I loved the blue linen that I used when I first set up this Jacobean “whitework” embroidery project.

But since it is a discontinued fabric, and since I had some design tweaking I wanted to do, I decided to start over.

I couldn’t find a blue linen I liked well enough that is suitable for surface embroidery like this, so I’ve opted for a natural colored linen. I still intend to incorporate some blue – but we will see how that plan pans out a little further down the road!

Now, it’s not unusual that I start a project and then re-think it pretty soon after the start. I prefer it when this doesn’t happen, but sometimes, it just does. And while starting over may seem like a waste of time and resources, I always learn something useful in that process. Plus, the materials from the first attempt come in handy for testing theories for the next attempt.

Combine those positive benefits with the fact that I don’t like to put a lot of time into something that I already know is dissatisfactory, and those provide me with my excuses (they’re good enough!) to start over.

Happy Monday! Did you enjoy much time with your needle and thread this weekend?

As it turns out, I didn’t. I managed to squeeze in a little bit of stitching time late Sunday afternoon – and it didn’t last very long!

But I almost finished the five motifs that are featured in Elizabetta’s booklet In a Wheat Field that I reviewed a couple weeks ago.

I made some changes as I went along. I’ll show you and explain my reasoning…

For many of us, it’s inevitable. We hit 40, and our eyesight changes. And for those of us who love needlework, this can be problematic.

I’ve written about magnification options for needlework many times here on Needle ‘n Thread. Today, I’m going to review a magnifier I recently purchased solely in order to answer your questions about it.

As an embroiderer who has had Really Bad Eyesight all my life, this is a topic that’s near and dear to me – having the right tools that allow us to pursue the things we love to do.

Last year, as winter was setting in, my niece Julie accosted me, looking for some needlework to do that wasn’t difficult, that worked up easily and quickly, and that would give her something creative to do with her hands during the evening hours.

We foraged about in my Bin of Sundry Collected Needlework Goods, and came across a couple Huck weaving (also called Swedish weaving, among other names) towel kits. So I passed them off to her – and guess what came back to me last weekend? A finished towel!

Huck weaving also came up in our Needle ‘n Thread group over on Facebook not too long ago, too, so I thought I’d touch on the topic here, mention some resources, and direct you to the free pattern that you’ll see on Julie’s towel.

There are some things I really shouldn’t blog about.

Felt and embroidery seem like a pretty good subject, though. And usually, it is!

But in this case? Maybe not!

The way I see it, though, is that sometimes, it’s more fun to learn from other people’s mistakes than it is to make our own – so here is a little lesson in… I don’t know what.

I thought I had the right concept (and maybe I do), but wow, this thing didn’t come out the way I intended at all!

I almost feel like I’ve been suckered into embroidering these motifs from Elisabetta’s wheat field alphabet. They’re just too addictive to put down.

My Project Wall is feeling rather neglected (I’ll tell you about my Project Wall some day…) and my eggs are stagnating. I’m embroidering some eggs of a sort – I’ll share them with you soon!

The poppies are The Most Fun Ever. They make me laugh.

You know that booklet I reviewed on Monday, by Elisabetta Sforza? In a Wheat Field?

Well, it’s become rather diverting. I think you need to get it, if you haven’t already gotten it. We could have fun together!

I wasn’t really going to let myself be diverted by it.

But then I did.

You see, I got it into my head that I would at least scuffle through my DMC thread colors to see what I had on hand for the projects in the book. And then, while I was chillin’ a bit in the evening, I figured I’d go ahead and trace some of the designs onto vellum – you know, just for the fun of it.

Then I got it into my head that I’d like to play with the designs on a linen glass towel. And one thing led to another, and here I am. And I’m Perfectly Happy to be here!

As I began to delve into the projects, considering colors and stitches and what-have-you, I admit that I changed things up a little bit.