After trying desperately to stick to my resolution of a completely hand-made Christmas as far as gift-giving is concerned, I found I had to waiver on a couple points. I can't, for example, make an aebleskiver pan by hand! But this fabric, I think, still fits the hand-made category, at a stretch! This was kind of an exciting adventure, and I'm pretty pleased with its conclusion - let me show you what I'm talking about!

I have a niece who likes to sew, and she makes all kinds of things: aprons, totes, wallets, clothes for her baby sister... For her Christmas present, I decided to have some fabric printed for her from a doodled design.

I doodle a lot, but I don't usually scan or photograph the things I doodle! However, since I had a few scans in my photo folder, I thought I'd see what they would look like as fabric. I chose this design:



Then I went to Spoonflower, where you can have custom fabric printed on demand. You can choose the layout repeat of your design, so I chose a mirrored image, and ordered a yard of fabric. It's a bit pricey for a yard - $18 - but since it's a Christmas present, since it's custom-made, and since it's my design, I really think my niece will enjoy receiving this! So I plunged, and ordered.



I received the yard of fabric today. It's printed on a nice weight cotton, about a typical quilter's weight. The design came out pretty well! I am really pleased with it! In the future, if I ever venture forth into this type of purchase, I'll make sure I touch up the design and the photo so that the lines where the patterns join are not so visible. Still, I like how it came out!



Here's the mirrored image a bit closer. The fabric is draped over my embroidery stuff on the couch - hence, the bulging here and there.

I'm really hoping my niece likes this gift! I'm pretty sure she will, and I hope she makes a few interesting "somethings" out of it. Well, it's only a yard... but perhaps a small tote, or some little wristlets, or something....

If you're looking for a unique gift, you might have something of yours printed into fabric. I was thinking it would be kind of fun to touch up a photo of an embroidered motif - extracting the embroidery from the rest of the image (in Photoshop or another graphics program), and then see how that would look repeated on fabric. It could be interesting! If nothing else, it's kind of fun to play around on Spoonflower to see what types of designs you can come up with from your own photo or graphics collection!

I have one more major Christmas present to finish, by the way. I'm making the tote bag from the Breath of Spring embroidery project I finished last summer, and giving that to my mom. I want to sew that up this afternoon. Considering it will be the first tote bag I've ever made, I'll need all the luck I can get!

I hope you enjoy your Friday!

Labels: embroidery resources, fabric for embroidery, gift ideas, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, December 19, 2008
PermaLink  |  11 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Yes, well. This Christmas Towel. Satin stitching. Long and short stitch. Sometimes, I could just kick myself!

Originally, I was supposed to be embroidering regular cotton towels with regular cotton thread in regular outline stitches for regular easy embroidered gifts. But darnit, if I didn't start filling in on this one, and now, it's taking me ten forevers to get it done!

Remember the embroidered towel I finished last week? That piece took me less than three hours of stitching. I figured at that rate, I could do (easily) two towels a week and still have time for finish work on other little projects.

But no. I had to start filling in on this one! Did you ever realize what a difference it makes, time-wise, when you start to fill in areas of stitching?

I have duly frustrated myself, but I don't want to give the project up!

So let me show you how far along I am, and then I'll tell you what really frustrates me about the whole endeavor.



The satin stitching on the berries is done - at least, on this clump of berries (there's one more further down the design) - and all the little green satin stitch things are finished, and I've managed only one pine cone so far.



Now, the pine cone was an interesting dilemma. It's worked in long and short stitch. Originally, I was just planning on outlining it, but once I started filling in the berries with satin stitch, it was silly to have an only-outlined pine cone! So I started experimenting with filling. I was going to work a stem stitch filling. Then I thought about a split stitch or even chain stitch filling - something that could be worked fast and somewhat loose, so it wasn't a "full" filling.

Ugh. None of those looked right.

So I resorted to long and short stitch. Then the colors became a problem. If you're just outlining something, shading isn't that important, really. But once you move into long and short stitch, colors become important, and the shading achieved by the stitching and color choices together is what makes long and short stitch look ok.

When I started, I thought I better take a look at some pine cones. What I noticed on larger, older, opened pine cones was that the tips were almost a white-ish grey, curved up, and the rest of the cone was a darker brown, and some almost blackish-brown. But on the small, closed pine cones, they're really brown - a nice brown. Not a lot of color difference in them. Just a nice woody-looking brown.

So I stuck with three shades of brown, to give the cone a bit of depth. I don't like the connection area - I guess it's the stem - up top, but that's the way the pattern was, so I ended up stitching it with two small areas of satin stitch for highlights, surrounded by a split-stitch filling in dark brown.

And that's the pine cone. Two more pine cones, one more bunch of berries!!! Remind me never to FILL IN on a TOWEL. Yes, as I mentioned yesterday when I was talking about the obvious merits of machine embroidery thread for paper embroidery, sometimes, I'm a bit slow lately!

But this is what really frustrates me - and perhaps it's just a problem with the way I'm looking at the stituation. You can tell me what YOU think:

I'm putting all this embroidery time and effort into a cotton flour sack towel.

It's not a linen table runner.

It's not a linen table cloth.

It's not even a pretty little crisp, white cotton Christmas apron.

It's a FLOUR SACK TOWEL!!!

:-) Ah, well. I'm in. So I may as well finish it! But, sheesh. Really. What was I thinking?

Labels: Christmas, Embroidery for the Home, gift ideas, Hand embroidery stitches, needlepainting

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 02, 2008
PermaLink  |  14 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Yesterday, I was sitting at lunch with my mom, perusing the ridiculous influx of magazines that pour, unsolicited, into her mailbox this time of year. I came across a line of wool felt table settings that caught my eye in one of them - and I looked at the price tag and said the same thing I say every time I look at similar items: "You could make this a lot cheaper!"

The "Do It Yourself" mentality is nothing really new, but in the past decade, I think the drive to get creative and make things has gained greater impetus. For those on limited budgets, the urge to Do It Yourself may be initiated by the desire to have certain types of items found in the retail world that exceed the limits of the purse strings. For others, the DIY mentality is a way of life - a principled stand against some facet of manufacturing or commercial enterprises. For some, they do it themselves because they know they can do it better.

When the DIY urging inevitably overtakes me this time of year, I have to remind myself of a few things .... so I tell myself the following:

1. You can't always DIY less expensively, but you can usually do it yourself better, simply because you can pay attention to quality of materials and workmanship that are often overlooked by commercial enterprises. So if you are going to put the time in to make it, then don't do a rush job, don't waste materials, use good materials, and make something that will last.

2. You can DSY (do something yourself) less expensively, if you pay close attention to your needs and your wants. If you don't Neeeeed it, you don't need it. So don't make it. Make something else! If you must "create," then create something you can afford to create. Re-use, dig into stash, etc. Forget the catalog ...

3. When you set about to improve upon something you've seen or to imitate it, add your own twist - at least take the source of inspiration up another notch to make it more "your own." If I'm going to imitate something and make it myself, I'd rather people not equate it automatically with something bought from a retailer.

Ok, all that being said... this DIY idea has GOT to be cheaper.... It's a good source of inspiration that I think could be adapted a bit and even improved upon.

The catalog was Williams-Sonoma, and the items are a table runner, placemats, and a tree skirt made from a red felt blend (read that correctly: probably 20% wool, 80% acrylic ... it was on sale at the local fabric shop off the bolt last week for $6.99 / yard) backed by white fabric. There's a cut out design in the red felt so that the white shows through.



These cutwork felt items from Williams-Sonomoa are rather striking, I think. I'm not exactly sure I would decorate my Christmas table with felt, especially at $60 for the equivalent of less than a yard of fabric for the runner (you'd probably have to buy more than that, to get the length in one piece, if you wanted it in one piece - unless you'd settle for a 72-inch runner as opposed to a 90-inch).



Zooming in on the pieces, they're just cut out ... there's no re-inforcement or anything on the cut edge. It's a clean cut - felt is great for that. A little template, a craft knife or small sharp scissors (I prefer the latter when working with felt), and you're all set.



There's also a 56-inch circular tree skirt for $89. Let's see... 72" wide on that felt blend from the local fabric store... so, two yards to make a 56" circle.

I suspect the white fabric is nothing too fancy-schmancy. Just cotton or a cotton-poly blend.

Anyway, this is, surprisingly, the only thing I've seen in any of the hyper-abundant, unsolicited magazines filling the mailbox lately that strikes me as something worth imitating. I'd probably change the cut-out pattern. And I probably wouldn't make a table runner and placemats. But little Christmas stockings for the tree or for gift-giving? Little gift bags? Ornaments? Yep. But you do realize there's something missing? Oooooh yes.... I'd definitely add some embellishment - just a touch of embroidery, in the right spots. It might take away from the clean-cut look. But, done right, it just might add the perfect touch.

So my mind is chewing on ideas for that. I may have already mentioned that this year is entirely a hand-made Christmas on my part, for three reasons: 1. I think it means more, though I may have a hard time convincing my younger nieces and nephews of that! 2. the budget; 3. I thought it would be, somehow, an interesting challenge for myself. Yes, well. I may regret #3 eventually!

My questions for you.... What are your thoughts on the DIY approach?

Do you consider yourself a Do-It-Yourselfer? (I know some very creative people who are not remotely DIYers!) Where do you take your Do It Yourself inspiration? Do you find it's less expensive to DIY (not taking into account the time spent)? If you are a DIY-er, why do you Do It Yourself? Any thoughts?

Labels: Christmas, gift ideas, wool felt

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, November 06, 2008
PermaLink  |  14 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

It's that time of year again when gift suggestions for embroiderers might come in handy for those of you who are looking for ... well, gift suggestions for embroiderers. One fun thing about needlework as a hobby is that you can accessorize, and golly, today, there are lots of options for needlework accessories. There are storage options, organizational options, materials options, and - my favorite - tools options. I have some "accessorized" tools that I'd like to show you, and that you might find to be fun gifts for avid stitchers.

Now, by "accessorized" embroidery tools, I'm talking about those kinds of tools that serve a utilitarian purpose while at the same time being unique, attractive, or just fun. Can you embroider without these tools? Certainly. Can you enjoy your needlework with out them? Of course! But are they nice to have? Definitely! "Accessorized" needlework tools are for the embroiderer who has the basics but is avid enough about stitching to go beyond the basics in outfitting a work basket.

Dazzling Ornaments is a small individually-owned business that specializes in tools and accessories for the stitcher, and having had the opportunity to look at some of these accessories up-close, I think they would make great gifts for the stitchers in your life (or for you, if you don't have any other stitchers around!). They'd make great little additions to guild ornament swaps or holiday gift swaps, and they'd be perfect as stocking stuffers.

The tools I've seen up close are the scissor fob sets (with the "Little Helper" tool string) and the laying tools.



The scissor fob set includes a scissor fob and a little tool chain. The tool chain includes two different needle threaders, a tapestry needle strung on the end (perfect for moving thread aside, counting beads or threads, etc.), and a small, very strong magnet on the end, to mount needles on while stitching, or to mount to your own needle-minder - or to help you find needles (it found one on my living room carpet!)



There's a hook (like a French wire earing hook) on one end of the chain, too. The hook is perfect for hanging the tool string on canvas, as it loops easily over stretched canvas so that you can have the string right on hand. Even on linen, though, I can hang it right on the edge of my work, by catching the hook in the edge of my fabric. That way, when I need a tool like a needle threader, it's right there, within easy reach.



The scissor fob itself has a metallic elastic loop on one end for attaching your scissors. The elastic loop was developed in answer to lobster claw hooks that can scratch the finish on the handles of fine scissors.



On the other end, the fob has three little off-shoots, where you can connect more tools if you want, or you can use one of them to attach your scissor fob to a chatelain, which are also offered at Dazzling Ornaments. The chatelains, in fact, are quite beautiful. I've never used one, but these are created for the modern needleworker - they don't attach to your clothes as they used to in the past. Instead, they hang around the neck, so you can keep your tools right with you while stitching. This is a great concept, I think, for the traveling stitcher - in the car, or on the plane (depending on the tool), or even when you go to needlework gatherings where you're working in a group - a great way to keep your tools handy, without having to lay them down and risk losing them.



Dazzling Ornaments also makes laying tools. These tools are carved from either bone or wood, and then finished with layers of acrylic, then polished and buffed to get the smooth surface necessary for the laying tool. The top of each tool is finished with a bead display. They have a whole line of different laying tools, each one unique.



With the tool I handled, I liked the overall feel of it, and the ornamental top was firmly attached. The only thing I would be sort of wary about was the glitter finish. There were a couple tiny spots towards the top where I could feel the glitter through the clear acrylic outer layer.... and, if I were working with flat silk, that could be disastrous. With regular stranded thread, though, it didn't pose a problem. If you work with flat silk, you could forego the glitter finish for one of the other finishes. If you don't work with flat silk, I don't think any slight (very minor) imperfections in this area would cause any difficulties.

The laying tools are actually a wonder. I was perusing the Dazzling Ornaments blog, and I thought the color selections were amazing and the amount of work that goes into creating the tools is really quite incredible!

I think the concept behind this company is really neat! For the stitcher who has everything, these types of tools are a fun addition to the work basket. They may not be used all the time, but at stitch outings and so forth, it's nice to have a tool display that is unique. Plus, I like the idea of supporting small businesses that make unique tools for the stitcher.

So if you've got stitchers on your gift-giving list this year, do take a look at the Dazzling Ornaments website to see what unique accessorized tools are available!

Labels: gift ideas, needlework tools, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 29, 2008
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Last night, I had the opportunity to work with these really interesting new needles on the market called Spiral Eye Needles. The point behind them (no pun intended!) is that you don't have to "thread" them the same way you do regular needles. So let's take a look at the Spiral Eye needle and see what it's all about.

There are two sizes of Spiral Eye needles - SE1 and SE2. SE1 is apparently suited for hand sewing and is similar to a sharp, size 4, and shaft-wise, equivalent to about a size 22 tapestry needle. SE2 is similar to a size 6 embroidery (or crewel) needle.



From left to right, you can see the SE1 (sharp, size 4), the SE2 (embroidery, size 6) and a regular size 7 crewel needle (Richard Hemming, I believe...)

The Spiral Eye needles are significantly larger, overall, than a regular embroidery needle:



You can see there the size of the needle shafts. The shafts are made from surgical quality stainless steel, unplated. The advantage to the unplated stainless steel is that you can sharpen them and they clean up well, so you don't have to pitch them when they've been over-used! Also, on the website for the Sprial Eye needle, they point out that most needles are coated with nickel, which some people are allergic to, so the stainless steel needle eliminates the question of nickel allergies.



This is the SE2, upclose. I didn't experiment with this particular needle. I notice that they are not presently available through the Spiral Eye website. I'm hoping they're working out some kinks in this needle. I like the size of it - it's not too big - but on both SE2s that I had, minor problems popped up. On one, the problem was threading and on the other, there was a burr in the eye - something you definitely don't want when you pay $5 for a needle! So I think perhaps the makers are working out those problems right now.

I tested and worked with the SE1 quite a bit, though.



It holds up to three strands of DMC cotton. It's super-easy to thread the needle - you just pinch the thread and slide it up the shaft and it pops right into the eye. If you're working with several strands of stranded cotton at a time, you have to thread each strand individually. All three together are too thick for the side opening on the needle. It doesn't take any time at all, really. They just slide right in.



This is a stitch in process here. I half-way expected the needle to catch on the fabric on the way back up, but it doesn't. It passes through the fabric very easily.



It occurred to me that an needle with an opening on the side might cause some difficulty with stitches like French knots, so I set about testing it with some of those.



It pulled through easily, without any hang-ups...



...resulting in nice French knots.



So I put the needle to work on a little piece of felt, anywhere I used stranded cotton. And it worked just fine!

Spiral Eye Needles in Summary

1. The little difficulties I experienced with both SE2 needles probably need to be straightened out before they are marketed too widely!

2. The SE1 is great for stitching with stranded cotton, up to three strands.

3. They really are easy to thread, and the thread does not come unthreaded like the calyx eye (top threading) needles do.

4. But, if you're using more than one strand of floss, you have to thread each strand individually.

5. But it doesn't take any time to do so - and if your strip your floss, anyway, I don't think this is any big deal.

6. The real advantage to these needles, I think, is for people who have a hard time threading regular needles because of eye sight problems or arthritis. The website suggests their use for children, which I suppose could be true, too, but I find, with teaching children, that heavier threads are better to use, and these needles won't accommodate heavier threads.

7. No, they won't work for heavier threads, such as crewel wool or even pearl cotton #12. They're great with any sewing or even heavy quilting thread, and they work great with one strand of DMC threaded at a time. But the heavier threads won't fit in the side opening. So, in this sense, they have a limited use.

I like the feel of the needles - they're smooth and tough. They're absolutely strong - bending them with your fingers is almost out of the question. It's quite obvious that they're made out of high quality material, with attention to detail, and made to last.

If you're looking for a Spiral Eye needle - a needle that's easy to thread and well-made - check out the Spiral Eye Needles website, where you can get the low-down on the company and their products.

While you're there, note their little motto: "A stitch in time saves nine ... but you still have to thread the needle!" Funny!

If you've tried these needles - or other "non-threading" needles (like the calyx needles) - please do let the rest of us know your thoughts about them! I'd like to hear what others have to say.

Labels: embroidery resources, gift ideas, needles, needlework tools, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 25, 2008
PermaLink  |  3 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's a sample I'm working up for my adult embroidery class, which is also looming - it starts a week from Tuesday, and I have two more samples to work up for it. At the same time, I am setting up a Big Project that needs to be finished before the end of July! So things are hopping here!

This is an embroidered guest towel. It's an oatmeal-colored linen-cotton blend with a drawn thread edge, from All About Blanks. You'll notice the note on the page there - to pre-wash before embroidering. These do shrink quite a bit, but I still like them, and I like them smaller!

I wanted an oatmeal colored towel to monogram in white for two reasons: I love the look of the white on natural-colored linens (I think it's pretty!), and I think, when it's the first time monogramming something, it's easier to work on a color with white than to work white-on-white. The fabric has been really easy to stitch on, but it's not crisp like a 100% linen fabric would be. It's soft, and it does have a bit of a fuzz to it - I like it a lot, and I think one of the reasons is the softness and the fuzz and the ease of stitching on it (or is that three reasons?).

I started by ironing the towel after laundering it and drying it. I folded the towel in half, long ways, to mark the center.



Then I unfolded it, but I noticed that the crease would probably cause difficulties placing the monogram!



I like the wide drawn thread hemstitching there, don't you? Anyway, I pressed the crease out lightly - just enough to still see where it was!



For the first time ever, I am using iron-on transfers. I don't think I've ever actually used one myself, though I've seen lots of people use them and I know lots of people like them. I figured it would be a huge time-saver for me, to have a good selection of iron-on transfers on hand, instead of our having to hand-transfer all the designs, which takes up a whole class period in itself!

So I centered the initial - I'm using a "B" - and followed the pressing directions.



And that's what I got. It's there, more or less - there's some kind of streaky thing going on there, but that's ok. That's the fastest I've ever put a design on a peice of fabric. I was elated!



But I found the blank streaks a bit distressing.



So I took a fine-tipped Micron art pen and drew in the missing lines. No big deal!



I hooped it up. I use Hardwick Manor hoops, made in Germany. They're an excellent embroidery hoop - very firm, very stable-feeling, and the hardware on them is solid brass and very sturdy, so you can use a screw driver and really tighten the hoop. They hold fabric quite well, and even better if you bind the inside ring, which I didn't on this hoop!

I hooped right over the drawn thread hemstitching - the towel is sturdy, and I'm not worried about damaging it. I don't keep my work on the hoop when I'm finished stitching for the day (always take your work off the hoop when you're finished for the day!), so I am pretty confident that this will be just fine!

It's nice to work on a hoop for a change. I usually have my work set up on a frame (stretcher bars, generally), which I clamp in my floor stand (I have the greatest floor stand ever!). But now and then, I think it's really nice to be able to sit on the couch or even at the table visiting, without dragging out my floor stand or a larger frame.



So, the fabric ready, it's time to pick out threads. Ahhh. I love Lacis (Incidentally, they now have free shipping). Here's my box of coton a broder and white floche. I have several skeins of each size, from 16 up to 40.



I originally thought that size 40 would be the way to go. So I began stitching with it, but it really got lost in the towel fabric. I wanted something that would sit up on the fabric!



Soooo... I split it in half, and tried size 20 instead, which I found to be just right. I want the monogram to sit up off the fabric, and there are a couple ways you can achieve this with monograming. One is to use a technique called trailing, where you satin stitch over bunched string. Whenever you need to narrow your design, you sink one or more of the strings in your bunch to the back of your fabric. But trailing is a technique you have to get a feel for - you want to sink your threads so that the change in size is gradual and smooth.

Since this is for more or less a beginner's class, and since the design itself doesn't really come to a tip anywhere (trailing is great for lettering that comes to a tip), I'm sticking with outlining, padding, and then satin stitching.

For the outline, I'm using backstitch. You can also use split stitch to outline under satin stitch. It doesn't really matter which one you use, except I kind of think split stitch might create a smoother line. In any case, I used backstitch.



After backstitching the outline, a worked the padding in long straight stitches, occasionally splitting them to fit a thread in, working down the length of the letter. My satin stitching will be worked on top of this, perpendicular to the padding.



Wow! All those pictures, just to show you an inch of real work! So there's the beginning of the "B."

Quick overview:

Ground fabric: Oatmean colored linen / cotton blend guest towel from All About Blanks.
Thread: DMC Coton a Broder #20, cut in 14" lengths
Needle size: #8 crewel
Stitch: Padded Satin
Stitching Time to this Point: 30 minutes
Thread: 3 14" inch lengths

So that's the beginning of my monogrammed guest towel sample. I'll show you an update soon!

By the way, any good recommendations for iron-on transfer books? I've found a few I really like, but I'd love to hear of others!

This project was written up in four separate articles. If you'd like to view the progress of the project, please follow the links below:

Part I - (That's this article!)

Part II - Continuing stitching, discussion of stitches, some trouble-shooting

Part III - Taking the Curves with Satin Stitch - discussion of stitch direction and working around curves using the padded satin stitch

Part IV - the finished guest towel!

Labels: Embroidery for the Home, Embroidery Projects, gift ideas, linen, monograms, needlework pictures, pictures, whitework

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 14, 2008
PermaLink  |  9 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

For all those who sent me e-mail and so forth expressing kind wishes for my birthday, thank you! I'm not zealous about celebrating my birthday, but who doesn't like receiving good wishes? And... who doesn't like receiving the "perfect" birthday gift? Well, if you embroider and if your tastes are similar to mine, you'll understand how thrilled I was to receive a hefty little package from my sister...

I have an older sister who likes to embroider as well, and in the earlier years of Inspirations Magazine, she was a subscriber. She kept the issues, of course... and now....

THEY'RE MINE!!



I haven't had a chance to pour over them slowly, but it's a nice supply for lunch-break magazine perusals.

Isn't she nice?!

There's one project that did catch my eye right off the bat. One of the magazines has an Or Nué (goldwork and silk) strawberry design in it. I feel another strawberry brewing...! Oh no!

Labels: embroidery books, gift ideas, personal, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, April 12, 2008
PermaLink  |  9 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 18, 2007
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 04, 2007
PermaLink  |  1 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, November 26, 2007
PermaLink  |  14 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

When it comes to hand embroidery, you've probably already realized I'm a bit obsessed. I often wonder if I'm going to 'stick with' embroidery all my life, or if I'm ever going to lose interest in it - you know, like outgrowing certain kinds of household decorations or fashion preferences, or even hair styles! But I guess it's not the same - and one thing that keeps me delighted in embroidery, besides the creative process, is the variety of stuff out there that makes the work prettier, easier, more organized... I like the accessories!

While squizzing about the internet, I came upon another embroiderer's blog, and on it, I saw an accessory I had never seen before: thread rings. These are little rings of mother-of-pearl that you hook your threads through to keep them organized. I suppose any smooth rings would work, but these are apparently made just for thread.



The Happy Stitcher worked up a beautiful little thread roll, inside of which she lined up these thread rings, hung on ribbon, to keep thread for a project organized. Incidentally, speaking of accessories, the Happy Stitcher also makes and sells pretty little scissor and zipper fobs. And, while you're looking around her site, you might be interested in her "finishing school," where she gives step-by-step photo instructions on finishing different types of needlework projects.

Back to the thread rings.... When I saw this delightful little stitching accessory, I wanted to know what the rings were... and so I searched around for "thread rings" and came up with this:



Stitching Bits and Bobs is an extremely colorful website devoted to supplies for embroidery, and especially for needlepoint and counted thread designs. It is, in fact, the site where you can find Giulia Punti Antichi's embroidery designs. She's the lady who designed the little free Assisi work etui pattern I posted a while ago. You can find Giulia's patterns at Stitching Bits and Bobs, so if you want some nice designs to browse or purchase, you might take a look at them!

Back to the thread rings: I think they're a great idea. They don't have to be used in a thread roll like the happy stitcher did, but if they are, I think they would be very effective. I was also thinking they would be nice, just strung on a ribbon or on a bigger ring, while working a project. I suppose you could slip your thread in them and carry them loose, too.

There's also another cool little accessory at Bits and Bobs called a "thread keep." It's mother-of-pearl as well, and it holds six groups of floss:



I don't have any of the above accessories, but they look like great ideas, and someday, I might even invest in some of them! Would they keep me more organized? Hmmm. I can't guarantee it! One of these days, I'll have a little etui roll - I'll roll it up and put it in my nantucket basket, and love the fact that everything tucks prettily away. But I reckon I'll have to make it first - so I may be waiting a while! In the meantime, I guess I'll let my plastic box continue rattling inside my basket!

Oh - by the way - with Christmas in the not-too-distant future, I think all these accessories - the thread rings and keeps, or the scissor and zipper fobs - would make marvelous stocking stuffers for stitchers!!

Labels: embroidery resources, gift ideas, needlework products

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, October 12, 2007
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Embroidered monograms fascinate me, and I love to see the art of hand embroidery displayed on usable linens and household goods. The best way to add a personal touch to these types of items is to add a monogram. But sometimes I get stumped when trying to think up a pattern!

Designs for hand embroidery can be found all over the internet - it just takes some looking, which unfortunately, can take time. That's why I put together the list of online hand embroidery patterns - so that you don't have to spend as much time hunting! The list grows slowly, and I'm always glad to take recommendations to add to it.

Recently, I came across another gem. I just love it.It's a very pretty monogram and embellishment pattern. The pattern is shown as an embroidered handkerchief pattern, but it would look great on guest towels - perfect for a wedding gift, for example - on pillow cases, or even on the front of a tote bag.

The monogram design is offered by Plaid Online, which is a website devoted to all kinds of craft stuff.



So that's the page with the monogram project on it. Below the photo, you can click for a pattern. They also give you an alphabet, for the non-A people out there.

If you like monograms and embroidered household goods, check out this embroidered monogram pattern, and try it! I'm adding it to my (very-very-long-and-ever-growing) list of things to do .... someday.

Labels: free embroidery patterns, gift ideas, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 14, 2007
PermaLink  |  2 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 23, 2007
PermaLink  |  1 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, May 09, 2007
PermaLink  |  5 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Over the Christmas holidays, I had the chance to work on a small needle painting project. Using primarily long and short stitch, I worked up one of Tanja Berlin's kits, and it was heaps of fun! So I thought I'd share a couple photos of my completed Red Poll.

The Red Poll kit from Tanja Berlin is suitable for beginners on up. It includes the fabric with the design on it, the thread, needles, and a very complete set of instructions with a color photo for reference.

So this is the whole image of my finished piece:



My Red Poll didn't come out quite as nicely as the photo! I didn't think to refer to the color photo until the end. The feet and the beak make this really clear. I have a bird myself - I should have realized that the feet didn't look remotely like bird feet! But other than the feet and the beak, I was pretty satisfied with this attempt at a "realistic" (as opposed to stylized) animal.

My favorite part of the image is the branch, actually:



I like the pine needles, and the variation in dark and light.



I also like the wings on the bird! The precision in Tanja's kits, when it comes to detail, is incredibe! And I think it really shows in the wings of the bird.

And here's a close up on the face. I can bear the slightly wrong look of the beak, but I cannot bear the really WRONG look of the feet! So here's the face, and no close-up on his swollen feet!!



Aw, he's a cute little bird!

I was a little off on my stitch direction on the body as well. The other thing I had a problem with was remembering to take the stitches longer than I thought. I tend to go shorter on my long and short stitches, when I should be going longer. I'm too "mechanical" in this sense when I embroider. You can definitely see the effects of this in the first photo above, where the dark shadowed area in the middle of the body doesn't look quite as natural as it should.

This kit was HEAPS of fun to work. The directions are step-by-tiny-step. Tanja takes the stitcher through each element of the piece, one step at a time, so that even a beginner can work this kit. After completing it, I ordered a couple other kits to work on throughout this upcoming year for "fun" - and also because I think, framed up, they would make great little gifts. So that's my plan as the year progresses.

Now, if you want to get the hang of needle painting techniques and working with long and short stitch, you absolutely cannot go wrong with one of Tanja's kits. Even if you've never done this kind of work before, don't worry!! You'll catch on quickly with her easy directions, color-coding, and tips. Start with one of her beginner kits (such as this Red Poll or one of the pansies), and before you know it, you'll master this technique! You can find Tanja's kits online at her website: Berlin Embroidery Designs. She's in Canada, so if you're in the US, you'll pay a little bit extra on shipping, and you'll have to wait a little bit longer - but it's worth it! On the bright side, if the dollar's strong, you'll get a good exchange rate that will make up for the difference in shipping. Tanja is also my source for goldwork supplies such as metal threads, so if you're interested in 2% gold for goldwork, you'll find it on her site.

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery resources, gift ideas, needlepainting, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, February 19, 2007
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, February 05, 2007
PermaLink  |  2 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Most people consider the Christmas Season to be over, but in my family and our traditions, Christmas lasts until January 6th. We keep our decorations up through the Feast of the Epiphany (when we celebrate the adoration of Christ the King by the three magi, pictured below in a William Morris tapestry).



We have even been known to give gifts yet again on that day - "Little Christmas" it is called in some traditions. Even if your holiday gift-giving is over, since it's the New Year, you may be taking stock of what's ahead - birthdays and anniversaries are bound to show up throughout the year, so it's not a bad idea to keep on hand some gift-giving ideas.

So, with that in mind, I'm going to pop up occasionally with a "home made" gift idea throughout the year.

The first one is this template for a wine bag. I came across the template on a machine embroidery website, but it can very easily be embellished with hand embroidery. I was rather excited to find it, as I have a few major anniversaries coming up this year in the family, and I thought it would make a great presentation for a celebratory bottle of bubbly or a nice wine. It would also be great for a house warming gift, or for that "What-Should-I-Get-Him-For-Father's-Day?" gift.

You'll find the template here.

Ideas for embellishment might include a monogram, a family crest, wedding bells, a favorite type of flower or pet, a bunch of grapes, a favorite quote or saying, etc. For fabric, I'd look for something limp, with a drapey kind of lining. Crushed velvet comes to mind for the outside, with a nice cord for the neck (cording can be found at any sewing or hobby store - look in the drapery / upholstery section - or you can make your own following this little practical tutorial).

I would draw the template out on paper first, to make a pattern, then I would cut my fabric large enough to accommodate the shape of the bag and to fit on a hoop or frame. I'd mount the fabric first, then I'd trace my pattern template for the shape of the bag. Then I'd center my design and transfer it onto the fabric to embroider it. If using a washable fabric, I'd use Solvy to transfer my design, but if not, I'd use dressmaker's carbon or pounce.

After stitching, I'd sew the bag together according to instructions - and voila! a pretty nice gift.

Labels: gift ideas

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, December 31, 2006
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this