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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When Embroidery Scissors = Art (& a Giveaway!)

 

Amazon Books

Before I started writing Needle ‘n Thread a little over eight years ago, scissors were just utilitarian tools (primarily, for me, they still are). But over recent years, I’ve morphed into a scissor-noticer – and a buy-them-to-try-them scissor collector. (I know – it’s a tough job. But we do what we must…)

In Nogent, France, there are still scissor artists who make very fine scissors by hand, and each pair is a work of art. These scissors are exquisitely fine, wrought with intricate, decorative handles. They are, from what I’ve heard from those who own them, sharp, delicate, beautiful, and perfectly functional.

Here in the States, The French Needle carries a wide selection of these hand-made masterpieces.

Although I long to touch them and try them, I never have. They are a bit beyond my buy-them-to-try-them budget.

But that’s why I’m bringing the subject up today – I’m really excited about the fact that The French Needle is running a give-away for this pair of embroidery scissors:

Hand Made Scissors from Nogent France
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Some Free Embroidery & Needlework Books – Online Sources

 

It’s been a while since I’ve foraged around online for available old needlework books.

For those who are new to this concept, there are several places online where you can find excellent, old, public domain needlework and embroidery books in PDF format that you can download and save on your computer for personal use.

Many of these old books have really good instructional tips in them. Some have patterns and design ideas. Some are just good reading for their entertainment value! It just depends on what you’re looking for.

A few sources that I like best for old online needlework books: Antique Pattern Library (although I’m having a problem with their downloads recently – they ask for a password, which has never happened before); Online Digital Archive on Weaving, etc., from University of Arizona; Internet Archive; and Project Gutenberg. Those four sources could keep you occupied for a very long time, looking at old needlework and embroidery books!

In the meantime, here are some gems I’ve found lately – I hope they’re not repeats!

TBC Instructions and Designs for Hardanger
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A Few Stitches, A Subtle Difference

 

The other day, I showed you the finished embroidery on the wing and central feathers on the Secret Garden Hummingbirds.

There was one spot in particular that still bugged me – right where the last feather rested above the already embroidered tail section.

Today, I want to show you how just a few stitches can make a subtle difference, transforming a bothersome area to something better.

Secret Garden Embroidery - Stitching Feathers
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Embroidery Design Transfer Question & Frixion Pens

 

Despite the proliferation of articles here on Needle ‘n Thread about embroidery design transfer methods, the question of what to use to transfer an embroidery design is still by far my most frequently asked question.

I always know there’s something new going on out there in the embroidery world – a beginner’s class, maybe, or a popular blog post that’s been circulated – when all of a sudden, my inbox is flooded with questions that are about the same subject.

So, today, I’m going to tackle two questions. One represents the repeated questions I’ve been getting lately about Frixion pens, and the other is an isolated question – a very fairly put question about design transfer from a beginner.

Finally, I’m going to ask you to chime in at the end. If you do something different from what’s covered here, and you’ve discovered it’s a no-fail method with certain types of embroidery, tell us about it!

Why I Don't Use Frixion Pens for Embroidery Design Transfer
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Secret Garden Embroidery: Un-Stitching & Re-Stitching Some Feather

 

Last time we looked at the Secret Garden Hummingbirds, I was musing over how to embroider the feathers extending from the body right below the wing and above the tail.

When I’m in one of these Un-Stitch-To-Fix situations, if I don’t force myself to face it right away, it can become a Monumental Problem – something I loathe more and more to face, so much so that I keep putting it off. And the putting off of an embroidery project in these circumstances can lead to serious consequences, like shelving a project “for Later” – and then Later never comes.

Tell me I’m not the only one who’s experienced this! In fact, I’d bet that many of UFO’s (un-finished objects) out there in the embroidery world are primarily the result of one of two situations: 1. boredom with the project, or 2. a mistake that needed fixing and couldn’t be faced.

So I figure it’s always best to face stitching hurdles as soon as possible. Once a stitching mistake is made that keeps me from going farther on the project, I correct it right away – at the first possible moment I have to address it. I usually find that these situations that require un-stitching and re-stitching are not that big of a deal, if I just get to it.

So I got to it.

As a reminder, here’s where I left off:

Secret Garden Embroidery - Hummingbirds - Stitching the Feathers
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