About

Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

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

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Contrast in Crewel Embroidery by Tatiana Popova

 

Amazon Books

Today, I want to highlight a new book by Tatiana Popova that’s recently been published by Search Press.

The book is Contrast in Crewel Embroidery: Modern Designs on Light and Dark, and the title clues us in on the unique angle that Tatiana has taken in putting the projects in this book together.

Now, if you’re not familiar with Tatiana and her books, you can read a little more about her through the following articles:

Interview with Ukrainian Designer Tatiana Popova – on Inspirations Studios

The Seasons in Silk Ribbon Embroidery – my review of her first book, which is on silk ribbon embroidery.

Tatiana also authored a book called Crewel Embroidery: 7 Enchanting Designs inspired by Fairytales, published by Search Press in 2020.

Contrast in Crewel Embroidery by Tatiana Popova
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Sign of the Arrow Needlework Shop

 

I had exactly 42 minutes to spare.

If Waze (my preferred map app) was correct, I could make a detour, spend 22 minutes at a side stop, pick up the road again, and arrive at my final destination in Kentucky right on time.

I approached the greater St. Louis area at 9:10 AM.

The traffic gods were working in my favor. I took the plunge and detoured.

At exactly 9:30 AM, I arrived at Sign of the Arrow, located at 9814 Clayton Road in St. Louis, Missouri, just as the shop opened.

The trick, of course, was going to be getting out of the shop in 22 minutes. (I’m not very good at getting out of needlework shops in 22 minutes.)

Sign of the Arrow Needlepoint and Gift Shop, St. Louis, MO
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Aaaand….I’m Back!

 

Summer is official.

It’s never really official until I take my one week off a year, which always falls at the very end of June because it hinges on other people’s schedules.

I took the week. And I’m back. So now I feel like it’s well and truly Official Summer here in the studio! These are the days when the blinds are closed against the glaring sun, the outdoor planters are watered super early, and the inside work is quiet, slow, and steady.

As usual, it takes a bit to get back into the swing of things on the work front and the home front. Strangely, the impending 3-day weekend with tomorrow’s Independence Day holiday has made the start a little rocky!

Today, I just want to update you quickly on what’s coming up, so that you know what to expect with the next stitch-along (you can read about it here), and what other items are on the schedule.

Happy Camper embroidery
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Friday Favorites: I’m Fond of These

 

A few weeks ago I put together some photos for the EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America), that they will use on their website and marketing for an episode of their “Virtual Lecture” series.

Are you familiar with the EGA’s virtual lecture series? The Embroiderers’ Guild of America hosts a monthly virtual lecture for their members, focusing on embroidery history, techniques, culture, and textile traditions. You can read more about this series here.

They’ve got me down for a session in April of next year – and I think it’s going to be a super fun session! Instead of a lecture, it’s a question and answer session, with questions that members will have the opportunity to submit.

If you’re not a member of the EGA, by the way, perhaps you should be! The whole organization has undergone quite a lot of updating over recent years, and their resources and events are stellar. Because I don’t have a chapter close by, I’m a Member at Large – which is a very affordable $55/year membership allowing me to participate in events, make use of their resources, and receive their quarterly publication Needle Arts Magazine – a lovely magazine featuring projects, tutorials, and needlework news and resources.

While communicating with the coordinator for the lecture series, I put together a small collection of “favorite project” photos so that they could pick and choose whatever they wanted for marketing and so forth.

Favorite embroidery projects on Needle 'n Thread
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Garden Swirl Stitch Snippet Overview

 

Because it’s Friday (which has nothing to do with anything), but really because I’m leaving this weekend for a week, I’d like to introduce you officially to Garden Swirl, the Stitch Snippet stitch-along that will be developing here on Needle ‘n Thread over the next couple months.

If you are new to Needle ‘n Thread and the Stitch Snippet stitch-alongs, I’ll explain below what they’re all about and how they work.

I’ll also share information on timing, kit availability, and what you’ll learn and experience with this little embroidery project that we will work through together, from start to finish.

Garden Swirl Stitch-Along
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Ready-to-Stitch: A Different Approach

 

For many years, we’ve been carrying a variety of ready-to-stitch cotton flour sack towel sets here on Needle ‘n Thread.

These sets of three high-quality cotton towels feature pre-transferred images in themed designs. Many of them are seasonal – we have Christmas towel sets, autumn towel sets, spring and summer sets – and some are general designs that work in any season.

The sets have been very popular over the years! And we understand why – we like stitching them, too!

The ready-to-stitch towels make great “relaxing” stitching projects, they leave plenty of room for personal adaption in color choice and stitches, they can be embroidered as simply or as extravagantly as you like, they make great gifts, they’re perfect teaching tools for yourself or for friends and family who want to learn to stitch…. the list goes on and on!

This year, we’ve decided to do something different with them, so I thought I better tell you about it now, before we get much deeper into the summer.

Ready to Stitch Towel Sets
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