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
December 2, 2013
Here’s a gorgeous new book out called The Art of Chinese Embroidery – Foundation Level by Margaret Lee.
And when I say Gorgeous, I really do mean Gorgeous!
But the book isn’t just beautiful. It’s thoroughly instructive as well. Today, I’ll show you the book and tell you a little bit about it…
November 29, 2013
If you’re determined to whip up some Christmas stitchery this year, you might find some of the following free embroidery patterns useful.
Though I do try to keep everything on Needle ‘n Thread easily indexed in one way or another, it’s easy to miss some of the content from previous years, so here’s a quick recap of some holiday-related (or holiday-adaptable) stitching patterns for you.
November 28, 2013
The ever-recurring Thanksgiving Textile Turkey is joining me again this year to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
November 27, 2013
Do you do a lot of holiday-specific embroidery?
Beyond the occasional Christmas ornament (like this goldwork ornament), or the occasional Easter / Spring-related embroidery (like this basket liner and these hand embroidered eggs), I don’t, really.
I love the idea of a whole tree full of hand embroidered Christmas ornaments; I love the idea of a whole basket full of beautiful embroidered eggs; I love the idea of a hand embroidered tablecloth and matching linens for the Thanksgiving table.
But I really don’t think it will happen in my house, in my lifetime. There are too many other projects, and holiday-specific embroidery rarely takes top priority.
Well, it never does, until right before the holiday – as in, the day before, or the morning of! That’s when I start thinking, Golly, it would be nice to take a hand embroidered gift along to the festivities!
But by then, it’s too late.
November 26, 2013
The thread junkie in me can’t resist sharing this gorgeous palette of silk embroidery threads with you.
It’s just so … autumny.
I don’t think “autumny” is a word. But look:
November 25, 2013
Iron-on embroidery design transfers fall into a love-hate category for me.
I love the idea of being able to iron an embroidery design straight onto a piece of fabric, without having to go through the rigmarole of transferring an embroidery design in various, nefarious, laborious ways.
November 22, 2013
Here’s a free hand embroidery pattern for you, just in case you’re looking for something fun to work on over the weekend.
This is a little doodle I doodled up, using a Jacobean design from an old book as the basis of it, and then altering it as I doodled along.
The original design can be found in Jacobean Embroidery: Its Forms and Fillings by Ada Wentworth Fitzwilliam & A. F. Morris Hands, which is available free in many formats on Project Gutenberg. You’ll find the original Jacobean leaf design here, plate 16 in the book.
You might also recognize hints of the design in my Jumble Lattice Sampler, which was originally called a Jacobean Jumble. Believe it or not, this design played a part in the original doodle for that.
