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
June 10, 2016
Since many of you write now and then asking about class sale prices for the hand embroidery classes available on Craftsy, I thought I better give you a Big Heads Up about this weekend’s class sale!
It’s a good one, and if you’ve been contemplating signing up, now’s a good time to do it!
June 8, 2016
Some of the questions showing up in my inbox lately have to do with Coloris, DMC’s new multi-colored stranded cotton.
I’m working on a little Coloris project as we speak – I’ll share that with you in upcoming weeks. I always figure you can get a better idea of a thread and what it does by actually stitching with it, rather than just handling it and staring at it. And to that end, I’ve been playing about with it! (Hey, any excuse to play with thread!)
In the meantime, I’ll answer a couple questions about the thread that may help you decide if you want to add this new collection of twenty-four colors to your stitchy stuff.
Let me put it this way – if you have a fun streak when it comes to embroidery, I’m pretty sure you’re going to want to add it to your stash!
June 6, 2016
Here on Needle ‘n Thread, you’ll find a whole slew of free hand embroidery patterns for your own personal use.
Today, I’m going to start a series featuring these very pretty floral monograms that I’ve cleaned up into vector line drawings that you can enlarge or reduce, print, and use for your own hand embroidery projects.
June 3, 2016
Visiting museums, taking road trips, exploring history… these are things I love doing, and usually, when I do get the opportunity to do them, I’m always on the lookout for embroidery along the way. I can’t help it – it’s a compulsion and an obsession!
Last month, a very dear friend came to visit, whom I hadn’t seen in years. One day, she suggested a short road trip. Now, I’m nuts for road trips, but I haven’t gone on even a short one in a couple years. So I leapt at the opportunity, and one morning, early, we headed out across the green hills of Northeast and North Central Kansas (yes, by the way, we have hills in Kansas!), to a town called Concordia.
Concordia is home to a small museum with a huge story. While the museum is, in a way, a simple affair, it tells one of the most compelling (and little-known) stories of America history – the story of the Orphan Train Movement. The Orphan Train Complex houses a research center and a museum dedicated to the riders of the Orphan Trains in the US from the mid-1800’s through the early 1900’s. During a time frame of about 75 years, over 250,000 children – orphaned, abandoned and foundlings – were “deported” (primarily from NYC) on trains across the United States and Canada to be placed in new homes.
May 31, 2016
Living in a small rural town in the middle of Kansas has its advantages…but it also has certain drawbacks.
For example, local embroidery supplies are pretty scarce. And locals who share an interest in embroidery are scarce, too. That’s why I love, love, love our little community on Needle ‘n Thread! Thanks to the internet, we can share ideas, tips, and tricks about embroidery with ease, almost as if we live right next door to each other!
This month, I experienced another disadvantage of rural life. Mid-May, I received one of those delightful little cards from the Post Office that said I had a package waiting. I love those cards! Especially when I’m not expecting a package! But upon perusal, I saw, circled boldly, “Last Notice. Package will be returned to sender in two days.” Last notice? Last Notice? I never got a first notice! Needless to say, I hastened to the local PO (which has the oddest hours on the face of the earth), and retrieved a very intriguing package, which I’m going to tell you about today.
This particular package hails from Cynthia – you might remember her from the incredible work she did in formatting my Marian Medallion e-book – and in it is an item that may very well be The Solution to all your whitework embroidery transfer fears.
May 26, 2016
You already know it. But, in case you have any doubts, I’m going to say it anyway: I’m a thread junkie.
I love embroidery thread! I’m drawn to thread like an ant is drawn to sugar. Like a bee is drawn to pollen. Like Icarus was drawn to the sun. And like some people are drawn to chocolate.
Put me amongst embroidery thread, and I am happy.
There are worse addictions in the world, so I suppose I’m not ashamed of the fact that I love thread so much. I am a little bit mortified, though, when I look at all the thread that I’ve accrued over the years and realize that there’s really no way for me to use it all. Ever.
So for the past year or so, I’ve stopped accumulating thread just for the sake of having, and I’ve been working solely from threads I own. While this may make me feel temporarily self-restrained, it doesn’t curb the addiction.
My determination to work from what I own has resulted in a few testy moments. Going into a needlework shop and facing a wall of thread, only to pass on all of it, almost causes me to break out in a sweat. The whole experience can be rather depressing.
Fortunately, my determination doesn’t prevent some very kind people out there from feeding my addiction (God bless ’em!). Recently, I received a pleasant package in the mail, containing several samples of a reader’s favorite thread. And when I opened the package and began to revel in the colors, I knew I had to share them with you!
Those of you who love over-dyed threads and vibrant colors, beware.
May 23, 2016
Back in 2015, I ran a short series of articles on a variety of heritage tapestries that can be found around the globe. These are needlework tapestries that depict a story – usually a rather epic tale – from the heritage of the people who stitch it or of the area in which it is stitched.
Heritage tapestries fascinate me! I love the history they tell, the artistry they display, and the whole idea of Community that revolves around them.
For those of you who are new to the concept of heritage tapestries, or who missed the articles last year, you might find this particular book review of The Art of Narrative Embroidery interesting. If you’ve ever toyed with the idea of organizing a tapestry in your own community, it’s a great place to start!
