You’ve probably noticed that there’s a magnificent trend going on right now in needlework-related travel. I love it!

I love the fact that embroiderers are getting out and about to workshops, tours, and retreats in exotic places, from the Highland castles of Scotland to shipboard tropical cruises, where they can interact with other embroidery enthusiasts, learn about embroidery, and explore local needlework, all while enjoying the little luxuries and fineries afforded by the vacation.

What a way to take a holiday!

The fact is, though, I don’t travel a lot right now. For the majority of us, the time might not be quite right for our dream vacation. Work, family obligations, financial restraints and the like keep us dreaming. Some day! Some day!

But this doesn’t mean I’m not intensely curious about how these grand experiences play out! I love it when folks on the workshop or traveling end of the experience send me photos and emails. It’s a great way to vicariously take part!

Today, I’d like to share with you some photos from a current needlework retreat in the Lakes District in England. The retreat is going on right now, and it looks lovely!

So, let’s escape together for a little bit, shall we?

Over the next several weeks, off and on, I’ll be featuring embroidery projects from fellow stitchers in the Needle ‘n Thread community.

I like to share what other people have been doing with their own needle and thread, and that’s why I started, many years ago (way back in 2007!), this ongoing series highlighting your embroidery projects. When we see a wider range of stitching from folks all over the world, it enriches our own needlework experiences – it helps inspire us, it gives us new ideas and a broader outlook.

If you want to participate in the series, it’s really easy! Just drop me a line at mary(at)needlenthread(dot)com, attach your photos, and tell me a bit about the project.

Today, I want to share with you a beautiful piece by Laura Bray, a reader from North Wales. It involves some gorgeous decorative initials – and here’s the story behind it.

Today, I want to share with you the pattern for my next personal embroidery project that will be developing here on Needle ‘n Thread over the coming months.

See, I’ve had the goldwork and silk itch for quite a while now, and it can’t be ignored any longer!

To help relieve the itch, I’ve set up a project and I’ll be sharing it with you as it progresses, along with tips, techniques, successes, and the inevitable failures, too, so that we can all learn from the project. Even if you’re not into goldwork and silk embroidery, you’re guaranteed to find information that will help you along your own particular journey.

So, here’s the pattern, which I’ve named very unimaginatively “Rose Swirl.”

Let’s end the week with another little finish – and a request at the end of the article.

Today, it’s the blooming tree, worked in three very simple stitches.

And that’s really what I like best about this particular project. It illustrates how simple stitches can work together to create a pretty nice finish. Embroidery doesn’t have to be complicated.

So, here’s the finish and some particulars. You can click on the images to view them larger, if you like.

Well, I finished that little shisha embroidery tree that I showed you day before yesterday.

I might have gone wee bit overboard, but you know what? That’s ok! It was fun, it will work for what I need it for, and, more to the point, it’s finished!

And that means I can move on to the other tree I need to finish.

I’m not sure why I’m sprouting trees all over the place lately.

Maybe I’m going through a growth spurt.

On Monday when I mentioned the free shipping sale at Hedgehog Handworks, I dropped the name of a new silk on the market. It’s not really a silk thread, but it can be used for embroidery applications of many sorts.

Soie Tressage is the name of a new line of silk braids – specifically, a soutache braid and a flat braid – made from Au Ver a Soie silk.

Today, I’ll them to you up close and chat a bit about what you can do with them.

Here’s a little practice and play piece I worked on last weekend.

I wanted to try out the tiny mirrors for shisha embroidery that I told you about last week (the punched ones). I’ve also been itching to play around with some DMC Diamant (a metallic thread that I wrote about here) and tambour embroidery.

I went about setting up my play piece the wrong way, though. I don’t know why I do things like this, but I do!

And I usually regret it later. So, learn from me. I like to make mistakes so that you don’t have to.