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
September 19, 2014
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.
September 18, 2014
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!
September 17, 2014
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:
September 16, 2014
What do you get when you cross bullion knots with stem stitches?
Right. There’s no punch line!
It’s kind of obvious – you get a stem stitch line made with bullion knots.
It looks like this:
September 15, 2014
This weekend, I was rummaging through the workroom, taking photos of needlework tools and accessories that I have, but have never shown you. This was while I was supposed to be cleaning up.
I never quite got around to cleaning up.
Once upon a time, I was a bare-bones stitcher. I didn’t have tools and accessories, beyond the very basics. But one thing I noticed while writing about embroidery here on Needle ‘n Thread is that needleworkers of every ilk and every persuasion of needlework just love their accessories and tools.
So I started noticing accessories and tools. Can you guess what happened?
Now, I love discovering unique needlework-related tools and accessories – the kind that you don’t see everywhere. The kind that are hand-made. Personalized. Interesting. Little lovely things that make stitching easier or simply more pleasurable.
So today, I thought I’d show you this particularly neat little gadget that’s new to me. I’ve seen plenty of magnetic needle keepers out there – especially the kind that rest on your fabric – but I’ve never seen one quite like this! I love it!
September 12, 2014
Do you have but one pair of embroidery scissors? I know many embroiderers who do – one pair of scissors, exclusively for embroidery, that they cherish, protect, and defend with their lives.
I used to have one pair of embroidery scissors that I used exclusively for surface embroidery. For goldwork and wire, I had a pair of snippers that eventually died the death.
But that was before I started Needle ‘n Thread. I’m not sure what happened, but over the past many years, I’ve accumulated a few pair. I blame it on the blog.
Off the top of my head, I couldn’t even guess how many pairs of embroidery scissors I have right now.
But I can tell you this: embroidery scissors are not all created equal.
September 11, 2014
Just a wee update on the Secret Garden embroidery project, for those who are following along.
And for those who are just joining up here on Needle ‘n Thread (a big welcome to new subscribers!), a little background information. This particular embroidery project came about when I discovered Johanna Basford’s book, Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt & Coloring Book, which I reviewed last year as a source for embroidery inspiration.
I contacted the author and squared away permission to stitch the project and show the development of it here on my website – the only caveat is that I can’t share the design with you. If you want it, you’ll find it in Johanna’s book, along with other delightful drawings that could translate well into embroidery.
For those who aren’t that keen on the project itself (you might be thinking, I would never embroider that!), I try to incorporate little tips, ideas, all the mistakes and their fixes, into the articles as the project develops, so that everyone can learn at least something from the project, whether you’re ever going to embroider it or not.
I love to get reader feedback through suggestions, comments, and questions, which can be found at the end of any article on Needle ‘n Thread. The collective needlework community here on Needle ‘n Thread is a great resource for inspiration, ideas, guidance. Since embroidery is never a matter of “only one way” to do things, it’s great to have so much input from such a knowledgeable, enthusiastic community.
All the articles relating to the project are listed in chronological order in the Secret Garden Hummingbirds Project Index, which is found under Tips & Techniques in the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread, where you can find many other hand embroidery lessons & step by step projects.
And now, I’ll quit my burbling here and get on with the update!
