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
July 7, 2016
Remember this little kaleidoscope design I showed you last week?
Well, I expected to finish it the very day we spoke about it.
I mean, it’s not as if it’s a high pressure stitching job. It’s not as if there’s any difficult techniques involved. After all, it’s just Fun Stitching. It’s an easy Afternoon Finish.
But you know, sometimes, things don’t always go as planned.
July 5, 2016
What makes a good summer stitching project?
The answer to this will vary, undoubtedly, depending on what you like to do in the summer, the type of climate you live in, and whether you’re a “seasonal” stitcher. And of course, there’s the whole question of what you like to stitch, too!
For me, a summer stitching project should have a few key attributes. I’ll share my ideas on those below, and then suggest some projects that would make a good fit for summer stitching.
July 2, 2016
Good morning, friends, and a Happy Saturday all around!
Here in the US, it’s a holiday weekend! And while the Fourth of July weekend usually smacks of outdoor weather, picnics, sunshine, fireworks and the like, here in my part of Kansas, we’re finally getting (a lot) of rain! In fact, it’s practically flooding. In the Midwest, it’s never a good idea to complain about rain. Whenever it comes, it’s a good thing. It’s good for the crops, it’s good for the cattle…
… and it makes great indoor weather to catch up on stitching-related pursuits! So that’s my plan!
Today, I’m going to share with you two things: my last stopping point on Late Harvest, an embroidery project designed by Hazel Blomkamp that I’ve been slowly working my way through and sharing here on Needle ‘n Thread; and a personal update, because many of you are inquiring how things are panning out with my Big Life Adventure with Cancer.
First, Late Harvest! Then, I’ll share the personal update with via a link to a PDF file (so that you can skip it if you want to).
June 29, 2016
This morning, I’m sending out to you four more letters in the floral script monogram alphabet – letters I though L.
If you’re just joining us recently on Needle ‘n Thread, you’ll find all the earlier letters in this beautiful alphabet available here, on the monogram index, and I’ll be adding the rest of them as I get them cleaned up for you.
You’ll also find stitching tips and ideas on each article for these letters, if you’re looking for ideas on how to embroider them.
So, here are the next four letters with some more stitching ideas!
June 27, 2016
Lately, I’ve been doodling about, playing with some designs that I call kaleidoscopes. These are repeating designs drawn on a radiating grid of spokes, which vary in number depending on the type of design.
Some of the designs are made up of many straight lines, while others are scrolly, floral, and a bit loose. Whether linear or scrolly (or a combination), they’re all fun to embroider!
June 24, 2016
If you subscribe to Inspirations Magazine, you might be a lot like me!
When each issue arrives, I give it a preliminary glance because I just can’t wait to see what’s inside it. But then I set it aside until I have time to really savor it. I usually do this over a long and lingering lunch or a couple cups of afternoon tea. I go through the whole issue and I read everything. I even read the ads!
And often, I find myself drooling over the projects. There’s always a few projects in each issue that really grab me. I want to embroider them. Now! And while that’s not always possible or even practical, sometimes, I come across projects in the magazine that I definitely want to stitch with my own hands.
For me, the best approach to having everything ready when the time is right is to order a kit.
I love the fact that Inspirations offers kits for the projects in their gorgeous embroidery magazine! We’ve chatted about the advantages (and some disadvantages) of embroidery kits recently, and in an effort to help you find good embroidery kits available today, I’ve been reviewing some of my favorites lately.
Today’s review is an Inspirations kit – specifically, for Modern Crewel, a project designed by Susan Porter and featured in Inspirations Issue 90.
June 22, 2016
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a review about DMC’s new floss, Coloris.
One question that came up in the discussion of this new variegated thread from DMC was whether or not a list of corresponding solid DMC colors was available for color matching.
Welllll….it so happens, there is!
