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Mary Corbet

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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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Linen Samples, Beads, Thread Tags, & Steam

 

Amazon Books

Well, well, well! Happy Friday!

I was going to share a book review with you today, but I decided it would be hardly fair to the author, since photo editing isn’t happening at the moment.

Only five more days until Eye #2! Eye #1 is doing great – I can’t even imagine how wonderful it will be with both eyes equalized.

Even though detail work is put aside for the moment, other things are getting done…

Linen Fabric Samples

For one thing, some of my Linen Fabric Sampler Packs are all bound up and packaged, ready to go!

If you missed out on those earlier, or you’ve recently discovered the wonders of linen for embroidery fabric, these sample packs contain four 12″ square cuts of different types of fine linen suitable for hand embroidery, with their names, characteristics, suggestions for use, and tips for preparing linen for embroidery.

Right now, I offer a sampler pack of natural-colored linens and a sampler pack of white linen. You can read about the natural linen sample pack here, and the white linen sampler pack here.

You’ll find both of them available here.

Twists of Floche embroidery thread

A while back, I mentioned all these twists of floche that slowly morphed from full hanks into 1/3-hank twists.

It’s surprising how long it takes to break down hanks of thread into more manageable twists. Anna did most of the work on those, but I’ve gotten pretty adept at labeling them now. There’s a trick to getting those tags on in a quick and efficient way… and it doesn’t require good eyesight to do it.

Woohoo! The floche is finished! Well… almost. There are a couple colors that are backordered, so we’re waiting on them. August is over, so hopefully the supply chain from France will miraculously reboot. We shall see!

Weighing beads for embroidery kits

Last year, I wrote about weighing beads for embroidery kits.

All the beads for the Mini Sampler Stocking kits are weighed and ready. I’m just waiting on One More Thread (a DMC perle cotton) for those kits. This round of kits will include absolutely everything you need to make the stockings as pictured, including the cotton threads, the metallic threads, the perle cottons for the finishing, the fabric, the felt, the stabilizer, and all the beads. You won’t have to source a thing!

But I’m short one DMC thread for those. Fingers crossed it will be in the States again soon.

You can read about the Mini Sampler Stockings here. I’m also taking advanced notice on those, for anyone who wants a kit. Just drop me a line requesting advanced notice.

I’ve also been packaging the beads for Jacobean Sea. Yay! Those kits are not coming out imminently (they might not even make it out this year), but the supplies are rolling in. And bead-weighing being a suitable pastime at the moment, I’m having fun making up the tiny packs of beads.

Big Boy behind my studio

The Big Event of the week in my studio actually took place behind the studio.

My studio is on a property lined on its south perimeter by the Union Pacific railroad, which passes some fifty feet outside my back window. I love the trains, even if they are a bit close here at work. When you’ve pretty much grown up with the noise of their passage – whether close by or in the distance – you get used to it. When it’s missing, you miss it!

Yesterday, Big Boy – Union Pacific’s steam engine #4014 – went through on his return journey home. While I wasn’t able to take any magnificent photos, I did take a video on my phone. I posted that on my Facebook page, if you want to hop over there to see the video.

If you like steam trains and such, I think this video of Big Boy on YouTube is worth watching. It’s such a fascinating engine!

Something you probably didn’t know about me: I’ve always had a deep yearning to go on a railroad journey on an older (well-kept or refurbished) train. While most people probably dream of tropical beaches and exotic islands as their ideal get-away, my ideal involves either a train journey on something akin to the Orient Express (ok, maybe not that elaborate!) or a rocky, craggy coast under a massive stormy sky with a lighthouse close by. I’ve done the latter; I will probably never do the former. But I like keeping up with the world of steam trains!

Completely non-embroidery related, I know.

That’s what’s up this week in the studio. I’ll keep you posted on Eye #2 next week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 
 

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(9) Comments

  1. Like you, I would love to travel the country by train. I once looked up prices for a cross country trip — sadly way out of my budget range. Love videos of Big Boy!

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  2. Oh Mary! Just finished watching the Big Boy video, plus two more on Youtube! The sound of the engine whistle is both haunting and oddly peaceful … reminds me of my childhood. You sound so happy Mary. So glad your surgery was a success. I had it last year and was amazed at the difference. Thanks for sharing Big Boy with us!!!
    Kit

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  3. Thank you for the video. My uncles worked on the UP from Fremont, Nebraska where I grew up in the 1950’s. We saw one of the BigBoys in Scranton. We took our grandchildren to the train museum there. Your vido is the first time I saw it in action. I love to ride trains, too.
    Ellen

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  4. I love trains too. When I was very young I lived in Galesburg, Illinois – a major switching center. The trains would go by my house. To this day I love the sound of s train passing or their horn blaring at crossings in the night. My favorite train ride was the northern route from Vancouver to Montreal. A 4 day sleeper at the time. Also the Maple Leaf special through New England in the fall or the southern route from Chicago to Los Angeles through the desert. From Kansas City to Houston is also a great one. When I lived in Europe trains took you everywhere. The high speed between Brussels and Paris, the Chunnel between London and Paris, The Scotland Highlander. All great rides. And great time for simple stitching. You must organize to do a trip. Good luck with your eyes. I had cataract surgery 10 years ago – what a life changer .

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  5. Mary,
    Hope your second eye surgery is successful. I had cataract surgery done about 15 years ago and I am very happy with the results. Of course, mine was done because as the doctors say “as we age”.
    I remember riding on the wonderful trains as a child. Would love to take a train across Canada. Maybe post Covid.
    Enjoy your newsletters. Praying for a successful surgery.

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  6. I was stationed in Germany before Reunification, and I took the trip to East Berlin on the duty train — an old pre-war steam train like an unpainted Hogwarts Express that left from a hidden track at the Frankfurt station. You had to memorize the directions to the platform because nothing could be written down except your travel authorization orders.
    Not luxurious, but *very* film-noir!

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  7. Dear Mary

    Such a lot happening with you at the moment. I would love to order the Linen fabric pack, but you are not post internationally which is a shame. I do understand why because of the cost of international postage, but a shame. that the cost these days of postage is. The floche looks lovely all nicely twisted and Anna has done a good job. It must have taken forever to weigh those beads and pack them for postage. Like you I love trains and my ideal get away is the Orient Express train, I would love to take a ride on that momentous train. The Big Boy looks a lovely train, I’ve been on a couple of steam trains and they are lovely but would love a ride on the Big Boy so big and interesting. Thank you for sharing and letting us know the availability of the items above and for the lovely film on the Big Boy. Hope your eyes get well soon.

    Regards Anita Simmance

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  8. Oh wow! What a fabulous treat! That engine is just superb !!! My first home was in a warehouse beside the tracks in Atascadero, California, and I have some hazy memories of trains going past and a few treasured photographs, and a lifetime of delight in engines rumbling along. Thank you so much for the picture. Charlotte

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  9. The Big Boy is magnificent! I hope to see him one day if he ever journeys east. I Love the N&W 611 so much too. Wouldn’t it be the best if they ever were to run together! Have you ever thought about doing the Trans Canada journey? I have read that it is not to be missed. Best wishes for both eyes to make a speedy recovery!

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