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
May 17, 2014
Sounds like the beginning of a corny embroiderer’s joke, doesn’t it?
It never fails – if I write about any kind of whitework on Needle ‘n Thread, I always get questions about whether or not it can be done with colored threads.
And that’s what happened yesterday, when I wrote about cutwork.
May 16, 2014
Remember a few weeks ago, when we chatted about Haft Richelieu, a magazine from Poland devoted to all kinds of cutwork embroidery designs?
Well, to emphasize the point that these are smaller, manageable cutwork embroidery projects, I’d like to share some photos of some beautiful Richelieu projects with you. Joanna Jakuszewska, who designs most of the projects in the Haft publications, sent me two beautiful pieces of her cutwork, along with several issues of the magazine. (Thank you, Joanna!)
May 15, 2014
The largest flower on the Secret Garden embroidery project is giving me some concern.
In short, I’m doing the Miss Clavel thing again: Something is not right.
It’s not the satin stitching…it’s not the seed stitching…so what is it?
May 14, 2014
Monograms: The Art of Embroidered Letters by Susan O’Connor first came out in 2007, and I’ve had it on my shelf (and on my work table for reference, and in my grubby paws just for the pleasure of reading and browsing) since practically the day it hit the shelves.
It is The Book to have, if you love embroidered monograms and decorative initials worked in traditional embroidery methods.
May 13, 2014
The hand embroidery stitch called the pistil stitch (or the elongated French knot) comes in really handy when stitching flowers. The reason is obvious – it looks like its namesake, the pistil on the inside of a flower.
The pistil stitch is an easy stitch to master, and it works well inside all kinds of flowers or even on its own, in completely un-flower-related circumstances.
I’ve been using the pistil stitch on the Secret Garden project, on the flowers. Some reader’s have asked for pointers on working this stitch, so here’s a handy tutorial to show you how to work the pistil stitch.
May 12, 2014
I love grapes! I love embroidered grapes! If I were the type to decorate by theme, I believe my kitchen and dining room would sport a kind of winey, grapey, Italian theme.
But since I’m not super-themey when it comes to decorating, I just enjoy grapes in all kinds of other ways, from embroidered…to frozen…to crushed and fermented.
If you like grapes and have a reason to embroider a bunch of them, this particular stylized bunch would work quite well. It has Possibilities.
May 10, 2014
For your Saturday browsing, here’s a little bit of embroidery history relating to World War I.
I love this story!
