I can't help it. It's October 31, and for some reason, my thoughts have turned to jack-o-lanterns. I think I've only ever embroidered two jack-o-lanterns, and although you may have seen these two guys before, I thought I'd dig 'em up for today...

Both of these fellows came from a set of pillow cases I embroidered last year - they were called "Opposite Faces Pillowcases." The awake pillow case is full of laughing faces, and the asleep pillow case if full of sleeping faces.



Here's the wide-awake fellow - somewhat shocking to the little guy next to him.



And the snoozer.

Have you ever seen such a peaceful pumpkin?! Completely out of character...!

So there's my contribution to the day's doings. I'm not sure if I should say "trick or treat" or "boo"....

Or boo hoo.

It's been quite a hectic week on my end of things, but never fear. I'll catch up this weekend! I think yesterday (Thursday) was the first daily post I've missed in a while! Sorry!!

Have a great weekend!

Labels: embroidery for fun, Hand embroidery stitches, needlework pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, October 31, 2008
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It's that time of year again when gift suggestions for embroiderers might come in handy for those of you who are looking for ... well, gift suggestions for embroiderers. One fun thing about needlework as a hobby is that you can accessorize, and golly, today, there are lots of options for needlework accessories. There are storage options, organizational options, materials options, and - my favorite - tools options. I have some "accessorized" tools that I'd like to show you, and that you might find to be fun gifts for avid stitchers.

Now, by "accessorized" embroidery tools, I'm talking about those kinds of tools that serve a utilitarian purpose while at the same time being unique, attractive, or just fun. Can you embroider without these tools? Certainly. Can you enjoy your needlework with out them? Of course! But are they nice to have? Definitely! "Accessorized" needlework tools are for the embroiderer who has the basics but is avid enough about stitching to go beyond the basics in outfitting a work basket.

Dazzling Ornaments is a small individually-owned business that specializes in tools and accessories for the stitcher, and having had the opportunity to look at some of these accessories up-close, I think they would make great gifts for the stitchers in your life (or for you, if you don't have any other stitchers around!). They'd make great little additions to guild ornament swaps or holiday gift swaps, and they'd be perfect as stocking stuffers.

The tools I've seen up close are the scissor fob sets (with the "Little Helper" tool string) and the laying tools.



The scissor fob set includes a scissor fob and a little tool chain. The tool chain includes two different needle threaders, a tapestry needle strung on the end (perfect for moving thread aside, counting beads or threads, etc.), and a small, very strong magnet on the end, to mount needles on while stitching, or to mount to your own needle-minder - or to help you find needles (it found one on my living room carpet!)



There's a hook (like a French wire earing hook) on one end of the chain, too. The hook is perfect for hanging the tool string on canvas, as it loops easily over stretched canvas so that you can have the string right on hand. Even on linen, though, I can hang it right on the edge of my work, by catching the hook in the edge of my fabric. That way, when I need a tool like a needle threader, it's right there, within easy reach.



The scissor fob itself has a metallic elastic loop on one end for attaching your scissors. The elastic loop was developed in answer to lobster claw hooks that can scratch the finish on the handles of fine scissors.



On the other end, the fob has three little off-shoots, where you can connect more tools if you want, or you can use one of them to attach your scissor fob to a chatelain, which are also offered at Dazzling Ornaments. The chatelains, in fact, are quite beautiful. I've never used one, but these are created for the modern needleworker - they don't attach to your clothes as they used to in the past. Instead, they hang around the neck, so you can keep your tools right with you while stitching. This is a great concept, I think, for the traveling stitcher - in the car, or on the plane (depending on the tool), or even when you go to needlework gatherings where you're working in a group - a great way to keep your tools handy, without having to lay them down and risk losing them.



Dazzling Ornaments also makes laying tools. These tools are carved from either bone or wood, and then finished with layers of acrylic, then polished and buffed to get the smooth surface necessary for the laying tool. The top of each tool is finished with a bead display. They have a whole line of different laying tools, each one unique.



With the tool I handled, I liked the overall feel of it, and the ornamental top was firmly attached. The only thing I would be sort of wary about was the glitter finish. There were a couple tiny spots towards the top where I could feel the glitter through the clear acrylic outer layer.... and, if I were working with flat silk, that could be disastrous. With regular stranded thread, though, it didn't pose a problem. If you work with flat silk, you could forego the glitter finish for one of the other finishes. If you don't work with flat silk, I don't think any slight (very minor) imperfections in this area would cause any difficulties.

The laying tools are actually a wonder. I was perusing the Dazzling Ornaments blog, and I thought the color selections were amazing and the amount of work that goes into creating the tools is really quite incredible!

I think the concept behind this company is really neat! For the stitcher who has everything, these types of tools are a fun addition to the work basket. They may not be used all the time, but at stitch outings and so forth, it's nice to have a tool display that is unique. Plus, I like the idea of supporting small businesses that make unique tools for the stitcher.

So if you've got stitchers on your gift-giving list this year, do take a look at the Dazzling Ornaments website to see what unique accessorized tools are available!

Labels: gift ideas, needlework tools, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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A while ago, I started a random embroidery project on a piece of felt. My original plan was to use it as some kind of book cover, or needle book, or ... something. But the truth is, initially, it was a spontaneous project that I grabbed just to have something to work on while on a short road trip. The piece developed, and then sat neglected for a long time. I've finally done something with it.

I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with this bit of embroidery. Really, I couldn't picture it as any certain thing! When I wrote about the piece a few weeks ago, I got a lot of excellent suggestions for how it could be used. I ended up going with a large-ish needle case / tool holder.

The reason I dug the piece out recently to finish is that I had some threads and needles to test. If you read my posts on the Spiral Eye Needles and on Soy Luster thread, you saw parts of the finish work for the piece.

The first thing I did was determine how I wanted to make a cover. Fortunately, when I cut the felt, I left long sides that would turn in to back the two finished panels. This worked out well. After trimming, I folded the felt to the back of the embroidered panels and fused them closed.



And yes, the back is MESSY!!!!

I trimmed a little more, then buttonholed the edge of the cover all the way around.



Then, I had to think out how I would finish the inside. I cut out a piece of left-over blue wool felt to cover the inside, and then started laying tools on the piece to find out how I could arrange things.



I noticed that, with scissor or tool slots, I would have to either put a loop or a flap on them to hold the tools in, should the book be turned upside-down. So instead, I decided to face the tool openings towards the inside fold of the book.

I made two tool holders - one for scissors and the other for either another pair of scissors, or tweezers and a laying tool (I haven't really decided what, exactly). I figured I could put three flaps for needles on the other side, using some other scraps of felt. The whole inside of the book, in fact, is done in felt scraps. I had to rummage a bit to find pieces that would work.

There was still a bit of room between the needle flaps and the center fold, so I decided to attach a large thread ring there. The mother-of-pearl thread ring doesn't really match the "rustic" look of the book, but it'll do.



I cut out the shapes of the tool holders - a V-ish shape for scissor (in the sheath) and a rectangle for tweezers and laying tool. Incidentally, the rectangle was a scrap from this past summer's bookmark project in my kids' embroidery classes, and it worked out just fine.



Then, I began embellishing the tool holders.



I stitched free-hand, whatever occurred to me as I went.



I used a combination of threads - perle cottons, DMC stranded, Soy Luster, floche, and silk. Most were taken straight from a tub of stashed threads that are somewhat disorganized, with the exception of the Soy Luster and Baroque Silk, which were both new and which I was trying for the first time.



I had fun embroidering these little things. Because they are small, I wasn't stuck doing any one thing for very long, and because they were completely free-handed, I could do whatever came to mind.



I liked working with the variety of stitches and threads.



After finishing the tool holders, I attached them to the blue felt using buttonhole stitch all around, facing the openings (as previously mentioned) towards the inside fold to keep the tools from falling out.



Then I embroidered on the needle flaps, using a few different stitches to secure the flaps - herringbone stitch is on the top flap, chain stitch on the middle flap....



And fly stitch is used to attach the last flap.

I attached the thread ring using a tiny scrap of ribbon I just happened upon in my floss box.

Once I had everything attached to the blue felt that would serve as the background to the inside of the needlecase, I attached the blue felt to the book cover using buttonhole stitch all the way around. I found that the blue felt needed to be attached to the cover in the middle of the case as well, to help it fold better, so I ran two lines of running stitch down the center. I worked these through all the layers of wool felt (three, total), so that they are visible on the outside cover as well, just at the border of the embroidered panels.

Unfortunately, I didn't draw the lines and measure things out before I started stitching, so the lines are actually not quite parallel. They run away from each other towards the bottom! After working the running stitches, I whipped them to give the line a more finished look. Anyway, with the stitched lines in the middle and the and the top and bottom edges secured with the buttonhole stitching, I was left with an unstitched edge on the outside of the blue felt, which created the perfect opening for pockets that can hold extra thread or other flattish things:



In fact, it's nice having these two pockets on both sides of the case.



Then, once all was done, I had to have a way to close the case. I was out of ribbon, so using two strands of a coordinating perle cotton #5, I twisted the threads until they were suitable for a cord, and then made little ties out of them, which I attached at the edge of each cover.



In retrospect, if I were doing something like this again, I would not make a needlebook or tool case that closes in this manner - I'd make a flap that can button over the whole thing. The one thread in the middle seems somewhat chintzy, but, still, it ties the thing closed, and for this project, that will do.



Overally, I had a lot of fun working on this little project, though after a while, my fingers were killing me from working through multiple layers of wool felt and a layer of fusible interfacing.

I actually don't know if I'll ever USE the case. I'm thinking about giving it to one of my embroidering nieces for Christmas.

It was a fun project, so I'm not opposed to making another modified version with a different closure and a different layout on the inside. We shall see, we shall see! What think you about it? Any suggestions for a better way to close the thing up? I'm all for pointers, so point away!

Labels: Embroidery Projects, Hand embroidery stitches, needlecase, needlework pictures, pictures, threads, wool felt

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 27, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, October 26, 2008
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Soy Luster is a relatively new needlework thread on the market, and just as its name implies, it's made from soy, of all things. Well, why not? Linen is made from an edible crop - flax - and cotton is grown like vegetables, too, though I doubt there's an edible by-product! I've been playing around with the Soy Luster threads, and you know what? I like them!

Soy Luster is Colorful Thread!

Soy Luster is a thread produced by The Pure Palette, and it comes in some pretty incredible - beautiful - colors. The line comes in solids and "shadows," which are a kind of variegated thread. Well, it's not variegated like some other threads - it's actually three shades of the same color in one thread, combined in such a way that you can cut the threads and stitch with three separate shades, or you can stitch with a cut that has all three shades on it for a kind of heathered effect.



To view the color palette for the Soy Luster threads, you can visit the Pure Palette website, where you can scroll over each thread name and see a big ball of each color, or you can visit Needle in a Haystack, where they have all the colors of Soy Luster on one wonderful page.

It Really Is Thread Made from Soy!

The thread is indeed made from 100% soy. The thread itself is not made in America, but the dying is done here. The Shadows threads (variegated) are dyed to match the solids, which is a nice way to get a range of shades of the same color for different effects in your needlework.

On the Soy Luster website, you'll find a description of the thread:

Soy Lusterâ„¢ loves to be stitched. It responds to your hands, becoming softer and more luxuriant with each stitch. With no tangling, twisting, snagging or fraying, it is the ultimate fiber.

Earth friendly? Yes. 100% Soy Silk® and Formaldehyde Free. We all want to do something green for this earth. Now we can, in 82 delicious colors.

Personally, I'm always eager to try threads for myself to see if they are really all that the manufacturers claim them to be. When I first read the description, I kind of thought it might be a bit much - and, after all, soy "silk" seemed a bit of an oxymoron to me.

Well, I tried the thread. And here's what I found...

They are pretty - I like the colors that I've tried so far. The Shadows threads are really very nice, and I like the fact that they have that heathery look to it.

The thread does have a nice subtle sheen to it, but it isn't like silk in that regard. In fact, the thread is a bit fuzzy - more so, even, than cotton, though not as much as wool. Overall, Soy Luster has a "wooly" feel to it, though not as fluffy, and, unlike wool, it has a bit of a sheen to it.



You can see the fuzzies protuding from the dark purple thread in the photo above. Keep in mind that this photo is Really Up Close. From far away, the thread doesn't look fuzzy, but these little fibers contribute to the "wool" feel.

Size-wise, Soy Luster measures up to somewhere between a #8 perle cotton and a #12 perle cotton. The #8 perle is slightly thicker thread, I think, but the #12 may be just a tad finer - but it's very close to the #12.



Unfortunately, I didn't have a #12 perle cotton on hand, so what you see above, to give you a sense of the thickness of the thread, is a size comparison between common threads, from the #5 perle cotton on top (thickest) to one strand of DMC stranded cotton on the bottom (finest).



Above, you can see the Soy Luster (top dark purple) lined up right next to a single strand of DMC. LIke the DMC cotton, Soy Luster is two-ply twisted thread, but the plies are a bit "rounder" compared to the longer plies of the DMC stranded cotton.



This is what the thread looks like when you cut open the twist (it comes in small tight twists). The thread seemed really boingy when I first cut the twist, and I couldn't help thinking it was going to be a real pain to stitch with. But then I pulled out a single thread to try, gave the thread a tug from both ends, and it straightened right out.



I wondered about that description on the manufacturer's website: "...becoming softer and more luxurious..." "no tangling, no twisting" - it seems like a lot to promise in a thread. So I set about stitching with it, trying it with French knots - always difficult to stitch when using a temperamental thread - and buttonhole stitch, which tends to get twisty while working it.

Guess what? It really is a nice thread to stitch with! It was easy and smooth, no tangles, and it looks very pretty when stitched.

Finally, I also did a very basic color-fast test on it. Now, the smart thing to do when testing for color-fastness is to take a good clump of the thread and soak it, then leave it to dry on some white fabric. It's also nice to know what the thread is like for stitching after being wet and dry - especially if you decide you want to treat it for colorfastness with salt or vinegar. But, anyway, I didn't do that. I used a single strand and soaked it for a while in warm-ish water, on a little piece of white cloth.



I took it out and let it dry on another piece of white cloth, and there was no color residue either in the water on the damp cloth or on the dry cloth. Red is usually the best color to test when you want to know if a thread is colorfast, because reds are often prone to bleeding, even in threads described as colorfast. Since I didn't have red, though, I used the purple - and I was still pleased that there wasn't a hint of purple color left behind.

Soy Luster in Summary

1. The color schemes are great - lovely solid colors, with matching variegated colors.

2. Though on first impressions, it seems as if it will be "springy" and difficult to stitch with, it is really nice to stitch with. The thread straightens up with a good tug.

3. The look of the thread is interesting - kind of like wool, with the sheen of cotton. I like that. I'm eager to try it on crewel-type projects. I think it would be very pretty. I can't help wondering how it will take to long and short stitch, so I may have to try that and let you know!

Buying Soy Luster

You can find Soy Luster at Needle in a Haystack, where it runs $3.95 for a 36 yard skein. You can also find it at The Stitching Post, where it's only $3.60 a skein. The price range is basically $3.60 - $3.95, depending on where you buy it.

Labels: embroidery resources, pictures, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, October 26, 2008
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Last night, I had the opportunity to work with these really interesting new needles on the market called Spiral Eye Needles. The point behind them (no pun intended!) is that you don't have to "thread" them the same way you do regular needles. So let's take a look at the Spiral Eye needle and see what it's all about.

There are two sizes of Spiral Eye needles - SE1 and SE2. SE1 is apparently suited for hand sewing and is similar to a sharp, size 4, and shaft-wise, equivalent to about a size 22 tapestry needle. SE2 is similar to a size 6 embroidery (or crewel) needle.



From left to right, you can see the SE1 (sharp, size 4), the SE2 (embroidery, size 6) and a regular size 7 crewel needle (Richard Hemming, I believe...)

The Spiral Eye needles are significantly larger, overall, than a regular embroidery needle:



You can see there the size of the needle shafts. The shafts are made from surgical quality stainless steel, unplated. The advantage to the unplated stainless steel is that you can sharpen them and they clean up well, so you don't have to pitch them when they've been over-used! Also, on the website for the Sprial Eye needle, they point out that most needles are coated with nickel, which some people are allergic to, so the stainless steel needle eliminates the question of nickel allergies.



This is the SE2, upclose. I didn't experiment with this particular needle. I notice that they are not presently available through the Spiral Eye website. I'm hoping they're working out some kinks in this needle. I like the size of it - it's not too big - but on both SE2s that I had, minor problems popped up. On one, the problem was threading and on the other, there was a burr in the eye - something you definitely don't want when you pay $5 for a needle! So I think perhaps the makers are working out those problems right now.

I tested and worked with the SE1 quite a bit, though.



It holds up to three strands of DMC cotton. It's super-easy to thread the needle - you just pinch the thread and slide it up the shaft and it pops right into the eye. If you're working with several strands of stranded cotton at a time, you have to thread each strand individually. All three together are too thick for the side opening on the needle. It doesn't take any time at all, really. They just slide right in.



This is a stitch in process here. I half-way expected the needle to catch on the fabric on the way back up, but it doesn't. It passes through the fabric very easily.



It occurred to me that an needle with an opening on the side might cause some difficulty with stitches like French knots, so I set about testing it with some of those.



It pulled through easily, without any hang-ups...



...resulting in nice French knots.



So I put the needle to work on a little piece of felt, anywhere I used stranded cotton. And it worked just fine!

Spiral Eye Needles in Summary

1. The little difficulties I experienced with both SE2 needles probably need to be straightened out before they are marketed too widely!

2. The SE1 is great for stitching with stranded cotton, up to three strands.

3. They really are easy to thread, and the thread does not come unthreaded like the calyx eye (top threading) needles do.

4. But, if you're using more than one strand of floss, you have to thread each strand individually.

5. But it doesn't take any time to do so - and if your strip your floss, anyway, I don't think this is any big deal.

6. The real advantage to these needles, I think, is for people who have a hard time threading regular needles because of eye sight problems or arthritis. The website suggests their use for children, which I suppose could be true, too, but I find, with teaching children, that heavier threads are better to use, and these needles won't accommodate heavier threads.

7. No, they won't work for heavier threads, such as crewel wool or even pearl cotton #12. They're great with any sewing or even heavy quilting thread, and they work great with one strand of DMC threaded at a time. But the heavier threads won't fit in the side opening. So, in this sense, they have a limited use.

I like the feel of the needles - they're smooth and tough. They're absolutely strong - bending them with your fingers is almost out of the question. It's quite obvious that they're made out of high quality material, with attention to detail, and made to last.

If you're looking for a Spiral Eye needle - a needle that's easy to thread and well-made - check out the Spiral Eye Needles website, where you can get the low-down on the company and their products.

While you're there, note their little motto: "A stitch in time saves nine ... but you still have to thread the needle!" Funny!

If you've tried these needles - or other "non-threading" needles (like the calyx needles) - please do let the rest of us know your thoughts about them! I'd like to hear what others have to say.

Labels: embroidery resources, gift ideas, needles, needlework tools, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 25, 2008
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Continuing with this series of photo tutorials on beginning and ending your threads in hand embroidery, here's a very simple way of ending your embroidery threads without using a knot.

I stitched a line of broad stem stitch to demonstrate this, using a waste knot to anchor my thread before starting. This method of ending threads, though, will work with practically any kind of stitch.

Once you're ready to end your thread, take your needle to the back of the fabric (with the last stitch) and turn your work over.



Run your needle under the back of two or three stitches.



I like to "anchor" my ending thread by taking the needle back under the last stitch - it's like making a backstitch over back of the last stitch you went under. This "locks" your working thread and makes it a little more secure. So, backstitch over the last thread you went under in step #1, and then continuing threading your needle under the line of stitches, until you've about covered your needle. Then pull the needle through.



Snip your working thread.



You can see here with the "anchor" stitch is. With finer threads, it won't be as obvious, but here, I'm working with a #5 perle cotton, so it's a wee bit bulky. Still, I use them even with cotton perle. It doesn't make enough of a bump to be felt or seen from the front.

So that's one way to end your threads, and perhaps the easiest way!

If you're new to embroidery, you may want to check out the other tips and tricks on beginning and ending your threads found here on Needle 'n Thread.

Enjoy your stitching!

Labels: beginner embroidery, embroidery tips and tricks, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, October 24, 2008
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Margaret Cobleigh recently attended an SCA embroidery workshop on Opus Anglicanum, a form of medieval embroidery associated with England (though extant examples of the style can also be found on the continent). I'm a great fan of Margaret's work - you've seen many examples of it on Needle 'n Thread if you've been around for a bit. The strawberry tea cloth, for example, is hers, as is the goldwork rose. Incidentally, so is the design for the pomegranate I recently finished as a wedding gift for my niece. This design will be featured in January's Inspirations Magazine, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it in print. Needless to say, I was thrilled when she sent photos of her class project from the Opus Anglicanum workshop. With her permission, I'll share those here.

Opus Anglicanum is a style of embroidery that's easily recognizable. The embroidered figures are worked in split stitch, in silk, and are often surrounded by backgrounds of gold, worked in a technique called undersided couching.



Here, you can see the beginnings of the piece. The thread Margaret used is Soie Platte from Kreinik, a thread which has been discontinued. The gold is Japanese gold #2 or Benton & Johnson's 341. Notice the zig-zag lines behind the figure - that's where the thread will be couched, in order to create a design and texture in the gold.



Brave woman! She sent a photo of the back of the work!! This is to show the undersided couching - you can see the little dots of gold coming through the back. The way undersided couching works is this: you take your couching thread up to the front of the fabric, pass over the gold, and go back down into the fabric in the same hole you can out of. Then you give a little tug and pop the gold to the back of the work. This forms a ridge in the gold, and it makes the goldwork backgrounds less stiff, which was important for the work during that era, since much of it was done on items of clothing, particularly ecclesiastical vestments.



Margaret said the instructor taught them to take their scissor handles and rub the gold after stitching it, to relax it so that it lays better and fills in well. This is one reason I think it must be great to go to workshops with good teachers - those little tricks you wouldn't necessarily learn from a book! Margaret really praised the SCA instructors.... and it made me (ok, I admit it!!) a bit greeeeen with envy! I'd love to take one of these workshops! They just sound fun!



Here's the finished little fellow. This picture shows off the gold background design well - you can see the ridges from the undersided couching quite clearly.



And in this photo, you get a good view of the sheen on the silk. Nice!! You can also see the circular stitching on the cheeks - also typical of this style of embroidery - and, of course, there are those bulbous eyes that really crack me up. The exaggerated eyes were also typical of the technique.

I've read a little bit on Opus Anglicanum, and I've had the pleasure of briefly perusing A.G. Christie's book on English Medieval Embroidery, but not enough to say anything with any certitude on the development of the "look" of Opus Anglicanum. I would imagine that the look of the eyes and facial elements came about two ways (and I'm well open to correction on this!): 1. I think the figures mimic a bit the icons prevalent at the time; and 2. because the figures were worked on ecclesiastical garb (which would be viewed from afar), it would make sense that certain aspects of the figures would be exaggerated so that they could be seen from a distance. Just a shot in the dark.... anyone?

Anyway, I thought you would enjoy seeing these photos of this technique! Thanks, Margaret, for sending them along!

Guess what I just added to my list of "Things I Want to Play With if I Could Just Find the Time"? Right - Opus Anglicanum!

And just a note - Don't forget to sign up for this week's book give-away, if you haven't already. The book is Heirloom Embroidery, and it's a good one!

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 23, 2008
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Heirloom Embroidery by Jan Constantine is a pretty book, and it's packed full of projects for the hand embroiderer. Here's your opportunity to add this book to your collection for free, with my book give-away. Let me tell you a little about the book and show you some photos...

Heirloom Embroidery isn't quite the book you might think it is when you read the title. When I hear "heirloom embroidery," I think of vintage linens, Victorian whitework and lace, embroidered christening gowns, and so forth - embroidery projects that are certainly gorgeous, but technically more difficult and time consuming.

When you see the cover of the book, you'll realize this isn't quite the type of heirloom embroidery we're talking about!



The book is full of great little (and some big) projects taht are accessible to any level of embroiderer.



For example, here's a colorful fleece scarf pattern - what a great gift this would make for the upcoming holidays! The author provides a list of materials, clear instructions, and all the finishing techniques.



Inside the book, you'll find the instructions for the strawberry sachet featured on the cover.



Speaking of Christmas and the holidays, you'll find several Christmas-oriented embroidery projects, from these snowflake hearts...



... to appliqued and embroidered reindeer and dove pillows...



...to a cozy Christmas stocking.



But don't think all the projects focus on winter. There are plenty of projects perfect for spring decor, like this tablecloth.

You'll also find plenty of seashore scenes - lighthouses, shells, boats. You'll find dragonflies and bugs and flowers and even a trout worked in a style reminiscent of free-style blackwork.

Besides thorough instructions for each project, a materials list, finishing techniques, and so forth, you'll find a stitch glossary in the back of the book.



In short, the book has everything you need (except the actual supplies and your own stitching time!) to create many projects that are certain to be family heirlooms.

It's a nice book - I like it a lot! And the projects are, again, accessible to all levels levels of embroiderers.

I thought I'd give you the opportunity to enjoy the book, too - so, to enter this give-away, leave a comment below! Tell me why you'd be interested in having the book, and include a name in your comment! I'll draw a winner by random number on Monday morning, October 27th, at 5:00 am CST.

The give-away is open to anyone, anywhere! Thanks for participating!

Labels: Book Give-Away

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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Anne sent along the following little masterpiece that she embroidered - it's an icon in a modern style, worked with Japanese techniques. Take a look...

The original picture that inspired Anne's embroidery is found in the John Paul II Center. The icon is a modern rendition of the Good Shepherd. The bold lines and bold colors are really enhanced by the techniques used in stitching. In fact, I can't imagine the picture painted. The embroidery just "fits" it, if you know what I mean.



Here, the piece is still mounted on the frame. The colors are so vibrant, aren't they? I love the red and the blue background.



Here, you can see the work a little closer. The two stitched elements that really grab me are the red robe (the honeycomb stitching in flat silk) and the wool on the lamb. Now, I would try to explain how the wool is done, but the truth is, although Anne described the process to me, I can't figure it out yet because I haven't had the opportunity to play with it. But I want to! I love that wool. While you're looking at it, check out the expression on the lamb - startled, to say the least. He's caught!



And here's the piece, in a very nice frame job.

The piece is certainly brilliantly stitched, isn't it? The stitching is so precise, the bold lines are so perfectly caught, and the colors are so vibrant - overall, a pleasing combination of technique and color.

Thank you so much, Anne, for sending along the photos!

If you have a project you want to show us, do feel free to contact me, and I'll send you my e-mail address so you can send pictures of your masterpiece along. Personally, I like seeing what others are doing out there in the needlework world, and it sure serves as inspiration for the rest of us!

Labels: needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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For most people, Mondays are met like the plague, but I like Mondays, and I LOVE Mondays with mail. I don't get a lot of mail, so when I do, it's rather exciting. Today, I received two little packages - one with thread, and the other with needles. What else in the world could be more appropriate, I ask you! Would you like to see?....

New Embroidery Threads to Try!

The first little package contained two types of embroidery thread, Soy Luster and Baroque Silk, from The Pure Palette.



They're Really Pretty Threads! The two purples are Soy Luster, made from (right!) soy. One is solid and the other variegated. The red is Baroque silk, which is 100% silk. It's so pretty. The picture can't do it justice!

I haven't used either thread yet, but I'm going to, and I'll write up a comparison so you can see what they're like lined up to other familiar threads. I'll also give you the low-down on the threads, where you can find them, and so forth. I can't wait to try this stuff out!

And New Needles, Too!

Now, the needles are funny. Not ha-ha funny, but peculiar funny. They're called "Spiral Eye" needles, and they're made for easy threading, because you don't have to "thread" it in the same way. I haven't tried stitching with one of them yet - or even threading them! - but I will, and when I do, I'll tell you all about them and what I think of this nifty invention. They aren't calyx needles, in case you're wondering. Here's what the Spiral Eye needle looks like:



The needle is actually very small. Close-up photos always make things look much larger than reality! I'm eager to try this and to let you know what it's like. It looks like it will be a great option for those who have a hard time keeping their needles threaded.

So that was my Monday mail! And both packages have given me plenty to do! I like testing threads and tools...

Coming Up This Week on Needle 'n Thread

Coming up this week, I'll continue with information for the very beginning beginners on beginning and ending threads. Actually, I think this kind of information is also good for those of us who have been stitching for a while. I love hearing how other people do the basics, just in case there's a better way!

I've also got a book review coming up on a unique ecclesiastical embroidery book. And speaking of books, I'm going to do a book giveaway on a nice book called Heirloom Embroidery.

I've started couching the gold around the outside of my Christmas ornament, so I'm sure I'll be able to share that with you before the end of this week! I also helped my niece set up a needlebook that she's going to embroider for her Home Ec class assignment, and it's kind of cute - bulky, but cute. She's coming over Wednesday for studio time, so I'll get photos of it then. (Hopefully, she's made progress on it!)

I have a gorgeous reader's embroidery to post for you, too, and who knows what else?

This coming weekend, I'll be helping out with my family at a local international cultural festival, so I'll be pre-writing several posts in order to fit in all the weekend events. We're doing a Welsh exhibit, and cooking for... oh.... 1,500 or so. Should be fun!

Busy week! I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you are, too!

Labels: needles, needlework tools, pictures, threads, website news

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 20, 2008
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After considering the hanging direction of my Christmas ornament, I finally realized I wouldn't know for sure whether it would look better square or on point until I finished the green shading. So I finished the green shading, and started the goldwork, then made one of those Moaner Mistakes...

My original concept for this ornament, as mentioned before, was to hand embroider a diamond-shaped Christmas ornament that would hang from the tip of the diamond, and be finished at the base with a tassel. You can see the original drawing of the pattern in the post where I was musing over different projects in planning stages.

Though I didn't plan much beyond the initial design, I had in mind an ornament that would combine silk shading and goldwork.

Thinking Through the Embroidery Design

Originally, the four diamond shapes around the center of the ornament were to be silk shading in deep reds, raised on felt. But when I started, I discovered I liked satin stitch better for those. Then, once I got the satin stitch in, I found I liked the ornament turned as a square better. So I polled readers about it, asking which direction they liked better, and I think the majority said they liked the ornament hung on point - but many also agreed that the inside diamonds looked better turned. Well, it was too late to re-design the layout, so I decided to forge ahead through the green silk shading to see if it would make a difference in the look of the ornament.



Once the green was in, I was back to liking it on point, as a diamond shape overall, despite the direction of the little red diamonds within. I think it all panned out ok.

I suppose this isn't the most "professional" way to go about working up a project - this trial-and-error, not knowing where you're going for sure before you start, type approach. But I like undertaking projects this way, because there's more discovery along the way. I really had no idea how the red and greens would look together in the design. But I find I like them!

Haste Makes Waste

Once the greens were finished, I was itching to start couching on the pearl purl around the green shapes! I couldn't wait (I thought) to see what the whole effect of the gold around the green would look like!

BUT - perhaps it was the late hour... perhaps it was my overeagerness... perhaps it was mere carelessness...

I made a mistake. One of those "ooooooooh nooooooooo" mistakes. Just as it happens, you realize exactly what you've done, but it's all so quick, in such an instant, that the fact and the realization of the error all come into being at the same split second...



There it is. In trimming the gold purl pearl, my scissors grazed the edge of my satin stitching, and (I thought) cut through several threads.

In fact, it grazed the threads, and cut halfway through two of them, but not all the way through either. Still, it wouldn't do - that needed to be repaired before I could rush into the rest of the gold.



I examined from all angles, and realized the mistake wasn't really noticeable. But the problem was actually the threads - they wouldn't survive the test of time if they began Life on an Ornament already damaged. So ... on to the repairs.

Repairing the Satin Stitching

The first thing I did was carefully snip off the lattice.



Then, using the eye of the needle, I separated the threads that were damaged, to see if there was any way I could pull just one or two threads to the back, and fill in with a couple new stitches.



As I pulled the threads carefully out, though, I realized it would be a matter of complete removal.

On the top of the work, I ran my scissors carefully under all the satin stitches on this one diamond, perpendicular to the direction of the stitches, and cutting the diamond right in half.



On the back, I did the same thing, but I had to be much more careful, because I had ended and begun threads from other parts of the motif in the threads on the back of the diamond. After snipping just the red diamond threads, I carefully plucked out the satin stitching with tweezers.

Tweezers, by the way, are a necessary tool in any embroidery work basket!



I managed to get all the threads out with minimal damage to the felt. The front looked ok, but...



... the back was a Whole Nuther Question!

These were the threads that were anchored in the back of the satin stitching, and it was important that they return to their anchored state, so I was pretty careful with them!



It didn't take too long to satin stitch the diamond again.



Once I got the lattice back onto the diamond, I charged into couching the rest of the pearl purl. Once the gold outline was on, I was sold again on the notion of the diamond shaped ornament!



I love the look of the gold with these colors of silk!

A Lesson for Hand Embroiderers All

What have I learned so far on this project?

1. Don't try to make decisions on a design until you get it to the point where you can really "see" it.

2. Haste makes waste. I was dying to get to the next step of the project, and, because I wasn't as careful as I should have been, I had to pick part of the stitching out and start over again, using up valuable thread and valuable time. Take things slowly and pay attention to detail - in the long run, it'll save you time!

3. But - everyone makes mistakes. As Shakespeare put it, "Roses have thorns, silver fountains mud. Clouds and eclipses stain both moon and sun, and loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud. All men make faults..." At some point, we all have to take out stitches! So instead of dreading taking out the stitches - or allowing a mistake to hault us in our tracks so that we don't go back to the project (that's hard to overcome - I find I'm always put off a project when I make a major mistake!), consider the picking out just part of the project. Picking out is, in a sense, an integral part of embroidery - at some point, even the best needleworkers pick out their stitches and re-do. It's all part of the process... and mistakes are part of being human.

Heh heh. That's the philosophical me - but don't think that, at the time, it didn't irk the heck out of me!



NOW - what do you think about the diamond / square question at this point? Do you think the diamond works better overall now? What's your take?

Labels: Christmas, goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, October 19, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 18, 2008
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Oh golly. I'm just speeding along on this Christmas ornament (! not quite !), but I do at least have the surface embroidery well underway - maybe tonight I can finish that part! That's the plan, anyway. I've managed some satin stitch and some shading, and have developed a dilemma, if you want to take a look...

When I first designed this Christmas ornament, my plan was that it would hang on point, so it would be diamond-shaped. Then I started stitching, and a lot of things happend.



First, the embroidered red things - originally, they were going to be shaded long and short stitch, raised on felt. But I started that, and I thought... you know, I'm going to see what satin stitch looks like first. I have a real thing for satin stitch - I just like it a lot. So I tried the satin stitch, and I found I liked it, so I stuck with that. The red diamonds will be outlined with an edge of gold, to finish them off.

Then, I thought a lattice might look nice over the top of the satin stitch, in a lighter shade of the same colors. These colors will be repeated on the border, in an Or Nue bit. So, I did the lattice couching. I like sparkly Christmas ornaments. There's going to be stuff on here, aside from the embroidery - and in the middle of the red things, I want to put a little gold pailette. So that lattice forms the framework for a tiny pailette. If it looks ok, I'll leave it. Who knows, I might change my mind!

Now, in the longer, petal-looking areas (where the green shading has been started), I was originally going to trim down some beetle wings to fit right in there, and surround them by pearl purl.

But - I didn't like the color of the beetle wings with the color of the reds. So I scratched that altogether, and decided to do the green shading. I think I'm going to like it better!

This is the dilemma, though. On point - diamond-shaped, that is - see the direction of the red diamonds and the lattice? It's looking rather square, isn't it?

But if I turn the ornament to be hung squarely, look what happens to the red diamonds and lattice:



I think I like the red diamonds better this direction!

So here's my question: Which direction should the ornament hang? Perhaps it's a little early to decide - maybe it will be easier to decide once all the green shading is finished. But I want to make a "final" decision on this dilemma before I begin the layers of goldwork around the outside, since I think the direction the ornament is to be hung will change the approach I take to the various colors....

What do YOU think? Any preference? Any insight to the look of the design, or to the way it will hang if hung as a square instead of a diamond?? Let me know your thoughts!!

I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Labels: Christmas, goldwork, Hand embroidery stitches, needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, October 17, 2008
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For those of you who have been longing for the return of the Royal School of Needlework courses after the Perry, Iowa location closed, you will be happy to know that the courses are being offered again in the US at a new venue. Thanks to Margaret, here's a bit of information on that...

I knew that the Royal School of Needlework had established a new venue in San Francisco and that they would be offering their certification courses there, beginning this fall. The certification courses are the more expensive, time-intensive (three weeks, I think) courses. Since they had an RSN graduate in CA, in the San Francisco area, once they found a venue, they were able to offer these certification courses again.

But for those of us who can't afford the time or investment for the certification courses, the day classes offered by the RSN are more ideal. It took some coordinating on their part, but it looks as if they're planning to offer day classes from April 29 through May 15 this coming spring! Isn't that exciting??!!

If you want to find out what types of day courses the RSN offers, you can check out the Royal Schol of Needlework website, where you'll find all kinds of information on what they offer.



Specifically, you may want to take a look at this PDF brocher that outlines the courses offered by the RSN. Right now, they haven't published the information on the day courses being offered in San Francisco, but at least, with the brochure, you can get an idea of the quality and subject-matter of the different classes.

If you want to receive information on the course offerings in San Francisco in the spring, there's contact information on the RSN site for Gill Holdsworth, who is the head of education at the Royal School of Needlework. Drop her a line to let her know you're interested, so that you can be put on the list when the information goes out. It's also a good idea to let her know that there is an interest over here for these courses, so that they know it's worthwhile to go to all the effort it must take to coordinate such an event!

Thanks, Margaret, for the info, and thank you, RSN teachers, tutors, and coordinators, for making the effort to restore these classes in the US!

Labels: embroidery resources, needlework and travel, needlework classes, needlework news, Royal School of Needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 16, 2008
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I love seeing what readers are doing out there in the embroidery world. And it especially thrills me when they use a pattern or stitch suggestion from Needle 'n Thread, and send pictures! Here are some monogrammed towels from a reader - you'll recognize one of the monograms.

These little towels were hand embroidered by Queenie. The first set is from the flowered monogram I posted earlier this year.



This second set, though, is my favorite! I love the W - I think it's so pretty, and the stitching is so neat. And I love the little locked hearts with the Mr. and Mrs. on them! Very nice! Those would be a great set to give as a wedding present!



Queenie also sent this picture of another project:



Funny, eh?

Thanks heaps for sending the photos along, Queenie! It looks as if you're having fun with embroidery!

If you've made something recently that you'd like to share with readers, do send along a photo! Just drop me a line, and I'll send you my e-mail address. I'd love to see what you're up to with your needle 'n thread!

Labels: pictures, readers embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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This month's needlework stash give-away was really fun! I thought the question was tough (notice I didn't answer it!) and it was fun to read everyone's responses. It really makes you think, when you have to narrow something down to a "Favorite" of something you already like a lot, doesn't it?

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

Needlework Teaches You... about Yourself!

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

Ok - enough about tough questions!

Embroidery Stash Winner

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

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

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

Labels: miscellaneous embroidery musings, stash contest

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 13, 2008
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Subonnet Sue is one of those almost-iconic figures in needlework. She's shown up lots of places over time, in many different forms, sometimes sophisticated and sometimes juvenile, but always with a following. A while ago, I embroidered a square for a baby quilt using an old-fashioned Sue pattern, and I've had lots of requests since then for the pattern or similar patterns...

This is my original embroidered quilt square, which I called Sunbonnet Garden:



I've blogged about it previously, so if you've been around for a while, you might find this redundant. I really enjoyed doing this piece! I'm not really die-hard Sue fan, though I do like these "baby Sue" drawings better than the other Sues that have developed over the years. Still, I really enjoyed stitching this particular piece, despite the fact that I'm not that much of a Sue follower. Well, I wouldn't say I dislike Sue - I like Sue ok - but I'm not a Sue-a-holic, if you know what I mean!

These Sue patterns belong to the earliest origins of Sunbonnet Sue, drawn by Bertha Corbett who was later Bertha Corbett Melcher. She's the "mother of the sunbonnet babies." Her pictures that illustrated primers at the beginning of the 1900's have been popular every since, and they've taken on all kinds of different looks. But the characteristic thing about Sue is that generally she has a large bonnet on (sometimes a hat, as she developed later), and you can't see her face. This larger, floppier bonnet in my garden version above and the puffy sleeves and simple arms are characteristic of Mrs. Corbett-Melcher's original Sunbonnet Babies, and they're the style of Sue that I like best.

Thanks to Denise at Needlework News, I discovered another great needlework blog out there called Lace 'n Ribbon Roses, where you can find several of these Sunbonnet patterns available for free.

Right off, if you visit Lace 'n Ribbon Roses, you'll notice that CC's header is the same Sunbonnet Sue as mine above. The difference is the garden. I think in the original pattern I had, Sue's apron was actually full of chicken eggs and she had chickens scratching around her. I just made a few minor adjustments!

If you're looking for these old-fashioned Sue patterns, you might want to start, then, with CC's website. You'll find Sue and Hannah playing with a kitty, Sue and Hannah feeding the chickens, and Sue and Friends dancing in a circle. All three are sweet little patterns of this old-fashioned Sue. While there, check out her embroidered Sue pillowcases, too - really cute!

On a different note, you'll also find this old pamplet on chicken scratch embroidery (embroidery on gingham) on Lace 'n Ribbon Roses, so if you like chicken scratch, check that out, too!

News 'n Such

If you haven't signed up yet for my October Stash Give-Away, called Autumn Abundance, don't forget to do so some time today! The give-away ends tomorrow morning (Tuesday, October 14, at 5:00 am CST). All the details are on the original post.

I intend to get some serious stitching done this week! I'll keep you abreast of anything I accomplish. I hope you have a great Monday, and plenty of time this week to enjoy your needle 'n thread!

Labels: embroidery for children, embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, needlework pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 13, 2008
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False starts are a part of life. They're also a part of needlework. What do I mean by a "false start," you may very well ask... Well, let me explain.

A "false start" is the experience of beginning that isn't really a beginning, and that really requires you to begin again!

For example, I have a ritualistic false start about two times (out of five) a week, when I leave my classroom after my last class of the day. Amidst the "See you tomorrows" and "Have a good afternoons" and "Don't forget to reads," I close the windows and curtains, I straighten stray things on my desk, and I head out of my classroom with that peculiar eagerness of ending that part of the day. (Yes, it's true, teachers often look forward to the last bell just as much as the students do - especially when that last bell comes right before lunch, as mine does!)

I close my door and lock it, and head down the hallway. If I'm lucky, about halfway down the hallway is when my false start ends. I realize, inevitably, that I forgot something. I must go back to the classroom, dig out my keys, unlock the door, and find and retrieve the forgotten item.

Sometimes, though, my false start doesn't end until I've gone down two long hallways and two flights of stairs, traversed an outdoor walkway, and arrived at my car in the distant corner of the parking lot. The realization strikes that I forgot something, and I stop, turn around, and head back to the classroom.

In embroidery, I make similar false starts. But the more I embroider, the more I realize when the false start must end - and, if I know when to stop, then I save myself a lot of time, trouble, and grief, not to mention conserving precious supplies.

You might be inclined to think that a false start is a mistake. No, no, dear reader! It's not a mistake! It's a learning experience! False starts can actually be a very good thing.

I've had quite a few false starts lately. There's the whole baby bootie experience that you've already heard about. Then there's last night's table cloth experience:



This is a pre-printed tablecloth kit from Anchor - I think it's called "Spring Garden" and it's a Fleur de Lis kit. Overall, these kits are pretty nice, and I like working on them for a "casual" project that can be done in the living room. But sometimes, I don't like their stitch suggestions. On this particular table cloth, they call for these satin stitched blue-bell type flowers, worked in three strands of floss. After the first two (out of six) flowers on the stalk, I knew I didn't like it, so I picked out the stitches. Was it a mistake that I worked them in the first place? No. It was simply a false start! How would I have known how much I didn't like the satin stitched flower, if I didn't try it?

That was a small false start - like getting halfway down the hallway.

But yesterday, I had the pleasure of a Big false start. This wasn't just reaching the car in the far corner of the parking lot. It was like walking all the way home! Let me show you.



When speaking about designing a project yesterday, I showed you my plan for a hand embroidered Christmas ornament that incorporates silk shading and goldwork. During the afternoon I concentrated on this project! I started by sifting through supplies and tools and seeing what I had to work with.



Then I started the actual work. I traced the design elements that would be padded with felt onto fusible interfacing. This is a great tip that I actually learned from Margaret Cobleigh, when I was working her pomegranate. Normally, under goldwork (such as couched gold passing or chipwork), there's a layer of yellow felt over which the gold is worked. The felt accomplishes two things: it lifts the embroidery and it provides a background color that blends with the gold, in case the background peeks out behind the gold.

To cut out the appropriate shape of felt, you can trace the pattern pieces on fusible interfacing, then iron the piece to your felt, then cut out the shape, and place the interfacing-side down on the ground fabric. You don't fuse it on; you just stitch it on as you normally would. The fusible web left on the base of the felt is handy, because it supplies a bit more friction, so the felt stays put until it's tacked down.



You can see here that I've fused the interfacing to red felt, which will be underneath the silk shading. I wanted the stitching to be a bit padded and raised, so, again adopting the idea from Margaret's pomegranate, I cut out red felt to work the shanding on.



My red and yellow felt ready, it was time to tack the felt onto the design. My plan was to make the ornament out of white satin silk, so I transferred the design onto the white silk (which, because it's satin, is really rather thick) by using a light table and tracing. I used a tailor's white chalk pencil to do the transferring. After the design was transferred onto the silk, I mounted the silk, lined with muslin, on an embroidery frame.



I was ready to start tacking the felt pieces on. As I added the first little center piece, I noticed that the design looked somewhat lopsided. I thought I could fix this by touching up the lines with the chalk pencil. It worked a wee bit, but still, the design just didn't look right to me.

I went back to the drawing board to determine why the design would look crooked. Having drawn the design on graph paper, measuring out all distances and curves, I could see the problem wasn't the actual design. I considered that it could have been the frame - maybe I pulled the fabric to taut in one direction, causing distortion in the fabric and design. Or maybe I was just careless when tracing with the chalk pencil. I finally concluded it was the latter, as the silk had probably shifted in the transfer process.



Still, I pressed on. I began tacking down the other pieces of yellow felt. But I didn't feel too good about the whole situation. I kept envisioning a finished product that looked just slightly skewed. I tacked on one yellow felt edge, then the other. And one of the yellow felt edges came out looking warped! I lined up the red felt with the yellow felt...



And that is when my false start ended!

I learned a couple things:

1. I don't like this satin silk for this kind of stitching (and obviously not for this kind of transferring). I've used this fabric before, and I like it fine for regular delicate surface embroidery. But I don't like it for a Christmas ornament. Besides, the whole time I was working with it, I was thinking ahead to the pain it would be to finish the ornament.

2. Keep your transfer pencils (tailor's chalk pencil in this case) sharp! It really helps with precision tracing!

3. Double check straight edges on the felt before cutting. If necessary, use a ruler and rotary cutter to straighten and cut an edge. I don't know why I didn't think of the rotary cutter and ruler in the first place!

4. With a geometrically shaped object like this - when it isn't clear which is the top of the design - mark the top on your fabric, outside the design area, so that you know which end is up. You'd think it doesn't matter, but I think it somehow does. The whole movement of the piece - stitch direction, etc., will be determined by which end is up.

So that was yesterday's false start. I'm glad of it, actually, because I learned a lot from the experience. I also realized what the kinks or difficulties would be in this pattern, so I've been able to address those (at least in my head). This means that, when I go for the "real" start (today), I will be better equipped to make a go of it.

I'm going to stitch the piece on linen, instead of the silk. That was my original, original plan, but somehow, early, the silk idea crept in. Linen takes a transfer better, anyway. On the silk, the micron pen (.005 tip) bleeds into a thick line. I've ever had that happen on the linen, and on this type of project, the micron pen is my preferred choice for transferring a design.

False starts are just a step in the journey - and they're quite alright with me. Besides, they give us the opportunity to make fresh starts, and would we ever know the pleasure of making a fresh start if we didn't know what it's like to make false starts?

Labels: Christmas, embroidery tips and tricks, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, October 12, 2008
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I have two needlework projects in various stages of planning right now. One is a Christmas ornament and the other is the Long and Short Stitch sampler. Let me show you what I'm doing, discuss a bit about designing, and then tell you where I'm going next.

If you're like me, designing your own needlework project is a bittersweet sort of adventure. The sweet side is the satisfaction - it's nice to design and execute your own work, from scratch to finish.

The bitter side is that it can be somewhat intimidating. First, there's the question of "What"? I often suffer from writer's block at the designing table. That's why I think it's a good idea to doodle, and even to keep track of your doodling in a sketchbook or journal. Before doodling, you might want to get the juices flowing. You can flip open books and take some inspiration from what you see, or you can go outside and see what's weird and wonderful in Nature. Somehow, you want the juices to flow, but at some point, you have to get it down on paper.

If you were taking a writing course, you'd be told to "brainstorm" or "list" - just plain start writing down anything that comes to mind, in order to get ideas out. For designing a project, the equivalent is doodling. Start doodling.

Once you have an idea, there are other intimidating factors to designing your own piece of needlework. There's the question of "acceptability." Sure, I like it - but will anyone else? Then there are the "professional" questions to take into consideration, too: form, order, line, color, texture - all that kind of stuff. For some people, that comes second nature. For people who are artistic, those questions may not pose a problem. For me, they do pose a problem, so I generally end up ignoring them, at least at first. My work probably suffers for that...!

If you're interested in designing your own embroidery piece, you might want to check out a helpful article titled "Taking the Fear out of Designing" by Sue Stause. I think it's a helpful, interesting, and informative article, though I probably don't do everything she suggests. (My work probably suffers for that, too...!)

I'm not a professional designer - as I've mentioned before, I'm a hobbyist, not really an "artist." I'm not formally trained for designing, drawing, color selection, and so forth. So, being the average Jane Doe when it comes to this type of thing, I just sort of work out things that I think will work out. And then I tweak and polish, just like a writer does with a rough draft.

After various doodles, this is what I've come up with for a long and short stitch sampler.



I suppose it looks a little more complicated than it is supposed to be. That's another fault of mine, when it comes to designing. I tend to go overboard instead of adhering to the KISS - Keep it Simple, Stupid - rule.
The concept was to arrange, in seven stages, different levels and approaches to long and short stitch shading, progressing from geometric shapes to natural elements, following in order of level of difficulty. The whole thing is 8" x 8", and each element is generally within the 1 - 1.5 inch range, so small enough to stitch in (hopefully) one sitting.

The next project I'm working on is a Christmas ornament. I oscillated between using someone else's design and making up my own, but the latter finally won out. This was a project that drew a blank for me for a long while. I knew the look I wanted, but couldn't figure out how I wanted it to come across. Many doodles later, I think I've settled on an idea, but I think there will be a lot more tweaking to come.



The ornament will be a combination of goldwork and silk shading. There's still a bit of tweaking to do there.

The next step on the Long and Short stitch sampler is to work on color ideas. This particular project is not really a "wing it" sort of project since I want to use it for instruction. It'll take a lot more time at the design table.

For the Christmas ornament, though, with the basic shape in place, I'm actually ready to set it up for stitching. I know that sounds rather silly, considering I haven't exactly figured out what I'm going to do where, but... that's ok. I have enough of an idea that I can wing on this small project.

Do you like to design your own embroidery projects? Or would you prefer for someone else to do the designing for you? If you do like coming up with your own designs, how do you go about doing it? What's your favorite designing medium?

Any suggestions and tips are always welcome - not just for me, but for others out there who may have that deep down desire to design, but who are too intimidated to go for it! Maybe you know something that will help the rest of us!!

Labels: Christmas, embroidery design, goldwork, needlepainting, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 11, 2008
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Usually, my embroidery classes for kids end when the summer comes to a close, and I don't really think about children's embroidery projects again until the following spring. But that changed this year, with the phone call of a friend.

I have a friend who is a teacher's aid for a fourth grade class of 29 students. She thought it would be fun for the kids to do a little embroidery project for art class, so the other night we met and bounced around some ideas, using scraps of felt and bits of thread leftover from last summer's classes.

Since she's thinking the project would be good for the last three weeks before Christmas break, we migrated towards the idea of little individual tree ornaments made out of felt.

I didn't have a lot of felt on hand, since we used it up last summer, but I did have a length of dark brown wool felt that served for mucking about on. This is what we managed to stitch up while we were discussing possibilities:



The colors are not, overall, too appealing for fourth graders, but that can be adjusted. But the concept is there: basic embroidery on the front in a cute design (not necessarily this one!) backed by a second piece of felt, and buttonholed all around. Simple enough.



We only used three stitches, really: whipped running stitch, daisy stitch, and buttonhole or blanket stitch around the edges.

But this is the thing...

My friend has never (that's right, never) embroidered before! So ... not only will this be a crash course in simple embroidery (she won't have a problem with that), but also a bit of a crash course in how to organize for such a project and how to teach it in a logical and ordered way to a class of 29.

These are some of the pointers I've given her:

1. Limit their options. As we were talking and enthusiasm was abounding, we came up with all kinds of possible shapes for ornaments: gingerbread folk, houses, trees, hearts, ornament shapes, simple bird shapes, simple flower shapes, etc., etc., etc. Oh, I agree they'd all be cute... but with 29 students on a first-time project, limiting the students' choices will help minimize confusion.

2. Limit the number of stitches for instruction, and keep the stitches simple. I suggested instructing on no more than four basic stitches.

3. Limit the number of colors for the projects - again, I'd limit them to four.

4. Pre-design the ornament, drawing out the design on it. This is where there can be some variation - draw different designs on the ornaments, so that they aren't all exactly the same. This will give the students a sense of individuality, but it won't leave the burden on them for deciding "what to do" on their ornament. If the designs are pre-printed on the fabric, they can start on the projects a whole lot faster!

5. Plan everything well in advance. Make sure all supplies (felt cut-outs, threads, plenty of needles, etc.) are all on hand, and divide up a little package or kit for each student. Use zip-lock bags, so they have something to keep the project in. Plan the instruction out in step-by-step increments, allocating enough time to each step.

6. Print out a picture diagram for each stitch, and give a photocopy of each to the students. Maybe even make blown-up copies of the diagrams to use while instructing on the stitch. If they can look at the diagram as you walk them through it, then they'll be able to understand the diagram better and can refer to it for help on their own (whether at home or in the classroom).

7. Plan for small group instruction. While the whole group is occupied with a task, break off into small groups to give more individualized instruction.

8. Make sure to plan in enough quiet stitching time, in which you can circulate and help individuals, and in which the students can get the "rhythm" of the stitch down.

9. Although there will be two instructors in the room, perhaps consider finding one other assistant to help out. 29 first-time little stitchers will have lots of unthreading needles!

So those were my recommendations. I'll be teaching her the basics of embroidery over the next couple weeks, and we'll narrow down ideas and make supply lists for this series of embroidery classes.

My question to you: Any other suggestions for this venture? Or any alterations on my suggestions above that you think would be helpful?

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Other news:

If you haven't signed up for my October stash give-away, don't forget! The deadline is Tuesday morning, 5:00 am my time. See the details on the original post.

In Country Bumpkin's e-mail newsletter that I received this morning, they also mentioned the advantage for overseas shoppers that I mentioned yesterday. A year's subscription to Inspirations is averaging just over $50.... much better than $70 and higher, so it really is a good deal!

Enjoy the weekend!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, October 10, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 09, 2008
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For October, I thought I'd reduce my needlework stash by foraging for some Autumn-themed colors. I came up with some great threads, trims, and embellishments for this month's stash contest! It was fun picking through things, but it made me realize I have to get out to the studio and do a little more organizing! In the meantime, though, here's this month's stash contest.

The Loot - threads, trims, and embellishments!



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



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



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



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



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



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

What You Have to Do to Win

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

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

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

Here's the topic for your comment:

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

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

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

Labels: stash contest

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 08, 2008
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Here's another letter to add to my free hand embroidery monogram alphabets: a D with a Celtic flavor.

I should apologize for the time it's taking to get this whole alphabet on! I hope no one has an embroidery project awaiting a specific letter! If you do, leave a comment below, and I'll put that letter at the top of the list!

For stitching ideas, you may wish to check out the Celtic A monogram. I mentioned a couple ideas in that post on how you might want to stitch these letters. Of course, you can stitch them any way your imagination prompts you to do so!

Without further ado, then, here's the D.

The small version:



And the larger version:



Enjoy!

Coming up this week: an October stash give-away. I've been scrounging for some goodies to put together as a nice stash give-away, so keep an eye out for this month's stash contest as the week progresses!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 07, 2008
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Quite a while ago, Stephi contacted me with pictures of a footstool that's been in her family since as long as she can remember. I think it's a charming piece of needlework, so I thought I'd let you take a look, too!

Stephi's mom dabbled in antiques, and now Stephi has ended up with many of the treasures her mother collected. Among them was this footstool, which she'd like to know something about. I told her the most basic information that I could gather from the picture - specifically, it is crewel work, it looks like it's embroidered on linen twill out of wool. I'm positively no expert on this type of thing, but I did make some suggestions on where she could take it for more accurate information!

In the meantime, the piece is a pleasure to look at - and I like the story it tells (or at least, the story I think it tells!)



I like the simple scene - the horseman at a run, through flowered fields and trees, the house in the background... perhaps a young suitor rushing to his sweetheart?

The base of the picture is not really noticed at first glance, but it is the base of the picture, I think, that's most impressive, with the subtle long-and-short stitch shading, and the inset flowers.



I like the little red house on the hill, with the strange-looking trees looming over it. The smoke curls up in a welcoming way; supper, perhaps, is being readied? Or the hearth prepared for an evening of good company?



An apple tree? Or an oversized rose bush? The variety of shades of pink might point to a rose tree... the roundness of the fruit might point to an apple tree. In any case, it's a splash of color that balances very nicely the red house on the other side of the piece. I'm inclined towards roses, because of the layered look of the pink flowers.



Also, the proportion of the blue flowers seems to suggest the previous photo is one of a rose bush. The blue flowers dwarf the rider, just as the rose bush is somewhat grand in size.

Perhaps the rider's going to pass behind the blue flowers, and the large flowers are meant to give a sense of depth to the scene. But if that were the case, the horse's feet would not be showing so far down into the grass in the front.

Perhaps the flowers are just oversized. Maybe in his perfect world, the flowers grow larger than life.



There he is, rushing along on his strangely pale horse with the strange rump. As he rushes along, the horse's tail and mane stream out behind (and so does the rider's pony tail, in a stumpy sort of way). The horse's legs gallop, and the rider's posture - leaning forward in anticipation - indicate his eagerness to get wherever it is he's heading. It must be to his sweetheart!

Thanks, Stephi, for sending me the photos! Sorry I can't be of further help on the piece, but perhaps there's a reader out there somewhere who has seen something similar and could share some information about it, or would know of a way to go about getting information on it.

I hope you all enjoyed the photos, too!

Labels: needlework pictures, pictures, readers questions

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 07, 2008
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I knew it. I knew this would happen! But I can't help it, and I think it's Much Better this way. I've gotten to the half-way point on a project, and, after much serious contemplation, I have made the decision to scrap it and start over!

You probably know how it is: you've set out on a needlework venture, excited to get going and see how the project works out, but unfortunately unhappy with your materials, or color choices, or threads.... Something is Not Quite Right, but you're determined to get going on the project, because you're excited about it!

And you know what happens, don't you? You stitch with slight misgivings, never Quite Comfortable with the project, but still pushing to a point where you can at least see it - that point where you know, for sure, that you were right and no matter how much optimism to try to pour into it, you aren't going to like it, and it just isn't going to work! You realize, at that point, that it isn't worth putting in the time and effort on the other half of the project.

I arrived at that point this weekend with the baby booties. I pushed to finish one booty, so I could sew it up and see for myself.



In fact, I didn't even "finish" the bootie. I just quickly stitched the seams (and did a rather poor job on the easing around the toe) so I could see it put together. On the turned-down sides, I did not do the buttonholing to finish the edges, and I didn't put the eyelets in for the little cord and bow.

I like the concept of the embroidery (though perhaps I'd modify the abundance).

I like the shape of the shoe. In fact, I can safely say I love the shape of the shoe - I think it's cute, and it looks so darling on Adele's foot.

I like the accents - the eyelets and the buttonholing on the edge.



But I just can't stomach the color problem.

Or the overkill. If I had stuck with straight pink, I'd be in Baby-Bootie-Maker's Heaven right now. But oh good golly, Miss Molly. The mismatched color, the polka dots, all the embroidery - on something barely 2.5 inches long? No, no. It won't do. It suffers from OMSS. Overabundant, Mismatched Sugar Shock.



But in concept, it's a sweet little bootie. So I'm going to start completely over and fulfill my Bootie-Making-Dreams before Adele decides to sprout farther.

This is what I've learned:

1. If I'm going to line it, I'm going to line it after I've done the embroidery, and in either the same color or a very subtle color, with no print on it, that I can easily match to available thread colors.

2. I'll use a larger awl for piercing the front eyelets.

3. Floche is perfect for embroidering on flannel like this. I like it a lot.

4. Before stitching the shoe up on the machine, baste the toe ease, then set the stitch length on the machine for very small stitches, and pivot every few stitches to get a smooth curve on the toe. In any case, take time with the sewing part!

Please understand I'm not crying over this!!! I'm glad I got to this point so I could see it, so I would know whether or not I wanted to put effort into the second bootie, or just start over. I'll just start afresh! And I'm a lot happier about that!

When you're in a similar situation (do you ever find yourself in such stitching situations?), how do you handle it? At what point do you scrap it? Or do you never scrap it, persevering to the end? Any pointers you want to share on this?

Happy Monday!

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

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, October 06, 2008
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If you're like me, when you look at a piece of thread painting (also called needle painting, long and short stitch shading, etc.) that's really well done, you can find yourself lost in the details, color contrasts, individual stitch placement, and all the elements that work together to make the piece a work of art. Thread painting, when done by a true artist, is a source of delight and awe for me. This is certainly the case with this very special gift I received in the mail this week.

Much to my delight and suprise, a package arrived for me halfway through the week. Can you imagine how excited I was to see an envelope arriving from Trish Burr in South Africa? She sent me one of her own works of art!

I want to show it to you up close.



This is the piece. You can be that I'm going to frame it and hang it in a prominent place of honor!

What particularly amazes me about the finished piece is how the contrasting colors work together to make the whole piece come alive. The colors in the piece, on each element - whether flower petal, leaf, or bud - are really amazing.



The flower moves from a bright white on the tips to a deep purple in the center, but that depth of color is achieved not just with the plum colors. Looking closely, you can see browns interspersed that give shadow and dimension to the petals.



If you look in the lower right corner of the above photo, you can see the brownish greys in there, shadowing the petal above.



In the leaves, you can see the same - the turnings on the leaf are made real by the masterstroke of the artist's 'brush' (a needle and thread, in this case), placing just the right color at just the right spot.



Look at the perfect stitch direction in every element!



Each row of stitches works perfectly into the next, blending the colors together.



All the details - the little white flower accents, the sprays of tiny leaves and bullion knots, the round buds - are fascinating.



These tiny buds have no less than four colors in that small space! The edge of the embroidery is smooth and slightly raised.



The white flowers with their little golden centers seem to pop up from the picture.



Step back and look at the whole piece - the artist's touch brings the embroidery to life!

Oh boy. I don't grow tired of looking at pieces like this, do you? I look in wonder, and then I remind myself that I have a heck of a lot to learn!

Thank you, Trish, for your gift! It's a treasure!

If you're interested in learning long and short stitch shading from a master, do check out Trish Burr's books on the topic. She has three of them: Long and Short Stitch: A Collection of Flowers; Redoute's Finest Flowers in Embroidery; and her latest, Crewel and Surface Embroidery: Inspirational Floral Designs (in which you will find the project for the piece I've shown you above).

Labels: needlepainting, needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery, Trish Burr

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, October 04, 2008
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I'm not exactly sure if this really a Christmas card. It was supposed to be! I'm supposed to be embroidering baby booties, Christmas cards, and a Christmas ornament right now. But I already demonstrated (much to my embarrassment, in retrospect) how easily distracted I can get when it comes to needlework! Whatever the case, though (whether a Christmas card, or just a card), I finished embroidering the chicken.

Inspired by Christine Bishop's book, Schwalm Whitework Embroidery, I adapted her little chicken design to a card. After drawing out the pattern and dotting it up for piercing, I transferred the pattern to a red piece of 5" x 5" textured cardstock and started stitching with #80 DMC white cordonette. For different parts of the design, I switched to #60, and I think at one point, I even used #50, but I can't remember where! (Tsk, tsk - another tribute to my present state of disorganization!)



I haven't mounted the piece on a white card yet, but that's my plan. As luck would have it, I have just about every color of cardstock except white. I contemplated using cream, but it kills it. So I'll have to pick up some white next time out.

The eyelets around the edge are a funny story. Originally, I was just planning on having larger open circles there, as seen on the card before it was embroidered. My idea was that the white from behind would show through and make the dots white. They would. But I held the card up to blank paper, and it still didn't look quite as I had pictured it. So I decided to outline each eyelet with little stitches.

The funny thing is, I hadn't pierced the cardstock for those stitches. I contemplated going back to the drawing board (piercing foam) and carefully pricking in a few hundred little holes... but then I opted for the lazy approach, and just used my needle, pricking and stitching at the same time.

Taking that approach didn't cause any trouble - it was rather easy, actually - but I did notice that it slightly dents in the card, more so when pricked before stitching. Still, in the finished scheme of things, it didn't make any noticeable difference.



Overall, I like the little fellow a lot. But, this is the thing: it took quite a few hours of stitching to finish this little 5 x 5 piece of paper. And in the long run, though I do like the idea of time and effort going into handmade cards, I'm not sure if 6 hours a card is a feasible idea.

That being said, I've got a couple other Schwalmish schemes bouncing around in my head. I'll let you know if they come to fruition.

Resources for Embroidery on Paper and Card Making

I also have a stack of cards and cut-outs already pierced for stitching. I've been using Erica Fortgens book, Merry Christmas Embroidery on Paper, for some designs, and I really like it. I like the fact that, on many of the patterns, you can take just one little element and situate it in the corner of a card or gift tag, or in the middle of a miniature card. If you're not familiar with any of Erica's books, you might want to check them out.

Another good resource for patterns for embroidered cards is Stitching Cards, where you can purchase patterns and download them right away in PDF format. If you haven't discovered their blog yet - Prick and Stitch is My Craft - you might want to take a look at it, too. They have some freebies on there, like this 3D Christmas Tree card, and heaps of excellent tips for embroidering on paper.

And then, of course, there's your own imagination. You know, if you can embroider it on fabric, you can probably embroider it on paper, too. It might be fun to take your embroidery niche and see if you can transfer the look onto paper! True, there might be some limits. I wouldn't necessarily do goldwork on paper, for example.

And drawn thread patterns might not work exactly the same way, but I bet you can mimic the look! Hmmm.... sounds like the beginnings of another distraction...

Whatever the case, as the holidays approach, if you're a card-giver, you might consider going handmade this year with embroidered greeting cards. They take more time, that's true. But somehow, I think they deliver a more personal message than any Hallmark card could deliver. You really DID care to send the very best, so you made it yourself!

If you know of any sources for paper embroidery, will you share them?

Enjoy the weekend!

Labels: Schwalm

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, October 03, 2008
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Yesterday afternoon, I headed out to the the little studio at the back of the house with the best intentions in the world. I was going to devote some quality time to "real" work - I had some paperwork to take care of - and then, once I felt I had accomplished a reasonable amount of work, I was going to do some more work setting up Christmas cards. It was a perfectly feasible - even admirable - plan for my late afternoon hours...

There I sat, inspecting the pile of paperwork before me, when suddenly, my eye was arrested by Christine Bishop's Schwalm Whitework Embroidery.

I contemplated the book. I contemplated the pile of papers.

The book.

The papers.

The boooooooooooooooooooooook.

Literally, it was calling to me. I'm sure I heard it. What can one do?

The next thing I knew, I was engrossed in a Chicken. (She's got a cute chicken in there.)

Now, I didn't stray so much from my Plan of the Day as to completely forget the cards I was supposed to be preparing. I thought to myself, "A Card. I could maybe make a Schwalmish Christmas Chicken card. I mean, everyone's heard of the Christmas Chicken, haven't they?"

And so I tinkered, and this is what I came up with:



I drew the design out on graph paper first. I wasn't as precise as I should have been. Some intersections were off, and I didn't space the dots as carefully as they needed to be on the longer stretches of stitch. You'll see what I mean....

I placed a piece of tracing paper over the picture I had drawn on the graph paper, and used different colored ink (pink and purple - though you can't tell in the photo) to trace the picture in dots, where I would pierce the pattern.

Then I put the tracing paper over the cardstock - I'm using a textured red, with a red core (not white core card stock) - and pierced the design.



The large dots around the edge in the blurry photo above are eyelets, actually. The card will be backed with a white card, and the chicken's eye, the eyelets around the edge, and the eyelets on the wing and tail (which you can't see yet, because they aren't punched) will show the white background. That's the plan, anyway.

Once I got to that point in my Christmas chicken adventure, I decided I better do what I planned to do, or I'd be in trouble later.

So I readdressed that stack of papers.

But then it occurred to me that I wasn't sure what thread I would stitch that Christmas Chicken with. So I decided I better rummage through thread while it was still sunny outside. (Well, you know the old superstition, that thread rummaging should never be done after sunset?)

And I came upon a #80 DMC cordonette - small stuff, for cordonette.

I finished my thread rummaging right before sunset. But of course, you know I wouldn't start stitching until I had taken care of my paperwork! No, no. I just had to line up my resources, so when I could be irresponsible, everything would be ready.

Ok. So that's what I did yesterday before the sun went down.

And shortly after the sun went down, I did this:



There are a few blurby spots I need to take care of. I think, if I ever do this again, I'll change my approach on some of the pricking dots. It was a learning experience. Gosh, I just feel So Accomplished and So Responsible for making certain I had a learning experience yesterday.......

Tonight, I'm bonding with papers. And please don't try to talk me out of it!

Labels: Christmas, embroider on paper, hand embroidered cards, needlework pictures, pictures, Schwalm, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 02, 2008
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I'm happy that I managed to finish the goldwork project I'm planning to give to my niece as a wedding gift. In fact, I think that's the only worthwhile thing I accomplished last weekend!! I'll show you a few photos...

...but unfortunately, no "complete" photos! I'm dying to show you the whole piece, but, as I mentioned before, we need to wait until the design is published in January!

I hope you understand and will enjoy instead these little up-close "mystery" photos.



Here's a close-up on some chipping inside an outline of pearl purl. A friend commented the other day that the close-up photos always make the piece seem as if it is much larger than it really is; then, when you actually see the piece in real life, you're surprised that it's much smaller and delicate looking. So, even though this looks large, it isn't - it's about half an inch wide, and half an inch high at the tallest point.

I think my chipping is a little too crowded. I need to work on that. When I do chipwork, I either end up with chipping that is too spaced, or chipping that's too crowded.



This project includes a little bit of everything - I think that's one of the reasons I liked it so much! Here are some beads and pailettes for you.



And another bit of chipwork.

I love finishing a project. But I don't love the "let down" at the end. There's nothing quite like finishing and stepping back to look at a piece. It's so satisfactory! But then... gosh. The end is bittersweet, because now the fun's all over!

To avoid the let-down, I moved very quickly into the baby booties, but it isn't quite the same, you know! On the bright side, I am planning an ornament for a swap, and I do believe it will include many of the techniques on the project I just finished.

So, here's a question: can you guess what the goldwork design depicts, just from the photos you've seen so far? You can find a couple more pictures of this project here. Just curious!!

Labels: goldwork, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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