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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Embroidered Sacking & a Really Cute Chicken!

 

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Earlier this summer, I went on a road trip.

I almost called it a vacation, but if you understood how we do road trips, you would not want me to cast aspersions on the word Vacation.

Vacation conjures up lingering, enjoying, relaxing.

Our family road trips are None of the Above. They are go, go, go – get there – do what you have to do – leave – drive, drive, drive, drive, drive. Get to the next place – do what you have to do – drive, drive, drive, drive, drive – get to the next place. Stop and sleep. Get up early. Go, go, go, go. Drive, drive, drive, drive. Repeat anywhere from five to ten times. Arrive home.

So, vacation is the wrong word – road trip suffices.

Before venturing out on this particular road trip, I called for photo contributions from readers, so that I could highlight some of your work in articles this summer.

Many of you responded – many more than I expected, actually! And so I’ve been trickling them out on the website ever since, in the hopes that they provide fellow stitchers with embroidery ideas and inspiration.

Embroidered Feed Sacks
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Secret Garden Hummingbirds – Stitching & Un-Stitching

 

Oh, oh! Finally!! I’ve made some progress on the Secret Garden embroidery project – specifically, on the hummingbirds.

But, as is usually the case with this work-it-out-as-you-go process of completing an embroidery project, there’s been a little un-stitching along the way, too.

So, today, I’ll show you where I am and discuss the circuitous route that got me here.

Secret Garden Embroidery Project
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Sardinian Knotted Embroidery – A Give-Away!

 

Last week, I reviewed Yvette Stanton’s new whitework book, Sardinian Knotted Embroidery, for you, and this week, I thought I’d follow up with a give-away!

I love giving away at least one copy of a new book after reviewing it, but in this case, I’ll be giving away two copies, courtesy of Vetty Creations.

And that’s just dandy! That means your chance of winning just doubled!

Sardinian Knotted Embroidery
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Monograms for Hand Embroidery: Delicate Spray W, X, Y, Z

 

Ah, Monday! A perfect day to finish something!

Normally, I procrastinate until Mondays, when I begin things. It’s a bad habit – “I’ll start that on Monday….” – but for some reason, Mondays seem like good days to start things. It’s like the beginning of a new year, in miniature form. And since it happens 52 times a year (give or take), that’s a lot of opportunities for new beginnings!

But, today, we end. We end the Delicate Spray monogram alphabet with the last four letters: W, X, Y, and Z.

Here they are!

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: W
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Monograms for Hand Embroidery: Delicate Spray S, T, U, V

 

Wow – this alphabet went fast! We’re only four letters from The End!

The previous monograms I added to the free embroidery patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread took months and months – and sometimes, over a year! – to make the whole alphabet available. This time, I decided larger groups of letters over a shorter period of time would be more helpful for folks looking for pretty monogram alphabets for hand embroidery.

And happily, these 26 letters have gotten to you rather quickly! So, here’s the second to the last set of letters – the S, T, U, and V.

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: S
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Hummingbirds: Initial Color Selection

 

My hummingbirds on the Secret Garden embroidery project are not going to be remotely realistic looking.

I just thought I would clarify that before I go any further!

Despite all your wonderful input on the question of color on the hummingbirds, I still find myself with ideas, possibilities, and too many choices congesting my head. And so, I did what I usually do, and we’ll see if it works…

Color Selections for Embroidery Project
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