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
Contact Mary
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
Contact Mary
April 28, 2015
Remember my insistence last week that you need more thread? (Embroidery thread, of course!)
Well, today, two people are going to get more thread, and that’s pretty exciting!
The question is, is it you? I know, I know! I wish it could be every single one of you, but alas…
So, this morning, the winners of last week’s Colour Complements thread give-away, and some newsy stuff, too.
April 27, 2015
As promised, today’s the Big Launch Day for Stitch Sampler Alphabet: Decorative Initials in a Variety of Stitches! I’m very excited to be able to offer this PDF printable to you, so that you can embroider your own stunning letters in a whole bunch of Really Fun Stitches.
Here’s a preview of what you can find inside Stitch Sampler Alphabet, with details on how to procure it, how to use it, and how to breeze through the simple technical stuff.
April 24, 2015
This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten into embroidered handwriting – and it probably won’t be the last!
If you’ve poked around a bit on Needle ‘n Thread, you might be familiar with my tutorials on embroidered lettering and text. That was a fun sampler! And it morphed into a series of 15 free tutorials on embroidered handwriting, lettering and text.
Right now, I’m working on some embroidered handwriting samples – some are along the same lines as the sampler, some are straightforward embroidered handwriting for specific purposes.
I thought I’d open up the topic for some reader input. Have you ever embroidered your own handwriting? Or embroidered text using a computer font? Have you ever embroidered writing on quilt labels, crazy quilt squares or the like? Or embroidered words on surface embroidery samplers? Maybe you’ve added embroidered names to christening gowns? Perhaps you’ve embroidered the words of an inspirational quote to hang on a wall or to use on a bookmark?
If you’ve done any of that, or taken other excursions into hand embroidered handwriting, my question is this: what stitches have you found most effective for these types of exercises?
April 23, 2015
I’m Sooooo Excited to tell you this!
Guess what’s finally showing up here on Needle ‘n Thread – in just a couple days?
It’s been in the works longer than the Secret Garden Hummingbirds, longer than the Hungarian Redwork Runner… and finally, finally, it’s finished and ready to share with you!
It’s the Stitch Sampler Alphabet, and today, I’d like to tell you a little bit about what you can expect with this new offering from Needle ‘n Thread.
April 22, 2015
To help you make it through the midpoint of the week, how about some thread talk and a little give-away?
You know I have a thread problem, right? I freely admit it. I like embroidery threads!
What am I saying!?! I Love embroidery threads!!
Like the crow to sparklies, like the dog to squirrels, I’m drawn to embroidery threads. They are my One Weakness.
(Well, one of my one weaknesses, anyway!)
Today, I’m going to spread the love a bit – you know, give you an opportunity to indulge your thread obsession, too.
Because I know you must have a thread obsession. Isn’t that why we get along so well? We understand each other, after all!
April 21, 2015
Yesterday, I cried on your collective shoulder about my impractical approach to planning an embroidery project – particular a project for a prayer book cover that went awry.
Now it’s time to change tack – to set out on a new, much simpler course! And to that end, here’s the embroidery design that I’ll be using for this semi-quick project that has to be finished in about two weeks.
This hand embroidery design featuring a cross, grapes, and wheat can be used for all kinds of finished items. Think: Bible cover, prayer book cover, bookmark (in a reduced size), even the front of a greeting card. In fact, you’re not limited to hand embroidery with any of the free embroidery patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread – they’d translate well into any of your personal craft projects!
So, here’s the design, and I’ll tell you how I’m going to stitch it. You’ll also find a handy-dandy PDF printable below, to make it easy to save and print out for your own projects.
April 20, 2015
I know I can’t be the only one in the world who has done this with an embroidery project!
I call it dead-ending.
Dead-ending is when you have a specific plan (or two) in mind for an embroidery project, you get the project underway, and then you realize it just isn’t going to happen. At least, not the way you planned it!
The backstory to this: A while ago, I mentioned this embroidered book cover design that I planned on stitching up on a prayer book cover for my niece’s First Communion. That was the first episode of transferring the design to fabric using my printer. After the printer successfully spat out the design on linen, I also printed the embroidery design on a very nice silk dupioni.
So far so good.
The next step: setting up the foundation fabric for the embroidered book cover.
