January 25, 2019

Needle Lace, Whitework, and a Great Set of Books

Have you noticed a little more chatter on the inter webs these days about whitework embroidery?

I think 2019 might be the Year of Whitework.

I’ve seen quite a few embroiderers discussing whitework lately on social media. Thistle Threads is offering an intense online class on 17th century whitework samplers starting this year. I’ve received half a dozen inquiries about this whitework instructional book recently.

And I’ve been playing with whitework ideas lately, too.

Once in a while, the whole notion of pristine white-on-white embroidery beckons me irresistibly. And the call has been strong in the last month or so!

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

January 23, 2019

Stitch Fun! Beaded Braid Stitch, version 1.0

I’ve been playing with the braid stitch – also known as the cable plait stitch – lately. I plan to use it on an upcoming project. It’s a great stitch!

While I was playing with it, I pondered its capacity for bead incorporation. I discovered that it does have great capacity for bead incorporation, but that there are some pros and cons to the obvious ways of adding beads to this particular stitch.

So today, I’m going to show you my first experiment with adding beads to the braid stitch, in a method I’m calling (very originally) version 1.0. Later on, we’ll look at a couple variations that produce a more stable result.

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Beaded Braid Stitch in Embroidery, version 1.0

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January 21, 2019

Vintage Stamped Linen Tablecloth: The Quandary of Salvaging

A couple months back, I received one of those surprise packages that are fun to go through but often put me in a quandary!

It was a collection of linens and other fabrics from a reader who was de-stashing and who wanted the goods to go to a good home. (Thanks, Laura!) In the box were nice scraps of linen and silk, good for experimenting on and for using for demonstrations and tutorials.

Due to the whole Christmas hubbub and general life happenings lately, I didn’t have an opportunity to go through and sort the package until just recently. One of the items in it was an older linen table cloth – huge in size – pre-stamped for embroidery. It presents a bit of a quandary.

I’m going to tell you a little bit about the tablecloth, explain the quandary, and tell you my plans. And then, of course, I’d love your input, too! Especially if you’ve had similar experiences (and I know many of you have, because you’ve written to me and asked what to do…), but even if not and you just have some ideas, I’d love to hear from you!

Pre-Stamped Linen Tablecloth for Embroidery

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

January 18, 2019

Stitch Fun! Mock Wheatear Stitch Tutorial

Today, a simple – but fun! – Stitch Fun tutorial for a somewhat basic stitch that can be used as the foundation of much more elaborate decorative bands.

For newcomers who might not be familiar with the Stitch Fun! series on Needle ‘n Thread – or for those who might have forgotten about it – please let me introduce you! Stitch Fun! is a series of hand embroidery tutorials that explores less popular or more obscure embroidery stitches, stitch combinations, simplifications, and techniques, to help bring a little extra fun and excitement to your embroidery projects.

Today’s mock wheatear stitch tutorial falls into the realm of a stitch simplification. Though it simplifies the wheatear stitch, the mock wheatear opens up the possibility of working with a wider range of colors when constructing the wheatear stitch. At the same time, it offers a foundation for building elaborate bands of color and texture.

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Mock Wheatear Stitch

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January 16, 2019

Textile Research Center, Rabbit Holes, and Available Holly Towels,

It’s mid-week, and I bet all of us in some way or another are grasping at time that keeps slipping through our fingers. So today I’m going to keep it really short!

Yes, well. That’s my excuse. In reality, the Stitch Fun tutorial I had planned for today is somewhere mid-editing. You might see it Friday if all goes well!

But in the meantime, I want to share with you a website that’s had my eye lately. It’s been terrific for browsing through on my phone, while waiting here and there for this and that. I like to bookmark good textile websites on my phone. It makes me feel like I’m at least learning something when I can’t be at work producing something!

Hand Embroidery Books

January 14, 2019

Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches – The New Edition!

First published in 1934, Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches is a classic resource, instructional book, and stitch guide for embroiderers all over the world.

The book was a trailblazer in its time, and it’s gone through a few editions since then. The contemporary versions of the book are revised by Jan Eaton, with updated stitch diagrams and photos of the embroidery stitches worked on fabric.

Recently, the book has gone out of print, but fortunately for us, it was picked up again by Search Press in the UK and by Trafalgar Square Books in the US, bringing us a new edition of a great classic.

Since the new edition is due to be released at the end of this month, I thought I’d show it to you. If you don’t have a stitch dictionary yet to use as reference at home, this is one that I always recommend, because of its easy-to-navigate layout, easy to read diagrams and instructions, and logical categorization of stitches.

Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches - 2019 Edition

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January 11, 2019

Here’s the Low-Down on Those Embroidery Scissors

I’d hate to say that we, as embroiderers, tend to fixate on certain things, because I would never dare to make a blanket statement about All Folks who Love to Embroider.

But I think it’s safe to say that many embroiderers fixate on certain things… like scissors, for example. What embroiderer, after all, doesn’t appreciate really good embroidery scissors?

It seems that, for many of us, scissors can quickly catch our eye.

Case in point: Wednesday’s article on my current project with some tips for stitching on the go. It just so happens that one of the photos in that article had a pair of scissors in it…

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

Needle Lace, Whitework, and a Great Set of Books

Stitch Fun! Beaded Braid Stitch, version 1.0

Vintage Stamped Linen Tablecloth: The Quandary of Salvaging

Stitch Fun! Mock Wheatear Stitch Tutorial

Textile Research Center, Rabbit Holes, and Available Holly Towels,

Mary Thomas’s Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches – The New Edition!

Here’s the Low-Down on Those Embroidery Scissors

Connect with Mary

How-To Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos