You might remember that, last autumn, I was fiddling around a bit with some fun needle woven fillings that can be used to add color, texture, and pattern to large areas of embroidery.

Needle weaving is pretty much just weaving embroidery thread on the surface of fabric. In concept, it’s not too complicated. But the results that you can achieve by following a variety of patterns and by working with different types of threads, colors, textures, and whatnot are pretty amazing!

If you’ve had a bit of a hankering to try out needle weaving on your embroidery projects, you’re in luck! Hazel Blomkamp has put together a terrific little instructional book called Needle Weaving Techniques for Hand Embroidery, and it’s chockfull of so many patterns that you’ll never tire of the offerings!

I’m excited about this instructional book! Let me show you why…

Today’s article is an example of either Really Bad Timing or Really Good Timing, depending on how you look at it.

I want to show you the Most Adorable, downright cute, perfectly constructed, beautifully finished tiny little hoops that you can use for finishing itty-bitty embroidery projects – whether you want to finish those little broder-bits into jewelry, ornaments, keychains, tiny framed things to hang from your ceiling all over your house…

Perhaps I should have mentioned these well before Christmas, so that you could use them to finish little embroidered ornaments or fun and unique jewelry to give as gifts. It’s too late for that now, but look at it this way: January gives you plenty of time to prepare for next Christmas, and for all the holidays, birthdays and other occasions in between!

Better yet, it’s also a great time to make something fun, just for yourself.

The last time we visited Late Harvest, an embroidery kit that I’m working on that was designed by Hazel Blompkamp and featured in her book, Crewel Intentions, we discussed different approaches to the long & short stitch when filling a leaf.

I’m still struggling with those differences. But I keep trying! You know how they say it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks? Well, the same concept applies for stitchers.

Not that we’re dogs, mind you!

I did make some progress on the project last weekend – not a lot, but if you’ve been reading Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you know one of my recurring themes: some progress is always better than no progress!

Happy New Year, my friends!

2016 promises to be a big one here on Needle ‘n Thread – new adventures in embroidery and writing, a new look on the website, and lots of new projects, inspiration, and stitching ideas.

And I’m excited that I get to share it with you! We’re going to have so much fun together!

Happy Christmas Eve!

My big plans for today – to share with you a whole completed stack of red Christmas napkins embroidered with snowflakes using the patterns I’ve been posting on Needle ‘n Thread lately – have fizzled to naught!

Unless I sprout another eight arms and acquire another eight hours in the day, they won’t, alas, be finished. So I’ve decided to do what any sane person would do, and let it go. There’s always next year!

A happy Monday all around!

Although there are a mere four days left until Christmas, I want to share with you a tutorial I wrote for using soluble canvas on plain weave fabric, along with three new holiday stitching patterns.

These are quick projects to stitch up – even the larger of the three patterns works up fast! – so there’s still time, if you’re adventurous, to whip up a handmade gift or two before Friday.

Just popping in to share with you another free snowflake pattern, in case you’re stitching up any holiday flakes this year!

This particular pattern is for a rather large snowflake – it would make a nice focal point on a table cloth or table runner, especially if surrounded by smaller flakes arranged in a pleasing way.

But it might just work on its own, on a little red cloth napkin, which is how I’m stitching it up. Granted, it takes almost a quarter of the cloth napkin – but it’s pretty, and it’s fun to stitch.