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
January 28, 2014
If you’re up to a needlework-related challenge – or if you just want to browse a fantastic historical embroidery pattern collection – this is for you!
The Dakota County (Minnesota) Arts Challenge sounds fantastic! It’s an art challenge based on a collection of historical needlework patterns.
January 27, 2014
My poor bookshelves were in the throes of upheaval last month – undergoing one of those bouts of organization and purging that must happen – when I came across this gem and I realized that I had not yet shared it with you.
So today’s your lucky day!
Embroideries from an English Garden: Projects and Techniques in Surface Embroidery by Carol Andrews is an Absolute Must for the embroiderer’s library. I don’t say that lightly, either.
Actually, I wonder if I say that too many times, about too many books?
Well, whatever the case – I Absolutely Mean this book is an Absolute Must!
January 24, 2014
Here’s another indispensable tool in my workroom. I don’t keep it in my “tool box” with my scissors or anything else – no, no, it has a special place right next to where I sit, because I use it daily.
And besides, if it were in my tool box, it would make a mess of everything!
You may very well have one of these already (if you do, I bet you love it, too!), or you may have seen or heard of them and thought you didn’t really have a need for it. I thought the same thing until I bought one. And now – well, it’s True Love. We won’t be parted! We’re drawn to each other, like… like… magnets.
January 23, 2014
Were we speaking of blackwork? Well, we were last week!
You know I have this thing for “15 Minute Projects” and “grab and go” projects. That’s what the Hungarian Runner is right now. And when the Hungarian runner is finished, I’m going to need another “15 minute” project to fill in those 15-minute gaps this year.
Now, granted, I do have the Secret Garden projects going, but those are “studio” projects – I work on them in my workroom only, because that’s where I can photograph things, take good notes, and prepare overly wordy articles for you.
January 22, 2014
Today, let’s chat a bit about ground fabric for this Secret Garden Embroidery Project.
We’ll look at my choices for ground fabrics, why I chose them, how I prepare them, and how I’m transferring the design.
January 21, 2014
It’s been a while since we last glimpsed this red-on-white, never-ending, ever-present, long-neglected project of mine – the Hungarian Redwork Runner.
It’s called the Hungarian Redwork Runner not because it’s technically Hungarian redwork. It’s a Hungarian design, worked entirely in red, with two stitches only: the chain stitch and the Hungarian braided chain stitch.
January 20, 2014
I’ve been using chain stitch a lot lately!
And there’s good reason for that. First of all, chain stitch is a versatile stitch, great for outlining. But chains stitch also makes a wonderful filling stitch.
Besides its versatility, there’s the whole Easy Thing going on. It’s one of the basic embroidery stitches, easy to work for any level of embroiderer.
Besides exploring chain stitch in tambour embroidery, I’ve been using the regular surface embroidery stitch called chain stitch (with a needle) on the Hungarian redwork runner that I started eons ago. There’s a lot of chain stitch on that piece – mostly in the form of squiggly or curly lines.
Did you know that you can speed up chain stitch a little bit – especially when working curls and swirls on line patterns – by switching to reverse chain stitch?
Reverse chain stitch looks exactly like chain stitch, but it works up in reverse. Let me show you how:
