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

Contact Mary

Connect with Mary

     

Archives

2025 (69) 2024 (135) 2023 (125) 2022 (136) 2021 (130) 2020 (132) 2019 (147) 2018 (146) 2017 (169) 2016 (147) 2015 (246) 2014 (294) 2013 (294) 2012 (305) 2011 (306) 2010 (316) 2009 (367) 2008 (352) 2007 (225) 2006 (139)
 

Stitch Fun! Simple Steps to a Complex Embroidery Stitch

 

Amazon Books

Do you ever yearn to hand embroider some of those really complicated, rich, braid-like bands, but just find the stitch sequence too complicated to master quickly?

Sometimes, complicated looking embroidery stitches are not as complex as they really seem!

Today’s Stitch Fun tutorial is a good example of that.

That’s not to say this stitch isn’t slightly complicated, but once you understand the sequence, everything else about this embroidery stitch is super simple!

And the result? A nice, heavy, braided band stitch, great for outlines, heavy stems, or anywhere you want a strip of texture and dimension on your embroidery surface. It works up great as straight lines and as slightly curved lines.

I’ve included lots of photos to make the stitch tutorial as clear as possible.

Double Knotted Herringbone Band
Continue reading “Stitch Fun! Simple Steps to a Complex Embroidery Stitch”

Unveiling Embroidery Treasures from Muncaster Castle

 

The other day, I promised further details on the live-stream event from Muncaster Castle, where Phillipa Turnbull will be giving a talk and unveiling some of the seldom-seen embroidery treasures of Muncaster as part of the Lady Anne’s Needlework Retreat.

So, here they are, the promised details and the embedded video for viewing later!

Muncaster Castle Embroideries
Continue reading “Unveiling Embroidery Treasures from Muncaster Castle”

Monograms for Hand Embroidery: S, T (and News)

 

Continuing on with this daisy & rings monogram alphabet for hand embroidery, here are the S and the T.

It’s perfectly understandable if you look at these two letters and say, Huh?

The S is an old scripted S, as is the T – although the T is somewhat reminiscent of an uncial-type T. Both of these styles are often seen in old alphabets for embroidery.

At first, for modern audiences, they can be somewhat difficult to get used to.

Just preparing you!

Here’s the S:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery - the Letter S
Continue reading “Monograms for Hand Embroidery: S, T (and News)”

Muncaster Castle Embroideries – Coming Live!

 

Good morning and a Happy Sunday all around!

I’m popping up here on Sunday (somewhat unusual) to pass along some embroidery news so that you can plan ahead to take advantage of it, if you’re interested.

You might recall that, earlier this year, I mentioned the Lady Anne’s Needlework Retreat going on in the UK (this coming week), hosted by Phillipa Turnbull and The Crewel Work Company.

One of their planned visits is to Muncaster Castle, on the west coast of the English Lake District. Muncaster is home to the Pennington family, who have collected over the years (over the centuries, really) an impressive array of textiles that are seldom seen by the public.

Muncaster Castle Embroideries
Continue reading “Muncaster Castle Embroideries – Coming Live!”

Ricamo Estense – The Complete Manual – Book Review

 

Happy Friday!

Today, a book review for a unique instructional book for an equally unique style of embroidery, called “Estense embroidery” – a style hailing from northern Italy, modern in its concept but with roots in the 14th through 16th centuries.

If you’ve been hanging around on Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you might remember that I reviewed Elisabetta Holzer’s first book, Ricamo Estense, back in 2010.

After several years of hard work, Elizabetta has produced an extensive manual that catalogs all the stitches and techniques she incorporates into this enchanting style of embroidery.

Ricamo Estense - The Complete Manual
Continue reading “Ricamo Estense – The Complete Manual – Book Review”