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
June 8, 2026
Here’s a little Monday update on embroidery work!
The maniturgium is almost finished. It’ll be sewn into a tube today, pressed a final time, wrapped in tissue paper and packaged nicely in a box, and on Wednesday, it’ll be FedExed to the client.
Amen.
Let’s take a look at the finished embroidery.
June 5, 2026
Hello, my friends, and welcome to The Weekend!
Today, we’re going to delve into a confusing topic for your weekend reading. I’m going to direct you to a couple publications that I think are Very Interesting and that – I think! – will help allay some of the confusion around thread weight.
Thread weight. What does that mean? Yes, it has to do with weight, in a sense, but in practical, physical, visible terms, it really means thread thickness. That is, what we see of and about the thread when using the thread. It involves the thread make-up – strands, plies, twists, and all the engineering bits that go into make a particular thread what it is, so that it can perform as that thread is meant to perform.
It can be a really confusing topic. And I should clarify before you jump into it that most of what you’ll read in the publications below are related to regular sewing threads and machine threads more than hand embroidery threads (though sometimes, the principles are applicable, despite the category).
I’ll also share some extensive updates from the Studio End of Needle ‘n Thread! So… read on!
June 3, 2026
Oh, I’m soooo happy that Elisabetta Sforza has published a new (and very beautiful) floral alphabet project book! Her newest is called Bouquet Letters, and it’s exquisite. It is lush, serene, and lovely!
And yes, the books have arrived and are stocked, so if you have Bouquet Letters – or any of Elisabetta’s books – on your wish list, we’ve got ’em! You’ll find them in the shop now.
Let’s take a look at Bouquet Letters up close…
June 1, 2026
Continuing the ABC Archive series here on Needle ‘n Thread just got really hard. It’s not easy to come up … Continue reading X is for the Elusive Letter X
May 29, 2026
I love, and I mean love, to travel, even if it’s just a short road trip over a day or two to some interesting destination to learn or see or do something different.
If you’re a traveler and an avid needleworker – if you find the history and culture of needlework to be a worthwhile topic to explore in your travels – then you need to check out this Fabulous List!
May 27, 2026
Last week, I reviewed this book by Cassandra Dias – Richly Stitched Landscape Embroidery – and hosted a give-away for a digital copy of the book.
This morning, I randomly drew the winner of the give-away, so I will announce that lucky person below, and then I’ll share a General Update on Things.
Oooooh, including new stock arriving soon, speaking of beautiful books…
May 25, 2026
Happy Monday, and finally, a project update! I’m writing this on Monday, May 18th, and if all goes as planned, when you read it on Monday, May 25th, I will be mostly recovered from last week’s tendon-release surgery on my right thumb and stitching again. That’s my hope while I’m writing this.
I leave tomorrow (May 19th) for the procedure down in Oklahoma City, and I am determined to queue up enough blog posts to get me through ten days of recovery without having to type for extended periods of time.
In the spirit of the best laid schemes of mice and men, I have not finished this maniturgium project as of Monday, May 18th at 9:00 AM. I sorely wanted to, but “sorely” is the operative word. I’ve been working on it in every spare moment at home, but my hand just can’t keep up the pace.
I’ll show you how far I got on the project before surgery, and I’ll show you my stitching set-up at home. It’s worked pretty well so far. At the end of this article, there’s a chronological list of all the previous articles on this project, too, in case you want to learn more about it.
