewing, and we’ll chat about the difference between embroidery and hand sewing. I’ll share some resources with you, and open the topic up for your comments and recommendations.

Leather thimble used for hand sewing
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Small Progress: Padding Needlepainting

 

I’ve enjoyed a couple short stitching sessions this week, working on the small flower design I introduced you to on Monday.

This isn’t exactly a “side project” – I’m working on it with a purpose, as it belongs to a collection of other small floral elements I’ve been putting together. But I’ve been treating it like a side project, by picking it up only when I have a little bit of spare time here or there. It’s turning into Thinking Project, one of those projects I pick up when I am between other tasks, but I need a moment or two to think!

I find this kind of needlepainting, or long and short stitch shading, very (very) relaxing. Almost too relaxing. Sometimes, it’s not until after I finish a section that I realize I should have done something differently. Had I been a little more alert and a little less relaxed, maybe I would have thought about it before the section was finished!

In any case, here’s my minuscule progress, and a couple tips for you.

Needlepainting embroidery - long and short stitch flower
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Embroidered Boxes: Techniques & Projects – Book Review

 

Over the last several years, my fascination with what the French call “cartonnage” has steadily grown.

What apparently began as a technique for creating funerary masks in Ancient Egypt has developed today into the craft of box-making, using different weights of card and board (like book-binding board or mat board) covered with fabric or paper to create beautiful receptacles, organizers, trays, etuis, and the like.

Today, I want to show you a book that will help you do all of the above. I have a pretty thorough collection of books dedicated to making fabric (or paper) covered boxes, and when this one came out, I knew I had to add it to my shelf! I’m glad I did, because I found within its pages many tidbits that have made me much more confident about undertaking my next box construction project.

If you have an obsession with creating embroidered, fabric, or paper-covered boxes, Embroidered Boxes: Techniques and Projects by Emma Broughton is well worth adding to your own library!

Embroidered Boxes: Techniques and Projects
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Weekend Stitching: An Exercise for Needlepainting

 

This past weekend, I began one of many little embroidery projects that I’m putting together, that are exercises of one sort or another. This particular one is an exercise in needlepainting.

Needlepainting – also called long and short stitch shading, soft shading, silk shading, thread painting – is working with long and short stitch and sometimes a few other stitches to create embroidery that is realistically shaded in a way that mimics painting.

Needlepainting in Embroidery - Flower from Side View
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Needlework News Snips – May, 2019

 

It’s been a long time since we’ve meandered together through needlework content online. Since there are a few things I want to tell you about that are time sensitive, I thought today would be a good day for a little browse through various needlework-related topics.

For those who are recently joining us on Needle ‘n Thread, occasionally, I compile these little lists of needlework things that I’ve come across, that I think you all will find interesting, too. I call them news snips because they’re just little snippets here and there that happen to catch my attention.

Generally, I write these lists while I’m sipping a cup of tea, and when one of two things happens – either my tea is gone or it is cold – we call it quits!

So pour yourself a cup and join me vicariously for a friendly chat while we meander together through the list…

Needlework News Snips, May 2019
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The Amazing Stitching Handbook for (not only?) Kids

 

Summer will be shortly upon us here in this half of the world! And along with summer comes a fantastic opportunity to introduce kids to embroidery, giving them a gift that will last them all their lives – an appreciation for making something with their own two hands.

Usually around this time of year, I get a lot of requests for recommendations for children’s embroidery projects or books that can help introduce a child to embroidery.

Well, if you have children in your life, and you’re eager to spread the joy of needlework to them, there’s a fantastic new book out aimed just at kids, called The Amazing Stitching Handbook for Kids.

After seeing mediocre needlework books and kits and whatnot aimed at children come and go over the years, I’m really happy to see this particular book. It’s a terrific information, reference, instructional, and project book.

I like it a lot! I like it so much that I’ve purchased copies of it to use for summer birthdays (and other occasions) and bundled it with basic supplies. It’s an ideal book for helping a child to start stitching!

Let’s look at it in detail…

The Amazing Stitching Handbook for Kids
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Seventh Heaven: A Free Hand Embroidery Design

 

Good morning, my friends!

Today, let’s keep things short and sweet! This morning, I’m sending along a free hand embroidery design for a kaleidoscope that I call Seventh Heaven.

The reason for the name? Well, it’s a kaleidoscope of seven parts: seven arms and seven layers that can be broken down or grouped different ways.

So I’ll share the design with you below, in a handy PDF printable, and chat a bit about embroidery ideas for the design.

Free Hand Embroidered Kaleidoscope Design: Seventh Heaven
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How to Make a Quick Pin Cushion for your Needlework Tool Box

 

When a something in my needlework tool box starts to annoy me, I remove it. If it’s a tool that provides a service I need, I think of improvements to it, so that it doesn’t annoy me.

For example, I have a little pin cushion that works great for me outside my sewing box. But inside my sewing box, it Drives Me Nuts because it has a magnet on it, and the magnet catches on my scissors, my clips, or anything else it can suck into its Area of Attraction.

When my little magnetic pin cushion is stuck on my light pole by my stitching spot, it’s great. When it’s in my tool box creating havoc, it’s not. So I decided to pitch it in favor of something better.

And that something better was a quick little pincushion I whipped up in about 15 minutes. And you can do the same thing for your tool box or stitching area, too! I’ll show you how I did it…

How to Make a Quick Pin Cushion for your Needlework Tool Box or Stitching Area
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Non-Embroidery Related, but Needle and Thread Related, Project

 

When your hobby also happens to be your livelihood – which is the case for embroidery and me – it’s sometimes necessary to pursue a different hobby now and then!

I have a couple hobbies that are not needle-and-thread-related pursuits, but I don’t often indulge in them anymore simply because there’s not a lot of time outside Needle ‘n Thread for other creative activities.

But over the recent Easter break, I took some time to focus on setting up a non-embroidery related project (who knows – since it involves cloth, it may morph into an embroidery-related project!) that is still needle-and-thread related, and since some of you wrote in and asked about it, I thought I’d show it to you.

There are a couple tools and accessories involved that you might like, too, so I’ll share those with you as well.

Hexagon Quilt - English Paper Piecing - Mary Corbet
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The Seasons in Silk Ribbon Embroidery – New Edition

 

Needlework authors and publishers have been busy in the past year or so, producing some really helpful and beautiful embroidery books. I have a whole stack of needlework books that I want to share with you, so that you can make informed decisions on which books to add to your needlework library.

I figure I better start chipping away at the pile; otherwise, they’ll be out of print before we know it!

For the silk ribbon embroidery enthusiasts, this is a book you don’t want to miss! Whether you use silk ribbon embroidery as a stand-alone art form, or for embellishing crazy quilts, or as part of other embroidery or mixed-media works, you will appreciate the instructional content and glorious projects in this book.

So, off the top of my stack is the reformatting and reprinting of this book, The Seasons in Ribbon Embroidery by Tatiana Popova, which I reviewed quite a while ago when Tatiana published it herself in both Russian and English.

The Seasons in Silk Ribbon Embroidery
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Embroidery Design Transfer Experiment with Laundry Bluing

 

Good morning, and Happy Friday! I had a nice little break this past week, during which I was able to catch up on a few things, experiment with some stitching ideas, start a non-embroidery-related project, and get some of my other ducks in a row. I hope you enjoyed the break, too!

As usual, I didn’t get as much as I thought I could get done, done. Isn’t that always the way of it?

Today, I’m going to show you an experiment with embroidery design transfer and laundry bluing. It involves the prick and pounce method of transfer that I demonstrate a while ago here, so if you’re not familiar with the basic techniques, you’re welcome to read that earlier article.

Prick and pounce – though a time consuming method of transfer – is a tried-and-true method. It results in an accurate transfer of your design, and it can be used on both light and dark fabrics. It is an especially useful method of transfer for large projects.

But let’s get on with the experiment!

Embroidery Design Transfer with Laundry Bluing
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Ecclesiastical Figure Embroidery

 

Figures have played a dominant role in ecclesiastical embroidery since the Middle Ages.

During the era of Opus Anglicanum embroidery (1100’s through the end of the 1300’s), figures were the focal element of the style. The embroidering of saints and biblical figures to adorn vestments continued to develop after the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, beautiful figure embroidery mixed with exquisite goldwork developed in Belgium, especially, and also in Spain, Italy, and other parts of Europe.

Into and through the 1700’s, floral elements became more common on vestments and vesture. And by the Industrial Revolution of the mid-1800’s, figures – while still figuring in ecclesiastical embroidery – began to deteriorate, in some regards, as far as quality is concerned. The fully embroidered figure began to recede from the more common ecclesiastical use, and figures that were a combination of paint and embroidery began to emerge, in keeping with the trends and desires for quicker turnout in textile-related production.

Still, figure embroidery even today is part of ecclesiastical embroidery.

Here are a few images of figure embroidery that are relevant for today. If you haven’t ever seen pieces like these up close, hopefully you’ll find them as fascinating as I do!

Ecce Homo in Figure Embroidery
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Jacobean Whitework: Rethinking & a New Start

 

I loved the blue linen that I used when I first set up this Jacobean “whitework” embroidery project.

But since it is a discontinued fabric, and since I had some design tweaking I wanted to do, I decided to start over.

I couldn’t find a blue linen I liked well enough that is suitable for surface embroidery like this, so I’ve opted for a natural colored linen. I still intend to incorporate some blue – but we will see how that plan pans out a little further down the road!

Now, it’s not unusual that I start a project and then re-think it pretty soon after the start. I prefer it when this doesn’t happen, but sometimes, it just does. And while starting over may seem like a waste of time and resources, I always learn something useful in that process. Plus, the materials from the first attempt come in handy for testing theories for the next attempt.

Combine those positive benefits with the fact that I don’t like to put a lot of time into something that I already know is dissatisfactory, and those provide me with my excuses (they’re good enough!) to start over.

Jacobean whitework embroidery on blue linen
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Weekend Stitching: Making Adjustments on Flowers

 

Happy Monday! Did you enjoy much time with your needle and thread this weekend?

As it turns out, I didn’t. I managed to squeeze in a little bit of stitching time late Sunday afternoon – and it didn’t last very long!

But I almost finished the five motifs that are featured in Elizabetta’s booklet In a Wheat Field that I reviewed a couple weeks ago.

I made some changes as I went along. I’ll show you and explain my reasoning…

Embroidered Flowers on Linen from In a Wheat Field by Elisabetta Sforza
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Magnifier / Light Combo for Needlework – A Review

 

For many of us, it’s inevitable. We hit 40, and our eyesight changes. And for those of us who love needlework, this can be problematic.

I’ve written about magnification options for needlework many times here on Needle ‘n Thread. Today, I’m going to review a magnifier I recently purchased solely in order to answer your questions about it.

As an embroiderer who has had Really Bad Eyesight all my life, this is a topic that’s near and dear to me – having the right tools that allow us to pursue the things we love to do.

Brightech Magnifier Light Combo Review on Needle 'n Thread
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Huck or Swedish Weaving & a Towel from Julie

 

Last year, as winter was setting in, my niece Julie accosted me, looking for some needlework to do that wasn’t difficult, that worked up easily and quickly, and that would give her something creative to do with her hands during the evening hours.

We foraged about in my Bin of Sundry Collected Needlework Goods, and came across a couple Huck weaving (also called Swedish weaving, among other names) towel kits. So I passed them off to her – and guess what came back to me last weekend? A finished towel!

Huck weaving also came up in our Needle ‘n Thread group over on Facebook not too long ago, too, so I thought I’d touch on the topic here, mention some resources, and direct you to the free pattern that you’ll see on Julie’s towel.

Swedish or Huck Weaving on a Towel
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The Easter Onion: Felt, Embroidery, and Failure!

 

There are some things I really shouldn’t blog about.

Felt and embroidery seem like a pretty good subject, though. And usually, it is!

But in this case? Maybe not!

The way I see it, though, is that sometimes, it’s more fun to learn from other people’s mistakes than it is to make our own – so here is a little lesson in… I don’t know what.

I thought I had the right concept (and maybe I do), but wow, this thing didn’t come out the way I intended at all!

Felt and Embroidery - Easter Egg Failure
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Bloomin’ Poppies… & Other Addictive Embroidery

 

I almost feel like I’ve been suckered into embroidering these motifs from Elisabetta’s wheat field alphabet. They’re just too addictive to put down.

My Project Wall is feeling rather neglected (I’ll tell you about my Project Wall some day…) and my eggs are stagnating. I’m embroidering some eggs of a sort – I’ll share them with you soon!

The poppies are The Most Fun Ever. They make me laugh.

Hand Embroidered Poppies
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A Stitching Diversion: Playing in a Wheat Field

 

You know that booklet I reviewed on Monday, by Elisabetta Sforza? In a Wheat Field?

Well, it’s become rather diverting. I think you need to get it, if you haven’t already gotten it. We could have fun together!

I wasn’t really going to let myself be diverted by it.

But then I did.

You see, I got it into my head that I would at least scuffle through my DMC thread colors to see what I had on hand for the projects in the book. And then, while I was chillin’ a bit in the evening, I figured I’d go ahead and trace some of the designs onto vellum – you know, just for the fun of it.

Then I got it into my head that I’d like to play with the designs on a linen glass towel. And one thing led to another, and here I am. And I’m Perfectly Happy to be here!

As I began to delve into the projects, considering colors and stitches and what-have-you, I admit that I changed things up a little bit.

In a Wheat Field embroidery
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In a Wheatfield – An Exquisite Alphabet (& More!) to Stitch

 

If you say “embroidered monogram” to me, my mind will immediately answer with “Elisabetta Sforza.”

Elisabetta is an Italian embroiderer who is truly a master of hand embroidered monograms in both traditional and innovative styles. She wrote this book, featuring a glorious floral alphabet, that I reviewed a while ago. And she has recently published another alphabet that has captivated my monogram-and-flowers-and-other-beautiful-embroidery-loving heart.

Her new booklet, which I recently received from Elisabetta via the folks at Needle in a Haystack when their shipment of the books arrived, is called In a Wheat Field. The alphabet and decorative accents within it feature wheat, wildflowers, and poppies. The designs, the embroidery, the colors, the stitches – they’re all stunningly beautiful!

In a Wheat Field embroidered alphabet by Elisabetta Sforza
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Embroidery Ground Fabric Matters

 

Some people say you can embroider on anything.

And I agree, to an extent.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay pretty close attention to the ground fabric you select for your embroidery projects. The ground fabric (the fabric you are stitching on, that the embroidery is embellishing) has to work with the type of embroidery you’re doing, or there’s no sense in using it.

I’ll give you one small example of a selection I made for a ground fabric that I thought about using, but changed my mind. And I’ll show you why I changed my mind. And hopefully, the conclusion we can draw is that you have to consider what you’re stitching and what techniques you’re using when you select fabric, so that the fabric you select will work for you.

Ground fabric for hand embroidery: making good choices
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Tool Talk: Thread Keeps & How to Make Your Own

 

How about a little Tool Talk?

Accessorizing is a fun part of many arts & crafts. Sure, you can accomplish your needlework with the very basics. You want to hand embroider? All you really need is a needle, some thread, something to embroider on (usually fabric), and a way to cut your threads. You don’t need anything else.

But there are tools that make our needlework easier. There are tools that improve the outcome of our needlework. And there are tools that make our needlework more fun. So we accessorize! And that’s all part of the enjoyment of embroidery.

When I was cleaning up a mess of threads the other day – yes, I have thread messes! – I came across some thread keeps that I bought a while ago but hadn’t used yet for a number of reasons. And that led me to making my own set of thread keeps. And that led me to thinking I should share them with you. And that led me to this article! So here we are!

Thread Keeps by Kelmscott Designs
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Weekend Stitching: Thinking through Whitework and Not Getting Far

 

I didn’t get much stitching done this weekend.

I take that back. I got a lot of stitching done this weekend, but I got even more unstitching done. It was one of those this-is-going-nowhere sorts of weekends, as far as stitching goes.

I’ll tell you about it, share some of the reasons why things went amuck, and talk about some ideas and resources on this Jacobean whitework-on-blue project that I’m working on right now (and that I introduced to you here).

Jacobean whitework embroidery project - little progress
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Floral Corners: Three Hand Embroidery Projects for Beginners & Beyond!

 

Happy Friday!! It’s time to celebrate!!

At long last, and just in time for spring & summer stitching, here’s the instructional guide for Floral Corners, three floral projects that I used for local hand embroidery classes for youth last summer.

This e-book is a little different. It’s more about giving options when interpreting a design into hand embroidery stitches. There’s a lot of freedom of choice in the projects, but plenty of guidance, too.

I’ve also put together a limited number of flour sack towel sets with the designs transferred on them for those who don’t want to bother with the design transfer process. You’ll find information on those at the end of this article.

Here’s a little overview of what you can expect from the e-book…

Floral Corners hand embroidery projects for beginners and beyond
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Old Online Embroidery & Designs worth Perusing

 

Happy Wednesday, everyone! We’re well past the halfway point in March, and I think it’s time for a little excursion. Think of it as a field trip!

Today, I’m going to share with you a few embroidery-related documents I’ve come across recently online. They’re free resources of works in the public domain for the most part. I was actually exploring the concept of “design” when most of these came up, so you’ll find a few that will fit more in the designing category than the actual stitching category, but they can all be related somehow to needlework or needlework designing.

I hope you enjoy perusing them – and maybe one of them will speak to you and lead you on to creating something great with your needle and thread!

hand embroidery design for a frame
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A New Embroidery Project & the Start-Up Thrills

 

It’s time to add a new embroidery project into the mix! Yay! I’m excited about it! I have a vision in my head for it, and I can’t wait to work it out with needle and thread.

In fact, I’m suffering from the Start Up Thrills.

The problem with the Start Up Thrills – which is the official name of this malady – is that this new project is all I can think about at the moment. When I’m drifting off to sleep at night, it’s on my mind: what treatment for that leaf, should I add this thread, is there an alternative for that part of the design

And when I wake up in the morning, my one concern is how quickly I can accomplish the Needful Daily Things in order to get back to the project.

You’ve suffered from the same malady before, haven’t you? I knew you would understand!

Jacobean Whitework - Project Set Up
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Friday Finish: An Embroidered Flower Line

 

Hallelujah! I actually managed to finish embroidering another little project! It’s one of those loose ends I wanted to tie up before moving on to something a little more challenging.

I’ve been aching to get on with an embroidery design I’ve been playing with! So with that as my motivation, I finished up the pillowcase edge that I showed you a few weeks ago. I think I might call this one “Spring Dreams.” Of course, it doesn’t have to be a pillow case edge – it can be an anything edge. Or just for fun.

Down the road a bit, I’m going to put this design together in one nice tidy package with a couple other linear floral designs of similar ilk.

But in the meantime, I wanted to share the finish just to spread a little color and sunshine!

Embroidered Flower Line on Pillow Case Edge
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Stitching with Variegated Threads, Part II: Controlled Shades & Solids

 

Last week, we explored two simple ways of stitching with variegated hand embroidery threads.

Today, we’re going to study two more methods of handling variegated threads, this time exerting a little control on color layout and adding a solid color into the mix.

These two methods take a little more thought and planning ahead of time, but in reality, they’re both very simple and the results are worth the little bit of extra effort.

How to Stitch with Variegated Threads: Controlling Colors & Adding Solids
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Finishing Idea for Tapestry Smalls: Pocket Watch – & Kits in Stock!

 

I am a bad shopper.

When I go shopping with a purpose – whether it be to find specific embroidery supplies, fabric… food, clothes, shoes, it doesn’t matter what – I am invariably a failure. I rarely find exactly what I’m looking for when I set out.

Eventually, I settle for something that “will do” and I call it quits. This can be very frustrating, and it generally puts me off shopping. I see shopping as a drudge. A Chore.

There are, of course, exceptions. The exceptions are generally those spontaneous shopping excursions that are completely unintended, when I go with someone else for company, to drive, or just to get out and refresh my outlook. It is in those circumstances that I find everything that I looked for in the past twenty shopping trips. Needful things, interesting things, delightful things – they all fall right in front of me.

And such was the case when I came across this fantastic little pocket watch casing. It was serendipitous.

I had haunted many antique stores looking for an old pocket watch casing that I could use for finishing one of my tapestry smalls from A Thousand Flowers. I never found one.

Not in an antique store, anyway…

Silk Gauze embroidery finished in a pocket watch setting
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Folk Embroidered Felt Birds – Book Review

 

Time for a book review! And today’s book review is all about fun!

Folk Embroidered Felt Birds is a new book coming out at the beginning of April here in the US. It’s packed full of – you guessed it! – folk embroidered felt birds!

And they’re delightful! If you love birds (I love birds) and you like the look of folk embroidery, and you like working with felt to make three dimensional objects, then you need to add this book to your library.

It’s one of those books that just makes me happy when I flip through it. Let me show it to you…

Folk Embroidered Felt Birds by Corinne Lapierre - book review
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How to Stitch with Variegated Threads – Part I: Off the Skein & Reversed

 

Last week, we chatted briefly about variegated threads. I’ve talked about using variegated threads for hand embroidery before, and at the end of this article, I’ll link to a few previous discussions and projects where variegated embroidery threads have played a role.

In a two-part series of articles, I’m going to share with you four different ways you can use variegated threads in hand embroidery, each way giving a slightly different result to your finished stitching.

In Part I of this series, we’ll look at the first two simple ways you can use variegated threads. They require no planning or forethought and no special approach. In Part II of the series, we’ll look at two different ways to use variegated threads, equally easy, but which require a little more planning or forethought.

How to Use Variegated Threads for Hand Embroidery, Part I
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Putting Things in Perspective: Size & Photography with Embroidery

 

When I first started exploring embroidery with any seriousness, one of my favorite resources was this old (as in almost 100 years old) book on ecclesiastical embroidery.

Whenever I looked at that old book, I yearned to see the details of the embroidery in those black and white photos. The photos were good – but most of them were never detailed enough for me. I used a magnifying glass at one point, thinking it might give me better detail. But the detail you can see in a photo is only as good as the detail caught by the camera.

Fast forward to today. The digital camera and the smartphone have completely changed not only the way we take pictures, but also the way we view them. The high-resolution digital picture has a marvelous capacity for zooming in on the details.

And this is beneficial for embroidery explorations – but it has a drawback here and there, too, which we’ll chat about below.

Case in point: the finished leafy tree I shared with you on Friday.

This is the photo of the finished piece that I shared with you:

Embroidered Tree with Large Leaves
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Should I Leaf it Alone? An Embroidery Finish

 

Do you ever second guess your embroidery finishes, after you finished them with (what you thought was) satisfaction?

This happens to me frequently, and I think it’s mostly because I take photos of my embroidery projects to share with you. Sometimes, it’s not until I start going through photos that I see things I don’t like as well as I thought I did.

Be that as it may, I’m officially finished with the leafy tree, even though there is a little part of me that might go back and change one silly leaf.

Embroidered Tree with Large Leaves
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Paying Tribute to the Rose: Embroidery Designs & Stitches

 

Roses are a staple in the wider art world and in the more specific world of embroidered art, and for all kinds of good reasons. Among those reasons is the obvious fact that they are beautiful flowers. Another reason? Roses have been used symbolically throughout history – from heraldic symbolism to religious symbolism to personal and sentimental symbolism, roses have meaning.

When it comes to design, you can find all kinds of rose designs out there, from the very stylized to the very realistic.

The rose-related embroidery designs here on Needle ‘n Thread are stylized rather than realistic. Most of them are inspired by the symbolic roses that show up in ecclesiastical or heraldic needlework and art from past centuries. Extracted into single design elements or distilled into smaller designs, they make lovely options for embroidered art.

Besides a plethora of rose-related embroidery designs, you’ll find a few stitch tutorials available here, too, for embroidering roses.

So, today, a short tribute to the rose – a beautiful flower worthy of your embroidery efforts!

Roses to Stitch: Designs & Tutorials
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Weekend Embroidery: That Stylized Flower Line & Hoop Crushing

 

Last week, I mentioned I was cold, so I set up a springy embroidery project that would help warm the cockles of my heart – or at least, would dissipate some of the winter gloom that has settled over Kansas.

To keep the blood flowing, I decided to continue with this particularly cheery project this weekend during my bouts of embroidery.

As I was traipsing through the stylized flower line with needle and thread, trying to bring the flowers to some kind of life, my mind automatically categorized the things I like about it … and the things I don’t.

Because a hoop is an integral part of this project, I also contemplated a common question about embroidery hoops that occasionally shows up in my inbox. I’ll address it below while sharing all my Profound Musings on this project.

Embroidered Line of Stylized Flowers for household linens
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Thread Talk: Variegated Embroidery Threads – Thoughts & Questions

 

Variegated embroidery threads are embroidery threads that change color within the same thread.

We refer to variegated threads with other names – like over-dyed threads, space dyed threads, and so forth. But all of these threads share the characteristic of variegation. When there is variegation in a thread (that is, changes in color), it falls under the general category of a variegated thread.

From there, threads can be subcategorized based on dyeing methods. Some dyeing methods produce very subtle variegation, while others produce very vivid and bold variegation. Some rely on building colors upon colors, while others don’t. But in essence, if there’s a change in color within the thread, it’s a variegated thread.

Strangely enough, it took me years to discover that I could actually like and use variegated threads in surface embroidery. I used to have an aversion to them…

Variegated threads for hand embroidery - DMC Variations & Other Variegated Threads
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Springy Stitching – Because I was Cold

 

This week’s to-do list on Monday morning included setting up two embroidery projects that I’ll be working on after I finish the leafy tree project.

I like to set up embroidery projects a little in advance of a finish, so that when I finish a project, I’ll have something to start stitching on right away. With these two new projects, my plan was to get them set up this week, but not to stitch on them.

First, I need to finish the leafy tree. I have three more leaves on it. They’ll take a total of, what? Thirty minutes, maybe! I just haven’t tackled those yet.

Then, I have a bunch of computer work begging for my attention, so the next three work days must involve focusing on the computer. I can’t just lallygag around stitching – not when my computer is insisting on work, right?

So of course I’m not going to start stitching on any new project right now! There are priorities, after all!

Springy Stitching: Flower Line Embroidery
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Embroidered Pocket on a Tote: Finished!

 

Last week, I showed you a resurrected embroidery project – one of those projects I had high hopes for, but never got around to finishing. It’s this embroidered kaleidoscope design broken down to fit on a pocket for a tote bag.

With my sister – who’s much more adept at sewing than I am – in town, it was a good time to tackle the tote.

Her approach was to let me do the tackling while she advised when needed. This worked out well, because I learned a lot.

Hand Embroidered Pocket on a Tote Bag
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Stitching & Listening: My Recent Explorations

 

I’ve written before about the topic of listening and stitching in this article on entertainment options for needleworkers.

In the previous article, I went into lots of detail about some of the things I listen to while I embroider, and since then, not a lot of things have changed. I’m still an audiobook junkie, I love listening to specific kinds of music when I’m in the mood to, and I dabble with podcasts now and then.

Today, I’ll tell you what books I’ve listened to lately and then I’ll open the topic up to you! Perhaps we can share some recommendations for good material to listen to, especially among audiobooks and podcasts!

Embroidery and Listening: sources for audio entertainment while stitching
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That Embroidered Kaleidoscope Pocket

 

Long, long ago and far, far away (so it seems), I began an embroidery and sewing project that had every indication that it would eventually turn into a tote bag with an embroidered pocket on it.

You can read the backstory on this particular resurrected project in two previous articles on Needle ‘n Thread – this article on twill and duck fabric, and this article on the stitching progress on the twill.

Due to I-Can’t-Remember-What, the project got side swiped by something else, and I never got back to it…until yesterday.

Hand Embroidered Tote Pocket with Kaleidoscope Design
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Embroidered Leaves: Adjustments & Troubleshooting

 

I’m still stitching this tree.

I recklessly assumed that I would have the thing finished about a week ago. Let’s just call it optimism, shall we?

In any case, last time we looked at it, there were a couple leaves bugging me, and I changed those a little bit. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s getting closer to finished!

This week, maybe? But I won’t make any promises!

Here’s progress thus far, along with a few explanations of things.

Embroidered Tree with Large Leaves- Troubleshooting
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Let’s Talk Project Organization – for One or Many Projects!

 

I think it’s the time of year. I think, ingrained in us, we have this “beginning of the year” impulse to get organized, and it manifests itself every year in lots of questions about needlework project organization.

This year is no different! Questions have been rolling in over the past month about organization in general, but the Number One Popular Question has to do with keeping a number of projects going at one time – not just juggling many projects, but staying sane in the process and making progress all around.

Organizing Embroidery Projects
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern – a Curly Heart

 

Happy Wednesday! It seems like a terrific day to share a heart-y hand embroidery design with you, just in case you’re looking for something very February-y to stitch.

Now, I know this looks like a weird pattern. It can almost make your eyes a little wonky if you look at it too long. When I doodled it up a while ago, I had a specific vision for it.

I always have visions for doodles. They don’t always materialize, but I enjoy them while they last!

I’ll tell what I had in mind for this particular embroidery pattern…

Curlicue Heart Hand Embroidery Pattern
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The Ones that Have to Go – Reverse Stitching Ahead!

 

Last week, on my Facebook page, I posted a photo of my current embroidered tree project similar to the photos below.

I asked folks this: If you were going to remove and re-stitch one leaf, which one would it be?

In retrospect, when I sat down with this project yesterday (I didn’t finish it by the weekend – I got sideswiped by some other work), I decided that two leaves have to go.

Which ones would you remove and re-stitch, and why? I’ll tell you my thought processes below!

Hand embroidered tree with big leaves
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Thread Talk: Madeira Cotton Embroidery Floss

 

This morning, a little thread talk! I mentioned on Wednesday, when we talked about some specialty lighting instead, that I wanted to have a little chat about embroidery threads. So here we are, chatting!

I’ve been trying out Madeira cotton embroidery floss. It’s a six-stranded cotton, like most cotton floss that we’re used to, but there are a few significant differences that make Madeira cotton unique.

Madeira cotton embroidery floss
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Wide Light for Large Embroidery Frames & Work Space

 

I was debating two topics for today: embroidery thread (I know, I know – it’s practically everyone’s favorite topic) or a lighting solution for certain embroidery and work situations.

The thread topic’s on hold for a little bit. I need to finish some more stitching before we can delve into thready wonders together.

So today, it’s lighting!

I bought a new light and I’ve been thinking about sharing it with you for a while. This light solves two problems for me, which is why I had it on my radar. I finally caved, because one of the problems was getting rather annoying…

Wide task light for work spaces and embroidery frames
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Stitching a Tree, and Color Transitions

 

So I’m embroidering this tree that I’ve stitched before.

There are times when I stitch things twice (or a veritably uncountable number of times, depending on what it is – I can’t tell you how many Little Things from Lavender Honey I have floating around among my embroidery supplies!).

I might stitch things twice for a number of reasons: I want another interpretation of it, or I want to try a different color layout, or I want to work out a glitch I didn’t overcome the first time, or I want to tweak the design, or I want better documentation of it, or I want to try it with different materials to give people different options… you get the drift.

Stylized Tree with Large Leaves, embroidered
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Needle Lace, Whitework, and a Great Set of Books

 

Have you noticed a little more chatter on the inter webs these days about whitework embroidery?

I think 2019 might be the Year of Whitework.

I’ve seen quite a few embroiderers discussing whitework lately on social media. Thistle Threads is offering an intense online class on 17th century whitework samplers starting this year. I’ve received half a dozen inquiries about this whitework instructional book recently.

And I’ve been playing with whitework ideas lately, too.

Once in a while, the whole notion of pristine white-on-white embroidery beckons me irresistibly. And the call has been strong in the last month or so!

Aemilia Ars Italian needle lace books
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Stitch Fun! Beaded Braid Stitch, version 1.0

 

I’ve been playing with the braid stitch – also known as the cable plait stitch – lately. I plan to use it on an upcoming project. It’s a great stitch!

While I was playing with it, I pondered its capacity for bead incorporation. I discovered that it does have great capacity for bead incorporation, but that there are some pros and cons to the obvious ways of adding beads to this particular stitch.

So today, I’m going to show you my first experiment with adding beads to the braid stitch, in a method I’m calling (very originally) version 1.0. Later on, we’ll look at a couple variations that produce a more stable result.

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Beaded Braid Stitch in Embroidery, version 1.0
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Vintage Stamped Linen Tablecloth: The Quandary of Salvaging

 

A couple months back, I received one of those surprise packages that are fun to go through but often put me in a quandary!

It was a collection of linens and other fabrics from a reader who was de-stashing and who wanted the goods to go to a good home. (Thanks, Laura!) In the box were nice scraps of linen and silk, good for experimenting on and for using for demonstrations and tutorials.

Due to the whole Christmas hubbub and general life happenings lately, I didn’t have an opportunity to go through and sort the package until just recently. One of the items in it was an older linen table cloth – huge in size – pre-stamped for embroidery. It presents a bit of a quandary.

I’m going to tell you a little bit about the tablecloth, explain the quandary, and tell you my plans. And then, of course, I’d love your input, too! Especially if you’ve had similar experiences (and I know many of you have, because you’ve written to me and asked what to do…), but even if not and you just have some ideas, I’d love to hear from you!

Pre-Stamped Linen Tablecloth for Embroidery
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Stitch Fun! Mock Wheatear Stitch Tutorial

 

Today, a simple – but fun! – Stitch Fun tutorial for a somewhat basic stitch that can be used as the foundation of much more elaborate decorative bands.

For newcomers who might not be familiar with the Stitch Fun! series on Needle ‘n Thread – or for those who might have forgotten about it – please let me introduce you! Stitch Fun! is a series of hand embroidery tutorials that explores less popular or more obscure embroidery stitches, stitch combinations, simplifications, and techniques, to help bring a little extra fun and excitement to your embroidery projects.

Today’s mock wheatear stitch tutorial falls into the realm of a stitch simplification. Though it simplifies the wheatear stitch, the mock wheatear opens up the possibility of working with a wider range of colors when constructing the wheatear stitch. At the same time, it offers a foundation for building elaborate bands of color and texture.

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Mock Wheatear Stitch
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Textile Research Center, Rabbit Holes, and Available Holly Towels,

 

It’s mid-week, and I bet all of us in some way or another are grasping at time that keeps slipping through our fingers. So today I’m going to keep it really short!

Yes, well. That’s my excuse. In reality, the Stitch Fun tutorial I had planned for today is somewhere mid-editing. You might see it Friday if all goes well!

But in the meantime, I want to share with you a website that’s had my eye lately. It’s been terrific for browsing through on my phone, while waiting here and there for this and that. I like to bookmark good textile websites on my phone. It makes me feel like I’m at least learning something when I can’t be at work producing something!

Textile Research Center
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Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches – The New Edition!

 

First published in 1934, Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches is a classic resource, instructional book, and stitch guide for embroiderers all over the world.

The book was a trailblazer in its time, and it’s gone through a few editions since then. The contemporary versions of the book are revised by Jan Eaton, with updated stitch diagrams and photos of the embroidery stitches worked on fabric.

Recently, the book has gone out of print, but fortunately for us, it was picked up again by Search Press in the UK and by Trafalgar Square Books in the US, bringing us a new edition of a great classic.

Since the new edition is due to be released at the end of this month, I thought I’d show it to you. If you don’t have a stitch dictionary yet to use as reference at home, this is one that I always recommend, because of its easy-to-navigate layout, easy to read diagrams and instructions, and logical categorization of stitches.

Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches - 2019 Edition
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Here’s the Low-Down on Those Embroidery Scissors

 

I’d hate to say that we, as embroiderers, tend to fixate on certain things, because I would never dare to make a blanket statement about All Folks who Love to Embroider.

But I think it’s safe to say that many embroiderers fixate on certain things… like scissors, for example. What embroiderer, after all, doesn’t appreciate really good embroidery scissors?

It seems that, for many of us, scissors can quickly catch our eye.

Case in point: Wednesday’s article on my current project with some tips for stitching on the go. It just so happens that one of the photos in that article had a pair of scissors in it…

Premax Embroidery Scissors
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Tapestry Small, A Grinning Deer & Stitching on the Go

 

When I put together my collection of four Tapestry Smalls called A Thousand Flowers which I released before Christmas, I had in mind other animals I wanted to chart to go with the series, and one of those animals was a deer.

I suppose I wanted the deer for a couple reasons. It’s medieval (the hart shows up in many a medieval piece of art). It’s also somewhat a seasonal thing, depending on what your deer looks like. I like winter deer – the folky little deer that show up on sweaters and in Nordic designs and things like that. They spark notions of coziness and homey things during the colder winter months. I like them as a design element!

Tapestry Small - Deer
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Feathered Fourths: A Free Hand Embroidery Design

 

Have you been contemplating a new project to kick of 2019, but you weren’t quite sure what to stitch?

Well, today, I’m sharing a hand embroidery pattern that I call Feathered Fourths. It’s a design based on a repeat of four, and it features some stylized peacock feathers in each repeat.

I’ll tell you a little about the design and what I originally planned to do with it, too, which might give you some ideas for stitching it!

Feathered Fourths: A Free Hand Embroidery Design
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Got Tulip Needles? (Or Bead Tubes?) – Organizational Tip

 

What do embroidery needles and Q-Tips (or cotton swabs) have in common?

Sounds like the beginning of a dumb joke, doesn’t it? Well, there’s no punchline…

As you can see, I’m not kicking off the stitching part of the New Year just yet, but I hope you are!

In the meantime, though, this is a fun little tip for organization, especially if you use Tulip needles or small tubes of beads and you want to pack them up for easy organization. This storage solution works great for travel purposes, too!

Tulip Needle Storage and Organization Tip
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: An Exquisite Pair of Scissors!

 

Happy Friday, my friends!

In honor of the Shortest Day of the Year, I’ll try to keep today’s give-away short – but even if I don’t, I promise it’s oh-so-very sweet!

There’s a short turn-around on this one, so if you want to join in, do it soon! I’ll be announcing the winner on Monday.

First, I’ll announce the winner’s from last Monday’s give-away, and then I’ll present the final give-away in this year’s series of A Stitcher’s Christmas.

I hope you all enjoyed this year’s series. Perhaps it introduced you to some new products, maybe new books you weren’t aware of, or maybe you’ve now discovered a new favorite needlework business to patronize when you need embroidery supplies? It’s been fun!

Now… onto the last installment!

Roulot scissors give-away on Needle 'n Thread
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A Stitcher’s Christmas 2018: Silk & Metal Specialty Threads

 

Oh boy, oh boy! We’re rapidly nearing the end of A Stitcher’s Christmas for 2018!

While I find this pretty exciting, I also find it a little alarming that Christmas is less than a week away. I’m not exactly sure how that happened!

Today’s give-away, courtesy of Lamora at Access Commodities, features some gorgeous new specialty threads that have come to the needlework market in the past year. Created as part of the ongoing revitalization of interest in 17th century embroidery techniques – thanks especially to the research, online classes, and projects of Tricia Nguyen over at Thistle Threads – these threads are perfect for stitchers interested in metal thread embroidery, silk work, stumpwork, and mixed media textiles.

It’s pretty exhilarating when new threads appear in the needlework market, so I’m thrilled to be able to offer some of these new beauties in today’s give-away!

Specialty Threads from Access Commodities
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: Needlework Tools for Two!

 

Good morning, and a Happy Monday all around!

Time’s a-ticking, and this week will see the end of A Stitcher’s Christmas!

Today, it’s all about tools – and a wonderful array of them, too!

Imagine toddling down the stairs on Christmas morning at 5:07 am in your fuzzy sleeper, your blanket dragging behind you and your bunny slippers scuffling along. As you rub the sand from your eyes, suddenly you behold, in the glow of the Christmas tree, your Christmas stocking, bulging with embroidery treats!

Well, you’ll have to supply the stocking (and the blanket, the fuzzy sleeper, and the bunny slippers), but Needle in a Haystack is supplying the embroidery treats – a whole collection of useful and fun tools for the stitcher. In fact, for two stitchers, as I’ll draw two winners who will each win a collection!

Embroidery Tools for Two from Needle in a Haystack
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Holly & Evergreen: Details, Free Patterns, and More!

 

I know we’re getting a wee bit close to Christmas, but if you have it in you to stitch something Christmassy over the next week or so, perhaps this project will tickle your fancy!

Remember last week when I showed you the holly & evergreen design that I had altered and started stitching?

By way of an early Christmas gift for you, today I’m going to share a few tips with you on how I stitched the design, along with a thread and stitch list. I’ll give you three versions of the design – the full version, a light version, and an ultra-light version.

I’ve also added a little something in my shop for those who don’t like transferring designs and who want to launch into stitching without the hassle of transferring.

And finally, at the end of today’s article, I’ll announce the winners of Monday’s Book Bundles from A Stitcher’s Christmas!

Holly & Evergreen Embroidery Design - Free Pattern & Stitch Tips
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: Wool Thread Collections!

 

If you’ve been embroidering for a while – or even if you’re just recently indulging in the practice for the first time – you’re probably very aware that, these days, there are innumerable threads for hand embroidery!

But when it boils down to the actual fibers used to make hand embroidery threads, in the natural fiber arena, you have four main contenders: silk, wool, linen, and cotton. Lately, it’s true, there are some upstarts (like bamboo fibers), but those four are the widely used natural fibers in the embroidery (and actually the entire textile) world.

Today’s give-away focuses solely on wool thread, specifically crewel wool hand dyed at Renaissance Dyeing, where they use the traditional dyes and mordants available in the 16th century to produce their colored embroidery wools.

Read on, and I’ll tell you a bit more about today’s give-away and I’ll also announce the winner of last Friday’s installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, which included some beautiful silk and scissors from Tres Chic Stitchery.

Crewel Wool Thread from Renaissance Dyeing on Needle 'n Thread
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: Themed Needlework Book Bundles!

 

I’m a needlework book fiend. I love good needlework books, both old and new!

One thing I love about today’s needlework books is that we can really enjoy the details of embroidery, up close and personal, in glorious color, in lovely formatting, and accompanied by clear and extensive instructional diagrams or photos. These days, excellent instructional books are accessible and affordable, bringing greater possibilities of needlework knowledge straight into the hands of anyone who wants to learn.

Search Press is a big mover and shaker in the craft book industry, and they publish a fantastic line-up of all kinds of needlework books, as well as books for other crafts, too. Their website is worth exploring for anyone who loves craft and hobby books. It’s organized by topic and sports a terrific search function, so you can find books that interest you or the crafty people on your Christmas list.

Working with the folks of Search Press North America, we’ve put together a fun and interesting line-up of four themed book bundles, each for a different winner of today’s give-away.

Themed Needlework Book Bundles from Search Press
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: Sajou Silk & Scissors

 

Today, it’s all about some of a stitcher’s Favorite Things: thread and scissors! Silk thread and scissors!

There’s nothing quite like luscious colors of silk and beautiful scissors to make my little heart go pitter-pat.

(Well, that, and chocolates…)

Today’s installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas comes to you courtesy of Tres Chic Stitchery, the US distributor for Sajou threads and other Sajou needlework treats.

Before we get to this give-away, I’ll announce the winner of Monday’s give-away (gorgeous overdyed threads from Colour Compliments). Then I’ll pass on the details about today’s give-away, along with the guidelines for entering. Read on, read on…

Sajou Silk and Scissors, A Stitcher's Christmas 2018
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Holly & Evergreens: A Stitching Break – and a winner!

 

Sometimes, you just need a stitching break!

Now, don’t get me wrong. By stitching break, I don’t necessarily mean a break from stitching! I mean a project that’s a stitching break. It breaks up more demanding projects; it’s relaxing; it’s comfortable; it’s fun. And it might even serve a good purpose!

That’s the kind of project I’m working on right now. It’s my stitching break, between some more demanding needlework. It’s very simple. And the finished embroidery will make a terrific addition to a Christmas gift basket.

So let’s take a look at my “stitching break” project! I’ll tell you a bit about it and why it’s perfect for this time of year.

I’ll also announce the winner of last Friday’s Stitcher’s Christmas give-away at the end of the article, so read on through, because it just might be you!

Holly & Evergreens Christmas embroidery corner design
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A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: The Four Seasons in Thread!

 

Happy Monday!

It’s hard to believe we are already into December and onto the third installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, a series of pre-Christmas give-aways here on Needle ‘n Thread.

When it comes to What Embroiderers Love Best, I think I can safely say that we love embroidery thread. The more I embroider, the more I love thread – all kinds of thread! When I see thread, I see possibilities. Don’t you?

Today’s give-away, courtesy of Colour Complements, involves a gorgeous collection of hand-dyed threads in a glorious four-season array of color.

Four Seasons in Thread, a Stitcher's Christmas, 2018
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Christmas Stitching: Free Hand Embroidery Designs!

 

Since we’ve kicked off A Stitcher’s Christmas, and since it’s not quite December yet (so there’s still time!), I figure today is a good day for a round-up of free Christmas embroidery designs here on Needle ‘n Thread, for those who want to do a little holiday stitching!

I always underestimate the time it will take to complete an embroidery project, but in fact, most of these projects I’m going to list here can be completed in a good bout of weekend binge-stitching. Some of them might take a little longer, but all of them are doable well before Christmas arrives!

Free Patterns for Christmas Stitching
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Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018: Passion for Needlework x 5!

 

It’s that glorious time of year! Time to spread some pre-Christmas cheer!

Today is the first installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2018 – a series of delectable pre-Christmas give-aways hosted here on Needle ‘n Thread, with prizes offered by small needlework businesses around the world.

The series runs intermittently from now until Christmas. On each give-away day, I’ll announce the prizes and then, in the future give-aways, I’ll announce the winners. It’s very simple to join – you just need to answer the question posed in the give-away article using the comment form on that article (I’ll link you straight to it, so there’s no guess work), and before you know it, you could find a beautiful needlework treat landing in your mailbox this holiday season!

Stitcher's Christmas: Passion for Needlework, Factoria VII
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Happy Thanksgiving (& Lots Coming Up!)

 

Good morning, my friends!

I know it’s a day early, but I’m popping in today to wish each and every person who reads this a Happy Thanksgiving on the morrow!

Even though tomorrow is a US holiday, Thanksgiving evokes a sentiment that’s universal – gratitude. So no matter where you are, it’s worth a little celebration!

I could list thousands of things for which I’m grateful, and high near the top of that list is you – each of you who makes up a part of our little Needle ‘n Thread community.

Your support, inspiration, encouragement, questions, suggestions, your participation and enthusiasm, your love of needlework… I’m so thankful that you are a regular part of my life! Thank you, from the depths of my innermost self, for being a vital part of Needle ‘n Thread.

Happy Thanksgiving, 2018
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The New Sparkle: DMC Étoile

 

If you spend much time in the needlework world part of social media, or you receive regular advertising from various needlework outlets, you probably already know that DMC has recently come out with a sparkly embroidery thread called Étoile (French for “star”).

I just now have the chance to take a look at the thread, thanks to the folks at DMC who recently sent some of it along to try.

If you haven’t seen it up close yet, I’m going to give you a close look at it, too. I have not yet stitched extensively with it, beyond a simple line of stem stitch. But I have plans to, shortly. In the meantime, we’ll look at it, talk a little about initial impressions, toy with some ideas for stitching with it, and open the conversation so we can share thoughts on the thread with the wider community.

DMC Etoile: embroidery thread with sparkle
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Needlework News Snips, November 2018

 

It’s time to pull up a chair, pour a cup of your favorite morning beverage (it’s a two-tea morning for me!) and have a little needlework news chat!

Some of today’s “news snips” are announcements so that you can anticipate a few of the exciting things coming up on Needle ‘n Thread in the next month and a half.

And some are interesting tidbits to read (or view) when you have time over the weekend. I hope you enjoy them all! Let’s go for a little online meander, shall we?

Needlework News Snips, November 2018
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A Thousand Flowers: Four Tapestry Smalls to Stitch

 

For a while now, I’ve been hinting about a project I’ve been working on that I wanted to show you soon.

And Soon has finally arrived! Yay!

I’ve been working on a collection of “smalls.” Smalls are little pieces of embroidery or other needlework that usually get finished into (small) things.

I’ve called this collection of four smalls A Thousand Flowers. It’s a group of four tapestry smalls featuring animals set in a floral background, all as a nod to my favorite pieces of textile art that we chatted about the other day.

The title A Thousand Flowers hails from the French mille fleur. The mille-fleur backgrounds of medieval tapestries are delightful! And they don’t belong solely to the medieval age. Check out tapestries from the Arts & Crafts era, and you will find that Morris and his contemporaries, leaning toward medieval themes, incorporated this same background approach in their own textile art. A different stylization, perhaps, but no less abundantly floral!

A Thousand Flowers: Tapestry Smalls by Mary Corbet - dog with floral background
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Passion for Needlework, Factoria VII – Book Review

 

Good morning, my friends!

A Happy Monday all around, and Happy Veteran’s Day (well, yesterday, really)! If you’re enjoying a three-day weekend – perhaps you’ve got a whole extra day to devote to your needle and thread! – be thankful to the people who made that possible. (Thanks, Dad!)

Today, I’m going to review for you a hefty but incredibly beautiful book. This book combines projects and instructions into an artistic, gorgeous format that makes the book a showpiece in its own right.

If you ever wanted needlework to make a statement to the wider world – to the world that might not appreciate needlework in itself, but that appreciates beauty in a simple yet inspirational setting – then this is the book to present. It’s definitely a creative twist on the typical embroidery project book.

The book is A Passion for Needlework: Factoria VII, from Inspirations Studio.

A Passion for Needlework: Factoria VII, book review - cover
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Must-Have Little Tools for Finishing & a Sneak Peek!

 

The last two weeks, I’ve been doing a bit of finish work – that is, making the needlework projects that I’ve been working on into specific, finished things.

While I was working away, I realized how much I rely on the little tools I’m going to tell you about today, to make finishing much, much easier for me.

So, just in case you’re in the throes of finishing up, for example, needlework ornaments for the holidays, I must tell you that Clover’s mini wonder clips are a mini wonder – and they will help you!

Plus, you get a little sneak peek at a series of projects coming soon on Needle ‘n Thread!

Clover Mini Wonder Clips for Finishing Needlework
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Other Art that Inspires Needlework: My Favorites

 

If you ever cruise around social media – especially Instagram and Pinterest – you’ll often come across embroidery or other needlework that’s based on or inspired by other works of art from the past.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night shows up in surface embroidery quite a bit! Or the girl with the pearl earring – did Vermeer know that his tronie would show up in cross stitch, in surface embroidery, even in goldwork 350 years later?

We would be a dried up and dead world, completely disconnected from our roots, if we did not draw inspirations from previous centuries for any of our artistic pursuits. Just as ideas build on previous ideas, just as inventions morph from previous inventions, art builds on art. That’s the nature of the development of human endeavor.

Today, by way of introduction, I’m going to babble a bit about some of my favorite pieces of art that have been on my mind and in my needlework plans for a long, long while. And, for all you art, history, and textile enthusiasts, you’ll find an interesting lecture about these works of art at the end of today’s article.

Other Art that Inspires Needlework - Lady & The Unicorn Tapestries
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Tool Talk: Sajou Embroidery Scissors

 

Happy Monday all around!

This morning, a little Tool Talk! I love talking about needlework tools!

For those just discovering Needle ‘n Thread, occasionally I like to review tools and accessories for hand embroidery, to help you find those pleasant and useful little things that enhance your needlework experience.

Hopefully, these reviews give you an idea of what’s available on the market, where you can find it, the pros and cons of different tools, and sometimes, a comparison between other similar goods available.

Of course, you should definitely keep in mind that these are just my opinions about needlework tools that I’ve handled and used. I like them (or I wouldn’t be reviewing them) and think they’re worth passing on information about. But we all have our individual tastes and preferences, our needs and budgets – the reviews I write up are simply to add to your knowledge about needlework tools and accessories so that you can make well-informed and balanced decisions about your wants and needs for stitching.

So today, let’s take a look, up close, at Sajou embroidery scissors! We’ll look at the scissors, talk about pros and cons, I’ll share my experience with them so far, and tell you where you can find them.

Sajou scissors for Hand Embroidery
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Oh, Crepe! This is Nice Fabric! (Or, a Look at Linen Crepe for Embroidery)

 

In case you hadn’t heard yet, Access Commodities – the company that imports the linen I like to use for embroidery (their Legacy Linen line of needlework linens) – is expanding their line of fine needlework linen!

I’m very excited about this, because, you see, there’s linen, and then there’s Linen. Some linen is just better for needlework than other linen, and that’s all there is to it.

I’m not trying to sound like a fabric snob. I just think you deserve to know that there is beautiful needlework linen out there, specially curated to provide you with the best stitching experience.

Imported from Europe, where flax thrives best, these linens are made from the ground up with skill, oversight, and great care, to ensure an excellent fabric.

Today, I’m going to show you a completely different sort of linen called Linen Crepe. It’s imported from Sotema in Italy. We’ll look at it up close, discuss some of the features, muse about its uses, and I’ll tell you where you can get it at the end of the article.

Linen Crepe for Hand Embroidery
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Here’s a Treat: Embroidery Thread Skein Tips

 

I tried to come up with something particularly Halloweeny to share with you today. But the fact is, aside from this tutorial on embroidering a wee pumpkin (which isn’t necessarily “Halloweeny”), and this pillow case that sports (among other things) an embroidered jack-o-lantern, and this basket of pumpkins (again, fall-ish, but not particular to Halloween), I really don’t have any creepy stitching for you.

But if you squizz about online searching for Halloween stitchery, I guarantee you, you’ll find plenty out there!

What I do have for you today is a little treat in the form of some tips for handling your skeins of threads, whatever types they happen to be.

Thread skeins, as I’m sure you know, can be a source of aggravation, irritation, and downright consternation! They can be the beginning of the end of an embroidery project, if you let them get to you.

I’ve written a few articles over the years about handling different types of skeins of embroidery threads, and if consider them all generally (rather than specifically meant for This Particular Brand of Thread or That Particular Brand of Thread), you’re bound to find a solution for practically any type of skein of embroidery thread.

I’m also going to debunk a popular tip that’s spreading around on social media right now, just for the sake of preventing confusion.

Thread Tips: Taming Hanks & Skeins of Thread
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Embroidery Tools: This Week on My Table

 

At some point each weekend, I sort through my embroidery mess from the previous week’s work sessions.

I take about half an hour to put away supplies or stitching tools that I know I won’t need for a bit. Then, I gather and organizing the needlework doo-dads that will get me started or carry me through the oncoming week.

Sometimes, if I’ll be starting a new project, I’ll have a wide variety of tools and gadgets out (like this coming week). Sometimes, if I’m carrying on with a project that’s been under way for a while, I might just have a pair of scissors and some needles out, along with the required lighting, or hoop, or stand, and whatnot.

These are some of the essential needlework tools that are on my work table for this week!

Embroidery Tools on my Table this Week
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Stitching for Christmas Yet? Here’s Some Motivation!

 

Today, I have to do a little shameless self-promotion. But it’s to your benefit, so I don’t feel too guilty about it!

With the end of October looming, and with November close upon us, it’s time to start thinking seriously about Christmas stitching.

Many stitchers start embroidering for Christmas way back in summer. And I even know some who start next year’s Christmas projects as early as January!

But me – I’m a seasonal stitcher. I like embroidering for Christmas as the holidays approach. It adds to the festive atmosphere and keeps me in good cheer!

To prod you along in your determination to whip up some stitchy Christmas gifts ahead of time, I’ve put my most popular e-book, Twelve Trees for Christmas, on sale through this weekend, at 15% off!

If you’re not familiar with Twelve Trees, this is what it’s all about…

Twelve Trees for Christmas - Easy Small Embroidery for the Holidays
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Small Stitching – It’s Engrossing & Mesmerizing!

 

Lately, I’ve been stitching small stuff. Very small stuff.

I find small stitching to be engrossing and mesmerizing. There are a number of reasons why, I suppose.

Here’s a little sneak peek of what I’m working on at the moment. It might be a bit crazy, but it’s also crazy fun! I’m enjoying the design process, the stitching process, and even the re-stitching process!

Silk Embroidery Threads: color choices for smalls
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Silk and Gold: A Unique & Beautiful Embroidered Frontal

 

I have a friend who takes pictures for me of ecclesiastical embroidery that she comes across in her travels.

When she leaves town, I never know if she’ll run into something picture-worthy, but when she does… it’s always exceptional!

On her last excursion, she was able to photograph an antique altar frontal. This piece was donated to the monastery that owns it, and the provenance is not known.

But there’s something about the style of piece (we’ll talk about it below), and of course, there’s the sheer beauty, skill, and splendor of the piece that’s worth noting, even if we don’t know anything about where it came from.

Gold and Silk Embroidered Antique Altar Frontal
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Weekend Reading: The Making of the Bayeux Tapestry

 

When it comes to historical pieces of embroidery – large historical pieces of embroidery, especially – it would be difficult to conceive of one that is more widely known than the Bayeux Tapestry.

I like the Bayeux Tapestry. I like the history of the era. It’s a subject that always holds me fascinated.

So when this particular article popped up in the newsfeeds a week or so ago, I knew I had to share it with you – it makes good weekend reading!

The Making of the Bayeux Tapestry article
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Lampshades: A Bright Way to Display Embroidery

 

The first time I saw a hand embroidered lampshade was in a book on Schwalm embroidery, sent to me by Luzine Happel, an expert in Schwalm embroidery from Germany who writes beautiful books on how to do Schwalm work.

I marveled at the pristine whitework stretched taut over the frame of a lamp – and I thought, “Now, there’s an embroidery finishing technique you don’t see too often!”

If you’re unfamiliar with Luzine’s Scwalm website, you should check it out! She features a nice article on an embroidered Schwalm lampshade, here. This is the lampshade:

Schwalm Embroidery Lampshade, Luzine Happel
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Differences between Bluprint & Craftsy

 

Lately, I’ve gotten quite a few folks asking me about Bluprint, and what the differences are between Bluprint and Craftsy.

A while ago, I reviewed quite a few of the Craftsy online embroidery classes that I like, explaining why I like them, what’s in them, and how they can be of value to the beginner (and beyond). They’re especially suited to those who don’t have classes or guild groups close by, or who might not have the wherewithal (flexibility in time, finances, or what-have-you) to attend face-to-face classes.

Recently, Craftsy and Bluprint have been showing up together online, so I want to explain the differences and highlight some pros and cons for those who are curious about the two.

Craftsy vs Bluprint online embroidery classes
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Free Hand Embroidery Designs for Autumn – a Small Collection

 

If you’re still in Autumn Mode when it comes to stitching, but you’re floundering about for some embroidery design ideas, I’ve put together a small collection of free fall-themed hand embroidery patterns to help you out!

If you’re new to Needle ‘n Thread in the last couple years, you might not be aware of the extensive collection of free hand embroidery patterns on the website. You can find many of them listed here in the Patterns index found in the main menu. You can find the most recent additions listed here, organized with the tag “free embroidery patterns.”

In fact, did you know you can search Needle ‘n Thread by topic, by visiting this list of organizational tags? It’s a fun way to navigate the website. After 12+ years of blogging, there’s a lot of useful stitching information on Needle ‘n Thread – it’s fun to dig up old gems by foraging through the topic list!

But I digress – back to the fall pattern round up!

Free Fall Hand Embroidery Patterns
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Fantasia in Silk: An Embroidery Design Exploration

 

Earlier this year, I shared some sneak peeks on a hand embroidery project I was working on, but hadn’t finished.

I finished it! And that was quite a while ago!

But then I never showed it to you, completely. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with it – maybe it’ll turn into a step-by-step project or something. We’ll see!

I thought I’d show it to you today and tell you a little bit about my thought processes while working on it, what my ideas were, why I named it what I did, and so forth.

If you’ve been hanging out with me a while on Needle ‘n Thread, you might already know I have a problem naming projects. It always amazes me how designers and stitchers come up with fantastic names for their needlework – names that just fit.

I’m not so good at that. But this particular project worked out ok, name wise. I think it fits.

Maybe…?

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100 Issues: Inspiring Embroidery!

 

Many of you, I know, subscribe to Inspirations Magazine, which is one of the longest-running contemporary magazines devoted to hand embroidery.

It’s been going since the 1990’s, when I was in college. I’ve previously told the story of my introduction to the magazine (and how I used to steal my sister’s copies) here, if you’re interested in reading a bit about my backstory with Inspirations.

The latest issue is a fantastic celebration of needlework and an exciting milestone. The latest issue is #100, and that’s definitely something to celebrate!

When #100 arrived in the mail the other day, I just knew I’d have to share it with you, so that those of you who don’t subscribe will have a chance to know what’s in this issue, and perhaps take the leap and at least purchase the single copy (if not start your own collection of the next 100 issues!). Issue #100 is an excellent sampling of what Inspirations Magazine is all about.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t received your copy yet and you like to savor the surprises in each issue, you might not want to read ahead, because I’m going to highlight the projects in issue #100.

Inspirations Magazine Celebrates 100 issues
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On Needle Threaders – and a Really Small One!

 

I’ve been working lately on some tiny embroidery projects. Technically, they’re petit point – they’re worked on 48 count silk gauze. And they’re a lot of fun! (I will share them soon!)

As I work on any embroidery project, I troubleshoot to make sure the project can be accessible to anyone who wants to undertake it, too. And this can sometimes be tricky, especially when working with small scale embroidery.

When it comes to seeing small scale stitching, there’s always lighting and magnification to help.

But when it comes to doing certain things – for example, threading a little needle – it’s sometimes hard to find a solution if difficulties arise.

I’ve written about threading needles in this article here (read the comments, too). No matter what kind of needle I use, the pinch and saw method of threading always sees me through.

But for some folks, threading a needle is more difficult – and not being able to thread a fine needle can put them off their stitching game altogether. So I figured I’d seek out a fine needle threader that actually works for small needles.

Needle Threaders for embroidery needles and very fine needles
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5 Hand Embroidery Tips for Better Results & Easier Stitching

 

Sometimes, when playing around with our embroidery – whether it’s advanced or not – we forget some of the basic tips that help us achieve a good result with our handwork.

So, for beginner’s especially, but also for more seasoned stitchers who’ve been dabbling for a while but might benefit from a refresher (or maybe there’s something here you haven’t tried yet?), here are five had embroidery tips that lead to better results and that make stitching easier.

They’re basic tips with links to tutorials. I’m a firm believer that now and then, it’s a good idea to go back to basics!

Five Hand Embroidery Tips Better Results Easier Stitching
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Autumn Leaves & Acorns: A Free Hand Embroidery Design

 

Oh, good morning, and a very happy Friday to you!

Today strikes me as good day to share a free hand embroidery design with you. And, with All Things Autumn sprouting up all over the place here in the States, it seems appropriate that it’s a fall-ish pattern!

This is, yes, another kaleidoscope design. It didn’t quite make the cut for Favorite Kaleidoscopes, primarily because it is season-specific. I had planned on stitching it up for the website long before now and sharing the stitching process as fall progressed, but I haven’t had a chance to tackle it yet.

Still – that doesn’t mean you can’t!

Autumn Leaves and Acorns Hand Embroidery Design
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Embroidery for Stitching & Thinking

 

Earlier this month, we looked at these embroidered hollyhocks and this embroidered butterfly.

These little elements are part of a design I transferred to a flour sack towel a few months ago. I only started stitching on it because I needed something that was quick and easy to pick up, to work on now and then. It’s a no-stress project.

I really didn’t intend for it to be an all-consuming project, and it isn’t.

But it really works out well for a Stitching & Thinking Project.

Do you have a Stitching & Thinking Project?

Hand Embroidered Garden Border on Flour Sack Towel
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Designing & Gathering and Why It Has to be Done

 

Playing with threads and deciding on colors makes me happy.

It’s not just because I like embroidery thread and I like color. It’s more than that!

When I get to the point of selecting colors and threads for a new project, I know that I’m on the brink of a new adventure.

Since thread selection, for me, is often the last part of the whole designing and planning process, I’m always in a state of excitement when the threads are gathered before me!

Silk Embroidery Threads for New Project
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Embroidery Thread News! Who Doesn’t Like a Discount Now and Then?

 

Here in Kansas, it’s been disgustingly hot the first half of September – which is pretty typical!

But last night, the heat broke as storms rolled through, and this morning, it is soft and cool outside, smacking of autumn all around! Rumor has it, we’ll be in the low forties tonight. That’s practically winter here.

I love autumn. I love everything about it, from the cooler mornings and chilly nights, to the crisp sunny afternoons alternating with the occasional blustery gray.

But most of all, I love fall for the color. The gold-red hues of the prairie grasses, the blue-blue skies, the leaves flashing their brilliant shades. Even the green and gold grasshoppers that spit. Yep, I love it all!

If you’re an autumn stitcher, then I have some good news for you! After writing about these miniature patterns I shared with you the other day, I was able to follow up on the whole thread availability question.

And even if autumn stitching isn’t your thing, but you’re a thread lover in general (I’m guessing some of you out there love embroidery thread, correct?), this is great news, too, because… well, who doesn’t like threads at a discount?

Autumn Embroidery Thread Pack & Needle 'n Thread Discount Information
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Some Tiny Embroidery for Jewelry – with Free Patterns!

 

I’ve started playing with some miniature pieces of embroidery to use in jewelry bases.

If you’ve been following along on Needle ‘n Thread for a while, this probably won’t surprise you too much, because I love little embroidery projects – and when it comes to embroidering for jewelry bases, well… that’s pretty little!

The fun thing about these little embroidery projects is that they take very little time to work up, if you’re not making anything too complicated. I’m not even talking about a weekend project – I’m talking about a morning or afternoon project!

It all depends, though, on how complex you make the embroidery.

I went with pretty simple. I still need to get some aspects of the whole process ironed out. I’ll tell you what went well, what didn’t, what I will change for the next time, and I’ll share resources and some free patterns with you, so you can stitch up your own little autumn embroidery bits, too!

Autumn Embroidery for Jewelry - free patterns
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Display Your Embroidery with Decorative Hoop Frames

 

Today, it’s all about ingenuity – and finishing embroidery for display…

“Hoop art” is a Big Thing these days. Many folks who love to stitch have discovered that they can display, albeit in a somewhat temporary fashion, their embroidery projects directly in the hoops they were created in.

After trimming the fabric, turning it in on the back, and covering the back of the hoop with other fabric or felt (some folks even use decorative paper), you can then hang the hoop directly on the wall or put it wherever you want – small hoops make great tree ornaments, for example!

It took me a while to get on the hoop art wagon, but now that I have a place where I can display lots of embroidery samples (as opposed to full-fledged, big, time-consuming projects that I’d be more apt to frame professionally), I definitely see the value – and the fun! – of using a hoop for display purposes.

Kacee Granke of Stitch Life Studio has taken the notion of the hoop art display a little farther and contrived an ingenious and attractive way to dress up hoop art. So, today, I’m going to show you what Kacee makes and tell you why I think it’s both fun and smart.

Decorative Hoop Frames for Embroidery Display
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Your Weekend Rabbit Hole: Therese de Dillmont’s Embroidery Books

 

Alas, this week I fell down the Proverbial Rabbit Hole again, exploring several of my old Therese de Dillmont embroidery books.

I really felt totally justified – I was, after all, organizing and trying to situate a few things in my studio.

But when you start to leaf through a favorite needlework book – and then another favorite needlework book – and then, well, why not? Another one…and another…and another – it isn’t hard to find a good portion of the day gone before you even realize what you’ve been about! That was me, yesterday. By evening, I was kicking myself. My To-Do list had one half of a tick on it.

There’s a saying that misery loves company, but in cases like this, I prefer to think of it as spreading the joy! Not only did the hours I spent sorting through some books provide me a heck of a lot of enjoyment, but they served as a pretty nice inspirational springboard. So many ideas! So many notes taken! So many pages marked! So many projects planned or questions answered!

Therese de Dillmont Embroidery Books
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Smoyg: Pattern Darning from Norway – Book Review

 

I love it when Yvette Stanton publishes another embroidery embroidery book in her ever-growing library of fine needlework instructional and projects books!

Though “whitework” often comes to mind when I think of Yvette stitching away down there in Australia, she actually does work with color, too, and her newest book is a very clear indication of that.

Smøyg: Pattern Darning from Norway explores a world of vivid color in geometric designs, worked traditionally in Norwegian costume but perfectly applicable to contemporary embroidery projects as well.

This is a project and instructional book, so in it, you will learn the history and techniques of Smøyg while working through a multitude of accessible and colorful needlework projects.

Let’s take a look at the book up close, so that you can see what Smøyg is all about!

Smoyg: Pattern Darning from Norway by Yvette Stanton
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Madeira Embroidery in the News – Beautiful Stuff!

 

I love it when hand embroidery that’s been carried on for generations and generations hits the news. I think it’s a good sign that we still appreciate – and have a need for – beautiful handmade goods!

Recently, Euronews published a small blurb and video on hand embroidery from Madeira, off the northwest coast of Portugal.

The video is definitely worth watching! It demonstrates the value of handing down needlework skills through generations.

Madeira Embroidery, handed down through generations
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Making it Work: A Butterfly & Some Stitchy Bits

 

Good morning, all! And a Happy Friday all around!

The last couple days, I’ve been picking up this little piece of stitching that I showed you on Wednesday (with the hollyhocks), and working a few stitches here and there, now and then, in a very laid-back sort of way.

And you know, I’m thoroughly convinced that this is the way embroidery for pleasure should be – you pick it up when the urge strikes, you stitch on it for as long as you’re enjoying the process and it gives you some pleasure or relaxation, and then you put it down until the next time. No pressure. Just enjoy it!

While I’ve been working on this little project, I’ve had to play the “make do” game. It’s a good game to play!

Embroidered Butterfly - Simple Design & Stitches
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Embroidered Hollyhocks with Buttonhole Stitch

 

Good morning, my friends! It has been a long while – the longest blogging break I’ve ever taken! – since writing something for Needle ‘n Thread. Hopefully, this streak is well and truly over!

I’m on the mend, and I can finally sit at a desk. I’ve summarized a small personal update at the end of this article, for those who want to read it. Thank you ever-so-much for the influx of well-wishes! When I returned from the hospital, there were over 1,200 emails in my inbox. I’ve read them all, and they cheered me considerably. I’m sorry I can’t respond to each individually!

While convalescing, I managed to do only a tiny bit of stitching this whole time.

I thought I’d share that with you, along with a couple tips on how to embroider your own hollyhocks.

How to Embroider Hollyhocks in a garden border
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Goldwork Frame: A Big Mistake & A Dilemma

 

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has ever run into a rather major problem right in the middle of an embroidery project.

This problem is entirely of my own making – it’s one of underestimating (or perhaps of being overly optimistic? I can’t decide!)

In any case, I have a dilemma, and I’m totally open to your suggestions on how to solve it!

A while ago, I shared the beginning of this round goldwork frame that I’m working on right now. I’ll include the links at the end of this article, so you can see the backstory and how the project has developed step-by-step.

But in the meantime, let’s just launch into my little problem…

Goldwork Frame - Passing Thread filling
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Schwalm Whitework Embroidery – with a Twist!

 

It’s midweek – a perfect time for a little burst of inspiration for you!

Over on the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Facebook, members are treated to incredible amounts of inspirational embroidery each week.

For the past couple weeks, one member – Cathinka Hoff Strønstad, from Norway – has been sharing her exploration of Schwalm whitework embroidery, which she is learning thanks to the excellent tutelage of Luzine Happel, in Germany. If you’re not familiar with Luzine’s beautiful Schwalm embroidery books, you should take a look at them!

As Cathinka worked her way through one of the projects designed by Luzine, she shared her progress. And then she showed us what happens when you become familiar and confident with a technique, and your mind starts playing with possibilities.

Schwalm Whitework stitched by Cathinka Hoff Strønstad
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10 Hand Embroidery Stitches for Stems & Branches

 

Stems and branches – you’re bound to run into them at some point in hand embroidery!

Whether it’s tree branches, wispy herbal shoots, curly vines and tendrils, heavy stalks, or stylized stems on stylized flowers, it’s highly probably that at some point in your embroidery journey, you’ll have to make a decision on the stitches to use to interpret these types of growing things.

To help you make just such a decision, I’ve put together a list of my favorite 10 hand embroidery stitches to use for stems and branches, with information on how they can be used and links to tutorials.

10 Hand Embroidery Stitches for Stems & Branches
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Kids’ Embroidery – The Last Installment

 

I promise this is the last installment on this year’s summer embroidery classes for kids!

I just wanted to share a few more photos, insights, and learning experiences from the recent round of kids’ classes, for those who have written in to ask questions and for those who want to teach children to embroider, too.

Here are a few progress photos and a few more finishes, then, with some commentary along the way. I hope you enjoy seeing what the kids have accomplished over their three week embroidery adventure!

Embroidery in progress on flour sack towel
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Embroidery Classes: Some Results & Insights

 

Today, our kids & youth embroidery classes wind down for the summer.

We’ve had two 1.5-hour daily sessions with different age levels of kids over the past three weeks, and it’s been a lot of fun!

And the results have been good! I think all the kids enjoyed the classes. There were only a few who were there because they were sent, rather than because they wanted to go, but even these participants worked steadily (perhaps chatted more steadily than they worked!), learned a bit of stitching, and had a good time.

Kids' Embroidery Classes: Simple Monograms project
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Figure Embroidery: A Salvaged Saint

 

Happy Wednesday! Halfway through another week of summer!

We’re almost finished with the kids’ embroidery classes, which end this Friday. I’ll share some photos – along with a discussion of what worked, what could have worked better, what we learned, and what we’d do differently – once we get things tied up.

In the meantime, today, here’s a nice piece of figure embroidery for you. It’s a “salvaged saint” – a piece of church embroidery that survived, when the vestment it was on didn’t. While I was in New England earlier this year, I visited a convent, where this was hanging in their “embroidery room” where they house all their machine embroidery supplies and tools.

I like her! She is St. Hedwig.

St. Hedwig Figure Embroidery
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Stitch Tip: No-Knot Invisible Thread Start for Hand Embroidery

 

Today, just a quick little stitch tip to start your week off – and hopefully to make your embroidery quicker and easier!

Last week, we talked about the back of embroidery projects and I shared three tips to help you keep the back neat when it matters. Among those tips, we looked at how to start and end threads in a way that reduces “tweakers” (loose thread ends) on the back of our work.

This particular thread-starting tip that I’m going to share today is a quick and easy one that I use quite frequently, if all the stars are aligned and I’m working in exactly the right circumstances – which happens pretty frequently!

invisible no-knot start for hand embroidery threads
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Back of Embroidery: 3 Tips for Keeping it Neat – When it Matters!

 

Do you find yourself frustrated trying to keep the back of your embroidery reasonably neat?

There are times when the back of embroidery doesn’t matter so much, but there are other times when it really does matter – especially on pieces where the back of the embroidery will show.

Today, let’s talk about the back of embroidery: when it matters and what you can do to keep things relatively tidy on the underside of your stitching.

Back of Embroidery: Tips for Keeping it Neat
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Goldwork Embroidery Frame: Small Progress

 

I’ve been sneaking in some stitches on my goldwork circular frame project, here and there, when I can.

And my “some” stitches, I mean very few stitches. I’d hoped to be finished with the couched gold passing thread by now, but in fact, I’m barely started!

If you’re just joining us and you’re wondering about the backstory on this particular embroidery project, I’ve included some links at the end of today’s article so that you can explore the project further.

Goldwork Embroidery Frame
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Flour Sack Towels – Here’s an Excellent One

 

A couple weeks ago, we chatted a little bit about flour sack towels used for hand embroidery and other crafts, discussing their uses, history, and resources for good ones.

Today, I’m following up on that article with a review of what I think just might be the Best Flour Sack Towel for hand embroidery. I sorely wish I had found these a long time ago!

So let’s look at this fabulous cotton towel and I’ll tell you why I think it ranks right up there as the Best Flour Sack Towel for hand embroidery (so far in my explorations, anyway!).

Best flour sack towels for embroidery
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The Stitch Sampler vs The Doodle Cloth

 

One of my favorite aspects of playing with stitches is the resulting sample cloths that are peppered with a variety of color, stitch trials and errors, and other random bits of embroidery.

While preparing for summer embroidery classes for kids, one necessary item in each kit that we prepared was a blank piece of fabric, 10″ square. These pieces were linen of various types, pulled out of my stash, cut, rinsed, pressed, and surged along the edges. Their purpose is to give the kids a decent piece of fabric to practice on, so that they can master individual stitches before applying them to their projects.

As we were preparing the classes, I noticed that one of us called the piece of fabric “sampler fabric” and the other called it “a doodle cloth.” In class, we find ourselves each using our own pet term.

There’s a slight difference between a sampler and a doodle cloth, at least when it comes to concept, especially considering the way the term sampler has developed throughout the ages.

Sampler vs Doodle Cloth for embroidery
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Embroidery & Time – It’s Not Meant to be Fast

 

Good morning, and Happy Tuesday! I’m back home and settled into a flurry of work, thanks to the kids’ local embroidery classes that started yesterday.

It’s going to be a rather hairy week – the first round of classes for each class level takes a bit of preparation and time, and really cuts into the normal day! By next week, Anna (she’s my kindergarten-teaching-embroiderer-niece) will be taking the helm for all the classes, which means I can just melt away.

But during this week, as the kids are introduced to embroidery for the first time, she needs an extra set of hands in the class. So that’s where my time will be concentrated through Friday.

Time and embroidery are a funny thing. When you’re on the Total Enjoyment side of embroidery, when you’re not working against any deadlines and you don’t have to finish things quickly, the amount of time it takes to hand embroider something doesn’t really figure into a project choice. You pick a project because you like it, and you relish the amount of time you get to work on it. It’s like savoring a really good book – you don’t necessarily want it to end!

But when you need to do more, meet deadlines, and keep moving ahead with new and exciting things, the time it takes to hand embroider figures into a lot of decision-making!

Take, for example, this piece…

Voided Monogram in Hand Embroidery - E
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A Hearty Kaleidoscope: Free Hand Embroidery Pattern

 

A couple weeks ago, I prepared this embroidery pattern for you, and I was going to share it sooner, but time slipped away from me!

It worked out well, though, because I can give it to you while I’m away for a bit.

Appropriately, the design features several heart motifs, just so you know that I’m thinking of you and holding you in my heart, even if I’m not behind the computer screen this week.

This is a kaleidoscope pattern, much like those in my pattern e-book, Favorite Kaleidoscopes.

And as usual, I’ve chosen a rather cheesy title for the design.

Heart Kaleidoscope pattern for hand embroidery - free embroidery design
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Flour Sack Towels for Embroidery: Why & Wherefore!

 

Embroidered flour sack towels have been a Thing in America since the first half of the 20th century.

Today, we’ll talk a little bit about their history, why they work great for embroidery, and why they’re still a favored item in the home and in the commercial kitchen.

I’ll also share some resources for flour sack towels that I think work well for hand embroidery. I’m always on the look-out for the best flour sack towels, so I’ve run into both the good and the bad over the years.

Flour Sack Towels for Embroidery - Tips & Resources
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Needlework News Snips – July, 2018

 

It’s been a long time since we’ve taken a little browse together through bits of needlework information, inspiration, and instruction populating the online world.

This weekend, there’s quite a line-up of Interesting Stuff for you.

Before we get started, though…

A Website Notice

This coming week, from Sunday, July 8 – through Sunday, July 15, I will not be able to answer emails.

I have a few articles scheduled for you, but I will have comments turned off on those just for the week. I’ll turn them back on when I return. I’ll be completely unplugged while away. I’ll explain more at the end of today’s article, for the curious.

In the meantime, grab your favorite beverage – this summer, ice water sounds pretty good! – and let’s go for a stroll!

Needlework News Snips - July 2018
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Goldwork Embroidery Frame: Linen, Felt Padding, Silk & Gold

 

Friday at Last! Happy weekend!

Today I’m going to show you a little progress on my goldwork frame project that I started a few weeks ago. We’ll talk about what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and what I’m doing it with, while sharing a few tips along the way.

And, if you’re keen to try goldwork, or you want to read more about it, you’ll find some links at the end of the article for further explorations.

This is the bit that we’ll be talking about and looking at up close:

Goldwork Embroidery - Round Frame with Gold and Silk Threads
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Happy Fourth! & a Little Christmas in July for you!

 

Happy Fourth of July! Even if you’re not in the US, you can celebrate the fourth of July – we all have it on our calendars, after all. Just pick any reason to celebrate, and you’re good to go!

Independence Day here is the quintessential small-town-USA summer holiday, but since most interesting things don’t get underway until closer to evening, I’ll be spending most of the day in front of the computer, taking care of loose ends that have been piling up. No stitching! *Sigh*

But even though I’m not stitching today, that doesn’t mean you can’t! And to help you along, it strikes me as a great day for a Christmas sale.

Even if it is 100 degrees out…

Since Christmas is barely six months away, I thought I’d offer a little Christmas in July sale, just for the fun of it!

12 Trees for Christmas embroidery projects
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Sweet & Simple Embroidery: A Delicate & Easy Monogram

 

Last week, I shared with you this floral corner embroidery project, which is the “big” project for the younger kids’ embroidery classes I’m hosting this month.

Before the younger kids launch into the floral corner design, they’ll work a simpler, smaller project, using fewer stitches, but guaranteed to give a nice, satisfactory result that they will (hopefully) be quite proud of and that will (hopefully!) encourage them to move on with enthusiasm to the next project.

The simple project is a monogram. All age levels are doing a monogram, but the younger children’s is their first project.

It’s very basic, compared to the monogram planned for the older youth, but it is quite sweet and really pretty in its simplicity – from which point, we can draw some very good lessons about embroidery!

Let’s take a look, shall we?

simple floral embroidered monogram
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Goldwork Frame Project: Selecting Goldwork & Silk Threads

 

On Monday, we chatted about setting up this slate frame for a goldwork embroidery project that I’m starting.

The project is quite simple in concept, as you can see below. Once the frame was set up, I gathered supplies so I could jump to the fun part as quickly as possible!

These are the supplies I gathered, although I’m not sure I’ll be using them all. Let’s look at the supplies, chat about them a bit, and then discuss my quandary. I just can’t seem to make a decision on part of the frame!

I’ll also share resources with you, so you can find some of the supplies I’m using in your own country.

Goldwork Embroidery Supplies for an embroidered frame
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Embroidered Floral Corner – The Lite Version

 

As much as I’d like to completely immerse myself in the goldwork embroidery project that I started last week (when I laced up the frame I told you about on Monday), the fact is, there’s still quite a bit to do to prepare for the kids’ embroidery classes coming up in July.

In the back of my mind, this floral corner embroidery design for the flour sack towel project has been nagging me. I wanted to whittle it down a bit, so that it wasn’t quite as busy. While I like the version I showed you in the link above, it is a bit much for younger kids.

There’s just too much going on in the design! And it would take too long for the younger classes to complete it – even though the projects are meant to be taken home and worked on away from class time.

To settle the problem, I quickly worked up a Lite Version of the floral corner design and then hastened to stitch it. You can see both versions in the photo below.

Floral Corner embroidery on flour sack towels
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Slate Frame Adventures – Setting Up for Goldwork

 

I had a terrific time tackling my Needlework To-Do List this weekend!

Let’s see… there were twelve things on it. I managed two.

On the bright side, one of the Managed Things was the set-up for a project that’s been simmering on the back burner for a while – namely, the frame for this salvaged piece of figure embroidery.

I’ll be working this salvage job in two major steps. The first step will be the goldwork frame. And to get to the point of actually doing the goldwork, I had to set up a slate frame with a piece of fine linen as the ground fabric.

I went about setting up the ground fabric and frame a little differently, but that’s the nice thing about embroidery. There’s no set rule that says you must do This or That (in this case, setting up the slate frame) one way or another. As long as the system works, then you’re good!

Setting up a Slate Frame for Goldwork
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RSN Book of Embroidery: Huge, in More Ways than One

 

There’s nothing quite as convenient as an all-inclusive reference book for embroidery, that you can pull out when you need inspiration, instruction, answers to questions, or solutions to stitching problems.

Beyond a simple stitch dictionary, a technique book can walk you through the basics (and beyond) of a particular embroidery technique. Individual technique books for different types of hand embroidery are fairly common, but imagine having a technique book that covers many of the major genres of hand embroidery all in one spot!

Well, Search Press (in collaboration with the Royal School of Needlework) has recently released just such a book.

It’s called The RSN Book of Embroidery: A Guide to Essential Stitches, Techniques, and Projects, and it covers eight major categories of needlework.

Today, I’ll tell you what this tome is all about, and share inside details, pros and cons, and where you can find it!

RSN Book of Embroidery
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Don’t Underestimate the Fishbone Stitch!

 

It’s hard to pin down a favorite embroidery stitch, isn’t it?

But I’m pretty sure most of us must have favorites – those stitches we return to, time and time again, and that always perform well for us. The stitches that are comfortable and easy to be with, like good friends.

While I like many embroidery stitches, there are really only a handful that I’d call “Absolute Favorite Stitches,” and the fishbone stitch is right up around the top of that list.

Perhaps I like it so much because I stitch a lot of petals and leaves and similar shapes, and it just works so darned well in those circumstances! In fact, I’m willing to stick my neck out and say that, when it comes to petal and leaf shapes, the fishbone stitch is The Best. It’s where it’s at, if you want a nice looking leaf!

But there are other reasons I like it, too.

If you haven’t familiarized yourself with the fishbone stitch, here’s a little encouragement for you to try it and use it.

Fishbone Stitch in Embroidery
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Weekend Embroidery: Filling Outside the Void

 

Howdy-ho and a happy Monday from the (very warm and sticky) cornfields of Kansas! Summer is upon us in full force in the Midwest!

During the summer, I love embroidering with bright and sunny colors, and last weekend’s project fit the bill perfectly. If you’ve been hanging out with me at Needle ‘n Thread for a while, the project should look familiar, because I’ve done it before. Well… something similar, anyway.

I’m working on a voided monogram, much like this one. There are a few differences, though, and I’ll tell you about them below…

voided monogram m in embroidery
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A Friday Finish – or Two! Embroidered Floral Corners

 

Sometimes, I have a tendency to go overboard when planning out embroidery projects for other people.

To keep myself in check when planning kids’ classes for this summer, I’ve got my niece working with me, too.

Anna’s 24, and she has embroidered since she was a wee thing. When she was ten, she took my summer classes. Over the years, she kept stitching, occasionally teaching other kids along the way, and dabbling with needle and thread when time allowed.

The fact that she now works with kindergarten children helps keep me in check, too. Sometimes, when you’re out of the “kid game” for a while, you forget what different developmental levels are (or are not likely to be) capable of.

For example, Anna raised her eyebrows at my idea of perfectly executed fishbone stitch for our youngest class groups this summer.

What a killjoy!

Hand Embroidery Floral Corner on Flour Sack Towel
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Embroidery Transfer Tip: Erasing Pencil Mistakes from Fabric

 

It ain’t pretty, but it works!

Lately, I’ve been free-hand drawing little motifs onto fabric using a pencil. Sometimes, I make mistakes.

Instead of re-drawing new lines over old lines and making a jolly mess with the graphite, and instead of washing the fabric and starting over, I use a little tool that helps me resume drawing on clean fabric with very little effort.

I’ve used this ugly little thing on several different types of fabric when I’ve wanted to remove pencil marks. It removes all or most of the graphite without smudging or damaging, fuzzing, or shredding the fabric surface.

For those who transfer embroidery designs with pencil or like to draw designs free-hand on their embroidery fabric, this tool is a time saver!

So here it is – a little handy tool that’s good to have in your arsenal in case you ever want to remove incorrectly drawn pencil marks from ground fabric before stitching.

Removing Pencil Mistakes from Fabric
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Navigating Needlework Floor Stands – Which One is Right for You?

 

What would life in the stitching world be without the tools that make needlework easier, more comfortable, and more efficient?

One tool that dedicated stitchers eventually invest in is the needlework stand – a device that holds a frame or a hoop so that you don’t have to! It is essentially a third hand (or pair of hands) that leaves your own two hands free to stitch. Or, in today’s terms, you could think of a needlework stand as a “third party app” that really does make things work better!

Wrist, arm, neck and back strain; finger and hand cramps; strange sitting positions to balance large frames; awkward stitching when you need to use both hands – all of these are things of the past, when you have a needlework stand!

If you haven’t reached the point of using a stand, but if stitching has become a major part of your creative life, chances are, you’ll eventually consider one. Or perhaps you have a stand you’re not thoroughly satisfied with?

Today, let’s navigate through the world of needlework stands together! We’ll talk about different types of devices to hold needlework, we’ll discuss the benefits of a floor stand, we’ll chat about what to look for in a good needlework stand, and we’ll explore some of the popular floor stands on the market today.

Needlework Stands - Overview of Different Types, Reviews
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Embroidery Supplies Rolling In & Preliminaries for Kids’ Classes

 

When preparing for kids’ classes in hand embroidery, there’s a whole checklist of things to go through before the classes are ready.

Setting goals, planning projects, stitching models, ordering supplies, constructing lessons, printing materials, kitting supplies, working out schedules, squaring away the space, getting in adequate lighting, seating, and work surfaces… there’s a lot to do behind the scenes when self-hosting embroidery classes!

Embroidery Classes for Kids - Supplies & Preliminaries
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Salvaging Figure Embroidery: Combining Old & New

 

Now that I’m working in my new space, one of the first embroidery projects I’m setting up is the salvage work on a piece of figure embroidery that I wrote about several months ago. You can read the backstory on this figure embroidery here, where I’ve arranged all the articles about it so far in chronological order.

Having more space to work is so wonderful! Now I can keep this project set up so that I can work on it more efficiently as time allows. As you can imagine, taking out and setting up something like this can be prohibitive to making much progress, since the set up and the take down for short work sessions eat up a good bit of time.

The salvaging of this piece is going to happen in two parts. I’ll explain my planned process below. There are still a few kinks I need to work out and a few ideas I want to explore before making Absolute Decisions on the process, but I’ll share those with you as I go along!

Salvaging Figure Embroidery: Ecclesiastical Embroidery
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Needle ‘n Thread’s New Studio: A Look Inside my New Space

 

I suppose I’ve mentioned a few times – perhaps more – that I’m moving Needle ‘n Thread into a dedicated space, out of my garage and my bedroom, and into its own studio.

I’ve finished the major part of moving and have everything necessary situated and ready to work in my new space. There’s still a bit of work to do and some minor shifting of goods, but for the most part, I’m in!

For those who have contemplated setting up a separate needlework studio space – maybe because you operate a small business out of your home, or maybe you’re just that avid of a crafter – and for those of you who are curious about what I’m up to these days, I thought I’d show you the space and discuss some of the whys and wherefores…

Needle 'n Thread studio space set up
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Quick and Cheap Finishing for Embroidery Samples

 

One of the questions I’m frequently asked is what I do with all my little embroidery samples that show up here on the website.

It’s a legitimate question! And it’s one I’ve pondered myself, too, innumerable times. What to do, what to do…

Now, I’m not talking about larger projects that I generally end up framing and giving as gifts, but the little projects I’ve stitched for the website – like all the letters for Stitch Sampler Alphabet. Or all the sample monograms for this series of embroidered monograms.

Or this little tambour bird or this little tambour flower. Or this shisha tree. Or this shisha thing. This spring tree? An autumn tree? How about a pumpkin basket? Or a woven stitch sampler?

All twelve trees for Twelve Trees for Christmas. Or this lettering sampler. Or this long and short stitch sampler. How about small doodle cloths?

The list could go on, and on, and on, and on. It seems that, in twelve years of blogging, I’ve done a lot of small stitching.

Over the years, I’ve stored my samples in binders to use for demos or to revisit when I need a photo, or I’ve stacked them in storage boxes, to pull out when I need them. Some, I haven’t looked at in years! Others, I’ve dug out for this reason or that.

One of the first things I contemplated when my dedicated studio space became a reality was how I could display little bits of stitching in a cheap, quick way – a way that wouldn’t require a lot of money for finishing and wouldn’t require a lot of time to accomplish. So today, I’m going to show you what I’m doing with small stitched samples from over the years. Maybe it will give you some ideas, too!

Finishing small embroidery samples for display
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Embroiderer’s Book of Design – Nice Pattern Resource!

 

Well, my friends, this week did not start the way I planned!

By today, I should have been working in my new “digs” – the space I’ve rented to host all things Needle ‘n Thread. Yesterday, I had planned to show you around a bit. But due to unforeseen technical difficulties, a tour and a chat will have to wait.

In the meantime, I’m writing from an iPad, which leaves a lot to be desired. I’m optimistic, though! I’m sure the glitches will be sorted this week and the studio should be operational soon. Not attractive, mind you. Just operational. That’s all I’m striving for at this point. I’m dying to get some stitching done and to share with you some design work and doodling I’ve been dabbling with.

Speaking of designing and doodling, today, I’d like to share with you a free online source called The Embroiderer’s Book of Design: Contains Initials, Emblems, Cyphers, Monograms, &c. It’s a neat book and it has a lot to recommend it. It might take a little bit of work to get the designs transfer-ready, but the book itself is a terrific source for ideas!

Embroiderers Book of Design - Ideas for hand embroidery, monograms, and more
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For William Morris Lovers – A Design Resource

 

If you’re alive and kicking today and in tune even just a little bit with the craft world in general, you’ve probably noticed the coloring book trend. It’s been going on for a while, and although the market is pretty well saturated with “adult coloring books,” I’m thinking the trend will probably continue.

For embroiderers, the explosion of whimsical and diverse coloring books available today offers a different approach to their use. Coloring book designs can be easily adapted to embroidery designs. For example, I’ve done so here with this hummingbird coloring book page from one of Jahanna Basford’s books.

As long as you’ve bought the book and you’re using the designs for personal use (you’re not reproducing and selling them, or selling items made with the designs embroidered), then you’re perfectly allowed to adapt a design to stitch rather than color.

For those more specifically interested in designs that are textile related, and for William Morris lovers in general, there’s a nice design resource to be found in a beautiful William Morris coloring book that I want to show you today. This was a birthday gift from my sister earlier this year. She knows me well!

William Morris Designs Coloring Book
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First Things First – My Embroidery Trestles are Up & Ready!

 

I mentioned last week that I’m moving Needle ‘n Thread into a new space. I can officially call it a “studio,” I suppose, because that’s where I’ll work, design, stitch, mail things from, and (tentatively) offer some small classes and the like.

I’m very excited about it! Once I get things situated, I’ll take you on a little tour of the apartment (flat) that’s half of a duplex that I’ve rented. I’ll tell you the whole story of why I ended up going with a residential space despite my deepest dreams and desires of setting up shop in our pretty historical downtown district, discuss the obstacles, the pros and cons of the set-up, and give you some before and after photos of the simplest and affordable cosmetic changes I’m making to the space. Perhaps if you’re considering expanding a space – maybe you have a small home needlework business, too? – it might give you some ideas.

But, first things first!

While I haven’t started transporting the daily essentials to the place (I start that today), I did take advantage of all the empty space to assemble my trestles. Yes, I will Finally have a Dedicated Trestle Space! I want to show them to you and give you some information on where you can find them in the States.

Trestles for Embroidery Frames
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Embroidery & Travel – The Cat and the Clump

 

As I mentioned last week and shortly before I took off on my little vacation, I did some traveling recently. And of course I took some embroidery with me!

After all, the plan during my sisters’ reunion was relaxation, and I always figure embroidery is a terrific tonic for relaxation.

And I knew a few of my sisters were bringing knitting along, so it made sense to bring some stitching, too.

And since I was driving, I had plenty of room to tote stuff! Yay!

Tote bag with embroidery supplies for travel
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Stitch Fun! Embellished Wheatear Band Tutorial

 

Good morning and Happy Friday all around!

Today, I’m going to share with you a little Stitch Fun! tutorial for a decorative composite band, worked on a foundation of wheatear stitch.

This band can be used for lines, gentle curves and the like. I’ve used it on letters (in Stitch Sampler Alphabet) and I’ve used it for decorative borders or just little pretty accent sprigs. It’s an easy and fun combination!

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Embellished Wheatear Band embroidery stitch
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Ukrainian Rushnyk – Beautifully Embroidered Swaths of Cloth

 

So, I’ve been traveling about in the Northeast lately, where I met up week before last with my six sisters and spent a splendid time (albeit too short!) hanging out together.

After we dispersed as a group, I continued my excursions.

One of my sisters recommended a visit to the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts.

I thought it was somewhat odd that there was a Russian icon museum in Clinton, MA, and so my curiosity was piqued. I looked it up, and sure enough – there is one. It’s a well-known museum with a fantastic collection of icons. But, better yet, they’re currently running an exhibit (until June 3rd) that made me doubly eager to go: Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles.

Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton MA - Ukrainian embroidery
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Free Hand Embroidery Design: Hinda Hands, Small I

 

Today, a quick little embroidery design!

This is a design I’ve re-worked from Hinda Hands’s book, Church Needlework: A Manual of Practical Instruction.

Even though the book is on church needlework, the design can be worked for secular embroidery, too. In her book, the author presents several designs that are perfect for practicing types of embroidery typical in church needlework, but also perfectly suitable for other decorative embroidery as well.

Hinda Hands Embroidery Design for Goldwork and Silk - Small 1
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Embroidered Garden Flowers – Book Review

 

Today, let’s talk embroidered flowers! I want to show you an embroidery project book I’ve had for a while, that I think is utterly charming.

Hopefully, if you’re in the same hemisphere I’m in, you’re finally enjoying some spring weather. It’s been slow coming this year, hasn’t it? No matter where you are, though, Embroidered Garden Flowers will certainly put you in the mood for All Things Growing!

Let’s take a look at it!

Embroidered Garden Flowers - Book Review
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Revisiting the Loreto Embroideries and Anichini

 

Last year, I wrote this article about finding the illustrator behind the Loreto Embroideries in the Royal School of Needlework’s collections.

Today, for enthusiasts of historical embroidery and art in general, I’d like to share with you, with permission from the author, a short article by John Shaffer, retired Director of Arts Programming at the State University of New York, Oswego.

John is also a fan of Anichini’s illustrations. We’ve corresponded back and forth for a little while about Anichini, so I was thrilled to read his insightful article. I think you will enjoy it, too, especially if you’ve experienced the Loreto embroideries at the RSN.

Mother of Christ illustration by Anichini
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Oh, those Knotty Stitches! 12 Knot Stitches, Terrific for Texture

 

When you think “knots” in embroidery, does your mind automatically fly to the French knot? Or perhaps the colonial knot is more Your Knot Thing?

It seems that, when it comes to knots, French knot is the best known knot stitch, followed by colonial knot, which some stitchers prefer to the French knot.

But there are other knot stitches and knot-like stitches out there, and if you’re keen to add a lot of texture to your embroidery, you might try a few of them. They’re all super fun, and, with the linked tutorials, you’ll find it easy to add them to your stitching projects!

So, here they are – twelve knot stitches to add to your embroidery repertoire! Try them!

12 knot stitches for hand embroidery
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

 

It almost seems irreverent to refer to any church embroidery as ugly. But … the fact is, some church embroidery is ugly. The case in point: parts of an old vestment I’m going to show you.

While overall, the vestment has its ugly aspects, there are still several commendable elements on this old piece. And there’s a lot to look at, think about, and study in it.

But oh! There are several things that really bug me about it!

Christ and Angel - Embroidered Chasuble - Church Embroidery
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Tulips & Blooms – Free Hand Embroidery Design

 

Today, a rather exuberant hand embroidery design for you!

This is no small embroidery pattern. If you were to undertake it as a project, I think it could occupy you for quite a while! But it depends, really, on how it’s worked.

I have some ideas on how Tulips & Blooms can be interpreted in embroidery, from simple to complex projects, and I’ll share those with you below. I’ll also talk about the pattern itself, its origins, how I’ve changed it up a bit, and then, if you want to chime in with some stitching ideas, that would be great, too!

Tulips & Blooms Hand Embroidery Design
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Joyful Stitching – Book Review

 

Happy Monday! Or should I say, Joyful Monday?

Because today, I’m going to show you a delightful little embroidery book for folks especially interested in folk-style embroidery on wool.

The book is full of bright, cheery color, fun stitches, instruction, and happy projects to stitch!

The book is called Joyful Stitching, and it’s by Laura Wasilowski, of Artfabrik. We’ll take a look at the book up close, and I’ll give you pros, cons, and resources! Come along…

Joyful Stitching - Book Review
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Little Pieces of Embroidery – Covered Buttons and More!

 

Do you ever just want to stitch a little piece of embroidery, but then you don’t know what to do with it? Maybe you have little embroidery samples that you want to make into something, but you don’t know what. Perhaps you have some old vintage embroidered linens that are worn out, but still have usable and pretty bits of embroidery on them?

Well, that are lots of things you can do with little bits of embroidery. Two finishing approaches that come to mind and are pretty wildly popular are jewelry and covered buttons (which can be used in so many ways). Both are a terrific medium for showcasing small bits of hand embroidery, and covered buttons? Well, they’re one of my favorite ways to finish little embroidered bits.

The question is, though, what do you do with a bunch of covered buttons, once you’ve taken the time to make heaps of them? And, trust me, if you get into making embroidered covered buttons, there’s a good chance you will make heaps of them, because they’re awfully fun!

So here are some little finishing ideas for small pieces of embroidery, whether you’re using designs you’ve stitched specifically to cover a button make a piece of jewelry, or whether you’re recycling older pieces of embroidery, like vintage embroidered flour sack towels that are past normal use, but still have some decent bits of embroidery on them.

Embroidered Covered Buttons - Ideas for Using Them
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Stitch Tip: A Clean Start with Two Strands

 

One of the questions that I’m asked frequently concerns embroidering on personal or household linens, where the back of the embroidery is not covered in any way when the piece is finished.

When embroidering kitchen towels or a table cloth or placemats, a guest towel, pillowcases, or handkerchief, the back of the embroidery is not normally covered in the finish work. It’s visible, and it is mostly likely going to be seen.

When the back of the embroidery is meant to be visible – even though it isn’t the primary side anyone looks at – we want the back to look as neat as possible. No, it doesn’t have to look just like the front. But it should at least be neat.

One place where you can really control the neatness on the back of embroidery is the beginning and end of any thread. If you pay attention to your starts and stops and make them as neat as possible, this goes a long way to a nice clean look on the back of the work.

Since two strands of floss are a frequently used weight of stranded cotton, I thought I’d show you how I like to start a thread when working on such pieces and stitching with two strands. It’s a super secure way to start threads and it will keep the starts of your threads extremely neat on the back of your work. I’ll also show you my favorite way to securely and neatly end a thread – but the focus here is really the start of the thread.

Stitch Tip: Starting two strands of floss neatly and securely
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Maureen the Owl – Embroidery Kit & Book Give-Away!

 

It’s almost the middle of April, and what a great time to do a Fantastic Give-away for a Fantastic Embroidery Kit & Book!

You might remember that last week, I reviewed Hazel Blomkamp’s new book, Crewel Creatures, which is full of really fun embroidery instruction, projects, and ideas centering around fantastical creatures bedecked with all kinds of stitches, combinations, patterns, and a little bling.

Well, today, thanks to Hazel, I’m offering one of her kits with a copy of the book as a give-away! Yay!

Maureen the Owl, which is the largest and most elaborate of the creatures in Crewel Creatures. Here she is, in all her glory – and feel free to click on her, for a better view.

Maureen the Owl Embroidery Kit by Hazel Blomkamp
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Color Choices and Stitching Up Some Monograms

 

Do you ever have problems making good color decisions for your own embroidery projects? I do!

There are ways to help yourself when it comes to choosing colors for embroidery projects – I’ll give you some suggestions on that topic below.

But I thought I’d share with you some monograms I’ve been fiddling with lately. I gave you a sneak peek of one of them in this article about my leafy tree project a few weeks ago.

Since then, I worked up another sample letter in a color scheme that I thought I’d really like. As it turns out, I’m not that keen on it! We’ll chat about why, what I can do to improve it, what my limitations are in these particular circumstances, and what I’m going to do next.

Yellow, blue and white monogram in hand embroidery
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Unique and Beautiful: Harp Needle Case by Jenny Adin-Christie

 

Good morning, and Happy Monday All Around!

Once in a while, out there in the Wide World of Needlework, an embroidery project so unique and so beautiful catches my eye and makes my heart go pitter-pat – and compels me to share it with you!

This morning, by way of throwing temptation in your path (sorry), I want to highlight just such an embroidery project, created by Jenny Adin-Christie. And even if it isn’t something you would work yourself, I’m sure you will appreciate the beauty, delicacy and uniqueness of this needle case. Plus, there’s some fun reading about the original museum piece on which Jenny’s needle case is based.

Harpe Needle Case by Jenny Adin-Christie
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Crewel Creatures – Hazel, on the Wild(er) Side

 

If you’re one of those stitchers who loves surface embroidery in extravagant designs full texture, patterns, color, sparkle and beads, you may already be familiar with Hazel Blombkamp’s series of books featuring projects that hint at a Jacobean flavor, but are totally modern.

Hazel’s “crewel” books – punnily titled – focus not on crewel embroidery, but rather on fabulous and ornate stylized floral and similar surface embroidery designs. The projects are worked with a variety of mostly cotton threads in fantastic stitch and filling combinations.

Always fanciful, sometimes flamboyant, Hazel’s designs are wildly ingenious when it comes to her use of patterned and textured elements.

With her latest book, Crewel Creatures, she steps over (or just barely scoots over a hair?) to the wild side! The book highlights six curious creatures worked in a style that is definitely All Hazel.

Crewel Creatures by Hazel Blomkamp
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Party in Provence: Adding the Beads and Finished!

 

Today, we’re exploring the very last step in embroidering Party in Provence, a hand embroidered kaleidoscope we’ve been working through together here on Needle ‘n Thread.

If you’re just joining in, you can find all the installments for this embroidery project in my embroidered kaleidoscope projects index, where you’ll also find step-by-step instructions listed for a few similar projects that are just as fun to stitch.

The last step on Provence is bling! It’s time to add the beads!

Adding Beads to Embroidered Kaleidoscope
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Comparing Figures in Ecclesiastical Embroidery

 

If you’re relatively new to Needle ‘n Thread, you might not know that my first forays into advanced embroidery techniques came about due to an interest in historical ecclesiastical embroidery. I was taking a history of art class in my early days in college, and one of the works of art I chose to research was a piece of ecclesiastical embroidery. I chose it not so much because it was embroidery – rather, I chose it because it was beautiful and because it was different from the more common artistic mediums my classmates were focusing on.

Over time, with a bit of study, a lot of experimentation, and making contacts in all kinds of interesting corners of the globe, I amassed an interesting collection of pieces, books, pattern portfolios and the like, along with many tidbits of information on the hows, whats, and whys of ecclesiastical embroidery.

From all that sprang a love and appreciation for hand embroidery, which I had dabbled in as a kid and through college, but never really saw as art until captivated by that first research project.

In ecclesiastical needlework, all the elements of the art of embroidery – and any art, really – come together. Purpose, technique, materials, thought, skill, symbolism, color, balance, beauty, proportion, order – you can find all these things in ecclesiastical needlework, whether you’re religiously minded or not. It is a fascinating medium to study, especially when it comes to the development and dissemination of historical needlework techniques.

Since it’s Good Friday, let’s take a close look at some pieces of Ecclesiastical (religious) figure embroidery that have crossed my path lately. The figures are somewhat similar in some ways, but vastly different in others. We’ll look at the differences and draw some conclusions.

Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Christ embroidered on vestments
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My Thimble Substitute – It Works!

 

Over the years, I’ve discovered that most folks who use a regular thimble when they embroider were raised on a thimble. All their hand-embroidering lives, they’ve used thimbles, so that using one is second nature to them.

Tried-and-true thimble users wouldn’t even think of stitching without a thimble, it’s just that natural for them to use one.

But if you’ve never used a thimble while embroidering – or if, the few times you’ve tried to use one, the result has been awkward and uncomfortable – there’s a good chance you’ve ditched the idea of ever getting accustomed to one.

Over the years, through numerous bouts of stitching, you’ve learned to put up with the discomforts that can develop in your fingers – you know, that microscopic hole in your finger that the eye of the needle always finds and slips into? That callous that won’t go away? That tiny area that splits, stinging and burning, because of the constant pressure of the needle?

Maybe you’ve adopted some of the thimble substitutes that have shown up on the market over the years and tried to make do with them. Or perhaps you’ve resorted to coating the skin with super glue or something similar. In some way or another, you’ve probably sought out temporary solutions to get you through the painful part of embroidering without a thimble.

Silicone Thimble Substitute for Hand Embroidery
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Embroidery Projects & that In-Between Stage

 

Happy Monday! (It does come around quickly, doesn’t it?!)

I finished embroidering this leafy tree sampler project that I was working on.

I’ll be sharing the whole project with you down the road. I have a few tweaks to make on it and I want to stitch it one more time, with a different approach.

Normally, it’s a good thing when a project is finished, right? But when I finished this one, I found myself at that in-between stage – in a state of suspension.

I’ll tell you about that and what I did to get out of it. And I’ll share some portions of that leafy tree sampler and explain the steps I take after finishing a project like this.

Leafy Tree Embroidery Sampler
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Spring into Stitching – A Wee Weekend Sale

 

For those of you looking for some perfect little embroidery projects to help you spring into stitching, I’m running a short weekend sale on my instructional, project, and pattern downloads this weekend.

A couple things prompted me to run a sale on e-books this weekend – not the least of which is the current recurring question of needle organization…

Spring Into Stitching Sale
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Have You Tried Tulip Needles for Embroidery?

 

I succumbed to the temptation to try Tulip needles many months ago, despite what my Prudent Self told me.

And my first experience? It was the greatest, even before I took my first stitch. I’ll tell you about it!

But first, I’ll explain why I never planned to try them. Then I’ll explain why I did try them, what went wrong, why I gave them a second chance, and finally, a more balanced perspective about them after using them for many, many hours of stitching.

I’ll also explain a big problem that they solved for me. If you have the same problem, they might go a long way towards solving it for you, too!

Tulip Needles for Embroidery
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Weekend Stitching: My Leafy Tree Sampler of Sorts

 

Good morning, and a happy Monday all around! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and were able to spend some quality time with your needle and thread!

I got in quite a few hours of stitching this weekend, as I made haste to finish my Leafy Tree, which is a sampler of sorts, though not in the traditional sense. It involves many different stitches that I’m using to fill in a lot of leaves, using a lot of greens and yellow-greens.

It’s fun!

When I talked about this project a couple weeks ago, I was getting ready to re-start it. The first attempt was on an oatmeal / natural linen, and I regretted that initial choice. I switched to a white background for a couple reasons. I think it was a good decision, under the circumstances.

So far, there are a couple things that surprise me about this project, and a couple things that still need tweaking before I can make it ready for others to stitch, too!

Leafy Tree Embroidery Sampler - stitches and leaves
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Stumpwork Embroidery: Techniques & Projects – Book Review

 

Time to end the week with a book review!

I’ve been wanting to review Stumpwork Embroidery: Techniques & Projects by Helen Richman of Blue Bird Embroidery for a while now, but, after waiting for my order from the UK (it’s available in the States now), I still had to make my way through the book.

And once you see the book, you’ll understand why that took just wee bit of time!

If someone asked me to pin one descriptive word on Stumpwork Embroidery, it would be thorough

…and expansive… and fun… and detailed… and… well done!

If you’re a lover of embroidery in general, if you are stumpwork-curious or have already taken the leap into stumpwork, if you are into dimensional embroidery, historical embroidery, embroidery with texture, appliqué, or layering, if you just like a really good needlework book – well, you know what you have to do!

So, let’s look at the book close up, and then I’ll share a couple bits and bobs with you about resources and whatnot.

Stumpwork Embroidery: Techniques & Projects by Helen Richman
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On Thread Conditioning & Beeswax for Embroidery

 

Out in the embroidery world lately, there’s been a lot of talk about thread conditioners and about beeswax.

The topic surfaced when Thread Heaven – a silicon-based “thread conditioner” – went out of production, and since then, I’ve read and heard a lot of talk on thread conditioning for embroidery. And I’ve received a lot of questions in the old inbox!

So, today, I’m going to address a couple points addressing thread “conditioning” and the use of beeswax in embroidery.

Beeswax and embroidery threads
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All About Real Thread Color Cards

 

Real thread color cards – if you don’t know what they are, you should find out! Because I’m telling you, they’re the best thing since packaged chocolate.

You think I exaggerate? No, no!

A real thread color card is The Answer for needleworkers who like to design their own pieces or who like to reinterpret other designs and need to know what colors and shades are available in a specific line of thread.

For those who don’t have needlework shops on hand, real thread color cards are a much less expensive way of viewing the shades and colors in a thread line, in real life, without purchasing the whole collection of a particular thread.

If you’re not familiar with real thread color cards and how they work, never fear! Today, I’m going to show you what information you can usually find on a real thread color card, and the various ways you can put them to work for you.

For my model, I’m going to use DMC’s latest real thread color card, recently published, which includes their newly released colors.

DMC Real Thread Color Card - how it works
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Party in Provence: The Little Medallion

 

Happy Friday, folks!

If you’ve been following along with Party in Provence, an embroidered kaleidoscope that we’ve been working through step-by-step here on Needle ‘n Thread, you might find it hard to believe that we’re Almost Finished!

Today, we’re going to add a very little touch to the kaleidoscope – it’s the tiny medallion between each arm of the design.

Even if you’re not actually stitching Party in Provence, the tips below for the techniques used on this element can be applied to your own embroidery projects.

So…here’s the little medallion for you.

Party in Provence embroidered kaleidoscope medallion accent
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Stitch Tip: Short & Sweet – Eliminating Fuzzies

 

This is going to be the shortest stitch tip I’ve probably ever written.

If you know me and you’ve been following along on Needle ‘n Thread for a bit, then you know I tend to blather too much when it comes to embroidery.

This one won’t require a whole lot of blathering.

The question that came in has to do with fuzz and thread length when embroidering. And it’s a good reminder for experienced stitchers and newbies alike.

So here it goes…

Fuzzies on Embroidery Thread - stitch tip
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Weekend Embroidery: Learning & Starting Anew

 

I mentioned last week that I like to rotate the types of embroidery projects I work on, to give myself a little variety, moving from more intense to less intense projects and visa-versa.

This is all part of my time-and-enthusiasm-levels Management Program, and it works!

Right now, I’m in a less-intense project phase. After finishing a very quick little weedy thing, I set up a new project that I’ve been eager to get going on for a while.

I think of it as a leafy sampler of sorts.

Right off the bat, I changed my mind on some key decisions that come along with any embroidery project, and although I made decent progress over the weekend, I’m going to stop where I am and start this project over. I’ll tell you why.

Leafy Sampler - embroidery stitches in leaves
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Embroidery Projects: From One Extreme to the Other

 

This week, I finished an embroidery project.

Once upon a time, I disliked coming to the end of a project. As I approached the end, I’d start to feel a little sad. I called it the End-of-Project Blues. It’s that time when you realize that the enjoyment you’ve had in stitching a project and seeing it come to life is about to end.

And it’s that time when you realize that you’ve got to go through the whole process of deciding and setting up another project before you can settle into the bliss of having something fun to stitch.

These days, though, I have so many projects in the wings planned out for Needle ‘n Thread, that I don’t have a chance to feel blue at all! There’s that brief elation of finishing a project, pleased that it came out at least somewhat similar to what I envisioned, rapidly followed by The Next Thing.

There’s always a method in my project line-up when I’m stitching things in relatively quick succession, though. It’s not just a random grab-whatever-and-get-going approach. I put a little bit of thought behind the order of choosing projects, for very specific reasons.

Come along, and I’ll tell you my thought processes…

Silk Embroidery Project Sneak Peek
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Tool Talk: The Floss Inn

 

Embroidery thread organization is a question that every stitcher faces, eventually.

How should I organize my threads for this project or that project? You’ve probably pondered this point at least once already in your stitching life, right?

And especially if you travel with a project, thread organization becomes more of a quandary. You want your threads handy, easy to access, neat & tidy, but you also want them compact, easy to slip in a bag, a briefcase, a backpack.

Well, Julie over at The Floss Inn has come up with a rather ingenious solution to compact embroidery floss storage for stitching projects. I think you’ll think it’s pretty neat and clever! There are so many things to like about it!

So let’s take a look at The Floss Inn and chat about pros and cons.

The Floss Inn for embroidery floss organization
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Time and Stitching: Using Time to Your Advantage

 

On weekends, I always imagine I’ll get more embroidery done than I actually do get done.

I imagine, on weekends, that I’ll have longer chunks of quiet time to stitch; that I won’t have as much computer work to do; that there won’t be many drop-ins since the rest of the people in my world use the weekend to get stuff done at home or run errands and whatnot.

But it never works out that way.

This weekend, I played a game with myself. I timed my stitching.

Embroidery Project with silk threads
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Stitch Fun! Stem Stitch Rose Tutorial

 

Before we kick off the weekend, here’s a little Stitch Fun! tutorial to get your creative juices flowing!

Now, before I go any further, there’s a caveat. I used a really awful piece of linen in this. So my apologies ahead of time. Sometimes, you just don’t realize how lousy a piece of fabric is, until you see the results when you’re editing photos. I should have known, I should have known!

Lately, I’ve received a lot of requests for information on this particular approach to creating a rose with stem stitch. Usually, the request comes in the form of a photo emailed in. “What stitch is this? Do you have a tutorial?”

So I figured I’d work one up, for the next inquiry.

Stem Stitch Rose Embroidery Stitch Tutorial
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Embroidery Stitch Tip: Changing Needle Sizes

 

Here on Needle ‘n Thread, we’ve chatted quite a bit about hand embroidery needles. If you’re new to the website or the newsletter and you’ve missed those articles and you want to know more about needles used for hand embroidery, I’ll provide some links at the end of this article.

But today, I want to talk about needle sizes and stitching, about changing needle sizes for two different stitching scenarios.

I’m going to ask the wider Needle ‘n Thread community to pitch in their suggestions, too, at the end of the article, so make sure you revisit this article in the next day or so on Needle ‘n Thread to see what other stitchers have added to the topic!

Embroidery Needles: Changing Needle Sizes
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Documenting the Development of an Embroidery Project

 

Have you ever completed an embroidery project and looked at it a year later – or maybe even just months or weeks later – and wondered, “What color number is that?” or “Gosh, how many strands of floss did I actually use?” or “Did I stitch that first or this first?”

This morning’s embroidery bit isn’t so much a how-to tip as far as stitching goes. Rather, it’s a kind of organizational tip.

If you’re a prolific embroiderer, especially if you plan to do something in the long run with your embroidery – maybe you want to be a designer, maybe you want to teach classes, maybe you want to start a blog to document your needlework journey, maybe you’ll want to reproduce the same project again down the road, or maybe you just want to be able to remember what you did when – this tip is for you!

Silk Embroidery Project and Project Documentation
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Needlework News Snips – February, 2018

 

Good morning and a Happy Saturday all around!

Wherever you are this morning, I hope you’re having a lovely weekend! I’ve compiled a bit of a meander for your weekend reading – a little bit of needlework news, stirred up with some inspiration and instruction, some embroidery history, a good cause, and other bits and bobs!

So, you know the drill. Grab your favorite cup of something comforting, and lets go for a little stroll together! Tea this morning for me – and when it’s gone, so am I!

Needlework News Snips February 2018
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Party in Provence: Embroidering Outer Elements

 

The last time we visited Party in Provence, this embroidered kaleidoscope that I’m covering in a step-by-step series, we concentrated on stitching all the little green swirls on the kaleidoscope.

The swirls are the structure that tie the outer elements on the design to the bold central pattern. Once they’re done, it’s time to add more color to the outside edge of the kaleidoscope.

So, today, we’re going to concentrate on adding the main components of the outside edge – they’re the fiery bits that add flare to the outer part of the design.

There’s a reason I chose the color scheme I did for this outer edge, and we’ll talk about that below, too!

Embroidered Kaleidoscope: Party in Provence Outside Elements
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Silk Roses & Goldwork…and Something Else?

 

Good morning, sweeties! Happy Valentine’s Day!

I really wanted to send everyone a big bunch of exuberant roses for Valentine’s Day today!

But since it’s also Ash Wednesday, I was thinking maybe it was a good opportunity to share some ecclesiastical embroidery with you.

Wonder of wonders! It just so happened to work out that I could do both.

So here are your roses and your ecclesiastical embroidery, all rolled into one neat package!

Silk Roses and Goldwork: Ecclesiastical Embroidery on chasuble
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Good Lighting for Needlework – Your Eyes Deserve It!

 

Lately, I’ve been working on some relative small embroidery. Not miniature embroidery, but rather little things that require fine threads in order to get a balanced look to the finished embroidery.

And while I’m embroidering these little things, often with only one strand of floss, I’m constantly reminded of the necessity of good lighting for needlework.

Couple this with the fact that I’ve had a lot of requests for recommendations for good lighting recently, and I figure it’s a topic that we should revisit, especially for those who are in the market for a good stitching light and for those who don’t realize just yet that their lighting might not be adequate.

So, today, let’s have a little chat about lights! I’ll recap some lighting options that I’ve reviewed here on Needle ‘n Thread (and that still work great for me), and I really hope everyone else will chime in down in the comment section and let folks know what light you use and why you like it! Together, we can help fellow stitchers make informed decisions on lighting solutions for needlework.

And…shhhhhhhh! Just between you and me and the lamp post, I’ve also include a good coupon code exclusive to Needle ‘n Thread readers for one of the lights. The code is from last year, but it still works!

Lighting solutions for needlework
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Blooming Hearts – Free Hand Embroidery Pattern & Stitch Ideas

 

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you’re probably thinking you don’t have time to stitch up something festive for your sweetie.

And, to tell you the truth, you could be right, if you were planning to go All Out in a Big-Hearted Way.

But, if you just want to go small, there’s plenty of time between now and next Wednesday, right?

Here’s a free hand embroidery pattern to get the juices flowing and get you motivated to give it a go! I’ll even give you some stitching ideas to go along with it – because I love you, of course!

Blooming Hearts hand embroidery pattern
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Elizabetta’s Monogram Book: A Flower Alphabet

 

This book review has been a Long Time Coming!

Last year, Elisabetta Sforza self-published an embroidery book called Un Alfabeta a Fiori, A Flower Alphabet. If you’re familiar with Elisabetta’s work which is featured on her needlework blog, Elisabetta Ricami a Mano, then you can already guess that the book and the projects in it are beautiful.

A Flower Alphabet, though, is a different kind of embroidery book. There are a few things that make it different from most needlework instructional and project books on the market today.

So, today, I’m going to show you this exquisite book, tell you how it differs from other embroidery books, and let you know where you can find it.

A Flower Alphabet - Elisabetta Sforza
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Embroidered Kaleidoscopes – An Index of Step-by-Step Projects

 

Good morning and happy Monday from a snow-covered Kansas!

I have to do a little Needle ‘n Thread house cleaning today. Funny how a website works a lot like a house – you can’t just let things go too long, or they get away from you!

The purpose of this article, then, is to provide an index for all the step-by-step embroidered kaleidoscope projects I’ve covered here on Needle ‘n Thread, including Party in Provence, Tulip Festival, Birthday Bash, and Coloris Kaleidoscope.

We’ve worked through four embroidered kaleidoscopes altogether. They’re not tiny projects, but they’re not huge projects, and some are quicker than others. They’re colorful and a lot of fun!

Feel free to bookmark this page for your future reference if you plan to work through any of the kaleidoscopes, or you can always find the index listed under “Tips & Techniques” (with a lot of other step-by-step embroidery projects!) in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread.

Hand Embroidered Kaleidoscopes Project Index
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A Brief Guide to Cotton Hand Embroidery Threads

 

Even if you’re new to embroidery, you probably already realize that there’s more to the Wonderful World of Embroidery Thread than regular stranded cotton.

But perhaps the whole gamut of all the thread available out there – the “embarrassment of riches” that we enjoy in the needlework world today – is a bit overwhelming to you.

Perhaps you know there’s other thread you could try, but, being unsure of what’s what, you feel it’s better to stick with what you know rather than to venture into the unknown.

Often, our inhibitions to try something new are due to a lack of confidence, which stems from a lack of understanding or knowledge.

So occasionally, I like to delve into a bit of thread talk, exploring different types of threads for hand embroidery. For beginners and non-beginners alike, understanding what threads are what may encourage you to try new-to-you threads with a little more confidence!

Today, we’re going to talk about cotton threads that are specifically made for hand embroidery.

Brief Guide to Cotton Hand Embroidery Threads
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Trestles and Slate Frames – at a Steal!

 

Last year I reviewed this slate frame from Mythic Crafts.

The original article in this spot was the announcement for a crowdfunding campaign for Mythic Crafts to set up business. I have since deleted the original article, since the whole thing went “bust” in 2019.

Update, 2019: At this point in time, I’m cautioning folks about purchasing from Mythic Crafts. After a very successful crowd-funding campaign in January of 2018, many of the backers have still not received their goods from backing that campaign. I hope that Mythic Crafts is able to fulfill the orders made during the crowdfunding campaign, but until they do, I don’t recommend ordering from the company’s website.

Update, July 2019: Mythic Crafts is out of business, with no explanation to the backers. I have since adjusted my policies on backing and promoting any kind of similar crowdfunding campaign. Like many of you, I am also out the funds I backed the campaign with, and I’m sorry I went to the effort to support the business and told other people about it.

I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt, and I believe Mythic Crafts began with the right intentions, but that they over-extended themselves and through a variety of circumstances, couldn’t keep the business running. Communication to the backers would have been nice (and really, the only correct thing to do), but I imagine there’s a whole lot of emotional pain going on there, too.

Slate Frames & Trestles for Embroidery
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Party in Provence 4: Lots of Little Swirls

 

The last time we visited Party in Provence, an embroidered kaleidoscope project that we’re working through step-by-step here on Needle ‘n Thread, we worked the big petals in the center of the design and the little flowers between them.

Originally, I was going to start the week with some beadwork on Party in Provence, but as I prepared that article, it struck me that it might be better not to put the beads on until closer to the end of the project.

For those following along, don’t be too disappointed! I know you don’t get the finished look of the inside rounds until the dark blue beads are added to the larger petals, but there’s a good reason for not adding beads just yet.

You see, I’m all for avoiding as much frustration as possible when stitching. It’s easy for your working thread to catch on beads when you’re stitching other parts of the design, and since there’s still plenty of surface embroidery to tackle on this piece, we’ll try to avoid those little annoyances.

So, today, swirls. Lots of little swirls!

Party in Provence: Embroidered Kaleidoscope - small stems and vines
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Two Felted Mittens, Embroidered! The Finish & Recap

 

Well, I finished my wool felted mittens. They are duly embroidered!

It was a fun test project, and I’m looking forward to trying again on another pair, using different threads and techniques. All in the interest of experimenting, you know.

For those who want to try something similar, I’ve recapped a few points below, including how I transferred the design for the secon mitten. I’ve also listed all the articles in this short project series, so that you can easily find the whole project under Tips & Techniques in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread.

Embroidery on Felted Wool Mittens
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The Bird in Between – Another Needlepainted Mini

 

Between working on embroidering those two felted mittens in wool, I’ve picked up, now and then, another one of the tiny birds that I showed you earlier in the month.

It’s really weird to go back and forth from embroidering with wool on something relatively large, to embroidering with a single strand of DMC on something that’s relatively small! But I kind of like the change!

Needlepainted miniature bird
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Embroidered Wool Mittens – One, Anyway!

 

So much for a weekend finish! Today, I was supposed to share a whole pair of mittens with you, but the embroidery on the second wool mitten is lagging behind a bit!

Still, I can show you the first mitten with the embroidery finished, for what it’s worth. Last time we visited the project, I was almost there, but not quite.

So this is a finished wool felted mitten, embroidered, with a few things I’ve learned along the way – just in case it’s a project you’d be interested in undertaking, too!

Embroidered Felted Wool Mitten
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Needlework News Snips: January, 2018

 

Good morning, my friends! Welcome to the weekend, to the glorious luxury of Saturday mornings, and to a little bit of needlework news!

These are random bits of embroidery or needlework-related news, information, instruction, and inspiration pulled from hither and yon for your weekend browsing.

The way it works is this. I’ve fixed myself a nice cup of tea (it’s actually a fairly substantial mug) and I’ll end the list when one of three things happens: either my cup is empty, or my tea is cold, or I’ve run through my list of bits and bobs!

So pour a cup, pull up a chair, and let’s go for a little browse together, shall we?

Needlework News Snips for January, 2018
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Party in Provence Embroidery Project: Big Petals & Little Flowers

 

Today’s installment of Party in Provence focuses on big petals and little flowers. I’m going to show you how I worked the large inner petals on the design and the tall flowers between them.

If you’re just joining in on this project, you’ll find the introduction and materials list for Party in Provence here, and you’ll find the first round of stitching here.

If you’re stitching along and you’re not quite ready to tackle the petals, no problem! You can take your time – the instructions will be here on Needle ‘n Thread when you need them. I’ll be publishing an easy-to-find index for the project next week.

The central section of Provence is the most striking, because of the vibrant blues in the design. Initially, I hadn’t planned on filling the petals with a solid, shaded filling, but I really wanted a good splash of blue in the project, and the petals seemed the most sensible place to accomplish that.

So, here’s how I stitched the petals, with some tips on tackling a few tricky spots!

Party in Provence Embroidered Kaleidoscope, part 3: central petals
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Embroidered Treasures: Flowers – Book Review

 

If you love flowers, if you love needlework, if you love historical and modern embroidery techniques, if you love museums and collections and threads and unique things, if you love costuming and accessories…well. Here’s a book for you!

Embroidered Treasures: Flowers is a book that brings to life, for you and me, the embroidered flowers found on items of needlework in the collection held by the Embroiderers’ Guild of the UK. It’s a fascinating book – one that you’ll want to pore over, contemplate, and absorb.

When I first heard this book was coming out, I immediately put it on my List and then eagerly anticipated it for months. It does not disappoint!

Let’s look at it up close! I’ll show you just a mere portion of the inspiration offered in this incredibly beautiful book – enough to illustrate what it’s all about – and tell you where you can find it today. It’s not available everywhere just yet, and I kind of suspect it’s going to be a popular book (like museum collection catalogs – they never seem to hang around long enough!).

Embroidered Treasures: Flowers - a Book Review
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Embroidered Mittens Progress – the Good, the Bad, the Ugly!

 

Thanks to a bit of home-bound weather on Thursday, a bit of determination on Friday, and a bit of down time on Saturday, I’ve made some progress on the wool mittens I started last week!

This project is an ideal project for deep winter, especially when you live in a house that’s about 150 years old. There’s nothing quite like being able to stick your hand inside your embroidery project for a quick warm-up!

I’m learning a lot as I work through the first mitten, and I’m keeping track of little tips to share with you, should you decide to embark on a similar project. So, let’s talk progress!

hand embroidery on wool felted mittens
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Party in Provence: First Round and Layering

 

Happy Friday!

Today, we start the actual stitching on Party in Provence! Yay! For those just joining in, this is the embroidered kaleidoscope project we discussed week before last, when we talked about the materials and supplies needed to embroider the design.

If you plan to embroider Party in Provence and you’re not ready to start yet, no worries! The articles will be available on Needle ‘n Thread when you’re ready, and they’ll be indexed under Tips & Techniques in the main menu, where you’ll find other step-by-step embroidery projects and tutorials that have been previously covered on Needle ‘n Thread.

In this installment, we’re going to launch into the first stitched layer around the kaleidoscope, which actually might not be the layer you expect! I’ll tell you why I started with this particular layer, explain how I stitched it and what threads I used, link you to pertinent tutorials for techniques, cover some tips to help you stitch the round successfully, and even show you a failed experiment on this layer of the design and talk about why the attempt didn’t work for me. At the end of the article, I’ll mention some supply information, for those looking for supplies for Party in Provence.

Even if you’re not working Provence, I hope you find the tips and musings in these follow-along articles helpful for your own embroidery projects!

Party in Provence Embroidered Kaleidoscope - First Rounds, Layering, Order of Work
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Hand Embroidery on Felted Wool Mittens

 

So, you know how on Monday, I showed you my first embroidery finish of 2018?

Well, this morning, I’m going to show you my first start of 2018.

Now, you might think that the little needlepainted bird from Monday would fall in this category, but in fact, I started it on New Year’s Eve, so it doesn’t count.

But this adventuresome project I’m going to show you today was my first Big Start in 2018!

It’s not a huge project, size-wise, but I suspect that it’s going to be a time-consuming (and attention-consuming) one. I’m excited about it, I’m having a lot of fun with it, I’m learning a lot from it, I’m making some decent mistakes along the way, but I think, in the long run, it might actually turn out ok!

Hand Embroidery on Felted Wool Mittens
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A Wee Needlepainted Bird – First 2018 Finish

 

Oh boy, oh boy! I’ve actually finished a whole entire embroidery project, and we’re only a week into 2018!

Of course, the design is only about 2″ high. And it’s not all that detailed. And it takes a whopping 6-7 hours to stitch…maybe.

Yes. Well. So much for bragging.

But I’ll show it to you, anyway! I have mixed feelings about it. I like the outcome, but there are some things that I wish I had done differently, and there are some things I did do differently.

So, let’s take a look at this tiny needlepainted bird. I’ll tell you a bit about the kit, how I approached the stitching, the mistakes I made, and the things I changed.

Needlepainting embroidery: small bird kit from Maison Noel
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5 Tips for Successful French Knots – Every Time!

 

It’s time to overcome, once and for all, the Fear of French Knots – to achieve mastery over this tiny bump of an embroidery stitch, to claim it as your own, so that each French knot you make for the rest of your life is a successful French knot.

French knots are one of the most frequently used embroidery stitches. I rank it right up there among my Top Ten embroidery stitches you should know. Nothing adds a dot or a bump – or creates a whole carpet of textured filling – quite like a French knot does.

So it’s definitely worthwhile to take the time to master the little booger!

If you aren’t perfectly satisfied with your own French knots, here’s a lrefresher course so that you can create perfect French knots with ease.

How to Make French Knots in Embroidery - 5 Tips
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Let’s Get this Party Started!

 

To kick off the New Year with a rather grand – and fun! – embroidery project, let’s travel step-by-step together through Party in Provence, a colorful embroidered kaleidoscope project reminiscent of the sunny region of Provence, and perfect for kicking the Winter Blues!

Today, I’m just going to introduce you to the project in a little more detail, tell you what you can expect from it, and for those who want to stitch along, I’ll list the supplies I used so that you can line them up if you want to use the same colors, threads, materials, stitches and whatnot.

If you’re not planning on stitching Party in Provence yourself, don’t worry! We’ll be covering plenty of embroidery tips and techniques that you can apply to your own needlework projects. So you won’t get bored (I hope!), and you might pick up some handy bits for your own stitching endeavors.

I also encourage you to tell a friend about the project! Maybe you can drum up some buddies who want to stitch Party in Provence, too! It’s always fun to work through projects together!

Party in Provence Embroidered Kaleidoscope Instructions: Introduction & Materials
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It’s 2018 – Happy New Year!

 

When I was floundering through high school at the end of the 1980’s, I remember reading some news article (in a real printed thing, as we didn’t have online news) that projected Something-or-Other happening by 2018.

I remember thinking – with the scoffing scornfulness of the know-it-all teen-ager – This is science fiction. I mean, really! Two thousand eighteen? Twenty-eighteen? What a silly-sounding date.

And yet, here we are!

I hope 2018 is a splendid year for you, replete with peace, happiness, good health, many blessings – and, of course, lots of wonderful stitching!

2017 in Retrospect
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A Stitcher’s Christmas Winners & a Reader’s Finish!

 

Oooooh, a jolly good morning to you, from a frigid (and somewhat snowy) Kansas!

It’s time to finalize A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2017! Shortly, I’ll announce the winners of the last two drawings – the stitching supplies from Needle in a Haystack and the exquisite embroidery scissors from The French Needle.

To spread some more Christmas cheer, I’m also going to show you a magnificent Christmas finish from Bob, who stitched up my Twelve Trees for Christmas in record time, and even finished them into a Christmas wallhanging! What a guy! He was finished well before the Christmas bells were ringing!

Reader's Embroidery: 12 Trees for Christmas wallhanging
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #9: Exquisite Embroidery Scissors!

 

Good morning, my friends, and Happy Friday before Christmas! Are you ready for the final installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2017? I hope so, because it’s a doozy!

A huge, huge thanks to all the needlework businesses who joined me this year in putting together A Stitcher’s Christmas! They really went above and beyond in putting together terrific prizes to help give back to the needlework community with some really special gifts! When you’re looking for embroidery supplies, kits, tools, books and the like, please keep them in mind and support these small businesses.

Today, then, is the final installment of this year’s series. The prize? Delicate hand-crafted, heirloom quality scissors in their own wooden case, created by Jean Marie Roulot in Nogent, France, and offered to one happy winner by The French Needle. They are certainly the scissor enthusiast’s dream!

We’ll also discover the winners of A Stitcher’s Christmas #7 from Monday – a lovely collection of embroidery books from Search Press North America.

Ready?

A Stitcher's Christmas 2017: Exquisite Embroidery Scissors
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #8: Stitching Supplies!

 

Good morning, my friends! I hope your week is trucking along splendidly!

Here in Kansas, the kids are out of school for the Christmas holiday now, and while preparing for Christmas, they’re secretly itching for some snow. I’m itching right along with them. If you have any you can spare, send it our way! I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…

But on to other Things! Today, five stitchers out there are going to find out that they won the collection from Inspirations Studios in A Stitcher’s Christmas #6 from last week!

And then I’ll give you all the details for today’s episode of A Stitcher’s Christmas, which comes courtesy of Needle in a Haystack, and it involves many of the things you asked for when I inquired about what you’d like to see in a give-away – from fabric to tools to thread. Great stuff for getting started or for stash building!

Stitching Supplies for Beginners or Stash
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #7: Needlework Books Galore!

 

Happy Monday!

I hope you enjoyed a glorious weekend and that you were able to spend some quiet time with your needle and thread. I did – I took out an old project that I haven’t worked on for a while and gave it some attention. It was satisfying!

On Saturday, I posted A Stitcher’s Christmas #6, in case you missed it. Lots of inspiring stuff for you, so if you missed, check it out and get your name down!

Today, we move on to A Stitcher’s Christmas #7, a fantastic collection of needlework books for two winners, courtesy of Search Press North America.

I’ll also announce the winners of #5 – the Tree of Life kits from Crewel Work Company. We’ll be overlapping a few of these as we stretch out this last week before Christmas. After today, there are two more episodes, and they’re definitely worth waiting for!

Stitcher's Christmas Needlework Books
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Give-Away #6: Inspirations All Around!

 

Finally, A Stitcher’s Christmas #6!

If you’ve been following along with my series of pre-Christmas give-aways aimed at the Enthusiastic Embroiderer, you’ve seen some pretty jolly gifts so far! And from what I hear, are already enjoying their prizes! Just think – the next one could be you!

So let’s move on to give-away #6 in the series, shall we?

A Stitcher’s Christmas #6 is courtesy of the folks at Inspirations Studios, the publishers of Inspirations Magazine (the world’s most beautiful embroidery magazine) and other beautiful needlework publications.

Stitchers Christmas Give-Away - Inspirations Magazine, Kits, Calendar
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The Christmas Palm Tree – Free Embroidery Pattern

 

Happy Friday – and only 10 days until Christmas!

I hope you’ve been able to relax a little bit this season, that you haven’t been running about frantic during the pre-Christmas rush, or stuck in among crowds of people – unless that’s your Thing and that’s the way you like it!

The whole noise of the secular Christmas season is not really my thing. I love this time of year, but within a very limited sphere of operation.

I have two antidotes to the frantic pace of the outlying commercial world that permeates the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the US: The first one, is, of course, my needle and thread. There’s nothing quite as calming to me as escaping for an hour behind an embroidery hoop!

The second is closely associated: I stay close to home. I don’t venture out to the wider world a whole lot this time of year, except for very special engagements. The height of social excitement for me around now is a cup of coffee with a friend or two, a visit to my sister’s house, crochet night once a week…

But then, I do live in Kansas. So what else is there to do?

Christmas Palm Tree Embroidery
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Give-Away #5: Tree of Life Crewel Work Kit – for two!

 

Time for the next episode in A Stitcher’s Christmas 2017, a series of pre-Christmas give-aways here on Needle ‘n Thread featuring some of the finest embroidery supplies, tools, kits, designs, and goodies available on the market.

Are you ready? Are you excited? I am, because today, it’s all about crewel work!

I’ll announce the winner of A Stitcher’s Christmas #4 (the slate frame and needle minder), and I’ll tell you all about a beautiful new Tree of Life authentic crewel embroidery kit from The Crewel Work Company!

Crewel Work Company Tree of Life Kit
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #4: Slate Frame & Needle Minder!

 

We’re almost half-way through the Stitcher’s Christmas series here on Needle ‘n Thread! It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just barely over two weeks away, isn’t it?

So far, we’ve seen some pretty nice Christmas gifts in this series of give-aways, much thanks to the independent small businesses, designers and artisans who have made such lovely gifts possible!

We still have more exciting things to come – not least of which are the goodies in today’s give-away!

So, without further ado, here are the details for today’s give-away, and the winner from A Stitcher’s Christmas #3, the goldwork horde from Tanja Berlin!

Stitcher's Christmas #4: Slate Frame & Needle Minder
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Needlework News Snips for December!

 

Happy Wednesday, and happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

When I was growing up, we would leave our shoes out the night before December 6th, and in the morning, we’d have treats in them!

So, today, a few treats! I know it’s Wednesday, and I don’t usually do Needlework News Snips midweek, but there’s a lot of fun stuff going on out there in needlework world that I’d like to share with you – inspiration, ideas, resources, news – and since the schedule is thrown off a bit with A Stitcher’s Christmas through the rest of December, I figured today is as good a day as any!

Besides, who doesn’t need a mid-week break with a nice hot cup-of-something and a chat with a friend? So, pull up, get cozy, and let’s have a bit of a natter!

Needlework News Snips December 2017
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #3: Goldwork Kits & Tools – and other news…

 

Happy Monday! We’re already moving into the second week of December! Can you believe it?

Today, A Stitcher’s Christmas give-away #3 is on the agenda, along with the winners from last week’s give-away for three Hands Across the Sea sampler charts.

I’ve also got a little bit of extra news at the end of this article, especially for those of you who are playing with Twelve Trees for Christmas released last week, as well as some scheduling information for the next few weeks.

So let’s move on to business!

Stitcher's Christmas: Goldwork Kits & Supplies from Berlin Embroidery
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Twelve (Embroidered) Trees for Christmas!

 

After a couple weeks of sneak-peeking my little embroidered Christmas trees to you, it’s now your turn to have great fun stitching them!

I mentioned last week that these little 3″ embroidered Christmas trees (or really, they could be for any time of the year, if you switch up the colors) have totally captivated me! I’ve had so much fun stitching them, but I’ve run into a Big Problem!

The problem is, now I don’t want to stop. With the holidays around the corner and everyone so busy, it’s just nice to have little, quick, satisfactory projects that work up in an evening. Sitting quietly and embroidering a little Christmas tree after a hectic day is balm for the soul!

Twelve Trees for Christmas features twelve small Christmas trees to embroidery, involving simple stitches that you can mix and match. They’re small enough to finish in one sitting. And yet they’re pretty enough to feature prominently in Christmas decorations, on cards, hoop art, dish towels, Christmas gifts, perhaps even a holiday banner!

12 Embroidered Trees for Christmas
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A Stitcher’s Christmas #2: Reproduction Samplers for Three & Winners

 

We’re halfway through the week, and sliding straight into December. You know what that means? It means it’s a perfect day to announce the next Stitcher’s Christmas give-away and the winners from the last one!

Today’s installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas is for all historical reproduction sampler lovers! If you love stitching stories from the past, if you love the look of traditional needlework samplers, if you love the thrill of watching a sampler come to life under your very fingers – this give-away is for you!

First, I’ll announce the winners from Saturday’s give-away and then I’ll tell you how this one came about…

Stitcher's Christmas Give-Away #2: Reproduction Sampler Charts
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More Addictive Stitching & a Cyber Monday Sale!

 

Howdy ho and a happy Monday!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend! Mine was a Banner Weekend on the stitching front. I got a lot of embroidery done! In anticipation of a fun collection of trees coming out this Friday on Needle ‘n Thread, I thought I’d show you some more of my stitched samples that materialized over the weekend.

I wrote about my new stitching addiction last week, and I’ll tell you this: I don’t think I’ve had such fun with my needle and thread in a long, long time! Oh, sure, I always have fun stitching, but for some reason, these little trees are completely engrossing! Is it because they are trees? Is it because they are Christmassy? Is it because they involve simple stitches and work up quickly? I don’t know!

In any case, here’s some weekend progress that you’ll hopefully find fun and inspiring. If they spark your stitching imagination, grab some thread and start stitching!

Oh! and I’m having a short Cyber Monday sale in my shop. I’ll share the details at the end of this article!

Hand Embroidered trees for Christmas on Needle 'n Thread
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Stitcher’s Christmas 2017 Give-Away 1: Ribbon Embroidery on Felt Kits & Books!

 

Good Morning All Around!

I’m so excited this morning! Why? Because it’s time to launch this year’s series of pre-Christmas give-aways, A Stitcher’s Christmas, 2017!

Yay!!

If you’ve been following along with Needle ‘n Thread for at least a year, you might remember we did this last year. It was so much fun that I thought we should do it again!

To put the series together, I knocked on the doors of lots of folks in the needlework industry – designers, manufacturers, store owners – and asked if they’d be willing to give you the opportunity to receive a really special Christmas gift. They generously hopped on board with enthusiasm, and I was able to put together a nice line-up of beautiful give-away prizes for this year’s series!

So, between now and Christmas, I’ll be hosting several give-aways. I’ll explain the way it works below, and introduce you to the first prizes! Come along…

Di van Niekerk felt and silk ribbon embroidery kits & books
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My New Stitching Addiction!

 

Oh golly. I seem to have a problem!

I’ve started embroidering some little trees – using simple stitches worked in various combinations – and they have turned into a bit of an obsession.

I am, in short, addicted to them. Every hour I spend away from my needle and thread, I’m aching to get back to stitching. My mind whirs with new possibilities, and everything I have to do in Real Life – you know, the stuff you can’t avoid day to day? – I do with haste, so I can return to my stitching post and test my newly-hatched ideas.

It’s an obsession that creeped up on me, unawares. I had no intention of getting involved in a whole series of stitchy things right now.

It started one day as I was perusing a couple old embroidery books…

Embroidered Christmas Tree Series
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Tulip Festival Part IV – The Finish!

 

Last time we visited Tulip Festival, which is an embroidered kaleidoscope I’m sharing with you step-by-step here on Needle ‘n Thread, we looked at how to stitch the tulips in long & short stitch and the two tiny borders beyond.

Today, it’s the final chapter! We’ll cover the embroidery on the outer layers of the kaleidoscope and any hints and tips along the way.

If you want to catch up with the project, you’ll find all the materials and beginning stitches in Part I here, the next set of embroidered layers, working outwards, here in Part II, and the tulips and two more bordering lines here in Part III.

If you’re working your way through this project, don’t hesitate to chime in with any questions you might have, using the comment form below the article!

Tulip Festival Embroidered Kaleidoscope, Part IV
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Cotton or Silk Embroidery Threads for Silk Shading?

 

Should I use cotton or silk for silk shading?

Is cotton a better choice for silk shading?

Since lately I’ve received a few questions about whether or not silk shading (needle painting, long and short stitch shading, soft shading…) should be worked in silk or in cotton, I figure there must be more people out there with the same query.

So today I thought I’d address the question, following up on last week’s article on my case for using silk in hand embroidery.

I think there’s more to this than just an “either / or” answer. So let’s chat about it!

Silk shading in silk on Burr rose stitched by Margaret Cobleigh
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The Art of Felting & Silk Ribbon Embroidery – Book Review

 

Do you like silk ribbon embroidery? How about felt? Do you like unique, textured backgrounds? Do you like a multi-media approach to your needlework? Are you looking for new avenues to explore in your artistic adventures? Or do you just love a good needlework book that’s packed full of techniques, ideas, inspiration, and instruction?

If any of the above applies to you, chances are, you’re going to like The Art of Felting & Silk Ribbon Embroidery, written by Di van Niekerk with Toody Cassidy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, actually. But the title intrigued me! And of course, I’m familiar with Di van Niekerk’s sumptuous silk ribbon embroidery, and I had seen little hints and peeks at some of the projects in the book, so … what’s a gal to do? Of course I had to see the book!

Let’s take a look inside, shall we?

Art of Felting & Silk Ribbon Embroidery
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Tulip Festival Part III: Tulips & Borders

 

Good morning, and Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed a pleasant weekend and had a chance to spend some time with your needle and thread! I got in zilch-o when it comes to stitching this weekend, but I did manage to prepare 12 embroidery patterns for printing. I can’t wait to show you what’s up with those!

We’ve been working our way through stitching an embroidered kaleidoscope here on Needle ‘n Thread – Tulip Festival, which we’ve visited in two parts so far. Part I of Tulip Festival covers the supplies, threads, set-up, and first seven rounds of stitches on the design. Part II covers the stitches for the the next several rounds.

Today, we’re going to cover the tulips in long & short stitch and a couple layers just beyond the tulips!

Whether you’re stitching Tulip Festival or not, I hope you’ll find some tips & techniques here that can apply to your own embroidery projects!

Tulip Festival - Embroidered Kaleidoscope - long & short stitch shading
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Needlework News Snips & Calendar Winners!

 

The weekend is upon us! YAY!

I’ve drawn the random winners for the Virtual Threads needlework calendars (with 13 free downloadable projects to work throughout the year), so I’ll announce those today.

I’ve also put together a little list of inspiration, ideas, questions, needlework news and whatnot, for your weekend explorations.

So… pour yourself a hot little beverage, pull up a chair, and let’s have a chat!

Needlework News Snips November 22, 2017
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My Case for Silk in Hand Embroidery Projects

 

If you can embroider it in cotton, you can embroider it in silk.

That is, if you can embroider something in cotton and end up with good results, you can embroider it in silk, and end up with equal, and even quite possibly, better results.

I thought we should have a chat about silk embroidery thread, since I’ve received a few questions lately about using silk on Tulip Festival, this embroidered kaleidoscope series we’ve been working through together.

I’ve also received a few questions about silk in other embroidery applications, but that’s an article for another day! I’ll be addressing a particular argument that’s been surfacing a bit in the needlework world, to see if we can overcome some hazy notions about silk in needle painting.

Today, though, we’ll just talk in general about silk. Hopefully, if you’re wavering between the cotton vs silk thread question, this will give you something to think about and perhaps, with some, it will overcome a fear of using silk.

Silk Hand Embroidery Thread - Collection of different types of silk
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Tulip Festival II: Embroidering Outward

 

On Monday, I shared the beginnings of Tulip Festival, a Hand Embroidered Kaleidoscope. We looked at the project set-up and embroidering the first center layers of the design.

Today, I’ll take you through the next several layers on the embroidered kaleidoscope, discussing embroidery stitches and colors. I’ll also talk a bit about thread substitutions, and share some tips!

Tulip Festival: An Embroidered Kaleidoscope - Working Outwards
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Tulip Festival Embroidery Project I: Getting Started

 

For those of you eager to stitch your own embroidered kaleidoscope, whether you’re using designs from Favorite Kaleidoscopes which I launched last week or using your own drawings, I’m going to share the whole process of Tulips Festival – an embroidered kaleidoscope – with you in short series of articles here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Even if you might not be into stitching these types of blossoming, repetitive designs, that’s ok! I’m hoping you’ll still find a little inspiration and plenty of tips for your own projects, no matter what they may be!

So, today, the first part of Tulip Festival – Getting Started! We’ll talk about the fabric and threads I used in my interpretation of the project, how I set the project up, and we’ll cover the first inner circles of stitches used on the design.

Tulip Festival: A Hand Embroidered Kaleidoscope Step-by-Step - getting started
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Why Switch Embroidery Needles?

 

Have you ever been stitching along, when suddenly you notice that your embroidery needle isn’t passing through your fabric quite as smoothly as it should be?

This happens to me now and then. Even the best quality embroidery needles can go amuck after hours and hours of usage. When a needle isn’t delivering the same performance that you’re accustomed to, it’s quite ok to switch out for a new needle and throw the old one away!

But when a brand new needle acts up on you, it helps to inspect it closely.

This happened to me the other day. I was using a relatively new needle that I had taken out of its package only a couple days before, and suddenly, I felt like every stitch I took had a little pull or snag to it as I pulled my needle through the fabric.

Upon inspection, this:

Embroidery Needle Flaw
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Favorite Kaleidoscope Embroidery Patterns – Reader Special

 

For all of you who have been hankering to stitch up your own embroidered kaleidoscopes, today I’m releasing my collection of favorite kaleidoscope embroidery patterns!

I’ve also added some information for you in my previous article on my interpretation of Birthday Bash, this embroidered kaleidoscope that I showed you last week, for those who want to stitch it up using the same colors I used.

So, read on and learn all the details…

Kaleidoscope Designs for Hand Embroidery
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Bridging the Stitches, Virtual Threads, the EAC, and a Give-Away!

 

Have you heard of Virtual Threads? Or the EAC?

I’ve written many times about the Embroiderers’ Guild of America and I’ve mentioned their online chapters (Cyberstitchers and Rocky Mountain Web Stitchers).

And I’m sure I’ve also written at some point about the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada (the EAC), too! But I don’t know if I’ve written about their online embroidery group, Virtual Threads.

The groups are certainly not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to live in the US to be a member of the EGA, nor do you have to live in Canada to be a member of the EAC. You can actually be a member of both groups, no matter where you live.

The EAC has some noteworthy things going on in the near the future – one of which is their 2018 seminar, which is hosted in part by Virtual Threads. I thought I’d give a quick shout-out about the seminar today, and follow that up with a give-away for some of their fundraising calendars, which are more than just your typical stitching-related calendar…

Prince Edward Island
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Embroidered Kaleidoscope – Birthday Bash Finish!

 

I finally finished Birthday Bash, my embroidered kaleidoscope in a repeat paisley design.

Actually, I finished it twice.

Last week, I finished it the first time – or so I thought. I took photos and cleaned up my stitching mess. All the leftover threads were tidied and tucked away; the piece (thankfully still on the frame) was covered and set aside, and the whole thing was, in my mind, complete. All I had left to do was edit some photos so that I could share the finish with you.

And then I started editing the photos. It’s amazing what you’ll catch in photos, that you don’t catch in real life!

Somehow, I had forgotten all the French knots.

So this week, I finished it again.

Today, I’ll share the finish with you and a quick run-down on how I interpreted the design, with the why’s and wherefore’s of what I was trying to produce. And then next week, the pattern will be available for those who want to stitch your own interpretation or dabble with the same approach I took.

Kaleidoscope Embroidery Project: Paisley Design
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Art Supplies I Use for Embroidery Related Stuff

 

When it comes to hand embroidery, the only supplies you really need to accomplish a simple embroidered piece are fabric, thread, and a needle.

But for those who really get into the art of embroidery and who like creating and stitching their own designs (not using a kit, for example), there are lots of tools that will help you do just that.

I’m not talking so much about stitching supplies, but rather art supplies in general, that I use for embroidery-related stuff. If you’re interested in pursuing your own designing or you like to dabble in mixed media, you might find some of these supplies handy.

So here’s a look at some of the art supplies I use most frequently and how I use them.

Art Supplies for Hand Embroidery Design
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The Shenandoah Valley Tapestry – A Journey Through Time

 

Perhaps the most famous and best-preserved expression of a significant historical event through the medium of embroidery is the Bayeux Tapestry.

While the Bayeux Tapestry is perhaps the most celebrated embroidered tapestry in the world, it’s not the only embroidered tapestry in the world. In recent decades especially, many communities have joined together to tell their own stories with needle and thread.

If you’ve been following along with me over the years, you may already know that I have A Thing for these community tapestry projects. I’ve written about a number of them here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Community heritage tapestries are grand initiatives that involve a lot of different people in various levels of the community, from historians, to artists, needleworkers (whether skilled or beginners), educators, fundraisers, and other volunteers. These embroidered tapestries develop over several (or more) years. The result is often a museum quality piece that becomes a springboard for other community initiatives. In many cases, heritage tapestries become an attraction that draws people to visit and learn about communities that they might not otherwise encounter.

Heritage tapestries are a powerful way to get a whole community involved and enthusiastic not just about needlework and art, but about their own history, their own story, their own particular struggles and triumphs as a community, and to hand that story down to future generations. They have a unique way of binding a community together.

Not long ago, Linda Suter reached out to me to tell me about a tapestry developing in the Shenandoah Valley, in Winchester, Virginia, that celebrates the story of their community from the Civil War to contemporary times. I asked her if I could share their journey with all of you, and they kindly sent along a write-up and photos.

So, sit back, relax, and let’s delve into their story of how their tapestry developed, where it is now, and where it’s going! The following guest article is written by Linda Suter, with very little editing. I hope you enjoy it! (You can click most of the photos for larger versions.)

Shenandoah Valley Tapestry Project - Original Painting as inspiration
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Boost Your Embroidery Stash! A Thread Give Away!

 

It’s Friday! And that’s as good a reason as any to celebrate!

And what better way to celebrate anything, than with embroidery threads?

So, today, complements of Colour Complements, I’m giving away five skeins of your choice of beautiful overdyed threads.

If you want to join in the fun and have the chance to increase your embroidery stash a bit and try out some new threads, read on!

Embroidery thread give-away - Colour Complements on Needle 'n Thread
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Needle Weaving & Needle Lace Techniques & Bookish Stuff

 

Last year, I reviewed Hazel Blomkamp’s handbooks on needle weaving and needle lace techniques, which she was offering on her website as self-published booklets.

Just a heads up! Both books are now being published by Search Press! I’ll show them to you here, let you know what’s different about them and where you can find them, and then we’ll chat a bit about needlework books in general and I’ll share a bit of upcoming news with you. Read on, read on!

Needle Weaving and Needle Lace Techniques
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Chain Stitch Corners & Sharp Points: Embroidery Tip

 

Let’s start off the week in a good way, with a little embroidery stitch tip!

Have you ever wondered how to make a really pointed tip or corner when working a line stitch like chain stitch?

We’ve previously covered embroidering stem stitch corners, but chain stitch is different.

If you employ the same method used with stem stitch when chain stitching, pointy tips and corners will end up being just slightly bulkier than they need to be.

So today, we’ll look at how to embroider chain stitch lines into a nice pointy tips and sharp corners.

Embroidery Stitch Tips: Chain Stitch Points & Order of Stitching
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Needlework News Snips – October 14, 2017

 

I have Big Stitching Plans this weekend. By Sunday night, according to this weekend’s schedule, I will have spent 15 hours on embroidery, plying my needle and pulling my thread too many times to count.

And by Sunday night, Birthday Bash will be – must be – finished. And then I’ll take you step by step through the stitches, materials, and project in general.

What about you? Any stitching plans?

Perhaps it’s too early to start binge stitching on a Saturday morning. No problem! Pour up a cup of something nice and warm (it’s chilly here in Kansas), and let’s go for a little browse through some needlework news snips for this first half of October!

Needlework News Snips: October 14, 2017
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Berlin Embroidery: A New Look – and a Discount!

 

Tanja Berlin, a well-known and well-travelled embroidery designer and instructor living in Canada, has recently revamped her needlework website, Berlin Embroidery, and it is rife with all kinds of treats for the embroiderer!

My first contact with Tanja and her website was some fifteenish years ago, when she became my go-to source for goldwork threads, which were practically impossible to find in North America at that time. But Tanja had (and still has!) a magnificent selection of them available, along with goldwork kits and instruction. I’ve been a regular hoverer at Berlin Embroidery ever since.

Since first finding Tanja way back when, I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting her in person at an EGA event. She’s a lot of fun, very frank and friendly, and I had a great time getting to know her a bit.

So let’s browse some of the highlights of Tanja’s new site, so that you can take advantage of all she has to offer the needlework world. I’ll also share a discount code that Tanja set up for Needle ‘n Thread readers, to celebrate the launch of her new look.

Berlin Embroidery new website
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Buttonhole Stitch vs. Blanket Stitch: The Name Debate

 

The buttonhole stitch is a super-versatile embroidery stitch. Perhaps because it isn’t a skinny line stitch and it isn’t a typical filling stitch, it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.

But one area where the buttonhole stitch seems to garner some scrutiny is in a question of semantics – that is, in the area of definition or meaning.

I’ve recently heard from a few stitchers – some of them new to embroidery – who are a little confused about whether or not the stitch we call the buttonhole stitch really is the buttonhole stitch.

The question is basically this: Is buttonhole stitch, as it is most commonly known, actually the blanket stitch, while “true” buttonhole stitch is a completely different stitch altogether?

Every time I write about buttonhole stitch, I get a few emails with questions like this. I’ve heard from stitchers full of good intentions, encouraging me to be careful of causing confusion by calling the buttonhole stitch the buttonhole stitch. And I’ve heard from stitchers on a buttonhole crusade, who harshly reprimand – “you should know better” and “shame on you” for perpetuating this heinous misnomer.

Let’s chat about the stitch, discuss the name debate, and examine some clarifications and historical references, so that we can clear up any confusion over what’s what with the buttonhole stitch!

Buttonhole Stitch on a Flower - shaded filling
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The Art of Bead Embroidery, Reviewed

 

Bead embroidery and embroidery with beads, in my mind, are two different things.

When I talk about embroidery with beads I’m usually referring to regular embroidery featuring surface embroidery stitches worked in floss, with the addition of beads as accents.

Bead embroidery, on the other hand, is a specific embroidery technique, wherein beads adorn the surface of the fabric, and stand on their own as the decoration. It rarely involves decorative stitches with embroidery threads, and if it does, the visible stitches are minimal, compared to the bulk of decoration done with beads.

I have no idea if this is a “technically correct” distinction, but since I like to add beads here and there as accents on some of my embroidery projects, I’ve had to make a distinction in my head, and that’s how the distinction established itself.

Today, I want to show you, up close and personal, a book on bead embroidery, or the embellishment of fabric predominantly with beads. The book is The Art of Bead Embroidery: Japanese Style by Margaret Lee, and it’s a doozy.

Let’s take a look!

The Art of Bead Embroidery: Japanese Style by Margaret Lee
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Embroider a Pumpkin Basket for Fall: Free Pattern & Stitch Guide

 

If you’re looking for something smallish and fallish to embroider, here’s a simple little design for you, with a stitch and materials guide.

You can substitute any materials you have in your stash, and you can even switch up the stitches and use your own favorites.

This little basket of pumpkins would look great on the corner of your table napkins for fall. It would also make a cute cover for a little needlebook (like the ones featured in Lavender Honey & Other Little Things), or, if you’re an ornament-for-every-holiday-and-season sort of person, you might like adding it to your autumn, Thanksgiving, or Halloween ornament collection.

You can also incorporate the individual basket into a larger design – maybe you’re stitching an autumn landscape or you’re working on an autumn-themed crazy quilt square?

It’s a simple little motif, but fun to stitch, and especially good if you’re keen to practice bullions.

(Yes, I said bullions! Don’t fear them!)

Pumpkin Basket for Hand Embroidery
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I’m Guilty: 6 Bad Stitching Habits

 

Talking about bad stitching habits seems like such a negative approach to things, doesn’t it?

But I’m all for presenting a negative lesson, if it can achieve a positive outcome. And don’t worry – I’m not pointing the finger at anyone here. Well, at anyone but me, anyway.

I’ve developed all kinds of bad stitching habits over the years. Some, I’ve overcome; some, I still cling to. I know they’re bad habits, and I know I need to overcome them. But my Will Power and I haven’t come to terms on them yet.

With this in mind, I’ll Bare All and tell you about some of my bad stitching habits over the years so that you can learn vicariously through me and avoid them. Or maybe you have the same habits? In that case, we can work on overcoming them together!

6 bad Stitching Habits and how to overcome them
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Embroidery Project Progress: That Paisley Thing

 

Good morning and a happy Monday all around!

Time to look at some embroidery project progress! Thanks heaps for all the input on color selections the last time we discussed this particular embroidered kaleidoscope, which I am officially naming today.

I’ve mentioned before that I have a problem coming up with names for my embroidery projects. But this one fell in my lap. I’ll tell you all about it.

We’ll also discuss color vs stitches. Not that the two things are diametrically opposed when working an embroidery project, but in this case, in my mind, they’ve separated from each other.

embroidered kaleidoscope paisley design
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Goldwork & Silk Christmas Ornament: Project Index

 

A few weeks ago, I posted on my Facebook page a photo of a goldwork & silk embroidered Christmas ornament that I embroidered a looooooooong time ago!

In fact, I had completely forgotten about this little project (and its really bad photography – which unfortunately can’t be re-done). I came across the pictures of my stitching progress on it when digging through photos, in search a different picture altogether.

A few friends on Facebook asked for a list of articles for this project, and lo! I realized I never made an index for it. Tsk, tsk!

With Christmas a mere three months away, I wanted to make it available again for those of you who haven’t seen it and for stitchers looking for some ideas for embroidering or finishing a special Christmas ornament.

Goldwork & Silk Christmas Ornament Project Index
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About Those Threads, the Learning Process, and a Video!

 

So, on Monday, I launched Octoberfest! An Embroidered Kaleidoscope, and along with it, the news that there is a specialty thread pack available for those interested in stitching the project.

Now, this was a learning experience, to say the least!

In the past, I’ve never worked with a manufacturer to get any specific embroidery supplies out to go with a design. But I started toying with the idea this year, because I figure some folks might want access to specific threads.

My brain has been working around the muddle of excitement on one hand, maybe a tad touch of disappointment on the other, and lots of thoughts in between. I figure your collective minds can help me sort ideas, so I’ll tell you what’s in my head and then open it up for your feedback!

Embroidery Threads for Octoberfest!
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Octoberfest! Autumn Embroidery with Specialty Threads – Available Now!

 

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is officially autumn – my favorite time of year!

To put you in the mood for this colorful season, I’ve just released a new design called Octoberfest!, a vibrant, leafy embroidered kaleidoscope perfect for beginners and beyond.

But that’s not all! Not only is Octoberfest! ready for you today, but there’s even a special House of Embroidery thread collection available to go along with the design, discounted and with free shipping for Needle ‘n Thread readers.

Gosh! What’s not to love?

Read on, and I’ll tell you all about the project and the threads…

Octoberfest! An Embroidered Kaleidoscope for Fall
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Stitching & Listening: Entertainment Options for Needleworkers

 

By nature, I’m a moderately social, chatty type of person.

But by occupation, I’m a loner.

Despite some folks’ impression that I work with some kind of team, I don’t. (I answered that point in this article.)

It’s really just me on this side of Needle ‘n Thread, so when stitching, designing, writing, blogging, editing photos – everything I do that’s Needle ‘n Thread-related – I’m alone.

But for many reasons, I never consider myself alone. When it comes to the needlework world, I’m definitely not alone! And when it comes to my work, I never feel like I’m alone.

Sometimes, I choose to work in silence so that I can think about things. During those times, I often end up carrying on splendid conversations with myself!

But usually, I’m a listener, and especially when I stitch, I get in a lot of listening.

Embroidery and Listening: sources for audio entertainment while stitching
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That Color Splashy Embroidered Kaleidoscope Thing – Again.

 

Remember this embroidered paisley kaleidoscope design I’m playing with?

Well, I’m Still playing with it! As usual, you all chimed in with some great suggestions, encouragement and advice on the last article. I love it when folks leave comments that we can all interact with – it’s such a jolly way to share ideas and inspire others! So thanks for joining in!

Today, you’ll see that I’m still plugging along with it. While the color scheme hasn’t changed, I’ve tested the mild background filling that I had in mind. I’ve also pondered the design in general. There are a couple things about it that I’d change, if I were re-drawing it (which I will). So let’s chat about it!

Embroidered paisley kaleidoscope with colors and stitches
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The Essentials in my Embroidery Workroom

 

Earlier this summer, I took you briefly into my embroidery workroom during a bout of organization.

Organizational bouts are not a once-in-a-lifetime deal. The trick to staying organized is the daily habit of putting things where they belong and the weekly or bi-weekly habit of tweaking the system, cleaning thoroughly, and all that.

Admittedly, I preach this, but I don’t always live it! I’m no maven of organization, and I don’t pretend to be. It’s just not my personality. I don’t have a specific system that I adhere to fiendishly, as part of a personal challenge, lifestyle, or mental strategy. My workroom is functional more than anything else, and it’s a luxury insofar as it’s a dedicated needlework area, but it’s not luxurious.

After chatting about that bout of organization, a discussion opened about workroom essentials. I’ve put together my list of essential things in or about my workroom that help my workflow and keep me semi-organized. At the end of the article, I include a few little luxuries and some suggestion to think about if you’re planning your dream space for needlework.

Embroidery Studio Essentials for Organization and Workflow
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Embroidery Archeology: Revealing the Back of the Figure

 

Lately, I’ve been working in starts and stops on what I call an “embroidery archeology” project.

For those who are new to Needle ‘n Thread in the past few weeks, you can read the backstory on this project here, where you’ll find all the articles about the project so far arranged in chronological order.

Keeping in mind the whole point of this particular project – which is to salvage the figure embroidery off an old piece of ecclesiastical (or church) embroidery and to remount them on a new ground fabric – today, I’ll share with you the removal of the first figure, some considerations about how to tackle remounting it and some problems I foresee along the way.

Figure Embroidery on Church Vestments - Repair and Replace
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Splashy Colors on a New Embroidery Project

 

How about some splashy colors in hand embroidery to start your week off?

Fact is, I’m still not sure about the floss colors I picked for this embroidery project!

And come to think of it, I’m not sure about the embroidery stitches I’ve chosen so far, either.

In fact, I’m not 100% sold on the project in general – the design, the colors, the stitches – but…. I’m still having fun stitching it and testing out ideas!

Choosing colors and stitches on embroidery project
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Circle Sampler – Stitching Embroidered Spots

 

Once upon a time, I started stitching an embroidery sampler that featured circles. I suppose you could call it, literally, a spot sampler.

I had a specific color scheme in mind for it, and a specific effect that I wanted to get across in the finished piece – combining texture and color in such a way that a particular mood or scene is suggested.

One day, I put the sampler aside. I had other projects to focus on. But, in the whole Sorting and Shifting going on perpetually in my workroom, I recently came across it again. So I figured I’d tell you a bit about it and chat in general about sampler stitching.

Circle Sampler for embroidery stitches
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Get Ready Today for free Online Embroidery Classes Tomorrow!

 

Howdy, folks!

I apologize for popping in unannounced on a Sunday afternoon, but this particular information is time sensitive, so I wanted to let you know today, so you can be ready tomorrow.

How would you like to have free access to all of Craftsy’s online hand embroidery classes for one day?

Tomorrow, September 4th, is All You Can Watch Day on Craftsy, which means you can access any of their online classes for free all day long, from your computer or from the browser on your tablet.

Now, I know you probably won’t spend the Whole Day streaming online embroidery classes, but it’s a great way to explore thoroughly any particular Craftsy classes that interest you.

Read on, and I’ll tell you what you have to do today, to get in on it tomorrow!

All You Can Watch Day on Craftsy!
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Beautiful Handcrafted Boxes for Mounting Embroidery

 

Do you ever wonder how to finish small embroidery projects to display them, aside from hanging them on a wall?

The combination of embroidery and boxes is not really a new concept. After all, embroidered boxes and box lids have been around for centuries and centuries!

Creating a fully embroidered box is often the work of many years, if not a whole life time. Instead, for smaller projects, there’s the option of mounting embroidery projects in the display lid of specially crafted wooden boxes.

And while there are several sources for mass-produced display boxes for embroidery (often made of wood composites and the like), if you want something Really Special and really beautiful, a hand-crafted, exquisitely finished, conscientiously detailed, solid wood display box is definitely the way to go!

Today, I’m going to show you two just such boxes, made by Mark at Mythic Crafts. You might remember he’s the guy who made this gorgeous and functional slate frame that I reviewed a while ago? Well, he’s now making a line of boxes – and making custom boxes, too – that are perfect for displaying small embroidery masterpieces.

Update, 2019: At this point in time, I’m cautioning folks about purchasing goods from Mythic Crafts. After a very successful crowd-funding campaign in January of 2018, many of the backers have still not received their goods from backing that campaign. I hope that Mythic Crafts is able to fulfill the orders made during the crowdfunding campaign, but until they do, I don’t recommend ordering from the company’s website.

Update, July 2019: Mythic Crafts is out of business.

Hand Crafted Wooden Display Boxes for Embroidery
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Stitch Fun! How to Embroider Scallops with Picots

 

I’m working on a little hand embroidery design that features embroidered scalloped edges.

I like scallops! While there are a number of ways to embroider scallops on a design, I have a favorite method that’s a bit of a “cheater” approach – it makes for very evenly spaced spokes on the scallops (if your scallops have spokes), resulting in a nice, neat little design edge.

In working this particular embroidery design, I wanted some of the scallops to feature a little picot, or extra little bump, right at the top of the scallop.

So let’s look at some approaches to embroidering scallops (one of which is an utter failure). I’ll show you how to add a picot to the top of a scallop, no matter which approach you take. Then I’ll show you my cheater approach to buttonhole-like scallops, without the buttonhole stitch.

Stitch Fun: Embroidery Scallops with Picots
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Embroidery Archeology: Index of Articles

 

Good morning!

Before we get any further in the series of Embroidery Archeology articles that cover salvaging ecclesiastical embroidery for re-use, I thought I’d set up an organizational structure for the series to make it easy to reference.

If you’re relatively new to Needle ‘n Thread, under the main menu on the website, you’ll find a section called Tips & Techniques. In that section, there’s a list right at the top of indexes for all kinds of series of articles here on Needle ‘n Thread. You’ll find projects that evolve step-by-step, as well as collections of lessons and tutorials.

This particular index for all the articles in this series on Embroidery Archeology can be found on that list, and each time I publish a new article on the topic, I’ll add it to the list below in chronological order from first to last in the series. This way, you can follow along at your leisure and refer back to the index whenever you need it.

Embroidery Archeology Index: A series of articles on salvaging embroidery
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Visual Guide to Crazy Quilting Design – Book Review

 

When I heard the Sharon Boggon was writing a book on crazy quilting, I knew I had to have it! I pre-ordered it, and when it arrived, it flew to the top of my book stack.

Sharon blogs – and has for a long, long time! – at Pintangle about crazy quilting and other artistic and stitch-related interests. Her encrusted approach to crazy quilting has fascinated me for years.

I love to look at her elaborate crazy quilt squares, with exquisitely arranged ground fabrics, perfectly placed and spaced stitches, ingenious stitch combinations, fantastic textures, and judiciously and tastefully added embellishments.

Her work is really a feast for the eyes!

And while I’m not a crazy quilter myself (I did dabble a bit with it – and goldwork – here), I love to look at beautifully executed crazy quilting.

There’s a lot to learn in crazy quilting that can be applied to other types of stitchery, too. I appreciate especially the freedom of crazy quilting. I think it’s a perfect outlet for creative stitchers who like to sew and who enjoy playing with fabric, threads, beads, ribbons, texture, and color.

Visual Guide to Crazy Quilting Design
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Bead to Floss & Bead to Bead Conversions for Stitchers

 

While I’m not an expert (by a long shot) in bead embroidery, it’s something that I enjoy exploring. I love to dabble with beads and add them to my stitching when they make sense.

“Beads for the sake of beads” doesn’t always do it for me – they really have to fit in with the project I’m working on. So I don’t add them to everything I stitch, and in fact, I stitch without beads more often than I do with them.

But on certain types of projects (Party in Provence, for example), beads make perfect sense. They’re fun, they sparkle, and they work with the design.

If you’re interested in adding beads to your own needlework projects, you might find these bead conversion charts that I’ve come across online helpful. You’ll find conversions for beads to beads (one brand of bead to another) and conversions for floss to beads (choosing beads to match embroidery floss colors).

Bead Conversion Charts for Stitchers
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I’ve Been Eclipsed – to Your Advantage!

 

I’m almost embarrassed to say
What I’m doing today.
With all the hype around here
(‘Cuz the sun’ll disappear)
The topic is almost cliché!

It’s true. I’m eclipse watching today. I contemplated packing along some needlework, because I’ll be stuck away from home for about seven hours while the sun and moon are not really doing anything too different from what they normally do…

…except for that 2 minutes and 38 seconds of daylight darkness!

But the dirt, the humidity, the sunscreen and the sweat that coincide with the Midwest in August – coupled with crowds of Celestially Enthusiastic People, the chance of thunderstorms, and no real bathrooms – isn’t all that conducive to embroidery. I’m leaving the stitching behind.

Sheep on a Sunny Hill in an Eclipse - Embroidered Little Things
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How to Make Printable Hand Embroidery Patterns

 

Over the years, I’ve had many, many queries about how to make hand embroidery patterns.

The question of how to make embroidery patterns isn’t usually directed to the drawing or doodling part that’s done with a pencil, but rather how to take a sketch, painting, photo, or doodle and transform it into a clean line drawing that can be enlarged or reduced in size, printed, and used as a pattern for stitching.

So, today, let’s chat about a technical topic that’s somewhat related to embroidery, even though it doesn’t have to do with the actual Stitching of Things.

We’ll look at what you need to know to create a line drawing that’s smooth, scalable, and prints a clear, precise line drawing suitable for an embroidery pattern.

How to Make Printable Embroidery Patterns
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Embroidery Project Progress: Likes, Dislikes… & Lots of Texture!

 

Remember the finish on this embroidered kaleidoscope project, Party in Provence, that I shared with you last week?

Well, I’ve been working my way through a variation on the theme, which is supposed to end up as a pocket on a tote bag. If you’ve been hanging out with me a bit on Needle ‘n Thread, you’ll probably recall this discussion on twill and duck for embroidery, following this discussion on some preliminary explorations of poor choices in linen.

The last time I showed you progress on this project was here, where I was just beginningto sample the embroidery on the cotton twill.

As I’ve worked my way through this little design excerpt on the cotton twill, I’ve discovered a few things – some likes and dislikes, some things I’d probably do differently if I were to start over, and the recurring joy I find in stitching certain stitches!

hand embroidery for the pocket of a tote bag
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Fancy Floral: A Free Hand Embroidery Pattern!

 

Good morning, and a Happy Monday all around!

Today, just a quick little freebie for you! This is a pattern I’ve been playing with off and on for a while, with the hopes of stitching it. I even got as far as picking out threads and colors, but I’ve never actually gotten to the embroidery. Who knows? Maybe one day!

It’s not on my current list of stuff to get done, though, which means it won’t happen too soon, so I thought I’d share the pattern, anyway. Maybe it’ll tickle your fancy, too!

Fancy Floral - Hand Embroidery Pattern
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Inspiration from Inspirations

 

You’ve probably gathered that I have a tiny weakness for good needlework books. I really do. And I’m weird about them, because, whether or not I use them as they are intended to be used – i.e. to stitch a project from, to learn a specific technique – I always read them.

I like to read needlework books like other people like to read novels. I read needlework books from cover to cover. And I get a lot of pleasure out of doing so. I also learn a lot.

There’s always something to learn from a needlework book, and reading one from cover to cover is kind of like a treasure hunt, wherein you gather up little morsels of knowledge, little surprises about approaches, techniques, designs, color choices that you never considered and that make you say, Wow. What a neat idea! or Golly, why didn’t I ever think of that?.

Inspirations Magazine Issue #95
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Weekend Embroidery Finish…and a question!

 

I love it when a plan comes together!

I wasn’t quite sure I’d finish the embroidery on Party in Provence this weekend, but due to the happy circumstances of rainy weather and not a whole lot going on, I put the last bead on at 6:59 yesterday evening! I was pretty pleased.

The only drawback of an evening finish is getting the light right for photos. For some reason, daytime photos work better for me. So instead of setting up my amateur version of a photo shoot, I made do with my phone and my stitching light. I’ll take “real” photos later, after damp stretching and blocking the piece.

If you’re just joining in here on Needle ‘n Thread, Party in Provence is an embroidered kaleidoscope design in a series I’ve been playing with for the past 10 months or so. I’ve finished three of them so far – this one, which I’m calling Tulip Festival (a shout out to ours here in Kansas) and this one, that I’m calling Octoberfest, even though I stitched it in November.

Party in Provence Embroidered Kaleidoscope Design by Mary Corbet on Needle 'n Thread
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The Seasons in Ribbon Embroidery: Book Review

 

Are you a silk ribbon embroidery fan? Have you seen Tatiana Popova’s lush silk ribbon embroidery?

Tatiana, a Ukrainian embroiderer who specializes in silk ribbon work, creates pieces that exude a definite ribbony richness – lavish ribbon, sumptuous color, deceptively realistic flowers. And she also uses ribbon to create some whimsical pieces as well – she likes owls!

Tatiana produces silk ribbon embroidery kits under the brand Little Owl Smart Crafts, which she sells through her website, Sovushka.

I first came across Tatiana’s luxuriant floral creations in ribbon embroidery through Di van Niekerk, whose blog I enjoy following. Di networks with silk ribbon enthusiasts all over the globe and features many of them on her blog.

So that’s where I first saw Tatiana’s work, and I was excited to learn that this year, she has published a book. It’s called The Seasons in Ribbon Embroidery, and today, I’d like to show it to you.

Seasons in Ribbon Embroidery by Tatiana Popova
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Embroidery Workroom Organization – Not There Yet. But….

 

Can you tell me about your studio space?

I often receive emails from readers in the throes of making decisions about studio space, who find themselves with a spare room at home that they can devote solely to needlework.

It’s a wonderful thing, to be able to carve out your own little retreat for pursuing embroidery or sewing or any craft! But the fact is, I’m probably the last person in the world to ask about this!

I usually gurgle out a few chuckles when I get this question. I’ve always been pretty forthright about my workroom.

While I’m quite blessed to have a room that is semi-dedicated to my work, it isn’t one of those perfect, cozy, ideal embroidery workrooms that’s organized to the hilt and attractive to boot. So I’m probably not the person you want to emulate on this point, if you’re looking for your own little Embroidery Haven.

I mentioned earlier in the summer that I was on a re-organization kick out in my garage-gone-workroom-plus-household-storage-catchall-area, and – though you can’t really tell from the pictures – much was accomplished. But there’s still a bit of work to do! And although it pains me to share some of these photos, I will, because I said I would.

Today, I’ll just show you where things stand, mess-wise. Down the road, I’ll tell you about some of the things that have become essential in my workroom, and we’ll chat about some things to keep in mind when setting up your own workroom.

My Embroidery Workroom - Not the Dream, but It Works
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Embroidery Archeology: Machine or Tambour, the Back and Layering

 

The last time we visited my Embroidery Archeology project, it was all about preliminaries – the things you should do before delving into the … uh… destruction? (for lack of a better word!) of an old piece of embroidery like this.

Now, now, before you balk! I’m not destroying it. I’m doing my best to conserve every conservable part of it. As I explained in the initial backstory – which you can read here – my primary goal is to retrieve the figure embroidery from the piece, and salvage those so that they can be used on real vestments.

If possible, I also plan to salvage some of the floral elements, though for what use, I’m not sure yet!

With the preliminaries out of the way, it was time to take the piece apart.

Salvaging ecclesiastical embroidery
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What’s in my Embroidery Rotation – and What’s Not!

 

With the summer trickling by here in Kansas – actually, I should say streaming by, as it’s moving at a rather rapid clip – I’ve given some thought to my current embroidery project rotation and have made some adjustments.

Now that Will Ewe Bee Mine? is officially out and available, I can concentrate on other projects. Thanks heaps to all those who have purchased my latest ebook – your support goes a long way towards keeping Needle ‘n Thread going! So I really appreciate it! (In fact, I downright love you for it!)

So, today, an update on what I’m working on now, my reasons for switching things in and out, my future project aspirations and plans, and a bit of a chat on my multi-project approach, what works about it and what doesn’t.

Party in Provence - Embroidered Kaleidoscope
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Will Ewe Bee Mine? Multi-motif Monograms with Matching Borders & Frames

 

Howdy-ho and a Happy (and I mean Happy Happy Happy!) Wednesday!

Why so happy, you might wonder? Especially on a Wednesday??

Well, I finally finished this ebook and I can’t wait to show it to you!

It’s titled Will Ewe Bee Mine?

…because I just can’t resist dumb puns.

And, besides – it fits!

Will Ewe Bee Mine? Monograms for Embroidery
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Embroidery of the World

 

Our world is full of embroidery.

And it has been, for a long, long time.

This thought – which isn’t all that profound, in the scheme of things – struck me with particular force, when, serendipitously, a couple boxes arrived, via post, on my front porch.

I say serendipitously, because just the day before, I began the Big Overhaul on my needlework book shelves. The timing couldn’t have been better!

World of Embroidery - Embroidery of the World
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Needlework News Snips for July: Inspiration, Threads, & More!

 

Oh, happy Saturday all around!

It’s taken me all the week long to work through the catch-up after being out of town for a while. Subconsciously, this may be the reason I never go anywhere!

Strangely enough, I haven’t done a lick of stitching, with the exception of one tiny stitch tutorial. I’m craving my needle and thread! And with temperatures topping the 105 mark this weekend, methinks I’ll use that as an excuse to stay in where it’s cool(ish) and put my mind and fingers to a project or two.

Well, you know how it is – any excuse would do!

But before I hunker down, I thought I’d share some bits of inspiration, information, and whatnot that have surfaced in the needlework world lately. So pour yourself something refreshing, cold or hot depending on your particular hemispheric circumstances, and let’s go for a browse, shall we?

Needlework News Snips - July, 2017
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Embroidered Cats: Hiroko’s Style – Book Review

 

Brace yourself for a Cuteness Overload. And some incredible embroidery!

Whether or not you’re a cat lover (or a dog lover), if you’re an embroiderer and you appreciate meticulous embroidery, I think you’re going to be twitterpated with this book

Now, this is The Thing (full disclosure here!): I’m not a cat lover. I like the idea of cats. I’d like to like cats, but, thanks to the horrid allergy that plagues me whenever I’m around the little beasties, I try to avoid them at all costs. It’s a matter of being able to breathe, you see. I get a little testy when I can’t.

That said, I love looking at them from a distance. There is something rather regal, majestic, adorable, endearing about cats. And looking at them through the artistic renderings of an embroiderer makes these particular cats that I’m going to show you even more enchanting!

Embroidered Cats: Hiroko's Style - Book Review
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Embroidery Archeology: First Things First – Visual Documentation and Close Examination

 

Welcome to Wednesday! Woohoo! I’m back home from a much-needed break – and glad to be here!

A few weeks ago, we looked at this piece of embroidery that I’m taking apart, to salvage the figures on it to put them on a new background.

This was the perfect project to turn my mind to yesterday, after a Most Wonderful, quiet, peaceful break – concentrating on it got me back into the swing of things in a very pleasant way!

A funny thing about this project: I was going to say no when asked to undertake it, but I’m so glad I didn’t! I love this kind of exploratory work. It’s enlightening, intriguing, and absorbing.

Today, we’ll look at some First Things First. Before really digging into a piece like this, there are a few preliminary steps to take and a few tools to line up.

Embroidered Vestment Repair: Silk embroidered figures
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14 Treasures to Download for Textile Enthusiasts & Needlework Historians

 

If you love needlework history, if you’re a textile enthusiast, an embroidery history buff, a bibliophile… but if, like me, you’re needlework library might be a little out of control, and you might be thinking I just don’t have space for One More Book…then you’ll appreciate this list!

There are many places online where we can access old embroidery books, download them onto our computers, and learn from them. I’ve often spoke of Antique Pattern Library, Internet Archives, and similar places where you can find instructional and pattern books for all kinds of needlework and embroidery techniques.

But what about scholarly works that have to do more with the history of embroidery, needlework, and textiles? Even more recently published whole books, articles, and bits that can give us insight into the history behind the embroidery we love so well?

Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and their vast download library at Met Publications, we have access to quite a few excellent works of historical significance that are worth reading, if you love the history of embroidery and needlework, or if you want to know more about specific eras of needlework history.

Free Downloads for Embroidery & Needlework Related Books
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Opposite Faces: A Few Good Laughs in Embroidery

 

Did you know my embroidery workroom / needlework library / household storage room enjoyed a Complete Overhaul earlier this summer? Well, it did!!

In June, with the help of my dear darling niece Anna – who is a doggedly determined little gal, with an amazing amount of sticktoitiveness – things got re-organized out there. I’ll show you the results later on (please don’t expect some kind of Pinterest-perfect crafting space, as it isn’t that at all!), with some nitty-gritty tips on organizing and ideal storage vs. making do with what you have and what you can afford.

In the meantime, though, while we were ferreting through some of the older Stuff in the place, we came across a pair of pillow cases that I embroidered a long, long time ago, when Needle ‘n Thread was pretty young…and when my “fancy” camera was a 2 megapixel point and shoot!

Amazingly, the pillowcases are still in fairly good shape, though they have gone through the laundry at least once. For those who haven’t seen them, or who want to see them in more detail, here are my Opposite Faces Pillow Cases, along with some information about them, how they were stitched, and why you’d want to stitch something like these, anyway!

Opposite Faces Pillow Cases - a few good laughs with your embroidery
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Midweek Inspiration: Incredible Embroidered Eggs!

 

A few years ago, I got into embroidering on whole egg shells, and, much to my continuing disappointment, I’ve never gotten back to it. I keep telling myself I will, and now, after seeing these embroidered masterpieces from Christine down in Tasmania, I’m dying to revisit the whole egg embroidery scene!

Keep in mind, we’re talking about egg shells that have been emptied and that are whole. The backs are not cut out, there are no large holes in them. Through a series of passing the needle and thread back and forth to different sides of the egg, in on one side, through a hole on the other and back through the same hole to go out a different hole on the opposite, you really can embroider a whole egg shell!

If you haven’t read about the whosits and whatsits of embroidery on eggs, here’s my collection of articles on the topic, with some tips and information on how it’s done.

Hand Embroidery on Eggs - Raised Embroidery
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Free Embroidery Pattern: Silk Sampler – and Some News!

 

Last week, I shared the backstory behind this silk sampler, an embroidery project I undertook years ago and … ummm … never quite finished.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person in the Stitching World who has an unfinished project hanging around. (If truth be known, I actually have more than one unfinished project hanging around!)

In any case, many of you asked for the pattern for this sampler, so I thought I would share that with you today, and then let you in on a couple deep, dark secrets that are totally unrelated to the sampler pattern…

Silk Sampler for Hand Embroidery - Free Pattern
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Keep It Simple: A Lesson Learned Long Ago

 

Once upon a time, in the Deep, Dark Woods of the North (or the barren plains of the Midwest – whichever fantasy world you want to set the story in), there lived a teacher.

Perhaps a somewhat naïve, over-zealous teacher.

And that teacher was me. Or I. It was I.

It was me. I was it. I was the teacher.

Years ago, I undertook an adult embroidery class here in my community. It wasn’t really a formal class – it was a group that would meet once a week to learn.

Silk Hand Embroidery Sampler
Continue reading “Keep It Simple: A Lesson Learned Long Ago”

Twill and Duck: If at First You Don’t Succeed…

 

It seems like ages ago that we chatted about my adventures with a linen that I was testing for possible use in constructing a tote bag with hand embroidered pockets.

The whole thing was a wash – I really abhorred the linen! – so I moved on to some cotton alternatives. I could have opted for better linen, no doubt, but since this whole project is somewhat experimental, I want to keep the cost point relatively low.

So I decided to try twill and duck.

Twill and Duck. I like those words together!

Here’s the whole idea for the project so far. I’ll tell you what I’m planning, we can chat about the two fabrics, and then I’ll keep you apprized of how things go on the stitching and, ultimately, on the construction & finishing of my Masterpiece Tote. Ha.

Twill and Duck: Fabrics for an embroidered tote bag
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Thread Talk: The Metallics You Want to Use!

 

My friends, my friends! If you have been embroidering for even a little while, you’ve probably encountered metallic threads.

And if you’ve encountered metallic threads, you’ve probably encountered the Unending Frustration that goes with them!

For hand embroidery, metallics are always problematic, it seems – more so when you’re doing surface embroidery, free of a grid with open holes like those provided by needlepoint canvas or counted cross stitch fabric. When you’re embroidering on a fabric with a closely-woven surface, like a high count linen, cotton, or silk, metallics are not friendly.

In fact, they’re normally pretty darned cranky.

Today, I’m going to show you metallic threads you will actually want to use, whether you’re doing surface embroidery, counted work, or needlepoint!

These metallics are well-behaved, compared to other metallics widely available on the needlework market. In fact, they are actually a pleasure to stitch with. And when you’re talking about a metallic thread, that says a lot!

Au Ver a Soie Metallic Braids for embroidery
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Maybe or…Maybe Not? Hand Embroidery Start Up Library Class

 

A couple weekends back, I mentioned a new hand embroidery class on Craftsy, as part of their “Start Up Library” series.

Several folks wrote in, asking if I’d review the class in detail. I’ve finally had a chance to go through the class in detail, take some notes and think about it a bit, and then write (and re-write, and re-write again) a review from what I hope is an objective eye, wanting what’s best for you.

So, if you’re curious about this Hand Embroidery Start Up Library Class on Craftsy, this short review – with pros and cons – is for you!

Craftsy Hand Embroidery Start Up Library class review
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Gingham Embroidery Watermelons: Free Pattern & Instructions

 

A few years ago, I wrote a tutorial for Commonthread by DMC, for working this watermelon design in gingham embroidery.

Since then, the article has been archived so it’s hard to find over there. To help out those who are looking for the pattern and instructions and who have requested it recently for this summer, I’m condensing the instructions and offering the pattern below.

Watermelons on Gingham Embroidery - Chicken Scratch
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Shisha & Variations: How to Add the Magic of Mirrors (& More) to Your Needlework!

 

I’ve long been enchanted with shisha – or mirror embroidery – and all the fascinating things you can do with it!

There’s a certain magic about embroidery with mirrors. What hooked me on shisha is the spectacular effect of using any kind of tantalizing thread to fix brilliant or colorful objects to fabric. And they don’t have to be mirrors – they can be found objects, buttons, seashells, sea glass, gems, paper, plastic…

Shisha is pretty neat stuff, and it opens up all kinds of possibilities for different types of needlework, whether you’re into surface embroidery, crazy quilting, embroidered clothing, needlepoint, counted work – any type of needlework that lends itself to embellishment!

I’ve compiled a collection of shisha tutorials into a downloadable PDF for you. The techniques range from super simple shisha that takes almost no effort at all but yields stunning results, to traditional shisha, to several stitch and foundation variations that will add all kinds of interest and sparkle to your embroidery projects!

Here’s what you’ll find in the PDF…

Shisha Embroidery Techniques: Mirror Embroidery Stitches
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Embroidery Archeology: Salvaging Ecclesiastical Embroidery

 

I’ve been asked to salvage a couple embroidered figures from a piece of ecclesiastical embroidery.

I said yes, without first having seen the pieces in person…which could have been a mistake. But, hey! I love this kind of work. There’s no set deadline, either, so I don’t feel super pressured about it. My excitement will provide momentum (I hope!), even without a deadline.

Now that the piece has arrived, I’m thrilled about the project – it’ll be interesting, and it will be challenging to pull the whole project off successfully!

I thought I’d share my explorations with you. Along the way, we’ll run into some snags, I’m sure. But we’ll muddle through! And, whether you’re into ecclesiastical embroidery or not, I’m betting we’ll pick up a few tips along the way that can be applied to other types of embroidery, too.

Today, I’ll introduce you to the original embroidery and talk a little bit about it.

Salvaging ecclesiastical embroidery
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How to Stitch a Leafy Border in Chicken Scratch Embroidery on Gingham

 

Gingham lace, chicken scratch, gingham embroidery, snowflake embroidery, Depression lace – whatever you want to call it, embroidery on gingham, using a combination of cross stitches, double cross stitches and laced stitches, is an endearing, easy, cheerful type of needlework!

While it’s often seen worked on 1/4″ gingham or larger, I like working gingham lace in miniature, on 1/8″ gingham. The smaller gingham makes for a more delicate design that looks great on children’s clothing, household goods, and other accessories made out of gingham. Anything we do here, though, can also be worked on 1/4″ gingham or larger – just remember to increase the weight or thickness of the thread, to compensate for the larger stitches.

If you’ve never dabbled in chicken scratch but you want to – after all, summer is a perfect time to sport some gingham for picnics and parties – you’ll find several tutorials and patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread for gingham embroidery.

Today, I’ll show you step-by-step how to work a leafy border in gingham embroidery, that’s perfect for dressing up your chicken scratch with a little color and flair!

How to do Chicken Scratch Embroidery: adding a leafy border
Continue reading “How to Stitch a Leafy Border in Chicken Scratch Embroidery on Gingham”

Beads for Embroidery: Packaging is (Almost) Everything!

 

Have you ever had repeated frustrating experiences with the same needlework-related product and told yourself, I will never use this again?

I have!

Every time I work with these particular things that I’m going to talk about today, I say to myself, Never again!

And then, next thing I know, I’m using them again, because, strangely enough, I do like them!

Let me explain, by way of a very rare rant…

Mill Hill Beads: Packaging Frustrations
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Fun Fabric that Begs to Be Embroidered

 

Yep. This fabric just Begs to be embroidered!

The coloring book craze overflowed into the fabric industry quite a while ago, and although these particular fabrics have been on the market for a bit, I didn’t take the plunge at first.

You can imagine, though, what my first thoughts were when I saw different lines of “coloring book” fabric coming out. Coloring with ink? No, no! Coloring with thread? Oh yes!

Earlier in the spring, when I started thinking towards summer activities for kids, birthday present ideas, and so forth, my mind went back to coloring book fabric.

Have you seen this stuff? What else is a stitcher supposed to do, when faced with fabric like this? Embroidery really is the only option!

Coloring Book Fabric for Embroidery
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Needlework News Snips – Lights, Inspiration, and Action!

 

Good morning, my friends, and a Happy Saturday all around!

Today, a few little news snips for your weekend reading, inspiration, and contemplation. I’m still trying to get my head around a couple of them – they befuddle me, by their sheer artistic genius!

I’ve also got a sweet little deal for Needle ‘n Thread readers, if you’re looking for a good task lamp!

So, a little Saturday morning browse for you – grab your cup of whatever (tea for me!) – and let’s jaunt, shall we?

Needlework News Snips, June 10, 2017
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Hedgehog Handworks: Final Clearance & Closing

 

Earlier this spring, I told you that one my favorite embroidery shops, Hedgehog Handworks, is closing.

Joady is retiring after many, many years of great service in the needlework world. The ‘Hog will be sorely missed!

This week, though Thursday, June 15th, Hedgehog is accepting final orders from their website. Everything is marked down at least 25%, so it’s a good time to get some good deals on their remaining stock of needlework supplies.

Here are some delectable things that are still available at the time of writing this, that are a really good deal and worth considering if you’re in the market for stash building, new threads, and new tools.

August, 2017 update: Hedgehog is closed!

Hedgehog Handworks Closing - Final Sale
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Stem Stitch Tip: Those Tight Little Curls

 

I use a lot of stem stitch when I embroider – primarily, because it’s a pretty stitch, but also because it’s so versatile.

I can use it as a filling, and even as a shaded filling. I can use it for fine lines or heavy lines. I can use it as a foundation for other composite stitches. There are heaps of ways to use the stem stitch!

One of my favorite ways to use the stem stitch is for delicate lines that curl at the tips. Sometimes, though, it can be tricky to get the stem stitch to curl around a tight curve correctly.

So today’s stitch tip is a simple one, and pretty quick! Here’s how to stitch tight little curls with stem stitch. The same principle can be applied to hairpin turns, too, and any tight curves in stem stitch.

Stem Stitch Tip: Tight Curls
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What Stitch Where: 5 Tips for Selecting Embroidery Stitches

 

Have you ever started an embroidery project from scratch, with just a line drawing, and found yourself wondering, “What stitches should I use?”

Whether you’re new to embroidery or you’ve been stitching for a while, chances are, you’ve run into the What Stitch Where dilemma.

Today, I’m going to share five basic tips with you, to help you gain confidence in selecting your own stitches for hand embroidery projects. Down the road a bit, we’ll revisit the topic in much greater detail – let me I’ll explain why…

What Stitch Where? 5 Tips for Choosing Embroidery Stitches
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News Snips: Textiles, Costumes, Needlework Travel & Winners!

 

Happy First Saturday of June! Hard to believe it’s June, isn’t it?

This month marks the 11th anniversary of Needle ‘n Thread! I think I’ll have to do something special for you, come mid-month. Any suggestions?

I’ve had some fun gathering together some needlework news snips for your weekend perusal, and yes, the winners of last week’s silk thread give-away!

This week, it’s a bit o’ this and a bit o’ that. Travel seems to be on my mind lately, so there’s quite a bit on textile or needlework related travel.

Grab a cup of your favorite liquid indulgence – for me, it’s a creamy cup of beaten coffee this morning – and let’s go for a wander!

Needlework News Snips, June 2017
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Confessions of a Disorganized Stitcher

 

I am not a Stitching Saint. Not by a long shot!

I try to be organized. I try to abide by all the good habits that, deep down in my Heart of Hearts, I know would make me a more efficient, and perhaps a better, stitcher.

But, sometimes (ok, let’s be brutally honest here – more often than not!), I fail.

Case in point: thread organization while test stitching on this project.

Confessions of a Disorganized Stitcher - Embroidery Thread Organization Tips
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Silk Embroidery Threads – a Delectable Give-Away!

 

As May draws to a close, and with the three-day holiday weekend ahead (in the States, anyway), methinks it’s a great time for a give-away!

And not just any give-away, mind you! No, no! It has to be great! And what could be better than one that feeds the Inner Thread Junkie in all of us?

Today, courtesy of Needle in a Haystack, three of you will have the opportunity to acquire six brand new spools of gorgeous silk embroidery thread in your choice of colors. It’s a terrific way to add to your thread stash, or, for newbies to silk, to start it!

If you’d like to join in, read on, my friend…

Sajou Fil au Chinois silk perle #30
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Tying Up Loose Ends – A Tale of an Alphabet

 

Once upon a time, long, long ago in a land called Kansas (in fact, last year), a young girl (or old lady – or at least middle aged…ok, 40’s…) who writes an embroidery blog began the epic journey of sharing with her friends some monogram designs from a particular alphabet.

And then she somehow forgot to finish the alphabet.

And apparently, no one could live happily ever after, because none of the loose ends in the fairy tale were tied up.

When I mentioned on Monday that I had a free pattern to share with you this week, I got a couple emails kindly reminding me of the unfinished alphabet.

It’s always nice to end a story neatly, so today, I’m sharing with you the letters U through Z of the Floral Script Alphabet. You can see the style of the alphabet in the photo of the E below.

You’ll find the rest of this monogram alphabet (along with several others) available on my Monogram Patterns index, here.

You can also find the entire alphabet, collected in one spot, along with 15 other complete monogram alphabets, available here in my pattern e-book, Favorite Monograms, which I’m discounting through this weekend to celebrate the end of this particular story!

Floral Script Alphabet Letters U-Z
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Weekend Embroidery: A Touch of Bead

 

Good morning and a Happy Monday all around!

Just a wee update this morning to discuss some weekend stitching. Initially, I called this an experiment, but it worked, so I’m keeping it.

When it comes to surface embroidery, beads are not usually part of my planning process. I like beads. But they’re rarely an integral part of my design process. If they happen, they tend to happen as an afterthought.

But my vision for the design I’m working on right now included a little bit of sparkle and dimension that beads can add to a piece. So I ventured into testing different beads this past weekend.

Beads on an Embroidered Kaleidoscope
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Thread Talk: Sajou’s Fil au Chinois Silk Perle #30 Up Close

 

The thread junkie in me is bubbling to the surface again!

Today, it’s bubbling up to show you a new-to-me silk thread that I’ve had a chance to play with recently. It’s Sajou’s Fil Au Chinois silk perle #30, and it’s… lovely. Deep Sigh.

Well, it’s silk – so what can I say?

I can’t resist trying new-to-me threads, examining them closely and seeing what they’re all about. I got these particular threads from Needle in a Haystack, where they’re newly listed on their website here.

If you’re a crazy quilter, a needlepointer, a cross stitcher, or a surface embroiderer, you’ll find plenty of good uses for a silk thread like this. It’s the kind of thread that’s hard to resist. It’s got a great sheen, it feels good, and, with a few little technical tips, it stitches up beautifully!

Let’s take a close look at it!

Sajou Fil Au Chinois #30 silk embroidery thread
Continue reading “Thread Talk: Sajou’s Fil au Chinois Silk Perle #30 Up Close”

Picking out Stitching: The Fabric Difference

 

It’s inevitable. Un-stitching, or picking out stitches, happens to all of us!

And while it can be, initially, a disheartening proposition to have to rip out embroidery stitches, it really is not such a bad thing. I always look at a mistake or a change of mind as a learning experience. And I always go into any embroidery project knowing that I’ll probably have to pick at least some stitches out. Once you realize this, mistakes or mind-changes don’t loom like dark mountains – they just become part of the whole process.

One thing that can drastically effect my attitude towards having to pick out stitches is the fabric I’m stitching on. This topic fits into the whole discussion we’ve been having about linen for hand embroidery lately.

Today, in an effort to justify my obsession with good linen, I’d like to show you one significant difference in types of fabric that you might choose for hand embroidery. It becomes very noticeable when you have to pick out stitches!

linen vs cotton for hand embroidery
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Monday Needlework Inspiration – Stumpwork!

 

Good morning, and a Happy Monday all around!

Today, I want to share a little stitching inspiration with you, to give you an idea of what you can do with the free embroidery patterns available here on Needle ‘n Thread!

This particular piece comes by way of Peggy Kimball, who stitched up her interpretation of the embroidery design I shared with you here, using surface embroidery and stumpwork techniques.

I think it came out great!!

Free Embroidery Pattern as Stumpwork Flowers
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Needlework News Snips & Goldwork Book Winner!

 

Joy, bliss! It’s Saturday! And the weekend is upon us!

It was a busy week behind the scenes here at Needle ‘n Thread. I managed to get a few projects sorted, I’ve gotten a heap of computer work done, and doggonit, I’m glad it’s the weekend!

After my kerfuffle with the linen I showed you yesterday, I tested a couple different fabrics. I’ll share those tests with you down the road.

For the sheer fun of it, I set up a new embroidery project – the full version of the design you saw in yesterday’s article. This time, it’s on crisp white linen, and not for a tote bag. I really like the design and I’m eager to stitch out the concept for it that’s floating around in my head. So I’m looking forward to the first stitches on that this weekend.

Today, I have some fun embroidery-related newsy bits to keep you entertained through the weekend. And I’m going to announce the winner of the Beginner’s Guide to Goldwork give-away, too.

So, grab yourself a cup of your favorite morning brew, and let’s kick back and browse a bit together, shall we?

Needlework News Snips, May 2017
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Stop Stitching! What’s Your Time Worth?

 

I don’t really want you to stop stitching! No, no! Never that!

The title above is what I finally had to say to myself the other day. I knew I was wasting my time from the very start of the project. I knew it before I put design to fabric, fabric in hoop, thread in needle, or stitch on design.

I knew it, and yet I persisted. But I finally reached a point when I had to tell myself, “Stop!

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have some inflated value of what my own time is worth. How we value our time depends on so many different circumstances, and normally, we (or at least I) don’t consider the “value” of time when I’m getting a lot of pleasure from stitching, no matter what kind of stitching it is, how good it’s turning out, or what it’s intended for.

But there comes a point!

For me, it’s that point when I know the thing I’m working on is not going to turn out how I want it to; when I know that, no matter what I do to it, it won’t work! And once I know that, there’s no point in going forward.

Stitching on yucky linen
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Stella Two – You Little Beauty!

 

I think I’m becoming a light junkie.

I have a number of lights that I work under, depending on stitching circumstances.

I’m firmly convinced that – aside from your needle, thread, and fabric – lighting is the most important consideration when it comes to doing detailed needlework.

What it boils down to is this: you just can’t stitch in the dark!

And the better your lighting, the more accurate and successful your stitching.

So, yep, I’m a light junkie!

I have several lights to stitch by. Some are floor lamps out in my workroom. They hang over my table. Some are little book lights that come in handy in a pinch, especially when stuck in the car, commuting, traveling. I have a couple average task lamps I can use when other people are stitching with me, so that they have task lighting if they need it. I have my magnifier and light combo for extra-fine, tiny stitching. I have one pretty lousy battery operated task lamp that I can take with me if I need to. And I have a sunny front porch that works great this time of year!

But now…. now I have a Stella Two, thanks oodles to the folks at Stella Lighting! They didn’t ask me to, but I’m going to review this particular light for you, because I think it’s worth knowing about if you’re in the market for a task lamp.

Stella Two Task Lamp review - needlenthread.com
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Finish! Embroidered Prayer Book Cover

 

Gotta love these last minute, I-put-it-off-too-long embroidery projects! If nothing else, the finish is always a relief!

With an hour to spare on Sunday morning, I put the last stitches in this embroidered prayer book cover for my niece’s First Communion, slid the thing in a plastic bag (who needs gift wrap?) and hustled it off to the happy recipient!

So here’s a recap on the project, materials and techniques, in case you want to duplicate something similar. I suggest perhaps allowing a little more time, so you’re not hustling at the last minute!

Embroidered Prayer Book / Bible Cover
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Embroidered Book Cover: Set Up & Progress

 

Last week, I shared this embroidery design with you, that I’m using to embellish a cover for a First Communion prayer book for my niece.

Her First Communion is on Sunday, as a matter of fact, so this is a bit of a rush job. I’m still not sure if I can have it finished on time. But I’m not ready to give up yet!

Today, I’ll show you the beginnings, talk a bit about choices for stitches and whatnot, discuss a few details you have to pay attention to on this type of project, and tell you about flipping.

Yes.

Flipping.

Embroidered prayer book cover for First Communion
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Exploring Linen: Origin, Quality, & Uses

 

Last month, we chatted about plain weave and even weave linen for hand embroidery, and that discussion sparked some interesting questions that flowed in via e-mail concerning linen in general.

One reader asked how to tell “good” linen for hand embroidery projects. Another asked about buying linen from online fabric outlets, and there were several questions about garment linen and other types of linen available on the market.

Today, I’d like to chat about these questions in a general way, and further down the road (if there’s interest!), we can discuss the particulars.

Exploring Linen: Origin, Quality & Uses
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The Rehabilitative Effects of Needlework

 

Well, I promised you some weekend needlework reading, but alas, I didn’t have a chance to cull out a good list of articles and interesting things from around the web to share with you!

Still, there’s one article from The Guardian that, under the circumstances, I think is definitely worth reading, so I’ll share that with you today, and, for those who want to read it, a short personal update!

Rehabilitative Effects of Needlework
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Raised Embroidery – Techniques, Projects, Pure Inspiration

 

Time for a thorough review of an upcoming book – the newest in the Techniques, Projects, and Pure Inspiration series from the Royal School of Needlework and published by Search Press.

Ever since Appliqué: Techniques, Projects & Pure Inspiration – the first book of the series – came out last year, I’ve been looking forward to this one!

So, come along – let’s explore the ins and outs of Raised Embroidery: Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspiration by Kelley Aldridge.

Raised Embroidery: Techniques, Projects, Pure Inspiration - Book Review
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First Communion Embroidery Design

 

Today, I was going to talk to you about linen. Heaps of linen! But I’ll have to put that off until later this week. I have a funny story to tell you about my recent experiences with linen – and a very good lesson to learn – so we’ll be discussing that in depth shortly.

(That is, if the muses of all things electronic cooperate with me!)

But since those particular muses are being downright belligerent at the moment, this morning, I’ll share with you the pattern for my most recent stitching adventure, which has only just begun.

For those of you who’ve been hanging out here a while with me, it won’t surprise you that I’m doing one of those last-minute, I’ve-procrastinated-too-long, what!-it’s-next-week?!? embroidery projects.

First Communion Embroidery Design
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Can You Embroider Anything?

 

Last week, my sister from Pennsylvania showed up for our family reunion, toting along a little sample project she whipped up.

It brought to mind a discussion I recently had with Gary & Christine on FiberTalk, about embroidering anything.

The question arose: when do you draw the line on whether or not to call something embroidery. Can you embroider anything, and still call it embroidery?

Since I’m a sucker for all things embroidery, I tend to learn towards yes, you can. I’d probably draw the line, though, when it leads to a confusion of concepts.

In this particular case, there’s no confusion. This is obviously embroidery, and this little example serves to demonstrate that you can definitely embroider unconventional things!

Embroidery on wood - Christmas ornament
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Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter!

I just wanted to pop in to spread a little Easter cheer and wish you and yours a joyful day!

I’ll also share some spring stitching ideas, for those who are moving into spring – which has been rather slow in developing this year, but it looks like it’s finally here to stay (in Kansas, anyway!).

Happy Easter!
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Old Pattern Folios & a Free Design

 

If you’ve been hanging about a bit on Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you probably know that ecclesiastical embroidery is kind of a Thing of mine. It’s what originally pulled me into taking embroidery seriously as an art and led me into learning different techniques.

Ever since my first infatuation with ecclesiastical embroidery – especially historical examples of it – I’ve been collecting old embroideries and old pattern folios.

I think the pattern folios are pretty fascinating! They’re large envelopes or board covers (often tied together with ribbon) filled with massive fold-out sheets of patterns.

The patterns themselves are ingeniously arranged, so that there’s no wasted space in the printing. Often, when patterns are meant to be repeated or substitutions can be made, letters and lines indicate the connections and suitable substitutions. Looking at these old pattern pages – and using them! – is kind of like putting together a puzzle.

Today, I’ll show you some examples of typical pattern pages and how the designer gets as much use out of space as possible. We’ll also talk a little bit about symbolism, and I’ll share a pattern from an old portfolio that’s cleaned up and user-friendly.

Ecclesiastical Embroidery Pattern Folios
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Hand Embroidery Tips: Thread Taming & Organizing

 

Whether you’re new to embroidery or you’ve been stitching a while, you either have, or will – inevitably – run into certain frustrations with thread!

Now, if you’re a thread junkie, chances are, you’ll try a lot of different threads in your needlework explorations. Your experience, good or bad, will determine whether or not you ever use that thread again.

Unfortunately, a bad experience can often turn us off a good thread.

Over the years, I’ve written many articles about hand embroidery threads, with heaps of tips that can improve your experience with them, especially with those that are troublesome in one way or another.

Funny thing is, even the most basic hand embroidery threads have their annoying aspects. Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid the annoyances and just revel in the pleasure of threads!

Hand Embroidery Tips - Thread Taming & Organizing
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When it Goes Amuck – And What to Do About It

 

Do you ever have one of those stitching sessions (or two…or three…or ten) when everything seems to go amuck?

I recently had several of those stitching sessions.

And they got me thinking that I’m probably not the only one in the world who experiences less-than-satisfactory bouts of stitching now and then.

So I thought I’d tell you about mine and the way I handle them. These particular two may not seem like a big deal, but we’ll talk about that, too!

And, as a bonus (I use the term loosely), you’ll be getting a sneak peek of some spring critters that are in the works for a couple projects!

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Fabric for Embroidery: Plain Weave vs. Even Weave

 

Good morning and a Happy Friday all around!

When it comes to hand embroidery, probably the Most Important consideration for any project is the fabric that you plan to stitch on.

It seems strange to say that the fabric is more important than, say, the design you plan to stitch. Or more important even than the threads you plan to use.

But to help clarify my assertion, think about it: without something to embroidery on, there’s really no point to embroidery at all!

So let’s have a little chat about fabric, and more specifically, about fabric that is used widely in the needlework world – specifically, linen, and more specifically, even-weave and plain-weave linen and the differences between them.

fabric for embroidery: plain weave vs even weave
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Embroidery Transfer Ideas with Copper Stencils

 

Last week, we looked at these beautiful copper sheet stencils that were used back in the day to transfer initials to household items for embroidering.

I played around with some ready-at-hand transfer mediums (also known as pens and pencils!) that I thought might work with the stencils. Today, I’ll show you those, including the one I settled on that worked well for transferring the letters in preparation for some simple embroidery.

I still want to fiddle about with other transfer ideas. There are two in particular I’d like to experiment with, but I haven’t gotten around to pulling out the mess yet!

In the meantime, though, here’s what I did with the stencils and some pens and pencils.

Transferring monogram stencils to fabric using pens and pencils
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FiberTalk – it’s a Fun Chat!

 

Last week, I chalked up a new experience!

In the evening hours on Tuesday, I went out to my workroom, cleared some space on the table amongst an ever-growing pile embroidery threads and current stitching projects, and set up a laptop with a mic and some headphones.

Then, I connected via Skype with Gary Parr and Christine Williams of FiberTalk, a podcast for fiber art hobbyists, to enjoy an hour and a half of spontaneous conversation about stitching and such.

FiberTalk podcast for fiber artists
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Silk Hand Embroidery Thread 101: Flat Silk

 

Recently, we’ve been talking about using silk thread for hand embroidery. My hope is that this short series of articles will help encourage stitchers to give silk a try (if you haven’t already tried it, or you’re intimidated by it), or to encourage you to try different types of silk embroidery threads.

First, we discussed getting started with silk thread, focusing on stranded, spun silk, which behaves much the same way as stranded cotton, with the advantage of having a nicer luster, a softer “spread” and a natural sheen.

Then, we looked at filament silks, particularly twisted filament silk. In that article, we discussed what filament silk is (compared to spun silk), I provided some links to tips on how to stitch with it and to some examples of embroidery worked with filament silk, and we discussed brands and resources.

Today, we’re going to talk about flat silk, which is untwisted (or so barely twisted you can’t see the twist) filament silk.

We’ll discuss what it is and what it’s like to stitch with, I’ll refer you to some examples of embroidery worked with it, you can peruse a list of articles for further explorations, and I’ll give you a list of resources in case you want to jump into embroidering with flat silk!

Silk Hand Embroidery Thread: Filament Silk
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Copper Sheet Stencils for Embroidered Monograms

 

Howdy ho, and a happy Wednesday!

Let’s talk antiques!

Way back in the Victorian era and through the early 20th century, embroidering initials on clothing (especially one’s intimate wear) and on household linens was a common practice.

While the embroidered monograms could be elaborate and highly decorative – in which cases, they might be worked in prominent places on household linens where they could be seen – embroidered monograms served a much more mundane purpose. They were simply laundry markings.

A young lady would commonly mark her trousseau of under clothing, intimate apparel and the linens that she would bring to her new household with hand stitched initials. When laundered (as laundry was often “sent out”), her linens would make it back to her own closets.

Once betrothed, the initials could be more particular – the new household linens could include her spouse’s initial as well.

Copper monogram stencils for hand embroidery
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Bye-Bye, Hedgehog! Where to Find Fine Embroidery Supplies

 

A quick note before today’s article: Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28, Needle ‘n Thread will be undergoing some scheduled server maintenance. For about an hour in the afternoon (central time), the site will be offline. So if you visit and I’m not here, never fear – I’ll be back!

My friends, my friends. By now, many of you have probably heard that Hedgehog Handworks is going out of business.

While I’m selfishly sad for myself, I’m very happy for Joady, the owner of “The ‘Hog,” who has, for decades, supplied us with fine hand embroidery goods, from fabric, to thread, to books, to tools… oh my. She is retiring to enjoy life a bit, after years of dedication to the embroidery industry. And I think that’s wonderful news for her!

Hedgehog Handworks Closing
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Silk Hand Embroidery Thread 101: Twisted Filament Silk

 

The other day, in an attempt to make you more comfortable with the idea of using silk thread for embroidery, we chatted about hand embroidery thread made from spun silk.

When it comes to the stitching experience, spun silk is very similar in many ways to stranded cotton embroidery floss, so it makes a great thread for beginners to start using silk.

But there’s another type of silk fiber that’s made into embroidery thread, called filament silk. Today, we’re going to talk about twisted filament silk, and then, down the road, we’ll chat about flat filament silk.

When compared to spun silk, filament silk provides a slightly different stitching experience. But the experience is not the only thing that’s different about filament silk – so let’s take some time to explore the stuff!

Silk Hand Embroidery Thread: Filament Silk
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Making Time for Embroidery

 

We’ve chatted a bit, off and on, about the organization of embroidery projects, embroidery supplies, embroidery books…

And while these aspects of embroidery are important, the most precious commodity relating to your needlework – or to any hobby at all – is your time.

We often talk about “making time” for embroidery. But making time is a funny phrase, isn’t it?

As we all know, time can’t be made. So, in our busy 21st century lives, how can we make time for embroidery or any hobby?

Many readers have asked me (repeatedly) to tackle the subject of making time to embroider. They want to stitch, but it just seems like there’s never time to really get into stitching enough to enjoy it, to develop a rhythm, to see good progress, to hone skills, or to explore techniques.

So today, let’s chat about time tips. I’ll share some practices that I employ to save or make time. And then I’ll ask you to chime in with what works for you when it comes to time management and stitching. Hopefully, with a group effort, we can help those who are struggling to find time stitch.

Making Time for Embroidery
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Silk Hand Embroidery Thread 101: Getting Started with Silk

 

Lately, I’ve felt a deep, urgent need to talk to you about silk embroidery thread!

One reason for this is because I’m working on a couple projects that involve silk, so silk is on my mind.

And the other reason is because I’ve received some questions lately about silk embroidery thread, particularly from beginners who want to try it but are afraid of it.

I’m here to tell you, to assure you, to promise you – there’s nothing to be afraid of! The key is knowing what you’re working with and how to work with it.

So today, we’ll start simple, with an introduction to silk hand embroidery threads, focusing on the easiest silk thread to use, to transition into this luxurious fiber that outshines all other fibers!

Silk Hand Embroidery Thread - the Basics
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Stitch Fail! On Beaded Clumps

 

How about a variation on a theme? Instead of Stitch Fun!, let’s go with Stitch Fail!

I love the Stitch Fun! series here on Needle ‘n Thread, because I love exploring stitches. But sometimes, what I envision with a stitch or a combination of stitches doesn’t always materialize the way I envision it.

That’s part of the fun of playing with stitches – you can end up with some very exciting results, some happy discoveries, some satisfactory conclusions.

Or you can end up with a Stitch Fail – and, you know, that’s not always a bad thing!

That’s pretty much what today’s tutorial is all about. I’ll tell you about my original intention with this stitch experiment, talk about what actually happened and why, discuss ways you could use the flop anyway, and mull over alternatives to what I was vaguely trying to achieve.

Embroidery Stitch: Beaded Clump!
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Vintage Embroidery Patterns: The Wonder Package

 

I love old hand embroidery patterns! Love ’em, love ’em, love ’em!

Ever since I got ahold of my first old embroidery pattern portfolio some eons ago, I’ve collected them like a fiend.

And apparently Pat, one of our stitching cohorts who follows along here on Needle ‘n Thread, knows this, because she recently sent me a surprise package.

And who doesn’t like surprises?

And who doesn’t like packages?

So, combine surprise, package, and old embroidery patterns, and hey! I’m in heaven!

So here’s the pattern portfolio – it’s quite a doozy and there are some really good ones in here that would be fun to interpret into all kinds of different embroidery techniques. At the end of the article, I’ll share one of the patterns with you as a PDF, so that you can download it and play with it, too!

The Wonder Package Vintage Hand Embroidery Patterns
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56-Count: The Peacock, Colors, and Craft Foam

 

Let’s start the week off with a little bit of progress from some weekend bouts of stitching!

Besides, it’s Monday, and a big splash of color is good for the soul on a Monday morning!

For those of you just joining in, this projects is a Miniature Tree of Life tapestry designed by Natalia Frank and worked on 56-count silk gauze. You can read all about the project itself here in my kit review, and how I set it up here, if you want additional background information.

Over the weekend, I finished everything but the background on the peacock panel, which I introduced you to here.

Peacock Panel, Miniature Tree of Life tapestry embroidery
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Needlework News Snips and The Frame Winner

 

Before we all head out to pour ourselves into weekend projects, how about a chat?

Today, I want to share with you some needlework-related snippets I’ve come across lately online – bits that I’ve found inspiring, instructive, or entertaining. I’ll also announce the winner of the slate frame give-away from last week.

So pour yourself a cup, pull up a chair, and let’s browse together!

Needlework News Snips, March, 2017
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Colour Confident Stitching – A Gem!

 

Why, good morning! And a happy Friday to you!

Oh, golly! It’s That Dreadful Weekend. That One Dreadful Weekend of the Year that rankles me to the core of my being!

You know what weekend it is, don’t you?

Daylight Savings Time goes into effect.

Woe is me! Why do we do it?!

To get you through this abhorrent, nefarious, detestable, and downright dastardly custom of changing to Daylight Savings Time, I want to tell you about a book that makes me happy through and through. I think it might make you happy, too!

The book is called Colour Confident Stitching by Karen Barbé. It’s…. it’s good. In fact, it’s Really Good.

If you have ever struggled with choosing colors for an embroidery project, this book is for you! I’ll tell you about the book and along the way, I’ll make some brief comparisons with Colour Confidence in Embroidery by Trish Burr, which I reviewed here, for those of you who already have that book, or are deciding between the two books.

Colour Confident Stitching - Book Review
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Stitch Fun! Lacy Buttonhole Wheel Eyelet

 

It’s been a while since we’ve worked through a Stitch Fun! tutorial here on Needle ‘n Thread, but I’ve been experimenting and playing with embroidery stitches lately, so I thought I better start sharing some of those results with you!

For those who are relatively new to Needle ‘n Thread, Stitch Fun! is a series of embroidery stitch tutorials that explore unusual or just plain fun embroidery stitches and combinations of stitches. You can find a whole list of Stitch Fun! tutorials right here.

The point of the series is to have a little fun with your stitches. After all, it’s not unusual to get stuck in a rut with embroidery. Not a bad rut, mind you – but sometimes, we gravitate towards our favorite stitches, using them over and over again, and we tend to forget to let loose once in a while and try something different!

Those of you who are following along with a Year of Stitches – the year-long stitch exploration project I mentioned in this article – you’ll find lots of ideas for your embroidery in the Stitch Fun! series.

Stitch Fun! Lacy Buttonhole Wheel Eyelet
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56 Count: Turning the Corner & Keeping Things Straight

 

Happy Monday, from a windy, springish Kansas!

We’re going to hop back to gridded work today! After finishing Modern Crewel, I took a good chunk of time to set up a couple of my own projects last week and to make a wee bit of headway on them. (I love it when that happens!)

But when it comes to a quick-stitch-fix, a project that I can work on in 15 to 30 minute bursts when I have a little down time, it’s this 56-count silk gauze Tree of Life project that I turn to.

The last time we looked at the project, we chatted about the lower panel and thread re-organization. Today, I’ll show you a turn on the corner, we’ll talk about lining up the whole frame layout and my cheater method of double-checking my counting, and finally discuss working a project like this with the frame turned, to make the stitching area easier to see and reach.

Miniature Tree of Life Tapestry in petit point on 56-count silk gauze
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Beautiful & Functional – A Slate Frame & a Give-Away!

 

Ahhhhh. Two momentous things for you today!

Wait… make that three! It’s a banner day!

First, I want to introduce you to a new (and beautiful, and functional, and strong, and light – and a little bit different) slate frame that’s on the market.

And then, to spread the joy a bit, we’ll have a give-away! Because I know you want one, too!

And mixed in with it all, you’ll get a sneak peek at a new project that’s been simmering on the back burner.

Update, 2019: At this point in time, I’m cautioning folks about purchasing from Mythic Crafts. After a very successful crowd-funding campaign in January of 2018, many of the backers have still not received their goods from backing that campaign. I hope that Mythic Crafts is able to fulfill the orders made during the crowdfunding campaign, but until they do, I don’t recommend ordering from the company’s website.

Update, July 2019: Mythic Crafts is out of business.

Slate Frame for Hand Embroidery
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February Finish – Modern Crewel! & Books Winner!

 

I love meeting a deadline – even if it’s just a self-imposed one.

In fact, I’m not very good at meeting self-imposed deadlines, so it’s always really exciting when it happens. My goal was to finish Modern Crewel by the end of February, and at 9:36 last night, I put the last stitch in.

I loved working this project! I think it’s a gorgeous, fun, and instructive project, accessible to all levels of embroiderers from determined beginner onwards.

Below, I’ll show you the changes I made in the embroidery on the hillocks, list all the articles pertaining to this project, and announce the winner of the three A-Z embroidery books from last week’s give-away!

Modern Crewel Embroidery Design, Finished
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Modern Crewel – Close to Finished & Handling Shortages

 

Happy Monday!

Let’s start the week with progress on Modern Crewelthis kit that I reviewed here.

For those who have written asking for a pattern and materials list, you’ll find it in Inspirations Magazine issue 90, which you can order here in print form or here in digital form, if you don’t already subscribe to the magazine. Inspirations also offers a materials kit here.

I’m two steps away from finished on this project, and I’ve run into two snags in the form of materials shortage in the kit. So here’s my weekend progress and a little chat about how to overcome a materials shortage in a kit when the materials are not easily had.

Modern Crewel: embroidery project progress
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National Embroidery Month Book Give-Away!

 

Well, I haven’t said a lot here on Needle ‘n Thread about National Embroidery Month.

Yes, February is National Embroidery Month! Yay!

The thing is, I don’t really get into the generic naming of months or days for the awareness of things. Like “World Nutella Day.” What does that mean? Are people supposed to eat more Nutella that day than any other day of the year? Or are they just supposed to be aware that Nutella exists? I already struggle with the fact that Nutella exists! I don’t need to be reminded!

Does it really matter that November 6th is National Basketball Day? Or that March 1st is National Pig Day? Or that May 4th is Star Wars Day? If more people knew that January 23rd is Handwriting Day, do you think they’d have better penmanship?

And, really. Do you want the world to celebrate National Naked Day?

If I tried really hard, I could probably elaborate many reasons why I don’t get into these kinds of things. Among them, I might mention their arbitrariness, their (often) superficiality, their lack (in most cases) of clear foundation or reason for existence (Count your Buttons Day? National Absurdity Day? Tell a Lie Day? My mind boggles!), and, when it comes to things, the little inkling that they smack of marketing ploys. I bet more Nutella is sold at the beginning of February than any other time of the year.

And while I can get behind the notion of a more intensely embroidery-focused day or month, the fact is, every month is National Embroidery Month in my mind. I’m always asking myself how we can make others more aware of the art of embroidery, how we can pass the art on, how we can preserve it, enhance it, spread it, explore it…

Still, all that said…. ok! I’ll bite! It’s National Embroidery Month, after all! And to celebrate it – as it draws to a close – let’s have a give-away!

A-Z Embroidery Books give-away
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Modern Crewel – Tips on Twists & Needles

 

Ah, Embroidery Project Rotation! It can drive you nuts or keep you sane, depending on how you look at it!

These days, I have several embroidery projects going, and I work them in a kind of rotation schedule. I showed you earlier this year how I organize multiple embroidery projects at once. And as the year ticks along, things are working out ok with all of them, although, admittedly, some projects are getting more attention than others.

We’ll chat later on about the pros and cons of working many projects in rotation (and I’ll show you a couple more that I’ve added into the mix), but today, I want to update you on Modern Crewel, this project kit that I reviewed here, featured in Inspirations Magazine issue 90.

There are two tips I want to share that surfaced while I was stitching along the other day. I think they’re worth knowing, whether you’re working this kit or not!

Modern Crewel - Surface embroidery project progress
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Dillmont Rose #2

 

Happy Monday!

To get your creative juices flowing for the week, here’s a cleaned up version of another Therese Dillmont design! This one is similar in some ways (we’ll talk about those below) to the Dillmont Rose I shared with you a few weeks ago, though a little simpler.

The design was originally intended as an embroidery design. It is from Dillmont book on Colbert embroidery, which you can read about here. It would also make a wonderful design for quilting and for crafts like paper crafts and card making.

Let’s chat a little bit about Colbert embroidery, to clarify some ways this design could be used for that style of needlework.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Dillmont Rose #2
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Beginner’s Guide to Goldwork – New Edition!

 

Oh dear.

I promise this isn’t shameless self-promotion here. There’s nothing about this book that has to do with me, except for the fact that I love the book…and the fact that my name is on the cover.

There’s a new edition to Beginner’s Guide to Goldwork by Ruth Chamberlin out. I wrote the foreward. Why? Because I love the book!

I reviewed Beginner’s Guide to Goldwork a long time ago, way back in 2007. It became hard to find for a while, and now it’s been re-issued – a great boon to embroiderers everywhere, because now the book is widely available again, and affordably so!

There are many reasons why this book nestles deep within the cockles of my heart, but there’s one reason in particular. I’ll share that with you today, because if you’re anything like me when it comes to your embroidery journey, you’ll understand!

Beginner's Guide to Goldwork
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5 Braid-Like Embroidery Stitches for Textured, Bold Lines

 

Sometimes, there’s nothing better on a piece of embroidery than a bold, textured line!

A bold line draws the eye, and texture keeps the eye glued. Often, in embroidery, you want the eye drawn to a specific area. And once it’s drawn there, the texture of a nice, chunky braid-like line can engross the viewer.

Braid-like lines – bold or delicate – can be used effectively in hand embroidery in a number of ways. They make great outlines, they’re terrific for stems and tendrils, they can stand on their own for lettering. On samplers and such, they add texture and interest. So it’s always good to have a nice arsenal of braid-like line stitches in your stitching repertoire.

Here are my five favorites, with links to tutorials so that you can try them on your own stitching projects!

Embroidery Stitches, Braided, for texture and bold lines
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Would You Bee Mine? Playing with Monograms!

 

Oooooooh! I’ve been playing with monograms again!

You know what I love about embroidered monograms? I love the fact that they are self-contained projects that don’t take very long to work up into their finished glory. They can be stitched on practically anything textile-related, and voilá – you have a Finished Thing!

Fairly simple monograms – like the ones I’ll show you today – can be whipped up in no time. A weekend of intermittent stitching will easily get you to the finish line!

With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I thought I’d share a glimpse of the two latest letter styles I’ve been playing with. Admittedly, there’s a bit of sugar shock going on here, but…now and then…we all need a little something sweet in our lives, don’t we?

Heart Monogram B - Hand Embroidery on Needle 'n Thread
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Finding the Illustrator Behind the Loreto Embroideries

 

Today, I want to take you on a little exploratory excursion into the art and illustration behind a famous collection of embroidered panels. Being rather the curious sort, I tend to fall into little rabbit holes when I start exploring, and sometimes, the results can be rather serendipitous!

In 2015 and 2016, the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) made their collection of ecclesiastical embroideries available to public view through the exhibit For Worship and Glory.

If you were fortunate enough to see the exhibit in person, lucky you! For those of us who weren’t, the catalog of the exhibit is still available here through the Royal School of Needlework.

It’s a beautiful catalog, and worth adding to your collection if you are keen on ecclesiastical or historical embroidery. It covers many items in the exhibit, besides the Loreto embroideries.

For Worship & Glory - RSN ecclesiastical needlework exhibit catalog
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Whitework with Colour – Book Review!

 

Seems like a bit of an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Whitework with color?

Whitework with Colour is Trish Burr’s latest embroidery book – and it’s a doozy! It’s a hard-cover, large project and instructional book that incorporates techniques that normally would be seen in whitework (as in, white-on-white embroidery), but that, in her book, are worked in a combination of whitework threads and colored threads, employing many surface embroidery techniques that are often seen in whitework.

So, while technically, Whitework with Colour does not concentrate on whitework per se, the techniques, materials, and approaches to the actually stitching are reminiscent of whitework. Trish’s ingenious incorporation of color brings to life the varied and vivid embroidery projects in the book.

Let’s take a look at the book in detail, shall we?

Whitework with Color by Trish Burr
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Colorful Threads, Spring Inspiration

 

Monday.

It’s a word that strikes dismay in many people’s hearts.

If you’re languishing with the winter blues, or just disappointed it’s Monday, this should cheer you up!

This is a group of embroidery threads that I plan to incorporate in a spring-ish design that I’ve been fiddling with for years and have never gotten around to stitching. And by years, I can tell you exactly when I first doodled the first drawing – it was March 23, 2013. That was almost four years ago!

Finally, I’m going to stitch it. And these are some of the bright and springy colors I’ll be using…just to whet your appetite, you know!

Overdyed Embroidery Floss, Spring Colors
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56 Count: Stumbling through Some Strategies for Stitching

 

Happy Friday, friends! Today it’s all about stitching progress and a few discoveries along the way.

Earlier in January, we looked a stitching project that’s in my project rotation for 2017. It’s this miniature Tree of Life tapestry kit designed by Natalia Frank.

The piece is worked on 56 count silk gauze, using silk threads – some 89 glorious colors of silk!

I showed you how I set the project up here, and today, I’ll show you progress on it and chat about getting my “stitching legs” on this one. I think it took me a lot longer than it takes most people to get their sea legs!

As I started the piece, cheerfully making mistakes along the way, I slowly mapped out a sensible strategy for stitching it that would reduce the chance of my making future similar mistakes. I also decided to take a different approach with thread organization. And I applied some of the typical stitching strategies that I use, no matter what project I’m working on.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Miniature Tree of Life - Progress & Tips
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Keeping it Simple: On Hand Embroidery Needles

 

I’ve written a lot about hand embroidery needles here on Needle ‘n Thread. After all, when it comes to embroidery, the needle plays a fairly prominent roll in the art. Without a needle, where would we be?

In past articles on the subject, I’ve covered lots of ground about all different types of needles. For those who want to know more about embroidery needles, you’ll find a nice list for further reading at the end of this article.

You’ll also find a link to a PDF you can download onto your computer for future reference on needles in general, thanks to the John James needle company.

But today’s article is all about simplicity. I get a lot of inquiries about what needles (type and size) to use for standard surface embroidery. For the sake of newbies and experienced embroiderers alike, I’m going to give a fairly simple answer to this question.

Think of this as a starting point (no pun intended…) or even an ending point.

I’ll explain…

The Basic Hand Embroidery Needles
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