In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's a free hand embroidery pattern for you - a Celtic Cross. I suppose it might be a little late to stitch this up for this year, but if you like Things Celtic, I reckon you can stitch this up any time o' the year!

I took the design for this Celtic Cross from a little button and altered it a little bit. When thinking about how to embroider it, there are lots of options. You could just outline everything, using chain stitch or stem stitch. Or, you could get adventurous and fill in all the knot work with a filling stitch - satin stitch, stem stitch filling, chain stitch filling, or couching. You could get fancy, and work the design on a green background (velvet would be very rich) and use goldwork techniques to complete the design. Really, when it comes to hand embroidery, the possibilities are many and varied!



You can use a photocopier or photo editing software to scale the image up or down. Here's a PDF version:

Celtic Cross Design for Hand Embroidery

Enjoy it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, March 17, 2010
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Here's a free hand embroidery pattern, from yesterday's sketching.

As I mentioned yesterday, my plan is to create an embroidery design that I can use across several embroidery techniques. These stylized pomegranate thingamabobs are always a favorite of mine, and I find they pop up a lot in my designs. They are particularly suitable for silk shading and for goldwork, but I think they'd transfer to other types of embroider as well. I think this one, for example, would look pretty nice in whitework, especially on a colored fabric.

There's one style of embroidery, though, that I don't think this will transfer well to, and that's casual, free-style surface stitching. Stylized pomegranates seem to be a bit too formal to go the casual route, in my mind. What do you think?



You can click on the above for a larger version, or you can print the PDF below. The design on the PDF will print at approximately 5" square.

Pomegranate in the Round: A Design for Hand Embroidery (PDF)

I'm not sure if I'll embroider this design for my upcoming series, but maybe someday, I'll use it for something. In the meantime, maybe you can find a use for it!

By the way, you can reduce the busy-ness of the lattice work in the center by removing every other line in both directions, if you don't like the crowded lattice. That would open it up for a bead or spangle in the middle of the diamonds.

I received an e-mail from a reader yesterday, suggesting I should propose a contest for a design. What do you all think about that?

And finally, I think I should be more forthcoming about the rooster. He isn't finished. I'm going to go work on him right NOW.

Until tomorrow...!

Labels: embroidery design, free embroidery patterns

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, February 11, 2010
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I was doodling a bit with Inkscape, playing with the new spiro path option, when I decided a hand embroidery pattern for a heart was appropriate for this time of year, St. Valentine's Day coming up and all. (Well, this is what happens when your spiro path ends up looking like half a mangled heart!) This little design, though, would be suitable for any time of year, really. Kids especially might like the design for embroidery on ... well, anything, even clothes.

I titled the hand embroidery pattern "Heart o' Flowers" for various and sundry reasons, one more striking reason being the fact that it is a heart ... full of flowers. The other reason is kind of obscure. When I was growing up, my best friend and I would always say, "In my heart o' hearts...." whenever we expressed a wish for something or whatever. I don't know why we said that, but we did. It wasn't "in my heart OF hearts" - no, that would not be nearly dramatic enough. It was definitely "in my heart o' hearts." This design reminded me of that.

(I was just a kid. Don't hold it against me...)

But in my heart o' hearts, I'm sure you'll find a use for this pattern if you like it. If it's not quite your style, feel free to skip it!



And here's a handy-dandy PDF of the same pattern. It prints about 4.5" x 4.5"

Heart o' Flowers Hand Embroidery Pattern - PDF

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery design, free embroidery patterns, Hand embroidery stitches

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, February 04, 2010
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For my upcoming comparison of wool and wool blend threads for hand embroidery, I needed a design to embroider. I'll be working on this design, which I thought I'd share with you.

I've adapted the elements of this design from different sources - the flowers come from this embroidery pattern already posted here on Needle 'n Thread, and the rooster is a loose interpretation - crewel-fied - of a cartoony piece of clipart, for which I no longer have the source. Anyway, it's quite altered. Once I started thinking in terms of "embroidery pattern" - and especially "crewel work" - the poor bird underwent a shocking transformation.

What I'll be doing is embroidering this piece on Legacy Linen Twill, using a variety of threads, most of which will be wool or a wool / silk blend. I have a specific color range in mind for the rooster, but I don't have the color range I would like to work with in any one brand of thread. This gives me a good excuse to use a variety of threads, while at the same time allowing me to make comparisons between different threads.

Here's what the rooster looks like:



If you print the following PDF pattern, it fits inside an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper - the height of the whole design is about 8.5 inches, and the width about 5.5". The whole thing should fit ok in a 10" square stretcher bar frame, which is what I'm planning to use, but I actually will reduce the pattern (from the PDF) slightly (maybe 10% smaller). Anyway, play with it to find the size you like, that you think would be manageable.

The Crewel Rooster - PDF

I'll be setting up this project today, and then I'll walk you through what I do with it in the upcoming weeks, including recommendations on threads, fabrics, needles, and so forth.

Revised Rooster:

After fiddling a bit with the design above, I made some changes, and the following rooster will actually be the one I plan to stitch:



I prefer the "square" design as opposed to the elongated one.

Here's the PDF:

The Crewel Rooster Revised - PDF

If there's anything in particular you're curious about concerning this project, or if there's anything in the whole process of completing a project that you would like in-depth coverage of by way of a tutorial, leave a comment below. I'll try to accommodate requests!

Happy Last Day of 2009!!

Labels: crewel work, Embroidery Projects, free embroidery patterns, linen, wool

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, December 31, 2009
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Here's the H in the latest series of free embroidery monogram patterns called "fan flowers."

If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this series of monograms, please check out the Letter A, where I've mentioned a few ideas for stitches. Also, if you have any ideas or input for stitching these letters, feel free to leave a comment!

Here's the small H:



And here's the large H:



And, if you'd like to save a PDF version of the small and large H, here it is:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flowers H (PDF)

Feel free to visit the Index of Monogram Designs here on Needle 'n Thread, if you're looking for more monograms, including the rest of this alphabet.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, December 13, 2009
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Looking for a stitching challenge - a beautiful, small stumpwork embroidery project perfect for Christmas?

I've been a fan of Sandra Vass's beautiful embroidery - her stumpwork and goldwork - for a while, enjoying her photos posted on Stitchin' Fingers, a vast social network for needleworkers established and maintained by Sharon Boggan (of Pintangle) down in Australia. My favorites among Sandy's work include her goldwork gecko and this beautiful piece:



This is Sandy's rendition of the Goldwork Sampler by Hinda Hands, from the book Church Embroidery.

Isn't it Stunning?

Well, the good news is that Sandy has started a blog! It's called Gold n' Stitches. The first project she's featuring is a little goldwork and stumpwork holly project.



In her first post on the Christmas Holly Stumpwork design, you'll find a downloadable pattern, a thorough supply list, and the first instructions for completing this pretty project.

This is a perfect little project for delving into stumpwork - it's small enough to be manageable (without being overwhelming), and it's perfectly suited to the season. I was thinking it would make a really pretty inset for a box lid - a nice gift idea!

Please take a minute to stop by Sandy's new blog, Gold n' Stitches and welcome her to the world of blogging. I'm sure that she will have much to give us, when it comes to beautiful goldwork and stumpwork projects. I'm looking forward to seeing her website develop!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, goldwork, needlework websites, pictures, stumpwork

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 08, 2009
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Here's the G in the latest series of free embroidery monogram patterns called "fan flowers."

If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this series of monograms, please check out the Letter A, where I've mentioned a few ideas for stitches. Also, if you have any ideas or input for stitching these letters, feel free to leave a comment!

Here's the small G:



And here's the large G:



And, if you'd like to save a PDF version of the small and large G, here it is:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flowers G (PDF)

Feel free to visit the Index of Monogram Designs here on Needle 'n Thread, if you're looking for more monograms, including the rest of this alphabet.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, December 06, 2009
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Here's the F in the latest series of free embroidery monogram patterns called "fan flowers."

If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this series of monograms, please check out the Letter A, where I've mentioned a few ideas for stitches. Also, if you have any ideas or input for stitching these letters, feel free to leave a comment!

Here's the small F:



And here's the large F:



And, if you'd like to save a PDF version of the small and large F, here it is:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flowers F (PDF)

Feel free to visit the Index of Monogram Designs here on Needle 'n Thread, if you're looking for more monograms, including the rest of this alphabet.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, December 04, 2009
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If you've been reading along here on Needle 'n Thread for a while, you have probably figured out that I have a thing for monograms. The first really impressive hand embroidered monogram to ever catch my eye was an E, and it was stitched on the lightest, most beautiful linen handkerchief I had, at that point in my life, ever seen. The stitching was elaborate, with tiny bundles of perfectly stitched flowers, delicate eyelets, and sprays of leaves festooning the edges. Oh, I wanted it! Oh, boy, did I.

I was visiting NYC at the time, and this was my first venture into some really pricey antique shops. That little 9" square of linen someone a hundred or more years ago had poured a lot of heart into was selling for $100, and, needless to say, I couldn't buy it! No matter how I tried to justify it, spending $100 on a slip of fabric was way beyond my means. And then, of course, there was the whole question of the E. E was not quite Me!

But I'll never forget that monogram; I think it was the first time I actually appreciated the art of embroidered monograms. Now, every time I see an E monogram, I think back to that hankie in an over-crowded antique shop in NYC, and I wonder if anyone ever did buy the thing?

Well, enough of that! Here's the E in the latest series of free hand embroidery monograms patterns here on Needle 'n Thread.

If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this series of monograms, please check out the Letter A, where I've mentioned a few ideas for stitches. Also, if you have any ideas or input for stitching these letters, feel free to leave a comment!

Here's the small E:



And here's the large E:



And, if you'd like to save a PDF version of the small and large E, here it is:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flowers E (PDF)

Feel free to visit the Index of Monogram Designs here on Needle 'n Thread, if you're looking for more monograms, including the rest of this alphabet.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, November 29, 2009
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Here's the D in the latest series of free hand embroidery monograms patterns - a set I'm calling "fan flowers."

If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this series of monograms, please check out the Letter A, where I've mentioned a few ideas for stitches. Also, if you have any ideas or input for stitching these letters, feel free to leave a comment!

Here's the small D:



And here's the large D:



And, if you'd like to save a PDF version of the small and large D, here it is:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flowers D (PDF)

Feel free to visit the Index of Monogram Designs here on Needle 'n Thread, if you're looking for more monograms, including the rest of this alphabet.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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Here's another monogram for hand embroidery, the C in the latest series of free hand embroidery patterns here on Needle 'n Thread...

If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this series of monograms, please check out the Letter A, where I've mentioned a few ideas for stitches. Also, if you have any ideas or input for stitching these letters, feel free to leave a comment!

Here's the small C:



And here's the large C:



And, if you'd like to save a PDF version of the small and large C, here 'tis:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flowers C (PDF)

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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Here's the B monogram for hand embroidery, in my newest series of monograms...

You can find stitching suggestions for this particular monogram on the first post in the series, featuring the A. Make sure you read the comments - some readers have made suggestions that are worthwhile!

You can save and print the images, and if you need to enlarge or reduce them, this can be done on a photocopier or in an editing program on your computer.

Here's the small B:



Here's the large B:



For more monograms in this alphabet and others, please visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, November 14, 2009
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Here's a new series of monograms for hand embroidery. I'll be posting the sporadically, as time allows for cleaning them up. This is a pretty monogram, and a little bit formal. I like the fan flowers, personally!

You can hand embroidery monograms in countless ways. With this particular collection, I think the small cross bars are well-suited to satin stitch, though they could be outlined and filled with seed stitch. The letter itself would look nice outlined in any type of stitch suitable for lines and curves (like stem stitch, split stitch, chain stitch, outline stitch, backstitch, whipped backstitch, etc.), and they don't have to be filled at all. But if you like contrasts, and if you satin stitch the small cross bars, then the letters might look nice with seed stitch filling.

The fan flowers themselves? Well, it depends on the look you want. If you're going for something formal, I'd satin stitch them. If, however, you want something a wee bit less time consuming, daisy stitch would work. If you use daisy stitch, I'd not necessarily draw out the entire petal on the fabric when transferring the design - I'd just but a dot where the petal ends and begins. Daisy stitch will change the look of the petals - they won't look as pointy and palm-like.

I'm providing a small version and a large version, in .gif format here. You can also download the PDF and print it. The monograms should come out to 3.5" tall and 6.5" tall in the PDF. You can also enlarge or shrink the design as you wish.



Here's the larger version:



And finally, here's the PDF:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flower Alphabet - A

For different monogram alphabets, please don't hesitate to visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

If you have any ideas for interpreting this monogram alphabet in stitches, please do leave a comment below with your suggestions! How would YOU stitch this monogram, and what would you put it on? Your comments will certainly help inspire other readers looking for stitching ideas! Thanks!

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, November 12, 2009
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Here's a free hand embroidery pattern for you, in case you feel like embroidering a turkey...

In America, the turkey is the Great American Thanksgiving Icon. I like Thanksgiving weekend - don't get me wrong! - but my liking the weekend has far less to do with the turkey than it does with the fact that it is a four day weekend of family gatherings that usually incite a festive holiday mood. (And it signals only three more weeks until school holidays for Christmas!)

To tell you the truth, when it comes to Thanksgiving weekend, I could take or leave the turkey.

Still.... I do like turkeys in general, despite the connotations often associated with the name of the bird. "You turkey!" is not really a compliment, you know. "Don't let the turkeys get you down" implies that the turkey is negative, maybe even hostile or oppressive. I wonder why that is? When I see wild turkeys here in Kansas (and they abound!), they make me happy. I like to see the birds here and there, clustered on the edges of newly harvested fields. I love to have my windows open in the autumn and hear the turkeys out in the woods behind my house.

They don't go "gobble, gobble," by the way.

I think, in general, the turkey has gotten a bad rap.

And really, I'm not sure my drawing helps. If I were a turkey with these feet, I'd be pretty embarrassed.

Still, it makes an adequate little turkey embroidery pattern, which you can enlarge or reduce, depending on what you want to do with it. Reduced a bit (the PDF version, especially), I think it would look pretty stately and turkey-like, stitched in the corner of cloth napkins or a bread cloth for your Thanksgiving table.

Here's the pattern - click on it for a larger version, then save it to your computer. You can then enlarge or reduce it as you wish.



And here's the PDF version:

Hand Embroidery Pattern - Turkey (PDF)

Enjoy!

Labels: Embroidery for the Home, free embroidery patterns, seasonal embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, November 09, 2009
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I've really been itching to do some goldwork lately, but I've got so many projects already going and several projects that I need to get started on, that all I can do when it comes to goldwork right now is dream. You know how that is, don't you? This one particular design has be besotted...

BibliOdyssey is one of those places I go to get inspired, and last week when I visited, I wasn't disappointed - there was no lack of inspirational stuff floating about the website. This post on The Tudor Pattern Book really caught my eye, and this one pattern in particular struck me as particularly suitable for goldwork.



When considering an picture or design that is not made specifically for embroidery, I usually try to isolate the elements within the design that would work as an embroidered image. So I took this picture from BibliOdyssey, opened it in Photoshop and got rid of the background. I didn't spand a lot of time cleaning the thing up - just a few button clicks - but I did at least isolate the part I like.

At this point, I figured I could trace the image in Inkscape or a similar program, to end up with a crisp line drawing, but instead, I started playing with a couple very basic filters in Photoshop and reduced the image to this:



For some reason, a black and white image is my preferred format for any kind of potential embroidery design. I seem to see more possibilities when I can reduce the image to outlines with a bit of shading but no color.

With this piece, I'm thinking in terms of a combination of silk shading and goldwork.

So what do you think? Should I just chuck everything else and launch into a completely senseless goldwork project?

Oh well! Since "chucking" everything else right now probably isn't prudent, I suppose I'll just stay the present course. However, if I do drift off...

... you'll know what I'm doing!

Labels: embroidery design, free embroidery patterns, goldwork, miscellaneous embroidery musings

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 29, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 22, 2009
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I'm still playing with the idea of translating Quaker motifs (that are normally worked in cross stitch) into designs suitable for surface embroidery. Here's a free hand embroidery pattern of a bird-in-tree Quaker motif suitable for surface stitches.

Now, this is a pattern I really want to stitch. The first Quaker pattern I posted for surface embroidery stitches looked fun, but since I had already stitched it on paper in cross stitch, I find I'm a bit more eager to try a different design. I played again with some of the Mary Wigham designs offered on Needleprint, and this is one that I like a lot. I think it could be fun.

I "updated" the bird a bit after finding it a bit difficult to translate the gridded bird into something smoother for surface work. If you don't particular like this bird, you can always sketch your own into the design, I suppose! (Don't worry - I won't be insulted!) In considering the bird, I wanted something suited to more than just an outline stitch. The wings, tail, and crest give some room for playing with fillings.

Here's the pattern:



The double lines around the outside of the pattern would be a good place to practice composite stitches, like the raised chain band, or double herringbone stitch. Ladder stitch would work well there, too.

I'm thinking about filling the trunk of the tree with stem stitch in several shades of brown, working the branches in stem stitch in brown, and working the leaves in a couple of colors of green using daisy stitch. The small berries would be worked in red French knots, and I think the bird would be worked in a variety of stitches in red, though I'm still contemplating that one.

I was thinking this might a good design for a Christmas ornament, too. What do you think?

Here's a PDF of the pattern:

Quaker Motif #2 for Surface Embroidery Stitches

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, Hand embroidery stitches, Quaker designs, sampler

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 07, 2009
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Right now, Quaker motifs are very popular for counted cross stitch, and I really love the look of them. When I was working on this perforated paper embroidery project last week, I couldn't help wondering if Quaker motifs would 'work' with surface embroidery stitches. So I'm going to try an experiment.

I've drawn up a hand embroidery pattern based on the Quaker motif I used on the paper project. It is, in shape and layout, pretty much the same design, but the use of surface embroidery stitches, I suspect, will change the look of the design quite a bit.

Here's my line version of the motif:



Here's a PDF of the same pattern:

Hand Embroidery Pattern: Quaker Motif for Surface Embroidery Stitches

Ussing the PDF, the pattern should print at approximately 4.5 inches square. It can probably be taken smaller, but for this test run, I thought a medium-sized medallion would work best.

I'm going to combine a variety of stitches on this piece, sticking with the notion that the Quaker motifs generally come from samplers. My plan so far includes the following stitches:

Palestrina Stitch
Mountmellick Stitch
Satin Stitch
Long and Short Stitch
Fly Stitch or Fishbone Stitch (haven't decided which on that one yet)
Daisy Stitch
French Knot

I'll be working on this project over the next few weeks. I'll be stitching on a sturdy linen (Thank you, Méi! I can't wait to use some Portuguese linen!), but I haven't decided 100% on the threads yet. I think it will take some playing to figure out the best options.

What think you? Will this come off, or should I leave the Quaker motifs in their regular form, as counted cross stitch pieces? What's your take?

Labels: Embroidery Projects, free embroidery patterns, Hand embroidery stitches, Quaker designs, sampler

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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Patterns for hand embroidery are extremely versatile - they are useful for a variety of arts and crafts. So even if you don't always go in for surface embroidery, you might find the plethora of embroidery designs available online and in books capable of producing Muse-juice for all other kinds of crafts. Here's an example to illustrate what I'm talking about...

Gitte doesn't hand embroider, but she does indulge in paper crafts. Taking one of my scrolly medallion embroidery designs, she used it to make a beautiful card out of vellum and cardstock.

First, she embossed the design from the back, then, using special scissors, she cut each individual tiny scallop around the embossed lines, creating a gorgeous lacy effect. WOW! The card is beautiful - a real work of art.

The picture below is clickable, and if you click on it, you'll be taken to a larger version.



Beautiful, isn't it?!

If you're one of those Have-to-Craft people who move from craft to craft, making things, I'm sure you've already discovered that you can cross from one craft to another, taking designs and ideas with you. This card is a perfect example of doing that. There are really only two categories of crafts I get into - textiles (from needlework to Kumihimo, felting, and so forth) and paper crafts. I love how this card uses something I intended for needlework in a whole different application in paper craft. It maketh the Muse-juice flow, and all kinds of ideas are popping up in my head now!

Labels: embroider on paper, free embroidery patterns, pictures, readers embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 15, 2009
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Thematic designs in embroidery are really no new thing, right? You've got Day-of-the-Week towels, Nursery Rhyme quilt blocks, State Birds, State Flowers, and so on and so forth - all developed into embroidery designs over the years.

But I want to tell you a story about another thematic line of embroidery, available online, and for free!

Once upon a time, a little girl sat on the stool outside her cottage, bent over her handwork. Along a came a fox (yes, that's the bad guy - for some reason, the fox is always the bad guy!) who tempted her away from her work, telling her about the grapes he couldn't reach over in the vineyard, and that he insisted were sour anyway.

As the little girl walked toward the vineyard, a mouse skittered by her feet, holding a spinter between its tiny mouse teeth! "Yikes! A mouse!" cried the little girl.

But the mouse was nothing compared to the lion that was lumbering away in the other direction, limping slightly from some sligh foot infection undoubtedly caused by the splinter that just skittered by. The light girl was mighty glad the lion didn't see her.

She continued toward the vineyard, neglecting her embroidery left on the stoop outside the cottage door. Naughty girl!

Arriving at the vineyard with the beguiling fox beside her, the little girl reached up for a bunch of grapes. The cunning fox licked his lips, knowing that finally, those grapes would be within his reach! Yum! Grapes! The girl plucked one from the bunch, popped it in her mouth, simultaneously holding out some for the fox, who gobbled a few in a gulp. And simultaneously, they both started sputtering.

"Unbelievable!" cried the fox, perturbed. "They really ARE sour!"

With her worst sour face, the dismayed little girl returned to her stoop in front of the cottage door, with every intention of picking up her handwork and plying her needle diligently.

At that moment, though, the rooster (there's always a rooster!) perched himself on the edge of the thatched cottage roof, right above the stoop upon which rested the little girl's beautiful handwork. With all his rooster might, the bird began to crow. As the little girl approached the stoop, the rooster stopped his infernal crowing, paused, and then did what roosters and chickens so readily do at any given opportunity. Splat! Right on the embroidery. He then strutted away.

The moral of the story is... Well, there are numerous morals, some of which I'm sure are too deep to attempt drawing out here!

Fables are brief stories involving the personification of animals and ending with a clear moral. Aesop's fables are the most famous fables in Western literary tradition, and they've been re-told and re-written and illustrated in numerous books down the centuries.

Now, how does this all tie in with needlework? Well, how about embroidered fables, in cutwork? Sure enough, at Antique Pattern Library, there's a terrific illustrated book of fables, and the illustrations are ---- wait for it! ---- cutwork patterns! Really and truly!



Above, for example, is the design for the The Rooster (told you so!), the Cat, and the Young Mouse, which ends with the terse moral, "Remember while you live, It is by looks that men deceive."

In its 73-page PDF, the book, an edition of Broderies & Ouvrages de Dames titled "Les Fables de La Fontaine," includes the illustration of the fable by way of an embroidery pattern, followed by a translation in English of the fable illustrated. It's entertaining to read and the pictures are perfect for illustrative embroidery. Don't think they're limited to cutwork, either! You can easily turn the designs into regular surface embroidery projects!

So stop by Antique Pattern Library and brush up on your fables while perusing the patterns presented in this fun little book!

And if the books sparks any creative ideas, drop back by and let the rest of us know!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, online needlework books

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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One of my favorite resources for embroidery patterns and inspiration is Antique Pattern Library. There, you'll find such an extensive list of books in the Library that it's impossible to get through them all! But there are some real gems in there (like the one mentioned below), so it's definitely worth exploring...

This particular publication is called La Brodeuse, a periodical published in France in the early 1900's, featuring plenty of embroidery patterns. Somewhere, I have at least one original La Brodeuse pamphlet, sent to me by an antique-crazy fiend... I mean friend... who lives just outside Paris. (Thanks, Suzette!) I don't know if it's the same one, but one of these days, I suppose I'll go bookshelf-diving to find out.

These publications are very similar to La Broderie Blanche, which is the publication from which the first monogram alphabet posted here on Needle 'n Thread came.

In the meantime, though, it's there in electronic form on Antique Pattern Library for all to enjoy!



You can download the PDF copy of La Brodeuse and save it to your computer for a ready resource. It isn't too long (only six pages), so printing it out is an easy proposition, too. To enlarge the designs, a photocopier comes in handy.

For tips and tricks on transferring designs, please visit my Tips and Tricks for Hand Embroidery list, where you'll find a section on transferring patterns.

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, online needlework books

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, June 19, 2009
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At long last, the end of this monogram alphabet! I don't know if there's anyone out there who will ever embroider this particular "Z" onto anything, but still, there's a great sense in satisfaction about completing this alphabet! So, here it is, the last monogram...

I hope you like the monogram alphabets I've been posting - if you do, let me know, because I do have others that I still want to add to this online collection of monogram patterns. But sometimes I worry that I bore you to death with these repeated letters popping up every now and then!

Well, without further ado then, here's the large Z:



And here's the small Z:



You can find the rest of this alphabet, as well other monograms, on my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery. If you're looking for stitching suggestions for this particular alphabet, check out the Celtic A Monogram, where I went into a little detail on how you might stitch it.

Yippee! The END!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 29, 2009
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Coming close here to the finish of the Celtic Monograms for Hand Embroidery series, here is the letter Y. Only one more to go!!!

If you would like suggestions for stitching these monograms, including what stitches and threads to use, please visit the "A" in this alphabet. There, you'll find some more detail on the monograms. You'll also see how the inside areas between the loose knotwork is supposed to be shaded with a kind of "stippled" effect (easy to accomplish using seed stitch or French knots).

Here's the small Y:



And here's the large Y:



For the rest of this alphabet or for other monograms, please visit my list of monograms here on Needle 'n Thread. You'll also find plenty of other hand embroidery patterns here, if you're looking for something more to do with your needle and thread!

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, May 24, 2009
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Here's the X for the Celtic monograms for hand embroidery. Only two more to go, and the alphabet will be finished! I'm so glad. Whew. It'll be nice to do some other patterns without the guilt of an unfinished monogram alphabet hanging over my head!

If you're looking for embroidery stitch suggestions, please visit the Celtic A monogram, where you'll find several ideas for stitching up the monograms in this series.

Here's the small X:



And here's the large X:




For more hand embroidery monograms, check out my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery. If you're looking for other hand embroidery designs in general, check out my Index of Hand Embroidery Patterns, where you'll find an updated list of hand embroidery designs here on Needle 'n Thread.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, May 14, 2009
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After a long pause in monograms for hand embroidery, I'm going to make every effort to finish up the Celtic alphabet this week! ('Bout time, I know!) Here is the letter V...

If you're looking for embroidery stitch suggestions, please visit the Celtic A monogram, where you'll find several ideas for stitching up the monograms in this series.

Here's the small V:



And here's the large V:




For more hand embroidery monograms, check out my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery. If you're looking for other hand embroidery designs in general, check out my Index of Hand Embroidery Patterns, where you'll find an updated list of hand embroidery designs here on Needle 'n Thread.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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Yesterday, I showed you my "grab-and-go" embroidery project, a little Spring design for the corner of a towel that I'm going to use as a basket liner. Here's the embroidery pattern for that piece.

This embroidery design comes from a stack of hand embroidery transfers that I got at a garage sale. Most of the designs were loose; the few that were in booklets came from the 1950's, so I'm assuming this one is about the same time period. The original was a mess, so I scanned it and worked from the scanned image, cleaning it up into a vectorized image, which I've saved as a gif file (you can click on it to make it larger, then save it to your computer and resize it if you wish), and also as a PDF file, which you can also resize and print.

The design on my towel corner is about 8 inches wide - just wide enough to print on regular paper. The PDF should work out to about the same (hopefully!)



Here's the PDF:

Spring Garden Corner Design for Hand Embroidery

If you are interested in using the same colors I'm using, here's a list of DMC numbers:

Purples: 208 & 209
Green: 907
Yellow: 743
Bright Pink: 602

I have a blue, too (DMC 794) but so far, I haven't used it, and I'm not sure if I will. It doesn't seem "quite right" somehow.

Of course, you are more than welcomed to use any colors you want!

As I stitch, by the way, I'm just improvising. I'll try to finish enough of the design tonight so that each element is stitched, and then I'll explain which stitches I'm using.

In the meantime, if you want to stitch along, feel free. You can always get started with the leaves - they're all worked in fishbone stitch, except for the largest open one, which is outlined in stem stitch - and the stems, which are worked in stem stitch. The center of the flowers are worked in buttonhole wheels, then filled with French knots. You can see these up close on the introduction to this little project.

For a flour sack towel, I suggest using a better quality one, if you can find one. Some of the flour sack towels out there are very flimsy and seem almost like cheesecloth.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Embroidery for the Home, free embroidery patterns, stitch along

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, April 07, 2009
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I can hardly restrain my blissful giddiness over the fact that I'm almost finished with the Celtic monograms for hand embroidery! After this one, I think only four more to go! You're probably just as glad as I am, because these monograms are getting kinda... well... old. But then, after all, they are old. :-)

Here's the long and really short of it on the Celtic monograms: for stitch suggestions, check the Celtic A!

Here's the small version of the Celtic U:



And here's the large version:



Now, today, if all goes well, I will at least manage two things: setting up a simple embroidery project (for a grab-and-go project), and stitching a bit on my whitework sampler! Keep your fingers crossed for me, that I get something accomplished, because otherwise, I just may go nuts!

But, before I can launch into that, I have to frost my own birthday cake to take to my sister's for a birthday party this evening. It's somewhat strange, to make one's own cake, but hey - it's just dessert! I'm thinking about doing something really bizarre so that my sister officially proclaims that I shall never make the dessert again! Something like... oh, Pink Mountain Icing on a chocolate cake. That'll gross her out (but the kids'll love it!).

And, by the way, it's not my birthday (yet) - that's Wednesday, the 8th, which will be the perfect day for a give-away! So stay tuned for that on Wednesday. You can help me celebrate!

Have a terrific Sunday!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, April 05, 2009
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Here's a little needlelace pattern for you - it's oval (not quite egg shaped, but close enough) and perfect for decorating something Eastery.

It seems there are many names for this kind of lace. I call it needlelace, which is a more general term. In some books, it's also called point lace or reticella, and I've even seen it called needlepoint lace.

Needlelace is worked independent of fabric. In fact, it can be worked over paper, removed from the paper, and then added to fabric. When I venture into needlelace like this, though, I generally work it over my fabric, then cut the fabric behind it in an X shape, then turn the fabric back to the edges before working the final buttonholing or overcasting around the motif, catching the fold of the fabric. Then I cut the excess fabric away.

Still, I have worked it on paper, and it works up fine! The last step when working it on paper is overstitching it to the fabric (buttonhole or overcast on the outside lines) and then cutting away the fabric beneath it.

Mostly, needlelace is worked in conjunction with whitework. That's not to say it has to be worked on a whitework piece - no way! You can make little pieces of lace to decorate anything you want, really!

A very long time ago, I featured a tiny sample of needlelace here on Needle 'n Thread. If you want to see some nicer examples of needlelace, check out Textile Dreams, especially the reticella heart. There's also a very nice needlelace tutorial on Textile Dreams!

An excellent online book on needlelace is Therese Dillmont's Needle-made Laces, which you can find in two PDFs hosted at the On-line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics (that's a mouthful!) In the first PDF file, you'll find clear step-by-step directions for this type of needlelace. Here are the direct links to the PDFs:

Needle-made Laces, Part I
Needle-made Laces, Part II

This particular design is cleaned up from an old Variety magazine pattern. The original booklet was printed in 1926 by Carmela Testa & Company. If you come across any of these old booklets, they're really nice to have! (But they're not always in the best shape!) Still, snatch them up! They're worth it - a great addition to a needleworker's library. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes these old booklets - though full-up with wonderful little patterns like this - lack clear instruction, especially when compared to today's step-by-step photo books! They assume the stitcher has already achieved a certain level of skill.

Well, without further ado, the egg. Below it, you'll find a link to a PDF version.




Needlelace Egg (PDF)

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, needlelace, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, April 03, 2009
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Here's a nice resource for some free embroidery designs and some excellent embroidery instruction.

The last couple days, I've been mentioning Tricia Wilson-Nguyen's website, Thistle Threads, first in conjunction with the embroidered jacket at Plimoth Plantation, and second, when I was discussing needlework kits yesterday.

If you haven't perused her website deeply yet, you may have missed a couple real gems on there. The website, by the way, is newly over-hauled, so if you were familiar with her website, Thistle Threads, before but haven't been in a while, it's worth taking a look at it!

On the new Thistle Threads website, you'll find a section called Web Instructions, under which you will find two categories, projects and stitch diagrams.



Under projects, you'll find three little free projects, with thorough stitching instructions.



Under stitch diagrams, you'll find 8 PDFs for different stitches, and each one is detailed and easy to follow.

So, if you haven't visited Thistle Threads, you might want to take a look at these excellent offerings from Tricia!

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, needlework websites

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, March 29, 2009
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Continuing with the Celtic monograms for hand embroidery: the letter Q...

If you're looking for embroidery stitch suggestions, please visit the Celtic A monogram, where you'll find several ideas for stitching up the monograms in this series.

Here's the small Q:



And here's the large Q:




For more hand embroidery monograms, check out my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery. If you're looking for other hand embroidery designs in general, check out my Index of Hand Embroidery Patterns, where you'll find an updated list of hand embroidery designs here on Needle 'n Thread.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, March 28, 2009
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Continuing with the Celtic monograms for hand embroidery: the letter P...

If you're looking for embroidery stitch suggestions, please visit the Celtic A monogram, where you'll find several ideas for stitching up the monograms in this series.

Here's the small P:



And here's the large P:




For more hand embroidery monograms, check out my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery. If you're looking for other hand embroidery designs in general, check out my Index of Hand Embroidery Patterns, where you'll find an updated list of hand embroidery designs here on Needle 'n Thread.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, March 26, 2009
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Last time I was playing with my whitework embroidery sampler, I was beginning the cutwork motif. Here, I've got the pattern for you AND the incredible progress I've made on the cutwork motif! How exciting!

Well, I already feel bad about saying that - not a fib; rather an exaggerated jest: I have made very little progress on the cutwork motif. Still, every little bit counts, right?

Here's the design for you, in case you ever want to use it for cutwork - or for any other kind of embroidery or craft usage, for that matter. You can click on it for a slightly larger image (and a larger file size!).



And, if you want, here's a PDF version:

Cutwork Design for Hand Embroidery

You can size the pattern up or down if you want. If you size it up, it may take more time, but you could also work with heavier threads to cover more ground a little faster.

Here's my progress on the cutwork design so far:



Oh. I know you're impressed!

Actually, I was debating whether or not I should put progress photos up at all - it practically seems pointless! But, still, there it is!

I transferred the design using the tissue-paper-and-tacking-stitches method, which has worked well so far with this design.



There it is, up close. I was debating about whether or not I would go with fine bars. Sometimes, the attaching bars on cutwork are mere threads, you see... and that lends to a very delicate, lacy look - absolutely beautiful on fine white linen. But given that this fabric is a little coarser than normal (for most fine cutwork, that is), I decided to go with a heavier look on the bars and on the overcasting around the edges of the design.

I plan to get some photo tutorials up on cutwork eventually, once I make a little more progress on this piece.

Now, to step backwards a bit, remember the monogram I set up for the sampler? The plan on that seems to be taking a different direction in my head. Initially, I wanted to do some trailing (which is super-raised satin stitch, over a bunch of cords), but I'm thinking about another technique right now - something... something a bit odd. On the wide parts of the letter, what think you of a raised stem stitch? Or casalguidi? I was kind of thinking it might be fun to do something not-quite-as-typical-of-whitework, and with a bit of texture. Anyway, that idea's ripening right now. We'll see what it develops into... If I keep plugging away at the cutwork, it'll have plenty of time to ripen, that's certain!

Funny thing is, while I was working the bars in that tiny bit there, I had the sudden desire to finish up the Schwalm pomegranate right below the cutwork motif. If I had students bouncing around like this, I'd tell them to settle down, take a deep breath, and FOCUS! Physician, heal thyself!

I suppose the next time we come back to the whitework sampler, we'll all be surprised at what transpired!

Enjoy the pattern - hope you find it useful!

Labels: cutwork, drawn thread embroidery, free embroidery patterns, needlework pictures, pictures, sampler, Schwalm, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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