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
January 1, 2019
Happy New Year, my friends! I hope 2019 is your Best Year Yet, in every way that you wish!
As we ring in the New Year, I need to thank you so much for making 2018 another great year for Needle ‘n Thread and our little online community!
December 24, 2018
Merry Christmas, one and all!
Today, let’s wrap up A Stitcher’s Christmas for 2018, shall we?
Then I’ll show you one way I use embroidered flour sack towels to wrap gifts, for those of you playing Santa this year!
December 21, 2018
Happy Friday, my friends!
In honor of the Shortest Day of the Year, I’ll try to keep today’s give-away short – but even if I don’t, I promise it’s oh-so-very sweet!
There’s a short turn-around on this one, so if you want to join in, do it soon! I’ll be announcing the winner on Monday.
First, I’ll announce the winner’s from last Monday’s give-away, and then I’ll present the final give-away in this year’s series of A Stitcher’s Christmas.
I hope you all enjoyed this year’s series. Perhaps it introduced you to some new products, maybe new books you weren’t aware of, or maybe you’ve now discovered a new favorite needlework business to patronize when you need embroidery supplies? It’s been fun!
Now… onto the last installment!
December 19, 2018
Oh boy, oh boy! We’re rapidly nearing the end of A Stitcher’s Christmas for 2018!
While I find this pretty exciting, I also find it a little alarming that Christmas is less than a week away. I’m not exactly sure how that happened!
Today’s give-away, courtesy of Lamora at Access Commodities, features some gorgeous new specialty threads that have come to the needlework market in the past year. Created as part of the ongoing revitalization of interest in 17th century embroidery techniques – thanks especially to the research, online classes, and projects of Tricia Nguyen over at Thistle Threads – these threads are perfect for stitchers interested in metal thread embroidery, silk work, stumpwork, and mixed media textiles.
It’s pretty exhilarating when new threads appear in the needlework market, so I’m thrilled to be able to offer some of these new beauties in today’s give-away!
December 17, 2018
Good morning, and a Happy Monday all around!
Time’s a-ticking, and this week will see the end of A Stitcher’s Christmas!
Today, it’s all about tools – and a wonderful array of them, too!
Imagine toddling down the stairs on Christmas morning at 5:07 am in your fuzzy sleeper, your blanket dragging behind you and your bunny slippers scuffling along. As you rub the sand from your eyes, suddenly you behold, in the glow of the Christmas tree, your Christmas stocking, bulging with embroidery treats!
Well, you’ll have to supply the stocking (and the blanket, the fuzzy sleeper, and the bunny slippers), but Needle in a Haystack is supplying the embroidery treats – a whole collection of useful and fun tools for the stitcher. In fact, for two stitchers, as I’ll draw two winners who will each win a collection!
December 14, 2018
I know we’re getting a wee bit close to Christmas, but if you have it in you to stitch something Christmassy over the next week or so, perhaps this project will tickle your fancy!
Remember last week when I showed you the holly & evergreen design that I had altered and started stitching?
These designs are now part of a three-towel ready-to-stitch set available in my shop, here. In the set, you’ll find three variations on the design: a large design, a medium design, and a lighter design.
The design is also available here as a single-towel full kit, including threads, needles, full-color instructions, and high-quality cotton towel with the design pre-printed and ready to stitch.
You’ll find more details below on each of these products – the three towel set and the full kit.
Today I’m going to share a few tips with you on how I stitched the design, along with a thread and stitch list.
December 12, 2018
If you’ve been embroidering for a while – or even if you’re just recently indulging in the practice for the first time – you’re probably very aware that, these days, there are innumerable threads for hand embroidery!
But when it boils down to the actual fibers used to make hand embroidery threads, in the natural fiber arena, you have four main contenders: silk, wool, linen, and cotton. Lately, it’s true, there are some upstarts (like bamboo fibers), but those four are the widely used natural fibers in the embroidery (and actually the entire textile) world.
Today’s give-away focuses solely on wool thread, specifically crewel wool hand dyed at Renaissance Dyeing, where they use the traditional dyes and mordants available in the 16th century to produce their colored embroidery wools.
Read on, and I’ll tell you a bit more about today’s give-away and I’ll also announce the winner of last Friday’s installment of A Stitcher’s Christmas, which included some beautiful silk and scissors from Tres Chic Stitchery.
