When I was finishing up my miniature embroidery piece a while ago, I ran into a little dilemma. The piece called for beads speckled here and there on the original design. I was going to sew some on... but...

... I forgot that the miniature embroidery piece was so much smaller than the original design was intended to be! The beads called for were Mill Hill Petites, which are size 15/0. They're relatively small, but they look huge on a miniature piece.

Not knowing too much about sizes of beads (I've not done a lot of bead embroidery - just used them as embellishments here and there...), I wrote off the beads entirely.

One day, though, I was perusing Robin Atkin's site, Beadlust, where you can see some drop-dead-gorgeous examples of bead embroidery. I left a comment mentioning my lack of teeny tiny beads, and Susan Elliott of Plays with Needles kindly responded and recommended Beadcats, an online bead store that features vintage beads that are ... well... tinier than I ever thought beads could be!

Look. I am a downright weird-o when it comes to embroidery supplies. I was on a kick of sorts. I felt I lacked beads, that beads were something suddenly essential to any embroidery that I was ever to do again in my life, and that I had to have beads. Beads! LOTS of beads.

And now I have exactly that - lots of beads.



The sizes range from 16/0 - 24/0. Remember that Mill Hill Petites are 15/0. The higher the number, by the way, the smaller the bead (like needles... and wire).

Not knowing much about beads - that they are actually classified beyond just color, in jolly categories such as "greasy" or something to that effect - I felt obliged to try all different types and descriptions. Greasy beads, by the way, look eerily greasy. And little bags of teeny tiny black beads look eerily like tiny caviar. Opening the package and exploring the beads was an interesting experience!

But what amazed me, and what I want to get across to you, is the size of these beads. Mill Hill Petites, the common "little" seed bead you can buy at any bead-carrying craft store, hasn't got anything on these when it comes to being "petite"!



It's really hard to get across sizes online. In the photo above, the metallic pink bead looks remarkably large, and yet it is a 15/0 Mill Hill Petite. The blue is a 16/0 vintage bead. The black is a 23/0 vintage bead.

That black bead can get lost under your fingernail. It could be mistaken for a speck on a table. A speck of something really small, that is. Horton Hears a Who comes to mind here!



The black bead practically fits in the hole of the Mill Hill Petite. I'm pretty sure it would've fit, with a little manipulation.



Guess what? It was really hard to stack those little guys up and get them to stay put. They had some sort of serious static charge running through them that made them want to dance around a bit!

Anyway, that was my adventure with teeny tiny itsy bitsy super-dee-duper small beads. Have I actually done anything with them yet? No. I'm not exactly sure what one does with such things that small. But I am sure they have a purpose, or they would have never been made! I look forward to the discovery of that purpose some day. I suppose I better do it while I'm still in my 30's... or my eyes may revolt!

Do you embroider or embellish with beads? If so, have you ever used beads in sizes 16/0 - 24/0? What do you use them for? Can you recommend any books? Can you recommend any websites with photos and ideas? I'd love to hear something about these intriguing tiny things!

Labels: beads, embellishments, embroidery resources, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, March 26, 2009
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Today, I was going to tell you about embroidery scissors. Good embroidery scissors. (Did I ever tell you how much I love embroidery scissors?) But I'll save that for tomorrow. Today, you get Pictures!! Actually, I was flipping through some of my photos from the goldwork / quilt square project, and I started thinking I may as well show some with "real" seam treatments.

I've gotten a bunch of e-mails - thank you! - from crazy quilters who have said not to worry about not crossing over all the seams, and that often, only one half of a seam is treated, when lace or ribbon is used, etc. Thanks for your encouragement! As one pro crazy quilter commented, "Crossing the seams is not what typifies crazy quilting anymore. Unique and beautiful embellishment is!" Well, the truth is, I wasn't really kicking myself too much over it! I did cross some seams...



Here's a herringbone stitch worked in green Trebizond over the seam. Over the herringbone stitch, I stitched long pieces of check purl (in the manner of bugle beads) in a "V" design, alternating with the herringbone. I topped the tip of the "V" in French knots with dark green silk ribbon. In retrospect, I should have used a contrast there - but I didn't want to use red, as it would look to Christmassy, and I didn't want to use blue, as it would look too "preppy," (I don't know why those colors of green and blue always make me think "preppy" - but they do!). So I stuck with the green. Anyway, I topped the tips of the herringbone with spangles held on with off-white, pearly-colored beads, some of which had shifted about. Remember: always check your beads before you take the photos!



Oh, dear. This one doesn't go over the seam. But it's one of my favorite shots, because I like the red flower thing (which I've already shown you) and I like the ribbon in the foreground. And the blue and gold seam that stretches up the piece from here is actually my favorite seam...



This is tiny fly stitch over the edge of a seam. I had to work in some Gilt Sylke Twist! And the seam was just a small stretch that ran into two already heavy-looking seams. So I went with something... well, tiny. The GST is such a fine little thread, but it's so very pretty!



Now, this seam is a bit heavy! It's worked with pearl purl in scallops, with the red spokes worked in long straight stitches, and then little sprays of check purl, and a bead and spangle treatment.



And here's another seam that crosses over. It's made up of half buttonhole wheels worked in red buttonhole twist, between which are worked three daisy stitches out of purl situated around a very large spangle attached with a bead.

You can find more detailed explanations of each seam treatment, along with how-to's and so forth, in my CQMag Online article, Goldwork and Crazy Quilting.

Tomorrow - scissor talk! I'll tell you a bit about scissors and show you some comparative photos....

I'm finishing up a school term this week and getting ready for the next one - so if I slip out unnoticed, it's only to do a little "real world" work!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Labels: crazy quilt, embellishments, goldwork, Hand embroidery stitches, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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If you like the idea behind crazy quilting - the whole notion of embellishing seams with embroidery stitches, and adding unique touches with beads and so forth - and if you like the look of "primitive design" in embroidery, but you're not a quilter and you don't draw your own designs... well, what can you do?

Carol of Chickadee Hollow Designs combines the fun of "crazy quilt" embroidery, the variety and quirkiness of the Primitive embroidery look, and the personalization of color choice and embellishment in her array of projects available on her website. When I saw them, I thought - "That's funny. It's all the fun of crazy quilting embellishment... without having to do any piecing and quilting!"



Now, keep in mind these aren't properly crazy quilt design, as they aren't made out of pieced fabric. When Carol designs a piece, she sketches it out, draws in the embroidery stitches and "seam" treatments, colors the piece in with watercolors and colored pencils, and then, through a scanning and printing process, transfers the colored design to fabric. What you receive from her when you order one of her designs is the printed fabric, ready to embellish. You can personalize your project by varying your stitches, adding beads, and selecting the colors of your threads. Each project comes with stitch instructions and thread color recommendations, to keep it easy on the stitcher --- but... if you want to be a bit more creative, you can play around with color and thread choice and so forth.



I think Carol's projects would be a great way for someone to get into embroidery. The Christmas ornaments she features, for example, would be an excellent project for teaching embroidery to a youngster. It's always fun to work on something colorful, that requires a variety of stitches!

Her Christmas stockings, too, are cute - and I love the little scenes within the bigger piece. It's not the kind of embroidery project you'd get bored with!

And, outside the realm of Christmas, she also features some pillows and other objects for home decorations.



I think the concept is interesting - I'm not a crazy quilter (I keep thinking I'm going to go back and try to redeem myself from my first crazy quilting blungle!), but I do like this idea of working up the "look" of crazy quilting in another form. Jeannine's hearts kind of remind me of this idea - they're a great way to sample all kinds of stitching. The other place I've seen the concept at work - where you get the pleasure of crazy quilt embellishing, but where you aren't actually quilting - is Judy's work on Possibilities, Etc., where she "crazy quilts" on needlepoint. She makes really pretty pieces this way!

If this type of stitching looks fun to you - or if you have a youngster in the family who's ripe for learning embroidery stitches - you should stop by Chickadee Hollow to see if Carol's got just the project for you. You never know - it could be a whole new type of stitching addiction....

Labels: beginner embroidery, crazy quilt, embellishments, embroidery resources

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, August 05, 2008
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Today, I suppose I shall go a little off-topic, as this item is not really related to hand embroidery. In fact, there's not an embroidery stitch on it! But fabric and embellishment with fabric fall into the same realm as hand embroidery - somehow - so I thought I'd stretch the niche a bit and show you some photos of a little treasure I came across as I was going through my mom's things this weekend. It's a menu. Really, it's a food menu.

Umpteen years ago, my Mom went to Hong Kong to see my Dad, and while they were there, they went to Gaddi's Restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel, where the menus were embellished with a fabric applique of a Chinese lady. I thought I'd show it to you for two reasons: 1. it's fabric applique; and 2. I think it's pretty!



The cover of the menu is very simple, in fact. The lady stands in the middle, adorned in her silk native-looking costume, and holding a menu. A really large turquoise tassel dangles down the left side, and a little bit of script indicates the name of the restaurant and its location.



I suppose the face is probably silk screened, but I don't know for sure, so I stand to be corrected by anyone who might know! The silver embellishment on the lapel and the gold in the hair look like some kind of foil.



The fabric of the costume is shot through with silver in a floral design, and a red cord hangs down the lady's side, arranged carefully and pinned neatly with another gold foil ornament.



Simple red script names the restaurant and location.



The inside is not quite as pretty as the outside!

I think this lovely little figure would be fun to copy, either as an embroidery pattern or as an applique. It'd probably be neat to fix it in another setting, too, combined with stitches and other embellishment.

But I don't really have the heart to take the menu apart!

Labels: embellishments, miscellaneous embroidery musings, personal, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, June 08, 2008
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This week, my Auntie turns 90! Many family members are convening in Alabama with her to celebrate, but unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. So I decided to send her card - I wanted to make her something fancy-schmancy, but time wasn't on my side. I needed something quick but pretty, and Made By Me. So I set about embroidering some cards today.

Admittedly, I did it the "lazy" way. I let Stitching Cards do the design work for me. They have a nice selection of pretty little designs, and you can pay per design or you can buy a value pack of several designs. Once you pay, you can download your patterns and print them (PDF), which is great if you're behind the gun on time.

I probably overdid it on buying several designs, but I didn't know what I wanted, and I didn't know what I had in my stash to create the cards, and I was going about the whole thing in a rather unorganized way!! (This is what happens when I procrastinate!) But I like the designs I got (some bead medallions and some bead flowers)... and I found that I liked poking the little holes in the paper... and so I ended up setting up about 15 cards(!!!!). Well, it's neat - I found out that you can easily stack 3 pieces of card stock and prick them all at the same time.

I had on hand some small pre-cut pieces of parchment card stock, in soft natural colors. So I picked out a pale green for the first card, and I worked a beaded flower on it.



I didn't put any lettering on the outside - I'll save the writing for the inside. The directions call for a fine Kreinik cord, but I used DMC metallics, and it worked just fine.

I added a little back stitch around the leaves (didn't call for it in the instructions) because the leaves looked a little too light and airy compared to the heavier flower.

I love these blue bugle beads. This isn't actually my favorite pattern, though - it was just the first one I happened to put together today. The whole card took me about an hour and twenty minutes from start to finish (with a couple brief interruptions).



I would classify this type of stitching as embroidery "craft" rather than art. It's super simple, you just follow the directions - it doesn't take any real level of embroidery skill - and it's a lot of fun! It was a relaxing project, perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Nordic Needle has several good books on hand embroidered cards. I've got two or three of them in storage.... I could have saved myself the cost of these patterns if I had only planned ahead!!

If you know of any other resources for embroidery patterns for cards, do share!

Labels: embellishments, embroider on paper

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, February 24, 2008
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Who would ever think to embellish embroidery with bugs' wings? When I mentioned beetle wings and goldwork previously, I had not seen the wings up close in person. What a surprise! Photographs don't do them justice!

Wings from the Asian "green jewel" beetle (Sternocera aequistignata) have been used to embellish textiles in Asia for centuries. In the Victorian era, it became fashionable in the western world to add these glorious little wings to elaborate clothing and accessories. The wings are still used today to embellish textiles and to make jewelry and other decorative items. But really, who woulda thunk it? When I think "beetle," it doesn't really generate the most pleasant thoughts.

All that has changed - I look at beetles in a different light now!



A camera cannot catch the scintillating depth of colors in these wings. Predominantly, the wings are green, but some carry as well a copper, gold, or yellow tone, and others a deep blue-ish tone. The light plays on the wings to reflect almost "layers" of colors. They remind me of two-dimensional emeralds - you don't get the depth in a glassy way like you do with a jewel, but, because of the reflection when you move the wings around, the colors are deep and changing.



I've tried to photograph the wings from different angles, in different light, to see if I could give a good enough impression of their varying color.



The copper-colored area on the foremost wing in the photo above isn't always that dominant! It's the angle! These are the same group of wings as in the photos above.

The wings are about the same consistency of a very strong fingernail. They don't seem to break easily, but I'm sure, with a good pressure on the top, they would.



If you happen to drop your camera on top of them - the break! The camera slipped out of my hand and landed on the whole pile - one took a direct hit, and it cracked. I broke it apart to see what it looks like. They don't chip or crack easily, though. They're sturdy.



When you hold them in your hands and shake them, they make a pleasant little chinking sound. They're very light.



When I took them outside into the sun to photograph them, the wings took on a blue tint - at least, more so than when inside. Again, they're pretty light - even the slightest breeze moved them around while I was outside.



To use them for embellishment, I'm told by Michael Cook, the Wormspit guy, that the wings should be steamed for five minutes to soften them, and then, using a sharp needle, holes are pierced at the tips and also on the sides, if you want (you pierce them, I assume, wherever you want to secure them to the fabric).

Now, where to get these things? You can find them on e-Bay, actually, at "herbkerb's" eBay store, Best deal Thai Goods. He sells them in different quantity packages: 200 of the regular green run about $15, with $5 shipping.... or you can go for bulk with 1,000 for $65.00! The smaller packages are grouped by color, so you can actually get predominantly blue-ish tones, green tones, copper tones, or whathaveyou. All of the wings are, of course, green, but they have these different elements of color in them. I have recently placed an order through this eBay store, but have not received it yet, so I can't vouch for the service personally yet, but they seem to have a good track record. The batch of wings above are from Michael Cook - I swapped with him for some silk samples! And speaking of which, he also sent a cocoon and some of his own silk - so more on that later!

The beauty and variety in God's creation is just amazing, isn't it? I'm really in awe of these little wings, and I'm looking forward to playing with them when the opportunity arises! I'll post results eventually.

Labels: beetle wing embroidery, embellishments, goldwork

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, October 07, 2007
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Have you noticed that there's a proliferation of embroidery kits and designs around that make use of little embellishments? Those special little touches that add "something" to the work - sometimes that something is zing, sometimes it's elegance, sometimes it's just a splash of fun - are pretty popular! I try not to be too narrow-minded in my view of embroidery, but I must be, because I never noticed the abundance of embellishments in the embroidery world until just this past summer.

But now I'm hooked. Really. I like these little extra baubles and buttons, beads and charms. Oh, they've been around a while - goldwork, sequins, beaded embroidery, charms, buttons... they're nothing new! But it seems to me that they are enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

This is what sold me on the fun of these little items and that opened up my eyes to noticing them around more and more:



It was these little Sweetheart Tree kits. They're small kits - counted thread techniques - with little extra embellishments to the kits. I don't generally work counted thread techniques, except in dabbling in a bit o' blackwork here and there, and - very rarely - some canvas work... and hardanger now and then, too. Ok, fine - I take it back, I do "do" counted thread stuff - but it's not usually cross stitch.

Normally, these would not be something that would catch my eye. But they did. Why? I think it's the little embellishments! Both kits make use of little tiny beads and one has little heart-shaped white buttons in it. I like them! It takes them "above ordinary."

I admit I'm SLOW - I'm sure little embellishments have been prevailant for a while in needlework - or perhaps they never lost their charm! Maybe I just haven't noticed them....

But NOW... check this out:



I do believe I could become an embroidery embellishment junkie!



Here's a sweet little seashell made by Susan Clarke Originals.



And a pretty little iris by the same company... Irises are among my favorite flowers, and I'm in the middle of embroidering one right now. So I just love this little thing!



A very pretty snowflake - perfect for.... well, earrings came to mind at first, but this is about embroidery, so I chased that thought away, and voila! a better one crept in - what about building a simple embroidered card around this for a Christmas card?



This is largish - quite large, compared to the other pieces here. At first, I thought "What in the world would I ever.....?!" and then the same thing happened. In crept a little thought. A "formal" garden border - maybe even in blackwork or a similar style - built around it. Why not? For a framed piece... I could see it!



Cherries! Who doesn't like cherries?! They remind me of summer - and this is another perfect little something for a crazy quilt square, for the center of an embroidered motif, or for the center of an embroidered card.



And here's a whole little group of "under the sea" embellishments.

OH - so many ideas, so little time!

This bunch of stuff above came in the embellishments Treasure Box I ordered last week from Twining Thread, as part of their close-out. Along with them came ribbons - glorious, beautiful ribbons - and all kinds of neat stuff. What a deal!

Well, if YOU have any ideas for my new embellishment stash, I'm all ears!

In the meantime, I need to go find some storage space....

PS - I'm going to full feeds for a bit on Feedburner. What think you? Do you prefer partial or full feeds?

Labels: embellishments, needlework products, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 27, 2007
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