I’ve been working lately on some tiny embroidery projects. Technically, they’re petit point – they’re worked on 48 count silk gauze. And they’re a lot of fun! (I will share them soon!)

As I work on any embroidery project, I troubleshoot to make sure the project can be accessible to anyone who wants to undertake it, too. And this can sometimes be tricky, especially when working with small scale embroidery.

When it comes to seeing small scale stitching, there’s always lighting and magnification to help.

But when it comes to doing certain things – for example, threading a little needle – it’s sometimes hard to find a solution if difficulties arise.

I’ve written about threading needles in this article here (read the comments, too). No matter what kind of needle I use, the pinch and saw method of threading always sees me through.

But for some folks, threading a needle is more difficult – and not being able to thread a fine needle can put them off their stitching game altogether. So I figured I’d seek out a fine needle threader that actually works for small needles.

Sometimes, when playing around with our embroidery – whether it’s advanced or not – we forget some of the basic tips that help us achieve a good result with our handwork.

So, for beginner’s especially, but also for more seasoned stitchers who’ve been dabbling for a while but might benefit from a refresher (or maybe there’s something here you haven’t tried yet?), here are five had embroidery tips that lead to better results and that make stitching easier.

They’re basic tips with links to tutorials. I’m a firm believer that now and then, it’s a good idea to go back to basics!

Oh, good morning, and a very happy Friday to you!

Today strikes me as good day to share a free hand embroidery design with you. And, with All Things Autumn sprouting up all over the place here in the States, it seems appropriate that it’s a fall-ish pattern!

This is, yes, another kaleidoscope design. It didn’t quite make the cut for Favorite Kaleidoscopes, primarily because it is season-specific. I had planned on stitching it up for the website long before now and sharing the stitching process as fall progressed, but I haven’t had a chance to tackle it yet.

Still – that doesn’t mean you can’t!

Playing with threads and deciding on colors makes me happy.

It’s not just because I like embroidery thread and I like color. It’s more than that!

When I get to the point of selecting colors and threads for a new project, I know that I’m on the brink of a new adventure.

Since thread selection, for me, is often the last part of the whole designing and planning process, I’m always in a state of excitement when the threads are gathered before me!

Here in Kansas, it’s been disgustingly hot the first half of September – which is pretty typical!

But last night, the heat broke as storms rolled through, and this morning, it is soft and cool outside, smacking of autumn all around! Rumor has it, we’ll be in the low forties tonight. That’s practically winter here.

I love autumn. I love everything about it, from the cooler mornings and chilly nights, to the crisp sunny afternoons alternating with the occasional blustery gray.

But most of all, I love fall for the color. The gold-red hues of the prairie grasses, the blue-blue skies, the leaves flashing their brilliant shades. Even the green and gold grasshoppers that spit. Yep, I love it all!

If you’re an autumn stitcher, then I have some good news for you! After writing about these miniature patterns I shared with you the other day, I was able to follow up on the whole thread availability question.

And even if autumn stitching isn’t your thing, but you’re a thread lover in general (I’m guessing some of you out there love embroidery thread, correct?), this is great news, too, because… well, who doesn’t like threads at a discount?

I’ve started playing with some miniature pieces of embroidery to use in jewelry bases.

If you’ve been following along on Needle ‘n Thread for a while, this probably won’t surprise you too much, because I love little embroidery projects – and when it comes to embroidering for jewelry bases, well… that’s pretty little!

The fun thing about these little embroidery projects is that they take very little time to work up, if you’re not making anything too complicated. I’m not even talking about a weekend project – I’m talking about a morning or afternoon project!

It all depends, though, on how complex you make the embroidery.

I went with pretty simple. I still need to get some aspects of the whole process ironed out. I’ll tell you what went well, what didn’t, what I will change for the next time, and I’ll share resources and some free patterns with you, so you can stitch up your own little autumn embroidery bits, too!