Needle'nThread.com: December 2006

Embroidered Gift Idea - Wine Bag

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

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

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

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

You'll find the template here.

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

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

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

Labels: gift ideas

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Embroidery Video Tutorials - an Update

The hand embroidery video tutorials seem to be quite a hit. If you have not checked out the Video Tutorial Library, feel free to take a peek at some of the short videos that demonstrate basic embroidery stitches. For beginners and even beyond, it's nice to be able to see a stitch as it is worked. If you've ever attended an embroidery class, you know how nice it is to get the hang of the stitch while you watch it in progress, rather than having to make heads or tails of written instructions or simple diagrams. You might also know what it's like to get home and say "Now, how did she do that again?" So this is why I began putting together this little video library of stitches - to help beginners begin and to help other expand their repertoire of stitches.

You've probably noticed lately that not too many tutorials have been posted, and there's a reason for this...

Have you ever tried to hand embroider while hugging an unbalanced and flimsy tripod - with the tripod between you and your work? If you have, you can guess where I'm going!

Here's the little fellow I've been working with. It has bendable legs, stands about 6 inches tall, and works fine for macro stills on the table. But when there's a lot of movement going on around it, and your arms and hands must pass back and forth here and there, forget it!

What I need is something that will allow my camera to rest, floating, just above the frame or hoop, leaving the area between me and my embroidery free, so that my hands can move in a normal fashion and so viewers can get a sense of what it's like to work a stitch naturally.

Today, I ventured out to find The Needful Thing. I was introduced to very nice tripods and optional arm attachments that would allow me to do just exactly what I wanted. The least expensive set up would cost me more than the camera - not to mention that the tripods themselves were rather bulky and looked very exaggerated with my Olympus Stylus 800 attached to them!

Fortunately, I was in one of those wonderful long-time, personal service shops (Wolfe's Camera), where the service was spectacular and the salesmen knew exactly what they were doing and what they were talking about. After explaining precisely my needs, what I would be using the set-up for, and how my budget would only provide half or less of what the tripod gear was going for, they rigged up this:

I know that it doesn't look like much, especially lying on my bed, but it is a glorious light stand used for photography, with a fully-adjustable-in-every-way-imagineable arm (also for lights), topped with a camera or tripod head, also adjustable. It's somewhat lightweight (which is fine for my camera), expands and contracts all over the place, and is Just What I Wanted, at the perfect price!

Don't you love to find Just The Thing when you're looking for it? I certainly do! So now, I can venture back into the filming arena and hopefully, in the near future, you will enjoy the results!

Thanks for your patience! I'll have some up for you soon!

Labels: video tutorials

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Embroidery Project Progress Report - Sampler Bookcover

The cover for my needlebook (or, as some may call it, a "hussif") is coming along. I've almost finished embroidering the back of it, and then will only have one more panel. Then I can add the inside layer, embroider the book spines, and start on the little inside accessory spaces.

The whole project is developing according to practically no plan at all, so I don't actually guarantee the finished product! I have an idea in my head of what I want it to look like, so hopefully it will turn out the way I want it to. It's nothing fancy. It started as a road trip project, and I've posted a couple updates, here and here, along the way.

So, here is a photo of the front and back, side by side:

The space between the two panels is about three quarters of an inch. This will serve as a spine, into which I will stitch another "page" in the book, and then I'll cover the spine with some decorative stitches. The left side in this photo will be the back.

Here's a close-up of a good bit of the back panel, and you can see that some of the stitching is not yet complete. For example, I still have to fill in a few of the flowers, add leaves, etc.

This little section is made up of a variety of stitches. The bold blue line is Portuguese knotted stem stitch. On the outside of this, in light blue forming the little pointed outline, is a fly stitch border. Inside the "wave" are a few rows of open buttonhole, and then a stem stitch filled area (in green), and the center of the motif is filled with lazy daisies with French knot centers. On the right side under the tip of the wave is a ribbed spider web wheel, surrounded by chain stitch, with some feather stitching filling in.

Here's another close up of a part of the back panel. The waves or swishes are stem stitch, used as filling. There's a little cluster of French knots filling in down at the base of the photo, and some seeding can be seen above the dark green chain stitch band.

I've been using a variety of threads in the whole thing: regular stranded DMC, variegated DMC, Caron Collection Waterlilies (overdyed silk) and Watercolors (overdyed cotton), DMC Perle #5, Eterna silks - twists and minitwists, some (but not much) Soie d'Alger, and some YLI silk ribbon.

Towards the bottom of this photo, the green band with the blue isolated chain stitches, is a length of YLI ribbon, which I stitched down and then worked the isolated chain stitches over. Directly above that line is a whipped stem stitch, which began with a coral-colored stem stitch, whipped with green. Directly above this is a blue band of heavy chain stitch. Directly above this, I couched some yellow DMC Perle #3 with some pink Perle #5, in a kind of bricking pattern. Some of the stitches have been joggled about a bit, due to carelessness in holding the project (I'm working in-hand, as opposed to on a hoop or frame).

Above the couched line is a buttonhole line in pink, topped with purple French knots, and floating above all that is a random selection of leaves worked in fishbone stitch. The leaves adorn the purple flower, which is made up of two layers of lazy daisy in dark purple and light, and which hasn't been filled in the center yet.

The "V" directly above this is worked in cretan stitch, edged with stem stitch in purple on the bottom of the band, and chain stitch on the top of the band. Another spider web wheel surrounded by buttonhole stitch is worked inside the "V."

This is a close-up of stem stitch used as filling. You can also see, in the distance in a variegated pink / yellow silk, a flower worked in bullion stitch.

And, a final shot, this is back to the front panel, looking at my favorite part of it. I prefer the front panel. I think I got carried away on the back panel, so that things look a bit too thick for me there. The front has a crisp look to it, despite the crowded areas, whereas the back seems to jumble together a bit too much. Still, I'm having fun working on it. I've got a commissioned project, though, that's demanding my attention now and probably into March, so I'll just be snatching a few stitches here and there on this one, as time allows. It may be a while before the project is completed! But I won't relegate it to the deep interiors of the closet just yet!

Again, all these are pretty much what I would call "basic" embroidery stitches (although the bullion stitch takes a little practice), and you can find video tutorials for most of the stitches in the Video Library of Stitches Index.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, needlecase, wip

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Bayeux Tapestry & Other Historical Embroideries

For historical needlework fans, the Bayeux Tapestry is one of those "landmark" works that draws fascinated attention. I love this "tapestry," and I like to read about it and anything related to it. Part of this interest stems from my love of needlework, and part of it from my love of English literature.

About a month ago, SharonB of inaminuteago directed her readers to a link about a woman named Annette Banks who recreated the Bayeux Tapestry, embroidering it over a span of 20 years. Her accomplishment is certainly more than commendable! How many of us begin projects, and, growing tired of them, do not persevere to the finish line? (Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I do it often!) So this woman certainly has my utmost regard! If you haven't read her inspiring story, you should! Also, take a look at close ups of her recreation of the Tapestry - it's really gorgeous, and it's in full color. It's a fun lesson in history, and a great lesson in perseverence.

If you're a modern history buff and prefer WWII memorabilia to that of Norman and Anglo-Saxon, you might like to take a look at the Overlord Tapestry. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, this one depicts instead the D-Day Invasion on the beaches at Normandy. Unlike Annette Banks's work which is the work of one determined and skilled woman, this one was professionally designed and then executed in panels by the Royal School of Needlework. You can read about the making of the Overlord Tapestry at the D-Day Museum online, and you can view close-ups of different sections of it as well.

The original Bayeux Tapestry (which is not actually a woven tapestry, but rather a work of surface embroidery, on linen, worked in only 8 colors of thread!) is housed in France, and is certainly worth a long and lingering visit if you happen to be in Bayeux, Normandy and want to peruse all 230-ish feet of it. Britain necessarily believed she should have a copy of it as well, and so, during the Victorian Age, the work was undertaken by the Leek Embroidery Society, and, in just over a year, it was completed, with very minor alterations (a few naked figures were apparently clothed). You can view this reproduction and can read the account of the Norman invasion at the Bayeux Tapestry Reading Museum website.

Congratulations to Annette Banks for her great accomplishment, and to all those who persevere in Very Large Projects, you have my utmost admiration!

Labels: historical needlework

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Video Tutorial: Double Herringbone Stitch

Here's a video tutorial for the double herringbone stitch, which is a variation of the herringbone stitch in the last video tutorial. Just like the regular herringbone, this stitch can be used as a decorative band or edging.

The double herringbone is simply the herringbone stitch worked twice - usually in different colors, and alternating the placement of the stitches. First, you work a line of herringbone stitch in one color (here's the herringbone stitch video tutorial), and then, in another color, you work on the same row, but between the stitches of your first row. Basically, you end up creating a band of diamond shapes. The trick to make the stitch look right is to "weave" your stitches. That is, when you are working the second set of herringbone on top of the first, when you go from the top row to the bottom row, you cross over the bar of the stitches already there. But when you go from the bottom row to the top, you take your needle under the stitch that's already there. You'll see this more clearly in the video!

There's no sound on this video. Just to point out the flaws in advance: in the first two or so stitches, I pick up only one thread in the fabric. I should be picking up two. Also, at the end of the video, you'll notice that, as I cross under the last stitch, it looks very loose. That's because I haven't anchored it yet! But you'll still get a clear notion of how the stitch is worked, despite the flaws!

The same rule applies in this stitch as in the herringbone stitch: when working on the bottom line, your working thread should be above your needle. When working on the top line, your working thread should be below your needle.

Here's the video. Have fun with it!

For more video tutorials, please visit the Video Library of Stitches Index.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Embroidery Project Disorganization!

Lately, I've been working on a fun embroidery project (you can see it here), but I realize that, during this kind of work where I'm not sitting at a frame or my regular workspace, I tend towards disorganization! Yesterday, I started thinking about disorganization, and how it can decrease the pleasure of working on a project.

The first rule when working on any project comes from my mom: "A place for everything, and everything in its place." As long as you have a place for everything (before you start), you should have a relatively easy time keeping organized, and really no excuse not to be organized. So that's the first guiding principle.

After that, though, I might sit down to work on a project (especially when I'm in a comfortable location like the sofa), and think it "easier" to take what I need from my supplies, rummaging about if necessary, and worry about straightening them up when I come to a stopping point.

Tsk! Tsk! It is much easier to keep things neat as you go! So that's the second rule: "clean as you go" (my mom's kitchen rule, actually!) When you take a strand or two of thread from a skein, put the skein and the rest of the threads back where they belong! Trust me, it's much better than leaving them sitting on the arm of the couch, only to get dropped or tangled up! A place for everything and everything in its place. Especially if you're working with expensive threads, it can be such a waste to allow a tangled heap of threads to build up, and then, in a moment of frustration or cleaning frenzy, just to throw them away! But whether your threads are expensive or not, the less waste that goes into your hobby (or livelihood, whatever the case may be) the better!

And those snippets of thread - the waste from your project? They need a place, too. If you're not well-equipped with little accessories, even a plastic baggie will do. Put one next to you, and put all your snippets in it. Saves having to crawl around on the floor or vacuum, if nothing else! It also makes a quick clean up a breeze. If you have a good-sized scrap of craft felt, lay it over the arm of your chair. Put all your snippets on it. They will stick easily. Then scrape them off when you're ready to put things away.

There's a really cool little combo thread-catcher-pin-cushion accessory that would be great to have at your elbow, whether you're sitting in your favorite chair or at the work table. Here are instructions to make one in PDF format. But, if you want one and don't want to take the time to make it, you can also find different versions of them for sale, like this one. I'm not sure I'm keen on the wooden base, though.

Lastly, you might not want to pack your project off to your closet when you still plan to take it up in the evening or whenever you can snatch a minute. At the same time, though, you don't want it cluttering up your living space. A place for everything, and everything in its place. Devise a place where you can keep your project handy, but where it won't be in the way, and when you know you will be away from it for a stretch of time, pack it up and put it in that place.

So, here's the thing: if you clean as you go, and if you have a place for everything and everything in its place, your pleasure in embroidering will increase a hundred fold!

Labels: organization

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Embroidered Sampler Book Cover Progress

This embroidery project started out as something to kill time on a road trip, but as I keep stitching, it becomes more and more addicting! My plan is to turn the whole thing into a large needle / sewing book, with space for scissors, a magnet strip, threads, and, of course, plenty of needles! I thought Iâ€™d show you my progress on the front coverâ€¦

â€¦ and eventually, Iâ€™ll share the back cover, too, which will be entirely hand-embroidered in crazy patterns as well.

Basically, as I explained earlier, my plan was just to stitch whatever stitches came to mind, using whatever threads I happened to pull out of my stash. I modified the plan only a little bit, by attempting to balance some of the colors in the larger areas. I also picked out a line I didnâ€™t like (the puffy couching) and replaced it with a running stitch whipped with ribbon. You can see the puffy couching in this post, where I gave my last update.

Hereâ€™s a photo of the front cover, finished. You can click on the image for a close up.

So thatâ€™s what Iâ€™ve been occupying my evenings with while on vacation, although I have managed to finish and mail one embroidered Christmas present, and, in the next three days (working mostly in the wee hours, so I donâ€™t get caught red-handed!), I have high hopes of starting and finishing a little bird as another gift. I might even be able to get it framed before Christmas! Weâ€™ll see! Iâ€™ll be sure to snap some photos before I give it away.

Back to the needle â€˜n threadâ€¦

Labels: Hand embroidery stitches, needlecase, sampler, wip

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Embroidery Stitch Challenge: Take a Stitch Tuesdays

Are you interested in expanding your repertoire of embroidery stitches, and taking them to "new heights"? Does embroidering with a group help motivate and inspire you? If so, the "Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge" may be just the thing for you. The challenge is proposed by Sharon of inaminuteago. The concept is this:

Each week, Sharon will propose a new stitch to work with, exploring and experimenting with the possibilities of the stitch. You can work on anything you like, with any kinds of threads, etc. The commitment is flexible, so you can pop in and out of it as you wish. Sharon will do a "weekly round-up" of photos from people involved in the challenge, so all the participants will be posting their progress each week as they work. Sharon has over 100 people currently signed up to participate from around the world!

Here are the full details. I'm pretty excited about participating in this, as it will be a great motivational and learning tool. I'm particularly pleased about the flexibility of the whole challenge as well, since life does tend to go on outside embroidery. I also like the idea of starting the year with this, since it will give a continuity to learning different aspects of embroidery as the year progresses. And, finally, I think this would be perfect for the beginner - you will have the support of other beginners and advanced embroiderers from all over the world, to motivate and inspire, and to help you with questions, etc., as I'm sure there will be plenty of involvement and communication going on.

If you're interested in joining up, let Sharon know, so she can add you to the weekly round up list! Hope to see you there!

Labels: beginner embroidery, inaminuteago, stitch challenge

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Cretan Stitch Video Tutorial

The cretan stitch is used in hand embroidery to create bands, to fill (any shape - leaves, for example), and it can be worked closed or open, depending on the effect you want.

In this video tutorial for the cretan stitch, I'm working a closed band, vertically from top to bottom. You'll notice at the end of the video that the band forms a wide, almost-filled strip with a braid-like pattern down the middle of it.

Experiment with the cretan stitch for a different look, especially in creating fillings or decorative edges (for example, in crazy quilting). You can see the cretan stitch used in my "sampler" book cover here. It's the brighter green, upside-down "V" area towards the base of the first photo.

Here's the video:

For more video tutorials for hand embroidery, please visit the Video Library of Stitches Index.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Video Tutorial: Herringbone Stitch!

The video tutorials are back, and here's one for herringbone stitch, another versatile and easy embroidery stitch for beginners, and used often by all levels of embroiderers.

In the video tutorial for the herringbone stitch, I'm working across two parallel lines from left to right. I've marked the lines on the fabric, as well as the intervals for the stitch. You'll be able to eye-ball the intervals yourself once you've worked the stitch a bit.

The herringbone stitch can be used in a lot of applications: lines and borders, crazy quilt embellishments, methods of couching, etc. You can also vary the stitch, by interlacing other threads or ribbons through it. The double herringbone stitch will be covered in another tutorial - it's a good example of variety in this stitch.

Here's the video:

For more video tutorials for hand embroidery stitches, please see the Video Library of Stitches Index.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Embroidered Book Cover Progress

Since the embroidery video tutorials are temporarily suspended (don't worry! we're looking for options!), I thought I'd update you on the spontaneous project I started last Saturday on the road.

The free-style embroidery sampler - rather whacky and completely spontaneous - will serve as a cover for a needlebook. Supposedly, when I finish it, I will have the "ideal" needlebook. Boy, have I got plans for this thing! But we'll see if they actually materialize the way I picture them!

In the meantime, I've been stitching away on the cover, and this is it so far. For me, this spontanious approach is rather different. Basically, I determined that I would reach for a color and decide on a stitch (or variation) and just stitch away, without any set plan of design or anything. It's actually rather fun to go about things this way - and very relaxing.

This is where it was last time I posted.

Here's the cover now, though by no means finished. (Although I am beginning to realize that one can definitely go overboard on this kind of thing!)

I'm not so keen on the big scrolly things in the middle now. I'm going to have to tone them down a bit. I've started added in some little flowers here and there, but haven't finished them. The whole thing is 5 x 7 inches.

The stitches on this section are pretty clear - portuguese knotted stem, buttonhole, whipped backstitch, daisy, and stem stitch, with some puffy and twisted couching at the very top.

Here, you've got some interlaced chain, somewhat modified. I ran through the center with little running stitches in coral on the blue chain, then laced the coral through. This is perle cotton #5 - in fact, all of the thicker threads in this thing are #5 perle cotton, and then I'm using some overdyed cotton and silk here and there, and a little bit of purple coton a broder.

Here's a close up on the puffy couching, which I twisted a bit. It's a bit whackier looking than I had planned, but it's "ok." In other words, I don't plan to take it out!

So there it is so far.

I was thinking of all the applications for free-style embroidery done like this. An embroidered purse, pouch, book covers, pillows, Christmas stockings, and whatnot. In fact, for my youth class this coming summer, I think we will "sampler" like this, and make pencil cases for them to use the following school year. Or Christmas stockings - I like that idea. Well, I'll keep you posted!

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Embroidery Video Tutorial Blues!

Readers, dear readers, I've got the Embroidery Video Tutorial Blues! I don't know if it's the camera, the editing, or the uploading...

...but for some reason, all the video tutorials I've tried to produce in the past week have turned out so poorly, there hasn't been any point in posting them!

In fact, I'll give you an example. Check out the cretan stitch video below. It's awful! The sound is ok, but the image stinks. I suspect this may have something to do with the video host, but I will reserve comment until all possibilities have been explored.

In the meantime, I hope you keep reading the occasional snippets and that you stick around for the eventual moment when the situation is rectified!

If you have any technical clues as to what the problem may be, I'm all ears!

Here's the last of four or five videos I've uploaded in the past five days, all of which have been as bad or worse as far as quality goes:

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White on White Hand Embroidery Revisted

Embroidery on white linen, in white threads, produces rich, elegant results. A while back, I mentioned a project I was working on, using simple stitches on white linen, but I flubbed up on part of it, and had to start again...

You can find the original post on the subject here. I ended up picking out part of the work, and consequently marring the linen.

I reworked the same project and finished it a couple weeks ago, so I thought I'd share some photos of it. Overall, my point in this little article is to encourage readers who might be intimidated by "detail" work, especially whitework, that looks hard. This project, as far as stitching is concerned, was relatively simple!

Here's a photo of the overall piece, which is a white linen pall, a square piece of linen traditionally used to cover the chalice during the Mass. It's approximately 6 inches square.

Although the color looks a bit creamy in the photo, the linen is "ecclesiastical linen" by Legacy, which is white, and the thread I used was a #30 coton a broder by DMC.

I stitched all the lines and scrolls in a whipped backstitch - a very simple stitch! I wanted to raise the outlines a little bit, to add dimension to the piece. The grapes are stitched in a lighly padded satin stitch, and these were probably the most difficult part of the piece, only because some stitches may find it difficult to satin stitch circles well at first. I didn't necessarily want all the circles the same size or a perfectly "round" shape, but tried for at least some consistency! The insides of the double-outlined shapes (the outside circle and the inside quatrafoil) are stitched in larger seed stitches, using double stitches.

The inside of the leaves and the letters are worked with a seed stitch - tiny single stitches which I did not "randomly" work, but rather worked more or less in the direction of the leaf. Seed stitch may be randomly worked, in different directions, for a nice effect, but here I wanted something a little more organized looking.

Perhaps my favorite aspects of the piece are the dimension created by the whipped backstitch and the padded satin stitch, and the texture, provided by the seed stitches.

A hint when working white-on-white: use good lighting! It makes all the difference. For the whipped backstitch, keep your backstitches tiny and even, and do all the "whipping" in the same direction.

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Hand Embroidery Projects & Stitching on the Road

It's a busy time of year for hand embroiderers, as many work on preparing Christmas gifts and decorations - along with all the other holiday prep that goes on between now and Christmas (3 weeks from today, I might add!)

Sharon Bogan has a couple posts on her site, Inaminuteago, about Christmas preparations - specifically card making and ornament making. And in fact, these are the things that I've been mulling over lately - specifically, embroidered Christmas cards. I've got some scraps of card-making supplies around, and I even have a handy-dandy pricker for fine holes in paper stock. I'm pretty sure my stash includes some metallics that will do for the embroidery. I should be able to drum up some Christmas cards before the season is completely over!

And speaking of over, the weekend is exactly that. Unfortunately, for me, it was an off-schedule sort of weekend. We had to take a road trip, so, with a six hour ride in front of me early Saturday morning, it occurred to me that I should be able to take something productive along. Stitching in the car is generally out of the question for me - I practically always have to stitch on a frame, and my projects generally require good light and exceptional precision, not to mention the use of gold for couching and all that stuff. Not exactly the kind of stuff you can open up and spread out in the car!

But as the prospect of the drive overcame me on Saturday, I figured I could manage something - so I foraged through the scrap bin and came up with a long strip of red wool felt.

I grabbed my "class bag," which contains a good stash of disorganized thread that I use specifically for embroidery class.

And we set out.

The first thing I did with my wool felt was block out four panels on it, using a greeting card envelope. Between the four (with two on each side) I left about a one-inch strip. Think book cover. The one inch strip would be the spine.

Then I pulled a micro marker out of my bag, and scrolled off a bit of a basic design, just to get the thing going.

Then I stitched! My method was really simple: reach into the bag, pull out some thread. Using whatever stitch that comes to mind, stitch! And so that's what I did.

I didn't get that far - I figured with a six hour drive I should've been able to finish the front of a panel - but things never happen the way we expect. The finished product will have two panels stitched, and then I'll fold the outside panels under the embroidered ones, put a light cardboard insert between them and stitch them closed, and then add an inside felt page, with flanel squares - to make an extra-large needlebook.

There's quite a ways to go on the embellishment on the front. It's a bit too standard right now to be "interesting," and I'd like to play a bit with texture and shading here and there on it.

I'll let you know how it goes! and I'll give you a run-down on the stitches used once I finish the front. Here's the progress so far:

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, needlecase, sampler, wip

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Sunday, December 31, 2006

Embroidered Gift Idea - Wine Bag

Friday, December 29, 2006

Embroidery Video Tutorials - an Update

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Embroidery Project Progress Report - Sampler Bookcover

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Bayeux Tapestry & Other Historical Embroideries

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Video Tutorial: Double Herringbone Stitch

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Embroidery Project Disorganization!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Embroidered Sampler Book Cover Progress

Embroidery Stitch Challenge: Take a Stitch Tuesdays

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Cretan Stitch Video Tutorial

Monday, December 18, 2006

Video Tutorial: Herringbone Stitch!

Friday, December 08, 2006

Embroidered Book Cover Progress

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Embroidery Video Tutorial Blues!

White on White Hand Embroidery Revisted

Monday, December 04, 2006

Hand Embroidery Projects & Stitching on the Road

The Editor's Floss

Embroidery Search Engine

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