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
February 9, 2015
Moving towards the finish here with the Hungarian Redwork Runner!
I hope I’m not going to shock you, but after finishing all the embroidery (even the last couple bits I mentioned the last time we visited the project), I tossed the runner in the washing machine.
Yes, red embroidery, white linen, and the washing machine. Oh, and a bit of detergent.
I didn’t really pause to wonder if it was a bad idea.
February 6, 2015
Today, due to a little glitch in scheduling, I’m announcing winners for two embroidery-related give-aways – Hazel Blomkamp’s Crewel Intentions and a spot in Tanja Berlin’s online class for blackwork, with a kit and all the necessities to take the class.
Some happy news – I’m going to choose two winners for Crewel Intentions, thanks to Barbara, a reader who had two new copies of the book and only needs one. She generously sent it along, so that I could pass it on to another stitcher. So I’ll be randomly drawing two names for that book. Thanks, Barbara!
February 5, 2015
Earlier this week, I received an email from a reader currently involved in a needlework retreat. (Hi, folks! I hope you’re all enjoying the retreat!)
It was one of those emails that made me chortle on the one hand, and on the other hand, it made…not chortle.
In her email (the subject of which was Who is Mary?), my friendly correspondent said:
Someone said Mary Corbett (sic) is not a real person but the articles are a collaboration of several writers.
Admittedly, I felt a little bit like Alice in Wonderland, meeting the caterpillar. Whooooo are you?
February 4, 2015
Last week, as part of the Stitch Fun series, we saw how to embroider a simple scalloped edging using buttonhole stitch and beads.
Today, I’m going to show you a different version of a scalloped edging. It also uses buttonhole stitch, but instead of the larger beads we used last week, worked over slightly looser scallops, this tutorial will show you version 2 of a beaded and scalloped buttonhole edging, using tiny seed beads.
February 3, 2015
Have you ever pondered complex blackwork embroidery designs and thought, Gosh, I’d like to learn how to do that!
Well, here’s your opportunity! Tanja Berlin is hosting an online blackwork class for beginners, and she’s just opened up registration for it.
Better yet, she’s offering one of you the chance to take her online blackwork class for free, along with the materials kit, stretcher bar frame, and tacks – everything you need to work the class project.
February 2, 2015
You and I – we might be fanatical about hand embroidery, but we’re not so fanatical about it that we actually eat, drink, and sleep “embroidery.”
Weelllllll…. ok. We can sleep under embroidered sheets in embroidered PJs, with heads resting on embroidered pillow cases.
But it’s not as if we can eat and drink embroidery.
Or…..can we?
January 31, 2015
Today, I’m going to share a free hand embroidery pattern with you while waxing philosophical (actually, just babbling and pondering) about the names we give to visual works of art.
This is a little drawing I’ve been playing with for a while, with the intention of using it as a hand embroidery design.
The design was inspired by a floral repeat on a piece of antique fabric of a somewhat Jacobean flavor. I fiddled with it, sketched it, colored it, fudged it up, and then finally set it aside, thinking, “Some day, some day.”
And hopefully, some day, it will come about that I can work it into an embroidery piece. But in the mean time, I thought I’d share it with you!
