I like these little booties - they aren't finished yet, but here are some photos so far. I'll tell you what I did, and then didn't do, and then did again....

I've got the embroidery finished on half a baby bootie - it's not really very complex embroidery, as you can see! Just lazy daisy stitch, French knots, and tiny straight stitches.



They look Humungous, don't they? More like whomping Baby Boots! Keep in mind that the cuff on top folds down (see below), and all the area that isn't stitched (around the base and up the back) is the seam allowance. I kept folding the seam allowance in, because I had to convince myself they were little, teeny tiny booties, not massive toddler whomping moon boots.



This is the cuff pinned down, so you can see the contrast. The red dots will be eyelets.

Ok, what I did about the violet:

I didn't like the match of the purples - I thought the floche was just "off" - so I matched and bought a skein of DMC that I thought I would like better. It seemed ok in the store. I picked out all the violet flowers. I started stitching with the new DMC color.

I cringed.

I picked out all the new DMC color.

I started stitching again with the floche.

And in the scheme of things, I like it much better, even if it's not quite the same color - it's close enough!

My favorite part so far, though:



I'm quite taken with the little eyelets. They look like nostrils.

Labels: baby booties, Hand embroidery stitches, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 30, 2008
PermaLink  |  12 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 29, 2008
PermaLink  |  2 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Continuing on with the latest monogram alphabet for your hand embroidery projects, featuring a kind of Celtic-flavor alphabet of loose knotwork - here's the letter C.

I posted stitching ideas for this alphabet with the letter A, if you're looking for any ideas on how to embroider these letters.

Here's the small version of the C:



Here's the large version:



For more monograms for hand embroidery, visit my index of monograms, which can be found under Free Hand Embroidery Patterns here on Needle 'n Thread.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, September 28, 2008
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Continuing with the various ways you can start and end your threads in hand embroidery, this picture tutorial shows you how to use anchor stitches when embroidering a line. If you're not familiar with this method of starting threads, you might find it a bit strange, but bear with me! Read through the tutorial, and you'll see why it's useful to know how to do this.

Using this technique for starting your threads only requires you to work from the front of the fabric. You don't have to turn your fabric over to run your threads under anything, and you don't have to keep a finger on the back of your threads to make sure you're crossing over the thread on the back. This is straight-forward, front-of-the-work stuff. Knowing how to start a thread working solely from the front of your work - and still not using a knot - can be very handy...

This works best with a thicker line stitch. If you're working a very fine stem stitch line, or a back stitch line, you might prefer a regular waste knot. Still, you'd be surprised how invisible you can make these anchor stitches, even on relatively fine lines.

I'm going to be stitching this line with the heavy chain stitch.

Method of Work

Begin by placing a knot near the end of your thread. Here, I've left a tail that's unnecessarily long. You don't have to have a long tail - the closer your knot is to the end of your thread, the less thread you use. However, you do want enough of a tail after the knot to be able to pull up on your thread before you cut it.



Within an inch (or even half an inch) of your starting point, take your needle from the front to the back of your work so that the knot is on the top of your work.



Between the knot and your starting point, take one tiny backstitch. Here, because this is a loosely woven fabric, I can easily take a stitch over one thread. In a fine, tightly woven fabric, you might pass over two threads. But you're aiming for a relatively tiny back stitch, in any case - over one or two threads of the fabric, depending on the weave of the fabric.



Working away from the knot and towards your starting point, bring your needle back up to the front of the work just on the other side of the tiny backstitch.



Now take your needle down into the middle of the backstitch, splitting it. As you pull this stitch, you want to apply enough tension to sink the stitch into the first backstitch. Don't pull so hard that you distort your fabric or stitches - just enough to pull the second stitch well into the first.



Still working away from the knot and towards your starting point, bring the needle back up to the front of your work, just on the other side of your second stitch...



...and take it back down into the stitch before. Essentially, you've just made three split stitches, only you're splitting your stitches from the top, rather than from underneath.



Pull that third stitch enough to bring it down into the second. Here, you can see it's sitting up a bit.



Pull up firmly on your thread tail, and snip off the knot, right above the fabric. The thread will boing down to the other side of your fabric.



And now you're ready to stitch. Looks bulky, doesn't it? Hard to believe it can be covered and not noticeable...?



Here's the beginning of that petal, worked in heavy chain, covering up those stitches. You'd be surprised, actually, how well these anchor stitches can be covered up with a line stitch, even line stitches finer than the heavy chain. I've used this method for regular stem stitch and the anchor stitches have been invisible.

Pros of Using Anchor Stitches on a Line

1. The technique doesn't require much thread, so there's very little waste.

2. You can work solely from the front of the fabric. This is especially handy when you're working on a larger piece that's a pain to turn over.

3. It's fast - there's no turning over, running under, or anything like that. You jump straight in to stitching.

Cons of Using Anchor Stites on a Line

1. On the very finest lines, they could be visible. But ... you can make them fairly invisible with a little practice.

2. I can't think of any other ones. Can you?

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery tips and tricks, needlework tutorials, pictures, threads

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, September 28, 2008
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

A couple years ago, I wrote about a random sampler that I began on a road trip. Lost in the labyrinthine oblivion of my website, I didn't even have the post available in my gallery. But you know, I liked this piece.

I remember the pleasure I had working random stitches all over the place, doing whatever occurred to me, using whatever thread. There's a real pleasure in that. It's just so... random.



I also remember having specific plans for the piece. Hahhahahaha.



It has nestled, neglected, in a basket of other neglected scraps, trials and errors.



But today, I'm resurrecting my Random Sampler! I'm going to go look at it again. I'm going to see if I can make something of it. I'm going to decide if I like it as well in person as I think I remember. And then... if I do, I'm going to finish it into something.

I have no idea what.

Along with that plan, I've got a list of to-dos about half a page long. Six of them are needlework & blog related. Seventeen of them are not. I'm not sure why Saturdays are so short...

Some of the needlework and blog related activities:

I'm planning the long and short stitch "classes" or lessons still. I have decided to take Joey's advice, and work an individual motif at a time, rather than a whole project. And in fact, I'm arranging individual motifs into a sampler of sorts, so I'll be showing you that soon.

I've got to edit a few videos. I don't even want to think about it!

I have to clean up the studio and get it ready for a guild meeting Monday evening. In the process, that's when I'll pull out the Random Sampler.

I will be planning my Saturday afternoon sessions - I'm going to do some Christmas card sessions with the kids on Saturdays over the next couple months, and I'd like to get that going next weekend. I can't do that without proper planning. So I plan to properly plan today. Besides using designs I already have from books and online sources, I have several card patterns (embroidered cards, you know!) bouncing around in my head. They need to come out on planning paper, and then they need to be tested. So that's something I'll be writing up.

I must, today, finish the goldwork project I'm working on. I've got to get it in for framing, since it's a wedding gift and I want it finished on time. So I will finish that today. And take photos....!

I must clean, organize, line up - all the related activities associated with getting ready for upcoming projects. For example, I have to pick out the stitching on the baby booties and get the supplies put together for those and packed into a bag, so I can work on it when time allows and everything will be at hand. I need to assemble all my threads for the Pelican (and that's a good thing, because I have them scattered hither and thither).... oh, bother. This is going to be my "junk drawer" category for the day.

Ok. You're right. I need to face reality: What can I actually accomplish today? I suppose we'll have to see!

.... I'm thinking I should skip doing laundry ...... and do I really neeeeed to vacuum? Heh heh heh.

Have a great weekend!

Labels: beginner embroidery, needlework pictures, pictures, sampler, wool felt

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 27, 2008
PermaLink  |  11 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

A while ago, I purchased an Anchor Fleur de Lis kit titled "Spring." It's a small square tablecloth. I thought it would be a fun, easy project for casual stitching. I started it (barely), but never got back to it. Rummaging through my boxes the other day, I came across the tablecloth, but realized that I had mixed the Anchor threads in with my other cotton threads, and had ended up using a lot of them in my summer embroidery classes.... Doesn't it figure?

Around here, I don't have access to Anchor threads, without special ordering them. But I'm not ordering any embroidery supplies for a while (my Resolution - hold me to it!). On the bright side, I do have a couple gift certificates that I've never used to Michael's and Hobby Lobby, both of which carry DMC. The question, then, is ... can I convert the required colors from Anchor to DMC?

To figure that out, I set about look for thread conversion charts. A while ago, I posted an article about thread conversion charts, but in checking those links, I've found that most of them are now defunct. The woes of relying on specific websites for needful information!

In the meantime, though, here's a good color conversion chart from Crosstitch.com. It's an Anchor-to-DMC conversion chart (or visa-versa), and the fun thing is, you can select the thread numbers, click a button, and get an image of the color as well as the corresponding DMC number.



You can select multiple color numbers by holding the control key down, and then you convert them, and get a nice chart indicating both DMC numbers and JP Coats numbers. If there isn't an exact match, they'll give multiple close matches.



One other conversion chart that I think is handy is this DMC to Soie d'Alger chart. I'm a huge fan of Soie d'Alger, so this is a great chart to have, especially for designs that call for DMC, but that you'd like to kick up a notch to silk.

And finally, the resource of resources - Needlepointers.com has a huge list of color conversion charts around the web. There are several color charts for rather obscure threads on there, and there are a few links that don't work, but it's a terrific list and a great resource to have! Add it to your favorites for future use!

Few color conversions are exactly accurate - you'll probably never get the Exact Same Color in a different brand of thread - but they're often close enough that no one would be able to tell. If, perchance, they aren't close enough for this particular project, I have absolutely no problem picking out what I've done so far and starting over. I've got about one-eighth of one side finished. No biggie.

What do you think about converting threads? Do you cross over between brands when you stitch? Do you have any good resources for thread conversion? Speak up!! Help the rest of us out! Thanks!!

Labels: embroidery resources, embroidery tips and tricks, threads

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 27, 2008
PermaLink  |  3 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 26, 2008
PermaLink  |  3 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's a little photo tutorial for another common way of beginning your threads when you embroider. This is a good method to use when you're going to be stitching on tighter curves, but you can also use it on straight lines, or filling, or any time you start a thread!

I call this an "Away Waste Knot," to distinguish between it and the waste knot I described earlier. "Away Waste Knot" doesn't have a very good ring, though, does it?

The Away Waste Knot: Method of Work



I'm going to stitch around that curly shape on the right. Start with your fabric up, a knot in the end of your thread, and take your needle down into your fabric from the top a few inches away from the point you intend to start stitching, so that your knot is on top of your fabric (as shown above).

Now, it will make things a whole lot easier if you take your thread down into your fabric at least three inches (and possibly more) away from your starting point. It is also wise to make sure your thread isn't crossing the design, if there are "blank" areas in the middle of the design. To eliminate any difficulty of catching your thread with your stitches after your thread has crossed over a blank area (risking visibility on the front), make sure the path between the knot and where you're starting isn't in line with your stitching.

I didn't do that, and you'll see what happens here - but it isn't a big deal on a design this small...



Well, that was easy enough, wasn't it? Stitch whatever you intended to stitch....



... and then pull up on your knot, and snip it close to the fabric. You need to pull up a bit on these knots before you clip them close to the fabric - you want the tension from pulling up on them to "boing" the thread back under the fabric for you.



This is the back of the work. You can see that I've cut the knot off, and the thread is just hanging there, waiting. It isn't stitched over (except for one tiny stitch, where it crossed over the design).



Thread the thread back onto your needle. With the limited length of your thread here, a needle threader would come in really handy.

I suppose you've probably noticed that my thread here is really too short for much manipulation with the needle. If your length of thread is longer, then at this point, you would simply take your threaded needle, and, passing under the back of the stitches, you'd wrap your threads on the back of the stitches to secure them.

I don't like using a super long length of thread with this type of knot. Well - I take that back - it depends on the thread. But if I'm working with a more expensive thread, or a specialty thread that I don't have much of, I don't want to waste a lot of it.

But, if the thread is too short, you're not going to be able to manipulate your needle... and you won't be able to wrap around the back threads. So what do you do? I have two different approaches.



The first approach is to take the needle eye first through the back of the stitches. But this can be really incovenient, because it means you have to un-thread and re-thread in order to move your needle around.

So, in comes the tool....



I use a tiny crochet hook that I keep in my tool box, just for this. It's a #12, so it's small enough to slide under (hook face down) behind the back threads, grap the thread, and pull it through beneath the stitches. You can very quickly pass your short thread underneath 5 or 6 stitches with ease this way.

They make tools for this, too - specialty tools. But I crochet hook will cost about a dollar, and it comes in handy for lots of little things, so it's nice to have one on hand. The disadvantage of the crochet hook is that it graduates in size up the handle, so it isn't suitable for passing under a long row of stitches. But it works great for passing behind one or two stitches.

Ok, so, last step: Trim up the little tails of your threads to neaten.

Pros of the Away Waste Knot:

1. It's easy. You don't have to mess with anchoring the beginning thread right away, so you can launch straight into stitching. You also don't have to worry about crossing over the thread as you stitch, as with the regular waste knot.
2. It is a good way to secure threads neatly, after you're finished stitching with that thread.
3. It works great when you're stitching something on a tight curve, where a regular waste knot wouldn't work.

Cons of the Away Waste Knot:

1. It can make you a lazy stitcher. I do know people who riddle their work with these kinds of knots, planning to cut them at the end. Unfortunately, in the meantime, they've stitched over the crossing threads on the back.... and over them again... and so forth, until the back of the work is a mess. I think, in their eagerness to keep stitching, they don't stop to think that, at the end, they're going to have to take probably even more time to finish off threads, since they have a clean-up job to do, too. It's just better not to be lazy about starting and ending threads correctly. You'll be much happier with the finished results of your work if you take the time to run your threads under with each thread, or at least with each section or motif of a larger work.

2. It can be very wasteful! It uses up more thread than most methods of starting your threads. If you want to use this waste knot the easy way, you'd allow yourself a minimum of three inches (and really, for ease, probably more like four) to work with at the end. Considering there are ways of starting a thread that take up less than an inch of thread, this approach comes off as pretty wasteful. Now, if you're working with a thread that's inexpensive and readily available, and in fact you have a surplus of it yourself, it's not a big deal. But when you're working with a thread that costs $3 - $5 (or more!).... well. Three or four extra inches every time you start a thread can really add up!

3. It can be inconvenient if the knot is not far enough away. If you don't have a tool to pull that thread under, it can be a regular pain in the neck. You could use the eye of your needle just to "scrape" the thread under if you had to, but that really is a pain, and you can distort your stitches on the front, doing so.

But, though the cons seem to outweigh the pros, the away waste knot has its place and can be quite convenient to use. So ... try it! See what you think! And let me know how you liked it, if you do give it a try!

You can find more ways of starting and ending your threads under Tips and Tricks for Hand Embroidery, in the article titled Starting and Ending Threads.

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery tips and tricks, needlework tutorials, pictures, threads

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 25, 2008
PermaLink  |  2 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 25, 2008
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 25, 2008
PermaLink  |  6 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 24, 2008
PermaLink  |  3 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Remember my needlework carrots? One of them is embroidered baby booties. I started them, and this is what I've done so far. Some parts I'm happy about. Some, I'm not.

First off, I decided to use flannel. I had some scraps of pink flannel, and some scraps of a periwinkle-ish-purple with white polka dots. I decided that the polka dots would be the inside lining, and the polka dot sole would be on the outside, for the fun of the contrast.



You can see the turn-down there on the cuff. I used mistyfuse to fuse both pieces of flannel together, and it worked really well. Still, they may be a bit stiff. I don't know yet!



I started with a lot of colors - but I narrowed it down to predominantly white and purple and green, with yellow French knots.



I'm not drawing out any pattern - I'm just going to randomly cover the whole thing with white and purple flowers (mostly white, with a few purple and little tiny purple accents). I'll be throwing in a few little green specks for leaves.



Unfortunately, I didn't have the right color of purple, and that's kind of bugging me. I went through every kind of thread in my stash (every kind) to find a matching color... but nary a match.

So I went ahead with the purple I had. And. I. Don't. Like. It.

But - I keep telling myself it's just a sample... it's just a test! Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to get back to them for about 5 days now - and I have a nagging suspicion it's because I don't like the purple. I keep telling myself it's because I haven't had a chance, but deeeeeep down, I think I would have made a chance if I liked the purple!

I'm going to machine-sew the soles on, then stitch over the seam. I'll let you know how the finish goes on this!

So there's another carrot underway! Anyone ever make baby booties? How 'bout sharing some ideas or advice?

Labels: baby booties, embroidered clothes, embroidery for children, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 24, 2008
PermaLink  |  6 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
PermaLink  |  3 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive via e-mail is "How do I begin my embroidery thread without using a knot?" Way back when Needle 'n Thread first started, I wrote a post (with a really corny title) about waste knots. But sometimes, it's better to see it in pictures, so...

I worked up a series of photo tutorials on starting threads when you embroider. There are several ways to begin your embroidery thread, and I'll be covering my favorite ways with these tutorials over the next week or so. I'll also categorize them in an easy-to-find index.

The Waste Knot

We'll start with the easiest one (in my opinion...), the waste knot, which is great to use when you're stitching along a line. It's very convenient to use when you're beginning a thread that is not adjacent to any other embroidery stitches, although I sometimes like to use a waste knot even if I am adjacent to other stitches, too.



You begin on the front of your fabric, and yes, you do use a knot! Put a small knot at the end of your thread. Then, with the top of your work facing up, take your needle down into your fabric about an inch or so down the line from where you will begin stitching.

You want to head towards the waste not as you stitch. I'm going to use a stem stitch here.

Take your first stitch forward, then turn your work over:



I'm turning the work over here, so you can see the back. Usually, when I use a waste knot, I don't turn the work over. I use a finger to move the thread on the back up and down, to make sure I'm crossing over it. Once you get used to the whole concept of a waste knot, you'll also get used to manipulating the thread on the back up and down, so that you don't have to turn your work over.

Each time you come up to the front of your work from the back, you want to cross over that thread that's lying across the back of the line you're stitching, so that you are, in a sense, couching that thread down.

Alternately, some stitchers like to pierce through the line of thread on the back, rather than cross over it, stitching through the back thread down the line. I don't really like doing that, especially if I'm using a thread that has any "fuzz" to it, because the fuzz can pull back up with your stitching. Also, I think on some threads, splitting the thread tends to weaken it or fray it, which would make this whole concept somewhat useless!



On the front of the work, you want to stitch up to the knot, checking the back to make sure that you're crossing the thread (or using your finger on the back of your work to move the thread up and down so you can cross over it).



When you're within a stitch of the knot, pull up on the tail of the thread to lift the knot off the fabric, then snip the thread right under the knot, close to the fabric.



On the back of the work, you will have a neatly couched line, and your thread is now secured without leaving a knot in your work. Simple, isn't it?

Pros of the Waste Knot

1. It's very easy to use for straight lines and gentle curves, and it works great for surface embroidery, needlepoint, cross stitch, and other counted techniques.
2. It conserves thread, compared to some other ways of starting threads. At the most, you lose around an inch and a half of thread in the anchoring process and in the knot.
3. Once you get used to it, you can manage a waste knot solely from the front of the fabric, which is convenient.
4. It's a great way to start a new thread when you're not working adjacent to any other embroidery stitches (or even if you are, if you want).

Cons of the Waste Knot

1. To work it efficiently, you need to get used to it. Until you can manipulate your thread without turning your work over, it'll take time and it'll be a bit of a pain to have to turn your work over to make sure you're stitching over the back thread.
2. There are other ways of starting your threads that do not use as much thread as the waste knot.

If you've never used a waste knot, go ahead and try it out! Let me know what you think!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery tips and tricks, needlework tutorials, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
PermaLink  |  5 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I don't usually gush on about good days, bad days, and the like. Pretty much, I have relatively even days - but today was a banner day, for a number of reasons, and I'd like to tell you about one reason and show you the other!

First, the telling:

You know my embroidery stash contests and book give-aways? Well, I recently fell behind on mailing. So, if you are waiting for something in the mail from Needle 'n Thread, guess what? It's finally on its way! Our post office has strange hours. It is never open when I'm not at work. But today I was off early, so ... I finally made it! I was one of those last-ten-minutes-of-the-day customers with-lots-of-packages-to-mail, all of which had to be fit-into-the-right-sized-mailer and then addressed-at-the-counter, after which I had to fill out customs forms. Oh boy. I kind of felt bad. But if they would change their hours.....!!!!! However, in a spirit of great congeniality, I chatted with the lady behind the counter, and all got safely posted. I feel as if the burden of the world has been lifted from my shoulders (a slight exaggeration, but it is nice to have that off my mind!)

And the showing:

The day after I went thread shopping for the first time in eons, I placed an order for some threads, and today, they arrived! Now, you may be thinking that's a heck of a long time to await an order, but in all fairness, most of the order was made up of special orders. So once they were all in, Needle in a Haystack sent the order out in good time, and here is what will be my Last Purchase of Embroidery Goods for a Very Long Time.

And because of that, I shall revel and rejoice and enjoy my socks off with this shipment of goods. So let me show you what came today that has me all Giddy with Excitement.



This is the whole shipment. Ok, ok. So it doesn't look that thrilling. Well, let's look individually at the items, and see what they all mean.



This is a heap of white thread. Cordonnet and Cebelia in a vast variety of sizes, along with several sizes of coton a broder. For whitework? Well, some of it, yes. For needlelace? Well, yes, some of it. For filet lace? Oh, yes. That's the exciting part. I'm going to rope my dear mother into following through on her initial interest in "perhaps trying" filet guipure. And since I have the threads - and I have a goodly supply of netting of the knotted and unknotted variety - she will just have to succumb.

Needlework in the company of others is always fun, I think, don't you? So I'm looking forward to that. We'll probably argue quite a bit. I can't wait!!



Then there are these few new threads to try, which I will tell you more about later, after I try them. I don't want to horn-honk on any thread until I try it, but I sure do like the colors! Behind the thread, you see - yes - Q-snaps. I have succumbed to peer pressure here. Generally, I like wood. I know people out there may think that's really rather narrow-minded, but I like wood frames, wood hoops (the good ones), wood slate frames, wood stretcher bars, wood scroll frames... wood. Using plastic for tension does not tickle me. BUT - peer pressure won. So many people have recommended and raved over Q-snaps that I decided to give a set a try. I'll try them and let you know what I think of them. I don't want to offend anyone, but the truth is, if I don't like them... I'll probably say so! But that sounds so negative. As Alfred P. Doolittle would say, I'm willing to try them. I'm wanting to try them. I'm waiting to try them.



And then... aaaaaah.... see that pile of blue? That, my friends, is a pile of blue Impressions, for the background of the Pelican. I ordered larger hanks, all the same dye lot. And once my current goldwork project is finished, I launch into the Pelican for a good bit. Joey - if you're reading - no, I haven't tried them yet, but I will soon!



And finally, this is the Needle in a Haystack Stitching Has Its Rewards card. Oh, golly. How long have I been ordering from them, and I never knew about this? I finally started reading their newsletters and blog, and low and behold... I got a card. This means that I can build up rewards points that equal cash off my next order. Unfortunately, I won't be placing another order for a while. But hey. Some day I will. And gosh, I just feel really good about being an official card-carrying stitcher.

So that was my banner day.

It was un-banner day in the fact that I didn't get a post published this morning (sorry), and I didn't get the write-up finished about my concept of long-and-short stitch lessons, and I didn't get the face transferred. But I did dig out this:



It's my flesh tone package of Soie d'Alger. Did you know you can order a whole set of only-flesh-tones of Soie d'Alger? I've had these for two years. I'm finally going to use them!

Thank you all for your good advice on the face. I will take each bit of advice and try it out, and let you know what actually ended up working out best!

I hope your Monday was a banner day, too! See you tomorrow!

Labels: embroidery resources, needlework products, pictures, supplies, threads

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 22, 2008
PermaLink  |  12 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I want to embroider a face. I've never done it before. I want to learn how. But every time I face the task of preparing to do so, I falter! Why? I'm not sure... but, still, I want to embroider a face. Let me show you what I have in mind.

I'm working on (or getting ready to work on) an ecclesiastical piece of fairly largish proportions. It's riddled with faces. In fact, yesterday I sat for about half an hour, chin in hand, staring at the thing, and contemplating which faces to erase. There are just too many, and I've never embroidered a face.

But I want to embroider a face!

I mean, really! How hard can it be???! And why does it intimidate me?

Take a look at this picture below. It's a close-up on an embroidered face on an ecclesiastical piece. The face itself, in the context of the piece, is probably 2.5 to 3 inches long. I've left it large, so you can click on it to see a much bigger image.



Up close, it's interesting, isn't it? Check out the stitch direction, the color changes, the outlines around the eyes, the chin, the lips, etc.

But if you're looking at it the large size, it may not really strike you as "quite right," as it doesn't look smooth or even beautiful, really. The eyes look kind of bulby, the bottom lip looks kind of square, the face (especially on the left) looks flat ..

But look at it from farther away:



And from even farther away:



The shading around the eyes is nice, isn't it? And the lips look right, now, don't they? And the left side of the face, which looks so flat and linear in the close-up, looks fine. The chin line and the neck shading blend to look dimensional.

I want to embroider a face like this!

This is my problem: I sit down to work out the picture, and it ends up looking like a cartoon. Somehow, I can't bring myself to transfer the drawning - I don't want to embroider a cartoon!

I wasted a lot of time yesterday trying to figure out how to approach this. Finally, I gave up and went back to my goldwork, which couldn't keep my interest because I was still engrossed in the face thing. So I pitched the goldwork (well, not literally), and didn't do anything needlework related the rest of the day.

Do you ever have a needlework idea or plan that eats away at you? This one eats away at me - I've been toying with it for years, thinking seriously about it for months, and obsessing over it for weeks. Yesterday was to be the day. But I quit! What does that say about me????

I finally came to this conclusion:

So what if it looks cartoonish? So what if the colors aren't "just right"? So what if it actually flops and looks like... garbage? So what?! What's the big deal? Wasted time? No - I'd be learning. Learning is never a waste of time. Waste of materials? Have you seen my stash cabinets? That's not even remotely an excuse!

Oh, dear! Could it be.... fear of failure? Heh heh. Wellllll...

You don't know, until you try! And that holds true not just for any embroidery technique or needlework project - that holds true for anything. You don't know, until you try.

So with renewed determination, I will begin this afternoon.

I am going to embroider a face.



Um....


if it turns out great, you'll be the first to know!






If it flops,


I might admit it... some day...

maybe....

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, September 21, 2008
PermaLink  |  17 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's the next requested letter for the current monogram alphabet for hand embroidery (or other craft) project - the letter E.

I've posted some stitching suggestions for this alphabet with the letter A, if you are interested in checking those out. You can also see what letters are currently available for this alphabet by checking the Monogram Index.

If you have a particular letter you'd like to see in this alphabet, just leave a comment below, and I'll move that letter to the top of my list!

Here's the small E:



And here's the larger version:



Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 20, 2008
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 19, 2008
PermaLink  |  1 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 19, 2008
PermaLink  |  2 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I think I mentioned in my carrot post that, among my present line-up of needlework projects, I've got a small goldwork project I'm working on as a wedding present for my niece.

I can safely mention the wedding present thing, by the way, because no one in that branch of the family would ever even think of looking at my website....! So don't worry that I'm giving away a surprise!

Back to the project...

As I mentioned before, I'm not able to blog about the whole goldwork project right now, or even show you complete pictures. But I wanted to show you a technique that I've never used before, that I learned while working on this particular project. I think the resulting look is really beautiful - perhaps you'd like to try the technique, too.



See the edge on the embroidered area there? Nice, isn't it? This is a "non-traditional" goldwork technique. I've seen it before, but never used it, and didn't really know what it was all about. But it's simple, and I think it's ever-so-pretty - but then, I'm a sucker for gold and for anything that looks like a twist!



Incidentally, I was already working on this project when the A-Z of Goldwork arrived. They describe this technique in detail in the book, and some variations on how to work it. I'm just going to cover one here.



You start with a piece of pearl purl - this is a hard metal thread wound in a tight spring. Usually, when you couch it, you couch with gold-colored couching thread, slipping the thread between the coils in the spring. Pearl purl makes a beaded-looking outline, and it's very pretty. It's also very stiff and very hard, so make sure you're using scissors assigned only to cutting metal threads! This is pearl purl #1.



Stretch the pearl purl to about twice its length. Now, pearl purl won't return to its original twist once its stretched - you can't un-stretch it. To stretch it, grasp the two outermost beads on the cut of pearl purl you're stretching, and pull with an even tension.



Here, you can see the two pieces next to each other - the original pearl purl on top, and the stretched pearl purl below it.



Then, take your floss. Here, I'm using four strands of Au Ver a Soie's Soie d'Alger. Strip the floss in the normal method and put it back together.



Leaving a length (about an inch) of floss hanging off the end, wind the floss around the stretched pearl purl, so that it tucks in between the gold. This part's actually really easy - it just slips right into where it belongs as you turn the thread. It may be tempting to just hold the pearl purl in your finger and roll it, allowing the thread to work into the grooves of the twist, but I noticed this twists up the thread quite a bit. It looks better if you do the twisting with the actual thread, not with the gold.



Continue wrapping the thread around the gold until the whole piece of wire is wrapped, and leave a tail of your floss at the end. I actually just left the whole length of floss at the end. It gave me something to hold onto while couching, so I didn't have to touch the gold much.

Couch the pearl purl / floss combo onto your project using the same thread used to wrap the coils. Use one strand. I couched at each wrap, so that the thickness and look of the wraps was even all around.

Alternately, you could use the large bundle of thread as your couching thread (or one piece of perle silk or cotton), and couch between each stretched wrap on the pearl purl. But I tried that, just for kicks. It's easy enough, but it seemed easier to me to get full coverage - a complete "look" - around the pearl purl by wrapping it first.



So - there's an easy and really pretty edge treatment for your future goldwork projects. I'm sure lots of embroiderers out there into goldwork already knew about it, but, for those that didn't - like me, you can delight in a new technique!

Don't forget that tomorrow morning, I'm drawing a winner for Trish Burr's book. If you haven't commented on that post yet and would like the opportunity to win a book on needlepainting by one of today's foremost designers in threadpainting / crewel embroidery techniques, do check out the book give-away and leave a comment answering the question posed in the post.

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, goldwork, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 18, 2008
PermaLink  |  13 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

This is a continuation of the Celtic "flavor" monogram alphabet I've been posting lately - today's free hand embroidery pattern is for the letter M.

You can find stitching ideas on the post for the letter A of this alphabet, and you can also find more monograms for hand embroidery on the index page for the monograms available here on Needle 'n Thread.

Here's the smaller version of the M:



And here's the larger version:



Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
PermaLink  |  1 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's another video tutorial for a hand embroidery stitch to add to your repertoire. The Vandyke Stitch creates a decorative band between two parallel lines. It's a fairly easy stitch to work, so let's see how it's done...

The Vandyke stitch can be worked vertically or horizontally (I'm working it vertically in the video) between two parallel lines, and it can also be worked on gentle curves. The characteristic look of the stitch is long horizontal arms, with a raised chain-like stitch down the middle, on top of the bars. You can vary the look of the stitch by changing the length of the arms, or by increasing or decreasing the space between the side lines, even while working down the line.


Vandyke Stitch

Here's the video:



For more hand embroidery stitch videos, visit my Video Library of Hand Embroidery Stitches Index, where you'll find instruction for over 50 hand embroidery stitches presented in video format.

Also, just a little reminder: I'm giving away one of Trish Burr's books this week. If you haven't joined the drawing, it's not too late! Just add a comment to the post announcing the drawing, answering the question posed about YOUR topic preference for Trish's next book.

Enjoy!

Labels: beginner embroidery, Hand embroidery stitches, video tutorials

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's a neat resource for some needlelace, filet lace, and other lace patterns that can be adapted to different types of needlework....

BibliOdyssey recently posted photos from old Lace Modelbuchs (Pattern Books). You'll find some beautiful examples of needlelace patterns, as well as some grid patterns that can be used for filet lace or adapted into cross stitch or needlepoint patterns pretty easily. I like old books like the ones featured here. They're exquisite.

I think I've mentioned before that I'm not a lace maker, though I have delved into different types of needle lace, including filet lace (the real stuff, not the crochet), cutwork (can it properly be called lace? probably not), drawn thread work (again, would you call it lace? perhaps not, though it can sometimes look pretty lacy) and traditional needle lace for inserts to whitework projects and so forth.



My picots stink in that piece. I've improved the technique somewhat since then. It takes some doing, working picots that size with a needle and tiny thread. I think in that piece I was working with size 100 linen thread.



I haven't worked much on my cutwork techniques. But someday, when I go back into whitework (I'm still glutting on color), I'll take it up again.

I like the idea of lace making - and golly, I'd love to learn how to make bobbin lace. Have you seen the bobbin lace at Plimoth Plantation that they're making for The Jacket? It's seriously stunning stuff!

I did sally forth into one bobbin lace venture many years ago. It was after visiting my sister in Washington, DC. We went to one of the Smithsonians (I think it was the National Museum of American History). There, I saw a fantastic example of embroidery - it was worked by sailors of yore, on old sails, with all kinds of fibers from their shirts and clothes and stuff. It was fantastic!

But what caught my eye and completely captivated me was the lady sitting across from the exhibit - an exhibit unto herself - with her lace pillow and some 180 (or some such number) bobbins that she was flipping about, flipping some more, her fingers flying hither and thither, with a twitch of the wrist and swift cross movement of her hands, shifting the bobbins until they looked like they were moving on their own accord across the pillow, inserting pins, and on and on ... all while chatting with people! And there, before her, a delightful pattern of airy lace was forming with practically no effort (so it seemed to me!). I was astounded, captivated - in short, really impressed. I just Had to Learn to Do That.

It so happened that there, or at another museum close by (somewhere along the journey), I was accosted by a beginner's bobbin lace making kit. It beckoned me, and I heeded its call! Ok, so the "pillow" was a kind of styrofoam board thing. But - I was game. I invested.

Yes, so anyway. As I said, I'm no lace maker. But gosh, don't you love the stuff?

I'd like to embroider on net - you know, the fine, sheer netting that bride's veils were made of back in the days before puffs of tulle? Not your typical tulle. No, no, no! The stuff that drapes and hangs beautifully and is ever-so-lovely as it falls about the shoulders limply. I have looked for such netting. I've bought samples from Lacis, from Martha Pullen, and from several other sources that advertise netting for veils. But it's always ... tulle. It's stiff, even after washing the sizing out. I don't want to make a tutu. I want to make a drapey, light, spilling veil! Alas, I haven't found the stuff yet. Or maybe I just don't know what to look for!

But I did buy a book. And some day, I'll find what I'm looking for. And then - look out, world! I will become a Maker of Lace!

Either that, or this will all go the way of the bobbin lace kit.... !

Enjoy the link to BibliOdyssey. He's got a bunch of other resources listed on there, too. If you ever become a maker of lace (or if you are a maker of lace) and come across that mysterious drapey netting, I'd love to hear about it!

Labels: cutwork, embroidery resources, needlelace, needlework pictures, pictures, whitework

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
PermaLink  |  10 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 15, 2008
PermaLink  |  0 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 15, 2008
PermaLink  |  31 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I am so very grateful - and somewhat embarrassed! But - thank you! In yesterday's mail (which I got late yesterday evening), I found the following...

It's the Inspirations magazine #33 that Wooly Thread announced for sale last week!



Two very kind (anonymous) readers ordered a copy from Wooly Thread and had Jan send it to me.



Look! It's the CAMELS! Aren't they lovely? And so... smug, in a camel-ish sort of way. Can I add one of them to my carrot list? I think perhaps I can!

I don't know how I can thank you, whoever you may be! It was a very kind and generous of you, and you can bet I do appreciate it!

When I tackle the camels, you'll be in my thoughts!

Labels: Inspirations Magazine, personal

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, September 14, 2008
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Continuing on with the Celtic monogram alphabet, here's another free embroidery pattern for you: the letter F.

If you're looking for embroidery ideas for this particular alphabet, check out the post for the Celtic monogram letter A.

You can save these letters directly to your own computer and resize them as you wish, either in a photo editing program or by printing them out and using a copy machine.

Here's the small version of the F:



Here's the larger version of the F:



For more letters in this alphabet, or for other monogram alphabets, please check out my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, September 14, 2008
PermaLink  |  2 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Now that I finished the embroidery on "Breath of Spring," and with the busy school year underway, I want to line-up my next needlework projects so that I don't have to focus so much on set-up, and so that I always have a "carrot." You do use needlework as a carrot, don't you?

For me, needlework is absolutely a carrot - it is my inducement to get myself to perform (whether household tasks, job-related activities, whatever) so that I can embroider with a clear conscience. Basically, I do what I have to do so that I can do what I want to do. That's not to say that everything besides needlework is drudgery; on the contrary, I like my job and I like doing other necessary things that relate to normal living. I always find, though, that if I have a goal (get this done now so I can do that later), I work with more energy and focus.

Do you want to know what my carrots are right now? Well - here they are:

First, I'm working on a goldwork project - a small project that's a lot of fun so far. I'm giving it to my niece for her wedding in November. I would like to have it finished by the end of next week, which isn't impossible. I've done all the silk shading, and now it's just a matter of the goldwork.



This is a picture of part of the project. I can't blog the whole thing right now, as the project isn't really "mine." Once it's published, I'll show you my finished work and tell you about it at length. But don't you love the colors so far?



Here's a little shot showing you how a vine is narrowed using gold passing thread. The vine is originally two pairs of passing thread (gold passing thread is generally couched in pairs). Then, about halfway around, I plunged one thread (half of a pair), and then a bit later, another thread, to narrow the vine to only one pair of passing threads. I think the designer was ingenious with this little touch.

After this is finished, I'll move on to beginning my Pelican.



This is the piece that I bought the threads for on my recent shopping venture. It's painted on 18 ct. canvas and the whole thing will be worked in tent stitch. The canvas was designed and painted by Judy of Possibilities, etc. I've had it for a while, and had every intention of starting it last spring, but, amazingly enough, I never had a chance to go shopping for threads until just a few weeks ago.



I don't plan to stitch the whole piece in one sitting. (Oh, no kidding??) Actually, it's going to be an on-and-off piece, for something to stitch on now and then, between projects and whenever I'm on a needlepoint roll. I don't think I would enjoy glutting myself entirely on tent stitch for months until this is finished. I'm looking forward to working it.

My next little project is going to be BABY BOOTIES. I'm excited about this one!!!! I'm going to make a couple sets of little baby booties out of wool felt (I think I'll try some different lining ideas, though - like lining them with flannel, or, for cold weather, perhaps fleece?). They'll be embroidered, of course, and I hope they turn out cute. I've got a pattern set from McCall's (pattern #2867).



I've also found some cute patterns online. I especially like this Bitty Booties pattern from Heather Bailey Designs (PDF). You'll find it on her blog Hello My Name is Heather.

I've also been in the process of designing a really ambitious project.



It's ecclesiastical embroidery and will feature mostly silk shading and goldwork. The design is still in the works, and it's really l-a-r-g-e. I still have some sketching to do on it, like finishing the angels in the arm of the cross:



My plan is to break the design down into workable elements that will be appliqued together onto the main ground fabric. This is a whole new adventure for me - at least on this scale. I'll definitely be keeping you posted on this project's development. If I flop or just give up, you'll be the first to know!

For light work this winter, I've got a couple of Tanja Berlin's kits still - the squirrel and a bird, I think. So it's likely I'll set those up for stitching.

And between these projects, for more immediate purposes, I'd kind of like to make a stack of Christmas cards before the end of November rolls around. I'm thinking about getting some kids together - or at least a couple of my nieces - and doing a kind of group card-making session or four on Saturday afternoons.

All this is fun stuff and really exciting to me. But the reality is that, as much as I'd like to have all these projects underway with a certitude that I could finish them this winter, I know it will not be likely that I'll get them all done. Oh, the ecclesiastical piece will take years, I know. But it's nice to have stitching goals for the fall and winter months, even though I know that my real job is going to be taking the bulk of time. Still, I do plan to stitch, and stitching always makes a Really Good Carrot for me. If I do my work like a good girl, then I can settle into some serious needlework!

Is embroidery your carrot? Do you make up stitching goals for yourself? If you do, how many projects do you have on the burner? (Or at least stewing in your head?) In short, how do you go about planning and executing your stitching adventures? Maybe if we share ideas on this, we can all become more efficient with our time and our approach to our projects!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, needlepainting, needlepoint, needlework pictures, organization, personal, pictures, silk

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 13, 2008
PermaLink  |  9 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I happen to have an extra copy of a pretty nice book that I think you might want (for you - or maybe as a gift for someone else?)... so I thought I'd do a little give-away and ask you a Very Important Question!

The book is Trish Burr's recently published Crewel and Surface Embroidery book, which I've reviewed here on Needle 'n Thread.



This is a gorgeous book! And if you've wanted to tackle long-and-short stitch shading but are perhaps intimidated by the techniques, this book will help you overcome your intimidation. The floral projects are arranged in order of ease, from beginning to advanced. For more details on the book, feel free to read my review.

Now, to be eligible to win, you have to answer a question in the comment section below. To do this, you scroll down to the bottom of this post (on the website, not on the newsletter) and click the link that says "Click to Comment" under the "Posted by" information.

The question is posed by Trish Burr this time, not by me. It isn't too often that, as a consumer, you get a chance to give input on what you'd like to see in a book, but here's your opportunity. Trish is gearing up for a new book, and she's exploring two options:

1. Needle Painting Basics:
This would be a guide to stitching flowers, birds, animals, people etc. How to direct your stitches for the different type of motifs, how to choose the right picture for reproduction etc etc. It would be aimed at the beginner and beyond but might also be helpful to the advanced needleworker.

OR

2. Color blending for Embroidery:
This would help the reader to choose color combinations for shading in embroidery. It would be made up of sections on each color e.g. red, blue, yellow etc and each section would show a number of combinations that could be used for each color scheme from the color chart. The idea behind it would be that the reader would learn to enhance their needle painting (or any other needlework projects) by the correct use of color. The color combinations would be visual and listed by number so that they could refer to it for future projects, and the book would contain sample projects worked in various color combinations. The book would apply to long and short stitch, but also to other techniques where shading and color blending are required.

The question is: which would you prefer, and why? or which do you think general audiences would prefer and why?

Leave a comment below, and your name will be entered for the drawing, which will take place next Friday (September 19) at 4:00 am (the deadline). The drawing is open to all readers around the globe.

It's probably not too often that you can give input on a book and voice your preference! So speak up - don't be shy.

Labels: Book Give-Away, needlepainting, Trish Burr

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 12, 2008
PermaLink  |  69 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I am so excited about the new A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery recently published by Country Bumpkin! So excited, in fact, that just thinking about it gives me goose bumps! I want to tell you all about it, and tell you what I especially like about it!

This past summer, Country Bumpkin released a new book in the A-Z needlework series: A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery. I have lots of goldwork books - lots and lots, actually - but this one catapulted itself to the top of the list with the first read-through. When I first saw it, I was infatuated with it - but after reading it thoroughly twice, I think it's True Love!



First of all, like the other books in the A-Z series, this book is full of photos - over 650 step-by-step photos on different goldwork techniques and silk embroidery techniques. The bulk of the book is goldwork, and the instructions are written and photographed in a way that makes what is a more complicated embroidery technique accessible to practically any level of embroiderer.



What I especially like in the book:

1. The section on starting and finishing: there's a thorough going-over of different techniques for applique. The book details how to work the embroidery (for example, on a linen ground) then cut it out and apply it to ground fabric. This is really helpful, especially if you're interested in historical needlework or ecclesiastical embroidery. The photo instructions clarify different ways of achieving a professional finished edge.... very, very nice! I love this section.

2. The book covers thoroughly different methods of padding - another area of great use to the historical or ecclesiastical embroiderer. Padding over card, felt, and other material (such as string) is covered thoroughly.

3. Step-by-step pictures of S-ing with purls over pailettes... and S-ing in general.

4. Clear photos (and options) for couching twists.

5. And wow - a pretty thorough section on Or Nue, with side boxes of excellent tips for mastering this exquisite technique.

6. A thorough section on goldwork filling techniques.

7. A thorough section on different ways of working with purl - including all types of fillings and different stitches that can be worked with purl.



The book is full of information besides the above points, but those are the topics in the book that I like best.

There's a section at the front of the book that covers the different types of metal threads, as well as the tools necessary for goldwork. I've found this information in other books, too, but hey - it's nice to have all the needful information in one book!

Scattered throughout the book (in true Country Bumpkin fashion) are stunning examples of goldwork - photos that will make your mouth water!



In the back of the book, there's a nice design gallery, with instructions for the various projects featured there, from a beautiful golden butterfly, to a strawberry pincushion, to the gorgeous flower border that's featured on the cover of the book. There are several other designs and projects featured here, and they all have patterns, supply lists, and instructions. It's a great section for finding a good goldwork project if you're just delving into goldwork, or for getting the inspirational juices flowing, if you want to design you own project.

There's also a nice index in the back of the book, which is always helpful.

The section on silk embroidery covers the basics of silk work as it would be combined with goldwork - so you get individual stitches (reminiscent of stitch instructions found in other Country Bumpkin publications), and you also get techniques, such as silk shading. This is just a small section of the book, though, so don't expect in-depth information on techniques like thread painting. You'd find better information on that subject, for example, in the A-Z of Thread Painting, or in Clare Hanham's Beginner's Guide to Silk Shading. Still, the section in this book is useful, and it fits, because it addresses the typical types of silk embroidery often found with goldwork.



A little glitch in the book: on pages 10 and 11 there's a little editing problem. The instructions for making a velvet board (for cutting your metal threads) are repeated under the heading "how to prepare a sling" (for plunging threads). So the sling instructions aren't there, but Country Bumpkin has posted the instructions for making a sling for plunging threads on their website, if you're looking for them.

Final analysis: Golly. I love this book. It's at the top of my Favorites List! If you're considering venturing into goldwork for the first time, this is the book to have. If you've ventured into goldwork, but want to expand your knowledge of the art, this is the book to have. If you're an expert at goldwork... ok, fine, maybe you don't need it! But... it's a pretty darned good book for reference, I think.

Where can you find it?

You can find it through Country Bumpkin, but if you're in the States, the shipping is a bit pricey. Look for it in States through Wooly Thread. I'm sure there are other local needlework shops that will carry it, too, so ask your needlework shop if they have it or can order it for you.

I think this book is a good investment, if you have even the slightest interest in this type of embroidery. If I could combine all the enthusiasm that I've ever felt for individual books all together into One Big Gush of Enthusiasm, this would be the book I'd do it for!

If you don't have it yet, get it - or put it on your Christmas list!

Labels: book review, embroidery resources, goldwork, Inspirations Magazine, silk

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 11, 2008
PermaLink  |  7 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Last weekend, I put the final stitches on my "Breath of Spring" project! It was such a fun and colorful project to work that now I'm sorry I finished it. Working a project that you really enjoy is like reading a good book - you want to get to the end to see the finish, but when you get there, you're disappointed that the journey is over! Still, I'm happy the embroidery is finished. Now, it's just a matter of sewing up the bag (oh dear).

So here's the whole garden. The embroidery stitches employed in this project were all straightforward, easy stitches. The most difficult stitch was the bullion knot; otherwise, the project is worked predominantly in stem stitch, with lots of French knots (lots and lots of French knots), some blanket stitch, some long-and-short stitch, fly stitch, and straight stitch. That's about it, actually!



The whole project is relatively wide - about 16" wide, actually. It's supposed to make up the outside pocket of a large linen tote bag. Everyone who's seen it, though, seems to think it should be framed, and that it would only get ruined on a tote bag. I, on the other hand, am determined to finish the tote bag!



Racing towards the finish line this weekend, I had heaps of fun embroidering this little guy! He's a terrific grasshopper.



He's mostly worked in long and short stitch (the wings, the head, the lower body), and the front, jumpy parts of his back legs are long bullions. The skinny sections of the back legs are straight stitch, but because they were such long straight stitches, and since this is meant to be the outside pocket on a usable tote bag, I decided to anchor the straight stitches.

It is, in fact, the bugs that make this garden come alive, I think. Oh, don't get me wrong - I love the colorful grasses and flowers - but the bugs are the lively element.



There's this fellow, that I already wrote about at length. I love this little guy!



Then there are the little ladybugs, worked in fly stitch, satin stitch, straight stitch, and French knots.



I never did fix the one with the wonky dots. Should I? Methinks.... I probably won't.



Then there's the bee, that actually has really widely spaced eyes. I read somewhere (I think it may have been a Snapple fact!) that bees have 5 eyes. Mine just has two eyes, far apart.



Then there's this water-bug mosquito-eater thing. You can tell my entomological skills are rather lacking - I have no idea what this one is. It reminds me of those bugs that I used to see, as a kid, skidding across the top of Parker's Pond on frong-catching expeditions. It also reminds me of those really big mosquito-looking bugs that aren't mosquitos that we grew up calling mosquito-eaters, because they were such big mosquitos that we figured they ate small mosquitos. Hm.



This splash of brightness is probably the focal point of the garden - it certainly is the first thing you see. It's worked in a variegated thread, except for the markings, in long and short stitch.



This is the svelte side-view butterfly (I do like the white wings on the natural colored linen - they stand out!).



And this is the slightly overweight side-view butterfly, with the big head.

So those are the bugs - and here are some of my favorite garden views.



I like the combination of the cheery yellow, the bright green, and the blue flowers in this clump of flora.



And I like the thistle climbing the buttercup that points to the big butterfly...



And though it didn't receive much attention in the blogging of this project, I like the wispy grasses that fill out the garden.



I also like my garden from the side. The caterpillar looks ripe and pudgy, and I like all the wavy grasses.

So that's the project - 'twas great fun. If I can bring myself to tackle the construction of the tote it goes on, I'll be amazed. And you'll be the first to know!

But what do you think, really? Should it go on the tote, or should it go on the wall? Maybe everyone else is right...

My next project, already underway, is a small goldwork project that I'm giving to my niece as a wedding present. The wedding is in November, but I won't be there. Still, I'll send along a little symbolic something in goldwork. I'll show that to you eventually, but there's a story behind the piece, so I can't blog the whole thing right now. I think I can blog snippets, though, that don't show the whole design. I'll find out if I can, and if I can... welp. You'll be the first to know!

So - tote? Wall hanging? or tote? or wall hanging? Decisions, decisions...

Labels: Breath of Spring, Inspirations Magazine, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 10, 2008
PermaLink  |  28 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 09, 2008
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's the next monogram for hand embroidery - the Celtic B...

If you check out the post on the celtic A monogram, you'll find some stitching suggestions for this set of monograms.

Here's the small version of the B:



And here's the large version:



For more monograms for hand embroidery, feel free to visit my Index of Monograms.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 09, 2008
PermaLink  |  4 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 08, 2008
PermaLink  |  12 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Continuing with the new set of monograms for hand embroidery, here's an "S" for you...

You can find stitching ideas for this monogram pattern on the page with the "A" on it. If you have any ideas for good embroidery stitches for this monogram set, please don't hesitate to share them!

Here's the small S:



And here's the larger version:



For some reason, I really like the smaller version of this alphabet better, but in case you have some project that requires a Really Large Celtic letter, there you have one!

For more monograms, please don't hesitate to visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery!

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, September 07, 2008
PermaLink  |  3 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I'm not exactly a bug fan, though I do like to look up close at some of the stranger buggy creatures inhabiting God's earth. Caterpillars have always been fascinating to me - and this one, sitting atop his embroidered leaf, content in all his bullion-knot-pudginess, is quite appealing, as far as caterpillars go.

I've managed to add a few more stitches to my Breath of Spring project - and among them is this little fellow. He cracks me up.



After I stitched him, I was pretty pleased, though some of the bullions are a bit wonky in the middle. But he is just too cute. I love his little legs.

His body is made up of bullion knots in alternating yellow and red, and his head is satin stitched in black, with French knots for the (rather large) eyes. His legs are little black straight stitches.



I was observing with pleasure his colorful addition to the garden, when my sister stopped in. After expressing her approval, she told me a story. You see, my sister is a kitchen-garden-fresh-food-and-veggies fanatic, and each year, she plants an elaborate kitchen garden. To keep fresh herbs handy for cooking, she has a line of small clear vases on her kitchen counter, in which she places bundles of fresh parsley, basil, and whatnot from the garden.

She noticed a small caterpillar on some of her inside parsley one day, but decided to leave it there to see what it would do. While I pictured caterpillars in her soup, she continued to tell me how the thing, over several days, molted, then molted again, getting bigger, changing colors, and on and on.

The very day of her visit, she had been working at the sink when her gaze fell on her vase of parsley. It was moving and shaking! Low 'n behold, the caterpillar (which had originally been the size of a tiny inch worm and now was progressing towards finger-sized) was wriggling about in great consternation. Then - bam!

It's skin popped off and hit the counter! (I don't really mind my inanimate caterpillar...)

Within a short time, it had worked itself into a kind of question-mark shape, and had formed around itself a chrysalis - the recognizable chrysalis of a swallowtail butterfly. I thought that was pretty neat.

I know my caterpillar can't compare with the swallowtail that will eventually emerge on the salad on my sister's counter - and in fact, unless the colors run, my caterpillar won't morph into anything else...



...but I still think, as caterpillars go, he's pretty swell.

Labels: Breath of Spring, Inspirations Magazine, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 06, 2008
PermaLink  |  9 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Here's the beginning of a new set of monograms for hand embroidery. This set is a bit Celtic in flavor, as it features some loose knotwork.

I like this alphabet a lot - there are many embroidery options for the letters. The original alphabet, from Journal des Demoiselles, features a specked area inside the curves of the knotwork. These areas can be filled with tiny seed stitching, or left empty. The shape of the letters can be satin stitched or simply outlined. You could also try a variety of different types of fillings that would take curves well. For a lighter look, you could try feather stitch, or fly stitch. You could also work the letters in chain stitch or any variations - rope stitch, heavy chain, etc.

I thought I'd offer two sizes of the monogram here, to make it easier for saving and printing. The original alphabet was small - about an inch and a half to two inches high.

Here's the small version of the Celtic A:



Here's the large version of the Celtic A:



You'll find more free monograms for hand embroidery on my Monogram Index. Just click on the letter you're looking for!

I'm a bit slow cleaning up the individual letters for the monogram alphabets, so if you have a particular letter you'd like soon, just leave a comment and let me know. I'll try to do popular letters first.

Enjoy!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, September 05, 2008
PermaLink  |  8 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I haven't done much stitching (ok, I haven't done any stitching) for the past week, but last week, I managed the thistle on the Breath of Spring project I'm working on.

I like the thistle. It's worked with simple stitches - the base of the flower is long and short stitch in a dark green, crossed with a lattice of light green, and the thistley part of the thistle is stitched in various lengths of daisy stitches.



I like the variegated purple selected for this flower - it ranges from very, very pale, to a medium-dark.



Most of the detached chain stitches that make the head of the thistle shoot upwards, but there's a little skirt of stitches pointing down, overlapping the base of the flower (is a thistle a flower or a weed?) that add a bit of depth and reality to the look of the flower.

I should have layered my detached chain stitches a little better, starting first with very long ones, and then building shorter ones on top of that. Instead, I worked in a rather random way until I had the head of the thistle filled up. I'm not quite inclined to take the stitches out and do it over, though - overall, I think it looks ok.

One thing I might do over on this is the lattice work. On the pattern, it's drawn out in very evenly spaced rows, but I think it almost looks too even for such a haphazard, wild looking garden! We'll see.

So there's the thistle. Today, I just might tackle that caterpillar....

Labels: Breath of Spring, Inspirations Magazine, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 04, 2008
PermaLink  |  11 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

You already know I have an inordinate love for threads - I think I should probably see someone about that - but you might not know that I am especially infatuated with gold (real metal) threads. Today, thanks to JoWynn's generosity, I'm going to show you some upclose photos of Sadi thread.

I haven't had a chance to actually work with these threads, although I have handled them, examined them, stretched some a bit, and lined them up next to other gold threads in my stash.

Sadi threads are metal threads that are very much like some of the European goldwork threads. Specifically, the Sadi threads available on the market now are similar to smooth purl, check purl, and pearl purl.

If you aren't familiar with metal threads, there are two really good sources of information out there that will help you distinguish types of metal thread: Tanja Berlin's metal thread glossary, and the Benton & Johnson website.

So let's take a look at the Sadi threads available. These are distributed by Rajmahal, out of Australia, who also produce Rajmahal Art Silk, which is a thread made up of silk and viscose.



Rajmahal produces several types of Sadi threads. We're looking at their check, smooth, and pearl. The threads come (from what I can tell) in only two sizes, fine and broad.



This is a pile of fine check - you get this much in one of those little cannisters. It's quite a bit of metal thread!



And this is broad check. The broad and the fine are actually both the same color - the camera picked them up differently. The stuff certainly sparkles!



You can see here the two sizes side by side. If you're familiar with European metal threads, this thread would be somewhat like check purl, but not exactly like it. The shape of the metal thread is definitely different, but the effect achieved in stitching would be similar.



These are the two side by side in a heap - when you purchase the threads in the pre-packaged cannisters, you receive less, length-wise, of the broad check.



Like similar European metal threads, Sadi threads are hollow in the middle. To use them, you cut them and pass your needle and thread through the center and sew the gold on as you would a bead. Notice the shape of the hollow tube - it's five-sided, and the points alternate with each layer of the metal



Here, I've placed a piece of European check purl in front of the Sadi thread, so you can see the difference in the way the thread is twisted. The Sadi is much more like a straight tube, which the European metal thread twists around.



Here, I've stretched out both threads so that you can see the shape and twist.



Sadi is also available in smooth (purl), which is much like the European smooth purl, although I think the wraps are a little more visible on the Sadi thread than on the European thread. Smooth purl is like a closely wound spring, and, when you hold a quantity in your hand, it is limp and kind of "wormy." It's neat stuff!



Like the check Sadi, the smooth said comes in two sizes - the photo above is broad smooth Sadi, and the one above that is fine smooth Sadi.



You can see them both side by side here - the broad is really fat and worm-like!



Like the check Sadi and purl above, the smooth is a hollow tube that you cut and sew on as you would a bead, though it is much more flexible than a bead!



In fact, you can see how flexible it is here - this came out of the cannister this way!



And finally, here's the pearl Sadi. This thread is a whole lot stiffer than the other two. Pearl is used as an outline, normally, and it has a "beaded" or bumpy look to it, unlike smooth purl.



When you stretch it out, it looks like a telephone cord. (Do they make telephones with cords anymore?)

The pearl Sadi is a different color, compared to the other two threads, which surprised me. It's really yellow, as opposed to gold-metal-looking.

So those are the three types of Sadi thread similar to European check purl, smooth purl, and pearl purl.

Here are some of the differences I noticed between the Sadi and the European metal threads I've worked with:

1. There are only two sizes of each type. With the European threads, a whole range of sizes is generally available within each type.

2. The check Sadi seems to me to be much lighter than the European check purl in weight. I think this definitely has to do with the way it is twisted. I think there's more metal used in the European, and the Sadi has a much larger "hollow" in the middle of it.

3. The Sadi threads vary a bit in color among themselves, so I don't think they're all made out of the same materials. The smooth and check are pretty close in color, but the pearl is not. I don't know what the gold content is in the Sadi threads, or if they actually have any gold in them. The label does warn that they tarnish (as do European real gold threads), but the tarnish can come from a silver base, or even from some other metal. So I don't know what they are precisely made of, and neither the label nor the Rajmahal website clarify this.

4. The Sadi threads work the same way that similar European metal threads would work. Although you might be limited in what you do with them because of size availability, they are slightly less expensive than European metal threads (even less expensive than gilt as opposed to 2% gold), so it seems to me that they would make very good practice thread, if you want to try goldwork.

I was really happy to be able to look at these threads up-close (thanks, JoWynn!). I would like to stitch with them a bit before I offer any firm opinion on whether I like them, or to what degree I like them compared to the gold threads I'm used to.

But I do know this - if you want to give goldwork and metal thread embroidery a try, you couldn't go wrong practicing with the Sadi thread.

Where can you find Sadi threads? Here are some sources online:

In the US:

JDR Brazilian Elegance. Located in North Dakota. Though I haven't ordered from them personally, this is where my threads came from, and it seems that they are very nice and efficient, with good service. Each cannister is $6.50. A cannister of broad Sadi has 1.5 meters in it, and a cannister of fine Sadi has 3 meters in it. They also carry variety pack cannisters, so you can try the different types of threads.

Erica's. Located in Indiana. This is primarily a machine-oriented sewing / embroidery center, but they do carry some hand embroidery supplies, including the Rajmahal Sadi threads, at $5.90 a tube. I've ordered once from Erica's (two books) and received ok service, but it didn't remind me of the "local needlework shop" experience.

In New Zealand, there's a shop called Eastern Threads that looks as if it carries a pretty wide range of Sadi threads. I don't think they're made by Rajmahal - they have a wider range of colors and it seems they also have a "medium" size available.

If you've had any experience with these threads, or know of other resources, I'd love to hear about it!

Whew! That was a long one. On a personal note, things improve daily, slowly but surely... thank you again for your on-going encouragement and kind words.

Labels: embroidery resources, goldwork, pictures, threads

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 03, 2008
PermaLink  |  5 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

I wasn't quite up to finishing the anticipated post on gold threads (perhaps tomorrow), but I didn't want the day to go by completely without contemplating something embroidered. So I'm putting up these two pictures of an example of silk shading in ecclesiastical work, to see what you think ...

These two pictures are both from the same wide decorative band down the front of a cope. The embroidery is done by hand, probably in silk, with a bit of gold thread in there, too, I think.

So here are the pictures:



Above this part of the motif, there are some green leaves. I missed them in the cropping, but they're the same colors as in the photo below:



Instead of concentrating on the stitching here (though you're welcome to comment on that, too, if you wish), I wanted to ask you to look at the colors. What do YOU think of the color scheme / combinations here? I'd love to hear your opinion!

I'm ever-so-slowly coming around, but it's taking a bit longer than I thought to feel quite up to par! Don't give up on me! I'll be back in "full swing" soon!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, needlework pictures, pictures

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, September 02, 2008
PermaLink  |  20 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this

 

Well, I'm sort of back - but not for anything lengthy! Thank you all for the very good wishes and encouragement. It was an "interesting" weekend, to say the least. Surgery is not perhaps the most advisable way to extend your summer vacation!

But, to move on to Much More Exciting Topics, let's get back to needlework! Here's a pretty nice little online book you might want to browse through, when you have time.

Project Gutenberg offers L. Higgin's Handbook of Embroidery for readers interested in needlearts. It's a relatively simple book that includes information on different embroidery techniques, stitch information (with simple diagrams), and tips on finishing and so forth.



As you can see, the diagrams are relatively simple - but don't be deceived by them! The book contains really good information for beginners to advanced embroiderers.

So if you have time, do take a peek!

Tomorrow, if all goes better, I'll be showing you some photos of gold threads. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thank you again for your kind support and good wishes! See you tomorrow!

Labels: online needlework books

Click here to read the whole post & comments.

Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, September 01, 2008
PermaLink  |  11 comments  | Click to Comment

Share this