Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 31, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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It's been about a week since I've posted a free monogram pattern for hand embroidery - I'm slowly dragging to the end of this alphabet - not to draw it out, but just because life has been hectic! Here's the "Y"!

All that's left to give you to complete this whole monogram alphabet is the "Z." I'll be updating the first half of this alphabet with the cleaner patterns made from vector drawings (thanks to Margaret, who traced the first half of the alphabet for me!)

And then, I've got some letter combinations and a smaller alphabet I was thinking about cleaning up next...

Here's the Y:



For the rest of this alphabet, please visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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Have you ever had a hankering to make your own Bayeux Tapestry? Yes, this is rather a light post - it fits well with the animated Bayeux Tapestry post of last year, although you might have a little more creative fun with this one!

Here's your chance to take your place in needlework history by making your own Bayeux Tapestry!



The Historic Tale Construction Cit is a drag-and-drop, make-your-own virtual tapestry website. It's hilarious, and really clever!



You can choose from a variety of folc, brave (people, horses), beasts, buildings, and miscellaneous items, drop them on your tapestry, re-arrange them, and add text as you go, until you have a whole historical tapestry account of whatever Important Event you want to record!



The characters and images are diverse - from a kid with a sheep, to the fallen and slain, to the cook, the dogs, the donkey, birds, kings, buildings, ships, and trees - and you can add scenes as you go (because of course you've got to use every possible image on your tapestry!)



Your masterpiece can be as clever as you want it to be, or as mindless...

When you're finished with your masterpiece (it won't take nearly as long as the original took, I'm pretty sure!) you can save it to the gallery or e-mail to a friend.



If you're a fan of historic needlework (with a sense of humor), check out the Historic Tale Construction Cit!

And have fun with it!

Thanks, Margaret, for the fun link! (...where I've whiled away how much time now??!)

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework, miscellaneous embroidery musings

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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Here's your opportunity to help me with a project! I'm testing new video hosting for my hand embroidery videos. I thought I'd try Blogger's video upload feature for my Knotted Diamond Stitch video that I posted this morning, to see if it works out better than Google video. My embroidery stitch videos are "ok," but I've always been a little disappointed with the compression, so I want to try different ways of posting them. So - if you want to leave me some feedback, I'd love to hear your opinion!

This morning, I posted the Knotted Diamond Stitch video tutorial, going about it the same way I have for all my hand embroidery videos. The reason I use Google is simple: You Tube has little "ads" for more videos at the bottom of each video, and, since I don't think I can control those, I am wary of using them! But I found out (yes, I'm slow) I could post video through blogger, thanks to my brother, who pointed that out to me. Since I haven't used blogger before for this, I want to do a test run, and, if you see a big difference on your side of the screen, I'd love some feedback! So the purpose here is a kind of comparison, between this video below, and the knotted diamond stitch I posted this morning.

You can check out the original post, where you'll find tips and tricks on working this stitch, as well as a photo of what it looks like when completed.




I really value your opinions, so don't be shy! Let me know what you think! If it's clearer, and it looks like blogger might be a better option, I may convert.

Labels: Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 28, 2008
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Knotted Diamond Stitch is the latest addition to my video library of hand embroidery stitches! It's a decorative band stitch that's easy and quick to work, and looks great!

The knotted diamond stitch makes a decorative band of diamond shapes between two parallel lines. It can be worked horizontally or vertically. It would make a great seam treatment in crazy quilting, it could be used as an edge treatment on a towel, or for lines in band samplers. I was thinking it would make a neat edge border around the outside of a card, for paper embroidery, but I haven't had a chance to try that yet!



You can build on the stitch, too, by adding other elements to it - like French knots or colonial knots in the centers of the diamonds, or daisy stitch petals coming off the points of, or placed in the "V" between, the diamonds.

Some hints which I touch on briefly in the video:

I find the stitch faster to work if you lay your thread on the fabric in the correct arrangement, rather than wrapping the thread around the needle for each knot.

When you work from the right to left (forming two knots, one on each side - you'll see it in the video), lay your thread down in the shape of a "C" (equivalent to wrapping your thread over and around the needle counter-clockwise).

When you work the center knot coming back (from left to right), lay your thread down in the shape of a "G" (again, you'll see this in the video) - this is equivalent to wrapping your thread over the top of the needle, and back around, clockwise.

It also helps at first to mark off even spacing for the "X" that's formed by the stitch, until you can judge it by eye.

I'm using perle cotton #5 in the video (and in the photo above). It's a nice thread for this stitch, although it works well with other threads, too.

Here's the video:



You can find more videos (51 of them!) in my Video Library of Stitches, as well as a link for solving playback issues, if you have trouble viewing the videos on your computer.

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 28, 2008
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This is a dumb joke, but here it is, nonetheless: "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Earwig." "Earwig, who?" "Earwigo again..." (Sorry.) This is the re-beginning of an embroidery project that I began when I set up my slate frame. I subsequently messed it up, and had to start over - remember the photo from my embroidery mistakes and needlework frustrations? It's underway once more - so, here we go again...

I'm making a linens pouch. This is an ecclesiastical piece of embroidery - the pouch itself will hold small altar linens. I wouldn't normally make a linens pouch out of linen, but that's what was requested, so I wanted to conform the project to the tastes of the receiver of the gift! I posted photos of a similar embroidered pouch for linens before - you can take a look at that to get an idea of what the finished piece will look like, construction-wise.

On this one, I have a cross, swords, and crown design on the front. When I initially drew the design on the initial fabric (set up on the slate frame), I used a pencil and was not pleased with the fact that the thread seemed to picking up some grey from the pencil. Rather than stitch the whole thing and risk the grey not coming out, I started over!

So this is the front so far:



Notice that the design (you can barely see it) is in blue now. I used dressmaker's carbon to transfer it. Here and there, I did have to barely touch up a line with the lightest touch of a pencil. I haven't gotten very far on it, have I?



This is the cross a little closer. Oh, golly. While I would prefer doing this piece in colored silks and real gold threads, I felt obliged, again, to try to match the recipient's tastes. So I'm working in coton a broder. Since the linen is a good, solid medium-weight linen (Alba Maxima by Legacy), I'm using a heavier sized thread. This is #16 coton a broder.

But despite the fact that I'd might like to be working with other materials, I will admit that I do LOVE working with the coton a broder on the Alba Maxima linen. And - I LOVE Palestrina Stitch. This is a great stitch, and I think it looks really pretty in this thread on white. The stitch is fun to work - once you have the steps down, it moves at a nice rhythm. I really do love it. (Did I mention I like Palestrina Stitch?)

I want to fill the middle of the cross, I think. Since it's the central focus of the design, I'd like to have it a little heavier than the rest of the piece. I could achieve focus on it two ways - by making all other elements filled, and leaving this "voided," which would make it stand out. But instead, I'd rather fill the cross, so the "heavier" looking part is also the central focus.

The problem is, I don't know what stitch to fill it with. Normallly, I suppose you'd do the filling first (if it's something beyond seed stitch, anyway), but I wanted to get it outlined to see if I'd like it filled or empty.

Any brilliant ideas for a filling? Of course, satin stitch would be beautiful - it is a gorgeous stitch, when worked right - but the wider parts of the cross are just bordering on "too" wide for the satin stitch. I don't want loose threads. I also don't want to pad it, as I don't want a padded look to the piece.

Nope. Still no clue as to what to fill it with. I keep thinking something brilliant will pop into my mind, but ... nothing yet!



That's a bit closer on the Palestrina stitch there - and you can see where I did some touching up with pencil. Rrgh.



And a little closer on the Palestrina stitch there. Gosh, I love that linen. Gosh, I love that stitch! Yet...

... despite loving the linen and loving the stitch, I will admit that overall, I'm not that pleased with the project itself. I spent 2 hours yesterday stitching on it (beyond what you see here), and almost as long removing all the stitches I had just put in. The piece simply isn't coming together as I want it to.



Here's a little teaching moment for you - this is the back. See the long strings carrying over to the sides? I started with "away waste knots." That is, I started with a knot in the end of my thread, and took my needle and thread down into the fabric far away from where I was going to start stitching. Then, when I had finished the length of the thread, I snipped the knot off, re-threaded the needle, and ran the long tail underneath the stitches to secure the beginning of the thread. This is an easy way to start a line of stitching when there aren't any other stitches close by to secure your thread under.



Oh, yeah. I do love the Palestrina stitch!

Any ideas on filling it?

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, needlework pictures, pictures, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 27, 2008
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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.



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.



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!



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.



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



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!).



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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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 26, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 26, 2008
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After musing over whether or not I'd apply my Gilt Sylke Strawberry sample piece to the lid of a box, and after reading all the comments and advice on it, I figured what the heck. I took the plunge. Here it is!

One of my concerns about putting this piece on the unprotected cover of a box was the question of "dirt." I was thinking that a piece of good linen and these relatively expensive threads would not fare so well exposed to everyday use. I answered my hesitation on this point with the reality that dirt exists, and things may get dirty, but if you take extra care of your Good Stuff, then it really shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? Besides, at least for me, my hands are never cleaner than when I'm doing needlework. I always wash them well before approaching my needlework supplies. The box itself is kept inside a basket when not in use. How badly could it really get soiled?!

So I positioned the piece of linen on the box lid, put the "window" piece over it, and marked out the outline of the outside of the lid. I cut the fabric away, and pulled off the paper covering the glue strips on the lid. These strips don't really hold the fabric or the "window" piece well enough, so I applied a light coating of glue. I stretched the fabric gently on the glue, and then pressed the window piece over the fabric piece. After wiping off any excess glue, I stuck a stack of heavy books on top of the box and left it to dry.

Here's my new supply box:



I like it, you know, I do!!



Right now, I've got threads in the box. In fact, I think I will use it as a thread box, exclusively, for threads of whatever current project I'm working on.

I've since emptied the box, picked out all the whitework threads I'm using on my current project, bagged up the spare skeins, and filled up the box very tidily. I keep all my good thread rings and keeps in the bottom of the box, too.

The only disadvantage to the box itself (which comes with a Bucilla silk ribbon embroidery kit for the lid) is the magnet. The box is magnetized so it shuts securely (I like that feature), but the magnet is so strong that I find I have to get my fingernails in there to pry the thing open! My scissors come out magnetized, which is great when it comes to picking up needles - but rather annoying when you don't want to pick up needles!

But I'm not complaining, really, because once the thing was assembled, I was Really Happy with it. And I still am! So - I suppose I'll go use it!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, needlework pictures, organization, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 25, 2008
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After writing some time back about floche, a 5-ply non-divisible cotton embroidery thread, I received a lot of inquiries about it: What is it? What's it used for? How's it different from other embroidery thread? and so forth. So, using a few photos, I thought I'd draw some comparisons between some commonly known cotton embroidery threads and floche.

For the sake of comparison, I selected two relatively common cotton embroidery threads - DMC stranded cotton and DMC Perle Cotton #5. The floche in the photos is also DMC (imported, I believe, from France).



First of all, the terminology: a "ply" is part of a "strand" - the plies twist together to make the strand. So when you look at your regular DMC stranded cotton that you buy locally (the green floss above), you will have 6 "strands" that you separate to use. Each one of those strands is relatively small, and it is made up of two "plies" that are twisted together to form the thread that you embroider with. "Non-divisible" means that you normally don't separate the thread into strands to use it, so perle cotton, for example, comes straight off the skien as it is, you cut the length you want, and start stitching with it.



Looking at the familiar DMC stranded cotton first, you'll notice the 6 strands there, and, if you look closely, you can see the distinct twist of the two plies that make up the strand. That's important - the two plies are very visible, and, small as they are when you're looking at one strand of cotton, they make a difference in what your thread looks like on your embroidery projects. There's texture there - more so than in the floche, discussed below. Notice, too, that the twist on the plies is not as tight as it is on the perle cotton in the photo below.
The texture from the plies twisting together make a difference in the way your project looks - not just because of the "texture" (as we think of it - rough or smooth, etc.) but also because of the way the light plays off the thread.



Here's #5 perle cotton. You can distinctly see the two plies twisting tightly together. They look more like a cord than the twisted plies in the stranded cotton above. Like the stranded cotton, there's a texture in the overall thread - the bumps formed by the twist of the plies. You don't normally think of it, but it is one of the features that distinguishes this thread from, for example, floche. The light reflects off those bumps, and you see them pretty clearly.



Here's the floche close up. The plies are a little harder to see, aren't they? The twist is a little looser than the perle cotton, certainly, and the long twist and the number of plies (5) make the thread a lot smoother looking. You don't see as clearly the individual "bumps" from the plies. Now, on a close-up photo like this, it looks like floche is a really fuzzy, hairy kind of thread. It's actually a very smooth thread.

Size-wise, floche is larger than a single strand of DMC, but not nearly as large as the #5 perle cotton - it's somewhere in the middle between the two. Floche is a mercerized cotton (just like the stranded cotton and the perle, which means it's been chemically treated to give it a shine), but it doesn't look as shiny as the perle cotton, and in a finished project, it tends to give a kind of subtle "gleam" - more so than the stranded cotton.

Now, what can you use floche for? Well, what can't you use it for? If you can embroider something with two or three strands of stranded cotton, you can probably embroider it with floche! One strand of floche is equivalent to about 2 strands of DMC stranded cotton. Floche, I think, gives better coverage and a smoother finish. It isn't always desireable to use, though. For example, I wouldn't use it in something like my needlepainted bird or iris - the detail would not be the same at all. But I would use it on monograms, and I'd use it on embroidered baby clothing or for smocking. I would use it in whitework (though I prefer the coton a broder - which is kind of like 4-ply floche - for whitework), and I'd definitely use it in projects that call for satin stitching (floche works up wonderfully in satin stitch) in cotton. And I'd use it for long-and-short stitch work in bolder designs, for the fun of it. I think it would be wonderful in crazy quilting - it works up very nicely in all kinds of stitches. So the possibilities, really, are only limited to your stitching imagination!

Where can you find floche? I order mine through Hedgehog Handworks. You won't find it at your local chain craft store. I like the options on the floche at Hedgehog. A large hank of floche (168 yards) costs $5.25 right now, but you can buy smaller "sample" skeins that are 32 yards total, made up of 21 strands that are 55" each, and these smaller twists are $1.25, which I think is a reasonable cost for trying out the threads. And the colors - oh, the colors are beautiful!

So there's a little bit about floche, compared to some more familiar cotton threads. I hope it helps you know what it is, and maybe encourages you to give a new thread a try, if you haven't used it before!

If you use floche, what do YOU use it for? And where do you buy it? It's always nice to have options on prices and ordering - so if you know of a source, don't hesitate to share it with us!

Labels: embroidery resources, pictures, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 24, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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Slowly but surely, some completed summer embroidery class projects are still rolling in - this one is the kitchen towel with the flowers along the edge. In preparing a photo or two of the embroidery on the towel, I realized it presented a good opportunity to point out some tips on using the stem stitch.

I want to make it Really Clear that I'm not "picking on" the embroidery on this towel. Who could deny that, whether for a semi-beginner (this is done by one of the girls who has taken embroidery class before) or one who's been stitching a lot longer, this towel is really well done? The stitching is very nice, the color choices are great, and I like the way she alternated the colors on the flowers in pairs.



I should have taken a photo of the back of this towel, because it was really impressive - very neat, no straggling threads, very tight lines that kept the threads from showing from the front.



I think she did a great job on the towel! Still, in looking at it, I found a "teaching point" to demonstrate something about the stem stitch. If you ask the embroiderer what stitch she used to embellish the towel, she would tell you "stem stitch." But between you and me... she didn't! She used a combination of the stem stitch and the outline stitch!

And here's the teaching point: stem stitch and outline stitch are not the same stitch - but they're easy to get confused, especially when you're working around curves, or changing directions on your lines.

Take a look at the embroidery a little closer - I wish I had a better shot, but this'll do to make the point!



The red arrows point to the stem stitched lines in this piece. Notice how they retain the visibility of the separate threads, while creating that rope-like overlap of the stitches? That's the signature of stem stitch. Just about all the other lines and curves you see in the towel in that photo are outline stitch. The individual "S's" are not clear - the line is a bit more "solid" looking as far as the thread goes.

So, how do you achieve the "signature" stem stitch - what is required to produce that look? Here are some tips:

Assuming you're working with S-twisted thread (that's just about any standard cotton floss, and most twisted silks)...

1. If you are moving from left to right along your path, always keep your working thread below your needle.

2. If you are moving from right to left along your path, always keep your working thread above your needle.

3. Turn your hoop as you stitch, to keep the direction consistent, so you don't get confused on the whole left-to-right, right-to-left thing. If you turn your work, you can pretty much always work from left to right (for right-handers) and right to left (for left handers).

4. When you take curves, it doesn't matter so much if the working thread is on the inside of the curve or the outside - what matters is the direction in which you're stitching and where your working thread is, in relation to where your needle comes up. So make sure you're applying the rules above - and, if you're worried about the stitch moving into the curve because you don't have the working thread to hold it back (because you're coming up above your stitch), take smaller stitches, and you'll be able to take the curve fine.

So othere are a few quick pointers on stem stitch. The stitcher who worked the towel above just confused the "above the working thread" or "below the working thread" thing as she changed directions stitching. It's funny how such a small difference in placement can change the finished look of a stitch, isn't it? ... well, that all goes back to thread twists (S-twist vs. Z-twist).... but we'll save that for another day!

To see the stem stitch worked out, check out the Stem Stitch Video Tutorial in my Video Library of Stitches, where you'll now find a whopping 50 stitches to learn!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, Hand embroidery stitches, needlework tutorials, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 21, 2008
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I thought I'd share with you some photos of a piece of ecclesiastical embroidery that was given to me because it is in such a poor state of repair that it can no longer be used. Despite its lack of functionality, it serves as an interesting piece for study and for ideas.

This piece is a processional canopy, once used for outdoor processions. A combination of age, use, storage, and probably some kind of weather damage have all made the canopy unusable for liturgical purposes. The embroidery and the designs on it are nice, though, and it's a good source of ideas on design and technique.



To give you an idea of what the canopy looks like overall, it's set up here over a large office table. All four of the side panels are embroidered with a round center medallion, which is surrounded by angels and lilies.



You can see here the overall design of the side panels - the center medallion, an angel kneeling on each side of it, and a branch of lilies entwining itself behind the angels and up towards the center medallion.



The piece is worked on gold colored silk, and the top edge of each panel is red silk, embroidered with wheat ears.



Around each center medallion is a grape motif embroidered in shades of gold. The Agnus Dei in this center piece is rather simple - notice that there's not a whole lot of shading. It's more or less an "outline" piece, filled in with appropriate colors to make the overall picture.



You can see some shading on the hooves and on the bottom of the belly on the lamb, and that's it. The wool is worked in Chinese knots.



This is the green side angel. The colors are very soft.



The wings are the boldest part of the angels.



Here you can see two signs of deterioration: the obvious deterioration of the fabric, and the lack of stitching in the hands, which are fading away somewhat!



The faces of the angels (and the hands) were painted apparently, and then lightly stitched over at the chin line and hair line. The hair is worked in split stitch.



On the left side of this panel, the pink angel (with surrounding fabric) is in much better shape.



The halo (or "nimbus") is worked in very long straight stitches, somewhat far apart. The whole halo is lined with two layers of cording, the inside one in a coral color and the outside one much darker in brown. This contrast on the outside of the piece makes the whole image more visible from a distance.



One of the lilies on the vine - with a good indication of the poor state of the ground fabric.



As far as images worked on the piece, this one is in the worst state. The thread is wasted away, and the whole image looks as if it is washing away. The overall shading of the image is very nice, though, with the lighter inside area, rather than seeing it embroidered solidly in red.



The lettering around the outside is embroidered in satin stitch.



The lilies are not stiff and formal, but rather loosely conceived. They remind me more of the tiger lily than a regular lily, except in their color.



The lilies are outlined in a pinkish-coral color, with a very little bit of soft shading in green, and the rest of the inside is worked in white.



Each panel is topped with an edge of red silk, on which are embroidered single (large) wheat ears.



The wheat is very simply embroidered in satin stitch for the kernels, and long straight stitches for the "hairy" tips. The shaft is couched twisted cord.



Each medallion has a "frame" of grapes embroidered in shades of gold. The stitching is worked in satin stitch and a long and short stitch on the leaves that is reminiscent of crewel work. The thread used on the grapes around the medallions, on the wheat at the tops of the panels, and on the lettering around the medallions is all of a heavier stuff than the threads used on the angels and other images.



In the close-up on the lily, you can see that the embroidery doesn't actually fill the shape. Instead, long lines of long split stitches are worked in twisted silk, with spacing enough between the lines to see the ground fabric. The spacing is not there due to disrepair. It's the way it was embroidered!



The stamens on the lilies are satin stitched at the tips of the couched gold cord (which is the same gold cord used on the wheat shafts).



This is another one of the four images inside the medallions on each side of the canopy. Note the green leaf at the base of the medallion, on the left.



Here's another one of the same green leaves.

At some point in the canopy's history - before it was absolutely not usable - someone obviously tried to cover up the deteriorating fabric by adding these little embroidered leaves to the ground fabric, trying to work them into the design as best as they could. They don't really fit the design, though, as they are too bright. The leaves were probably themselves salvaged from another larger piece of ecclesiastical embroidery!

You can also see, in the lower left of the photo, that a piece of fabric was attached somehow over the original ground silk. I'm familiar with ecclesiastical fabrics available on the market today, and that particular pattern is about the least-expensive, most widely available synthetic church fabric. I don't know what the person was thinking! But I suppose it was just a desperate attempt to try to keep something that was beautiful in use for as long as possible, before it was time to shelf it completely! *Sigh*



And another shot of those leaves....

So, there's the canopy. I'm glad to have it - it's given me some good ideas for embroidery, and being able to examine it very closely has given me a little insight into the needlework and assembly techniques used on these types of pieces.

If you have any questions about anything in the pictures, don't hesitate to ask!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 20, 2008
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I'm finally getting down to the last three letters for the monogram alphabet that you can use for your hand embroidery projects that just beg for monogramming!

If you're looking for the whole alphabet for the hand embroidery monograms, check out the Index of Monograms that you'll find on my Free Hand Embroidery Patterns Page.

Here's the X:



If you ever do anything with any of the monograms, I'd love to hear about it, and even to see photos! Just drop me a line, and I'll get back to you with an e-mail address!

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 19, 2008
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I had my Gilt Sylke Twist Strawberry piece out during embroidery class the other day for a "show and tell" sort of session. I like to drag out different needlework projects or samplers to show the kids, hoping maybe to fuel a real desire to pursue needlework beyond dishtowels. Well, this piece has just been sitting around, waiting for me to do something with it (or not...).

There I sat, after class, prior to clean-up, absorbing the silence for a moment and staring at the scraps of embroidery threads, the snippets of fabric and felt, the thread boxes that had been foraged through by some kid, the stack of ironed towels equally burrowed through.... and getting ready for the inevitable clean-up that comes from two large classes in a row on the same day.

But still, I just sat there.

My eyes rested on my GST strawberry. I really enjoyed doing that project, and I found myself thinking, "It's really a shame I don't do something with that."

Absently, my brain wandered to the next item in sight.

It was a box - one of those boxes just like the quick silk ribbon embroidery box project I did a few weekends ago - except it was gold and cream instead of purple and white, and it was unfinished.

And I picked up my GST Strawberry, and I thought:


Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

And then I opened the purple box, and I thought:


Ahhh..... Toooooools..... I love toooools.

And then I put both boxes together, and this is what I thought:


Uhhh...? Hm. Ugh. Oh, maybe.

And then I put them next to my basket, and this is what I thought:


They fit nicely in there...

And now, I'm sitting here thinking to myself:

Do I, or don't I? Not just tools and accessories, but tools and accessories in a pretty box....

But then there's this other side of me, grumbling that it might be a shoddy way to finish that piece...

But then there's this other side of me, answering the grumbling side, insisting that at least it would be finished....

And then there's this other side of me whining about .... dirt.

What think you?

Labels: finish work, Gilt Sylke Twist, needlework tools, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 18, 2008
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My embroidery classes for children are coming to a close. I have one more class next Monday morning! So the projects are rolling in, although I don't think I'll see all of the completed work by the end of our last class. I thought I'd give a little recap of the different projects worked this summer and share a few photos of some embroidery projects completed this week.

For the 2008 Summer Embroidery Classes for Children, we worked the following projects, divided into groups by age:

Group A: Children 7 - 9 years old (mostly - there were a couple 10-year-old newbies in there, too) worked the following projects:

• Two stitch samplers - a butterfly and a flower, both filled with lines for practicing different line stitches
• An embroidered felt bookmark
• A white towel, embroidered with a butterfly and flower scene (no photos of that one, yet! Hopefully, next Monday we'll see some completed towels!)

Group B: Children 9 - 10 years old (with a 7 year old thrown in for good measure!) worked:

• A stitch sampler - the lined butterflies
• Embroidered felt bookmark
• Embroidered checkered dish towel (pictures below)
• Embroidered greeting card

Group C: Children 11 - 14 years old (with some younger ones thrown in for good measure here, too!) worked:

• Embroidered Flour Sack Towels
• Embroidered Greeting Cards
• Embroidery project of their choice - linen handkerchiefs, bookmarks, or pillow cases

The kids picked out their own threads and colors for the various projects, with the exception of the stitch samplers, the check towels, and the felt bookmarks.

In all the groups, there were several stitchers who finished all their projects by the end of the last class, but most of the students still had a little bit left to do on their final project, so they were able to pick out enough thread to finish up the projects and take them home to finish during the slow summer days.

Here are a few photos of projects that came in this week:



This is one of the blue checkered dish towels. Originally, they were going to work chicken scratch embroidery on the checked towels, but the checks were bigger than I thought they would be. Still, I like this little design. It reminds me a bit of the Pennsylvania Dutch look.



And here's one of the red checked towels. These towels are Really Nice quality towels. I got them from All About Blanks.



Here are three of the kids' flower sack towels that came in. This was another great find in good towels - these particular flour sack towels came from Embroider This. The designs are the Java Break and Wine Country patterns from Aunt Martha, which you can find at Colonial Patterns. Most the stitching was done in simple line stitches: back stitch, whipped back stitch, stem stitch, and some chain stitch.



This is a larger photo of one of the more complex ones! I was so happy to see them finish these, as they were bigger projects than the Java Break designs, but they seemed to like doing them and were proud of the finished results.



This is one of the select-your-own projects from Group C, done by a 12 year old. These handkerchiefs (from All About Blanks) make really pretty monogrammed hankies. And I think she did a great job, using simple stitches and nice colors. Her tiny stitches, actually, are really perfect.



She used French knots and backstitch - I was really impressed with her even backstitches!

I'm still eagerly waiting the butterfly towels done by Group A, some of which should be done when the come to class on Monday! There are also a few of these towels out:



This is one of the class samples I made up, but didn't finish stitching before the classes started.



I think a reader asked previously about this pattern - it's found in the Repeats and Borders book I reviewed earlier. It's a fun pattern to work, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the kids' results with it.

I was really very happy with this summer's embroidery classes. We had five two-hour sessions for each group, and I think they had fun, I know I had fun, and although it's a lot of work, I really think it's worth it! If you have the opportunity to instruct children in needlework of any kind, grab it! It's a wonderful chance to pass on to the next generation a love of handwork. You also have the opportunity to give children a hobby that will make them happy for years to come, if they keep up with it! And you never, never know what they'll do with it.

If you are interested in teaching children, but you don't know how to go about establishing a venue or getting the word out, I suggest contacting your local library to see if they have any summer programs for youth that they're looking for volunteers for.

If the other projects show up on Monday, I'll share some photos of those, and then that's it for the kids' classes until next summer! Though I was thinking it might be fun to take a day over Christmas vacation and do an ornament class or something... I'll have to muse a bit over that one!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroider on paper, embroidery for children, embroidery for fun, Embroidery for the Home, Embroidery Projects, iron-on embroidery transfers, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 17, 2008
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I have to admit, it's getting difficult to think of an "original" way to begin these posts for each monogram. I almost started off this one by singing the "W" song - but I thought I'd spare everyone! Here's the next monogram for hand embroidery - the W.

Oh, what is the letter we love? What sound are we extra-fond of? It's not any trouble, you know it's a "W" when you hear wuh, wuh, wuh, wuh... (or something along those lines... I couldn't resist.) I didn't grow up with Earnie and Bert, but I had a niece who used to listen to that tape over and over and over again!

I think it would be fun to embroider the "W" - lots of curves and smooth long lines.

Here's the letter:



You can find the rest of this alphabet (it's almost complete) at the Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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I think one photo will serve to show you how this past weekend went for me, embroidery-wise...

Remember the embroidery project I set up on my slate frame?



Have you ever had a weekend like that? Ugh!

I've almost lost my determination to overcome this one. Starting over can be really painful!

I'm ripping out (picking out, I should say) my stitching I accomplished this weekend. I just didn't like it At All. There are a number of reasons, I suppose - one of which is that the pencil - for the first time ever, for me - picked up all over the white threads. I tried to tell myself it would wash out in the end, but I couldn't get over the sick feeling of "What if it doesn't?" Rather stop at this point, than finish the whole thing and find out the pencil markings wouldn't quite come out of the coton a broder! And so, I pick away...

My plan is this: I will pick out all the stitching, and set this piece of linen aside. I'll set up a new project on Saturday, and stitch it double-time fast, as I'm already behind on this one. I probably won't use a slate frame. In fact, I may just settle for a hoop. And I will transfer the design using blue dressmaker's carbon. It's always safest to use blue when working with white, anyway, because the white absorbs the blue. I should've known that. I DID know it. But for some reason, I just didn't put enough weight on that thought ahead of time.

Oh, the woes of the imprudent stitcher....

Labels: needlework pictures, pictures, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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Slowly but surely, this monogram alphabet is filling up! Here's the U...

I figure "U" is probably not the most commonly used letter for monograms, but I know that someone out there is bound to want it, at some point! So, without further ado, here is the U... (I'm such a poet...)



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

Have fun with it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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Well, if you liked the first 8 colors of the Gilt Sylke Twist imported by Access Commodities, through the efforts of the folks at Plimoth Plantation, you're bound to be just as thrilled as I am about the new colors out!

I am so HAPPY to see the three new colors of GST that have been released and are now available to the public. The colors are Lincolne Green, Sable, and Black.



I love the bright green - and the sable is a deep dark brown, which looks lovely. Black, of course, is black - but with the gold!! Imagine how this could be incorporated into surface blackwork! Oh gosh. I am just in love with these threads, and these new colors are G-R-E-A-T. I think the two greens out so far will mix well together, too. Just think - leaves, stems... aaah. What bliss!

So - where can you get them? Well, Joady from Hedgehog Handworks e-mailed me earlier, to let me know they had them coming in. All three new colors are up on their website, but it looks like the sable is temporarily out of stock. Of all the online stores I've found so far carrying this thread, Hedgehog is the least expensive. They charge $19.80 / spool. You can find Gilt Sylke Twist online at other spots, though, too - like Needle in a Haystack, where it runs $22 / spool. It looks as if they don't have the new colors, though. Both stores provide excellent service and quick shipping.

I'm pretty excited to see the color options expanding on this gorgeous thread, and I hope to see the growth in selections continue!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, historical needlework, supplies, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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Ahhh. Back to the video tutorials for hand embroidery. This is the first embroidery video I've edited in a long time! This video shows you how to work the Mountmellick stitch. I'll tell you a little bit about the stitch, show you a photo of it, and then ... the video!

Mountmellick stitch is named after Mountmellick embroidery, a form of whitework originating in Ireland. Mountmellick embroidery is traditionally worked on cotton sateen, a heavier cotton fabric with a nice sheen. The stitches are worked in a matte cotton thread, which contrasts with the sheen of the fabric. What characterizes Mountmellick embroidery, besides the fabric and threads, is the textured nature of the whitework. The motifs are generally taken from nature (leaves, vines, berries, flowers, etc.), and are worked in different types of textured stitches, with a good splash of satin stitching as well. For more information, you can read my previous article on Mountmellick embroidery.



The Mountmellick stitch is a decorative line stitch, made up of little pointed triangles. It takes curves very well and is, in all respects, a very pretty stitch. It stitches up quickly, too, once you get the hang of the method.

Enjoy the video!



For more embroidery video tutorials, visit Needle 'n Thread's Video Library of Hand Embroidery Stitches!

Have fun with it!

Labels: Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 14, 2008
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Straying from the monogram theme, here's a free pattern for hand embroidery. Actually, it's not straying all that far from the monogram theme, because it would make a perfect setting for a monogram!

I could see this embroidered (reduced in size) across the corner and sides of a hankie - with tiny satin stitched leaves, or fishbone stitch leaves, it would make a very pretty corner setting for any fine linen, handkerchief, towel, pillow case - you name it. It would also make a pretty motif around the edge of a quilt block or on a handbag. In fact, you could probably come up with more ideas for it than I can, so I'll leave it to your imagination!

I saved this one rather large, in case you want a "big" version. You can click on it for the larger version before saving it to your computer!

Here's the pattern:



You can flip it in any graphics editing program, if you want a different corner! Or, heck, you could duplicate it four times for all four corners!

The original pattern came from the old French publication (turn of last century), Journal des Demoiselles.

Cleaned up, it isn't bad, is it?!

Have fun with it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 13, 2008
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Yet another monogram for hand embroidery - the letter T...

The T is a little different from the other monograms patterns so far - it has slight points at the top of each arm. It makes the whole thing look a bit more angular than the rest of the alphabet, although it still has the curves on the stems and the base. I like it!



If you want other letters in this particular alphabet, check out the list of monograms - which is slowly but surely filling up!

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 12, 2008
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When I set up for filming some embroidery stitch videos this week, I had the opportunity to try out a set of Evertite Stretcher Bar frames. So here are some photos and a bit of a review...

First of all, it helps to know what stretcher bars are and how they are used. Essentially, they're just four sides of a wooden embroidery frame that have interlocking corner joints, kind of like straight dove-tail joints (if you'll excuse the oxymoron!). They're sold in pairs, so that you can mix and match the sides to suit the size of your project. For example, if you have a project that's 12 x 14 inches, you would buy one pair of 12" stretcher bars and one pair of 14" stretcher bars.

Stretcher bars, in general, are great! They give you the taut surface necessary for certain techniques - or for embroidery in general - without the fuss of setting up anything more complicated. It takes about 20 minutes to set up a project on a stretcher bar frame.

Stretcher bars come from a variety of manufacturers, apparently, reflecting different quality of workmanship. The stretcher bars you find, for example, at chain craft stores like Michael's - while they work ok in a pinch - are not my favorites at all. For one thing, the edges of the frame are sharply square, as opposed to rounded. The wood itself is not finished in any way, and can often be splintery. The corner joints are not always reliable - I've bought some at Michael's that had mis-cut joint notches, so that the corners slipped out and wouldn't stay together. And, lastly, the wood is rather hard, with streaks of "really hard" that run through it, making it difficult to sink the tacks. The quality of the workmanship is reflected in the price of these frames - the longest length pairs are no more than $3 / pair.

Then there are the nicer stretcher bar frames that you'll find at your local needlework shop. They're slightly more expensive (but still not that expensive), they're made of a softer wood (which takes the tacks better), and they have rounded corners. They're sanded smooth. These are nice frames. I've seen them run anywhere from $3 / pair for the smaller sizes up to $6 / pair for the longer length sides. And sometimes, you can find them on sale.

And then... then there are Evertite Stretcher Bars - technically called Slimline Tension Adjusting Stretcher Bars.

My first impression is that they are "meaty" frames - slightly thicker than even the nice stretcher bars. They are smoooooothly sanded, with rounded edges.



The Evertite frames have a few unique features:

First, they're marked with center points on each bar (this is where you begin tacking your fabric).



The bars fit together snuggly. They take a bit of pushing and working, in fact, to get them together - which can be better done with a small mallet. But I managed without one, so it's not too difficult.



On each end of each side of the frame, you'll see the little apparatus that makes Evertite frames so unique. There's this little bolt thing set into the frame, and this bolt can be loosened or tightened, according to the needs of the stitcher. When it's tightened, the head of the little bolt pushes against the inside of the other bar, forcing the frame apart and making the fabric mounted on it tighten up. When it's loosened, a space develops between the head of the bolt and the adjoining bar, so that the frame pieces can be pushed together slightly, loosening up the fabric.



This handy-dandy little tool makes loosening and tightening the bolts a cinch. I'm not sure what this kind of tool is called - I call it the Yellow-handled Tool Thing, which seems to suffice. You can buy the Yellow-handled Tool Thing separately when you purchase your Evertite frames.

Now, how do you set up one of these things, and what are the advantages of using them?

First, the set-up. Gather your tools and supplies.



For me, this consists of my piece of fabric and my tack stuff, which I store in a glass jar. I have one of those E-Z Tack-it kits, with the magnetic pusher and the little matching tack remover - and these, along with all my tacks, reside in an old Hershey's chocolate sauce jar.



A note about tacks: when your E-Z Tack-it tacks start to break up (and they will - the heads come off fairly easily), I recommend picking up regular brass tacks from your local hardware store. I think they work better, and why wait around to special order something as common as brass tacks?? In the photo above, the E-Z Tack-it tacks are on the left, the everyday brass tacks from the hardware store are on the right. They're not that different - the EZ tacks have a perfectly flat head, while the hardware store tacks are slightly rounded. That's it.



Mark the center point of your fabric, and line it up with the center mark on the frame.

With needlepoint canvases, you would probably tack your project onto the top of the frame bars. I tack my fabric on the sides, for three reasons: One, it gives me more finishing room around my project - a good inch more on all sides. Two, I don't like having my fabric edges on top of the frame, where my thread can catch on them. Three, I use the Needlework System 4 floor stand with the stretcher bar clamp, and having the tacks on top reduces the efficient functionality of the stand. It just doesn't grip as well when the tack heads are running interference.

Ok, so, you've lined up your fabric. Tack the center point of one side of the fabric onto the frame.



Moving out from the middle, tack across to one side, then go back to the middle, and tack across to the other.

Here's a very nice point about the Evertite frames - you don't need the magnetic tack pusher, unless you have problems with your hands or fingers (arthritis, etc.). I used my thumb and pushed the tacks into the frame with relative ease, and that saved time.



When tacking, keep in mind that you need to leave the corner joints accessible. Normally, I'd fold down these edges and secure them, to keep them out of my way, but I have to be able to get to the bolts, so I'll leave the corners like this.

After tacking the first side, tack the side opposite it. Then tack the other two sides in the same manner as the first. It's when you're tacking the second and fourth sides that you apply a bit of tension to the fabric or canvas - but you don't have to pull it hard - just tight enough, without any warping to the fabric.



So the four sides are done, and the fabric is open for the Yellow-handled tool thing.

And this is where the fun part comes - tighten the bolts. Your fabric will get downright hard with the tension. Then, if you want to loosen the fabric up, you loosen the bolts and push the frames in.

It's easier to tighten your fabric than to loosen it, I thought.

Overall, what do I like about the Evertite frames?

1. They do what they say they do - provide a stretcher-bar frame that can be tightened and loosened without having to remove your work from it or reposition the tacks.

2. The quality of workmanship - every detail is thought of, from the smooth edges to the center markings on the sides, to the length of each bar being "branded" on the end, so you know at a glance what size bar you're grabbing.

3. They provide a (relatively) affordable, effective, and easy option for framing up a piece of embroidery, canvaswork, or goldwork. Especially if you're going to do goldwork, you want the kind of surface these frames supply - taut and level. (Slate frames provide the same kind of surface, but are a heck of a lot more labor-intensive!)

4. They are re-usable, and you can mix and match the sizes of pairs, relatively affordably.

5. Relative affordability - they aren't as expensive as a slate frame or as most roller bar frames, etc. They are more expensive, though, than other stretcher bar frames.

What are the cons to the Evertite frames?

1. Availability - they don't carry them at any local needlework shops around here... BUT they are available online... Here are some sources:

Needle in a Haystack - (scroll down the page) Recommended - absolutely reliable shop, thought slightly more expensive than many others. I think this comes from having a brick and mortar store on the west coast...! Higher overhead...

Stitcher's Paradise - where they run approximately $1 less all around, compared to Needle in a Haystack - and if you have any questions about anything you want to order, they do have contact information at the bottom of their home page. [I apologize for this oversight - I had mentioned previously that they don't.] I heard from Peter and Janet, the purveyors, and they were very kind and interested in making it clear that they do value their customers and strive to provide them with excellent service. You'll also find heaps of other goodies on their website, so if you haven't seen it before, do take a look at it.

In Canada, Traditional Stitches carries them - I've never ordered from them, but at least they have contact information and the site looks friendly and the shopping set-up is convenient.

Tristan Brooks (in the States) also carries them. Althought their shopping set-up is not so convenient, I've always received very good response from them when I've contacted them. So they've got it at the customer service end...

Homestead Needlearts - I've never ordered from them, but there they are, nonetheless. Their prices are about $1 less than Tristan Brooks and Needle in a Haystack, and they're located in Michigan, which is a bit more central, so shipping could be faster, if they're efficient in filling their online orders.

2. They are more expensive than regular stretcher bars (even the nicer stretcher bars). Example: regular stretcher bars that are 15" long cost around $3 - $3.50/ pair. The 15" Evertites cost around $16 - $17 / pair. NOW - that being said - you're paying for two things: one, the ability to tighten and loosen your fabric without removing it from the frame; two, hand craftsmanship. Is that price difference worth it? I think it depends on your individual circumstances. By the time you buy the whole frame, you're looking at about a $30 price difference.

My personal opinion on the price difference? I like the Evertite frames, and I think the tension feature is worth it, for the right kind of project. I wouldn't buy them for play stitching, but for the right kind of project, yes, it would be nice to have a few sets on hand! And finally, I'm a fan of hand craftsmanship. I like supporting local folks who work with their hands to produce a quality product. So when I have the opportunity to do so, I do so.

Evertites are produced by Evan Burroughs, the same fellow who made the slate frame I reviewed. If you're interested in contacting him, or if you want to read more information on the Evertite frames, visit the Evertite webpage.

I've got some larger sets of the Evertite frames written into my hobby budget... and once I achieve them, I know exactly what projects I'm going to set up on them!

If you've used the Evertite frames, what's your experience with them? Do you like them? Are they worth the price difference? Would you recommend them to other stitchers?

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, needlework products, needlework tools, pictures, slate frames

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 12, 2008
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Here's the next monogram for hand embroidery - the letter P.

I'm still playing with these embroidery patterns in vector format. Has anyone tried printing them yet? Just curious - I (ahem) don't have a printer right now! Bad situation, I know!

There are quite a few areas I'd like to straighten up on this, but anything that is too worbly, I think you can straighten up in the transfer... but if you think it's just impossible, let me know! I neeeeeed to perfect this whole graphics thing!

Here's the P - any feedback would be wonderfully appreciated!



For more monograms in this alphabet, check out the monogram list!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 11, 2008
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One more week of kids' embroidery classes for this summer! And as they wind down, I'm taking photos of the embroidery projects from this year. Yesterday, I assembled the last of the finished bookmarks that the kids embroidered on felt, so they're ready for them to take home. I thought I'd share a couple photos - they're quite colorful!

These bookmarks are embroidered on wool felt, which is great for kids to work on. It's sturdy stuff - more so than your typical craft felt. Wool felt withstands a lot of abuse, and still looks great!

I get my wool felt from Wooly Thread, usually, although many of these colors I picked up from Twining Thread before it went out of business. I'm glad I did! The variety of colors was half the fun! But you can find good wool felt at Wooly Thread, in heaps of colors, and in pre-cut sheets. You can also buy sample packs from them, which are great for small projects.

I've already gone through the basic instructions for making these bookmarks, so you can check those out if you want. I won't bore you with the repeat information!

To finish the bookmarks, I used Pellon "wonder under" fusible web, cut to the size of the embroidered part of the bookmark and fused to this part first, then peeled and fused to the back of the bookmark. The back of the bookmark, by the way, was cut on my paper cutter, with the scalloped wheel attached. I'm sure there's a reason I shouldn't use my paper cutter that way, but it worked fine. I suppose the corners could be set up a bit better...?? How does one align scallops when cutting with a rotary cutter?



It didn't take too long to finish these up - about a half an hour all told - but I was relieved once they were done, because I know the kids are eager to take them home!



Pretty! Most of the designs are the same. When I was setting up the bookmarks, I free-handed the design on it, and pretty much, it was whatever popped into my head. I stuck with the wavy flower design for the majority of them, because it was easy and because it would give them the opportunity to practice the first five stitches: running stitch, backstitch, whipped stitch, daisy stitch, and French knots.



I just think the kids did a great job on these, don't you?

More photos of more projects soon!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery for children, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 11, 2008
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Here's the letter G, in its own official spot, without a confusing title!

For more letters of this monogram alphabet, please visit the Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 11, 2008
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After I dressed my slate frame last weekend, I transferred the design onto the fabric in a kind of ---- well, for lack of a better word, roundabout way.

with the piece of linen that's stretched on my frame, I'm making a kind of bag - it's more of a pouch, I suppose - kind of like a large, lined fabric envelope (only the back of the "envelope" is the front of the pouch). On the front cover, I'm embroidering a design, and on the inside of the front of the pouch (after you lift up the flap), I'm embroidering a sentence.

The first thing I did was draw out the whole pattern for the pouch itself onto graph paper, so I could test its size and how well it would fold up. Then I drew the design for the front flap and the letters for the sentence on the inside.

Have you ever used Swedish tracing paper? It's a sewable, sturdy fabric / paper that feels a bit like interfacing, but softer. It's drapable and sewable, so you can make master patterns out of it, or trial pieces (which you can then sew up and adjust). I drew out my pouch pattern on the Swedish tracing paper first.



That's what a roll of it looks like.

There are a couple reasons I wanted to use this stuff in particular on this project, the foremost being that it is nice to baste on and use as a fabric protector while you're stitching, cutting away the areas that require stitching as you get to them. I've used regular tissue paper for this before, but I don't really like tissue paper.

Anyway, I basted the Swedish tracing paper on, basting around the actual seam line (I'll cut further out when I'm finished with the stitching), and basting a half an inch in, where I intend to stitch a decorative line.



That's the pattern for the pouch, traced onto the tracing paper and laid on top of the linen on the slate frame.



I basted the tracing paper on, and also basted down the middle of the front flap of the pouch, so I could center my design with ease. Then I cut out the tracing paper on three sides of the pouch and on each side of the middle basting line, so I could lift up two flaps on the front.

I can lift the flaps up and down and lay them on the fabric when I want it covered, so I can work on the linen without getting it dirty when I rest hands or arms on it.



You can see both sides of the flaps lifted back.



Then, propping the frame on a couple stacks of books in the back (level with my light table), I traced my design onto the middle of the front flap, using a hard pencil and a relatively light touch.

The design, you can see, is towards the front edge of the frame. The sentence that'll be embroidered on the inside front of the pouch is traced on the back edge of the frame. All of this works out well, because I don't have to stretch to reach the inside of the frame, as there's no embroidery there.

And then I set the frame up on my handy-dandy slate frame stand - an amazing apparatus that does the job quite well!



Yep, it's chair on top of a table. The frame hangs perfectly on the edge of the chair. I can rest the front edge of the frame on a small stack of books to lift it up, or I can just rest it on my arm - either work just fine!

A couple points: you can transfer your design on your fabric before you mount it on the frame, but I like the taut fabric for drawing on. You can also transfer the design a bunch of different ways, without having to use a light table - you can use dressmaker's carbon, prick and pounce, etc. I did it this way because it seemed to be the easiest approach at the time!

And now I need to get the stitching done. It was supposed to be finished by July 20th. Think I can manage? It's mostly simple whitework, though a lot of it is satin stitch, which seems to take longer!

I better get to it!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, embroidery tips and tricks, pictures, slate frames, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 10, 2008
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Here's one more hand embroidery monogram for today - the letter R - but you'll probably notice something a bit different about this pattern...

I mentioned earlier today in my post on the O and Q monograms that I was working on cleaner versions of these monogram patterns, thanks to Margaret's tutorials she sent me on how to trace a design as a vector image. So here's my first attempt! There are little points that are a bit more wobbly than I like, but overall the lines are smoother and clearer, and I think they will print a lot clearer on your printer!

Anyway, what do you think? Do you like them better this way? I thought I'd poll readers to hear your impressions. What do you like better, since the patterns are here for you, after all!

Here's the R:



For the rest of the alphabet, please visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery!

And let me know what you think about the different look of the letters!

Thanks!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 10, 2008
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Here are two monograms for hand embroidery - the "O" and the "Q."

Since these are the same letters, I thought I'd post them in the same post. The only difference between the two is the "tail" on the "Q."

I hope you enjoy these! If you embroider anything with them, let me know! I had an e-mail from someone yesterday who said she was going to embroider a whole quilt with the whole alphabet! I can't wait to see the restults of that!

Here's the O:



And here's the Q:



If you're looking for a specific letter, check out the rest of the alphabet at my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

EXCITING NEWS: Ahhh - breaking news. I'm very excited about this! Thanks to Margaret C. (the other MC!), who developed and sent me an excellent series of video tutorials on using Inkscape (free software for creating vector images), I can now give you a Much Cleaner Version (no comparison, really) of these letters! I'm hoping to show you what I mean when I post the "R," which still needs a lot of tweaking, but which will be up soon! THANK YOU, MARGARET!!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 10, 2008
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Previously, I showed you how I set up a children's embroidery class, and today, I want to go a little more into detail on how I conduct my embroidery classes for kids.

First, I want to thank everyone for their insight and ideas about conducting a children's embroidery class, including dealing with stitchers of various levels of ability and age, as well as with what I call "Lagging Stitchers." If you haven't read the comments, you can find them on last week's photo update of embroidery class projects. Lots of good ideas there, and good advice! I also received several e-mails with further ideas, so I wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to discuss teaching children!

What I want to give you here is just a run-down of how I conduct children's classes, in case you are ever in a situation where you can volunteer in your own community to teach a class, or even if you are simply tutoring your own child, or a relative, or even another adult. You'd be surprised how many people out there would like to embroider! So go teach someone!!

In the first classes, I set up the individual "place settings" for each student, so that when they arrived to class, all new materials were in front of them. As the classes progress, I prepare for each class by laying out supplies. This is really important if you want the class to run smoothly. To have to stop in the middle of instruction, or to hold up individual questions, while trying to cut open skeins of thread or find another needle is a pain in the neck. Always prepare in advance by having your class supplies ready.



We're at the point where the children have their projects and now, as far as class supplies are concerned, it's just a matter of needing extra threads or new needles. I cut all my threads to stitching length and lay them out next to my teaching area. The older children can help themselves. With the little kids, I distribute the threads as they need them. For one thing, it helps conserve thread, and for another, it keeps the thread a bit neater.



A typical class session goes like this:

Once everyone's in a seat and settled - projects and sampler cloths out - I begin with the "instruction" portion of the class.

[A little teacher point: take a short pause before you begin to teach, to make sure you have everyone's attention. This moment of focus is essential - it's a waste of time to repeat yourself six times during the beginning of the instructional period, and it causes frustration for yourself and for your attentive students. Do that "effective pause" thing until you have everyone's attention... and usually, in classes like this, it's pretty easy to get and hold their attention!]

Ok, you have their attention. Begin by telling your students the goals of the day. Today, we're going to learn two new stitches, and you're going to be able to add them to your sampler, and then add them to your project. The stitches are...

We'll take chain stitch for the example here. First, I pass around a sample or two (towels or whatever) that have the chain stitch worked on them, and I point out that this is the stitch we're going to learn. They feel it, look at it, turn it over...

I begin the instruction period with whole group instruction. I ask them to listen and watch me while I work the stitch twice. I work the stitch facing them, with my hoop in front of me, also facing them (so I'm looking over the top of the hoop, and, in essence, I'm working the stitch backwards, but they are seeing it as if they would see it in front of them). As I work the stitch, I talk through the stitch with a kind of rhythmic phrase that condenses the progress of the stitch into a few key steps.

With the chain stitch (after the initial stitch), I'd use words like this:

"Up in the new loop, pull it forward, down in the same hole. Up in the new loop, pull it forward, down in the same hole..." If they get accustomed to hearing this, they keep the steps in their heads while they stitch.

So once I've instructed through the stitch twice, with their attention on me - not doing the stitch themselves - then we try it "together." They bring their needle to the front of the fabric, and I talk them through the stitch the same way, still working it out so they can look up and see it. I do that a few times, and then tell them to complete the line on their sampler.

While they're working the line on their sampler, I give individual instruction, going around the room to see that they're getting it. Some, I just have to pass behind and say "Very Good!" Others, I'll stop and help a bit. By the time I've seen everyone's, most are finished with a row on their sampler cloth. Then I tell them to work another row, concentrating this time on making their stitches a little smaller, or a little more even.

While they're working the second row, anyone who needs help will come up to my spot, or those who finish really quickly will come and ask if they did it right, or what they could do better, or "Does this look good?" etc.

After they've worked two rows on their sampler cloths (these are the little butterfly or flower shapes I prepared before the first class), they transfer to their project and start adding the chain stitch to the chained stitched areas on their projects.

Now, they have "chatter time" while they're stitching. I help with any trouble-shooting that needs to be done with individuals, but for about 15 minutes they get a chance just to gab, giggle, and stitch.

Then, I call up their attention, and we move back to the sampler cloth, and I introduce the second stitch. I go through the same process with the second stitch. This all takes about an hour. The classes are two hours long...

So at the end of an hour, we have a break:



With cookies and something to drink (ice water! - it's summer!!), they head outside for five or so minutes. There's a small swing-set in the back yard and some picnic tables where they can play or visit. They can also take advantage of the time for a bathroom break in the house! While they're outside, I'll do any straightening up that needs to be done.

For the group A class (7 - 9 year olds) I have two very helpful mothers who are there the whole time - they thread needles and help give individual instruction - so often during the break, this is our chance to chat a bit, too. In the other kids' classes, it's just me, so I use the short time to "refocus" and clean up.

In the second half of the session, we work on projects. This is their time to put some concentrated effort into their individual projects and make headway on them. They also might pick out new colors for the new stitches on their project, or they might come up for individual help on a stitch that they didn't quite get right, or whatever. It's a good time for trouble-shooting with individuals and for everyone to relax and stitch and be social.

In the last 10 minutes of the class, I recap - I ask them to tell me the names of the stitches they've learned so far, can they describe them ("up in the new loop, pull it forward...") Then we cover what they should work on to make progress during the week until we meet again, and I tell them what we'll be doing next time.

And that's pretty much how the classes are conducted. It works pretty well, actually. The occasional Lagging Stitchers usually get caught up in the second half of the class.

This week, I'll show you some good progress on the kids' projects... and I'll show you how I'm managing the project I set up on the slate frame last weekend - I rigged an amazing frame stand! It's oh-so-ingenious... and I've got another monogram towel I'm working on, with a new little monogram design that's really pretty. I'm also planning (if all goes as planned in the last two days of my vacation!) to get some new video stitches done! I had to crack down and purchase a new hard drive (750 G should be helpful!) and dock, some new video editing software, and a gorgeous new microphone (called a Snowball!) - all of which will hopefully help me produce some better quality videos. Oh, and some new lighting. Also, there's the July Stash contest to announce.... So, some exciting things coming up!

In the meantime, back to my needle 'n thread!

Labels: embroidery for children, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 09, 2008
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Here's the latest monogram for hand embroidery - the letter N.

Because of the turns on the N, if you're planning to satin stitch this monogram, you should think in advance of your stitch direction. When you embroider a letter, you want the stitch direction to make sense - that is, you don't necessarily want to change the direction of your stitching on each different "leg" of the embroidery. Try to keep an overall consistent stitch direction in the main parts of the monogram.

When you start thinking about stitch direction on something like this letter, things can start getting confusing. I suggest marking in your stitch direction lines before you begin to embroider, using a very light pencil.

Of course, monograms are not relegated to satin stitch only - you can use all kinds of stitches to fill, including long and short stitch, stem stitch used as a filling, chain stitch, split stitch, and so forth.

Well, here's the "N" - I hope you like it!



Check out the rest of the available letters of this monogram alphabet, which you'll find listed in the Monogram Index.

And, next up is the O and the Q, which are incidentally the same monogram - you have to remove the tail for the Q - which I may do in advance for you, just to avoid the confusion!

Have fun with it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 09, 2008
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Here's another monogram for hand embroidery - this time, the letter "L."

Slowly but surely, the monogram alphabet is filling up! Before you know it, I'll reach "Z." I wonder if there will be any takers for the "Z"??!! More likely than "X," I suppose....

In the last few days, I've received four requests for the "L," so I'm glad to get it out here for you all. I responded to all the e-mail requests, but two of them failed in delivery (I think AOL users need to add me to their address book, or something, before I can get through!).

Ok, without further ado - here 'tis:



For more letters of this alphabet, please visit my Monogram Index!

Have fun with it!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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Continuing on with the monogram alphabet here... I'm trying to double up on the letters to get them finished a bit sooner! So, here are the I and the J for your embroidering pleasure!

If you want to check out the rest of this monogram alphabet, visit my index of monograms for hand embroidery. I think I'm a good half-way finished now on this particular alphabet!

Here's the "I":



And here's the "J":



Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 07, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, July 07, 2008
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I'm glad to see that some readers are having fun embroidering some of the monograms from the alphabet I've been posting recently! Meeta sent photos of her recent hand embroidery project - a guest towel made from dark brown linen, with the "K" on it worked in white....

Meeta used a nice combination of embroidery stitches - seed stitch for the filling on the K, stem stitch around the outside, and the flowers are satin stitched.



I really like the effect of the embroidery in white on the darker fabric! I find it very striking!



I like it!!! Thanks for sending along the photos, Meeta! Congratulations on a job well done!

Labels: monograms, needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 06, 2008
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This time, two monograms for your hand embroidery projects - letters E and F!

For more free monogram patterns for hand embroidery, please visit my Free Embroidery Patterns page, where you'll find the link for an index of monograms here on Needle 'n Thread.

Here's the E:



And here's the F:

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 06, 2008
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Back onto my schedule of supplying you with the whole monogram alphabet for your hand embroidery projects, here's the letter D...

I just received an e-mail from a reader who sent pictures of her latest embroidery project - she used one of the monograms on a dark guest towel, stitched in white with seed stitching and satin stitch. It's really beautiful. Once I have permission, I'll post it for you to see, too!

In the meantime, here's the letter D:



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

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 05, 2008
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Ok - I'm excited about this! - here's my write-up on preparing a slate frame for an embroidery project. I hope my photos aren't entiredly insignificant and silly!
I mentioned yesterday that I found a source for hand-made embroidery slate frames here in the US... if you're looking for a slate frame, do check out that post!

Slate frames have been around forever - well, certainly since the Middle Ages, and anyway. They're made up of four parts - two rollers (top and bottom) and two stretchers (sides, with peg holes).

The advantage of a slate frame is that, with them, you can achieve and maintain perfect tension for stitching. In fact, of all the methods I've used of mounting any fabric for embroidery, nothing compares to the excellent and even tension you can achieve with a slate frame.

Now, that being said, and as I mentioned yesterday, setting a project up on a slate frame (or "dressing the frame") takes a wee little bit 'o work. And the larger the frame, the more work. Normally, you should be able to accomplish dressing a frame in a couple hours, if your fabric's prepared and you don't run into any hitches along the way. I'm going to go step by step through the whole process, including preparing the fabric.

I started by preparing the fabric. I'm using Alba Maxima linen from Legacy, a nice medium-weight, sturdy, smooth linen. The first thing I did was shrink the linen. (I've already posted on preparing linen for embroidery - scroll down to the shrinkage section!).

Then, I sat down and did some figuring. I hate figuring...



The project I'm preparing is about 22 inches long, and about 13 inches wide. But I'm taking advantage of the width of the frame and killing the two proverbial birds with one frame-dressing job: I have another project that I can work on the same piece of linen. The second project is about 7.5 inches wide and 14 inches long. So I will situate them both on the same piece of linen. And that means I have to stitch both of them before I can cut either of them off the frame.

I determined exactly what size linen I would need to accommodate both pieces, and decided that using the frame to its full capacity, without having to roll the top rollers, would be fine. I decided to set up a piece that's 23 inches wide and about 26 inches long. That gives me plenty of room for seam allowances on both finished pieces, as well as some "doodle room" on the fabric itself.

Next, it was time to cut the fabric out. I laid out the linen and the requisite tools.



Don't get any ideas about that rotary cutter! It's not that easy!

I measured the linen and marked my cutting spot with a pencil. I measured an extra inch on each side and an extra half inch top and bottom, for the turn-overs on the fabric edges.



So - 25 inches wide (with an inch on each side to turn in) and 27 inches long (with a half inch, top and bottom, to turn in). I actually cut 28 inches long, to compensate for a sloppy cut (more on that below).

At this point, it would be nice to lay out a ruler and slice the piece with a rotary cutter - so quick, so easy. But this is the thing: You need your fabric cut exactly on the thread. If you do everything right from the very beginning of this process, you will have no regrets later (after all the hard work). So cut your fabric on the thread.

There are several ways to go about cutting your fabric on the thread. When working with linen, many needleworkers say to draw a thread out, creating a cutting line, and then cut your fabric.

On the Alba Maxima linen, drawing a thread out of the middle (especially after shrinkage) is a Royal Pain in the ... Fingers. So I do it this way:



I make a small cut at the pencil mark, then pull up on the thread to the left of my scissor blades. I keep this thread pulled up from the fabric as I cut, and it provides a nice cutting guide. Relatively quick, and sure beats drawing one thread out of the whole piece to mark a cutting line.

At this point, you may well be thinking "This is already too much effort..." but hold on! It really gets much worse!

Still, persevere! It is honestly worth it in the end.

Once your fabric is cut, make sure that all sides are on the thread. For this piece of fabric, to get the size I wanted, I had to cut two sides on the thread, one side was selvage, and the fourth side was jagged from a previous sloppy cut. This fourth side needed to be straightened out. The easiest way to do this is to pull off all the stray side threads, until you can pull one long thread from the entire width of the fabric. Let me explain with a photo:



See the wispy threads sticking off the side in the background? Those can be pulled out, until you've got a straight edge visible on your fabric.



You'll end up with a bit of fringe, but that gets trimmed off.



So there's the straight cut on the thread as a remedy to a sloppy cut.

Now, iron the fabric. Purists may not do it this way, but I'll admit that I use starch and steam on my linen. I wouldn't necessarily use the starch, except that I'm planning to put my design directly on the linen with pencil, and I find the pencil washes out better when I use starch. I really like the Niagara starch in the pump bottle (rather than the aerosol kinds, which tend to flake). I'll wash the whole piece before I do the finish work on it (sewing up the project), so the starch will be rinsed out, anyway.

Now, it's time to fold the edges of the fabric to prepare it for lacing. The top and bottom edges of the fabric will be folded in half an inch. These will be sewn to the canvas strips on the rollers of the frame.



I fold up the top edge half an inch and finger press it along the thread of the fabric (as best as possible), then run the iron over it, then pin it, starting from the center point out.

For the sides of the fabric (they'll attach to the stretcher slats with the peg holes), I turn it up an inch, finger press, then turn in half an inch (into the fold, to make a kind of casing), iron it, and pin it from the central point outwards.



Above, you can see the top edge of the fabric (the pinned edge in the photo) and the one of the sides, folded in to form the half inch casing.



Cut a piece of string a little longer than the length of your sides - not much longer, about an inch - and tuck the string into the casing formed by the double turn on the fabric. The string will help support the fabric when it comes to pulling it with the lacing.

For the lacing string, by the way, I use regular 2-lb weight string found at the hardware store.

Now that your fabric's ready, it's time to attach it to the frame. Gather your supplies and pull a chair up to a table that will easily accommodate the size of your frame. Just like in cooking, the whole process is a lot easier if you have all your "ingredients" on hand first!



At this point, your frame is in four pieces: the two top and bottom "roller" bars and the two side "stretcher" bars (with the peg holes in them).

You'll need the following:

Scissors
Thread - I use topstitching thread, doubled.
String - regular 2-lb weight string from the hardware store
A stiletto or awl - you have to put some serious holes in the side of your linen; this tool is essential!
Various needles, including a very large tapestry needle and a smaller sewing needle or crewel needle
A ruler
Cotter pins or pegs that came with your frame


The fabric is attached to the top and bottom bars (roller bars) first. These slate frames from Evan Burroughs come with a strip of canvas attached, and with the center point marked on the bar.



Line up the center of the top of your fabric with the center point on the canvas strip attached to the top bar. (Top and bottom bars are the same thing...)



Pin the center point of the fabric to the center point of the canvas strip.



Working from the center out to one edge, pin the fabric to the canvas, every couple inches. Then repeat this, going from the center out to the other edge.



Oversew the center point to the canvas. Again, I'm using a topstitching weight thread, doubled.



And oversew both of the ends.



Then, stitching from the center point to the outside, and removing the pins along the way, use a herringbone stitch to sew the linen to the canvas strip. If you've pinned everything carefully, you shouldn't have any buckles at all.



When you're finished sewing it on, and you flip it over, it looks like this.

Now, repeat the whole process on the opposite roller bar, so that both top and bottom edges of your fabric are attached to the rollers.



Lay out the frame so far on the table, with the top of your fabric facing down. You're ready to lace up the sides.



Mark the undersides of the side casing in one inch intervals, and get your stiletto out. Pierce the fabric with the stiletto, making good-sized holes.



Really good-sized holes!! If you have an awl, you might be better off using it. A stiletto is great for the initial piercing, but I really had to work it to get adequate sized holes.



Slide the stretcher sides into the holes on the roller bars...



...get your cotter pins and the plastic guards that came with them out...



... and stick the cotter pins in to hold the frame together. At this point, you aren't stretching the fabric from top to bottom (or obviously from side to side). You're just sticking the pins in to hold the rollers in place while you do the lacing.

Stretching comes later...

If you've persevered to this point, this is the beginning of the "fun" part, the part that characterizes the slate frame.

You're going to pull out a good length of string from your ball of string. I would say you want at least five or six times the length of the side stretcher bar. Remember - it's always better at this point to have TOO MUCH string than too little. You don't want to get to the end of the lacing and find out that you're out of string. Aaaaaaaaaagh.



Start with a slip knot at the top of the stretcher bar. It's important to use a slip knot!! You want to be able to adjust the tension on this string, so you'll need to be able to loosen or tighten that knot easily.



Thread your Very Large Tapestry Needle with the end of the Very Long String, and start lacing. Take the needle down into the linen, underneath the side slat of the frame and up around the slat, then back down into the linen - do this moving down the line of holes.

You may find that you need to revisit the holes in the linen with your stiletto here and there.

At this point, your aren't concerned so much about tension. Just get the sides laced. As you lace, try to keep the edge of your fabric parallel with the stretcher bar. This is a bit hard on the first bar, since you don't have anything you're pulling against, and it's easy to pull the fabric towards the bar. But resist the temptation, and keep the fabric parallel to the bar as much as possible.

When you reach the end of your lacing - arriving at the opposite roller bar - tie your string off with another slip not.

Now, in exactly the same manner, lace the other side!



Now, you're all laced up. But you're not finished. Notice that the linen looks a bit wavy and rippled? That's because nothing's been tightened up yet.

At this point, if your project is being stitched on silk or damask or some other very fine fabric and being backed with linen or muslin, then you've only just added the backing to the frame. You need to now add the fine fabric. To do this, you tighten the frame "a little bit" - enough to remove noticeable ripples - but not all the way with the final stretch. Take your fine fabric (which you have already cut on the thread and that's already ironed and ready to mount), and situate it on the lining that's stretched on the frame. The ground fabric (the fine fabric) and the lining (the muslin or linen) must match up with their grains. Match up the grain, pin the ground fabric onto the lining all around, and then sew it onto the lining, from center points out on each side, smoothing it as you go and making sure there are no wrinkles or buckles in it. Use herringbone stitch to sew it, crossing over the lining onto the ground fabric, and so forth. Once all four sides are sewn down, you're ready for the last step, which is the final stretch...

So, on my frame here, I'm not using a different ground fabric lined with linen. I'm embroidering the linen. So I don't need to add ground fabric. I'm ready for the final stretch.

Because this is a large frame, I'm going to use a combination of hands and feet here - which was really impossible to photograph!

Stand the frame on the floor. You'll have the ends of the stretchers (which pass through the rollers) touching the floor. You've got your cotter pins in the side slats already. Rest your foot on the protruding edge of one side of the bottom rollers, and then, using the heel of your hand, push down on the top end of the side slat, and with your fingers of the same hand, pull up on the roller.



The top of that side slat is really pushing into the heel of my hand, because I'm using the top of the slat for leverage to pull the roller up.

If necessary, use both hands - but remember, you need one to move the cotter pin!

Pull the roller up as high as you can, holding onto the bottom of the frame with your foot. When you've stretched it as much as you can, replace the cotter pin below the roller, and put the plastic sleeve on the back of the cotter pin.

Now do the other side, lining it up in the corresponding hole exactly opposite on the other side slat.

Turn the frame over, so that what was the top roller is now the bottom roller, and double check your pins and holes on the sides slats. Make sure all is lined up well.

Now, adjust your lacing one last time, pulling each side tight by working down the lacing and then adjusting the slip knots. Do both sides.



And there it is!!

If you've persevered to the end and done it right, you're ready to embroider on the best surface ever! A lot of work, but worth the effort!

The whole process took me about four hours, but I had to prepare fabric, and the frame is a large one, which increases the time for hand stitching and the lacing.

That reminds me - I forgot to mention the obvious. You can use your sewing machine to sew the linen to the top and bottom rollers. I prefer to do it by hand, but some people use their machines. It would save some time!

So, would you go to the trouble to set up a slate frame? Or do you think it's just too much? It'd be interesting to hear readers' opinions on this one!

Enjoy the weekend!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, historical needlework, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, slate frames

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 05, 2008
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When you get beyond the beginner stage of hand embroidery and move into more complex forms, you may find that you wish to expand your collection of tools. An indispensible tool for the serious embroiderer - especially if you get into goldwork, silk shading, and other complex techniques - is the slate frame. I've found a source in the US who provides hand-made slate frames that are sturdy, beautiful, and in all regards, as far as I can tell, really perfect. I spent a good part of today (July 4th) playing with mine, dressing it in a nice piece of linen. The finished product was worth the effort!

Before I launch into this, I also have a tutorial on how to dress a slate frame for hand embroidery - if that's what you're looking for, rather than a source.

On with the news!

Mr. Evan Burroughs, located in Salem, Oregon, makes slate frames for the hand embroiderer! This was such an exciting piece of news for me, because, for the longest time, I couldn't find a source in the US. Sure, slate frames can be ordered from Britain, but - combine the exchange rate and the shipping, and they are expensive!

When Evan fell out of the sky into my e-mail account one day, I was really thrilled and eager to try his frames.

He makes three sizes of frames. The smallest frame accommodates a piece of embroidery about 10" x 10", without having to roll the work. The medium size accommodates a piece from 16" - 20" wide, with stretchers that will accommodate a piece about 16" long before having to roll the work. And the largest size accommodates a piece about 24" wide by about 28" long, before you'd have to roll it.

The frames are made out of beech, which is strong wood. The pins are stainless steel cotter pins (rather than the traditional wooden pegs), which allows the pegs on the side stretchers to be placed in 1/4" increments, giving you really good control on the stretching.



If there were some way to allow you to feel what you're looking at in that photo, you would understand my infatuation with slate frames! The fabric is perfectly smooth, perfectly taut all around, and oh-so-ready for my next project! Isn't it just beautiful??

The frames run $59 (small), $69 (medium), and $89 (large). Remember, they are hand made, and they will last you a life time - and then some! As far as the workmanship goes, my experience with mine is this:

I LOVE IT. The wood is smooth as glass, the frame feels in all respects sturdy, everything fits together really well, and... wow. It's just really nice! When you're working with it, you know it's "real" - it's not cheaply made, plastic, or flimsy. I think it's a work of art!

Evan is also the fellow behind the Evertite Slimline Tension Adjusting Stretcher Bar frames - which I hope to try soon. I've got one set that I want to mount a bird project on; as soon as I do, I'll let you know what I think of the Evertite frames.

If you want to take your stitching to the next level and invest in a slate frame - or if you're like me, and you've been looking high and low for ages for a source for slate frames - do contact Evan. You can visit his Evertite webpage, where he has his contact information listed. When I arranged for my frame, he said he generally has a few sets of each size of slate frame on hand; if not, his production time runs about a month. It's worth the wait!

Now, after all the gushing, I have to add a little glimpse of reality for you. A slate frame is not an "easy" option for the embroiderer. It takes much time to dress a frame, and it's hard work. The end results are worth it, no doubt, but before you delve into a slate frame, do understand that it takes some effort to set up the frame. (I'm typing with sore thumbs...)

That having been said, I think it's the best way to set up a large project, especially one that will take you some time. The tension lasts forever, and can be adjusted repeatedly without having to take the frame apart. Read "Dressing a Slate Frame" to see how the whole process of setting up a slate frame works.

And finally, just so you know, Evan Burroughs and I are not affiliated - I'm just a very, very happy customer who is so pleased to be able to tell you about his handiwork! Do check him out - and tell him I sent you!

Labels: embroidery resources, goldwork, needlework products, slate frames

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, July 04, 2008
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Here's the next monogram for hand embroidery - the letter "B." I think it's a bit fuzzier than I would like, but if you're tracing or transferring the design onto fabric, I think it'll work fine.

This whole alphabet of monograms for embroidery is filling out ok, but it seems like a slow process at this pace! I keep forgetting that, at one letter a day, it will take 26 days to finish one alphabet. I shall pursue a solution to that!

But in the meantime, enjoy the B:



For the rest of the alphabet, please visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 03, 2008
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Last night I finished week three of this summer's hand embroidery classes. Well, I call it week three, even though yesterday was just Wednesday. All five classes are packed into the first three days of the week. Would someone please remind me not to do that next year??!! I've got a few photos here of some of the class projects that have been finished...

With five embroidery classes going for different age levels - and different levels of ability - all crammed into the first three days of the week (Mon - Wed), by Wednesday evening's class, I'm mixing up embroidery threads, fabrics, projects... In my Wednesday evening class, for example, half the class is working with DMC stranded floss on flour sack towels, the other half is working with DMC Satin Floss (rayon) on embroidered greeting cards, and one younger youngster is working with pearl cotton on a felt bookmark.

Now, you may rightly wonder why things aren't more organized, but there are a couple little difficulties:

The first obvious one is that the children tend to work at entirely different speeds, with entirely different levels of enthusiasm. Some go home and stitch their hearts out and finish each new project before the next time we meet. These fast little stitchers - who are usually the enthusiastic and meticulous kids with real interest and talent - are ready for a new project each week practically!

Then there are what I call The Lagging Stitchers - the kids who don't do anything on their projects during the week. They come into class forgetting what they learned in the last class, because they haven't picked up their needlework at all. This requires me to "reteach" some of the students in every class, which is inconvenient for me and for the other students, and hampers the progress we could make otherwise. I haven't figured out how to handle this yet, and yet, I've faced this every year.

And finally, in some classes, there's a real disparity in age. Some of the children come from Really Rural Kansas, and to make the extra drive into town each week is a hardship on the parents. So if there's an older and younger child from the same family signed up, they often come to the same class, despite their age difference. The disparity in age is reflected in the disparity in development - there is a vast difference between the level of physical development (think fine motor skills!) of a 10 year old and that of a 7 year old. Which means I have to have the Little-Little Kids' projects going in the Medium-Little Kids' classes and in the Big-Little Kids' classes as well. Take, for example, the Wednesday class. There are 11 students, and their age range is supposed to be 12 - 14, but it's really 10 - 14, with a 7-year-old thrown in for good measure!

Whew.

But - really - it's a blast! And there's nothing better than seeing the results start to come together. Here are some needlework developments from the classes so far.

First, an embroidered dish towel. This is stitched by an 11-year-old. The towel's already been laundered, hence the wrinkles.



These are the Aunt Martha designs from the set called "Java Break." She worked the whole piece in stem stitch.



And she does a really nice job on her stem stitch!



Her stitches are even and neat.



Three embroidered cards were finished last night... the embroidery was finished on several more, but the cards haven't been assembled yet.



The pattern for these three cards was selected from one of Erica Fortgens's books on embroidered greeting cards. I've got all her books on my shelves, so the kids flip through to see what they like when it's time to delve into a project. They're super-terrific books!



And here, one of the kids from the 7-9 year olds' class is showing off her embroidered butterfly towel as it progresses.



And here's another kitchen towel... actually, I stitched it. It's a project sample. A couple of the kids are working on this design right now (in the Medium-Little Kids' class - ages 10 & 11). I'm looking forward to seeing the results on this one!

So, there's progress for you!

As each summer passes, I learn something new about teaching these classes. This year, my reflection is going to include trouble-shooting the age / level disparity problem and figuring out once and for all how to handle Lagging Stitchers.

Any ideas on those subjects??

Labels: embroidery for children, Embroidery for the Home, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 03, 2008
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Continuing with the whole alphabet for hand embroidered monograms, here's a free pattern for those of you wish might wish to embroidery the letter "H" on household linens, towels, wedding gifts, and whatever else you can think to use a monogram on!

To get down to business and keep this post somewhat short, here's the free embroidery pattern for the letter H:



For those of you using a PC, you can right click that and save it to your computer, then do whatever you want with it!

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

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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Here's another monogram for hand embroidery, this time, the letter "V."

I'd love to hear if anyone is planning on doing anything in particular with these monograms. I suppose they could be used for other applications besides hand embroidery, but when I think monograms, I automatically think hand embroidery. And, well... this is an embroidery website, after all!

For more monograms, please visit the Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery, where I'm trying to fill in this whole alphabet!

Here's the V:



Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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One of the projects we're doing in my summer embroidery classes is an embroidered dish towel. We're using flour sack towels and embroidering a little (actually, relatively big) design on them. I thought it would be a good project for the older kids (ages 11-14), and I'm also doing it with the adult beginners. So, here's my class sample and a little information about the set up and stitching...

First of all, keep in mind that flour sack towels can be a delight to embroider on, or they can be a pain. Good flour sack towels take hand embroidery very well! I bought the towels for this year's embroidery classes from Embroider This! - you can see the ad for the company in the right hand column. They were very generous in helping me with the endeavor, and I did get a cut for the bulk order. In exchange, I'm running an ad for them for a month.

I bought the Ultra Premium Flour Sack towels from them, and I'm really, really glad I did! They are super smooth and super sturdy - not the flimsy, filmy, wrinkly kind sported by Walmart and Target. The only reason I bring this up is because I did go buy some from Walmart and Target - and they were thin and flimsy. At $2.99 each from Embroider This (that's their retail price), it's not a bad deal for a good towel!

The towels are huge, by the way. I've read on some blogs that embroiderers will often cut the flour sack towels in half and hem up the fourth side (where the cut is) to make two towels. I suppose that's a good idea, if you want a smaller towel.

Anyway, on with it...

My original intention, as I noted before when I was introducing you to my monogrammed guest towel sample, was to use iron-on transfers for most of our projects this summer, so that we could save some time on setting up projects. But that changed as I prepared my sample for stitching!

I purchased a few sets of Aunt Martha transfers - Wine Country and Java Break - but the transfers were bigger than I liked. I wanted them just slightly smaller! So I reduced them on the copier and traced them.

Yeah. That's right. I traced 20 towel designs - and that was just the flour sack towels! I've also ended up tracing designs on 20 other towels for the younger kids. They aren't flour sack towels, though. They're gingham towels and smaller kitchen towels. That was a lot of tracing! I used a light box, and a micron art pen on the gingham towels and smaller kitchen towels. On the flour sack towels, I used a #2 pencil.

For stitching, the students are using two strands of DMC and a variety of stitches. I kind of saw the whole towel project as a sampler, in a sense. That is, it would give the kids practice on their line stitches (I'm emphasizing even stitches and smooth lines), but at the same time, it would give them a finished, colorful project that they could keep or give to Mom or Grandma, or whatever. (Kids like finished projects!)

Here's my class sample, which is from the Java Break collection:



I had to pick the pattern with the cupcake. I wanted to stitch pink frosting for some reason!



Here's the cherry, worked in whipped backstitch for the fruit and chain stitch for the stem. There are three reasons I like to use whipped backstitch with the kids: 1. it creates a relatively smooth line, compared to plain backstitch; 2. It's easy; and 3. It's like learning two stitches in one, since they have to learn the backstitch, anyway!



I worked the letters in chain stitch in dark brown, and, in light brown, I worked a line of stem stitch right next to the chain stitch, to give the letters a little depth (or something!)... just to set them off a bit.



The cup and saucer and the dessert plate are worked in chain stitch, in a bright yellow and red.



And the decoration on the cup - the red grid - is worked in backstitch. The coffee inside the cup is worked in rows of stem stitch (used as a filling), and the steam rising from the coffee is also worked in stem stitch.

So, overall, the towel gives the students the opportunity to practice some common line stitches - especially chain stitch, stem stitch, and backstitch - and (hopefully!) to perfect their spacing and sizing of their stitches. That's my plan, anyway - I'll let you know if the idea was successful!

You know what? I had fun stitching this towel! I'm thinking about doing the other three corners, so the thing can be used as a little "coffee cloth" (as opposed to tea cloth). Really, the towel is big enough to spread as a tea cloth on your table. It's not super fine linen, that's true, but it would be fun to spread out for a coffee break when your pals stop by for a cup!

Other ideas: great wedding gifts for coffee drinkers, fixed in a basket with other coffee supplies (some special cups or whathaveyou).... or, do a bread / wheat motif in all the corners, and use it as a liner for a large basket of bread when company's coming, or when you're having a cookout and you want to put the hamburger buns in a basket and cover them. So many ideas... so little time!

Labels: beginner embroidery, Embroidery for the Home, iron-on embroidery transfers, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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