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
February 14, 2018
Good morning, sweeties! Happy Valentine’s Day!
I really wanted to send everyone a big bunch of exuberant roses for Valentine’s Day today!
But since it’s also Ash Wednesday, I was thinking maybe it was a good opportunity to share some ecclesiastical embroidery with you.
Wonder of wonders! It just so happened to work out that I could do both.
So here are your roses and your ecclesiastical embroidery, all rolled into one neat package!
February 12, 2018
Lately, I’ve been working on some relative small embroidery. Not miniature embroidery, but rather little things that require fine threads in order to get a balanced look to the finished embroidery.
And while I’m embroidering these little things, often with only one strand of floss, I’m constantly reminded of the necessity of good lighting for needlework.
Couple this with the fact that I’ve had a lot of requests for recommendations for good lighting recently, and I figure it’s a topic that we should revisit, especially for those who are in the market for a good stitching light and for those who don’t realize just yet that their lighting might not be adequate.
So, today, let’s have a little chat about lights! I’ll recap some lighting options that I’ve reviewed here on Needle ‘n Thread (and that still work great for me), and I really hope everyone else will chime in down in the comment section and let folks know what light you use and why you like it! Together, we can help fellow stitchers make informed decisions on lighting solutions for needlework.
And…shhhhhhhh! Just between you and me and the lamp post, I’ve also include a good coupon code exclusive to Needle ‘n Thread readers for one of the lights. The code is from last year, but it still works!
February 9, 2018
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you’re probably thinking you don’t have time to stitch up something festive for your sweetie.
And, to tell you the truth, you could be right, if you were planning to go All Out in a Big-Hearted Way.
But, if you just want to go small, there’s plenty of time between now and next Wednesday, right?
Here’s a free hand embroidery pattern to get the juices flowing and get you motivated to give it a go! I’ll even give you some stitching ideas to go along with it – because I love you, of course!
February 7, 2018
This book review has been a Long Time Coming!
Last year, Elisabetta Sforza self-published an embroidery book called Un Alfabeta a Fiori, A Flower Alphabet. If you’re familiar with Elisabetta’s work which is featured on her needlework blog, Elisabetta Ricami a Mano, then you can already guess that the book and the projects in it are beautiful.
A Flower Alphabet, though, is a different kind of embroidery book. There are a few things that make it different from most needlework instructional and project books on the market today.
So, today, I’m going to show you this exquisite book, tell you how it differs from other embroidery books, and let you know where you can find it.
February 5, 2018
Good morning and happy Monday from a snow-covered Kansas!
I have to do a little Needle ‘n Thread house cleaning today. Funny how a website works a lot like a house – you can’t just let things go too long, or they get away from you!
The purpose of this article, then, is to provide an index for all the step-by-step embroidered kaleidoscope projects I’ve covered here on Needle ‘n Thread, including Party in Provence, Tulip Festival, Birthday Bash, and Coloris Kaleidoscope.
We’ve worked through four embroidered kaleidoscopes altogether. They’re not tiny projects, but they’re not huge projects, and some are quicker than others. They’re colorful and a lot of fun!
Feel free to bookmark this page for your future reference if you plan to work through any of the kaleidoscopes, or you can always find the index listed under “Tips & Techniques” (with a lot of other step-by-step embroidery projects!) in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread.
February 2, 2018
Even if you’re new to embroidery, you probably already realize that there’s more to the Wonderful World of Embroidery Thread than regular stranded cotton.
But perhaps the whole gamut of all the thread available out there – the “embarrassment of riches” that we enjoy in the needlework world today – is a bit overwhelming to you.
Perhaps you know there’s other thread you could try, but, being unsure of what’s what, you feel it’s better to stick with what you know rather than to venture into the unknown.
Often, our inhibitions to try something new are due to a lack of confidence, which stems from a lack of understanding or knowledge.
So occasionally, I like to delve into a bit of thread talk, exploring different types of threads for hand embroidery. For beginners and non-beginners alike, understanding what threads are what may encourage you to try new-to-you threads with a little more confidence!
Today, we’re going to talk about cotton threads that are specifically made for hand embroidery.
January 31, 2018
Last year I reviewed this slate frame from Mythic Crafts.
The original article in this spot was the announcement for a crowdfunding campaign for Mythic Crafts to set up business. I have since deleted the original article, since the whole thing went “bust” in 2019.
Update, 2019: At this point in time, I’m cautioning folks about purchasing from Mythic Crafts. After a very successful crowd-funding campaign in January of 2018, many of the backers have still not received their goods from backing that campaign. I hope that Mythic Crafts is able to fulfill the orders made during the crowdfunding campaign, but until they do, I don’t recommend ordering from the company’s website.
Update, July 2019: Mythic Crafts is out of business, with no explanation to the backers. I have since adjusted my policies on backing and promoting any kind of similar crowdfunding campaign. Like many of you, I am also out the funds I backed the campaign with, and I’m sorry I went to the effort to support the business and told other people about it.
I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt, and I believe Mythic Crafts began with the right intentions, but that they over-extended themselves and through a variety of circumstances, couldn’t keep the business running. Communication to the backers would have been nice (and really, the only correct thing to do), but I imagine there’s a whole lot of emotional pain going on there, too.
