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
August 18, 2014
I’ve been playing with several embroidery stitches lately, to add some tutorials and stitch ideas to the Stitch Fun series here on Needle ‘n Thread.
This latest stitch I’ve been playing with is, I think, one of those under-appreciated, not-often-used stitches, but it has great potential, especially because it’s easy!
There’s nothing complicated about it at all, and yet it yields results that rival some of the more complex braid stitches.
August 16, 2014
Here’s the E and the F in the latest monogram alphabet that I’m adding to the free embroidery patterns section here on Needle ‘n Thread.
This particular E is quite pretty, I think! It’s scripty, without being elongated, too scrawly, or over-formal. I like it!
August 15, 2014
Today, a very quick little announcement to let you know who won Tanja Berlin’s online blackwork embroidery class from last week’s give-away…
August 14, 2014
I have a Thing for hand embroidered wedding gowns from days of old – like this gorgeous wedding dress from 1914, that I wrote about a few years ago.
The other day, I spent a delightful bit of time reading up on Elizabeth Bull’s wedding dress – a Colonial era hand-embroidered wedding dress held by the Bostonian Society.
August 13, 2014
I’ve been writing a little bit lately about (and working in the background a lot lately) on monograms for hand embroidery.
The funny thing about monograms – and maybe it isn’t funny at all – is that the monograms that we think of as monograms these days aren’t necessarily monograms at all. And perhaps I’m perpetuating the problem, by calling the letters that I share here on the website, “monograms.”
Today, people often refer to decorative initials as monograms. They aren’t. To clarify, here’s a little primer on technical terms for decorative lettering used in embroidery.
August 12, 2014
Lately, I’ve come across some little snips of needlework news that I think are worth sharing with you – just bits here and there that I thought I’d pass on.
You might find a little gem of information here that you didn’t know about – upcoming classes, a sale, supply news, another interesting video.
August 11, 2014
Last week, I added the Daisy & Rings monogram alphabet to the patterns page here on Needle ‘n Thread, and introduced the alphabet with the A and B.
Today, I’m adding C and D to the list for you!
I really love this alphabet – but the reason I’m sharing it now has more to do with the fact that, in the “near-ish” future, we’ll be looking at monogramming a little closer, and in case you decide you like monogramming, too, I want you to have access to some easily printable monogram patterns.
Near-ish is such a relative term. Right now, with the Secret Garden still progressing, I don’t want to move off on a monogramming tangent.
But just so you know, it’s a-comin’…
