I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more
Contact Mary
I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more
Contact Mary
September 12, 2025
I’m popping in today to advocate for project organization.
I’ll explain what has prompted this article, and how a couple easy solutions have simplified my stitching process and made it much more efficient – and precise!
September 10, 2025
We haven’t had a lot of time in the studio lately for “casual” stitching, where we meander more slowly through projects that don’t have a definite deadline.
Occasionally, on afternoons when we’re caught up with work-work, though, we can take a couple hours just to stitch quietly and move some of our slower developing projects ahead.
This type of break is good for the project, but it’s also good for me and Anna. It gives us time to think; it gives us time to relax while we’re still working; and it helps us both to remember that stitching is meant to be enjoyable.
And if it happens to be a rainy afternoon to boot, gosh! Studio Life could hardly get better than that!
September 8, 2025
When time allows, I’ve been working on this embroidered maniturgium project, which involves embroidered lettering.
My plan, goal, hope, intention was to embroider the letters so that they impart the notion of deepening water, and I think it’s working out!
Little secret: I can’t look at this project right now without developing a Gene Chandler ear worm for Duke of Earl. This is problematic, especially for Anna, as there’s simply no escape when we’re both working in the studio. I tend to spontaneously burst into song – and any song that’s in my head pops out unannounced. I haven’t been able to get Duke of Earl out of my head for weeks.
September 5, 2025
I love it when a plan comes together.
But even better than that, I love it when something that wasn’t planned comes together.
For example, when I first started fiddling about with voided monograms ten years ago, did I know that these round floral voided monograms would fit so perfectly into the lids of these decorative boxes that I brought in for Garden Swirl?
No. I didn’t.
But they do! And I’m so glad, because I have several samples of these monograms floating around here. They had no place to land before now.
Now, they will have homes.
September 3, 2025
Welcome to the last installment of Garden Swirl, wherein we mount the finished embroidery project in the lid of the decorative box. Woohoo!
For those who are just coming upon this stitch-along, you can find all the previous installments of Garden Swirl available here in the Garden Swirl Project Index.
You can also find a materials kit (with everything you need to stitch the project – including the design pre-transferred for you on fine linen twill) – and the decorative box to mount the project in – available here in the shop. Get the kits before they’re gone, as they won’t be back in stock in this format again.
If you are a member of the Needle ‘n Thread community on Patreon, you already have this information in the handy-dandy downloadable and printable PDF that was posted for you yesterday.
Let us commence with the final steps…
August 28, 2025
If you’ve ever browsed through a stitch dictionary, you’ve probably noticed that embroidery stitches are often arranged according to the job they do.
Line stitches, for example, are stitches that work up in lines – and this is where you’ll find stitches like backstitch, stem stitch, split stitch, and chain stitch.
Filling stitches fill up spaces. Here’s where you’ll find satin stitch and long & short stitch, lattice fillings and the like.
But there’s no hard and fast rule that says line stitches can’t be used as filling stitches – and sometimes, a line stitch is really the best option for filling up a design area.
Today, let’s look at a few examples of how line stitches can be used to fill spaces on an embroidery project.
August 26, 2025
It seems as if Tuesday is becoming my new Monday, thanks to what I like to call The Upheavals of Life. Hopefully, there will be some Downheavals soon. Thanks for your patience!
Last week, we finished up the major flowers and centers on Garden Swirl, the current stitch-along here on Needle ‘n Thread. Today, we’re going to finish up all the embroidery and prepare the embroidery for the finish work of mounting the embroidery in the box lid.
If you are new to the Garden Swirl stitch-along, you’ll find all the previous installments of this project – including design, materials list, and instructional content – listed here in the Garden Swirl Project Index.
