About

Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

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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Stitch Fun! Embellished Wheatear Band Tutorial

 

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Good morning and Happy Friday all around!

Today, I’m going to share with you a little Stitch Fun! tutorial for a decorative composite band, worked on a foundation of wheatear stitch.

This band can be used for lines, gentle curves and the like. I’ve used it on letters (in Stitch Sampler Alphabet) and I’ve used it for decorative borders or just little pretty accent sprigs. It’s an easy and fun combination!

Stitch Fun Tutorial: Embellished Wheatear Band embroidery stitch
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Ukrainian Rushnyk – Beautifully Embroidered Swaths of Cloth

 

So, I’ve been traveling about in the Northeast lately, where I met up week before last with my six sisters and spent a splendid time (albeit too short!) hanging out together.

After we dispersed as a group, I continued my excursions.

One of my sisters recommended a visit to the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts.

I thought it was somewhat odd that there was a Russian icon museum in Clinton, MA, and so my curiosity was piqued. I looked it up, and sure enough – there is one. It’s a well-known museum with a fantastic collection of icons. But, better yet, they’re currently running an exhibit (until June 3rd) that made me doubly eager to go: Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles.

Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton MA - Ukrainian embroidery
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Free Hand Embroidery Design: Hinda Hands, Small I

 

Today, a quick little embroidery design!

This is a design I’ve re-worked from Hinda Hands’s book, Church Needlework: A Manual of Practical Instruction.

Even though the book is on church needlework, the design can be worked for secular embroidery, too. In her book, the author presents several designs that are perfect for practicing types of embroidery typical in church needlework, but also perfectly suitable for other decorative embroidery as well.

Hinda Hands Embroidery Design for Goldwork and Silk - Small 1
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Embroidered Garden Flowers – Book Review

 

Today, let’s talk embroidered flowers! I want to show you an embroidery project book I’ve had for a while, that I think is utterly charming.

Hopefully, if you’re in the same hemisphere I’m in, you’re finally enjoying some spring weather. It’s been slow coming this year, hasn’t it? No matter where you are, though, Embroidered Garden Flowers will certainly put you in the mood for All Things Growing!

Let’s take a look at it!

Embroidered Garden Flowers - Book Review
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Revisiting the Loreto Embroideries and Anichini

 

Last year, I wrote this article about finding the illustrator behind the Loreto Embroideries in the Royal School of Needlework’s collections.

Today, for enthusiasts of historical embroidery and art in general, I’d like to share with you, with permission from the author, a short article by John Shaffer, retired Director of Arts Programming at the State University of New York, Oswego.

John is also a fan of Anichini’s illustrations. We’ve corresponded back and forth for a little while about Anichini, so I was thrilled to read his insightful article. I think you will enjoy it, too, especially if you’ve experienced the Loreto embroideries at the RSN.

Mother of Christ illustration by Anichini
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