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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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May 30, 2014

Monograms: The Art of Embroidered Letters – Winner!

 

Amazon Books

Today we get to find out who won a copy of Monograms: The Art of Embroidered Letters by Susan O’Connor – a book that is currently out of print, but in the process of being re-printed. It’s hard to find an original edition of this book, and if you do, it’s often Very Pricy Indeed.

So, last week, to help spread the Love of Monograms to all, I decided to give away a copy of the original edition. And today, one lucky gal out there will find out that she gets to add this lovely tome to her needlework library!

Monograms: The Art of Embroidered Letters
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May 29, 2014

Thread Talk: On Old Embroidery Threads

 

I have a Thing about old embroidery threads.

An explanation of a Thing might be in order, so you understand me correctly.

I often say, “I have a Thing about needlework books.” Or “I have a Thing about good embroidery scissors.”

And if you’ve been reading Needle ‘n Thread a while, you probably gather that I like needlework books, and I’m attracted to good embroidery scissors.

But my Thing about old embroidery threads is slightly different. The fact is, I don’t really like them the same way. I like the idea of them. I like looking at them, examining them, contemplating them.

But I don’t like embroidering with them.

Cleaning Old Embroidery Threads
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May 28, 2014

Secret Garden Embroidery – Flowers 5 & 6-ish

 

Oh dear. We were supposed to chat about some whitework embroidery threads today. But – woe is me – my photos turned out just dreadful! So instead, I’ll share an update on the Secret Garden after some weekend stitching.

Deep down, I don’t like doing updates too frequently on the same project, because I fear you might be sitting on the other side of the computer screen, bleary-eyed and yawning from boredom.

After all, hand embroidery projects rarely develop at a Rapid Rate by today’s standards. Embroidery is a slow process – and I love it for that, most of the time.

But other times, I wish I were a Super-Fast-Bionic-Stitcher.

With sixteen arms.

And three heads.

Secret Garden Embroidery Project
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May 26, 2014

Needle Aweigh!

 

Have you ever heard of “woolies”?

Woolies are embroidered images of ships worked by sailors who were usually on those ships. Although they’re mostly a British thing, it’s not unusual to find woolies worked by sailors from other countries as well.

My interest in woolies was piqued some 15-ish years ago, when visiting DC. There, I saw the sailor’s embroidery that’s on exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Unlike woolies, this piece is worked on linen with silk, and it features, along with a ship, many land-based scenes memorializing the Civil War. On the bottom of it, the sailor embroidered “Worked at Sea.”

Contemplating that piece, I thought, “Embroidery by sailors made sense – it would be a great way to occupy time. And surely this isn’t the only piece of embroidery ever done by a sailor!”

And that thought led me to…

…woolies. (Don’t you just love the name?!)

Woolies: Embroidered Ships by Sailors at Sea
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May 23, 2014

Secret Garden Embroidery: Upside-Down Halfway Point

 

The Secret Garden Hummingbirds – my current follow-along embroidery project on Needle ‘n Thread – reached a milestone the other day. A halfway point of sorts!

I love Halfway Points of Sorts. Though not officially The Halfway Point (as there are no embroidered birds in the picture yet), half the flowers are finished.

It’s always nice to step through a mini goal and start moving towards the next one, isn’t it?

Secret Garden Embroidery Project: Flowers
Continue reading “Secret Garden Embroidery: Upside-Down Halfway Point”