October 9, 2015

Lace Making, Drawn Thread Work, Embroidery – for the weekend!

There are very few needlework / thread-related arts and crafts that I haven’t tried.

At least once.

They don’t all click.

There’s one thread-related art that I’ve tried to teach myself many times over, and that I’m still determined, some day, to get the hang of, and that’s bobbin lace-making. I don’t want to be an expert at it. I just want to be able to flip some bobbins about with semi-confidence and end up with some kind of ordered pattern showing up on the board in front of me. Is that too much to ask?

In any case, I feed my desire to learn that particular lace-making art by reading about it, watching videos now and then, and even, occasionally, sallying forth with the same beginner’s kit I’ve had for umpteen years.

And then, a day later, embroidery takes over my life again, all the bobbins go back in their bag, and I concede that “it isn’t going to happen this year.”

Lace Making, Drawn Thread Work, and embroidery videos in Italian

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October 8, 2015

Custom Iron-ons for Embroidery & Fair Trade Kits

When it comes to embroidery design transfers, you’ve got to admit that the easiest possible way of getting a design – a perfectly crisp, clear design – onto fabric is a good iron-on transfer.

But iron-on transfers aren’t always made to our particular tastes and needs. Sure, we can find iron-ons of pin-up girls, of day-of-the-dead skulls, of cute vintage kittens and cupcakes and space ships; we can even find iron-ons of complex, lovely cutwork designs; and we can find iron-ons of state birds and bottles of wine and cups of cappuccino.

And while all of the above have their place and their audience, what if those aren’t what we’re looking for?

What if we’ve got our own design and it’s exactly what we want to iron on, and it doesn’t fit into any of those categories?

Often, I have my own design that I want to embroider three or four times. Gosh, I’d just love to be able to iron that thing on and just get on with the stitching, rather than getting stuck into four design transfers by hand.

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

October 7, 2015

Basketweave Stitch & Shading

Remember last week when we chatted about needle weaving as a filling?

Well, I’m still playing around with the possibilities. See, that’s the problem whenever I engage in any type of sampler. I get Well and Truly Stuck in it.

I’m playing particularly with woven fillings because I’m working on an article for Commonthread by DMC on the same topic. I’ve got a little practice piece that will accompany that article, so I’ll let you know when it’s out. It’s particularly fall-ish, so it’s perfect for this time of year!

Needle weaving stitch - basket weave filling, shaded

Hand Embroidery Patterns

October 6, 2015

Tulip Monograms for Hand Embroidery: M – P

After yesterday’s Peacock embroidery kit give-away – which is still drawing a lot of comments! – I thought we’d go a bit light this morning, with the next four letters of the Tulip Alphabet patterns for hand embroidery.

You’ll find the handy-dandy PDF printable for the M, N, O and P below…

Tulip Monogram Patterns for Hand Embroidery: M, N, O and P

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October 5, 2015

The Peacock Kit – A Give-Away!

Well, since it’s Monday, and since it’s Autumn – which makes me Very Happy! – I think it’s a good day for a give-away!

Besides, we haven’t had one of these in a long, long while, have we?

On Friday, we looked up close at this new Blue Peacock embroidery kit from Canevas Folies. Today, thanks to Laurence at Canevas Folies (for the design kit) and Lisa at the French Needle (for the thread), I’m giving away the design kit with the specialty threads to one of you peacock fans out there!

Peacock Embroidery Kit by Canevas Folies

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October 2, 2015

If You Love Peacocks like I Love Peacocks

I have a song running through my head. It goes something like this:

If you love peacocks like I love peacocks… and then there’s something like Oh, what a gal! and some other stuff. I know the tune and I know about a dozen words, and the rest of the song is filled with something, something, something.

I’m pretty sure the song is about a gal named Susie. And I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with peacocks.

But I do love peacocks, and it fits the tune of the song, so why not?

I especially love peacocks in embroidery. They are a Prime Target for the embroiderer. They beg to be rendered in thread, with their glorious colors and fabulous plumage.

So, needless to say, when Canevas Folies came out with Blue Peacock, I was twitterpated. Let me show you the kit, so you can be twitterpated, too.

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October 1, 2015

10 Tips for Quicker & Easier Stitching

A few weeks ago, I compiled this list of suggestions for how to make a stitching session easier and more productive.

I know this sounds a little weird. Easier and quicker are not necessarily two things we’re seeking when we embroider.

We pretty much already know that hand embroidery isn’t quick (in fact, that’s one of the reasons we like it, right?), and, when we embroider, we’re not normally looking for an easy way out of our chosen project. If we choose a challenging project, it’s because the challenge is part of the fun!

But the ten tips below are not really meant for speeding up your stitching to the point of machine-like production levels, and they’re not meant to simplify your stitching to the point of Boring. Instead, they’re just suggestions that will make an embroidery experience better (as in, more pleasurable and less frustrating), while at the same time allowing the embroiderer to make more progress on actual stitching during any embroidery session.

Here are my ten tips, and I’d love to hear your suggestions, too!

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

Lace Making, Drawn Thread Work, Embroidery – for the weekend!

Custom Iron-ons for Embroidery & Fair Trade Kits

Basketweave Stitch & Shading

Tulip Monograms for Hand Embroidery: M – P

The Peacock Kit – A Give-Away!

If You Love Peacocks like I Love Peacocks

10 Tips for Quicker & Easier Stitching

Connect with Mary

How-To Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos