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
May 31, 2017
I have a rule about the back of embroidery – and it’s pretty much the same rule that applies to… well, underwear.
Today, let’s chat about the backside of hand embroidery projects – perspectives and opinions, circumstances that might change your approach, and practical tips!
May 29, 2017
I am not a Stitching Saint. Not by a long shot!
I try to be organized. I try to abide by all the good habits that, deep down in my Heart of Hearts, I know would make me a more efficient, and perhaps a better, stitcher.
But, sometimes (ok, let’s be brutally honest here – more often than not!), I fail.
Case in point: thread organization while test stitching on this project.
May 26, 2017
As May draws to a close, and with the three-day holiday weekend ahead (in the States, anyway), methinks it’s a great time for a give-away!
And not just any give-away, mind you! No, no! It has to be great! And what could be better than one that feeds the Inner Thread Junkie in all of us?
Today, courtesy of Needle in a Haystack, three of you will have the opportunity to acquire six brand new spools of gorgeous silk embroidery thread in your choice of colors. It’s a terrific way to add to your thread stash, or, for newbies to silk, to start it!
If you’d like to join in, read on, my friend…
May 24, 2017
Once upon a time, long, long ago in a land called Kansas (in fact, last year), a young girl (or old lady – or at least middle aged…ok, 40’s…) who writes an embroidery blog began the epic journey of sharing with her friends some monogram designs from a particular alphabet.
And then she somehow forgot to finish the alphabet.
And apparently, no one could live happily ever after, because none of the loose ends in the fairy tale were tied up.
When I mentioned on Monday that I had a free pattern to share with you this week, I got a couple emails kindly reminding me of the unfinished alphabet.
It’s always nice to end a story neatly, so today, I’m sharing with you the letters U through Z of the Floral Script Alphabet. You can see the style of the alphabet in the photo of the E below.
You’ll find the rest of this monogram alphabet (along with several others) available on my Monogram Patterns index, here.
You can also find the entire alphabet, collected in one spot, along with 15 other complete monogram alphabets, available here in my pattern e-book, Favorite Monograms, which I’m discounting through this weekend to celebrate the end of this particular story!
May 22, 2017
Good morning and a Happy Monday all around!
Just a wee update this morning to discuss some weekend stitching. Initially, I called this an experiment, but it worked, so I’m keeping it.
When it comes to surface embroidery, beads are not usually part of my planning process. I like beads. But they’re rarely an integral part of my design process. If they happen, they tend to happen as an afterthought.
But my vision for the design I’m working on right now included a little bit of sparkle and dimension that beads can add to a piece. So I ventured into testing different beads this past weekend.
May 19, 2017
The thread junkie in me is bubbling to the surface again!
Today, it’s bubbling up to show you a new-to-me silk thread that I’ve had a chance to play with recently. It’s Sajou’s Fil Au Chinois silk perle #30, and it’s… lovely. Deep Sigh.
Well, it’s silk – so what can I say?
I can’t resist trying new-to-me threads, examining them closely and seeing what they’re all about. I got these particular threads from Needle in a Haystack, where they’re newly listed on their website here.
If you’re a crazy quilter, a needlepointer, a cross stitcher, or a surface embroiderer, you’ll find plenty of good uses for a silk thread like this. It’s the kind of thread that’s hard to resist. It’s got a great sheen, it feels good, and, with a few little technical tips, it stitches up beautifully!
Let’s take a close look at it!
May 17, 2017
It’s inevitable. Un-stitching, or picking out stitches, happens to all of us!
And while it can be, initially, a disheartening proposition to have to rip out embroidery stitches, it really is not such a bad thing. I always look at a mistake or a change of mind as a learning experience. And I always go into any embroidery project knowing that I’ll probably have to pick at least some stitches out. Once you realize this, mistakes or mind-changes don’t loom like dark mountains – they just become part of the whole process.
One thing that can drastically effect my attitude towards having to pick out stitches is the fabric I’m stitching on. This topic fits into the whole discussion we’ve been having about linen for hand embroidery lately.
Today, in an effort to justify my obsession with good linen, I’d like to show you one significant difference in types of fabric that you might choose for hand embroidery. It becomes very noticeable when you have to pick out stitches!
