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
July 4, 2014
There are embroidery projects, and then there are Embroidery Projects.
And Janice Gail’s embroidered casket is definitely the latter – an Embroidery Project Extraordinaire!
Today, I’d like to share some photos of her masterpiece with you so that you have something enchanting to explore over the weekend.
You can click on any of the photos below to make them larger.
July 3, 2014
Today, because it’s Thursday (which really has nothing to do with anything)…
…and because it’s the day before a glorious three-day weekend (which has everything to do with everything!)…
…and because it’s a cool and beautiful 50 degrees in Kansas this morning (which is enough to put anyone in a good mood in mid-summer!), I’m giving away a copy of Little Flowers in Silk & Organza Ribbon by Di van Niekerk, which I reviewed the other day.
If you’d like a chance to add this title to your needlework library, complements of yours truly, read on…
July 2, 2014
Ever since returning from a little road trip almost two weeks ago, I’ve been in a bit of a slump, and my embroidery on the Secret Garden project is suffering for it.
A Slump? you say. Yes. A Slump.
Well, it’s a strange slump – but I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever experienced a slump like this. It’s like facing the kitchen after a huge Thanksgiving dinner for forty people. You look at the dishes heaped hither and yon, the pots, the pans – there’s a lot to do, and unless you work out some organized process, it’s going to take a lot of time to clean up the mess! Flitting from one little dish to another, from one section of the kitchen to another, isn’t really going to help things.
Sometimes, it’s just hard to know where to start.
Sometimes, the best option is burying your head in a pillow and waiting to see if elves really do exist.
But when it comes to embroidery – or to anything creative – sometimes, the best thing to do is to step away from a project for a little bit. Sometimes, it’s just helpful to take a break and tackle other things that need to be tackled.
July 1, 2014
Oh my goodness. The words that come to mind! Lavish, Lovely, Luscious – Di van Niekerk and Marina Zherdeva’s new silk ribbon embroidery book, Little Flowers in Silk & Organza Ribbon is all of the above!
For silk ribbon embroidery enthusiasts, I’m pretty certain all of Di’s books are a must for your bookshelves. But silk ribbon embroidery – and the techniques found in this book that I’m reviewing today – goes beyond just the SRE enthusiast.
If you are a crazy quilter, if you love stumpwork and three-dimensional embroidery techniques, if you are a flower enthusiast, if you just like pretty things – this book will draw you in and teach you much!
June 30, 2014
Well, this is a surprise. I hope it isn’t too unpleasant, though. I really wasn’t planning on starting the week with more monograms patterns, but the article I was preparing just for you fell apart this morning while I was proofing.
I spent most of the weekend researching a topic that came up in an email conversation, reading up on it, finding resources and information about it. It’s one of those enthralling, obscure embroidery topics, and I was thoroughly enjoying putting together an article about it.
But when it came time to hit that publish button this morning, I just couldn’t hit the button. It needs More Work. More Research. More Information. It’s a neat subject – something related to whitework – and I’ll share it with you when I can round out the information a little bit.
And so, I found myself sitting here at the computer, later than usual on a Monday morning, scratching my head… Monograms to the rescue!
June 27, 2014
Here’s the next set of three monogram patterns for the Delicate Spray alphabet I’ve been adding to the patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread – the G, H, and I.
You can find A, B, and C here, and D, E, and F here, and the whole index for monogram patterns here.
June 26, 2014
Today’s article has a two-fold purpose: it’s part of the series of reader’s embroidery stitched under the influence of Needle ‘n Thread, but better yet, it demonstrates a creative way of overcoming the Most Disappointing, Horrific Experience of Color Run from embroidery threads that are not color fast.
Have you ever embroidered something with threads that you thought were colorfast, only to have them inexplicably bleed their dye onto the ground fabric come washing or rinsing time? It can be a gut-wrenching experience!
You’ve put hours – possibly weeks or months – of work into a project and you come to the point where you want to wash it or rinse it. You do so, still confident and happy, glowing in the sunshine and satisfaction of your stitching accomplishment.
You remove the piece from the water, and
…and…
…and…
…there it is. DYE. Oozing all over the ground fabric. Blurring the lines of your beautiful embroidery. Seeping out of the threads and spreading a halo of destruction around your stitchery. Oh, woe is you!
And woe is me, too! It’s the hardest situation to advise people on, because there aren’t too many solutions that absolutely work, or that work in every situation, to clean up the mess.
And that brings us to Diana’s crazy quilt…
