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 Luster™ 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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