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

Contact Mary

Connect with Mary

     

Archives

2025 (69) 2024 (135) 2023 (125) 2022 (136) 2021 (130) 2020 (132) 2019 (147) 2018 (146) 2017 (169) 2016 (147) 2015 (246) 2014 (294) 2013 (294) 2012 (305) 2011 (306) 2010 (316) 2009 (367) 2008 (352) 2007 (225) 2006 (139)
 

Thread Talk! Sizing Up Cotton Threads

 

Amazon Books

How often do we actually think about the threads we stitch with? What do we know about them and the way they behave? I like to occasionally explore these questions by looking at threads up close, because it’s helpful to know a bit about embroidery threads when making thread choices for embroidery projects.

So the other day we discussed the differences between coton a broder and floche.

Today, let’s line those two threads up with more familiar cotton embroidery threads: perle cottons and regular 6-stranded floss.

Cotton Embroidery Thread Comparisons
Continue reading “Thread Talk! Sizing Up Cotton Threads”

Stumpwork Flowers – Book Review

 

It’s a snowy cold day here in Kansas – a perfect day for staying home, stitching, drinking plenty of hot tea, and dreaming of spring and flowers and sunshine and blue skies!

If you’re feeling the winter blues, or if you’re sweltering under a hot summer sun, Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto is the perfect book for evoking all the sweetness and freshness of spring.

It’s a lovely book! It’s simple and elegant. It’s instructive. And it makes stumpwork – that sometimes-complicated-looking, three dimensional embroidery – manageable.

If you’re a beginner who aspires to learning stumpwork, or if you’re an expert who wants a simple, fresh approach, methinks you will love this book!

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto
Continue reading “Stumpwork Flowers – Book Review”

Cotton Floche vs. Coton a Broder – Up Close

 

Today, let’s delve into the differences between two somewhat similar embroidery threads. In the States, these two threads are called “coton a broder” and “floche.” Elsewhere, they may be called “broder special” and perhaps “floche a broder” or “coton floche a broder.”

In any case, there is confusion between the types of threads, from country to country, because they’re called different things. So I’m going to refer to the threads as I know them and explain their properties here, so that you can tell the difference between them and perhaps find them in your own country. You can at least know what I’m talking about when I use the names of the threads.

The ultimate point I want to make here is that coton a broder and floche are two distinctly different threads. Let’s look at them.

Coton a broder vs. floche
Continue reading “Cotton Floche vs. Coton a Broder – Up Close”

Secret Garden Embroidery: Can Carelessness Pay Off?

 

Moving along on the Secret Garden embroidery project, today I’ll share a few more musings about transfers.

I should probably mention right now that the transfer work for this project is not what I’d call “easy.” It requires some patience.

And transferring it three times over? Well, I’ll admit by the third time around, I was careless. Fortunately, or serendipitously, my carelessness paid off.

Secret Garden Embroidery Project
Continue reading “Secret Garden Embroidery: Can Carelessness Pay Off?”