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
February 17, 2014
The other day, I filled you in on how I’m working the vines on the Secret Garden project, using stem stitch as a filling and shading it gradually by working with two shades of green in the needle at a time.
Today, I’ll show you some more vines and share some stitching tips that will help you with stem stitch filling.
February 15, 2014
If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while on Needle ‘n Thread, you might recall that last August, I ran a give-away for some really fun over-dyed embroidery threads from LES Designs.
Recently, Lorraine overhauled her embroidery thread business, renamed it to Colour Complements, and established a bright and beautiful new website, which has a blog attached, where you can keep up with her thready news.
February 14, 2014
After selecting colors and threads to get started with, I was super eager to get into stitching on the Secret Garden project.
You might think that I’d start with the hummingbirds, since they’re in the middle of the project, and they’re the focus of the project. After all, a jeweler starts with the stone before creating the setting, right?
Well, call it backwards, but I’m starting with the setting, and specifically with the vines, because they are the continuous force in the design. They go everywhere. They hold it all together.
Besides, I’m still ruminating on those hummingbirds. I haven’t conquered them yet in my mind, and working on the rest of the project will give them time to work themselves out in my head.
February 13, 2014
Last week, I reviewed a beautiful and instructive little book on stumpwork embroidery, called Stumpwork Flowers.
This week, continuing with stumpwork books, I want to show you Jane Nicholas’s latest book, called Stumpwork Butterflies & Moths. It’s just out, and, if you love stumpwork, butterflies, insects in general – well, it’s a corker!
February 12, 2014
After comparing several different types of cotton embroidery threads to use in the Secret Garden Hummingbirds embroidery project, I finally came to a painful conclusion.
February 11, 2014
Remember that telescoping magnet we talked about a few weeks ago?
That thing is So Dang Handy! If I didn’t convince you that you need one for needle-hunting-and-retrieving, let me show you a new use for it.
And dagnabit, it might even be a Better Use! Why I didn’t think of it earlier, I have no idea. All these years…
February 10, 2014
Today, we’re going to finalize our examination of cotton embroidery threads, insofar as they relate to the Secret Garden embroidery project. I’m sure there are many, many angles from which we could examine many, many more types of cotton embroidery threads, but for now, we’ll finish with the choices for this particular project.
Previously, we examined both floche and coton a broder side-by-side and looked at their size and construction. We then lined them up, unstitched, against the more familiar perle cotton in various sizes and regular 6-stranded cotton embroidery floss. Then we looked at perle cotton and stranded floss, stitched. And now it’s time for floche and coton a broder, side-by-side, stitched.
