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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

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Lighting for Embroidery: Stella Lamp Review

 

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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.

Stella Lamps Review
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Choosing Colors for Embroidery: The Eyes Have It

 

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.

Color choices for Embroidery
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Exuberant Flower

 

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…

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern
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Overdyed Thread Give-Away – Winner Announced!

 

Thanks to all who participated in the give-away run earlier this week for five full skeins of overdyed threads from Lorraine at LES Designs!

It was a fun give-away, and interesting to hear your preferences on colors and thread types. There’s nothing quite like discussing embroidery threads with a bunch of thread lovers! We do get enthusiastic, don’t we?

Overdyed Cotton Embroidery Threads
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Mission Rose: Goldwork & Vermicelli

 

The other day when I showed you my failed attempt at the gold lattice work on the blue silk fabric on the Mission Rose project, most of you guessed pretty quickly that I’d fall back on vermicelli goldwork over the blue silk. And I did!

Vermicelli is an appropriate name for this meandering, worm-like technique involving a fine couched thread. I used it extensively in the Marian Medallion Project as a background for the whole medallion. It served really well in that project for securing the flat silk used in the background. I almost regret not using flat silk in the corners on the Mission Rose.

But the technique works equally as well over fabric, too. And so, I opted for it – much better than the lattice work, methinks.

Goldwork embroidery on Mission Rose project
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Pattern Chasing

 

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve written anything about ecclesiastical embroidery here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Ecclesiastical embroidery is essentially church-related embroidery, and as a category of embroidery, it embraces several of the most exquisite embroidery techniques out there – especially goldwork and silk shading.

If you’re somewhat new to Needle ‘n Thread, you might not know that my real interest in embroidery sprang from art history studies in college, and specifically getting into the study of ecclesiastical embroidery when doing research for art history.

Since then, I’ve spent years collecting resources on ecclesiastical embroidery, along with old pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery. When traveling, I tend to seek out places where I can examine extant examples of historical pieces of ecclesiastical needlework. It fascinates me, and I eat the stuff up whenever I have a chance!

Lately, I’ve been pattern chasing – that is, trying the trace the origins of some ecclesiastical embroidery patterns (a very difficult thing to do!). This particular image that I’m going to share with you today has come up several times in my pattern-chasing endeavors.

Assumption Hand Embroidery Design
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