For our summer project, our embroidery guild is learning to work with silk. We'll be using different types of stitches in our silk work sampler, many of which will be some sort of "shading" technique. If you want to see the pattern we'll be working with, I posted the silk work sampler pattern some time back.

During each embroidery guild meeting so far this summer, we've gone one step at a time in setting up the sampler, and we will all be working one step at a time in stitching it, so that everyone has time to get the different techniques down.

We haven't started stitching yet! We aren't taking any "short cuts" - we each framed up our pieces, then we traced our designs, pricked them, pounced them, and finally, using a fine paintbrush and watercolor paints, we painted in the design.

So here's my pattern, transferred to the fabric and ready to go:



The sampler itself is about 7.5 x 10 inches. We're using Legacy linen (Alba Maxima), and we purchased 18" x 18" squares, to mount up on 16 x 16 frames. We're using stretcher bars, with the fabric tacked all the way around. The linen was pre-shrunk and ironed before mounting. I like using the larger frame for this kind of project (a 14 x 14 or even a 10 x 12 would have sufficed), but it's good to have the extra space to practice a bit on the side lines if necessary.

Here are the threads we'll be using:



The top row of tubes is flat silk from the Japanese Embroidery Center. We're working with 5 shades of green, 3 shades of red or of coral, 3 shades of blue, and gold. We'll also be using a little bit of reddish-brown, for different stems. The silk in skeins is Soie d'Alger.

I picked out the colors from the thread sample binder of the Soie d'Alger. Then I matched my colors of Soie d'Alger to the thread palette of flat silk from the Japanese Embroidery Center. I was so happy to find a practically perfect match for all colors! Of course, the colors will still look slightly different, because the light will play on the flat and twisted silk differently. The stitches used will also change the look of the threads a bit, because of the way the light plays off different stitches.

We're starting with the middle flower at the top, which will be worked in long and short stitch in the twisted silk. The center of the flower will be a lattice work filling, in the gold and either red or blue, depending on the color of the flower. The side flowers will each be worked in different stitches, but they will be worked in flat silk.

I'll keep you posted as we progress - right now, I'm going to work up a sample section for Monday's class!

I'll be posting updates and explaining the stitches we're using as we go. If you want to stitch along from a distance, feel free!

Labels: guild, needlepainting, pictures, silk, silkwork sampler

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 30, 2007
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Monograms have long been a part of hand embroidery. They're commonly seen on handkerchiefs and household goods. I wrote a little blurb on Initials for Embroidery a while back, and since I've always had an interest in monograms and old linens with monograms on them, I thought I'd share some monogram patterns.

This particular monogram - the letter A - comes from a monogram alphabet that I have in an old, old, old booklet. It's one of those pamphlets that's falling apart, yellow with age, and not of much use unless scanned and cleaned up. So I've been doing just that. The booklet is of French origin. It doesn't have a cover, but there's a French address on the bottom of one of the pages. It was a gift from a friend who loves antique book hunting, but isn't too crafty, so it ended up in my hands.

I believe it's from a series of "Sajou" pamphlets published in France. Some of the pamphlets can be found online at La Maison d'Anael, a French website. I'm not certain which one this is, if it's on there, as I don't have the pamphlet cover. If you're interested in the monograms, you might want to scroll through them to find the complete alphabet.

If there's any interest in having the whole alphabet cleaned up for use, I'll post the initials as I clean them up. And if you're looking for a particular initial and you like this pattern, I can jump ahead and clean up one for you!

Here's the "A." You can shrink it or enlarge it as you wish. I think this is a particularly pretty monogram, and it would look great with the letter and the vines outlined in stem stitch, the flowers and dots worked in a padded satin stitch, and the leaves filled with a seed stitch.



Right click on the letter to save it to your computer, and then adjust it to the size you want.

Have fun with it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, June 28, 2007
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I planned to have this embroidered notebook cover finished by the time I went to bed on Sunday, but sometimes things just don't work out the way we plan them! The first kids' embroidery class was Monday morning, and I wanted to show this to them as a sample. Although I didn't finish, I did make progress, so I thought I'd share some photos...

The kids love the thing, by the way, and are excited to make their own. They learned three stitches on Monday: the running stitch (we always start with that one!), the whipped running stitch, and the chain stitch. I jump straight into the chain stitch because it's just a short step to the detached chain (lazy daisy), which is always received enthusiastically because they can make flowers with it.

We also talked a little about needles and scissors, keeping track of supplies, clean hands, and such. They learned how to hoop up their fabric (we use white cotton twill for practicing). Then they picked out two colors of cotton perle, we learned the stitches, and then they picked out the felt for their embroidered notebook cover (four different colors were available) and three pre-cut strands of three different colors of cotton perle, which they rolled up and put in their sewing boxes. I showed them where to stitch the running stitches to mark the sides of the notebook cover, and they practiced their stitches, and that was the whole two hours! Fortunately, I have two gals from our guild helping with each class - so in this class, which had 17 children in it, each of the adults were able to give some one-on-one help with each stitch.

It was fun! The next group meets on Wednesday afternoon.

So this is the notebook cover so far, which I have every intention of finishing today, depending on how long I have to be at work!



The spine is marked by the wavy line in the center, although the spine doesn't really have to be marked at all - the design could continue across the whole space. I realized it doesn't really matter which side is which, either - on this, either side of the spine could be the front cover!



This is what I accomplished on Sunday. The wavy line in yellow down the spine is a laced chain stitch. The stitching on the inside of the waves is a variation on Algerian eye, with French knots at the tips. The fan in the top right corner is worked in whipped back stitch (the ribs), and the two bold lines defining the arch are Portuguese knotted stem. The yellow between the ribs is fly stitch in yellow ribbon. The edge on the outside is fly stitch worked in three strands of DMC stranded cotton, with a little green detached chain between the peaks of the fly stitch.



I added these little hand-painted buttons to the part that I had already finished before Sunday.



The vine here is worked in stem stitch, dotted with little ribbon leaves. The flowers are daisy stitches and French knots, for the most part.



The buds that rest in the vine intersections are actually oyster stitch, covered a little by some ribbon.



There's a little French knot at the base of each bud.



This is backstitch laced with a wide and loose silk ribbon. It's a scrap of ribbon that came from an orts bag from Yodamo silk. These are little $4 and $6 bags of miscellaneous ends of silk ribbon which are great for scraps and such.

You can find pretty much all the stitches used above in my Video Library of Stitches.

I plan on posting exact instructions for making the cover - it's not complicated at all, and it's a great and relaxing project for any kid - no matter how old!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery for children, Hand embroidery stitches, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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I'm finishing up the sample of the embroidered notebook cover that we're making in our summer embroidery class for kids. I haven't finished the sample yet (first day of class is tomorrow!), but in the meantime, I thought I'd share some photos of the concept so far. I'll finish the sample up today...

I'm working on wool felt from Wooly Thread. I ordered twenty of the 12" x 15" pieces, and cut those length-wise so that we would have forty 6" x 15" pieces, enough for 36 students. I wanted the materials to be as economically feasible as possible - and wool felt can be rather expensive! - so the point was to find a notebook small enough to cover with a six-inch wide piece of felt. It so happens that the Mead Five Star Fat Lil' Notebook is perfect.

So I measured out the strips and marked the inside with lines where the cover, spine, and flaps would fall. I stitched the lines with running stitch in #5 perle cotton, so that they are visible on the front. I left a 3/4-inch space in the middle of each edge of the turn-under for the flap, where I will cut slits for the ribbon ties.



You can see the running stitch up the left side, marking the spine area. The ribbon is inserted through the slit on the right side.



I worked a simple overcase stitch around the edges of the slit. The stitching here isn't too neat, but ... I photographed it anyway. (Hint: if you plan ahead, you don't have to rush when working up your samples! Saves a lot of frustration.... rrrrgh.)



To secure the flap, I worked an overcast stitch over the two edges of felt (still using perle #5). I think we'll use buttonhole stitch for the edges when we do these in class. It's a little more decorative, and they don't have to be worked this close together. We could also just use a whip stitch.



Again, here you can see the running stitch up the left side of the front cover area, marking where the spine is. The whole stitching design was completely random. I didn't plan anything particular for the cover. But when I work through this project with the kids, I want them to sketch up their ideas for their covers first - or at least the general layout.

I realize the stitching here is a bit advanced for beginning children. They will practice their stitches first on cotton twill, and once they learn each stitch, they will work a little bit of it on the felt, in any design they want, embellishing the felt as they progress through the class. The finish work will come at the end.

The stitches they will be learning and using on their felt covers are the running stitch, the whipped running stitch, backstitch, stem stitch, chain stitch, detached chain stitch, buttonhole stitch, fly stitch, and a little bit of couching. I'll also show them how to do a ribbed spider wheel, buttonhole wheels, etc., which can be used as individual accents on the covers. We'll probably throw in a few beads and ribbo here and there, too.

I'll be working with 36 children, divided into two classes. The ages range from 8 - 10 and 11 - 13. Now, I know it may be a bit adventurous to undertake these with the younger kids, but I think they will be able to do it. Last year, they were chomping at the bit to produce something like this, and they learned really fast! I can't wait to see what they do this year.

When we finish the notebook covers, we'll move on to a simple circular drawstring bag. I'll keep you posted with pictures!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery for children, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, June 24, 2007
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 23, 2007
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Have you ever tried recycled silk for embroidery? I haven't - not yet, that is! Recycled silk is interesting stuff, and I think it would look neat couched on a piece of embroidery.

First of all, what is it? There are a lot of websites out there that are devoted to recycled silk and recycled silk products. Basically, the "leftovers" from the silk mills where fabrics are made (to use for saris, which come in a range of colors and patterns), which are taken and spun into a multi-colored yarn. The yarn is irregular, colorful, a little hairy, and sometimes rather "slubby," but it's the color and texture that makes it interesting and pretty stuff.

Recycled silk is used primarily for knitting and crocheting. But why can't it be used for embroidery, too? I doubt this question is original - I imagine there are heaps of needleworkers out there who have done just that. I think, to maintain its look, the yarn would have to be couched. Perhaps others use it differently, though. On the right sized mesh, it would probably work in needlepooint.

You can get recycled silk through many sources online, but the one that caught my eye was the Wool Peddler. I think it caught my eye, firstly, because of the name. It didn't match what I was looking for! Secondly, I like the logo on the site. Thirdly, they promise quality yarn, and they deliver quality yarn.... and, fourthly...



I like their pictures of the yarn!

So I've added recycled silk to my list of things to do, and one of these days, I'm going to give it a try. If you've worked with it, feel free to leave a comment and tell others what you like or don't like about it, or to share resources.

Labels: silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, June 22, 2007
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One thing I noticed when I was perusing various embroidery shops on the East Coast was that the ones I visited carried the full range of Needlepoint, Inc. Silk. So here's a little word about this silk thread...

Needlepoint, Inc. is a reeled filament silk (as opposed to a spun silk), which means that the individual fibers that make up the threads are longer and stronger. The luster of a filament silk is also greater than that of a spun silk. The threads are 8-ply, meaning they can be divided into 8 individual threads, and they come in 5 meter skeins (or really large hanks of 45 meters, for those BIG projects!). The company produces its own Chinese silk for its threads; they claim that they therefore have better control over quality and over availability, which makes sense.

What I like about the Needlepoint, Inc. threads is that the shades are carefully graded, so that you can easily select from the color card or the rack a series of colors (say blues, for instance) that will blend into the next lighter or darker shade really nicely.

When comparing the Needlepoint, Inc. silks to Au Ver a Soie's Soie d'Alger, this is what I found:

1. Needlepoint, Inc., silk is slightly more expensive - averaging around $3.80 - $4.00 / 5 meter skein, whereas Soie d'Alger averages around $3.40 - $3.75.

2. Needlepoint, Inc., silk has one more ply per strand, which means you are getting a little more thread in 5 meters.

3. Needlepoint, Inc., comes in 476 colors, whereas Soie d'Alger comes in over 600 colors.

4. Needlepoint, Inc., is "softer" thread - it does not have the same body as Soie d'Alger, and the twist seems somewhat looser

5. In my opinion, Soie d'Alger has a "richer" sheen to it.

For stitchability, Soie d'Alger always wins out with me. It may be because I'm used to it. I do use a variety of threads, though - and I do like stitching with the Needlepoint, Inc., silks. Still, I seem to get better results, and a smoother stitching experience, with the Soie d'Alger.

If you're looking for a pretty good silk, I don't think you can go wrong with the Needlepoint, Inc. silks. Try not to be bothered by their label - it's bright yellow and can really be a turn-off at first glance (like a whole rack of defective clearance items - not that I have anything against clearance items, but that much yellow on a display of colors is a bit annoying!)



If you want to see what colors they have available, check out the Needlepoint, Inc. color card. You can also browse the Needlepoint, Inc. website for needlework items, primarily (as the name implies) needlepoint. The most intriguing part of the website, in my opinion, is the furniture section - some really ambitious and beautiful stuff in there!



If you want to find out if there's a store near you that carries Needlepoint, Inc. silk, they have a convenient store locator online as well.

As soon as my camera's back, I'll post some photo comparisons!

Labels: embroidery resources, silk, supplies, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, June 19, 2007
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, June 17, 2007
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What's a biscornu? or what's biscornu? I'm not exactly sure how to term this little, popular needlework oddity. Is it a noun? or an adjective? Either way, I call it an "oddity" because it does strike me as a little odd in its shape - but more so in its recent "birth" into the embroidery world. I've been embroidering for .... too many years to count! And it was just a lucky happenstance that brought biscornu to my attention.

I have a little knowledge of French, so when I first encountered the word "biscornu" I was confused. On my recent vacation, a fellow stitcher in a needlework shop showed me a little roundish ornament of sorts and said, "Have you ever made a biscornu?" I puzzled over the word, asked how it was spelled, thought about it a bit, and "that's odd." And it is! The word itself means odd or bizarre in French - it's actually an adjective.

But there's nothing really too odd about biscornu, and it's really no wonder that the marvelous little things are suddenly very popular in the needlework world.

Biscornu are small pillows, made from squares by offsetting the corners of the squares, whip-stitching them together, and stuffing them, so that they form a kind of puffy, eight-pointed pillow. In the middle of the resulting pillow, a button or trinket is usually sewn, pulling the two sides of the pillow together.

Each side of the pillow is embroidered (or at least the top side is). The embroidery usually involves counted thread techniques such as cross stitch or blackwork, but other stitches may certainly be employed, and I would imagine to great effect.

I squizzed around the internet, looking for samples - and holy cow! These little gems are really popular! I must've had my head in the sand for the last four or five years! Actually, the earliest date I could find on any pictures of biscornu was 2004! And I figure the things must be relatively recent in the needlework world, because - believe it or not - there's not even a Wikipedia article about them!

So what do they look like? And what are they used for?

If you want to see what they look like, I suggest checking out the heaps of images on Webshots/Type "biscornu" into the search on Webshots, and you'll get a plethora of photos:



There are plenty of blogs out there with photos of completed biscornu, or works in progress. I particularly liked the one I found at the Peacock's Feather, a great blog with lots of book recommendations & photos of works in progress.



One of the most striking biscornu I've seen is found at Stitched in Holland. I'm a sucker for red, so the color scheme really appeals to me.



It seems that the primary purpose of biscornu is as a pin cushion. I found a nice biscornu worked in blue in a blackwork-like filling at the little French blog called Craft Corner. Although I was looking for biscornu, what really caught my eye are the gorgeous embroidered pansies you can see on that page! If you scroll down the page, you'll see the blue biscornu. Click on it for a larger image.

The biscornu can also be used for ornamentation - they make interesting Christmas ornaments, for example. I imagine they could also be made into sachets, but I would advise any flower or plant-like filling to be stitched into an enclosure bag instead of putting the filling loose into the biscornu.

How are they made? Well, there are several tutorials online that you can check out if you're interested in stitching up one of these oddities.

Probably the best tutorial I've found so far is the one at Finishing School, a place where you will find "alternative finishes for needlework designs." The biscornu made in that tutorial is a bit bigger than some of the other ones you might see online. It all depends on the fabric you choose.

You'll find another good tutorial at Annette's Acre. The pictures are not as clear, but the tutorial is still very good, and the biscornu she's putting together is very pretty!

And then, finally, what about patterns? You can probably find many good patterns all over the internet, given the popularity of this little item. With just a quick look, I found a pretty good source at Battybat, which is also a French website.

Finally, my favorite all around resource that I found for information on the biscornu is the website Own Two Hands, where you will find a wonderfully clear tutorial for creating a biscornu, as well as a whole list of links for patterns.

So, there you have it - a needlework oddity that I'm glad I came across, and I hope you find it interesting, too! Enjoy!

Labels: biscornu, counted thread embroidery techniques, embroidery design, free embroidery patterns, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 16, 2007
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When I stop in at a needlework shop, the most difficult thing to do is to leave without buying anything! While on vacation this summer, I visited a few shops and added to my embroidery stash. When I buy new threads, fabrics, kits, or patterns - anything, actually - I try to make certain I'm buying stuff I actually WILL use. So I'd like to share a few finds with you. Perhaps they aren't too extraordinary, but they're beautiful threads!

Since the shops I visited in the Southeast focused mainly on needlepoint or counted thread techniques, the threads I picked up are highly suited to those techniques. For the first time, I got to feeeeel some threads that I've read about but have never come across in shops.



Here's a rather disorganized pile of all the embroidery goods I bought: Silk 'n Ivory, Vineyard Silk, Soie d'Alger, good ole cotton perle, ribbon floss, Rachelette by Caron, a couple little kits, and some stretcher bar, which aren't pictured!



Vineyard Silk is a Chinese silk that's produced in thicknesses suitable for needlepoint, but its use is not limited to needlepoint! It's an excellent, lustrous substitute for the traditional wools used in Jacobean or crewel embroidery, and would do well, I think, in any surface embroidery where you want a thicker thread. If you want to read about Vineyard Silk and see what's available in their line, check out the Vineyard Silk website. The classic colors are fantastic, and the subtle shades are perfect for long and short stitch flowers, etc.



Silk 'n Ivory is one of those threads I've longed to see up close and feel, but haven't had the opportunity to do so until now. Again, another thread good for needlepoint, but not limited to needlepoint. Silk 'n Ivory is a 50% wool, 50% silk thread, non-divisible and twisted. It has a nice sheen (not as much as the 100% silk threads, but very close), and it comes in a fantastic color range. It's distributed by a company called Brown Paper Packages, and is Swiss in origin. They also distribute the thread Trio, which is similar to Silk 'n Ivory, but it is divisible.



I probably don't need to explain Soie d'Alger by Au Ver a Soie, as I write about it quite often. But for those of you who are not familiar with this fine silk thread, it is French in origin, and possibly the best silk on the market. It comes in 5 meter skeins of 7-ply thread, one strand being about the same size as one strand of DMC stranded cotton. The difference between the silk and the cotton is the beautiful natural sheen of the silk, which will last for generations and generations. Soie d'Alger is a very strong silk; it doesn't fray easily and is great for any embroidery project. It's produced in well over 600 colors, so you can imagine the variety of color and the subtle shades you can achieve in your needlework with this thread! I just love the stuff.



Here's a jumbled little pile of DMC #5 perle cotton. I guess it's not something that you'd go "WOW" over, since it's pretty commonly available everywhere. But I liked these colors, and I use the #5 perle in my summer embroidery classes for kids, so... I bought a bunch of it in colors I knew they'd like. Their first project this summer is embroidery notebook covers worked on wool felt, so these threads will be great for that.



You may be wondering what ribbon floss is, and I will tell you truthfully that I'm wondering the same thing. I gather it's a floss that looks like ribbon, or a ribbon that behaves like floss, or something along those lines! I've never used it before, and, as you can see, I haven't even unwrapped the packages yet, but it intrigues me, so I'll have fun trying it on something. It's rayon, which could be a big drawback, as rayon threads can be a pain to work with. But given the general width of the floss (or ribbon?), I don't think it will boing up the way other rayon does. It apparently is comparable to one full (6 strands) of DMC, size-wise, and it works like ribbon, with the flexibility of floss. We shall see! I imagine it makes a pretty good accent thread for any kind of project.



I thought the Rachelette by Caron looked like a cross between funky and gorgeous. It's a nylon thread, with an outer net-like thread over it, and it's got a metallic sparkle to it. Another item which will make neat accents in the right place on the right kind of piece.




And finally, I bought two little kits - The Sweetheart Tree makes some really pretty counted thread kits. They aren't all cross stitch; many incorporate specialty stitches as well. I had such plans for these little gems! I didn't take any needlework along with me, so I bought these at the beginning of my trip. The only thing the kits lack is scissors. So I bought a pair of those, too. Anyway, I left the kits behind me in Florida when I left, so as I was sitting on my balcony in Charleston, overlooking the water and enjoying the evening views, I couldn't do one stitch of anything! My sister kindly mailed them home to me. Ah well - that's life!

So those are some fun new supplies I've picked up. If anyone's used any of these threads, I'd love to hear whether or not you like them, how you use them, and if there's anything out there you prefer to them!

Labels: embroidery resources, pictures, supplies, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, June 15, 2007
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Earlier, I touched upon Cloth of Gold, exploring what it is and how it's made. This exquisite textile made of gold-wrapped thread is expensive, somewhat hard to come by, and, in antique textiles, highly desired when in good shape. Here, I'm examining a piece made of cloth of gold, but which has unfortunately been damaged. The question is whether or not it is completely beyond repair.

The piece is a liturgical stole made from cloth of gold. It matches an exquisite set of vestments made from the same fabric.



This is a shot of one side of the stole, where the cloth of gold is in excellent shape, especially considering the age and the use of the piece.



And here is the other side, where you can see that the piece really is exquisite. The nature of this particular cloth is damask-like, with a pattern woven into the overall cloth. It is not embroidered in any way - the pattern you see is simply part of the pattern of the cloth.



There's a beautiful goldwork cloth on each side of the front of the stole. Again, it's in really good shape - there are a few spots where the gold thread is broken, but overall this does not mar the beauty of the piece. Age and wear are not highly evident.

But then, the tragedy:



Here you can see the torn fibers that need repair. Note how the cloth of gold is made in layers - underneath the gold thread, there are at least three layers: the first is the "base" of the fabric - it looks like a coursely woven material. The second and third layers directly under the gold are soft gold-colored thread in layers like padding. Then comes the gold.



It reminds me somewhat of shredded wheat cereal. What a mess! The question is, how can cloth of gold like this be repaired in a way that shows the least amount of damage? I'm musing over this question - and if you have any ideas, I'm all ears!



Here's the spot on the opposite side of the stole - not as bad, but still noticeably damaged!



The fringe at the bottom of the stole also needs some attention. The strands are crossed and held together by red thread, in an attractive pattern, but the red thread needs work!



In fact, the red thread is completely missing on half of the fringed edge.

The fringe won't be difficult to fix up. It's not really damaged - it just needs to be re-worked with red thread.

The cloth of gold itself, though, definitely needs repair before this piece can be used again. So here's my question: any good ideas on how to go about this? Of course, there are always those professionals that restore textiles, but I'm going to (very carefully!) give it a go myself before resorting to a professional. This may be a mistake, but the cost of such a repair would probably be tremendous, if it can be done at all.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or inspirations, feel free to share 'em!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, June 14, 2007
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The third needlework stop on our trip through the Southeast was at It's a Stitch, located on Maybank Highway on James Island, outside Charleston. The focus of this needlework shop is knitting and needlepoint.

Of the three needlework shops we visited, It's a Stitch had the most comprehensive selection of threads. Crammed into a space of some 400 or so square feet, the shop offers just about every kind of needlework fiber you could want. Right now, the shop is a bit on the crowded side, but they are moving their business a little way down the road soon, to occupy a space of over 1,000 square feet. This will be great!



The drive to this needlework shop from our hotel in Mt. Pleasant (on the other side of Charleston) was a pleasant one. The area is very typically "southern" looking and it's quite pretty! So the fact that the shop is located a distance outside the city is not at all a problem for those visiting the area. We continued our drive further down Maybank Highway after our stop and It's a Stitch, and visited the Charleston Tea Plantation - a convenient combination of sight-seeing and shopping.



Right now, you'll find It's a Stitch tucked into a little rural building that's home to a few other businesses as well. From the outside, it's inviting. There's a nice little chair on the front porch, and some baskets with daily specials.



Inside, you'll find three rooms. They are filled with fiber displays, while painted canvases line the walls and ceilings. This is the "main" room.



You'll find a whole wall of Silk 'n Ivory, Trio, and whatnot. You'll also find Needlenecessities, several different types of Au Ver a Soie, Trebizond, Gloriana, the whole range of Anchor, and on and on.



Each wall is filled with a display of fibers, the center of the room is occupied by racks of fibers - in short, if you're looking for threads, they're bound to have what you want!



Painted needlepoint canvases line the walls - and the ceiling! They have a great selection of colorful canvases. There was an absolutely gorgeous set for a child's upholstered chair. If I'd had the room.... and the budget....



They also had some great display items around the shop. This little knitted hat is precious! I had to buy the pattern! I also satisfied my thread craving by purchasing some Au Ver a Soie and a few other types of threads what will go into the general stash.

It's a Stitch is a neat little store - if you're in the area, you should swing by! Look for it further down Maybank Highway soon.

And that was our last needlework stop! I did manage to drive past the Embroidery Guild of America Headquarters in Louisville, KY, but it was too early in the morning to stop, and we couldn't wait around. Overall, it was a great trip!

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, June 11, 2007
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A couple other needlework stops caught my attention while I was on vacation. After Florida, our next stop was Charleston, South Carolina, where I found a great needlework shop in the historic downtown area.

Cabbage Row Shoppe has been operating in Charleston on Broad Street since the early 1970's.



It's at a beautiful location on Broad Street and State, right near the Old Exchange. There are plenty of sights nearby - the street is perfect for strolling, shopping, and sightseeing.



As you walk down Broad Street near the intersection of State, you'll see a cabbage on the wall, indicating the location of Cabbage Row Shoppe:



In case you miss the cabbage, there's also an overhead sign to indicate that you've arrived:



As you can tell from the sign above the door, Cabbage Row Shoppe specializes in needlepoint. They have an incredible variety of the most beautiful hand-painted canvases I've ever seen.



You'll find canvases lining both walls and covering racks in the middle of the store. There is also a small selection of counted thread designs to choose from, but the focus of the shop is definitely needlepoint.



All the canvases are unique and really gorgeous. I had to resist the temptation to purchase a set of beautiful Fleur de Lys squares that I would have loved to have - the difficulties being that 1. Needlepoint is not really my "thing" (though I like it, and I like the looks of it - I just don't have the time to devote to it); 2. I was searching for fibers, not designs to stitch; and 3. I would have overstepped my embroidery budget big time. Hand-painted canvases are not inexpensive, I've found, but, after contemplating their nature, I think that they are a good value. First, you're getting something unique that is a work of art; second, once it's stitched, it becomes your work of art as well; third, you can do useful and beautiful things with such canvases - from typical decor (pillows, framed works for the walls), to furniture upholstery (footstools, chair backs), to housewares (the base of covered glass trays), the needlepointed canvas can be a really beautiful addition to the home and something that can last from one generation to the next.



I loved this little elephant fellow. It's both exotic and fun.



And this camel canvas caught my eye, too! But I wasn't looking for canvas, I was looking for threads! They have plenty.



You'll find a range of colors of Paternayan Persian Wool, which is a three-ply 100% wool yarn used for needlepoint, but which can also be used for other needlework, for tassle-making, etc.



You'll also find the range of Silk 'n Ivory, a 50% Merino wool / 50% silk blend yarn made in Switzerland. The color range for the Silk 'n Ivory is gorgeous - they have 186 colors available, and the shading is wonderfully subtle, perfect for modern Jacobean and crewel work. And they carry Trio as well, made by the same company. It's a three-ply, divisible yarn made of silk and wool and can be used for fine work.

Cabbage Row also carries a variety of specialty flosses, some silks (Caron Collection, for example), the whole range of DMC, and notions and accessories, including stretcher bar frames.

They have a website, but it is not frequently updated. However, you can contact them via the website and they will help you fulfill your needs if they can. The proprietress was certainly the model of southern hospitality and graciousness. It was a pleasure spending time at Cabbage Row!

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, June 10, 2007
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I'm home from a long road trip through the Southeast, where I did manage to get in a few embroidery shops along the way. I thought I'd give you the lowdown on the ones I visited, in case you're ever in the area - or looking for them online.

My first embroidery stop was supposed to be at the Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta, Georgia. I knew it would be the highlight of my trip, and I couldn't wait to check it out and to SHOP there! Alas, it was not to be. I thought I was lost, since the directions took me to a beautiful residential area in Dunwoody, a suburb of Atlanta. I landed at the address that I had, but it looked to me like one of the fine residences. It was 10:00 a.m., and I didn't think ringing someone's doorbell quite the thing to do, so I chalked the experience up to bad directions, and went on with my journey. When I finally had the opportunity to call to let them know I wouldn't be there for a tour (you have to arrange one with them at least 48 hours in advance), I found out that I had indeed been in the right place! So if you're ever looking for the Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta, it is in a residential area. Don't be shy! Ring the doorbell.

While in Florida, I made it to a little needlework shop in Altamonte Springs, called Needle Orts.



The shop is conveniently located in Altamonte Springs, just a bit outside (north) of Orlando. If you're vacationing in Orlando and love threads especially, this is a great place to stop to take a look at what they have. I was there on a Saturday morning, when they have their local stitch get-together. It looked like heaps of fun, with small group of stitches around a table, with lunch and snacks set out for all.



The shop itself (like the other shops I went into in the Southeast) specializes in hand-painted canvases for needlepoint, but they also have a good array of fabrics for (counted) embroidery, many of which can certainly be used for surface embroidery.



Painted canvases line the walls, and thread racks fill the center of the shop. They carry the full range of Soie d'Alger by Au Ver a Soie, as well as the 100/3. They have Trebizond as well. They've also got the full range of Needle Necessities silk, as well as a large selection of wools and other combinations of fibers. Caron Collection threads, DMC, and too many others to count are in abundance.



They've got plenty of little kits, too, which are perfect for the traveller looking for something to do in leisure time. I purchased a couple pretty little counted thread kits to keep me occupied, as well as selecting a bunch of Soie d'Alger colors for an upcoming guild project.



Just like many places in Florida, the shop overlooks a pretty little lake. This is a big sell-point for me. Being from Kansas, we don't see abundant water throughout the year, so I like to see it everywhere I go!

The staff was friendly. My only complaint as a shopper would be that the shop is Very Crowded! However, I think that has to do with the Saturday gathering they were having. But hey - I'd rather have it crowded with stuff I'm looking for than roomy as anything, but with a lousy stock! So this wasn't really a negative point. They had a great selection of all kinds of stuff.

Needle Orts has a website, but it isn't fully functional for shopping, although it apparently will be soon. If you're looking for something in particular, you can find their contact information online and you can order over the phone.

My next needlework stop was in Charleston, South Carolina, where I found some real gems .... I'll fill you in on that next time!

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, June 09, 2007
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