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
August 28, 2013
Oh my goodness, we all seem to like and want the Stella lamp!!
I loved reading all your comments on the original give-away article for the tabletop Stella. I’m glad I’m not the only one attracted to the lamp because of its sleek design. I think it’s a nice-looking lamp, and, as many of you said, it seems to have “personality.”
August 27, 2013
Cristina Badillo is an embroiderer in Spain who creates fantastic pieces of embroidery featuring gold and other metal threads. I’ve gotten to know her work through her blog, Barroco Siglo XXI, or 21st Century Baroque, and through following Cristina on Facebook, where she posts gorgeous close ups of her work.
Recently, I’ve been communicating with Larissa Borodich, a Russian friend who shares a keen interest in goldwork and embroidery as well. She commissioned Cristina to embroider a piece for her, and Larissa sent some close up photos of the piece to me.
So I’d like to share this gorgeous goldwork with you today, for inspiration!
August 26, 2013
Today’s tip on separating (also called stripping) embroidery floss is handy especially for beginners, because stripping your floss first makes a huge difference in the look of your stitches, whether you’re doing surface embroidery, cross stitch, or any other kind of stitching.
Any type of divisible thread for embroidery benefits from stripping or separating before stitching with it. Stripping floss is simply separating the individual strands from the larger bunch of strands. With regular DMC embroidery floss, for example, there are six strands in one “bunch” or main thread as it comes off the skein, and each of those six strands can be removed singly from the bunch. Usually, you remove the number of strands you’re going to stitch with one at a time, and then you put them back together again when you thread the needle.
The advantage of this exercise? It untwists the individual strands from each other, so that you get fuller and more consistent stitch coverage from your thread.
Here’s how I separate my floss. I know others do it differently, so this is just one way that’s always worked for me without any hitch.
August 23, 2013
Yesterday, I reviewed the Stella lamp for you – it’s a nice task lamp that works really well for hand embroidery, other arts and crafts, reading, writing, and the like. It’s also a great lamp for carrying to workshops and classes.
Today, courtesy of Needle in a Haystack, I’m giving away a Stella! I’m excited about it, too – with autumn and winter coming on in the States and the days getting shorter, it’s a great time to add a little more light to your life!
August 22, 2013
So, we’ve chatted a bit about color in hand embroidery projects lately, and yesterday we talked a bit about color and the eyes. Today, I’d like to follow up with a review of a good light for hand embroidery.
We’ve talked about lighting before here on Needle ‘n Thread. I’ve reviewed the BlueMax lamps that I use in my workroom, and the Dublin Craftlite LED light and magnifier, and I’ve used all kinds of other lights, too, from various types of Ott lights, to “HD” craft lights, to LED clip ons – you name it. I don’t have very good eyesight, so good lighting has always been one of my Great Quests.
There lots and lots of craft lights available out there, and it’s difficult to differentiate between them without either using them yourself or doing a little research. So here’s another review – this time, of Stella lamps.
August 21, 2013
Remember last week when we discussed color choices and stitches for embroidery?
Today, I want to mention another point about color choices for embroidery projects, and it is this: the colors you choose, even if you like them (but especially if you don’t), can make your embroidery project a misery to work on.
There can be a number of reasons for this – sometimes they can be emotional or psychological. But one reason is more objective – it is a physical reason. It has to do with the eyes.
August 20, 2013
Here’s a little free hand embroidery pattern for you – one that has loads of possibilities when it comes to embroidery techniques!
This is an adaptation of an element within a much larger project featured in the old Herrschner’s catalog from the beginning of the 1900’s. If you’ve never seen that catalog, you can find it online in various places. Antique Pattern Library has it available under H, and you can also search Flickr (using “Herrschner 1907”) and many images from it will come up.
But… all that having been said…. if you can find your own real copy of it from used or rare booksellers, it’s a wonderful resource to have! It’s so enjoyable to browse through.
Imagine how much fun it must have been for embroiderers at the turn of the 20th century to find out a new catalog was out, to wait with anticipation to see it, and finally to linger over the pages making purchasing decisions!
I found my copy foraging through a library book sale years ago, and picked it up for a whole fifty cents. One of those serendipitous moments…
