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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Weekend Stitching: Lots of Knots and Little Leaves

 

Amazon Books

Monday, Monday! To give you something bright and cheery to look at, to start the week out right, here’s some development on a little bit of stitching.

I’m working up this sample of an embroidered tree to demonstrate what can be done with the thread I’m using. I really didn’t intend for it to be a major project. It’s not – it’s pretty simple, fairly relaxing stitchery, and not toooooooo time consuming, but more time consuming than I originally intended.

I am an absolute inveterate optimist when it comes to judging time and how long it will take to complete even the smallest project.

Oh, I can whip that up in a couple hours, the Time Optimist in me says…

Hand Embroidered Tree, Blooming, worked with split stitch, seed stitch, and French knots
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Best Instructional Books for Goldwork Embroidery

 

I’m very excited that Search Press’s new edition of A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery is out now in the UK, and coming very soon (by September, I believe) to the US.

The re-printing of the A-Z series of needlework books (which I wrote about here) is a great thing for the embroidery world. The books, printed and distributed by Search Press, are now available more affordably, and hopefully, they’ll be available for a good long time.

Getting my little paws on the new edition of A-Z of Goldwork reminded me why I love this book. It prompted me to put together a short list of goldwork reference and instructional books that are definitely worth having on your needlework book shelf.

A-Z of Goldwork Embroidery - Search Press edition - and other goldwork instructional books
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True Confessions: I’m a Messy Stitcher

 

I wil tell you this unashamedly:

I am a Messy Stitcher.

And sometimes, just between you and me and the dog, I am a Very Messy Stitcher.

Being a Messy Stitcher can lead to some Problems, especially if you rely on embroidery for your livelihood (which I do).

The biggest problem has to do with Productivity.

As a Messy Stitcher, it’s very easy to lose track of things – from needles and threads to ideas and decisions.

I reconcile my Messy-Stitching-Habits with my Need-to-Be-Productive through one little object that I’m never without. And since it accidentally showed up in a photo, I thought I’d chat about it with you.

My Workstation for Hand Embroidery - it's a mess!
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Oh, that Needlework Bucket List!

 

Please tell me I’m not the only one who has a Bucket List when it comes to embroidery projects!

A Bucket List is a list of accomplishments or experiences that we want to eventually achieve. Often, these are events, projects, plans that we consider luxuries right now, that we work towards as life progresses.

I probably don’t have to tell you that Bucket List items often are not achieved. We think about them a lot, we dream about them often, we pine for them and plan for them – but it isn’t unusual that they don’t happen. Life takes us down one course, then another, and before we know it, the opportunity to experience this or that on our Bucket List is gone forever.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!

If you’ve been nurturing the Cabinet of Curiosities courses offered by Tricia Nguyen on Thistle Threads as part of your Bucket List, I want to encourage you to take the leap and get in on the current openings for this class. I’ll tell you why…

Cabinet of Curiosities stumpwork box by Jeri Zoubek
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Gingham Embroidery Tutorial: Watermelon!

 

Here’s a fun project for summer stitching! If you’re familiar with chicken scratch embroidery, I think you’ll love this adorable chicken scratch border that features watermelons embroidered on gingham with chicken scratch techniques.

If you’re not familiar with chicken scratch, no problem! It’s a very simple style of embroidery that creates a lacy look on gingham fabric. You can learn all about it through these articles, tutorials, and projects for chicken scratch embroidery. So many possibilities with this humble, pretty, embroidery style!

Gingham Embroidery, chicken scratch tutorial - watermelon
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Goldwork Jewelry – Kits Give-Away!

 

To kick off the month of August and the first week therein, I thought this morning a good time for a give-away!

On Friday, I mentioned Tanja Berlin’s new Etsy shop, where she’s offering kits and digital downloads for a number of her designs, including some neat little goldwork and metal thread embroidered jewelry pieces.

I can think of several reasons for wanting these kits, though they might not be the reasons you’d expect. I’ll let you in on them below!

Tanja thought I might want to give away a couple of the kits to readers here on Needle ‘n Thread, so today I’m giving away one of each. Read on to see how to enter the give-away. It’s quite simple, I promise.

Goldwork Embroidery Kit: Pendant
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