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Saturday, August 15, 2009

Historical Needlework Give Away Winner!

Earlier in the week, I posted a give away featuring embroidery items related to different eras of needlework history. And since I know you're just absolutely dying to know just Who Won, here's the winner...

The winner of the historical needlework give away is:

(drumroll)....

Annie in hotter 'n heck Michigan!

The problem is, if it isn't hotter than heck in Michigan right now, do you still win?

Contact me, Annie, with your mailing address, and I'll get that out to you soon. First, I'm going to copy that linen - I meant to do that last week, but just haven't quite gotten to it!

Thanks, all, for participating! We'll do it again soon!

Labels: stash contest, website news

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Historical Needlework in Give-Away Form!

Here's a little give-away that spans a few historical styles of needlework. It's not a huge, multi-item give-away, but in itself, it's rather meaty. We've got 17th century embroidery, 18th - 19th century Quaker-style sampler needlework, and finally, surface embroidery from the 19th / early 20th century - all in one give-away!. Hey, what more could you want??! (Rhetorical question!)

I thought it would be fun to group together some embroidery items by era and style and give them away to someone interested in all kinds of embroidery! And, if you're only interested in one thing represented here, I suppose the rest would make good gifts to other needleworking friends.

Historical Needlework Give-Away on needlenthread.com

It's an odd mix of needlework-related goods, actually...

Historical Needlework Give-Away on needlenthread.com

First, representing the 17th century, I've selected four blank cards from the Plimoth Plantation Jacket notecards. These are nice cards, printed on quality paper, and featuring up-close photos of motifs embroidered on the Plimoth Jacket. The four cards each feature a different motif, so you'll probably have a hard time deciding which to keep and which to give away! They'd make great birthday cards, thank you notes, or what-have-you for anyone interested in textiles. You can view the designs on all the cards on Thistle Threads. 10% of each purchase of the box of cards goes to the support of the Jacket Project.

Historical Needlework Give-Away on needlenthread.com

Representing the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in the style of Quaker samplers, here's the Ackworth school memory book. This is a nifty little book where you can record your stitching. It has a zipper pocket in it, and various sleeves and pages for affixing stitch samples and so forth, as well as areas for writing commentary, some card threadwinders to cut out and use, some postcards that can be cut out and sent through the mail, and even little stitch diagrams for Quaker motifs. Neat little book! You can see inside the memory book on Needleprint, which is the publisher of the book. I happened upon a special on these not a year ago, so I picked a couple up, thinking they'd make good gifts.

Historical Needlework Give-Away on needlenthread.com

And, moving into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we've got a pre-printed vintage linen (in fairly good shape). These are from the box of linens and threads I wrote about the other day.

Historical Needlework Give-Away on needlenthread.com

And two skeins of M. Heminway & Sons silk. If you've been itching to see this silk up close, here's your opportunity to get your hands on some!

Historical Needlework Give-Away on needlenthread.com

The skeins are in fairly good shape - still braided with tags - but you can see that the pink is having a bad hair day. Still, it's usable, and it's beautiful!

Needlework Giveaway Participation Guidelines

To participate in the giveaway, please leave a comment below this post on the website. If you're reading this in your feedreader or in the e-mail newsletter, just click on the title of the article, and that will take you straight to the website!

In your comment, please leave a name. If you comment annonymously, please make sure you sign a name inside the comment box before you submit it!

In your comment, please answer the following question:

What's your favorite style and / or era of embroidery and why?

I'll draw for a winner on August 14th at the end o' the day, and I'll let you know on the 15th who won. The winner will then need to contact me with a postal address. If for some reason contact isn't made, I'll re-draw for a new winner.

Thanks for participating!

Labels: Book Give-Away, historical needlework, linen, pictures, stash contest, threads

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Needlework Give-Away Winners Announced!

For this give-away, which I announced Monday to celebrate Needle 'n Thread's 3rd Anniversary, I've selected three winners, who will receive a nice little package of needlework supplies!

Each package will contain a selection of embroidery threads, some accessories, and a few little embellishments. I'm pretty sure the winners will like them!

Each winner needs to contact me with a mailing address, so that I can put the goods in the mail. However, since I'm going out of town tomorrow for vacation, the packages probably will not be mailed until I return. (Sorry!)

Without further ado, the winners of the Needle 'n Thread Third Anniversary Give-Away are:

Pierette (Love to Stitch 99)

Agne (who I believe is in Lithuania!)

Haley Shurtleff (which works out well, because she's a college student, and we all know what college students' budgets look like...!)

Congratulations, you winners, you! Please don't forget to contact me with your mailing address!

Now, for the nitty-gritty! Tomorrow, I'm off! But don't forget to check the website each day for several interesting articles that are coming up - among them, an aquatic sampler that will have you just bedazzled by the colors and stitching, a hand-embroidered coif (for you historical embroidery buffs), some first-hand discussion on stitching your way into a successful Etsy shop experience, a tutorial on a form of Indian embroidery, a beautiful quilt made by a grandmother and featuring one of the patterns here on Needle 'n Thread, a tutorial (from me) on mitering corners for finish work, several really nice free online book links, a new silk resource, finished photos of the pall, a review of a goldwork kit perfect for beginners (yes, well... I couldn't resist buying it, so I thought I better show it to you), and ... well, I'm HOPING to give you some updates of my journey and any stitchery shops along the way, but that depends a lot on hotel internet connections!

So, see, I won't be abandoning you! I'll do my best to keep comments moderated, but chances are, I won't be able to answer too much e-mail!

Wishing you the best in the next couple weeks! Keep stitching!

Labels: personal, stash contest, website news

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Blog Anniversary! Three Years?!?

Today is the Three Year Anniversary of Needle 'n Thread! Three years seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? But I don't feel like I've been doing this for three years.... Anyway, how about we do something SPECIAL for the day?

First, I'm going to gush. Bear with it! (You can always scroll to the end if you think I'm going Overboard!) I get so many kind e-mails and comments from readers who are always expressing their gratitude for my website, but do you know how much that is reciprocated on my part? I have, I think, the Best Bunch of Blog-Reading People in the Whole Blog Universe, right here on Needle 'n Thread. I'm sure there are bigger and better blogs out there, but I can't imagine that they have as much fun, or learn as much, or get such enjoyment from their readers as I do from you all. I just love keeping this blog up, and I love doing it, because of you, the audience.

It's a weird thing, you know. When I first started this website, I had no idea what kind of interest it would evoke, and it was a tentative, shaky start, as I had never done anything quite like blogging before.

I'm happy with the way it has grown, and I love the constant challenge of keeping up with it and trying to focus and fine-tune it. I love the possibilities my blog is always presenting to me - I think I'm a better embroiderer because of my website. I try harder and I try things I wouldn't necessarily ever try, if it weren't for the website. And that keeps my needlework life pretty exciting.

And... I only do all that because I have a great audience!

So, to celebrate - oh, let's - let's have a give-away! Let's have a 3-person give-away!

But, this is the hitch! I'm leaving Thursday, so it has to be a quick give-away. Besides, instead of having it published all over the web, where droppers-by jump in and sign up and we never hear from them again, I'd rather keep it among us - a quiet, closer-knit give-away. The only way to do that, methinks, is to make it a quick turn-around on the drawing...

So, with that in mind, three lucky readers will be drawn for this year's anniversary give-away, and I am going to send you a selection of nice threads, some thread rings and accessories, some embellishments, and whatever other neat things pop into my head. And I'd show you a picture of the goods, but... drat... I left my camera at my sister's house and won't be getting it until late Monday or early Tuesday (I'm typing this on Sunday!). Tuesday, if I can, I'll post a picture. Anyway, the point is to get the give-away started, and you'll just have to trust me on the loot!

My Great Three Year Anniversary Give-away ends on Wednesday morning, June 16th, at 5:00 am, at which time I will announce the winners. If I hear from the winners before the end of the day Wednesday, I can get the packages in the mail before I leave for vacation on Thursday morning. If not, they'll be mailed as soon as I get back!

To enter, answer the following question in the comments section on the website under this post only:

What feature do you like best on Needle 'n Thread, and what would you like to see more of? Your answer will help me improve the site and keep it interesting for you!

Thank you for a fun three years!!

Labels: stash contest, website news

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Monday, June 08, 2009

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit Winner!

Last week, I announced this give-away of a Trish Burr Embroidery Kit, and today, I'm going to announce the winner!

Perhaps I haven't mentioned this before, but for those of you who read my website pretty regularly, you know I'm a fan of Trish's. So I was really excited when Trish finished them and released them! It's a huge undertaking, to prepare enough kits to be able to "go public" with them in the retail world. Trish said that her mom and dad and her own kids and their college friends helped her with the packaging. Can you imagine snipping all the thread, bundling the colors together correctly, making sure everything is in the right little bag, labeling everything correctly, and all the work it must take to package up embroidery kits? All done at home?! Just the instructions alone - making sure that all the colors are labeled, there are no glitches in the instructions with misnumbered colors, corresponding the instructions with the supply lists, with the pictures, and all that - I would imagine this is a painstaking, concentrated effort!

Why am I saying all this? I suppose so that we can better appreciate these kits. They aren't commercially produced by some large company like Dimensions or Leisure Arts. They're produced at home, with the help of family and friends, under the meticulous direction of one person overseeing, directing, working... all to achieve the goal of producing a kit for ... you. That's right! Yes, there's a small profit involved, but compared to to work that goes into the production, the profit is really minimal. Those who have ever set up kits for embroidery classes - or who have ever bought the supplies for a finished project - understand this.

The more I look over the kits, anticipating the moment when I can actually launch in, the more I am struck by the careful attention to detail and all the hard work that must go into making them! Thanks, Trish!

Now, on to the WINNER.

Triah asked if she could pick the winner, and I was ready to let her. I explained the process I use for selecting the winner, and she agreed rather to let me do it! It would be nice to be able to pick a winner on the merit of one's answer, but the fact is, so many answers are similar, so there's no real way to distinguish merit objectively! So the Random Selection Approach seems to be the only fair way to go about it.

This is what I do: I keep an ever-developing list of names of those who leave a comment that fulfills the directions of the contest. I fill out this list on a spreadsheet as I moderate the comments. I found it's a lot easier to make up the list as the comments are moderated than to have to go back at the end of the contest and grab all the names off the website!

I eliminate duplicates, and I don't include comments left on other posts or sent via e-mail. I'm sorry to have to be so "mean" on this point, but it's already a ton of work to run the contest fairly; I can't gather names from everywhere. Besides, it's in the directions!

Then, once I've moderated the stragglers - those are the comments that came in under the wire the morning of drawing - I mix up the names on the spread sheet. This is, in fact, kind of an electronic shaking-of-the-hat before drawing the name.

Then I use a random number generator and it gives me the number corresponding to the winner.

So, you see, there's a complicated process here, but I try to keep it entirely objective, strictly according to the rules, and completely based on chance. (I would prefer, I think, to do things based on merit, but I don't know how to accomplish that in these types of contests! Any suggestions?!?!?!)

OK - SORRY - I'm really gabbing a lot. Here it is. The random number was 84, and it corresponded, on the "mixed up" spreadsheet, with Clare-Anne from Wieser, Oregon, who answered the question thus:

What would I do with this? Why, frame it of course! I can't imagine needleworking something like this and putting it in a situation that it could get ruined in! I would frame it behind glass and hang it on the wall.

I'm 17, but I hope I am still eligible.

Apparently, you are still eligible! Congratulations! Please drop me an e-mail by Wednesday morning, Clare, with your mailing address so I can get this off to you as soon as possible.

Now, if you didn't win, and are dying to have one of Trish's kits, you can still purchase them via her website. While postage seems a bit high (it's been slightly reduced since the kits were first made available), keep in mind that they are coming insured airmail, and that you can order two kits for the same postage. Perhaps you can split the postage with a stitching buddy who wants to go in with you and get a kit, too.

Once more, Congratulations, Clare! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Do keep an eye out, everyone! I'll be running a June stash contest later in the month!

Labels: stash contest, Trish Burr

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Sunday, June 07, 2009

Last Change to Sign Up for Embroidery Kit Give-Away!

Tonight (Sunday, June 7th) is your last chance to sign up for my give-away - a beautiful embroidery kit from Trish Burr! If you haven't already done so, read the give-away post and follow the directions for the give-away. The winner will be drawn Monday morning, June 8th, at 5:00 am CST, so you still have a bit of time to sign up!

Labels: needlepainting, stash contest, Trish Burr

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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

I'm Giving Away a Trish Burr Embroidery Kit!

Here 'tis, then - the give-away I mentioned early, when I spoke of Trish Burr's kits that arrived last week! Trish very generously sent along one that could be used as a give-away to my readers! If you've been wanting to try thread painting techniques, this is a great way to learn!

The embroidery kit that I'm giving away is the one titled "Flowers in Bloom," designed for beginner "plus" stitchers.

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

This project is suitable for anyone beginning needle painting, who has some knowledge of stitching in general. I think, given the clear and detailed instructions, a flat-out beginner who is interested could definitely work this project.

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

Here's a list of the kit contents...

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

The instructions include clear diagrams, written instructions, and step-by-step photos of the project as it is worked, to help guide the stitcher to a beautiful finished product.

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

The linen comes with the design pre-printed on it, so you don't have to transfer your pattern - in other words, you can launch right into the fun part, which is stitching!

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

There's even a nice practice cloth, so you can play with the different types of elements in the design before stitching them on the finished piece.

Trish Burr Embroidery Kit: Flowers in Bloom

And, as a full kit, it comes with all the threads, clearly labeled, as well as two needles. All you need is your own hoop or frame and scissors, and you're ready to start stitching!

If you'd like a chance to win this kit, these are the instructions to join the give-away:

1. Leave a comment below, on this blog post (not via e-mail, or on any other post).

2. In your comment, answer the following question: Once you finish stitching this piece, what do you think you'd do with the finished embroidery?

3. Comments must be received by 5:00 am CST, Monday, June 8th. I'll announce the contest winner on Monday. Whoever wins must then contact me with a mailing address within 48 hours. If I do not hear from the first winner, I'll draw another name! Instructions for contacting me will be on the post announcing the winner!

Thanks for joining in! And thanks, Trish, for the extra kit!

Labels: pictures, stash contest, Trish Burr

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Needlework Stash Give-Away Winner!

Well, here 'tis - the winner of the May Needlework Stash Give-Away here on Needle 'n Thread!

It was a long, laborious process this morning, arriving at the name of the winner of this package of embroidery threads and Other Various Good Things. Normally, I try to keep up with my "method" of picking the winners as the comments come in, each day adding the new names to an ever-growing list, which I finally number, then randomly sort. Then, I have the computer pick a random number, and there's the winner.

Well, it sure beats writing the names on paper, cutting it up, and drawing from hat, which is what I used to do when I first started doing little give-aways.

But with 155 comments, and not having kept up with them as I normally do, it took me quite a bit of time to manage the whole thing this morning! Top that with an 8:15 meeting at school, and there you have my excuse for the late announcement of...

THE WINNER!

Who happens to be....

Magpie's Mumblings! Magpie answered the question about thread organization thus:

To answer your storage question...my embroidery flosses are all wound on cardboard bobbins; my spools of pearl cotton are stored in a plastic container with a lid; and my silk ribbons are also in a plastic container. The containers I use are all the same and stack nicely on my shelves. Pretty much all my smaller needleworking supplies are stored that way.

When I begin a project I go through and pull out any threads I feel I might use and they, in turn, go into another plastic container or, if it's a smaller project, they go into a ziploc bag.

Hm. She sounds a lot like me! I had great fun reading all the comments and seeing how people organize their threads and projects differently. If you're feeling frustrated with your present organizational methods (or lack thereof!), take a look at the comments on the original post for the May give-away. You might find a technique that suits you and is easy and feasible to use!

Magpie, please contact me with your mailing address and I'll get this off to you in the next week! I'll be throwing in a couple little extras, which I hope you enjoy!

You know, each time I do this, I see many, many familiar names! I wish I could send you all a little something, but as a consolation, just know that we will be doing it again. In fact (oooooohhhhh....), I've got a good one coming up. Remember that I mentioned Trish Burr's new embroidery kits? I do believe I shall be giving one of those away soon! So... keep an eye out!

Thanks, everyone, for participating, and for all your helpful information on how you organize your thread stash!

Labels: stash contest

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hand Embroidery Stash Give-away Reminder!

Just a quick note to remind you that tomorrow morning (Wednesday, May 20) at 5:00 a.m. CST, my May Stash Give-Away comes to an end! If you haven't had a chance to enter, please feel free to check out the original post, read the question posed at the end of the post, and answer the question in the comment section on the original post. As I mentioned in yesterday's article, I'll be including a few more goodies in the stash package that aren't shown there, including some silk threads and a nice piece of linen, thanks to BJ!

Do sign up if you haven't already done so!

Good luck!

Labels: stash contest

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Stash Building with Online Friends!

Since I started blogging here on Needle 'n Thread (almost three years ago!), I've come into contact with some great and generous online stitching friends! I'm pretty convinced that one of the special marks of the needleworker is generosity. From hundreds of needlework bloggers that generously share their tips online, to the needleworkers who swap magnificent hand-made treasures, to the needleworkers who share their interest by sending bits and pieces of stash hither and thither to friends - needleworkers tend to be generous.

This weekend, the Theory of Needleworker Generosity was once again made manifest in my life by a package I received in the post on Saturday.

Embroidery Stash Additions from a Friend

Embroidery Stash Additions from a Friend

You know what it's like to receive a delightful and unexpected package in the mail that contains Just the Stuff you like? Well, that was me on Saturday - and it was such fun to open this package! In addition to the above items were two other yellow and white tea towels that match the yellow waffle-weave towel on the left - but they're out in the studio awaiting ideas already!

Embroidery Stash Additions from a Friend

There were three beautiful tea towels in sunny yellow and yellow and white, three very nice-sized pieces of linen, one of which is the dyed linen in the background of the photo above, and a good sized piece of Aida cloth... as well as coton a broder in size 20...

Embroidery Stash Additions from a Friend

...a goodly selection of Kreinik's silk mori, which I have never actually stitched with, but which I've wanted to try...

Embroidery Stash Additions from a Friend

... some Gentle Art embroidery cotton, along with Anchor and DMC rayon...

Embroidery Stash Additions from a Friend

... and a length of pearl purl!

Now, is that not all the stuff that I just love? Have you ever seen a package that hit the nail on the head so well?

There are a couple reasons I'm sharing this with you in such a public way, by the way! No... I'm not hinting for everyone reading to send me stuff! No... I'm not bragging... "Na na na - look what I got!" ... First, to thank BJ for her kind package, and second, to tell you that one of the reasons she sent it was a kind of "pay it forward" notion, in relation to my stash give-aways. So... some of this will be coming to you, too! That way, we can all be recipients of BJ's generosity!

I have to admit, though.... heh heh. I've been wanting to try out some hand embroidery on waffle-weave towels, so I have a feeling the sunny yellow towel will probably stay with me, at least for a bit. Once I stitch on it, I'll pass it on as a gift. And the tiny yellow and white check towel is going to get used, too, I'm afraid - I'm going to test a drawn thread theory on it!

So keep your eyes out for upcoming stash give-aways that will feature some of the goodies from BJ!

I'm also going to add a couple fibers and a piece of linen to the May give-away, which I posted this past Saturday. If you haven't signed up for it yet, please do by reading the original post and leaving a comment on the original post (answer the question posed in the give-away!).

A great big THANK YOU to BJ for the goodies and for the opportunity to pass them on to others!

Labels: pictures, stash contest, supplies

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Saturday, May 16, 2009

May Needlework Stash Give-Away!

Ah, for the month of May, I'm giving away a nice collection of fun threads, along with a couple little needlework extras...

I've mentioned a few times that I'm got this fiber infatuation thing going - I just love embroidery threads! Part of the fun of these stash give-aways is that you get the opportunity to perhaps try out some threads you've never used before. So I've put together a little collection of different threads here, hoping there's something new in the batch for your own needlework experimentation!

Needlework Give Away for May, 2009, on Needle 'n Thread

Needlework Give Away for May, 2009, on Needle 'n Thread

For threads, you'll find (left to right) two skeins of Silk 'n Colors by Thread Gatherer, Gloriana silk, Dinky Dyes silk,and two variegated cottons from Weeks Dye Works.

Needlework Give Away for May, 2009, on Needle 'n Thread

Two cards of Rainbow Gallery threads are also included.

Needlework Give Away for May, 2009, on Needle 'n Thread

And, for those who like storage solutions for beads or for needles, how about some needle tubes? These are sold as needle tubes, but I find them equally handy for seed beads. I've also used them for non-needlework-related stuff, like a small quantity of balm and olive oil mixed together. No leakage - perfect little tube for traveling.

Needlework Give Away for May, 2009, on Needle 'n Thread

There's the whole collection. You'll also notice a mesh zipper bag in the background, which is great for holding threads for a project. These mesh bags are sturdy, they don't snag on the threads, they actually have a real zipper (not ziplock), and they breathe.

Needlework Give Away for May, 2009, on Needle 'n Thread

That's the give-away for May!

To enter, leave a comment below (on this post on the website, not via e-mail), and in your comment, answer the following the question:

How do you store / arrange your threads for projects? Do you use little bags? Thread rings? Do you wind them on bobbins or cards? Do you loop them through holes on thread cards? What's your solution for keeping your threads together when you start a project?

If you comment anonymously, please make sure you sign a name to your comment!

I'll draw a winner Wednesday, May 20th, at 5:00 am CST, so get your comment in by then! The winner will also be announced on Wednesday - please make sure you check back to see if it is you!

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

And the Winner Is....

I'm very happy and excited to announce the winner of my Birthday Give-Away.

The lucky winner is going to receive a nice little bundle of needlework and embroidery items, along with a few other pretty tidbits - and I'm dying to show you the collection, but that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?! I have to wait until she gets the box! I had fun putting it together!

Thank you all so much for the happy birthday wishes! I had so much fun reading your comments as they came in! Your views on gifts seem to fall into several categories, but most seem to focus around a few notable ideas: that it's often more fun to give than to receive; that the thought is what counts, more than the gift; and that some gifts are not "purchasable," but rather given from the heart - not necessarily things, if you get my drift.

Anyway, it was fun to read your comments! I wish I could send everyone a little package! I was actually wondering what it would be like to organize a large "little something" mailing, but I couldn't do it - it would break the bank! Never fear - there will be future opportunities to win other give-aways! Thank you for participating!

Without further ado, the winner is:

Emily B. from New Mexico...

Congratulations, Emily! Please contact me with your mailing address, and I'll get your little box of goodies on its way!

Today, I'm heading out to the studio to do some straightening and organizing, so that I can launch into the several things that I must do this week! Wish me luck!

Labels: stash contest

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Monday Morning Post Holiday Delay!

Just a quick note to let you all know that the birthday give-away announcement will be a leeeeetle delayed! I'm off to a slow start after a weekend of company and family obligations! (Holiday weekends always end up this way....)

This week, I've got some neat stuff to show you - some birthday presents (!) that are needlework related and Really Exciting (I'm excited, anyway!) and photos of the spring gardern corner on the towel, which I did finally finish on Easter Sunday afternoon, just before giving it to my sister as a gift!

By the way, don't forget that the French Needle is giving a 10% discount to readers of Needle 'n Thread through April. To find out how to get 10% off your order, read my original post on The French Needle! I bring it up because (guess what??!), I got a pretty cool birthday present from there. It's nice when family members do actually read my website!

My needle and thread related work this week includes working on videos, studio organization, setting up a commissioned project that's due in June, and setting up a sampler with my niece. Those are the things I must get done - I have a whole list of things I want to get done, too, but we'll see! I'll let you know how I progress!

I hope everyone had a terrific weekend! I'll announce the give-away winner tomorrow, then, first thing. If you haven't had a chance to sign up, the deadline's extended to tomorrow morning at 5:00 am CST (Tuesday, April 14)!

Labels: stash contest, website news

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Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me Give-Away!

Sounds a bit self-centered, doesn't it - a "Happy Birthday to Me" give-away? I guess as long as I'm giving away the gift, I can get away with the title within the bounds of decent etiquette!

I've been chuckling over this give-away idea for a few days, wondering just how people would react to it. I realize I may get very little participation! But I can't help it - my curiosity has the better of me, and now that I'm locked in on this idea, I feel compelled to try it! Besides, it's my party, and I'll try if I want to!

Oh, gosh. I'm cracking up!

What is she babbling on so about, you ask?? Well, read on....

Here is my Happy Birthday to Me Give-Away:

The charm of birthday gifts is the surprise. What's the fun in telling your family or friends, "This is what I want for my birthday," and then getting it? Oh, there might be a mercenary comfort in doing that (we don't have to pay for something we want, and no one wastes money on something we don't want), but where's the delight and unexpected pleasure? Where's that tickling anticipation as the gift is opened up? In short, there's no surprise! The best gifts are the ones you don't expect, after all!

So, for my birthday give-away, I'm going to send a surprise gift to someone!

In the past, I've had some pretty good give-aways:

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

They often include some fibrous, thready assortment...

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

... and sometimes they include embellishments.

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

Sometimes, they have nice needlework accessories in them!

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

Sometimes, books...

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

... of various kinds.

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

Sometimes, they are rather elaborate...

Embroidery Stash Give-aways on Needle 'n Thread

...and other times, they are very simple.

Whatever the case, you can be assured that the package will contain enticing stuff for the needleworker, and a few little extras!

To enter the give-away, please do the following:

1. Here, at the bottom of this post (on the website, not in the e-mail newsletter, not by return e-mail, or not on another post), leave a comment answering the following question:

2. What's your notion of the best gift?

3. If you use the "anonymous" posting feature, please make sure to include a name on the post itself.

4. Check back Monday, April 13th, for the winner. The contest ends Monday, April 13th, at 5:00 am CST. If you win, you'll need to contact me by Wednesday, April 15, with mailing information. I'll post instructions on the winner's post on Monday.

Well, what do you think? Are you game to trust my taste in gifts?

Have a terrific day!

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Embroidery Stash Give-away Winner Announced...

Ah, here 'tis, Wednesday morning, and time to announce this month's stash winner...

Someone out there is going to get this very nice collection of 12 different types of embroidery thread...

February Embroidery Stash Give Away!

Did the usual - filtered the names into a numbered list (making sure there were no duplicates and that everyone had followed the directions!), scrambled the list, and drew a random number....

Speaking of the directions, I was struck by the number of repetition in everyone's favorite books. I didn't keep exact numbers, but the Country Bumpkin publications really seemed to have the lead, it seems. I saw a lot of you like Trish Burr, and then there's a lot of mention of Mary Thomas's dictionary, Therese Dillmont's Encyclopedia, and the Reader's Digest Guide to Needlework. There are some books on the list that were new to me, so I'll probably check some of them out! Thanks!!

Ok, the winner is ....

Ruth M., who signed her post "rut" - She has quite a few faves, but often turns to the basics, so she put "The Complete Illustrated Stitch Encyclopedia" (Crafter's Choice Publication) as her favorite.

Congratulations, Ruth! Please send me your mailing address through the contact form, and I'll send the loot out to you as soon as possible!

Thank you all very much for participating. I'm always sorry when it's over, because I enjoy reading everyone's comments, and of course, it would be nice if everyone could win something!

Never fear - there's always a chance next month!

Labels: stash contest

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Give-Away: Embroidery Threads by the Dozen

This month's stash give-away is really perfect for building your embroidery stash - and the perfect opportunity to try a variety of needlework fibers! I'm giving away a dozen embroidery threads, each a different type.

All twelve threads are full skeins, never used before. They're new! And they're fun!

February Embroidery Stash Give-away: a dozen different embroidery threads

Here's the whole give-away....

February Embroidery Stash Give-away: a dozen different embroidery threads

Half the give-away is comprised of silk. There's Gloriana, Dinky-Dyes, Silk 'n Colors from Thread Gatherer, Needlepoint Inc Silk, Empress Silk, and a whole spool of Japanese Silk from the Japanese Embroidery Center.

February Embroidery Stash Give-away: a dozen different embroidery threads

The other half of the give-away is made up of synthetics, cotton, wool, and soy.

There's Needle Necessities Cotton, Overdyed Rachel, Charleston (the sparkly stuff), and wool, plus a skein of Soy Luster, and a skein of Caron Watercolors.

February Embroidery Stash Give-away: a dozen different embroidery threads

The hues in this half of the stash are pretty much purples and pinks.

So, if you're a fiber fanatic or a thread junkie, you might enjoy picking up 12 new skeins of a variety of threads, to dabble with! If you're new to the whole needlework field, this is the perfect opportunity to give some different threads a try, for the fun of it. If you're a crazy quilter - well! What couldn't you do with these threads? And maybe there's just one thread in there you're dying to try - if that's the case, go for it! You can always pass the rest on to someone else to play with! And, if nothing else, this would make a nice little package for you to share with another needlework friend - you can always make a little gift out of parts of it (or all of it!).

Now, the fine print - the contest rules:

1. Leave a comment on this post. To do so, you must be reading this post on the website. If you're reading the e-mail newsletter, just click the title in the newsletter to go to the website. Scroll down to the end of the text here (on the website) and find the line that begins "Posted by." Right underneath the date, you'll see a link that reads "Click to Comment." Click that link and leave a comment. You can comment without signing in by clicking "anonymous."

2. Answer the following question:

What's your all-time favorite embroidery book? (If you don't have one, tell us what embroidery book you'd like to have... If you don't know what's out there, you can browse books under my needlework book reviews or in my bookstore...)

3. Make sure you sign your name to the comment!

4. Check back on Wednesday, February 25th, when I post the winner, which is drawn by random number. If it's you, you'll need to contact me with your address.

The contest ends Wendesday, Feb. 25th, at 5:00 am CST. International readers are welcome to comment, too. I'll ship the package via the least expensive air-mail option, should an international reader win it.

Feel free to let your stitching friends know about the give-away, too!

Good luck!

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Embroidery Stash Winner Announced...

Well - here's the winner of last month's stash give-away....

The give-away includes several nice threads to play with and Helen Stevens's book, Embroidered Gardens.

To select a winner, I transfer the names to a spread sheet and mix them up, then use a random number generator to pick a number. The name corresponding to the number is the winner.

And the lucky winner is..... (I'm trying to build suspense, but I know it isn't working)...

Melissa with the Mr. and Mrs. pillowcases. This is her story, in response to the question posed.

Question: Do you have a needlework project that you pine over, that you don't have anymore, for whatever reason (you gave it away, it got lost in a move, it got damaged, etc.)? And if so, what was the project and why do you wish you still had it?

Melissa's Answer: Hmm this one is a difficult question because in some ways every project I give away I wish I could keep. I think it's because I pour so much of myself into them which makes me want to keep it but at the same time it's what makes it a gift worth giving. I recently found out that a pillowcase set I gave as a gift isn't used and loved and that really made me wish I had kept them since I loved the set it was a Mr & Mrs set, but most of the time if someone really really loves the gift then I'm happy they have it.

Congratulations, Melissa! Please contact me with your shipping address and I'll get that little package off to you as soon as possible!

Now, to play fair, I'll answer the question, too...

Like Melissa, I find the question difficult. When we pour so much effort into a project and finally see the finished result and like it, well... I find it hard to part with. But gift-giving is gift-giving. And that's the whole point. What's the "merit" in giving a gift away that I don't like?? "Eeew. This turned out yucky. I think I'll give it to my sister..." We don't really do it that way, do we? If it turns out yucky, normally we don't give it away. (I generally hide the things that turn out below expectations!) Still, I do find it hard to part with my needlework, but the payoff is seeing the pleasure it gives others. It would hurt pretty badly if the piece were neglected or disliked (and my heart goes out to those of you who have had that experience!). All that being said, I really hated parting with the Golden Pomegranate I recently finished for a niece's wedding gift. If I ever find out that she doesn't really like it, or that she hasn't bothered to hang it in her new house, I might have to hit her over the head with it - right before I take it back home! Heh heh... kidding, kidding....

(Sort of...)

Do stick around for the next give-away, which will be some time in February. I'll try to make it worth the wait!

Labels: stash contest

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Saturday, January 31, 2009

Give-Away: Helen Stevens Embroidered Gardens and Some Great Needlework Threads!

Here's this month's embroidery stash give-away! Last year (January of 2008), I began doing these monthly give-aways. I've tried to include in them fibers or embellishments (beads, buttons, charms, etc.) that would enhance your stash and perhaps give you something new to try in the realm of surface embroidery. I also tried to keep them varied enough each month to make them interesting (I may have failed a wee bit in that regard...)

Mostly, the items included in these little give-aways come from my own needlework stash or my own library. Sometimes, though, I include a neat little something I've picked up new that I thought would be a fun addition to the give-aways. And, in today's case, part of the give-away comes from someone else! A very generous reader wrote to me to say she had an extra copy of the book featured today and of one of Trish Burr's books. Would I like to have them? I could pass them on to someone else, if I wanted. And of course I said, "Yes, please!" (THANK YOU!)

Well, let me get on with it, then. This is this month's loot, up for grabs!

Hand Embroidery Items: Book by Helen Stevens and various fibers and embellishments

A nice little stack!

Hand Embroidery Items: Book by Helen Stevens and various fibers and embellishments

The book is Helen M. Stevens' Embroidered Gardens (this will take you to a more detailed description of the book at Amazon). It's a fantastic and beautiful hard bound book that's part of the Helen Stevens "Masterclass Series."

Hand Embroidery Items: Book by Helen Stevens and various fibers and embellishments

To go along with the book, some fibers and embellishments - and not just any fibers! Some really nice ones! Gloriana Ribbon, Baroque Silk, Charon Watercolors, Silk 'n Ivory, and a spool of TESS - the silk that Helen Stevens uses in her embroidery. Also, there's a little package of frosted glass Mill Hill beads, and a little heart charm.

Just think, all of this wonderful stuff could be yours! Just leave a comment below, answering the following question:

Do you have a needlework project that you pine over, that you don't have anymore, for whatever reason (you gave it away, it got lost in a move, it got damaged, etc.)? And if so, what was the project and why do you wish you still had it?

You can thank Laura Bullinger for that question! I pulled it off the comments on the August stash give-away, where I asked people to submit questions that I could use for stash contests.

Make certain you leave a name with your comment! If you post "anonymously," sign the comment with a name.

NOTE: Please leave your comment on this post on the website. You need to be actually on the website, not in the e-mail newsletter. Below, you will see a link that says "Click to comment." It's right under the text of this article, under the "Posted by Mary Corbet" line. Click on that link, and you'll be able to leave a comment.

The contest ends Wednesday, February 4th, at 5:00 am CST. I'll post the winner on Wednesday, and the winner will need to contact me with a shipping address. The contest is open to anyone, anywhere.

Good luck!

Labels: stash contest

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Friday, January 30, 2009

January Embroidery Stash Give Away?? I almost forgot...

I can't believe it's almost the end of January! and we're about 1/12th of the way through 2009! Before the month officially ends, I wanted to let you know that I am still doing the stash give-aways this year. Last year, they were fairly successful! I think the people who won enjoyed receiving their packages, and I think (?) that everyone enjoyed at least having the opportunity to win some threads, needlework books, embellishments, and so forth!

Tomorrow, I'll announce the January give-away. (Sorry - seems cheap to title the post that and then not announce it now...) But I wanted to let you know before the weekend, so that you are sure to check back.

The stash contest will include a beautiful embroidery book from one of the UK's top designers, as well as some nice threads, and whatever else I can gather together this evening that will make a good, interesting, and coherent package. After all, we may as well kick off the new year with a good one!

For those of you new to Needle'nThread lately, do check out my past embroidery stash contests, so you can see what kind of stash items I give away each month. I've also given away several nice embroidery books over the past year.

Don't forget to take the opportunity to check back in over the weekend to see what I'll be giving away to a lucky winner!

Have a great weekend!

Labels: Book Give-Away, stash contest, website news

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

December Embroidery Stash Winner!

This month's embroidery stash contest is officially over... and the winner is drawn...

It was kind of hard at first to commit to giving away the two spools of Gilt Sylke Twist in this month's give-away! I admit it!! Deep down, there was this nagging voice saying, "If you're going to give them away, you should give them to a friend - to someone you know." But then this other nagging voice said, "It doesn't matter. Someone, somewhere, will surely be really happy to win this...." and then there was this other nagging voice...

... but I better not mention what that one said, because it would probably ruin my image! I try to ignore it, but it does creep in now and then! >:-)

ANYWAY, I'm glad I committed to the give-away, as I hope it does make someone, somewhere pretty happy, in a stitchy sorta way! And heck, detachment is a good thing!

I know, I know. On with the winner. Cut the babble and get on with it!

I did the whole draw thing, like I've done for the past however many months, so I'll skip the explanation.... and the winner is....

Heidi in MN!

Do contact me, Heidi, by Friday, with a mailing address!

Thank you all for participating! I enjoyed reading your comments, and for those of you with the real "itch" for this thread, I wish I could afford to send some world-wide to you! That's actually the hardest part about a give-away: not being able to give away to more people who I know are really, sincerely longing to win!

Labels: stash contest

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Friday, December 05, 2008

December Embroidery Stash Give-Away: My Favorite Things

I've been doing this monthly embroidery stash give-away for 12 months now, and it's kind of fun - I'm thinking about making it a regular feature, rather than a yearly resolution! On top of the monthly stash give-aways, I've sent out many books this year to stitchers and crafters around the globe. Now, I'm giving away two of my favorite things. Perhaps to some of you, this will seem rather limited, in comparison to previous stash contests --- I assure, it's not! The pain of separation is already acute!

The month's give-away is geared towards those who love embroidery, whether you're at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced level. For the beginner, though, the prize requires you to take your embroidery to another level. That is, go beyond "craft." Move towards art. If you have fallen in love with embroidery, then you probably want to take your needlework a bit beyond basic. To do this, materials make all the difference. And, in embroidery, the primary material used is thread.

So I'm giving you some thread in this give-away, but not just any thread.

Gilt Sylke Twist is a relatively "new" thread on the market, brought about by the folks at Plimoth Plantation who are recreating a 17th-century embroidered lady's jacket. If you haven't read about this project, you may wish to visit the Plimoth Plantation blog, The Embroiderers' Story, to see what's going on there. It's fascinating.

Gilt Sylke Twist is a unique thread in today's thread market. It's made up of a core of flat silk wound with a real gold wire. It's a very fine and tiny thread. And it's beautiful! It is suitable for all kinds of embroidery applications. I've worked chain stitch, satin stitch, buttonhole stitch, and others with it, and it's worked fine. So whether you are interested in historical embroidery, crazy quilting, or just regular decorative surface embroidery, you will find this thread versatile enough to suit your style of stitching.

In case you haven't seen it in use, here's my Gilt Sylke Twist Strawberry, which was my practice piece when the thread first came out:

Gilt Sylke Twist Thread: Strawberry Practice Piece

Gilt Sylke Twist Thread: Strawberry Practice Piece

(I blogged about this piece in detail - you can read about it, and the different uses of Gilt Sylke Twist in it - on the Completed Gilt Sylke Twist Embroidery Sample post.)

It's also rather dear, ranging in price from just short of $20 / spool (35 meteres) to about $22 / spool, depending on who's selling it. The cost of the thread may well prohibit some who would like to play with it from giving it a try. The cost certainly limits most stitchers from building a stash of this gorgeous thread.

So whether you've tried Gilt Sylke Twist and just want more, whether you've wanted to try it and simply haven't had the opportunity to purchase any, or whether you have never heard of it, but are a serious budding embroiderer, this stash give-away is for you.

I'm giving away two spools in red and green. Both are the original "redde" and green that came out when the thread first went public. This is the forest green, not the Lincoln Greene available now. I don't know if this green is available anymore. I had heard that it isn't, but that's "needlework gossip," and it may not be accurate.

Gilt Sylke Twist: Hand Embroidery Thread in Silk and Gold

Gilt Sylke Twist: Hand Embroidery Thread in Silk and Gold

In addition to these two spools, which are the feature elements of the give-away, I'll include a few other little things, typical of previous give-aways.

But I'm not going to show them to you!

Gilt Sylke Twist: Hand Embroidery Thread in Silk and Gold

Do you know why?

Gilt Sylke Twist: Hand Embroidery Thread in Silk and Gold

Because next to this thread, most other embroidery supplies look pretty mundane!

I'm gearing this give-away to stitchers who would actually use this thread seriously - who have a keen interest in embroidery as an art, and who have developed or are developing their skills beyond the basics. That's not to say that beginners can't participate! Sure you can! But if you're really not interested in this type of thread, then do leave the drawing for those who really are, so they have a better chance of winning. Thanks!

This is what you have to do to enter:

Leave a comment on THIS post (on the website, not through the e-mail newsletter), answering the following questions:

Why do you want to win this giveaway? Do you have specific plans for the thread?

PS - (added Friday Evening!) Please be sure to leave your name if you post anonymously!! Thanks!

I'll select the winner on Wednesday, December 10th, at 5:00 am CST, and announce the winner that morning here on Needle 'n Thread. The winner must then contact me to give me a mailing address. If I don't hear from the winner before Friday morning, I'll draw a new winner on Friday.

Participants are welcome from all over the globe - I don't mind international mail!

Thanks for participating!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, silk, stash contest

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

November Embroidery Stash Winner Announced!

Wow. This month's embroidery stash give-away drew a larger response than usual - 167 comments altogether at the time of the deadline! I'm ultra curious to know what the draw was that encouraged people to leave a comment. I suspect it was the Sublime Stitching book, but perhaps it was the threads... I'll have to ponder that one.

This is how I went about drawing a winner for the embroidery stash:

First, I filtered all the comments into a table. This sounds like a pain, but it's really not that big of a deal usually - I just add the names as they come in. If the names are something that might be duplicated (for example, the post is signed with a common first name), I'll add with the name a salient word or two from the comment. This step was a little more time consuming this time, given the number of entries, but worth it still!

Then, I mix up the order of the cells.

Then I go fetch a random number from random.org.

And, finally, I match the random number to the number on the table, and there's the winner!

I'm always surprised at the winner, for some reason. I don't know why that is...

Anyway, to get on with it, this winner has something in common with me (if you stitch, of course, you all have something in common with me!) - but this one hits a bit close to home! That's because she is close to home, relatively speaking, I suppose!

The number that I drew was....

157 ....

and #157 was next to the name....

Maria in Kansas! Strange to think there are people in Kansas who read my website!

So, Maria, please contact me and let me know where to send your new stash stuff! Maria says she's embroidering two dresser scarves for her daughters and doing some needle painting, and looks forward to trying goldwork and whitework some day. Well, now she has some dish towels to add to her to-do list, and, with the new fibers, some other stuff to concoct. I hope she enjoys it!

Thanks to all for participating in this month's embroidery stash contest! I've got something a little special planned for the December give-away, so keep an eye out for that next month!

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

November Embroidery Stash Give-Away... Another Good One!

Ok, here's the Embroidery Stash Give-Away for November! I included plenty of embroidery threads of different types, a few embellishments, a couple embroidery blanks (kitchen towels), and a large book. Take a look!

This month's embroidery stash contest has something in it for everyone, basically. It's kind of a hodge-podge collection, with a little bit of a theme, but not much of one!

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

First, the embroidery threads:

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

There are two skeins of Caron Collections threads - Watercolors and Wildflowers. Both are cotton threads in different sizes, and both are overdyed. They're in kind-of autumn-ish colors.

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

You'll find three skeins of silk in this contest: one Dinky-Dyes and two Needlepoint Inc Silk.

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

There are 2 skeins of DMC perle #5, one autumn-ish and the other will get you ready for the holidays.

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

There are two blank cotton kitchen towels. These are long, narrow towels with a looser weave, good for using with perle cottons or three strands of DMC stranded cotton.

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

And some embellishments: a piece of tiny red and green ric-rac (perfect for a Christmas ornament, perhaps), as well as ---

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

... gold colored ribbon floss...

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

... a pretty little snowflake charm...

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

... and some icy-sparkly antique glass beads from Mill Hill.

November Embroidery Stash Give-away: Plenty of embroidery threads, an embroidery book, some embroidery blanks, and other stuff!

The book is one of Jenny Hart's Sublime Stitching books - a compilation of iron-on transfers in simple "hip" designs. If it doesn't suit your style of stitching, it would make a great Christmas gift for an up-and-coming embroiderer. The book includes information on tools, threads, stitch directions, etc. - all the basics to get started embroidering. To read a more thorough description, you can read Amazon's description here, and even look inside the book: Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-To

So, in order to be included in this stash give-away, all you need to do is the following:

1. At the end of this post (underneat the "posted by" information) you'll see a little link that says "click to comment." Click to comment! (You have to be on the website - not reading the e-mail newsletter!)

2. In your comment, answer the following question:
"What type of needlework do you currently do, and what type would you like to try?" (Thanks, Jo! That was one of your questions in the August stash give-away!)

3. Check back on Tuesday to see who won - and if You happen to be the winner, you must contact me with a shipping address within two days.

The contest deadline is Tuesday, November 18, at 5:00 am CST. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday. Anyone may enter, from anywhere. I'll ship the package the least expensive way.

Don't be shy, now! Even if you've entered (or even won) another, you can still enter again. And please do feel free to spread the word about the contest among your stitching buddies! The more the merrier (though I realize it reduces the odds...)

I'll be doing this again in December, by the way, with a very special package which I picked out the same time I put this one together! When I finally made up my mind to part with the December goods, I got pretty excited about it... so that's something to look forward to!

One more bit of website information: my feed account was recently migrated by Google, so if I'm not showing up in your feedreader or in your inbox (for e-mail subscribers), do let me know by using the contact us form. It'll take a few days for my feed stats to get back to normal, apparently. I'm hoping 1,000 readers haven't abandoned me in one day...!

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Embroidery Stash Giveaway Announced...

This month's needlework stash give-away was really fun! I thought the question was tough (notice I didn't answer it!) and it was fun to read everyone's responses. It really makes you think, when you have to narrow something down to a "Favorite" of something you already like a lot, doesn't it?

I know you're just dying to find out who the winner is, but before I venture into telling you who the lucky person is who gets the abundance of embroidery threads (12 skeins altogether - that's pretty good!), I feel like waxing loquacious for a moment!

Needlework Teaches You... about Yourself!

First of all, there's this whole question of "favorites" among the many things we already love... I tried to narrow down the piece that gave me the most pleasure to stitch, and it was HARD! I was thinking I was a real meany for asking that question.

Then I realized I was looking at it the wrong way! The question wasn't "What was your favorite embroidered work that you created..." It was "which one gave you the most pleasure to do and why?" There's a difference, you know. The first question can be based solely on the outcome (whether you liked the journey of getting there or not); the second concentrates on the journey - the actual stitching itself, regardless of outcome.

Once I realized that, I thought it would be easier to decide, but it wasn't! It seemed the problem of making that decision increased a hundred fold. I found out that, for me, the pleasure found in working a piece of embroidery is a combination of the journey and the outcome. It's funny when you learn something about yourself that way.

It's like this: I can intensely enjoy working a piece of embroidery, but if I finish it and find that I don't like the overall finish, the journey ends up rather soured in retrospect. On the other hand, I can dodgedly plod through a piece that I am finding less than captivating, gritting my teeth in determination just to finish... the journey, you see, is not so pleasant under those circumstances... but if the finish is splendid, the journey, in retrospect, can seem a whole lot sweeter than it actually was.

So journeys and outcomes are pretty intimately connected for me. I think needlework teaches us a lot about ourselves, especially when we reflect on likes, dislikes, whys and wherefores, as we did with this question.

Anyway, if I had to pick just one, I suppose it would be the Agnus Dei project I did a couple springs ago. This is my favorite picture of it, though I do like seeing it head-on as well:

Silk Embroidery with Goldwork Agnus Dei

Why did I like it so much? Well, there are a couple reasons. I noticed these reasons among many of the answers you gave, too: 1. The purpose - who did I stitch it for? 2. The project itself - the challenge, the captivating qualities of it; 3. the outcome.

So there you have my reflections on that question. I hope you don't mind being subjected to that!

By the way, along the same lines of tough questions, one of my students asked me the other day, "So far in your life, what was your happiest moment ever?" Try that one on for size!

Ok - enough about tough questions!

Embroidery Stash Winner

I did the name scramble, pulled a random number, and the winner ended up being Susan who stitched the Hobbit in the 70's.

Susan, please contact me with your mailing address, and I'll be happy to get all that stuff in the mail to you this week!

Thank you, everyone, for your participation in the give-away! It was a lot of fun reading your answers. Next month, I'll try to come up with something equally enticing as far as the give-away is concerned (and maybe equally as daunting as far as the question is concerned!) Thanks, Su J, for the question.

Labels: miscellaneous embroidery musings, stash contest

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Monday, October 13, 2008

October Needlework Stash Give-Away - Last Chance to Sign Up!

Just a quick note to remind everyone that my October needlework stash give-away is quickly drawing to a close! Do sign up in the next nine hours (by 5:00 am CST, Tuesday, October 14) for a chance to win. You'll find all the details on the original post.

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Autumn Abundance: October Stash Give-Away!

For October, I thought I'd reduce my needlework stash by foraging for some Autumn-themed colors. I came up with some great threads, trims, and embellishments for this month's stash contest! It was fun picking through things, but it made me realize I have to get out to the studio and do a little more organizing! In the meantime, though, here's this month's stash contest.

The Loot - threads, trims, and embellishments!

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

I found, among my thread boxes, an Autumn pack of Appleton crewel wool. I know it had a purpose when I purchased it. Since then, I've "inherited" about 300 skeins of Appleton. This little handy package, then, is just perfect for a give-away.

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

There are ten skeins of Appleton crewel wool here. Nice colors, aren't they? If you haven't stitched with wool before, this is a good way to try it out!

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

This probably doesn't look that impressive, but let me tell you about this little piece of ribbon. It's a little less than half a yard of the softest, silkiest, velvety-smooth shiny ribbon, deep golden orange on the side with the nap, and brown on the other side. It would be pretty on a crazy quilt, or it would even make nice trim, I think, on a greeting card. The ribbon is about a half inch wide. It's very limp and soft. I love this ribbon!

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

These are two little charms - a fox and an adorable tiny owl with big eyes.

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

The trim on the left is a multi-colored braided trim that's kind of funky but fun. I'm pretty sure there's well over a yard there, and maybe closer to two. The ric-rac is tiny ric-rac in yellow, accented with orange - another embellishment for greeting cards, quilts, doll clothes, anything... There's half a yard.

October stash give-away: needlework threads, trims, and embellishments

And finally, aaaaaaaahhhhh. Silk! You know I have a thing about silk threads. I love them! On the left is almost a whole skein of Caron Collection Waterlilies. The skein has already been cut in stitchable lengths. On the right is a skein of Eterna mini twist. It's a nice soft twisted, overdyed silk.

What You Have to Do to Win

In my August stash give-away, I asked readers to give ideas for future stash contest questions. So many great ideas for contest questions were submitted!!

Su J offered three really good questions, and I'm going to use one of hers this month. So, this is what you do: read the question, click on the "click to comment" link at the bottom of this post (you have to be on the website at this post, not on the newsletter), and submit your answer as a comment at the base of this post.

I'll make a list of the comment names, shuffle them and number them, then pick a random number to choose the winner. Please make sure to sign your post with your name or nickname, if you post anonymously.

Here's the topic for your comment:

Tell me about the piece of embroidery that gave you the most pleasure to do, and why?

The contest is over on Tuesday, October 14th at 5:00 am my time (CST, USA). I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, and the winner will need to contact me with a mailing address. The contest is open to anyone, anywhere.

Have fun! Good luck! Don't be shy!

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

And the Winner Is .... August Needlework Stash Contest

Well, I had fun setting up the draw this morning, but gosh, it took me a looooong time....

First, I read through each and every comment carefully. As I read, I typed each commentor's name in an Excel list - I eliminated repeat postings (people who posted more than once, keeping their names in, of course, once!) and also any comments that didn't fulfill the instructions.

I also eliminated my comment (sorry, that's a bit obvious) ...

And then I took the Excel list and sorted it alphabetically. (I used to really despise alphabetical order when I was in school...) and then I split it in three and resorted each list manually, just moving people randomly around (shuffling, in a way).

And then I put the list back together into one long list of 72 names.

And then I went to random.org and got a number, and the number was....

27.

Now, I know that means nothing to you! And it didn't really mean anything to me, either, until I looked at the Excel list, and found the name. Then I went to the list of comments to see what the person said, so I could repeat it here.

And this is it:

Melisa B (crazyqsis) said she would like to know about taking pattern markings out of embroidery, especially with iron-ons - or are they just meant to stay?

So Melisa, congratulations - I hope you like your new book and threads, and I'm sure you'll find plenty to do with them while creating and crazy quilting! Please contact me by the end of the day on Friday with your address! (PS - if you have an AOL e-mail address, it is unlikely that I will be able to e-mail you back. For some reason, my e-mails always bounce back from AOL...)

And dear everyone who participated.... thank you! So many really excellent questions that I will certainly make use of in the future! And if you didn't win this one, don't give up. I do this pretty consistently every month, and have other goodies you'll like, too!

Labels: stash contest

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Last Chance on this Month's Stash Give-Away!

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow morning, first thing, I'm drawing for this month's stash give-away, which includes the A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2! Entry ends at 4:00 am Central Time (US). If you're interested in signing up, now's the time! Read the whole post for directions.

Labels: stash contest

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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Oh, NO! Needlework Shopping!

Just a quick line today! For the first time in ages, I have the opportunity to "get out" for a bit - and it just so happens I am going shopping for some needlework supplies! I have to drive into Kansas City (two hours away) to retrieve someone from the airport, so I thought I would take advantage of the trip as an excuse to actually walk in to a Real Live Needlework Shop. It's been a while! Though I don't have time to be gone for the Whole Day, it's pretty exciting. (Doesn't take much to excite me, does it??)

If you haven't read this month's Needlework Stash Give-away post, do read it and sign up! It's a good book and some nice threads!

Also, coming up tomorrow, I've got a book review on a nice book I received yesterday as a gift!

I'm off to shop - I'll show you what I come up with later!

Labels: miscellaneous embroidery musings, stash contest

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Friday, August 22, 2008

August Embroidery Stash Give-away! It's a Good One!

Here we are, at that moment in the month to unload some bits of needlework stash. The focus this month isn't fibers, though there are some. It isn't bits of embellishment, either (though there are some of those, too!)... nooooo... it's better than all that!

For those of you new to concept, during 2008 I decided to reduce bits and pieces of my needlework stash and little odds and ends useful to the embroiderer, and to do this, I've established a kind of monthly "contest." Oh, it's not much of a contest - you don't have to do tooooo much hard work to have a chance to win!

This month, there are a few threads in the give-away:

August Embroidery Stash Give-Away

From left to right, there's some yellow floche, followed by some blue floche and some blue Danish flower thread. I compared the floche and Danish flower thread a few days ago, if you aren't familiar with either of them.

Then, on the right, screaming at you in Really Bright Pink, is a nice skein of Au Ver a Soie's Soie d'Alger. This is absolutely my favorite stranded silk to stitch with - ok, maybe not in that color, but golly - I love this thread.

August Embroidery Stash Give-Away

Then, for the fun of it, some embellishments - some Mill Hill frosted glass beads in a dark red (very pretty), and a little heart-shaped-lock-sort-of-charm thingy.

But here's the icing, and the whole cake, too -----

August Embroidery Stash Give-Away

Yes, your very own copy of A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2, wherein you will find step-by-step photo instructions for about 145 stitches, in true Country-Bumpkin style. It's an excellent book...

August Embroidery Stash Give-Away

...packed with photos of stitches and tips and tricks for working them, as well as nice pictures of inspirational embroidery stuff. Oh yes. There is nothing you won't love in this book.

August Embroidery Stash Give-Away

The book features more of the "unusual" or uncommon stitches, and a lot of composite stitches (which are stitches comprised of two or more kinds of stitches). It's a fun book, and would be a great resource for anyone into any kind of surface embroidery. To buy the book new here in the States, it's anywhere from $25.00 - $33.00. This book is new - I pulled the sticker off when I got it, but haven't used the book itself. It's been sitting on a shelf.

August Embroidery Stash Give-Away

So there's the little heap.

Now, to win this, you have to do something...

(My brain is actually running dry on ideas right now!)

SO, this is what I want you to do:

Comment below, and suggest a needlework-related question that would be suitable to these stash contests. That way, you're helping me a little bit by setting me up for the next contest!

The nitty-gritty:

Your comment must be made on the website, not replied to via e-mail or the newsletter. To leave a comment, click on the heading of this article. You'll end up on the article's page on Needle'nThread. Scroll to the very bottom of the article, and find the link that says "Click to Comment." Click it. You may choose to comment "anonymously" (that way, you don't have to have an account), but in your comment, please leave some sort of identifying name or initials or something, so that I can count you in!

Suggest a needlework-related question in your comment - if you need ideas of the types of questions I ask, check out the other stash contests I've had on needle'nthread. You'll notice the questions aren't all that original - maybe you can come up with something really clever and exciting! I like questions that elicit information or ideas for other needleworkers, the answers of which would provide helpful information, instruction, or inspiration.

The contest is open to all readers, regardless of your location. I will ship overseas via the least expensive airmail method. I've shipped to several countries - Hungary (I never heard if that one arrived?), Germany (never heard back from that one, either), Australia several times (always heard back from the Australians!), and around the States. I'm really open to shipping anywhere, so don't be shy!

And the contest ends next Wednesday morning, August 27th, at 4:00 am Central Time (US), because I usually post by 6:00 am. I will pick the winner using a random number picker.

I'll announce the winner on Wednesday, at which point, the winner has to contact me. If I don't hear from the winner within two days, I'll draw another name.

I'm actually very excited to give this book away because I like it so much. I have a duplicate copy that was given to me, so I'll keep the given one and give away the bought one!

Good luck!

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Thursday, July 31, 2008

July Embroidery Stash Winner!

It's always hard to do the drawing for these embroidery stash give-aways, because after I've drawn, it's over, just like that! Each month, I think it would be nice to be able to give every entry a little 'something,' but alas, my post office budget alone could never stand the strain! So I went through the normal motions this morning, like this...

The first thing I do when the embroidery stash giveaway is over is type a list of entry names - for the "anonymous" commentors, I put "annon" plus a key word from their post (it's much easier if you leave a name!) - and then I print and cut the names into small scraps and stick them in a box or bag. This morning, it was a box.

I shake them up...

And I pick one piece of paper from the box...

And the name I picked this morning was....

Chrissy, who likes French knots. Chrissy, please contact me with your shipping information, and that package will go in the mail tomorrow!

Thanks, all, for participating! I think I'll have to calculate the total number of French knot and chain stitch fans - they seemed to be the dominant favorites!

In August, I hope to do something special for a stash give-away - well, something "special-er" in a Specialty type way. I'm waiting for some information from a couple retailers that I keep in touch with, about a product that I believe is no longer available. But I have extra... so I might it give it to you! We shall see.

I'm still plugging away on my current project, and will post some pictures when I finish the final bits of the part I'm working on now. I've also got another whitework project set up that I have to make fast progress on this week. (Looks like I'll be a slave to the needle for many hours this weekend. Gee. Isn't that tough?) AND - my mind is jumping ahead about two weeks, when these two projects will be done and delivered, and I can start something COLORFUL and ... well, with goldwork on it. At least a sampler of sorts, because....

JoWynn very kindly sent me some Sadi threads to try, and I am going to try them! I'll show you those a bit later, lined up next to the typical "English" metal threads (2% gold from Benton and Johnson), in a goldwork supplies comparison, with some information on different suppliers around the traps - all in anticipation of receiving my copy of the new A-Z of Goldwork, which I hope to review for you soon (whenever it shows up).

Oh, gosh. And I'll also finish the monogram alphabet - only a Z left - and start cleaning up the next round of patterns and monograms.

Lots to do over the next couple weeks! Anybody have any particular embroider subject or question you'd like to see discussed as well? Leave a comment and let me know!

Labels: miscellaneous embroidery musings, stash contest

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Needlework Stash Give-away for July - Last Chance!

Just a quick note to remind you that this evening is your last chance to participate in July's needlework stash give-away here on Needle 'n Thread. All you have to do is leave a comment on the original post, explaining what your favorite embroidery stitch is and why... and you can even feel free to leave in any tips about working the stitch, that you've picked up along the way!

I'll draw the name first thing in the morning, so leave your comment tonight!

Labels: stash contest

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Saturday, July 26, 2008

July Embroidery Stash Give-Away - Simple, but Fun

Rummaging through stash stuff this afternoon, I tried to figure out what would make a good, coherent collection for a little stash-giveaway. For those of you new to the concept, each month, I give away a little package from my collection of needlework goods, in an effort to reduce my stash (ha!) and just ... well, for the fun of it, to give readers the opportunity to play around with new threads, stitches, techniques, fabrics, or whathaveyou. I decided to stick with something simple, but fun.

The contents of the package this month include a white kitchen towel awaiting your embellishment, four colors of perle cotton #5, an English needle (crewel size 1), and a book - the old Anchor freestyle embroidery book.

July Embroidery Stash Giveaway - Fun and Simple threads and a book

For advanced embroiderers, this might seem a mundane package, but you know what? I like the simple, fun embroidery that comes with these types of threads, a blank towel, and some new stitches and patterns from a good book. This brings embroidery to the level of ultimate relaxation for me, and the product is always something that is thoughtful, colorful, and fun as a gift.

July Embroidery Stash Giveaway - Fun and Simple threads and a book

It's true that the least exciting thing in the package is probably the needle, but by including it, you're saved a trip out, if you want to start a project right away and you don't have the right sized needle on hand!

July Embroidery Stash Giveaway - Fun and Simple threads and a book

I stuck with some brightly colored, pretty perle cottons - three are DMC, the purple is Anchor. This will give you the opportunity to feel the difference between the DMC thread and the Anchor - there is one, you know! The Anchor perle feels "dry" to me, compared to the DMC. It seems a little less soft, too. But it stitches really well! They both do.

July Embroidery Stash Giveaway - Fun and Simple threads and a book

The towel is a 100% cotton white kitchen towel. It has a tag across one corner for hanging.

July Embroidery Stash Giveaway - Fun and Simple threads and a book

The best part is the book, of course. I like this Anchor book better than the new one. This is the "old" version, which has since been republished by Anchor. In the book, you'll find stitch diagrams for a variety of stitches, and next to each new stitch, you'll find a picture of a stitched piece utilizing the stitch featured in the diagram. This is always a great feature - it's nice to see the finished stitch in a real embroidered work. The photos of the pieces featuring the stitch are also echoed in the patterns provided in the back of the book - and there are a lot of nice little, clear patterns that can be traced onto the towel (or anything else you want to embellish!).

July Embroidery Stash Giveaway - Fun and Simple threads and a book

The patterns provided are in bold lines, easy for tracing, and they're mostly what I'd call "fun" patterns, that you can mix your stitches on.

And, conveniently, this is a little book - it's not a full-sized book, which means it will fit in my shipping envelopes!

So that's the give-away for July... and this is what YOU have to do!

Leave a comment below, answering the following question:

What's your favorite embroidery stitch and WHY? You can also include any tricks you have for working the stitch, that make it easier or give it a better finish. That way, everyone can learn something from your comments!

On Wednesday, July 30th, the contest ends. I'll draw a name Thursday morning and post the winner, at which time the winner can contact me with a shipping address. Overseas readers are welcome to join - if you win, I'll mail the parcel the least expensive air mail option!

So - answer away!

And even if you're not so keen on perle cotton or kitchen towels or needles or small books - think of it as an opportunity to get a postcard from me! Chuckle, chuckle....

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Before Today is Over...

For some reason, today is off to a slower start than normal. Must be the looming housework.... BUT - Before today is over, I'll have this month's embroidery stash contest posted! A little late, but better late than never. Last month's contest was the "anniversary" give-away, and the recipients liked their packages very much, methinks! I may not quite top that one, but I'll certainly have something good up for you. I'm debating between threads (floche? silk? gold threads?) or a book.... or a combination.... hmmmm.....so make sure you check back in today or later in the weekend!

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

June Embroidery Stash Contest Winners...

Whoa - what a morning. The storms last night took out our electricity, which we just got back, so I was just now able to draw names for June's embroidery stash give-away!

This month, as you know, was a special stash contest, the likes probably not to be repeated again (well, I'll come up with something interesting for July, surely!). In celebration of turning two years old (my website - not me), I drew two names, and asked two questions.

The answers you gave to my questions were So Helpful! I don't know if you realize how much it takes to keep the juices flowing when writing daily (or practically daily), and not knowing what it is that actually tickles your audience's fancy. I probably should've asked those questions a long time ago! You've given me heaps of great ideas and good advice, much of which I will take advantage of over the next few months!

Yeah, yeah... you want me just to get on with it, don't you? I was chuckling as I drew names this morning, because the names are similar in a lot of ways, and they rhyme. I don't know why I thought that was funny, but I did. Perhaps it was just the long hours without electricity!

OH - let me explain how I do this. I write out the names on paper (or type a list - easier to write this morning), cut them up, and draw. Those who left multiple comments only went in once, and the one or two Anonymous commentors still got in there as well, with "Anonymous" as the name, followed by keywords from their post.

I fold all the little scraps up really small and shake them up in a box, and... I draw the names.

And the winners are....

Meeta V. and MargeB.

If you would please contact me with your snail mail addresses, I'll get the packages in the post!

I wish I could send EVERYONE a little something, but I'm afraid that would do me in! So stay tuned for July's stash contest, which will include Something Nice, I promise!

Labels: stash contest

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

June Embroidery Stash Give-Away: Happy Birthday, Needle'nThread!

This month's embroidery stash give-away is a bit special, since yesterday marked the two-year birthday of Needle'nThread! Here's hoping it's not the beginning of the "terrible twos"! I'll send out two packages this month with some nice embroidery threads and accessories inside.

In fact, this if the first time it sort of "hurt" to do the embroidery stash give-away! It's awful of me to admit that, isn't it? I wanted to include something special, so I decided to include a Kelmscott Needle Minder in each one. I have three of these - they're brand new, and I've been itching for them for a long time! I almost thought, "Nooooooo, I'll keep them for me," but then I thought, "Noooooo. I won't!" I'll keep one, and give the other two away. These are handy little items for the embroiderer.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

You place the needle minder on the top of your fabric, and put the connecting magnet on the back of your fabric. The magnet holds your needle on top of the decorative piece. Usually, I like to have something to stick my needle on when I've finished stitching with a color, but am not ready to end the thread. I bring it to the front of my fabric and stick the needle somewhere convenient, until I need to use that thread again.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

Each package will contain a bunch of embroidery goodies! 6 types of thread, a packet of beads, a nice charm for embellishment, and the needle minder.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

It also contains two mother-of-pearl thread rings, which you can see on the green Vineyard Silk thread and the two colors of purple floche.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

To mention the fibers in particular, in one package, there's a metallic floss, a twist of "Dragon" thread, which is an over-dyed cotton, a silk floss (in this package, a dark green Gloriana silk), some lengths of Vineyard Silk (kind of a wool-like thread, but it's made of silk and has a beautiful sheen), and two shades of purple cotton floche.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

The second package is exactly the same, but with a different shade of Dragon thread and instead of Gloriana silk, there's a skein of dark green silk from Needlepoint, Inc.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

In one package, there's also a little enameled silver filigree heart charm and a package of green Mill Hill glass beads.

June 2008 Embroidery Stash Give-away: 2-year birthday of Needle 'n Thread!

In the other package, the charm is a very pretty iris, along with a package of frosty purple Mill Hill glass beads.

So there's what I'm giving away, to celebrate my website's birthday!! Calculating it all up, I think it's safe to say there's over $30 worth of merchandise in each package! Wow. Well, they were fun to put together!

BUT - to get one - you have to do something!

The way it works is this: I'll pose two questions below, and you post your answers in the comment section below this article. Next week, I'll draw from the names of those who post comments, announce the winners who will then contact me with a mailing address. I'll ship anywhere in the world, via least expensive air mail, but am not responsible for any customs fees, lost mail, or anything like that. I'll post the winners on Wednesday, June 11th, so you have until Tuesday night to comment.

Here are the questions:

1. What is your favorite feature of Needle 'n Thread?
2. What would you like to see more of on Needle 'n Thread?

I'm sure your answers will help me improve the website, so don't be shy!

Enjoy the weekend!

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Embroidery Stash Contest Results! & Embroidery Class News

Drum roll, please. I just finished drawing for this month's embroidery stash give-away, and the winner is...

... Andrea, who wrote about Chikan/chicken/chikankari/chikan work - an Indian embroidery technique similar to shadow work. Congratulations, Andrea! Please drop me a line with your mailing address. If you don't live in the States, please make sure the address is written out exactly as the envelope should be addressed!

I thought that was a fun stash contest! Reading the comments and checking out the links was entertaining and informative! I'm planning to compile a list of techniques and definitions in the near future, so stay tuned for that. I'll include links and resources, if possible.

I've been working on my embroidered sign, announcing my kids' classes for this summer. I'm planning on posting some files for any readers interested in kids' classes. I'll include lesson plans, materials, and resources. It'll be another week or so before I finish those up, though. I've started ordering supplies, but haven't had time to work samples or finalize the lessons.

For those of you who don't know, each summer I offer kids' classes in our rural community to different age groups. I don't charge for instruction, though I do charge a small fee to help cover the cost of supplies. The prices of supplies have escalated over the years, so I've been seeking some business sponsors and help, as well as budgeting carefully throughout the year so that I could afford the layout! One of the reasons I started this website a couple summers ago (coming up on my two-year anniversary here!) was to help cover the costs of those classes, with advertising (sorry, I know some people don't like it!) and with affiliate sales (hence, the bookstore). I also wanted to extend instruction, with tutorials, tips, and so forth. I didn't know how pleasurable the whole blogging experience would be - I've enjoyed keeping the site going, and I hope you've enjoyed it, too!

This year, we'll be embroidering on blanks for some of the projects. I'm very excited about that! I've learned a lot since I first tackled teaching embroidery to children. One important lesson is that the projects need to be completely "finishable." Children like to see the results of their work in something that is complete! That sense of finished accomplishment is really important.

In addition to children's classes, I'm going to offer one adult beginners' class, and get our guild meeting again --- so, if I've got any guild ladies checking in now and then, I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am!!! We need to finish our silk sampler we started last summer and move ahead with some plans.

I'm excited to get back into the swing of group stitching!

Ahhhh. The "lazy" days of summer... they can't get here soon enough!

Does anyone have any suggestions for a two-year anniversary stash contest in June? What would YOU like to see in a stash contest??! More embellishments? Threads? More ribbon? Fabric scraps? Methinks it should be something extraordinary for June.

And finally, coming up - a reader's embroidery project! A stunning example of goldwork (thanks, Margaret), my completed sign, some interesting linkage, and whatever else I can drum up for your information and entertainment!

(...and I might even tell you about my ducks...)

Labels: embroidery for children, miscellaneous embroidery musings, stash contest

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for May!

Are you interested in adding some random threads and so forth to your embroidery stash? Here's your chance - at no cost to you. Each month this year, I'm doing a little give-away from my own needlework stash. Better late than never, here's the one for May!

There are a couple types of needlework threads here, a bit of silk ribbon, some buttons (not just any buttons, mind you...) and a snippet of waste canvas!

May Embroidery Stash Give Away

That's the little heap. It's all bagged up and ready to mail.

May Embroidery Stash Give Away

Here are the buttons. They're tiny little hand-painted buttons. Cute, aren't they?

Waste canvas is used over a plain weave ground fabric. It helps you manage even stitches in counted techniques (cross stitch, blackwork, petit point, etc.) or on lines of surface embroidery stitches (like herringbone or fly stitch or whathaveyou.) You stitch over the waste canvas, then carefully pull the canvas out from behind your stitching, strand by strand.

May Embroidery Stash Give Away

These are the threads. There's Rachelette, which is a kind of sparkly gold meshy thick thing, with a gold cord running through it, that makes a kind of bunched-up looking stitch. You can use it for couching funky designs, for ribbon techniques with a twist, or for needlepoint. Actually, I'm not really sure what it's used for - but I imagine it could be used in those ways. I bought it on a whim when I was at a little shop in Florida. I'm not sure what possessed me at the time. But it's kind of neat stuff. I'm sure there are ingenious people out there who know exactly how to use it!

Then there's a skein of Caron Watercolors - multi-colored and pretty. There's a spool of silk in orange. This is Helen Stevens's TESS silk, which is the same as Piper's silk. It's flat silk, and very fine. If you haven't stitched with this kind of silk, it can take some getting used to, but once you try it, I think you'll like it! There's nothing like flat silk for shine. You can use several strands at once to thicken it up a bit.

Next are two skeins of Anchor cotton, in shades of purple.

Next to that is a skein of Soie d'Alger, which is Au Ver a Soie's stranded spun silk. It's great stuff to work with, and has a beautiful soft sheen to it.

Finally, there's a little bag with a leftover, good-sized length of Glorianna silk ribbon, in a forest green.

Now, what do you have to do to be a part of the contest? You have to follow the "question" directions below, leaving your answer in the comments section on this post. If you use the "anonymous" feature to leave a comment, please sign a name, so when I draw names I know who's who.

The give away is open to anyone, anywhere. I'll ship via least expensive air mail. You'll have to be responsible for any customs or anything like that (if that's an issue), and I'm not responsible for lost or damaged packages. I hate having to say that. But that's that.

Question:

Ok, it's not really a question. Pick one technique from this list of embroidery techniques (that's a link, click it to get to the list), define it, and give one online resource (other than my site!) for that technique. You can use the list in the post, or pick a technique listed in the comments below the post!

I know, I know... it's work... but this way we can all learn something!

Don't think of it as work - think of it as fun! (I sound like my mother!)

Have fun!

(I'll post the winner on Monday, May 19th).

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Monday, April 14, 2008

And the Winner Is.... and Favorite Embroidery Technique

Good morning, folks! I'm up early to post, since this was supposed to go on last night. A couple points on the embroidery stash contest for April, so please read on...

First point - the winner of the Gilt Sylke Twist is BaileyGirl5. Yippeeee! If you would please contact me with your address, that would be great. I'll get the package in the mail by the end of this week. Please use the "contact us" feature - don't post personal information in the comment section! Thanks! And I hope you like the thread!

Second point - KerGiz? I never did hear from you about receiving the March stash package! I hope it arrived in Hungary safe and sound. If it didn't, let me know!

And finally, Meeta asked what my favorite embroidery technique is. I had to laugh at her question - I didn't mind asking readers, but when I turned it around to myself, I thought "Gosh. That's just too hard."

I can tell what techniques I don't like more easily than what techniques I like best!

But anyway, here are my favorites (note the plural!) & not necessarily in order of preference:

Surface embroidery, including needlepaiting, crewel work, general free-style stuff, and so forth (right - not very narrow).

Gold work and metal thread embroidery.

Ecclesiastical work - which is just a specific application of the types above.

And historical embroidery that focuses on, again, any of the points above, as well as historical counted thread and canvas work techniques.

But I really do like anything, or at least will try anything. I don't really tend towards abstract designs; I prefer more traditional patterns. I best like working on projects that I draw up myself, but I enjoy working kits, too, as long as the kits are tasteful, incorporate good quality materials, and will help me learn. For example, Tanja Berlin's kits and occasionally (when I can afford it!) some of the kits from Country Bumpkin are the types of kits that entice me.

So there's my two-cents' worth.

Every time I do the drawing for these stash contests, I end up feeling really happy for the person I drew, but really disappointed for the rest! But I do want you all to know that I appreciate your input and your indulgence of my embroidery ramblings! May is coming up - keep an eye out for the next embroidery stash contest!

Labels: miscellaneous embroidery musings, stash contest

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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

April Embroidery Stash Give-Away!

Each month, I've been having a bit of a "stash contest" - giving away a little something from my embroidery stash to anyone who leaves a comment geared towards a specific subject mentioned on the post. So, here's April's embroidery stash give-away....

How would like some Gilt Sylke Twist? I know many have probably already acquired some, but I also know that lots of people out there who would try the thread are deterred by the price for a full 35 meters. So, this month, I'm giving away a meter of each of the colors I presently have: red, green, cream, pink, and light blue.

Gilt Sylke Twist for April's Give-away

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I really love this thread!

My question for this give-away is this:

What's your favorite needlework technique and why?

I'll draw names On Sunday, April 13th, from those of you who respond to the question in the comment section on this post. Please use a name in the comment, to make drawing names easier.

International readers are welcome to participate!! I'll send the package by the least expensive air mail option.

So, comment away!!

Labels: stash contest

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

March Embroidery Stash Give-Away: The Winner Is...

Well, here it is, Thursday evening, and I just drew for the March Embroidery Stash Give-Away. Whenever I'm getting these things ready, I always worry about repeat names, so next to the names (if I think there could be confusion or a repeat), I put a little key word from their posts. I really didn't have to worry about it this time, as it is a unique name!

I hope that KerGiz from Hungary enjoys the little package of linen, wools, cotton, beads, and silk threads!! Please contact me with your contact information, and I will get this in the post!

Stay tuned for next month's contest - I have my fingers crossed that I'll be able to offer something pretty special. If I can't... well, I'll come up with SOMETHING!

Labels: stash contest

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Sunday, March 09, 2008

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for March!

Hand embroidery is one hobby that tends towards stash build-up. To help reduce my stash, each month I've been giving away little packets of fun embroidery supplies that you might find handy. Mostly, it's mix-and-match. This month, since Spring is starting to make an appearance, I thought I'd go with a spring-ish theme of threads, beads, and a little bit of fabric.

To be eligible to receive this little collection of embroidery goods, just leave a comment on this post. Generally, I ask a question, hoping for some input that readers will find useful. This month, you can answer the question, or you can just leave a comment, whichever is easier!

The question: what's your favorite thread for hand embroidery (or any needlework technique) and why?

If you can't muster up an answer, no worries! Just leave a comment! On Thursday, March 13th, I'll draw a name from the list. Please make sure you leave your name with your comment!

Here's this month's ebmroidery stash give-away:

Embroidery stash give-away for March, 2008

There's a piece of Belfast Linen, 32 ct, in lilac. It's a little over 12" x 12" - give or take on one side (it isn't square... it's rectangular).

Embroidery stash give-away for March, 2008

Beads are always fun to have! This package is a mix-up of bugle beads and seed beads, all glass, in springy colors: pink, greens, golds, light blue.

Embroidery stash give-away for March, 2008

A card of Encore! by Rainbow Gallery. This is a variegated stranded cotton in pastel colors. I've never actually used this thread, so I'm not sure how it stitches. But it's pretty...

Embroidery stash give-away for March, 2008

Aaahhhh. No stash is complete without silk. Here's a skein of a beautiful pink Needlepoint Inc. silk, and a skein of Eterna stranded (nearly flat) in a pretty light blue. I like both threads - the Eterna can be tricky to stitch with if you haven't used a flat silk before, but it's worth the effort of trying.

Embroidery stash give-away for March, 2008

And here are some Appleton wools in brighter spring colors. I didn't have a paler yellow...! Appleton is great for crewel work or long and short stitch shading techniques. If you like working with wool, it's a good wool to work with.

So that's it. They're all bagged up and ready to go to the lucky winner! And just in time, perhaps, for a little Easter sampler or something.

I'm happy for overseas participants to participate as well - I'll mail anywhere, via the least expensive air-mail option.

Please, comment away!

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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Friday, February 15, 2008

February Embroidery Stash Contest Winner

Thanks, everyone, for your great tips on how you manage your time for your embroidery, craft, and needlework projects! If you haven't had a chance to read through the comments, do check out the original post - you might pick up a great little tip.

So once again I went through the process to draw a winner - and this time, the winner is Sarah Wisdom! Sarah uses different canvas bags for her works in progress, so that they are portable for business road trips.

Again, thank you to EVERYONE for your great tips and for taking to the time to comment! I'll be doing it again in a couple weeks - I'm thinking fabric pieces for the next one - so keep an eye out!

One underlying theme I noticed in everyone's "time management" tips is that most of them are based on organization of supplies and so forth. I think that's absolutely true - the better organized you are, the easier it is to use time well. Sometimes, I'm afraid I don't follow that rule... aargh.

Sarah, please e-mail me your address, and I'll get that off to you as soon as I'm "alive" again! Flu season is not my favorite time of year!

Labels: stash contest

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

A Quick LIttle Update on Embroidery Stash Give-away

Today's the last day to leave a comment on this month's embroidery stash giveaway contest. I was actually going to draw names this afternoon, but I probably won't do so until tomorrow. Fact is, I'm down and out with whatever prevalent flu / bronchial infection / fever thing is going around! So you still have a chance if you want to get in on the drawing for this month!

Labels: stash contest

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Sunday, February 10, 2008

Embroidery Stash Give-Away - Want Some?

As promised, here's this month's embroidery stash give-away. I went through my boxes of embroidery supplies and pulled out random things that I'd like to give to one of you, just for the fun of it!

There are a couple options for embellishment of your embroidery projects (whether regular surface embroidery, canvas work, or crazy quilting)... and some of them are a little bit "Valentine's-ish" since it's February!

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for February, 2008

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for February, 2008

First of all, there's some glittery gold stuff! You can add a little sparkle to your projects with these.

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for February, 2008

From left to right, there's a spool of Sulky metallic (can be used for hand embroidery or machine), a spool of Kreinik blending filament (that you add to any color of your own floss), and a spool of Kreinik gold braid (medium, #16). The latter is good for couching and for some canvas work applications. It also makes great cords for Christmas ornaments, or great decoration for cards and so forth.

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for February, 2008

This is a little Valentine heart printed on cotton, good for crazy quilting or for card-making, or for anything your little heart can come up with!

Embroidery Stash Give-Away for February, 2008

And, finally, a tiny box of little things: three red jade heart beads, teeny tiny, and really pretty; a clear flower-shaped button (acrylic, I think), and some beetle wings. About the beetle wings: even if you think you'd never ever be interested in embellishing with these things (which can be trimmed and cut into different shapes and sizes), you should at least see them in person, as they are quite beautiful!

So that's the loot. Here's the deal:

Leave a comment here and let me know something about how you manage your time for needlework - or for anything else that allows you time to indulge in needlework. Time management tips are always appreciated, and I think other readers would like to hear what YOU do. So, for example, what do you do to make sure you're using your embroidery time efficiently? Or, what do you do during the day to make sure you have time for embroidery? Anything like that!

(If you're absolutely stuck and have no time management ideas, you can post your thoughts on "time and needlework" or "taking time to do needlework"!)

If you don't have a blogger account, please make sure you leave your first name (and last initial is helpful, too!) in the post, so that the drawing is a bit easier.

On Thursday, I'll draw names from among the commentors. I'll post the name of the winner, and then you can contact me via e-mail with your snail mail address.

Thanks, Paula, for the idea for this month's contest. Paula won last month's contest, and her loot arrived in Australia less than two weeks after mailing! I thought that was pretty good, considering I mailed it first class, not priority!

The contest is open to anyone. I'll mail overseas mail the cheapest possible airmail option.

(By the way, the reason I title these things "Want Some?" is because that is the only half-way clever phrase my silly parrot can utter. He says it whenever he sees something he wants - food, water...shiny buttons... )

Don't be shy! And thanks for participating!

Labels: stash contest

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Needlework Stash - And the Winner Is...

Wow! I think we all can benefit for the heaps of good tips left on the original post for the needlework stash contest for January. There were also a couple good tips left on the Last Chance reminder I posted yesterday, if you want to check them out! I really appreciate all the input, and I'm sure other readers do, too...

So who won the needlework stash contest?

First, though, here's how I set up the drawing: I took all your names and typed them up in a list. The "anonymous" people who left needlework tips were also included - I just typed "anonymous" and a key word from their tip. I printed these, cut them out, folded them, and put them in a ziplock bag...

which I shook with all my might!!

Then I stuck my hand in and drew out....

Paula Hewitt!

Her tip: she keeps an empty film canister with her needlework stuff to store broken or old needles in so that she doesn't mix them in with her good needles.

For future contests, I hope people aren't too shy to participate. Think about it - the odds that you'll win something here are much better than the odds that you'll win, say, the lottery!

Paula, please contact me with your snail mail address, and I'll mail that out by this Friday!

Thanks, everyone, for participating - and we'll do it again soon!

Labels: stash contest

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Last Chance for Needlework Stash Contest!!

Just a quick note to remind readers to leave a comment on my needlework stash contest post, before midnight tonight! I'll draw names tomorrow. The deal is: leave a comment with a good needlework tip, and I'll add your name to the drawing. I'll announce the winner tomorrow. After I announce the winner, it's up to the winner to contact me with a snail mail address, so I can send you a jolly little package of great stuff!

Labels: stash contest

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Friday, January 18, 2008

I'm Reducing My Needlework Stash - Want Some?

Ok, I've decided to dole out some of my needlework stash - and I'm going to test different ways of doing it. This is my first attempt - let's see how it goes over! I'm going to collect combination of threads, trims, and nick-nacky things (like embellishments or beads) in no particular theme (see the photo). To get "rid" of them, I thought I'd propose a simple contest...

This is the deal: I'd like to hear your favorite needlework tips and tricks. What do you do when you stitch (or before or after you stitch), that helps you get the job done with better results?

I'll take the legitimate tippers (threading your needle, for example, is not what I'd call a legit tip), put the names in hat, and draw a name. I'll let you know who won, and you can contact me with a name and address for mailing.

If this goes over well, I'll revisit the idea every now and then this year - I'm thinking once a month. For the kickoff, I've put together the following little lump of stuff, all neatly stuffed into a ziplock bag and ready to mail:

Needlework Stash Contest

There are lots of goodies in there...

Needlework Stash Contest

Some little pieces of trim, including about 3.5 inches or so of Mokuba ribbon. You can read about how I bought the ribbon, and learn from my mistakes, if you want!

Needlework Stash Contest

I've thrown some great threads in, since this is the "kickoff" and I wanted it to be something above average. There's a spool of coral Japanese silk from the JEC, a hank of Caron Collection watercolors, a spool of Piper's silk (same thing as the True Embroideries silk that Helen Stevens recommends), two skeins of DMC color variations, a skein of Rajmahal art silk (combination silk and viscose), a skein of Eterna silk, and two skeins of Appleton crewel. If you've wanted to try some different threads and haven't had a chance to get your hands on any - here's your opportunity!

Needlework Stash Contest

And everyone likes embellishments - so there's a little pack if tiny Mill Hill beads in a beautiful deep coral-ish red, some little sparkly heart buttons (Valentine's Day is around the corner!) and some wire things that can be used as either stames in flowers or buds in a spray.

So, go on - don't be shy - leave your tips in the comment section below!

I should set a deadline - how about next Tuesday, January 22, at midnight my time (CST)?

Let the tipping begin!

(Yes, I'll ship overseas - the least expensive air-mail possible.... note: not responsible for mail delivery difficulties, customs, or any misadventures...)

Labels: pictures, stash contest

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