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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The Big List of Embroidery & Needlework Blogs to Explore

 

Amazon Books

A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the embroidery & needlework section of my Feedly feed.

Feedly is a feed reader that organizes blogs and news websites that you want to follow regularly, and it keeps track of what you read, what you like, and what you want to return to, to read again.

I hadn’t cleaned my feed out for a long, long time. Over 200 needlework-related blogs were lurking in there. As often happens with blogs, many of them had Died the Death of the Blogosphere. They disappeared. They became defunct. They froze in time, date stamped three years ago. Or they shifted focus completely.

The clean-up job left me with less than a quarter of the original list. Some of them are newer, some of them are tried-and-true and have withstood the test of time. All of them offer something for the embroiderer, from instructional content, to inspiration, to history snippets.

For your weekend reading, I’d like to share with you my Big List of Embroidery & Needlework Blogs worth exploring. So, grab a cup of tea and pull up a chair and join me, while we explore!

A Big List of Embroidery & Needlework Blogs
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Fall Stitching, Anyone?

 

Autumn is upon us! It’s well past the mid-October mark, and if you live in the northern hemisphere, you’re probably enjoying a break from your typical summer heat.

That’s the principle, anyway. It’s not been the case in Kansas the last couple days, but I have high hopes of a chilly weekend!

When autumn hits, I like to at least think about the possibilities for fall-ish embroidery projects. And this is really a shame, because if it’s already autumn, by the time I get around to stitching something autumn-related, it’s usually winter. And the urge, by then, has passed.

Pumpkin Basket in Embroidery
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Solid, Serviceable, Superb in Every Detail

 

Finally.

Finally, I say! I’m So Excited about the slate frames that are being produced for the general US embroidery market by Access Commodities. Finally, a slate frame that is strong, solid, serviceable, and absolutely meticulously correct in all its details. And – finally – I’ve been able to get one!

Yes, I’m a bit of a frame junkie. I have tried them all, you see. And I like many different types of embroidery frames.

But the slate frame – that is, a good slate frame – just can’t be beat.

I’ve also tried lots of different slate frames over the years. Frames made with very heavy, thick wood that, though well-made, were so cumbersome they were hard to handle and manipulate. Frames made from such thin, light wood that they bowed under the pressure of lacing. Frames that were poorly finished, that needed constant touch-up sanding to prevent splinters and snagging.

Frames with roller holes that were too large, so that the frame easily skewed itself with the slightest bump. Frames with twill tape that shredded on the first use.

Frames with conical pegs that popped out whenever the frame was set on a flat surface.

Frames that I’ve made due with when I needed a slate frame, but never felt satisfied with.

All that ends now.

Access Commodities slate frame for hand embroidery
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Glorious Goldwork and Pearls!

 

Whenever I hear from Larissa Borodich, a stitching friend from Moscow, I always know I’m in for a visual feast! Her goldwork and pearl embroidery is always sumptuous, meticulously worked, and downright beautiful!

Larissa’s latest piece – like the last stylized pomegranate she sent photos of – comes from a design I shared on Needle ‘n Thread ages ago. It is by far one of my favorite “sampler” designs for goldwork – and it could be interpreted in other types of embroidery, too.

So, here’s some splendiferous eye candy for you this morning, plus a little bit about the design itself.

Goldwork & Pearl Embroidery from vintage goldwork sampler pattern
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More Tulip Monograms & Some News!

 

Hi, there! Did you miss me yesterday? Well, I missed you! For those who wrote to wonder where I was, thank you! I was still right here in Kansas, but I was out of commission.

I’m back in commission this morning, which is a good thing – and hopefully, I’ll get some real work done today!

This morning, I’m sharing with you the next four letters in the Tulip Monogram alphabet. I know some of you have been waiting eagerly for the later letters of the alphabet, and we’re finally getting there! I also have a little bit of news, just to keep you abreast of Needle ‘n Thread-related activities.

Tulip Monograms - decorative letters for hand embroidery
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Late Harvest Embroidery Project – Progress & a Tip!

 

When I first saw Hazel Blomkamp’s Late Harvest, an embroidery project in her book Crewel Intentions (which I’ve reviewed here, if you want to see what’s inside it), I thought Wow! That would be the Perfect Fall Embroidery Project!

And then I ended up starting it at the end of winter this year.

Originally, I set up the project as a “carrot” – something I can work on solely for the fun of it, as a reward when I finish other things I need to do, or just when I want something to stitch for relaxation.

The last time I had a chance to work on it was in the hot throes of summer, during mid-July in Kansas. Not exactly the Vision of Stitching Bliss that I first pictured for this project, which I imagined indulging in on crisp autumn days.

This weekend, even though the temperature peaked around 90 (thanks a lot, Kansas), I took it out and worked on it a bit. Today, I’ll share some progress, make some comparisons, and share a happy discovery with you.

Late Harvest Embroidery Kit - progress and tips
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