About

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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A Merry Give-Away – Coton a Broder in Every Color!

 

Amazon Books

I’ll share a secret with you. I love embroidery thread.

You already knew that, didn’t you?

But there’s embroidery thread, and there’s Embroidery Thread. When it comes to cotton Embroidery Thread, I have two Favorites: floche and coton a broder.

Coton a broder is often called “cutwork thread,” and in white, it comes in various sizes suitable for different types of whitework and cutwork.

But if you want many colors of coton a broder, size 25 is the size to look for. Coton a broder size 25 is a marvelous thread for monogramming. And it works beautifully in heirloom sewing applications (like smocking). It’s a nice thread for all kinds of surface embroidery applications. It comes in a total of 182 colors.

Coton a broder size 25
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Joy 3 – Putting the Design Together & Patterns

 

Day before yesterday, we talked a little bit about developing an embroidery pattern that incorporates monograms into a one-word design. We started with the letter J in this Holly and Joy design. Yesterday, we added the letter O, and today, we’ll finish off with the last letter, a simple decorative border, and some layout options.

JOY - Hand Embroidery Design with Monograms
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Joy 1 – Developing an Embroidery Design

 

Embroidered monograms are an obsession of mine. I love monograms! I collect all kinds of monogram and letter sourcebooks, antique and new.

Combining my love of monograms with my never-quite-fulfilled dream of an entirely hand-made, embroidered Christmas (every gift, every decoration? it won’t happen!), I have fiddled around with many a Christmas design that features lettering of some sort, and especially monograms.

Today, I’m going to show you the first step in one such fiddling endeavor. My hope: that this inspires you to fiddle around with designs as well. At the end of this short series, I’ll give you the full embroidery design. Think of it as my Christmas present to you!

Developing an Embroidery Design: Joy
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Needle ‘n Thread + Stitchin’ Fingers – Coming in 2013

 

Have you heard of Stitchin’ Fingers? If you haven’t, I’ll tell you a little about it.

If you have heard of it – if you’re a member or you’ve visited the Stitchin’ Fingers network – you already know that Stitchin’ Fingers is a wonderful source of needlework inspiration and online camaraderie with other textile and needle-arts enthusiasts.

Stitchin' Fingers
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Stitch Fun: Round Red Berries

 

Notice the new title? We’re no longer going to call this series of tutorials Stitch Play – we’re going to call it Stitch Fun! Same exact idea – just a different name! Hope it doesn’t cause too much confusion!

So, it’s now time to touch up our embroidered evergreen sprigs and fly stitched holly with some bright red berries! This is a great technique for creating round red dots of any kind on your hand embroidery projects.

There are different ways you can add dots to embroidery (padded satin stitch dots are a favorite of mine), but for some reason, I find this round Rhodes stitch little ball easier to work than a padded satin stitch dot, and a lot more forgiving. And, because it isn’t padded – it’s actually self-padded, it doesn’t take as long to work up.

Stitch Play Hand Embroidered Christmas Greenery
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Stitch Fun: Free-Style Embroidered Greenery for Christmas

 

Maybe you’re wishing you had time to add just a touch of hand embroidery to some Christmas gifts or some table linens or kitchen towels?

The idea behind this episode of Stitch Fun is to demonstrate how to use two simple stitches and no pattern to work up some festive embroidered embellishment. And you don’t have to limit this to Christmas embroidery, either – you can take the concepts here and apply them to all kinds of embroidered greenery, leaves, berries, other fruits, and the like.

First, we’ll start with how to embroider holly, free-style, on anything that needs a touch of Christmas greenery. After we work up the holly, I’ll show you how to add some embroidered evergreen sprigs, and finally, how to easily embroider little round red berries.

The sample I made for this demonstration took about 15 minutes to work up – so really, we’re talking about quick and simple! And this time of year, quick and simple is good.

Stitch Play: Hand Embroidered Holly and Christmas Greenery
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Hungarian Redwork Runner – Coming Along!

 

Some embroidery projects – even relatively simple ones – have a tendency to develop really slowly.

This particular project is no exception. Although I’m happy that I’m making progress on it, there are times when I look at it and think, “Gee. Shouldn’t I be a bit farther along?”

But that’s the nature of hand embroidery, and really, of anything made by hand. It is generally slow. And isn’t this slowness, in a sense, one of the reasons we like hand embroidery? It is for me! I like meandering along on something and seeing it unfold as I go – it’s like watching a flower grow, or watching snow build up during a soft snowfall. It’s slow, but it’s nice.

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery Project
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Slabbinck & Ecclesiastical Embroidery History

 

Slabbinck is a world-renowned embroidery house in Belgium and a supplier of embroidered church goods world-wide. The history of the company is an interesting one, and their collection of embroidered items from their workshop in the early years is amazing!

Hendrik Slabbinck began his workshop in 1903, in his attic. Since then, despite the troubled years of both world wars, the company has survived for over 100 years, and it still produces embroidered church goods. What fascinates me, though, are the early embroideries that come from the Slabbinck workshops, and the early history of the company.

Slabbinck ecclesiastical embroidery
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Padded Satin Stitch Blooper – The Fix, Part 1

 

At the beginning of this month, I showed you some progress on my “secret” embroidery project that’s being worked in silk, with lots of satin stitch and stem stitch. I pointed out an element on the project that was really bugging me, and that I knew I would eventually have to fix.

I’ll show you, close up and personal, how I went about The Fix. Today, we’ll look at removal, and tomorrow, we’ll look at replacement.

Padded Satin Stitch Silk Embroidery - Fixing a Mistake
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Needlework Environments & Trish Burr Kit Winners!

 

It looks like lots and lots of us love the new Trish Burr miniature embroidery kits! The response to last week’s give-away was really wonderful – thank you so much for participating!

I really enjoyed reading all your answers as they came in. The responses to the “embroidery environment” question illustrate quite well how different we are, but at the same time, how similar – we all love to stitch, no matter our environment!

Trish Burr Miniature Embroidery Kits
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The Art of Embroidered Butterflies – Book Review

 

This book deserves a better introduction than I am going to give it!

I can’t think of butterflies anymore without thinking of my two-year-old niece, Mary. Mary is a bit of a clod, in a cute, bumbling two-year-old way. She has a lisp. And she’s just getting prolific when it comes to words, even if we can’t quite understand them all. She and her four-year-old sister Adele have lately taken a liking to the movie Bug’s Life. Heimlich the caterpillar is the Pixar version of Mary. Pudgy, optimistic, a bit unrealistic (“I’m a beautiful butterfly!“), and gurglingly funny – that’s Mary!

Unfortunately, Mary’s going through this phase where she asks everyone who walks in the door, “Do you have Bug’s Life?” Only she has that lisp thing going on, and it comes out more like this: “Do you have Butth Lithe?” If you don’t know the kid, the question can be a bit disconcerting!

Well, today I’m going to show you a book that’s full of embroidered butterflies, each of which is truly a “beautiful butterfly.” The book is a little different from the types of embroidery books I normally review. The Art of Embroidered Butterflies is a book of Pure Inspiration. It’s packed with artistic inspiration, and though light on the technical how-to instruction that we are used to from project books, it still instructs.

If you are enchanted by the butterfly (whether embroidered or not), this book will delight you!

Art of Embroidered Butterflies by Jane Hall
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You Light Up My Life!

 

Every time I turn the lights on in my workroom, my internal vocalist starts belting out that song. Yooooouuuuu light up myyyyy liiiife!

I love my workroom lights!

Good lighting is essential for embroidery and for any art or craft. And among the more frequently asked questions here on Needle ‘n Thread, lighting is a prevalent topic.

So today I’m going to introduce you to the lights that I use in my workroom and tell you what I like about them. I’m not trying to sell you on them, and I’ve got absolutely no affiliation with the company. But if you’re hemming and hawing over the question of lighting, this information may help you.

And a good light may be Just the Thing to put on your Christmas wish list. You might end up with one in your stocking!

Blue Max Lighting
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Hungarian Redwork Runner: Starting & Ending Threads

 

Don’t you just love embroidery projects that allow you to stitch seemingly endless lines of design, without having to start and end your threads often?

In Stitching Heaven, we’ll be able to stitch indefinitely, with miraculously never-ending threads that don’t fray, that don’t tangle. When we want to change colors or thread types, we will merely think it, and it will be done. We won’t have knots on the back of our fabric and every stitch will cooperate. We won’t make mistakes, but we might change our minds. And when we change our minds, previous stitches will disappear as quickly as we can breathe the wish.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

After a while, though, I’d get bored. The challenges of stitchery – and overcoming the challenges – may not be half the fun of embroidery, but they are almost all the satisfaction. If you didn’t have to overcome any challenge at all when stitching, would you be nearly as satisfied with your finished project?

One challenge that we have all faced at some point is that of starting and ending threads in a way that is secure, that makes sense for the particular project, and that won’t impair the finished design.

Today, I’ll show you how I’m starting and ending stitches on the Hungarian Redwork Runner. These are methods we’ve discussed before, but here, you’ll see them in action on a real project. I’ve made one alteration in the ending of my threads, though, for this particular project, so we’ll look at that up close and I’ll tell you why I’m doing it.

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery Table Runner
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Yes, It’s a Fire Screen

 

Remember this needlepoint “tapestry” that I picked up for a song? Well, I told you that I bought it for the “frame” it came in, and asked you to guess what it was. I thought I was being So Smug and Secretive. But you all guessed it right off the bat – thank you for unsmugging me!

I was going to stage some photos to show off the fire screen. But I don’t have a fireplace, and the thing is really too big for my minuscule living room. You might be wondering why the heck I bought it, then – and I don’t blame you! I find myself wondering the same thing! But I’m glad I did!

Needlepoint Tapestry in a Firescreen
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Embroidered Portraits by Jan Messent – Book Review

 

If you’re an embroidery-bookophile, you’ve probably heard of Jan Messent, and you’ve probably even got some of her books on your bookshelf. If you haven’t and you don’t, I highly recommend her books. She’s a prolific author, not just of embroidery books, but also of books on design, historical techniques, on knitting and wool and yarn work. In her embroidery books, you will find many excellent tips for the embroiderer. Her older books can be found, too, through used book sources, and can often be picked up for a bargain.

Embroidered Portraits by Jan Messent
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Project Progress: Seed Stitch, Stippling & Snipping

 

Here’s a little update on the behind-the-scenes project in silk and gold that I’m working on. It’s for publication in a book (2014), and I’ll tell you more about it (and the book – I’m just contributing, not writing it) closer to publication time. When I was asked to contribute a project, at first, I was a bit hesitant. But now that the project is this close to being finished, I’m glad I participated. I’ve learned a lot!

Because the piece is for publication, I can’t really show you the whole thing. But I can show you snippets, and I can even troubleshoot some aspects with you, and discuss different techniques involved. So today, I’ll show you a technique that’s called “stippling” in art, but in embroidery, we just call it seed stitch or seed stitch filling… but if we want to, we can call it stippling, too.

Seed Stitch Filling
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Have You Seen These Miniature Needlepainting Kits Yet?

 

Have you seen Trish Burr’s miniature needlepainting kits yet? Inspired by Victorian vignettes, they’re called Vintage Miniatures, the newest addition to her collection of beautiful needlepainting kits. There are two Vintage Miniatures in the collection so far, but I suspect (and hope!) the collection will expand!

The Vintage Miniatures are a combination of Too Cute for Words and Really Pretty.

(Too Cute for Really Pretty Words? Hmmmm….)

I thought I’d review one “out of the envelope” so that you can see what they’re all about. I’ll show you what’s included, chat a bit about some finishing ideas, and then discuss how to get the kits, and maybe how to save a little money doing so.

Miniature Needlepainting Kits Trish Burr
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Offspring of Berlin Wool Work

 

Originating in Germany in the early 1800’s, Berlin wool work spread to England and then to America by the mid-1800’s as a popular form of needlework. It was among the first amateur needlework techniques to become all the rage for the middle class women in Victorian England.

Relying on “point paper” (graph paper) charts made more accessible thanks to innovations in colored printing, and using a soft, thick wool that took dye well (hence, it was available in many colors), Berlin work relied primarily on tent stitch to fill the needleworker’s canvas. Floral designs were popular, and often abundantly lavish – abundant lavishness in decor being something the Victorians managed quite often.

Berlin work began its demise with the advent of the Arts & Crafts Movement, which moved needlework in totally a different direction.

Berlin wool work is the direct predecessor of today’s canvas work and counted cross stitch.

Berlin Wool Work Firescreen
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Blissful Beginnings – Winners Announced!

 

Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the two winners (drawn randomly) of Blissful Beginnings: Embroidered Blankets to Cherish, a beautiful new book by Country Bumpkin featuring a collection of gorgeous hand embroidered blankets and matching accent pieces.

It’s a lovely, lovely book. And the blankets – ahhhh! They’re works of art! And they make me want to snuggle. (There aren’t too many works of art you can say that about, are there?)

Blissful Beginnings: Embroidered Blankets to Cherish
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Embroidery In Hand, No Hoop

 

Normally – practically always, as a matter of fact – the embroidery projects I work on are mounted on an embroidery frame or in an embroidery hoop. For some types of embroidery, it’s essential to use a hoop or frame.

Goldwork and silk embroidery (like the Medallion project, this goldwork pomegranate project, this goldwork and silk Agnus Dei project, the little Tudor rose, and so forth) absolutely require that the work is mounted on a taut frame. Crewel embroidery (i.e. this crewel rooster) also benefits from mounting in a frame or hoop.

There are other types of embroidery, though, that don’t necessarily need to be worked in a hoop or frame. The skilled embroiderers of Madeira, for example, worked their delicate and beautiful whitework motifs without a hoop, in their hands, with their worked wrapped around a finger to gauge tension.

And certainly, there are many situations where embroidered linens and the like – adorned with typical surface embroidery stitches – can be easily held and worked in the hand, without the use of a hoop.

Today, let’s chat ourselves up a bit about working in hand, without a hoop.

Hungarian Redwork Table Linen
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Good Needlework Deals Online

 

This time of year, I try to avoid getting caught up in the hype that pervades the commercial pre-Christmas season.

Still, I do like a good needlework deal when it comes along, and since needlework shops don’t often have sales, it’s nice to know about them when they happen!

Here are just a few online needlework-related sales going on today. If you happen to know of others, feel free to leave a note in the comment section below.

Wendy Schoen Designs
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Stitch Fun: Seeing Stars – a Few More Samples

 

Remember the star stitch tutorial that we looked at last week for the Stitch Play series? I had this odd feeling that I wouldn’t be able to leave it alone – that exploration of further samples and testing combinations was definitely a Must with this technique.

There’s not enough time in the day (week, month…) to play with every single possibility when it comes to embroidery stitches, but I did manage to squeeze in a few play sessions with the star stitch – some successful and some not so successful!

This is what developed…

Stitch Play: Star Stitch Samples
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Inspirations Magazine for e-Readers!

 

Did you know that the most beautiful embroidery magazine in the world – Inspirations Magazine – is now available in electronic format?

This means the magazine can be read on a computer, laptop, mobile device (iPad, iPod, iPhone, Android), or electronic reader (kindle, nook, etc.). It also means that, if you found the print price of the magazine out of your budget range, you can now get the electronic version for less than half price for the year. For less than $40 per year (four issues), you can enjoy Inspirations Magazine in electronic format.

It also means that you don’t actually have to wait for your subscription to arrive in the mail. But… but…. well. More on that point, later.

At first, I was a little skeptical, I admit. I’m not exactly an “e-reader,” myself. I admit that I’ve never read a book on my iPad! I like books that you open with your hands, so you can feeeeeeeel the paper, books that you can smell (yes, books have a smell!). And I like audiobooks, because they see me through many a long embroidery project. But I haven’t yet gotten into electronic books.

But I do use my iPad a lot when traveling, and I do a lot of blog-related stuff on it. So I was eager to see just how Inspirations would translate, electronically. To that end, I bought a copy of the first electronic issue, and here’s how the purchase went, and my impressions of the new electronic version of Inspirations Magazine.

Inspirations Magazine Digital Version
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Stitch Fun: Star Stitch – for Stars and Snowflakes

 

In hand embroidery, when you’re embroidering “off the grid,” it’s sometimes difficult to stitch a geometric shape like a star, without a wonky finish.

Today, as part of the Stitch Play series, I’ll show you how to use this “star stitch” to make some perfect little stars and snowflakes – just in time for winter and Christmas stitching.

Star Stitch Embroidery Stitch
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Blissful Beginnings – A Beautiful Book of Embroidered Blankets!!

 

It’s the perfect time of year for cozy embroidery projects, and nothing in the world is quite as cozy as a beautiful, soft blanket! And if there’s a baby or a toddler wrapped up in it, that’s even better!

If you want to embroider some gorgeous blankets, you’ll find Blissful Beginnings a real treasure. It’s a compilation of gorgeous embroidered blankets that have come out over the years in different Inspirations publications.

Whether the book is used to make the blankets as designed, or whether you devise some other use for the embroidery designs within, or whether you want instructions on constructing blankets that you personalize with your own embroidery designs, you’ll find this delightful blanket book a handy reference for your needlework library.

Here’s my review of Blissful Beginnings!

Blissful Beginnings Embroidered Blankets Book
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Embroidery Design Layout – Basting Guidelines

 

Yesterday, we looked at how to prepare linen for a hand embroidery project. Now that the linen is nice and smooth and ready to work with, I’ll show you how to ensure an accurate layout for your embroidery project.

Keep in mind that I’m working through all the steps for the Hungarian Redwork Runner project. But even if you’re never in your life planning to work this project, these steps hold true for any type of similar project. So you can apply these concepts to just about any embroidery project that demands an accurate layout and placement of the design.

Are you with me, then? Ok, let’s do it! You’re going to need a sewing needle of some sort (I used a #9 crewel needle), a contrasting color of regular sewing thread, a ruler, and maybe (depending on your eyesight) magnification.

Preparing Linen for hand embroidery
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Preparing Linen for Embroidery

 

After testing the embroidery threads for the Hungarian Redwork Runner project and making up my mind about the ground fabric, the next step was to cut the linen and prepare it for embroidery.

I have my own little ritual for preparing linen for hand embroidery. Most stitchers have their own way of working through these preliminary steps in preparing their fabric, but for those of you who haven’t figured it out yet or like to see what other people do, we can go through the grunt work together here!

Preparing Linen for Hand Embroidery
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Playing Around with Pipers Silk Gimp

 

A week ago, we looked at the difference between two types of silk gimp – the new silk gimp from Access Commodities and the silk gimp from Pipers Silks.

These are two completely different types of silk thread that share the same name.

So what is gimp, anyway? Gimp, in textile talk, is often a trim of some sort. If you look up “gimp trim” for sale today, you’ll generally find narrow individual cords or flat ribbon-like trim with a cord that runs through it in a decorative way.

In lace-making, gimp is the trim that outlines a lace element, and it can be tube-like looking (not actually a tube, but a smooth cording) or twisted, with a fine rope-like look. Gimp often has some sort of core running through it that helps “stiffen” it in a way. The core is wrapped or twisted with an outer thread. Sometimes (in the more heavy duty gimps), the core is a flexible wire, so that the gimp retains its shape when bent and manipulated. Sometimes, the core is another thread or cord. And some gimps are not made with a core.

So we can see that gimp in thread talk, when taken generally, can mean different things.

Silk Gimp from Pipers Silks
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Testing Embroidery Threads: Colorfast?

 

Working with a deep red embroidery thread on a white fabric background justifies a little concern over the washability of the threads. Will the color run, when the Hungarian redwork runner is washed? If it does run, that could be a bit upsetting, don’t you think?

So I set about testing my stitch sample, to make sure that I could go forward with the embroidery, using the threads I selected with confidence.

Testing Embroidery Threads: Colorfast
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Hungarian Redwork Runner Project Index

 

Here on Needle ‘n Thread, I like to index each step-by-step project in one place so that it’s easy for you to find it and follow the various articles in the series. You can find my indexed step-by-step projects under Tips and Techniques, at the top of the page, under Hand Embroidery Lessons & Step-by-Step Projects.

The purpose of today’s short article, then, is to create an index for the Hungarian Redwork Runner project. Here, I’ll list in chronological order every article that has to do with this project, from development through finishing.

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery Project
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Hungarian Redwork Project: Final Design Preparations

 

After much musing, pondering, testing, head scratching, flubbing about, and whatnot, I’m moving forward on this embroidery project that I’m calling The Hungarian Redwork Runner.

I thought of titling the project “Rectangular Center Table Cloth with Red Embroidery in a Hungarian Design,” but that just seemed a bit much. For the sake of brevity, I’m sticking with Hungarian Redwork Runner. Technically, though, just to clarify, this is not really the typical Hungarian red embroidery that you would see on hand embroidered textiles from that country. I’ll be using a different thread and different stitches. But the design is from Hungary, and the embroidery will be red, so I think the name works ok!

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery
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Thread Talk: Silk Gimp vs. Silk Gimp

 

Last month, I introduced you to a hand embroidery thread that’s not quite on the market yet, but hopefully, will be available next year some time (fingers crossed!). It’s called silk gimp, by Access Commodities. You can read about it in this article on silk gimp, and you can also see the autumn tree I embroidered with it in this article.

When we were discussing the silk gimp, several folks chimed in with the information that Pipers Silks also makes silk gimp. I thought it would be fun to compare the two. I ordered some of the silk gimp made by Pipers so that we can look at both types up close and perhaps understand better the structure of different threads and their uses.

Pipers Silks silk gimp
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Favorite Transfer Methods for Embroidery Designs

 

To conclude this short series of posts on transferring embroidery designs to fabric, here (in one place) are my favorite methods of design transfer.

Again (I keep making this point – covering my “six,” as my dad would say!), I am not saying these are the Only Ways to transfer embroidery designs. But these are methods that have been safe and reliable for me, that I’ve used and have confidence in. For those who are looking for alternate ways to transfer embroidery designs, these may help you. If you already have a method and it works for you, then that’s great. I’m not dismissing all other methods. As is always the case on Needle ‘n Thread, I’m just offering what works for me, and how I do things, in case it may help someone else out there.

Note: always test your transfer method ahead of time on any major project, before you start marking up an expensive piece of ground fabric.

To determine what type of method to use, I always think in terms of the end product. Is the project meant to be washed? After I finish stitching it, can it be washed? If so, I proceed in one direction. If not, I proceed in another.

Embroidery that Can Be Washed

If I’m working on a project that can and will be washed after stitching – say, whitework on linen, regular cotton floss on cotton fabric or on linen, even wool on linen – then these are the methods I use for transferring the design.

Light, easily see-through fabric: After my fabric is washed (pre-shrunk) and cut and the edges are neatened, I spray starch the fabric and iron it. I like Niagara spray starch in the pump bottle rather than aerosol cans, personally, but I doubt the kind used really matters.

Then, using a sharpened HB pencil, I trace the design using a light box or a piece of plexiglass with utility lights underneath it, depending on the size of the project.

Design Transfer
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Transferring Embroidery Designs: a Cautionary Tale

 

My friends, my friends! Let’s talk about design transfer again today, shall we? It’s a wide-reaching subject in the world of embroidery, because eventually, we all have to do it if we ever want to embroider a design that isn’t in a pre-printed kit.

Today, I may shake you up a bit. I might even make some of you a little miffed. That’s not my intention! My intention is to caution you, to perhaps save you some heartaches, some time, some money. As my mom was wont to say, “I’m saying it because I love you” – preceding, of course, something I didn’t want to hear!

Embroidery Design Transfer
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Clover Transfer Mesh – Testing 1-2-3

 

For the Hungarian Redwork project I’m currently tackling, I knew right away that the transfer was going to cause some difficulty. There are so very many different ways that we can transfer embroidery designs to fabric, and just like everyone else, I have my favorite methods. But they don’t necessarily work for Every Single Project.

To be truly content with needlework, I find that flexibility is an essential ingredient in my approach to things. Doing things Only One Way never gets me very far. I learn a lot when I troubleshoot different methods and techniques, whether in actual stitching or in the various peripheral activities that go on around stitching, like project set-ups, design transfers, finishing, and so forth.

So with the Hungarian Redwork project, I decided to try a different method of embroidery design transfer. It involves a product manufactured by Clover, called transfer mesh.

Clover Transfer Mesh
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Tree with Leaves – A Continuous Line Drawing

 

When I posted this leafy corner for a hand embroidery design, folks seemed to like the fact that it is a continuous line drawing. Designs like this made from a continuous, unbroken line can be used in all kinds of applications – they work great as hand embroidery designs, of course, but they can also be used for quilting patterns, braid work (soutache embroidery), tambour work, and all kinds of other crafting purposes, such as card-making, scrapbooking, and the like. Really, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

Today’s free hand embroidery pattern, from an old book published over 100 years ago, evokes the idea of a Christmas tree, thanks to its triangular shape, but it can also be used as an autumnal design. The leaf elements are quite fall-ish.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Tree with Leaves
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Hungarian Redwork Embroidery Project – Take 2

 

One of my favorite aspects of Needle ‘n Thread is that I can bounce ideas off all of you, and I can always count on your good advice! Many creative minds are better than just one, and you all are The Best of the Best when it comes to giving good input!

And so, after reading through your thoughts the last time we discussed this Hungarian redwork design, I did indeed re-vamp the design to add some kind of sensible completion to the blocky ends of the table runner layout. Like some of you, I didn’t mind the straight ends (and they certainly would make fabric finishing much easier), but I like the scalloped ends better.

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery Project
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Bohin Needlework Tools for 2 – A Give-Away!

 

Time for some needlework tools!! Most of us have our favorite tools that we like to embroider with – whether it’s a favorite pair of scissors, a favorite embroidery needle, a favorite laying tool, thread organizer, light, magnifier, embroidery frame, floor stand. We all have our favorites, right?

Well, my quickly-emerging all-time favorite, overall best-ever, wouldn’t-be-without-it tool is just about any embroidery needle made by Bohin. More and more, I find myself preferring Bohin needles over other needles on the market. They are good needles.

I’ve been corresponding with Anita of Anita’s Little Stitches, because she likes Bohin needles, too. She’s currently stocking her shop with all kinds of Bohin tools, and especially all their needles, making available Bohin combo packs and even bulk packages of needles.

Thanks to Anita’s Little Stitches, then, today’s give-away features a collection of random Bohin tools, for two lucky winners!

Bohin Needlework Tools
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Hungarian Redwork Project: Preliminary Design Preparations

 

Well before posting this Hungarian redwork embroidery pattern a week or so ago, I knew it was a design I wanted to work up into a small table runner or centerpiece. Being a bit unsure how to tackle the whole pattern, I’ve been sitting on it for a while. But once I started working with the pattern to make it available for you on Needle ‘n Thread, the juices started flowing, the Muses started humming, and next thing I knew, an idea sprang into my head.

I don’t know if it’s a good idea – many times, when I set out on an embroidery adventure, I start by feeling my way forward in fits and starts, until settling with certainty on the approach. So far, this is the approach I’ve settled on.

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery Project
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The Redwork Circus – Book Review

 

Ok, prepare yourself for some Serious Cuteness! Jenny McWhinney’s new book, The Redwork Circus, is just exactly that – seriously cute!

I should start with a little caveat: I do not, as a rule, like clowns. I have a huge aversion to them, like some people have an aversion to snakes or spiders or slippery eels. Clowns in parades, clowns in children’s books, clowns in movies (whether creepy or not), me as a clown on Halloween as a kid … I just have never liked clowns.

But when I saw The Redwork Circus sneaking out onto the market, I discovered clowns that I actually do like. This book is adorable.

Redwork Circus
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William Morris Calendar – Give-Away!

 

Today, thanks to Country Bumpkin, I’m giving away two 2013 William Morris Appliqué calendars.

For those of you who like quilts, who like Things-Morris, who are into textiles – you’ll love this calendar decorated with beautiful pictures from the William Morris in Appliqué collection from Michele Hill’s William Morris in Appliqué books.

It’s the perfect calendar to hang in your sewing area, or anywhere else for that matter!

Comments are closed for this give-away! Thanks for participating!

William Morris Calendar
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Scintillating Silk: Embroidery Threads

 

Over the centuries, silk thread has been particularly favored for fine embroidery for a number of reasons, but the dominant reason is this: it is a naturally beautiful thread. No other fiber compares to silk for its natural, age-defying beauty.

Most cotton embroidery threads have a sheen to them. But under the glaring eye of Time, that sheen – which is chemically produced through a process called mercerization – fades. Not so with silk!

The natural sheen of silk is especially beautiful because of the way light plays off it. I’ll show you what I mean, while we chat about a project I’m working on.

Silk Embroidery Threads
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hungarian Redwork

 

When I think of Hungarian embroidery, I generally think of bright, multi-colored embroidery. From region to region in Hungary, though, different styles of embroidery dominate. Some of it is multi-colored and bright. Some of it is whitework. As with many countries that have a needlework heritage, there are many different styles of embroidery in Hungary.

My favorite type of embroidery from Hungary is a kind of “peasant” embroidery, worked in red, red and blue, or red and black, on heavy, coarse linen. I’m calling it Hungarian redwork, because really, that’s what it is – it is often all-red embroidery, worked heavily in a combination of buttonhole stitch, a kind of closely worked open chain stitch, some satin stitch, and sometimes other stitches, too.

Hungarian Folk Embroidery
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Old Silk & Goldwork Fragment – Ugly?

 

Over the last few months, we’ve looked at some pieces of old embroidery featuring silk and goldwork. The three pieces we’ve examined so far (this example of Chinese embroidery, this gorgeous tambour and goldwork embroidery panel, and this goldwork and silk on velvet piece) are all in fairly good condition for what they are.

Today, I’m going to show you another old fragment featuring silk tambour embroidery and metal threads.

It’s not the most beautiful piece of embroidery you’ll ever clap your eyes on. In fact, as far as my preferences go, I’d say it’s a bit on the ugly side, the poor thing.

There are some intriguing things about the fragment as well, though, and the whole thing begs to be examined more closely. But let’s start with a brief look.

Old Silk & Goldwork Embroidery Fragment
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How to Embroider a Wee Pumpkin, in less than 5 minutes

 

I don’t know why I did it. Perhaps it’s because I couldn’t get over the orange kick, after playing with orange Trebizond silk and plaited braid stitch. (Remember that? I’m not really an orange person!)

More likely, though, it’s because everywhere I look right now, someone is proffering the latest Pumpkin-Something, and I am beginning to feel Oddly Short of Mainstream. To solve the problem, yesterday I took five minutes out of my already off-course day and fiddled with orange thread to create a pumpkin.

If you want to add a of Petite Pinch of Popular Pumpkin to your embroidery, here’s an easy and quick way to do that!

How To Embroidery a Small Pumpkin
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15 Most Popular Embroidery Books on Needle ‘n Thread

 

I haven’t done a “Top 10” list of embroidery books in ages upon ages. One reason is that it takes ten forevers just to collect the stats and figure them out. But since I was updating my Embroidery Book List the other day, I took the plunge and did some real work… for a change!

So here’s my list of Most Popular Embroidery Books on Needle ‘n Thread for 2012 so far. I’ve included 15, because numbers 15 through about 9 all rank very close in popularity. They’re all excellent books in their own way, and worth having for reference or instruction.

I’m eager to know if you agree with the popular consensus! What books are you surprised to see on the list, or not on the list?

Maybe you’ll find something here to add to your own library (or at least to your Christmas Wish List). Each entry on the list is linked to my book review for that entry, so feel free to browse!

Embroidery Stitch Bible
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Branching Out: Embroidering Trees, Part 1

 

While playing around with silk gimp the other day, I was struck with the inspiration to embroider this tree.

Now, trees may seem like fairly mundane, unimportant things, but can you imagine life on this earth without trees? Trees may be common, but they are, at the same time, essential, and in art, throughout history, the tree has enjoyed an important representative role, symbolizing many different things across cultures.

Trees show up in hand embroidery in practically every era and every culture, in some respect or another. Therefore, I didn’t feel too odd about branching out with the silk gimp the other day and embroidering a tree.

Today, I’ll show you how I worked the trunk and branches, and while meandering through the topic, I’ll talk a bit about the silk gimp used for the tree (making some clarifications about the thread, what it is, and its pending availability), and a bit about how you can adapt the process covered here to other materials. Ready?

Hand Embroidered Tree
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A Little Taste of Autumn

 

Here in Kansas, the leaves are changing, the air is chilly, the landscape is blazing autumn under a deep blue sky. It’s finally fall, my favorite season.

Most people probably think that Kansas is one unending expanse of flat crop land, that we all live in Auntie Em’s farm house, and our next door neighbors are either munchkins or green-faced witches.

Embroidered Tree with Silk Gimp and Silk Wrapped Purl
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Thread Talk: Silk Gimp!

 

Thread Addiction. I suffer from it. Do you?

The main target of my addiction is silk, with a hefty helping of gold thrown in for kicks. I can’t help it! Threads – especially silk and gold – are my One Weakness. (Please don’t bring up linen right now, ok?)

I’ve tried to overcome the problem, but I’ve discovered that it’s much more fun to talk to my support group (um, yes… that would be you) about threads than it is to try to kid myself out of my love for them.

Well, you know what They say: All good things in moderation! Right? So let’s have a nice little moderate chat about a “new” (old!) thread on the market called Silk Gimp.

Silk Gimp Embroidery Thread
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RSN Essential Stitch Guide: Goldwork – Book Review

 

The Royal School of Needlework has been producing their Essential Stitch Guide series in conjunction with Search Press for a couple years now. I’ve reviewed all the books in the series so far (Blackwork, Crewelwork, Silk Shading, Stumpwork, and Whitework).

The most recent addition to the series is the Goldwork stitch guide, by Helen McCook. Here’s a glimpse of it and my impressions.

RSN Stitch Guide: Goldwork
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Goldwork Vestments for St. Therese of Lisieux

 

One area of embroidery that interests me intensely is ecclesiastical embroidery. For those of you who have been hanging around with me at Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you probably already know that! I got into ecclesiastical embroidery when I was studying for my BA some 20-odd years ago. During a history of art course, I got hooked on the subject, thanks to a book by Pugin that my professor loaned to me.

My Infatuation with Ecclesiastical Embroidery

That book sparked a notorious habit for seeking out examples of ecclesiastical embroidery, visiting museums and sacristies of old churches and secluded convents and taking lots of photos, buying old pieces and studying them, foraging in every corner of the globe (thanks to the internet) for old books on the subject, and pretty much hunting down anything I could get my hands and eyes on that has to do with ecclesiastical embroidery.

It’s been almost a 25 year love affair now with the topic, and I don’t see the infatuation ending any time soon. I am forever learning something new on the subject!

Goldwork Vestments for St. Therese of Lisieux
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Stitch Fun: Interlaced Chain Stitch

 

Composite stitches are hand embroidery stitches made up of two or more stitches that work together to create another stitch. It seems sort of odd to call a composite stitch a “stitch,” in the singular sense, because you actually have to work at least two stitches (and in the case of today’s example, three stitches) in order for the whole new stitch to come off.

Composite stitches are heaps of fun to play with! They’re usually very intricate looking, without being difficult to do. Most elements of a composite stitch, taken alone, are simple, basic stitches. With today’s interlaced chain stitch, I’ll show you what I mean!

Interlaced Chain Stitch Band
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Stylized Rose on Stem

 

You already know I’m an old needlework book junkie, don’t you? Old books can be expensive – but, with a bit of luck, you can stumble upon them for practically nothing at used book shops (takes some digging, I’ll admit), library book sales, online sources, and even garage sales.

I’ll never forget the happy day I found one lonely copy of Lucy Mackrille’s Church Embroidery and Church Vestments through a used book seller. I had been searching for a copy of it for years. At the time, there was one source selling photocopies of it, but it was very hard to find an original volume. This was before “virtual” libraries and collections became popular online, too. Well, I finally landed a copy – at $110 – and I bought it! I grimaced at the price but it’s an investment I’ve never regretted.

One part of that story – the ironic part – is this: within a year of buying the book, I found another copy of it in pristine condition (some of the pages hadn’t even been cut!), at a library book sale.

For 50¢.

So, see – it’s always worth looking, digging, burrowing, foraging about for old books, because you never know what treasures you’ll find – and if you find them at a bargain price, it’s like your birthday and Christmas all rolled into one!

Today, I’d like to share a pattern with you from a book in my collection. It’s a stylized rose, somewhat Morris-esque in design, and drawn from an altar frontal that is discussed in detail in the book.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Morris-style Rose
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Dating Old Embroidery

 

This antique goldwork panel has me completely enchanted, if you hadn’t guessed by the inordinate amount of exploratory articles devoted to it!

Besides learning about the piece itself and the techniques involved to create the panel, I do have an ulterior motive in the study of it. More than likely, I’ll develop a project based on it. I like embroidery projects that are spin-offs of something I’ve learned about. And this goldwork panel appeals to me so much, that I think a spin-off project is an absolute necessity.

Old Goldwork Embroidery on Velvet
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The Many Looks of Gingham Lace Stitch

 

Time for a guest post! Today, Laurie Latour speaks about Gingham Lace, which is also known as “chicken scratch embroidery,” among other names. In today’s article, Laurie shares with us some photos of beautiful pieces from her own collection and tells us a bit about stitching on gingham. Enjoy!

Lace and gingham – hmmmmmm…. not usually thought of together, especially not as an embroidery stitch. While it’s not real lace-making, lace stitch is a type of needle weaving worked on gingham that produces many lacy looks. It’s not difficult to do and works up quickly. Inexpensive gingham and floss are the only supplies needed, which is, no doubt, one reason it was especially popular during the Great Depression.

Depression Lace, Hoover Lace, Snowflake Lace, Amish Lace – it goes by many names. Let’s take a look at some pieces from my collection.

Gingham Lace, Depression Lace, Snowflake Lace, Chicken Scratch Embroidery
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Perforated Paper Embroidery

 

Around this time of year, my stitching thoughts wander off to the world of ornaments, cards, gift tags, and the like. It’s inevitable. It happens every year! Though my thoughts turn that way, this doesn’t necessarily mean I have the time or opportunity to indulge in making elaborate ornaments or gifts. And so, perforated paper comes to mind.

Embroidery on Perforated Paper
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Old Embroidery Books: Online & Elsewhere & Stuff

 

After last week’s free hand embroidery pattern and the online resource for the old book it came from, I received a slew of email with several questions pertaining to that article. They were mostly pertinent enough to combine into an article on Old Embroidery Books Online, which, as today’s title suggests, is exactly what I’m doing.

If you’re not into old books, I won’t hold it against you! But I am a Strangely Passionate Old Book Fiend (“old” modifying “book” in that phrase, please). Ok, come to think of it, I’m a Strangely Passionate Book Fiend, whether old or new.

But, like I said, if you’re not into books, feel free to pass by me today, because that’s what I’m going to talk about. We can resume our relationship tomorrow, right where we left off!

Old Embroidery Books: Sajou
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Bohin Chalk Liner – Testing for Embroidery Design Transfer

 

Yesterday, we looked at a quick and simple solution for transferring hand embroidery designs to fabric. The whole question of design transfer is a curious one – it seems that most embroidery folks have their favorite ways to transfer embroidery designs to fabric, and pretty much, they stick to them.

I can only claim this to be true occasionally for me. I’m always on the look out for other solutions to the design transfer question. There’s an obvious corollary between the precision, visibility, durability and removability (or hide-ability) of the design transfer and the successful outcome of any hand embroidery project, so I think how we transfer our designs is an important question. Also, the ease and surety of any method of design transfer tends to influence especially beginners – if the design transfer problem is difficult to overcome, it’s easy to lose heart and give up on projects that would otherwise captivate us.

So, here’s a product that I’m currently testing to use for embroidery design transfers, especially for whitework. It’s a chalk product, so I’m not 100% certain it’s going to be Just the Thing. But I’m going to give it a try!

Bohin Chalk Liner
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Simple & Quick Embroidery Design Transfer Method

 

When I’m working with a small embroidery design – for example, a small sample element like the interlocking knot in the plaited braid stitch sample I showed you yesterday – to transfer the design to fabric, I use a very simple method that many of you may already know. I think it’s worth mentioning, though, in case you don’t know it, because it’s definitely a time saver and very convenient.

I call it soft lead tracing, but I’m sure there is some technically correct term out there besides this. The idea is the same as carbon paper, without the carbon paper. When you can’t readily trace your design, either because you can’t see well enough through the fabric or you don’t have a sunny window or light box available, this method is a quick life-saver with certain types of designs and certain types of fabric. In fact, I generally prefer it to regular tracing with small motifs, because I think it’s more accurate, and it’s a lot faster and more convenient than hauling out the light box or taping my pattern to a windowpane.

Transferring Embroidery Design to Fabric
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The Thread Hog!

 

I’ve often considered myself a bit of a thread hog. I tend to hog threads. I like threads! And I have a lot of them! But I’m not really calling myself names here, nor am I calling anyone else a name. Instead, I’m referring to a stitch – the plaited braid stitch – which, as mentioned the other day, eats thread like a whale eats plankton.

To show you just how much of a Thread Hog plaited braid stitch is, I’ve done some calculating for you. And when I do calculating, it’s a Big Deal, because I am not, by nature, a calculator.

Plaited Braid Stitch
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Reader’s Question: Copyright in Embroidery

 

Once in a while, I take questions that come into my inbox and turn them into blog posts. The other day, I received a couple questions about copyright in embroidery. I thought it might be an interesting topic to open up.

Please keep in mind, I’m only writing from the standpoint of US law, and not as an expert at it, either, though I did consult an expert to make sure I wasn’t saying anything off the mark, here. Still, I’m open to correction!

By reading the copyright laws and understanding certain terminology and applying a little common sense, what’s what in copyright issues for embroiderers should be pretty clear.

Shisha Stitch with Paper
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Old Goldwork Techniques Close Up

 

I’m still fascinated with the goldwork-on-velvet panel I’ve been exploring lately. In discussing it with Phillipa Turnbull, who is an expert in historical embroideries, she suggested Italian, and part of a canopy from a half tester bed, confirming Lesley-Ann’s comment on the original article about the piece. The half tester is a bed with a partial canopy just above the very head of the bed. No certainty on the dates, but guessing 17th / 18th century. I may follow up with some other sources Phillipa suggested, to be more certain about the time period. I’m always for consulting experts – it’s much better than just guessing, so I was grateful that Philippa kindly took the time to discuss the piece and to recommend further avenues of exploration.

But in the meantime, what really fascinates me about the panel is the variety of goldwork couching techniques displayed in it, and the variety of gold threads and thread sizes used. It isn’t until you really get up close to the piece that you start to see all the details! I’m using a magnifier to look at some parts and take notes, but the macro setting on the camera is pretty useful, too, because it can get in there close, and then I can zoom farther in, using Photoshop.

Goldwork on Velvet
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Crewel Work Company Kit – a Beautiful Give-Away

 

Perhaps you’ve heard of The Crewel Work Company? If you haven’t, but you are interested in crewel embroidery, you must (must) become familiar with Phillipa Turnbull’s website. She offers glorious crewel embroidery kits, in the tradition of historical crewel work – they are timeless, they are lovely, they are… *sigh* … covetable! And she offers them in different stitching levels, from Level 1 for beginners (whom she calls “the terrified”!), Level 2 for beginners and stitchers with some experience, and Level 3, for those with some experience in embroidery who like a challenge.

One of Phillipa’s newer kits – the Mellerstain Parrots – is the subject of today’s give-away, with thanks to The Crewel Work Company.

Mellerstain Parrots from The Crewel Work Company
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Trestles for Large Embroidery Frames – Available!

 

If you are into historical embroidery, if you like stitching larger projects, if you do ecclesiastical embroidery and so forth, and if you work on larger embroidery frames, trestles are something you’ve probable thought about!

Maybe you’ve seen them in use in the photos on the Royal School of Needlework’s website, or pictured in their books, supporting slate frames. Or maybe you’ve worked with large frames and experienced the discomfort of trying to support them on the edge of a table, and wondered if there was another solution to holding up your frame.

Trestles for Large Embroidery Frames
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When Your Embroidery Grins Back at You

 

The scenario: trying to teach the cast-on stitch and double cast-on stitch to a persistent eleven years old, while in the middle of working on other things.

(You know those situations when you really need to be working on other things, but there’s the matter of that eleven year old?)

The solution: challenge the eleven year old to be creative! She has the hang of the stitches. Tell her to come up with something inventive on her own, just for the fun of it!

Cast-on Stitch & Double Cast-On Stitch
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Alison Cole’s Updated Website – Worth a Long Browse!

 

At least once a year, I get hankering for certain embroidery kits that have been floating in the back of my mind for a while. Alison Cole’s kits have been simmering and calling to me for a few years now. She’s recently revamped her website, Alison Cole Embroidery, and it now includes a regular online ordering system. But better than that, it includes so many photos of so many beautiful goldwork and stumpwork and combined goldwork and stumpwork projects, that it’s just a wonderful website to browse!

Alison Cole Embroidery
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Old Goldwork on Velvet: Some Finishing Touches

 

Remember the goldwork on velvet embroidery we were looking at the other day? Besides the actual stitchery, I found the finishing fascinating.

As I explained earlier, the piece is finished into a kind of panel, small “valance”, or something similar, that hung off a larger piece, and was cut from the larger piece. It was cut intact, as far as the panel itself goes, so that the trim is still around the outside, and the back fabric and inside “interfacing” are all included.

Imagine an unconnected pocket 27″ wide and 10″ deep, with fringe at the lower end of it, and an open cut along the top part of it, and you have the right idea of the construction of the piece as I have it now.

Old Twisted Fringe in Gold Threads with Silk Core
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Large Embroidery Frames, Photography, and Videos

 

Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the set-up and materials I use to make embroidery stitch videos for Needle ‘n Thread and to photograph step-by-step instructions. I figured, instead of writing up multiple responses, why not tell everyone?

If you’re not interested in the nitty-gritty of this kind of stuff, I completely understand! But for those of you who are interested, today’s your lucky day – I’m letting you in on some Deep, Dark Secrets here. Shhhhhhhh!

Ok, ok. You’re right. There’s nothing deep or dark about it!

Trestles for Large Embroidery Frames
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Saturday Travel: The William Morris Gallery

 

Well, I’d like it to be real travel, but I’m afraid it’s vicarious! The William Morris Gallery is located in London, which is a rather long hop from Kansas. Still, the good news is that the William Morris Gallery has a wonderfully refurbished website, perfect for browsing from afar. It’s worth looking at, if you’re a William Morris fan, or if you’re just wanting a bit of inspiration!

Feel free to click any of the images to go directly the gallery.

William Morris Gallery
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Single Flower

 

It’s been a long, long time since I posted any free hand embroidery patterns on Needle ‘n Thread! But the other day I came across this sweet little single flower in an old embroidery journal that was crumbling in my hands as I opened it, and I salvaged the pattern by tracing it. Then I dumped it onto the computer to make a clean line drawing of it, and today, I’m giving it to you!

Let me show you the little design and then tell you why it caught my eye.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Single Flower
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Stitch Printable: Cast-On and Double Cast-On Stitch!

 

I’ve slipped another Stitch Printable into my practically-empty little shop here on Needle ‘n Thread, in case you’re looking for a couple new stitches to learn and something fun to create over the weekend!

Stitch Printables: Cast-On Stitch and Double Cast-On Stitch covers how to make the cast-on and double cast-on stitches and four flowers using them. The cast-on and the double cast-on stitch are both dimensional embroidery stitches, used often in Brazilian embroidery and in stumpwork.

I thought I’d show you what’s in the Printable, to try to entice you. Heh heh.

Cast-On Stitch and Double Cast-On Stitch
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Goldwork & Silk Embroidery: Some Comparisons and Conclusions

 

Today, I’d like to share with you some photos of a beautiful little piece of goldwork and silk embroidery, and perhaps meander through some musings about its background and make some comparisons with another piece of embroidery.

This is a piece of embroidery – one of four – that was sent to me by Larissa (thank you, Larissa!), a friend in Russia. If you’ve been reading Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you might remember Larissa. She’s the embroiderer behind this gorgeous goldwork and pearl embroidered frame and this bead and goldwork frame. Both pieces within both featured frames, by the way, are also embroidered – worked in tiny tent stitch!

Goldwork & Silk Embroidery
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Two New Projects Underway

 

It’s been a while since I’ve taken you along on a Project Journey, hasn’t it? Well, since the Medallion, anyway!

I’m setting off now on two stitching journeys simultaneously, each one vastly different from the other. One project, you see, is being prepared as a possible teaching project. This means it can’t be published in full. The other is for collaboration on a book. And this means it can’t be published in full. And now you are privy to my sad blogging dilemma! But we’ll work through the dilemma, and hopefully we’ll find an acceptable middle way. Throughout both journeys, I’ll be sneaking you updates and even little embroidery tips that stem from the projects.

The first thing I did after working out the two designs was work up a color palette and think about threads.

Color
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Embroidery Book Give-Away! RSN Whitework Stitch Guide

 

Today, because it’s Monday and it’s always good to start the week on an Up Note, I’m going to give away an embroidery book!

Initially, I was going to give away two embroidery books today. But I have all kinds of Monday Morning Excuses why I changed my mind. The dominating reason, though, is that the books are completely unrelated (except in their use of needle and thread), and it occurred to me that, while you might really want one of them, you might not want the other. And what if you won the one you didn’t want??! Oh gosh! That would be the pits!!!

So I decided to do them separately. Today’s give-away:

RSN Whitework Stitch Guide Give-Away
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Stitch Fun: Interlaced Herringbone – and Printables?

 

Today’s Stitch Fun is a bit challenging – but, oh! the satisfaction of conquering a challenging stitch! True, this isn’t the Most Challenging Stitch Combination in the world, but it is challenging enough that many stitchers simply don’t bother to tackle it, even though it creates a beautiful, intricately laced border or band.

Tomorrow, I’ll have a Stitch Printable available for you. This is a new idea – we’ll see how it goes over. The Printable will take you step by step through the whole process of creating the interlaced herringbone, not only for the simple band shown below, but also on corners, complete frames, and circles. More on this at the end of today’s article!

Interlaced Herringbone Stitch
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Knotted Pearl Stitch Video

 

The knotted pearl stitch used in hand embroidery is one of those fun, rhythmic stitches that works up fairly quickly.

The knotted pearl stitch is a lot like the Palestrina stitch, but it differs in two ways: 1. the direction it is stitches is reversed, and 2. there are two knots created in this stitch, rather than just the one knot created in the Palestrina stitch.

So the knotted pearl stitch ends up just a bit more “knotty” than the Palestrina stitch. Often, you’ll see the knotted pearl stitch called the “reverse Palestrina stitch,” but in fact, it isn’t actually the Palestrina stitch reversed – it has one additional step to it.

Knotted Pearl Stitch Video
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Embroidery Scissors by Premax

 

Though I’ve often asserted I’m not a “collector” of scissors or other needlework tools, fact is – I have quite a collection! What a paradox, eh?

Ah, but I don’t collect these things simply because I want to collect. Rather, I acquire them so that I can know what other people are talking about, using and recommending. This helps me make recommendations with greater confidence. Hopefully, these recommendations will, in turn, help you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah! It’s just a good excuse, right?!

Since our last little discussion on embroidery scissors, when I showed you a pair of bad little embroidery scissors, I’ve gotten my paws on two brands of embroidery scissors that are new to me, but that were recommended by readers. Today, I’d like to show you one of them – I like these scissors very much, and I think they’re an affordable option for a good pair of embroidery scissors.

Premax Embroidery Scissors
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Stitch Play: Woven Filling

 

Needle weaving in hand embroidery involves all kinds of stitches. Woven picot, woven wheel, various interlaced stitches – these are both examples of stitches that involve “needle weaving.” In drawn thread and whitework embroidery, needle weaving is used to create decorative woven bars in drawn thread areas. So the whole idea of needle weaving is fairly prevalent across the whole surface embroidery spectrum.

For today’s Stitch Play, we’re going to look at the most basic needle weaving technique, the woven filling. This is such a simple technique and easy to use wherever you want a filled embroidered area that looks woven.

Woven Filling in Embroidery
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More Video Updates on Needle ‘n Thread!

 

I’ve updated a few more embroidery stitch videos here on Needle ‘n Thread lately – not as many as I would like to have updated by now, but there will be a few more revised videos and some new stitch videos rolling out again in the near future. These are the recent revised videos and new additions that have been added to the collection. I hope you find them useful!

Bullion Knot Video Tutorial
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Stitch Fun: Cast-On Stitch Rose

 

The cast-on stitch is a beautiful hand embroidery stitch that can be used to embroider gorgeous, rich, dimensional flowers. The stitch is used frequently in Brazilian Embroidery, and it can be used just as effectively in stumpwork embroidery.

Now that we’ve looked at how to work the cast-on stitch, and we’ve gone step-by-step through making a little cast-on stitch layered flower, we’ll look at building on that layered flower concept a bit, to create a cast-on stitch rose.

Cast-On Stitch Rose
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Whitework: RSN Essential Stitch Guide Review

 

The Royal School of Needlework has added to their collection of Essential Stitch Guides lately. The new title is Whitework, by Lizzy Lansberry. As soon as I heard the book was out, I ordered a copy right away – not only to review it for you, but also (and especially) because I love whitework. I figured if this book measures up to the other Stitch Guides produced by the RSN, then it’s bound to be a keeper!

And it does. And it is!

Whitework RSN Essential Stitch Guide
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Stitch Fun: Simple Cast-On Stitch Flower

 

Yesterday, I posted a how-to video for the cast-on stitch, and today, as part of the Stitch Play series, I’d like to follow up with a tutorial for making a very simple cast-on stitch flower. It’s the same flower I showed you in yesterday’s post – and we’ll go through it step-by-step, so you can get an idea of how to play around with the cast-on stitch.

Incidentally, you can substitute the bullion knot for the cast-on stitch and create a similar flower with a slightly different look, so feel free to play with both stitches. (I updated the video for the bullion knot this week – it’s much better than the old one!)

This is the flower we’ll create:

Cast-On Stitch Flower Tutorial
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The Brockhampton Church Embroideries

 

Nestled in Herefordshire on the west boundary of England, up against Wales, and situated near the Wye River, is the little village of Brockhampton. In the little village of Brockhampton, there is a church – the church of All Saints. And inside the church of All Saints are some interesting textile-related items.

Today, thanks to Jac, who recently visited the church and took pictures, we get to travel to Brockhampton vicariously. Come along – let’s look at this pretty little church and its interior treasures!

Brockhampton Church Embroideries - Church of All Saints
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Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch Video

 

The Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch (also called the Hungarian Chain Stitch or the Hungarian Braid Stitch) is worked in a manner similar to a reverse chain stitch or a heavy chain stitch, with one notable difference that gives a completely different look to the line.

I love this stitch! It is fun to work, it works up rather quickly, and it can be used anywhere you want a heavier chain-stitch-like line that has a bit of texture to it and looks braided. It really is a lovely stitch!

Hungarian Braided Chain Stitch
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On Random Stitch Samplers

 

One request that’s been coming up on the website and via e-mail lately is whether or not I can provide a pattern for working a sampler of surface embroidery stitches, for practicing all the various embroidery stitches shown in the embroidery videos here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Good news! You don’t need to a pattern to work a sampler for surface embroidery stitches! Let me show you what I mean.

It’s important to understand, though, that I’m not “creating” anything specific here. There’s no finished whole as far as a picture goes, when all is said and done. At the end of the whole sampler process, you won’t see some beautiful needlepainted bird, or a lovely piece of goldwork, or anything like that. Instead, you’ll have a piece of fabric covered with a whole colorful bunch of all kinds of different stitches, worked pretty much according to whim.

Random Embroidery Stitch Samplers
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Icon Embroidery Book – Free Online

 

Good news! About 10 years ago, Galina Tregubov wrote and published a book on icon embroidery, using a guardian angel icon constructed into a banner as the teaching project in the book. For embroiderers in the US interested in this type of embroidery, it was really the only book available with clear, step-by-step instructions for needlepainting an icon.

I bought the book back then because I was intrigued by the techniques, and I learned a lot just by reading the book. And now you can, too, without buying the book. It’s available in complete form, online, for free!

Icon Embroidery Guardian Angel Book
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Bad, Bad Scissors: They Bring Woe and Disappointment

 

‘Twas a dark and stormy afternoon. Lightening streaked across the sky, and thunder rumbled its angry response. A promise of rain hung in the sultry summer air, and all the world waited, hoping that this parched Kansas land would soon be lush again.

Except for me. I didn’t even notice.

I was under ridiculously bright lamps, trying to settle a score with some silk embroidery I’ve been fighting with lately. I was moving along, rather chipper in mood, actually making progress, when I picked up a pair of tiny scissors to take a premeditated, carefully calculated snip of thread….

You do know the kind of snip I’m talking about, don’t you? The kind that is taken slowly and carefully; the kind that you hesitate before taking, maneuvering into perfect position for the snip? That kind?

Poor Quality Hand Embroidery Scissors
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Raised Fishbone Stitch Video Tutorial

 

If you’re ever stuck wondering just what stitch to use to fill a leaf and you start browsing through a stitch dictionary for a little help, you’ll find out that there’s a regular glut of filling stitches that work well for leaves. But there are two stitches in particular that I think make really nice leaves: the fishbone stitch and the raised fishbone stitch. If you have trouble creating a nice looking satin stitched leaf, never fear! The fishbone stitch and the raised fishbone stitch will come to your rescue. They both create a satin-stitch-like filling, but because the stitches overlap in the center of the leaf, you get a nice, subtle spine right down the middle of the stitch.

Today, I’ll show you how to create a raised fishbone stitch leaf.

Raised Fishbone Stitch Leaf
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More New Embroidery Videos Added!

 

Over the last week, I’ve added quite a few new embroidery stitch videos to the collection here on Needle ‘n Thread. I’m ever-so-determined to replace all the old videos with new ones that are clearer and more compatible with other devices – before the end of the summer!

Right now, there are over 70 how-to videos in the collection, and about half of them have been replaced. I have a short queue of replacement videos ready to be edited this week, plus about ten new stitches (and other “how-to” videos relating to needlework) to add to the current collection. Then it’s back to filming again.

This is a fun project, though really time-consuming. I’m pretty sure it’s a worthwhile project, too, and that it will pay off in the long run. My hope is that the videos make learning embroidery easier for those seeking to learn, and that they help stitchers expand their needlework a bit.

Here’s a list of recently updated videos. Maybe you can find a stitch in there that you’ve not worked before and give it a try!

Buttonhole Wheel
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Needle ID Cards – Winners and Resources!

 

Reading through all the responses to this week’s give-away of four packs of Needle ID Cards, I’ve drawn a few conclusions: 1. I’m not the only one who thinks they’re smart and really cute! 2. Though they’re brand-new to the market, they’re going to be pretty popular little accessories for our workboxes; and 3. There are more than just a few of us who have needle-confusion in common!

This morning, I randomly drew four lucky winners who will each receive a pack of their own Needle ID Cards. Here are the winners, plus a list of links to shops where you can pick up a set or two for yourself and your stitching friends.

Needle ID Cards
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Woven Wheel Stitch Video

 

The woven wheel, also known as the woven spider web stitch, is a great example of a simple stitch that is versatile and beautiful. The woven wheel makes terrific flowers in almost any kind of thread. It’s used widely in ribbon embroidery for making roses, but it works well in surface embroidery using cotton floss, perle cotton, wool (it looks great in wool!), silk, and really, any kind of thread!

Woven Wheel Stitch, Woven Spider Web Stitch
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On Embroidery Stitches & Samplers

 

With the Stitch Play series and the refurbishing of the embroidery how-to videos here on Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve received a lot of questions lately about the samples that I show in the series and on the videos. The predominant questions are: What do you do with them? and How can I make a sampler like the ones you show, using the stitches in the videos?

Today, I’ll attempt to answer those questions!

Embroidery Stitch Samplers
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Needle I.D. Cards

 

Needlework tools and accessories are my One Weakness. I like any tool that helps the embroiderer in some way, whether it makes the embroidery process more delightful, or keeps the embroiderer more organized, or dispels confusion.

Needle I.D. Cards fall into a tool of the latter category: they help dispel confusion. And besides that, they’re just nifty little things to have on hand.

Today, I’d like to show them to you. They’re a new product, they’re quite darling, and if you’re good and you read the whole article, I’ll even give you the opportunity to win a set for yourself.

Needle I.D. Cards
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Damp Stretching & Blocking Embroidery

 

Damp stretching or blocking hand embroidery is one of the best ways to make ready a piece of hand embroidery for finishing or framing. I call this step blocking sometimes and other times, I call it damp stretching or damp blocking. The terms can be used interchangeably. The idea is simply that you are squaring up a piece of embroidery, stretching it out, and removing all the wrinkles, all at the same time.

I rarely take pictures of this process, because by the time I get to it, I’ve either finished taking pictures, or I’m not ready yet to take pictures. But it’s good to know how to do this, if you don’t already know. If you photograph your needlework, this is a wonderful way to get it ready for nice, clear, crisp photos.

Damp stretching in this manner assumes that your fabric is clean already. If you have stains or marks on your fabric, you should take care of those before blocking.

Blocking or Damp Stretching Hand Embroidery
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Vintage Strawberries Online Embroidery Class – Registration Open

 

Registration is now open for Vintage Strawberries, an online embroidery class focusing on needlepainting, taught by Margaret Cobleigh here on Needle ‘n Thread. Please read on for further details about the class and information about enrolling in it.

Update: the class is full. We’ll keep you posted for future classes on Needle ‘n Thread!

Vintage Strawberries Online Embroidery Class
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How to Set Up an Embroidery Hoop

 

An embroidery hoop seems like a pretty basic piece of equipment, doesn’t it? Something that doesn’t necessarily require explanation? But setting up an embroidery hoop correctly is often the key to better end results in your embroidery, so I think it’s worth covering!

I often see beginning stitchers using hoops without a clear understanding of what the hoop is supposed to do for them. The hoop is not simply there to give us something to hold onto. Its purpose is to supply tension on the fabric. But how much tension is enough tension? And how careful are we to ensure that the tension does not change significantly through the course of an embroidery session?

So let’s look at how to set up a hoop, and talk about some different aspects of using a hoop for hand embroidery.

How To Use an Embroidery Hoop
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DMC Embroidery Threads: How They’re Made & Whatnot

 

When it comes to threads, we all know the name DMC. It’s the most widely available embroidery thread in the US, and perhaps in the world. You can find it everywhere, from the big box stores to the local needlework shops. Most kits and charts written today, if they don’t actually contain DMC thread, have the conversion options for DMC thread. The company’s been around for ages, and although it has gone through ownership changes over the years, the name and the threads are still around.

DMC Embroidery Thread: Floche
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Early Schwalm Whitework: Book Review

 

I’m not sure how Luzine Happel does it, but she has an uncanny way of making me want to drop everything in my stitching world and devote my life to Schwalm Whitework. Luzine is the author of what I call THE (that’s pronounced “thee”) definitive guide to Schwalm whitework embroidery, called Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework. Her first self-published book on Schwalm embroidery is absolutely a must-have if you have any interest in this type of whitework.

Then she did it again, publishing a book of step-by-step instruction for Fancy Hems used for Schwalm embroidery and any other techniques where you’d like to employ a fancy hem in your embroidery. And then she published books of fillings – fillings, fillings, and more fillings to use for whitework.

And doggonit. She’s gone and done it again! Her new book is called Early Schwalm Whitework: described in great detail and illustrated with step by step instructions, or just Early Schwalm Whitework for short.

Early Schwalm Whitework
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Embroidery Stitch Videos – Updates & a Question

 

Just thought I’d give you all a quick run-down on updated embroidery stitch videos here on Needle ‘n Thread, in case you’re looking for some Sunday afternoon entertainment. Ok, ok. My stitch videos are not exactly entertaining, I admit it! (Maybe I should post the bloopers. But then you’d hear me cussing….)

If you’re planning on dabbling with needle and thread today – you might, for example, be inside avoiding the heat – maybe some of these will be helpful.

I also have a question for you, posed at the very end of the article. You can skip down to it, if you want. I won’t be insulted. In fact, I’ll never know!

Here’s a list of the all-new videos on Needle ‘n Thread, with photos of what the stitches look like. There’s a link below each photo to the video tutorials. On each video page, you’ll also find photos of what the stitches look like, plus explanatory information that’s been updated, with links to other articles related to the given stitch, or just general information about the stitch, threads, or what-have-you.

Backstitch, Laced Backstitch, Whipped Backstitch
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Little Bird of Paradise

 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a free hand embroidery pattern here on Needle ‘n Thread! This one, I dug up from an old issue of Le Journal de Brodeuses, cleaned it up and digitized it so that I can use it as a project to demonstrate some techniques. I’ll show you that in the future. Right now, the whole concept is just bubbling about in my brain.

But in the meantime, I think it’s a great hand embroidery pattern for working simple stitches, so I thought you might want a copy of it, too!

Hand Embroidery Pattern: Little Bird of Paradise
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Stitch Fun: Shisha, No Mirrors

 

Do you want to try shisha stitch, but you don’t have any mirrors to practice with?

Are you working with mixed media, and you’d like to add a bit of paper and a bit of stitching to it?

Are you embroidering something that won’t be laundered and want to add a special touch?

Did you know you can work the shisha stitch without mirrors? You can use it to attach practically anything flat or barely domed to your embroidery surfaces.

This little bit of stitch play came into being by accident.

I was preparing to work up a tutorial for traditional shisha stitch, which is a decorative technique of stitching down little mirrors onto fabric, but I didn’t have any mirrors.

In fact, the whole thought of a mirror under studio lighting while trying to photograph a stitch tutorial seemed problematic to me, so I opted for card stock. After all, it’s the technique that’s being taught – once you know the technique, you can use it however you want!

Shisha Stitch - No Mirrors
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Temari Techniques: Book Review

 

Barbara Suess’s new book, Temari Techniques: A Visual Guide to Making Japanese Embroidered Thread Balls is out, and is it a beauty! If you are familiar with temari and fascinated by the art, this is definitely a book for you! I’ve gone a few rounds with temari myself – I made this temari ball for my niece, for example – but I’ve always wanted to venture further with the it. And now, I think I definitely will! Barbara Suess’s book is inspiring!

Temari Techniques by Barbara Suess
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Laced Backstitch Video Tutorial

 

The laced backstitch used in hand embroidery is somewhat like the whipped backstitch. To create the laced backstitch, the needle passes under a line of previously stitched backstitches, but instead of always passing under the stitches in the same direction, the laced backstitch passes under in alternate directions from stitch to stitch. To put it really simply, the needle goes up under one stitch and down under the next.

Laced Backstitch
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Isolated French Knots, Part 2

 

Earlier this week, we looked at one way to create isolated French knots (or colonial knots, incidentally) without carrying threads across the back of the fabric.

Today, I’ll show you two other methods I use to begin isolated French knots (depending on the thread I’m using), and one method to secure practically any isolated knot after it’s made. Keep in mind that this is how I do it – this doesn’t mean there aren’t other (and probably better!) ways to start and end isolated French knots. But for those of you who don’t know how, if you try the methods suggested here, I think you’ll discover they both work.

Isolated French Knots in hand embroidery
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Stitch Fun: Diagonally Striped Raised Band

 

One of the greatest aspects of hand embroidery is the unbelievable variety and sheer quantity of hand embroidery stitches and techniques out there.

Think about it: could you ever really get bored with hand embroidery? There’s just too much variety and too many possibilities to get bored with it, don’t you think? (Or is that just me? Ok. I admit to a slight obsession with this whole needle & thread thing…)

Lately, I’ve been having fun playing around with some of the stitches and techniques that are a bit off the Familiarly Trodden Embroidery Path. Feel free to jump on board and play around with these stitches, too. They’re really fun!

Following up on Casalguidi stitch and the raised stem stitch band, for today’s Stitch Play, I’m going to show you how to create a raised band that’s diagonally striped. It looks like this, give or take the little hairy tendrils on the right:

Diagonally Striped Raised Band Stitch
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Digging Out to Dig In

 

Wherever you do your needlework – whether you have a workroom where all your embroidery projects develop, or you embroider in the perfect corner of your living room – unless you are a Super Organized Person, occasionally, you have to go through that stage that I call “Digging Out” before you can dig in to your next Great Needlework Undertaking.

Yesterday was a Digging Out day for me. I didn’t really mean it to be, but that’s just how things developed.

Organizing Needlework Projects
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Beginner’s Guide to Goldwork – Book Give-Away!

 

Ruth Chamberline’s Beginner’s Guide to Goldwork (which I reviewed about five years ago) is an excellent instructional book in silk and goldwork embroidery. Meandering through my bookshelf the other day, I took the book out and started browsing through it. Next thing I knew, I was reading it again, cover to cover. It’s a terrific instructional book!

Beginner's Guide to Goldwork
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I like Bohin – Their Needles & Their Company

 

Yesterday, we discussed English needles and the manufacturing of needles today. Most embroidery needle manufacturing in the world has been outsourced to regions where they can be produced with cheaper labor. As one reader commented, “the world is changing… and nothing is as it was or will be again.”

It may well be that the world has changed to the Cheaper Labor / Higher Returns model in manufacturing, and I do sympathize with the Producers of Goods who have been pretty well forced into that model, but there are companies in the needlework industry that have resisted that model. And these companies, in general, produce higher quality needlework products.

When it comes to needles, in Europe, there are still some factories that manufacture sewing needles. The best known of these is the Bohin company in France. Apparently, there is a manufacturer in Spain as well, but I haven’t been able to track that down and verify it.

Bohin Embroidery Needles
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hungarian Tulips & Dots

 

It’s been a very long while since I’ve shared any free hand embroidery patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread! This design is from a series began last year, called Lilly’s Legacy, which you can read all about in the first article of the series (which also includes a free pattern).

Today’s design was a little difficult to render as a line drawing, as the image itself is quite crowded. But I love the original painted design, with its fiery color. I hope you like it, too!

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hungarian Tulips & Dots
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Stitching Today.

 

I’d like to ask each of you to descend upon my little town in Kansas and help me stitch today. I’m doing the appliqué work on the Medallion, and admittedly, I’m quaking a bit in my boots. This always happens to me when it comes time to do the Final Finish on a project. I end up hesitating, putting off, thinking through the process about a gazillion times before I actually leap.

Funny thing is, once I leap, I find out it wasn’t that big of a deal!

Girl Stitching Woodcut
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Su Embroidery – Learn it with a Kit!

 

Last year, I shared with you some gorgeous needlepainted pictures in a type of embroidery called “Su Embroidery” – it is a Chinese style of embroidery from Suzhou, China, and it is amazing embroidery!

Now, thanks to Margaret Lee of Adelaide, South Australia, and Country Bumpkin you can learn Su Embroidery techniques via the handy “mechanism” of a kit.

One of the best ways to learn a technique (if you can’t attend a class) is to invest in a kit produced by a master in that technique. Find a technique that entices you, then find a designer who produces kits and books focusing on that technique, and use the kit as a learning tool. It works! If you treat the kit as a learning exercise and work your way through the designer’s steps to complete the kit, you’ll learn much about the embroidery technique. The experience may not always be roses and sunshine and perfect embroidery stitches, but you will definitely progress (and usually by leaps and bounds rather than baby steps) towards a better understanding and ability in that particular technique.

So, if Su Embroidery interests you, you might want to take a look at these complete, inclusive kits by Margaret Lee. I’ll show you one…

Su Embroidery Kits
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Hand Embroidery: Purpose in Relation to Cost

 

Oh dear. I seem to be on a contemplative kick – musing still over the whole cost-quality-time-value question of embroidery! If you’re in the mood to join me, do pull up a chair and pour yourself a cup of coffee. (You might need it to stay awake!)

Your comments on the blog articles from Monday and Tuesday have me thinking about a lot of things relating to embroidery and how we value our hand embroidery work. Following up on Tuesday’s discussion of the material cost involved in creating the Medallion Project, another aspect I consider when musing over the notion of Value is…

The Purpose of Hand Embroidery
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Goldwork Tip: How to Attach Grecian Twist

 

Grecian Twist is a four-ply metal thread made out of two types of gold – one is smooth and bright and shiny, and the other is somewhat matte and “old gold” looking, compared to the other. It’s a thick cord, about 1/8″ or slightly less, and it is perfect for outlining and neatening an edge. Because Grecian Twist is not a fine (size-wise) goldwork thread, it is dealt with a little differently than many standard types of metal thread.

Today, I’ll show you how to attach Grecian Twist to a goldwork project. I’m afraid I didn’t take the best step-by-step photos of this process, so instead of a thorough photo tutorial, you’ll have to read the text for a bit of explanation, too.

By the way, Grecian Twist is quite easy to sew on, so don’t be intimidated by the beauty of the thread (I think it’s a particularly beautiful thread!), thinking that such a beautiful thread would require some fancy-schmancy approach to embroidery or stitching!

Attaching Grecian Twist Goldwork Thread
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Hand Embroidery Cost: The Price Tag of the Medallion

 

After posting the finish on the Medallion Project yesterday, I received many comments both on the website and via e-mail that were so kind, enthusiastic, and appreciative of the finished project and the whole process of creating the Medallion. Thank you so much! Your comments really cheered me, especially when suffering the inevitable “let down” after a major project! I will do my very best in the upcoming days to answer the questions that are still lingering, especially those involving technique. I have a few instructional tips to share with you still!

Surprisingly, this is the first time I’ve had more comments via e-mail than on the website. My inbox hosted some 300 e-mail yesterday, and although I’d like to answer them all (haven’t yet – still trying!), I’ve certainly been reading them, and I thank you for sending them!

For those of you who asked specific questions, I made notes, categorized them, and will try to answer them in general here on the website.

Cost of Embroidery Supplies
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Silk & Goldwork Embroidered Medallion – Finished!

 

It was last June when I sketched up the original design that would become the Medallion Project. Just short of a year ago! And approximately 450 hours of stitching later – most of which was done between the January and now – it is Finally Finished!

Didn’t you hear all that joyous shouting Saturday around 2:00 pm? That was me. I let out a regular hoop-dee-doo.

This finished medallion will be appliquéd to the back of a chasuble, but that won’t happen until the end of this week. Between now and then, there’s one more step to prepare the medallion for the appliqué process, and I’ll show that to you once I’ve done it. Today, I’ll share with you the final steps in the embroidery.

Goldwork & Silk Ecclesiastical Embroidery
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5 Gold & Silk Roses – & Dot Discussion

 

The last time we looked at the Medallion Project, it was undergoing a little demolition. But the demolition wasn’t really a set-back, you see! It was just Something that Had to Be Done. And I’ll tell you why, below. Trust me, the reason will not bowl you over with any brilliance. It was just a small, stupid mistake on my part!

The five goldwork and silk Tudor-style roses around the outside of the medallion are finished, too, which is a major chunk of the piece at this point. They were actually finished before I started in on demolishing the dots, though after a while, these little details begin to blur together…

Goldwork & Silk Ecclesiastical Embroidery
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Schwalm for Lefties Update!

 

Last week, we talked a bit about Schwalm whitework and a stitching challenge / give-away for lefties. The challenge part includes stitching up a Schwalm project from Luzine Happel’s book, Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework, re-written for left-handed embroiderers, and corresponding with Luzine about the clarity of the instructions and so forth. The give-away part is the fact that the three participants will receive all the materials necessary to complete the project, including the linen with the design already on it, the threads, needles, and the book.

Schwalm Whitework Embroidery
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There Ain’t Nothin’ Like Linen!

 

It’s true. There is no fabric quite like linen. When it comes to hand embroidery, linen is, in my mind, the ideal fabric. And there are many, many reasons why it is the ideal fabric. But there is one reason that shines beyond all the others: one Grand Reason that linen is the bee’s knees when it comes to hand embroidery.

And that reason? I’ll call it Flexibility. That sounds so very positive, doesn’t it? Linen is flexible. It can be used for a host of applications in embroidery. It can be used for counted work. It can be used for free style, surface embroidery. It can be used for goldwork. It can be used for needlepainting, for whitework, for blackwork – you name it! When it comes to practically any kind of hand embroidery, linen steps up to the plate! (With a few minor exceptions.)

But that’s not the Flexibility I’m talking about. Flexibility in embroidery can mean a lot of things. It can, for example, be the flexibility that the embroiderer has when it comes to changing her mind.

Some people may call this Fickleness. I prefer Flexibility.

Goldwork and Silk Embroidery on Linen
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Portuguese Whitework – Book Review

 

Well, here it is! Yvette Stanton’s new hand embroidery book, Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães is out and available. And golly! It is beautiful!

If you’re familiar with Yvette’s other books on various types of lesser-known, beautiful whitework techniques, you won’t be surprised that this one is superb. I have to say, though, out of all her whitework books, so far, this one is my favorite. Perhaps it’s because her books just keep getting better and better, or maybe it’s because I have an affinity for the combination of drawn thread embroidery and surface embroidery. Guimarães embroidery just does this combination so well!

Let me show you what’s in the book – if you like whitework, this is bound to tickle your fancy!

Portuguese Whitework by Yvette Stanton
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Five (x 10) Golden Rings!

 

The little goldwork dots in the outside edge of the Medallion are under way again. There are 50 of these little dots in the edge, and they’re worked in a combination of pearl purl (for the outline) and chips (little cuts of check purl) for the filling.

If there weren’t 50 of these dots to contend with, I’d say they weren’t too time consuming. The dots are about 5/16″ – 3/8″ in diameter, so they’re pretty small. This makes manipulating the pearl purl (which is a stiff thread) somewhat slightly less than fun. Actually, every time I finish a dot, I find myself saying, “Bah – that wasn’t so bad!” and I move on to the next fiddly little blighter with an ever-increasing excitement at being one step closer to the end.

Today, I’ll show you how I work the pearl purl outlines and talk a little bit about working with this versatile and beautiful real metal thread.

Goldwork Rings with Pearl Purl
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Stitch Your Own Garden!

 

Have you ever wanted to embroider your own little garden? If you have, but you’re not sure how to go about doing it, there’s a nifty e-book available out there to show you how. It’s called Stitching Idyllic: Spring Flowers by Ann Bernard. Ann’s little book focuses on creating your own unique embroidered garden out of recognizable flowers and trees, using very basic stitches worked in threads and combinations of threads that produce true-to-nature color schemes.

Stitching Idyllic: Spring Flowers by Ann Bernard
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Embroidery from the Back & Changing the Order of Work

 

The Medallion Project is dragging out a bit longer than I had hoped! I did not meet my First Personal Deadline (which was Easter), nor my Second Personal Deadline (which was April 15), and now I’m pushing my Last Personal Deadline and Final Deadline of All (mid-May). I must be finished around May 15, because it has to be turned over the vestment-maker, to meet the June deadline. So it’s down to the wire! (No pun intended!) This may turn into a nail-biter!

Today I’d like to show you how I changed the order of work on the roses, and give you my reasoning behind that. You can apply the same principals to any embroidery – sometimes, you just have to change the “normal” order of work, due to some logical reason. I’m also going to show you the back of the goldwork, because this figures into my reasoning for changing the order of work.

Outlining Goldwork
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Grab-n-Go Needlework Project

 

When your vacation is looming, when you have company coming for an extended stay, when you know life is getting ready to go ballistic on you, what happens to your needlework? Do you abandon stitchery until the cyclone of activity blows itself out, do you plod ahead with your regular needlework pursuits, or do you plan needlework into those busy times by preparing a project that fits into your life when it’s in hyper-drive?

I tend to do the latter: I prepare a project that I know I can grab and take with me, or that I can concentrate 15 minutes of time on now and then, just so that I have some kind of project going – something that keeps the fingers busy when there’s some down time. Grab-n-Go needlework projects like these are never something that I feel pressured to finish in any particular time frame. They’re just a casual project that requires minimum supplies and tools, that can be easily transported, and that don’t require a lot (if any) real thought. No decisions to make, no techniques to work out – just simple stitching.

And you’d be surprised how soon you can actually finish this type of project (even if it is rather large!), if you keep it available for those little snatches of time when you can get in a few stitches.

Ukrainian Embroidered Cloth Project
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Hungarian Embroidery Samples – a Bit of a Browse

 

About this time last year, I began collaborating with Mike Parr, to put together a collection of Hungarian Hand Embroidery Patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread. Since then, we’ve communicated back and forth about Hungarian embroidery and embroidery in general. Mike stumbled on a really nice gallery displaying samples of Hungarian hand embroidery.

Hungarian Hand Embroidery Photos
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Mellor Goldwork Tool – It’s a Handy Thing!

 

A mellor is a goldwork tool. I’ve seen it spelled “mellor” and “melore” and “mellore,” depending on the source. Today, I’m calling it a mellor. Tomorrow, I might call it a mellore. I think it’s too late to dictate the absolute spelling of the thing. But however it is spelled, the mellor is a tool used in goldwork, and it’s a handy little thing to have.

Since we all have our Favorite Tools (and I’m pretty sure many stitchers become inordinately attached to certain tools, so much so that life would alter significantly without them), you can take or leave my assertions about the mellor. You see, I’m inordinately attached to certain tools, and I’m fiercely loyal to them. Insult my tools, and you insult me, says I. I stand up for my tools. I fight for them – Stiletto Wars to the Death!

Ok, ok! Perhaps I wouldn’t go that far, but I do like my tools, and there’s a reason I like them. So let’s talk about the mellor-melore-mellore.

Silver Mellor for Goldwork Embroidery
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Au Ver a Soie Silks – New Colors Rolling Out!

 

The thread junkie in me has been bubbling about with excitement, and the only thing for it is to share with you some new thread colors!

I’m always excited when I see new colors of my favorite threads appearing on the market. When a line of hand embroidery threads expands, it’s a good sign! Two of Au Ver a Soie’s threads are currently enjoying a nice expansion of colors – Soie de Paris and Soie Ovale.

Soie de Paris - new colors of silk hand embroidery thread
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When Goldwork Gets Hairy

 

When doing goldwork embroidery that involves plunging threads, I admit that I’ve always been a Plunge-Sooner-Rather-Than-Later kind of gal. Being this kind of Plunger has both its advantages and its disadvantages. Recently, though, I’ve converted (or revolted), and now I’m a Plunge-Later. This is how things went:

Plunging Goldwork Threads
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Stitch Play: Couching – Beyond the Straight Stitch

 

Couching in its most basic form is among the easier embroidery stitches. Essentially, the couching stitch is just a little straight stitch taken over some other thread (or ribbon or wire) to hold it down. Couching with the simple straight couching stitch can be decorative when couching a filled area, because you can alternate the placement of the couching stitches to make designs over whatever thread is being couched.

But you can also approach couching from a different angle: consider it simply as tying down another thread (or ribbon or wire) with any stitch, besides just a straight stitch, and suddenly, many possibilities open up!

For today’s Stitch Play, I’ll show you some different takes on couching. You can apply these (and any others your imagination can drum up) when couching one thread, multiple threads at a time, a beautiful ribbon, or even metal threads.

Couching Stitch Variations
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Goldwork Tip: Sharp Corners

 

Last week, I showed you the finished goldwork edge around the inside cinquefoil on the Medallion Project. One recurring question from that article was how to achieve the sharp corners with the couched Japanese gold thread. You know, that was a problematic part for me, too!

The easiest path to take when couching the gold would have been to work in two continuous lengths of the Japanese gold, side-by-side, so that the threads only had to be plunged twice while filling that whole area – once at the beginning of the couching and once when the whole outline around the cinquefoil was filled. As efficient and dreamily pleasant as it would have been to not have to stop to plunge threads, the sharp angles at each corner would’ve been lost with that approach.

The only approach that would keep the integrity of the design and achieve the effect that I wanted to achieve was to plunge the ends of the gold thread at every angle – a process that made sense but took decidedly more time.

Today, we’ll look at how I took the sharp corners on the cinquefoil shape, using Japanese gold thread.

Goldwork Embroidery: Filling Sharp Corners
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Crewel Twists Winner!

 

We have a winner! Last week, I announced a give-away of Hazel Blomkamp’s new book, Crewel Twists. It’s a lovely book full of fun, really gorgeous embroidery projects that take a new twist on Jacobean style embroidery, incorporating different types of embroidery threads, beads, and techniques in various Jacobean-like designs. You can see some of the examples of the projects in the book by visiting my review of Crewel Twists, where you’ll also find information on the availability of the book.

Crewel Twists: Fresh Ideas for Jacobean Embroidery
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Goldwork Embroidery: Never Ending, but So Worth It!

 

When last we visited the Medallion Project, we discussed stretching pearl purl for the outline around the inside of the medallion. Since then (it seems ages ago!), I’ve finally finished the goldwork around the cinquefoil (five-petal shape) on the inside of the medallion and have started adding the gold to the Tudor-style roses.

These days, it seems as if the goldwork is never-ending! But the tediousness of the goldwork is extremely worthwhile, because it really enriches the whole project.

Goldwork on Church Embroidery Project
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Embroidery Thread Storage & Organization

 

How do you store your embroidery threads? This question has troubled me for a while.

Over time, I’ve been investing in complete ranges of threads that I know I will be using in my hand embroidery projects. There are obvious reasons to have the whole set of any given line of thread on hand, the primary one being that threads are to the embroiderer what paints, pencils, pens, or crayons are to the artist. If you don’t have just the color you need or you don’t know just what colors are available, then the designing stage becomes decidedly more difficult. Of course, the artist can mix paints, and to a degree, we can do that with threads, but not in quite the same way, right?

Real thread cards are a partial solution to this, but not an entire solution. On a real thread card, you can see a real piece of each color of thread in a range of embroidery thread. The drawbacks? One, you can’t stitch with the thread sample. If you have the whole skein or spool, you can actually stitch with the thread and see how it looks in the overall design. Two, not every thread line has a real color card, so you have to make your own, which requires you to have the whole range of threads, anyway.

So, a long term storage solution for expensive whole sets of threads became a priority for me. I started hunting around for something that would not only work, but would work for the long haul. Plastic boxes, cardboard boxes, and the like were not on my “favorite” list, because over time, the chemicals in plastic and in cardboard that isn’t archive-friendly could have an adverse effect on embroidery threads. The same applies to wood. While I was hunting, I developed the following criteria for a thread storage solution:

1. Safety – the threads should be free of possible damaged due to storage
2. Logic – the threads had to be easily viewed and easily arranged in a systematic way so that they could be easily found
3. Space-Consciousness – the arrangement had to fit within the spacial limitations of my workroom
3. Aesthetic Appeal – while the storage solution didn’t have to be beautiful, I didn’t want it to be ugly. It at least had to be neat and clean looking.

Hand Embroidery Thread Storage Solutions
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Crewel Twists – Book Give-Away!

 

At the end of this past February, I reviewed Hazel Blomkamp’s new book, Crewel Twists. Hazel’s book is a technique and project book. She combines designs that you’d normally see worked in wool in crewel embroidery (many Jacobean in flavor) with various surface embroidery techniques, including embroidery with regular floss, bead embroidery and even goldwork. The projects in the book are wonderfully colorful and a heap of fun!

Crewel Twists
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MacStitch Counted Cross Stitch Software

 

There are lots of reasons to own a software program that can help you create or design charted images for counted cross stitch or any other counted technique. The major reason for me is the convenience of being able to work out a stitch chart in an easy-to-use program and print it in a clean format ready for use. I use software to create filet crochet patterns for my mom, to work out monogram placement, to sketch up blackwork designs, to work out drawn thread edges or Hardanger ideas, or to work out patterns that I find on a vintage linens or on old samplers or what-have-you.

On Sunday, I posted a photo of some really pretty Pysanky Easter eggs that were resting on a beautiful Ukrainian embroidered cloth. I received an e-mail from a reader, and this is what she asked: I LOVE the design on the Ukrainian cloth you posted today and I want to stitch it sooooo bad! Beside drawing it out on graph paper, how could I make the pattern for it? Do you use software for that, or do you draw it on graph paper? Do you know if it’s easy to use that kind of software? Any suggestions are appreciated!

So that question prompted today’s article. There’s no affiliation here – I’m simply passing on information about a product that I use that I’m happy with. You may know of other good cross stitch software that you might want to recommend, and that’s fine. If you’re looking for this type of software, I suggest you shop around, read reviews, download demo versions and try them out, compare prices and features, and then make your own informed decision.

Macstitch by Ursa Software
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Hand Embroidery Happenings around the Traps

 

It seems there’s lots of stuff going on in the hand embroidery world these days, and I think that’s an excellent sign! You really can’t convince me that hand embroidery is a dying art. No, no, no! I think it’s definitely a living art, and I think it’s growing in popularity by leaps and bounds! This is wonderful – but it also poses certain difficulties, which I’ll talk about some day soon. (I have something brewing in my head, you see!)

For now, here are some things in the World of Hand Embroidery that have caught my eye lately and I thought worth sharing. Kick back, pour a cup of your favorite morning brew, and let’s slog through this journey together, shall we?

Lady Ann Needlework Exhibition
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Cross & Crown of Thorns

 

Today, I’d like to share with you one of the patterns available in Church Patterns for Hand Embroidery, Appliqué, Paper Crafts, Painting, & More. It’s a cross interwoven with a crown of thorns. The design is from Thomas Brown & Son’s catalogue of church embroidery designs from the early 1900’s, where it appears as a “square” cross (or a cross with equal length arms on all four sides). Here’s the design, with a PDF at the end of the article:

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Cross & Crown of Thorns
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Goldwork: Couching Stretched Pearl Purl

 

Stretched pearl purl wound with a thickness of colored silk and couched down with the same color of silk is perhaps one of my favorite goldwork techniques. It’s a great way to combine silk and gold to make a striking, eye-catching twist that’s just really pretty.

I’m using this technique on the Medallion Project, and you can see it here along the edge of the “cinquefoil” that forms the center of the the whole medallion.

Goldwork Embroidery: Stretched Pearl Purl
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Nesting Place – Needlebook Finishes!

 

Last month, the final Nesting Place online class finished up here on Needle ‘n Thread. It was a great class! My heartfelt thanks goes out to Bobbi Chase, who offered me the use of her design for the class, to Lamora Haider and her crew at Access Commodities, who were so helpful in putting together the fine supplies we used in the Nesting Place project, and to all the participants who made it a successful and fun class!

Now, you just have to let me do the Teacher Brag thing a bit here. If we were in school, I’d be pinning up these class projects on the bulletin board and lining the school hallway with them! Needle ‘n Thread will be my bulletin board and my hallway today!

Though you might be tempted to think that all the needlebooks from the same class project would come out exactly the same, you’ll see here that this isn’t the case at all! Embroidery sometimes reminds me of handwriting – you can always tell that someone else has done this stitching or that stitching. And of course, when it comes to embroidery projects, there’s always that option of personalization! I hope you’ll enjoy seeing these darling needlebooks, the outcome of six grueling weeks of torturous embroidery!!

Nesting Place - Hand Embroidered Needlebook
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Stitch Play: Inside-Out Buttonhole Wheel Flowers

 

You can never have too many options for stitching hand embroidered flowers! Today’s embroidered flower-looking-thing doesn’t necessarily have to be a flower – you can work it on curves or lines as well. But worked in the round like this, it makes an airy, light flower that’s a lot of fun.

So, for today’s Stitch Play, we’re going to stitch an Inside-Out Buttonhole Wheel Flower. You can work through the whole process shown here, or you can stop at different stages for the effect you want. This is the complete element that I’ll show you today:

Hand Embroidery Stitch: Buttonhole Wheel Flower
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Monogrammed Whitework – An Exquisite Piece of Needlework!

 

I love whitework embroidery. I love monograms. I love drawn thread embroidery. I love linen! I love vintage linens! And I really love it when whitework and monograms and drawn thread are combined on one vintage embroidered linen! That’s what I call a winning combination! And oh, what a piece of embroidery this is!

Come gaze with me!

Monogrammed Whitework Hand Embroidery - Vintage Linen
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Medallion: Goldwork Galore!

 

The only embroidery left on the Medallion project is goldwork embroidery… and lots of it!

I really appreciate all the incredible input from you on the last article regarding adding the pink ring around the design, joining the roses – thank you so much for your take on it, whether positive or negative. You all gave me a lot to think about, and I really appreciated all your comments. I’ll be answering some of them when time allows.

Ummm…. I did decide to keep the pink. It isn’t Pink-Pink, by the way (if “Pink-Pink” is allowable as a classification of Pinkness!). I would call it more of a “light red” or true “rose” color – not Candy Pink.

This is more or less my current state of progress:

Goldwork & Silk Embroidery: Church Embroidery
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Stitch Play: Casalguidi Stitch – or Really Raised Stem Stitch!

 

Casalguidi is an embroidery technique, rather than just a stitch. It consists of very heavy raised stem stitch worked in curves, lines, squiggles, or what-have-you (whatever the design dictates), usually with a lighter background of pulled thread stitching. Casalguidi is usually a whitework embroidery technique, but the technique can be easily adapted to your surface embroidery, wherever you want a high-relief, textured line that tends to be somewhat heavy. It can be easily incorporated into stumpwork embroidery projects, too.

For today’s Stitch Play, as a follow-up to yesterday’s raised stem stitch, we’re going to look at Casalguidi, and hopefully, you’ll find lots of potential for this technique, at the various stages in the stitching. This is what we’re going to create:

Casalguidi Stitch in Hand Embroidery
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Stitch Play: Raised Stem Stitch

 

Raised stem stitch is a great way to create thick, textured ribbons, bands, ropes, tree trunks, caterpillars… lots of possibilities with this technique!

There are different ways to go about raised stem stitch – you can really raise it by working it over a cord or rope padding (as is done in Casalguidi embroidery), or you can raise it moderately by working long lines of horizontal stitches, over which you can then work the vertical stitches you’ll see in the tutorial below, and then the stem stitch over those. Or, you can just barely raise it a bit, by working the vertical stitches right on the fabric, as we’ll do here.

In today’s Stitch Play, this is what we are going to create:

Raised Stem Stitch
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Stitching Dilemma: Think Pink

 

Last week, I mentioned running into a stitching wall on the Medallion Project. There’s something rather deflating about getting some hundreds of hours into a goldwork and silk embroidery project – fiddly hours, you know! – and running into a wall. Something seriously deflating.

I attacked that wall in innumerable quick sequences, without photographing each one. I was engrossed, engaged… perhaps a wee bit enraged… and the camera was the last thing on my mind! I did catch the second-to-the-last attempt to scale the wall – the last attempt being the one that catapulted me over it. I’ll tell you about it and show you what I did. You can let me know if you agree, disagree, feel sick when you see it, or what!

Church Embroidery: Silk & Gold Marian Medallion
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Goldwork & Silk Medallion: On the Edge!

 

As mentioned earlier this week, I’ll be updating the Medallion Embroidery Project in larger chunks now, showing you progress on whole parts, rather than individual tiny elements. Why? Because from here on out, it gets a little repetitive! Don’t worry – I’ll still include close ups and those inevitable Instructional Moments (i.e. especially when I make mistakes, change my mind, run into trouble, and so forth!).

Today, I want to show you the edge of the Medallion all stitched in, so you can get a general idea of the whole look of the piece now.

Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Silk & Goldwork embroidery
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Goldwork Embroidery by Mary Brown – Book Give-Away!

 

Methinks today is a good day to give away a very nice goldwork embroidery book, called Goldwork Embroidery: Designs and Projects by Australian embroiderer, Mary Brown. You’re very welcome to ready my review of Goldwork Embroidery if you like. It was written in the days before my more in-depth approach to book reviews, but the essentials are there, and my opinion of the book hasn’t changed any!

Goldwork Embroidery by Mary Brown
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Stitch Play: Raised Spider Daisy

 

When I played with the detached chain stitch and the ribbed spider web stitch a couple weeks ago, to create the Chain Stitch Spider Daisy, a reader wrote and asked if there was a way to make the flower domed rather than flat.

So today, for Stitch Play, let’s look at the Raised Spider Daisy! Now, the concepts involved in creating this domed spider daisy are found in other raised stitches (for example, in raised satin stitch dots), so you can actually apply these concepts to creating all kinds of domed elements in your embroidery.

This is what we’re going to create in today’s Stitch Play:

Raised Spider Daisy Hand Embroidery Stitch
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Goldwork Dots: Lining them Up!

 

More goldwork dots today! But I think it’s the last time I’m going to show them to you.

You see, I’m musing about how much of the Medallion Project to show you these days. I don’t want to bore you to death with the slow progress!

And it is slow progress. All hand embroidery is slow progress, compared to what we’ve become used to with machines to do all our work. The slowness of it – the whole “journey” of any handwork project – is part of the appeal of handwork. Whipping out the Medallion on a machine wouldn’t be quite the same! And in fact, it couldn’t be the same. Many of the elements of this project can only be achieved by hand. And even those that could be achieved by machine wouldn’t look the same. So the progress is slow, and I can live with that.

But can you?!

Ecclesiastical embroidery: Goldwork on Silk Hand Embroidery
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Thread Talk: Coton a Broder

 

What’s your favorite element involved in hand embroidery? Are you:

A. an Accessories Advocate, irresistibly drawn to the tools and trinkets that are used by the embroiderer?

B. a Fabric Fanatic, mesmerized by any woven surfaces upon which embroidery can be performed?

C. a Thread Junkie, with a Thread Fixation that keeps you addicted to needlework?

If I had to choose only one of the three above, I’d have to say I’m a Thread Junkie. I just love embroidery thread!

DMC Coton a Broder Size 25 in Colors
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Stitch Play: Beaded Palestrina Stitch

 

If you’re looking for a way to add a bit of texture and sparkle to your needlework, how about a bit of bead embroidery? There are many hand embroidery stitches that can be used in conjunction with beads, to create textured lines or fillings. One of my favorites is the Palestrina stitch.

The Palestrina stitch is already a textured stitch, as it forms a string of nice, fat knots along the line of stitching. It’s a magnificent stitch for creating a textured line, and once you get the rhythm of the stitch, it’s an easy and fun stitch to work! It’s the same stitch used in twilling, a stitching technique popular among quilters in the Midwest, which is essentially embroidering blocks using Palestrina stitch.

In today’s Stitch Play, we’re going to add some beads to Palestrina Stitch.

Stitch Play: Beaded Palestrina Stitch
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Goldwork Embroidery: Filled Dots

 

Approaching the gold dots on the outer edge of the Medallion design, I decided that they should tie in with the center goldwork area on the Tudor-style roses that surround the Medallion. The center of the dots, then, should be filled with a goldwork embroidery technique called chipping or chip work. This involves cutting up tiny bits of check purl and sewing the bits down by taking the needle and thread through them and sewing them down like beads, in a random fashion, until the area is filled up.

Goldwork Embroidery: Filled Dots with Chips of Check Purl
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Goldwork Dots on the Medallion

 

After working out the colors and procedures for the stem stitch filling on the outer edge of the Medallion (it’s not all finished yet!), my next step was to concentrate on the goldwork dots and makes some decisions about them. Around the outside of the Medallion, you see, there are 50 round dots, each about 5/16th’s of an inch in diameter. So they aren’t large dots, but they are dots nonetheless, and each has to be individually worked.

What was I thinking?!

Once I finished one section of the blue outer edge of the circle, I took a break to think about those dots.

Goldwork Dots on Silk Background
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Twisting Flat Silk – Video Tutorial

 

Flat silk is filament silk that has no (or very little) twist to it. It has an incredible sheen and, when it’s a good flat silk, it’s one of the most luxurious of hand embroidery threads. Flat silk is used in different types of hand embroidery – for example, I used flat silk as a background for my Medallion Project.

If you’re not sure what flat silk is, and if you’d like to read a little more about flat silk and what it is, you’re welcome to read these two articles comparing flat silks, which I wrote a long time ago:

Comparing Flat Silks for Hand Embroidery, part I
Comparing Flat Silks for Hand Embroidery, part II

Flat silk is probably probably best known for its use in Japanese embroidery. Flat silk used in Japanese embroidery is fairly recognizable – it comes on cardboard tubes in a beautiful range of colors!

Flat Silk used in Japanese Embroidery
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Stem Stitch Filling in Silk – and Decision Making!

 

Making decisions about the next step in a needlework project is sometimes tough, and if you aren’t careful, that whole decision-making process can bog you down and bring your productivity to a halt. I decided to face a decision about the stitching on the Medallion Project pretty much the way I face decisions in life: if you spend too much time in deciding, you lose a lot of time when you could be doing. It seems that once I make a decision, I’m always happier, so why prolong the anxiety created by that middle ground of uneasy deliberation?

Today, I’ll show you my hang-up on the Medallion Project, tell you about my decision-making process on this particular part of the project, and then … well, hopefully, I won’t disappoint you with the decision I ultimately made!

Church Embroidery in Silk and Gold - Marian Design
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The Bluebird of Happiness – in Silk & Gold Embroidery

 

The bluebird has long been a symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity. It’s such a chipper, lovely little bird, and my favorite harbinger of spring. Here in Kansas, I’ve had bluebirds hopping around my birdbath and feeder since January! I just love the little flitty things!

The other day, a pal popped in for a visit, carrying with her a piece of art she had appropriated from her sister’s wall. Much to my delight, it featured the bluebird – in silk and gold embroidery, Chinese style. The piece was purchased at an antique shop, and it was uniquely framed – encased in glass on both sides, so that the embroidered piece floated in the middle of the frame, and any wall behind it showed through. The frame job made it somewhat difficult to photograph, but I did my best, because I wanted to send the Bluebird of Happiness your way!

Chinese Silk and Gold Embroidery - Bluebird
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Medallion Update: Gold Edge Finished … and fretting

 

When last we visited the Medallion Project, I hadn’t quite finished the goldwork edge around the long and short stitched monogram. After a little break for a short bout of travel, the first embroidery-related thing I did on my return was finish up the gold outlining. It is finished, and I’ve even moved ahead a bit.

Actually, I moved ahead quite a bit… but I am picking it all out today! But more on that (disaster) later!

Goldwork and Silk Church Embroidery - Marian Design
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Coronation Cord Revisited

 

Several weeks ago, I highlighted a beautiful vintage whitework tablecloth, embellished with coronation cord. Since then, I’ve done a little exploring. Besides finding out that Lacis regular offers some coronation cord on their website (I purchased some of theirs to see what it looks like), I found that there’s one book in print still that focuses on coronation cord (called Coronation Cord Remembered, also available through Lacis), and several booklets out of print that highlight the use of coronation cord especially in crochet and tatting, with some mentions of its uses in embroidery.

I haven’t explored the whole coronation cord question as much as I’d like to – some day, I will! In the meantime, though, I thought I should show you the stuff available from Lacis. I have to admit, it isn’t quite what I expected. If it’s something you’d like to play around with on whitework, you might want to see it, too, so that you can decide if it’s what you’re looking for.

Coronation Cord for embroidery, crochet, and tatting
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Bead Embroidered Sculptures!

 

Bead embroidery is one of is one of those types of needlework that you just want to look at and touch. I don’t do a lot with beads myself, but I love, love, love to see what others do with them! The color, the sparkle, the texture – what’s not to like about beads?

I think I was a crow in another life… I hone in on sparklies!

Today, it’s a pleasure to share with you Velia’s bead embroidered sculptures. Velia is a reader here on Needle ‘n Thread, and when I spoke of curved beading needles last week, she wrote to tell me that she uses them all the time, but it took her a while to get used to them. She attached a photo of what she does with curved beading needles. And, of course, I wanted to see More! So she graciously allowed me to share her work with you.

I wanted to share it, because we all need a splash of color in our day!

Bead Embroidery Sculpture
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Stitch Play: Chain Stitch Spider Daisy

 

When you combine hand embroidery stitches in different ways, you never know what you’ll come up with! And sometimes, you won’t even know how to name the result.

I’m calling this the Chain Stitch Spider Daisy, or the Ribbed Spider Daisy, for two reasons: It’s a daisy created with the detached chain stitch and the ribbed spider web stitch, and when you look at it from the side, the petals are a bit too reminiscent of spider legs!

If you don’t particularly like spiders, I hope you’ll forgive me for the name.

This is a neat little flower technique, if you want to add simple flowers with a bit of texture and color contrast on them to your embroidery projects. Top it with a bead for extra sparkle and bling!

Chain Stitch Spider Daisy
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Stitch Play: Whipping Two Rows of Chain Stitch

 

Whipping two adjacent rows of chain stitch produces a wide line with a rope-like center. This is a fun technique for creating a textured line, and it only takes a little imagination to see how you can incorporate this into your surface embroidery.

I can see it worked up into a caterpillar! I think it would also make an interesting and elegant off-white / white combination for textured whitework embroidery. I’m sure you can come up with many more possibilities!

Whipping Two Rows of Chain Stitch
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Stitch Glitch: Whipped Chain Stitch Tips

 

Have you ever noticed that there seems to be an infinite variety of surface embroidery stitches that you can play with? Ok, infinite might be an exaggeration, but there sure are lots of them! And playing around with all those stitches can provide all manner of fun for those of us who are stitching-prone… or stitching-obsessed, however you want to look at it!

But even with the simple stitches, you can run into little glitches that slow you down, right?

Today, we’re going to look at a stitch glitch. Here’s the glitch: You’re whipping a line of stitches (say, chain stitch or backstitch or running stitch). So, what do you do when you run out of thread right in the middle of the line?

Let’s look at it.

Whipped Chain Stitch
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Outlining with Gold & Silk

 

It didn’t take long to leap into the outlining of the monogram on the Medallion Project! I showed you the finished monogram yesterday – yes, it was wonderful to get the lettering all filled up with the long & short stitch! But all the while, I was dying to get to this part, eager to see if my plan would work, if the threads I chose were correct, if the monogram would look “finished” with the outline in place. I’m pretty pleased with the results and can’t wait to charge ahead to finish up the outlining.

Today, I’ll show you what I’m doing to outline the monogram, and down the road a bit, I’ll give you some tips that help make the process a bit easier.

Goldwork & Silk Hand Embroidery
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Long & Short Stitch Filling: All Filled Up!

 

Finally, finally! I reached a goal!

What happens to you when you approach a goal in an embroidery project? Not necessarily The Finish of the project, mind you, but one of your intermediate goals?

This is what happens to me:

As I near the goal, I find myself slowing down, almost to the point of sluggery. I’m pretty sure I should be speeding towards the goal line, but instead, I start to sputter. And though I’m antsy to reach the goal, I can’t … seem … to … get … there. It’s like running in slow motion in a bad dream! But during that time, my mind is already moving ahead to the next step, setting the next goal. And this works to my advantage, because while I may be sputtering about as I reach an end point, mentally, I’m already lining myself up to charge out of that start gate again.

So, this is the intermediate goal I reached this past weekend:

Silk and Goldwork Church Embroidery Project
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Updates on Needle ‘n Thread

 

Happy Saturday, everyone! I’m very excited this morning, because some new features and fixes have gone into place here on Needle ‘n Thread. I can’t wait to show them to you!

And trust me, these fixes aren’t due to any technical genius on my part. When I need something to happen that I can’t manage on the technical side of the website, I turn to Dan Holmgren and his crew at Imagemakers in Wamego, Kansas, because that’s what they do – they make websites work right, and they make them work beautifully.

So here’s the first Big Difference on the site:

Needle 'n Thread Updates
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Splitting Hairs over Split Stitch?

 

You might call this splitting hairs – going into too much detail over something that seems to matter little – but it’s a question that comes up often, so it’s probably worth addressing briefly.

This is the question: when you work the split stitch in hand embroidery, does it really matter from which direction you split the stitch?

Most split stitch directions will tell you to split up into the stitch from underneath it. But, you might argue, as long as you’re splitting the stitch, does it really matter all that much? Can’t you split from the top, which is much easier to accomplish because you can see right where your needle’s going?

To answer the question, I’m going to take the middle path: it depends…

Lettering with Split Stitch
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RSN Handbook of Embroidery – Book Review & a Question

 

This book review has been a Long Time Coming! I’ve had the book for a while – sent to me by a friend – and while my plan was ever to review it for you all, I felt I couldn’t do a review justice by a cursory reading of the book. Finally, I have read it from cover to cover, and I feel (somewhat) confident in writing a review.

RSN Handbook of Embroidery
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Fleur de Lis – Slightly Shaded

 

Welp, I managed to make a smidgeon of progress on the Medallion Project – and when I say smidgeon, I mean smidgeon!

One fleur de lis on the side of the monogram in the Medallion Project is finished. The fleurs de lis are embroidered in all four shades of blue that I’m using on this project. Unlike the rest of the monogram, they aren’t padded with felt, but they are worked in long and short stitch.

Fleur de lis in Long & Short Stitch
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Some Gorgeous Needle Painting

 

This morning, I thought it would be nice to slow down a bit and just look at some beautiful pieces of embroidery. To that end, I’m going to share with you some needle painting embroidery projects worked by Margaret Cobleigh.

Margaret’s the gal who will be teaching needle painting class here on Needle ‘n Thread in March. She’s one of those stitchers who has perfected her needle painting skills by adopting and adapting the techniques of good teachers, and then agglomerating them all into her own style, in her own projects.

These are some of the projects Margaret has stitched over the years. You’ll recognize a good many of them, as many are (or have been) available in kit form from teachers such as Trish Burr and Tanja Berlin.

Needle Painting Embroidery
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Medallion Update: Long & Short Stitch Filling on Felt

 

Last time we looked at the Medallion project, I was venturing into the monogram area, working long & short stitch filling over felt. At the time, I saw long & short stitch as a good answer to the whole “filling the monogram” question – it provides a solid fill relatively quickly and it’s a fairly forgiving stitch.

I don’t regret the decision to go with long & short stitch at all. But one thing I didn’t bargain for was the fact that stitching that many stitches through felt and linen and backing fabric can be pretty painful – and I’ve got the holes in my thumb and finger to prove it!

So far, I’m pretty happy with the outcome and eager to get the central monogram in the design finished.

Long & Short Stitch Filling on Felt Padding
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Pattern Darning on Silk Gauze

 

Pattern darning is a needlework technique that employs running stitch to create a pattern on the surface of the fabric or canvas – it’s basically just working lines of running stitches in such a way that a pattern develops according to the placement of those running stitches.

Because it’s running stitch we’re talking about here, pattern darning is pretty simple in concept. The only difficult part of pattern darning is making sure you don’t misplace a stitch, because that can throw your pattern all out of whack. Working on the silk gauze, I had better luck getting my stitches in the right spot when I was using my magnifying lamp. When I didn’t use it, I was more likely to misplace a stitch here and there.

And though it might sound boring to work lines and lines of running stitch, it really is a satisfying technique – it’s super fun to watch the pattern develop and grow.

Pattern Darning on Silk Gauze
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Hungarian Hand Embroidery Pattern #11: Small

 

Last year here on Needle ‘n Thread, I started a sharing with you a series of Hungarian embroidery designs that have been shared with me – if you would like to read the back story on these patterns, you can find it under Hungarian Embroidery Designs: Lilly’s Legacy. There, you’ll find the story of the artist who drew these embroidery patterns in the first half to the mid-1900’s and of how they were preserved.

There are eleven Hungarian embroidery patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread now, and they’re all available for your personal use on the Patterns page.

Today’s design comes from a small panel of three small, colorful designs painted by Lilly in 1956.

Hungarian Embroidery Designs
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Coronation Cord – Cheater Embroidery?

 

Cheating at hand embroidery – how to give the impression of hand embroidery, without really hand embroidering, and yet still call it hand embroidery. In a sense, this is what the once-popular “coronation cord” does.

There are certain types of stitchery that could be considered, in a way, “cheater” embroidery. Today, I’m going to show you one of them, by looking closely at an antique tablecloth. Then we’ll chat a bit about the technique and its history and uses, and then I’ll give you some resources.

By the way, by calling it “cheater” embroidery, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. The effects of coronation cord can be lovely!

Embroidered Whitework with Coronation Cord
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Vintage Linens

 

I have A Thing for vintage linens, and when I find a good source of vintage or antique linens (i.e. someone who is meticulous and careful in the care and presentation of them) that offers reasonable prices, I always bookmark the source so I can come back to it now and then and check up on inventory.

Lately, I purchased some antique and vintage linens that I’d like to show to you. Some, I bought as gifts. One, I bought because it is pretty interesting – it’s pretty, but a bit rough and not your typical “fine linen.” But more on that last one later! Today, some doilies – three gorgeous examples of the combination of linen and crocheted lace.

Antique Linen Doily with Crocheted Lace
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Neat Needlework News of Note on the Net

 

Sorry. I don’t know where that post title came from. I had a writing instructor once who warned us of over-using alliteration. He said it could often come off as a Cheap Ploy. And in this case, I’m sure it does!

Since it’s Saturday, and since I know we’re all (I am) avoiding those things we tend to do on Saturday – like running errands, doing laundry, getting the house in order – I thought I’d give you an excuse to relax with a cup of coffee and browse through some neat needlework stuff.

Hungarian Embroidery Examples
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Setting up Silk Gauze for a Little Stitching

 

In stitching talk, silk gauze is not exactly what it sounds like – it isn’t gauzy, light silk that might be used to make a filmy, floating scarf. In the stitchery world, “silk gauze” is a kind of canvas – a miniature canvas, in fact, onto which you can embroider (usually in counted techniques) little things. Silk gauze is made out of filament silk, which makes a very strong, very fine canvas, and while it comes in lower holes per inch (as low as 18), it is probably better known in its higher holes-per-inch counts, as it is prized by those who love to do miniature work.

Silk gauze is similar to a needlepoint canvas, in that it is measured in “holes per inch” rather than “threads per inch” (which is how most counted embroidery fabric is measured).

Silk gauze can be found in Very High thread counts – as high as 112 holes per inch. (No matter how good your eyes may be, I suspect you’d have to use magnification at 112 HPI!) The more commonly used sizes of silk gauze range from 40 HPI (holes per inch) up to 72. 40 & 48 HPI silk gauze is fairly easy to come by. 60, 72, and higher require some serious hunting for specialty suppliers.

On silk gauze, especially higher count silk gauze, the recommend stitch to use is the tent stitch.

Miniature Cluny Tapestry on Silk Gauze
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Kitting Up!

 

I spent the past weekend kitting up embroidery projects. I love doing this! I’m not exactly sure why I love it, but I do find great satisfaction in separating out supplies, counting things, fixing up little bags of thread, poking a variety of needles into felt squares – call me nuts, but I think it’s fun!

Bohin Embroidery Needles
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Needlework & Travel: In My Dreams

 

For those of you who like to combine needlework and travel, and whose travel dreams might be turned towards Europe this year, there are a couple nice events coming up worth taking a look at. And, of course, if you live in the general area where these events are taking place, you don’t even have to travel to get there!

This happens to me once a year, by the way. In January, when my warped notion of what the seasons of the year should be overrides the reality of Kansas winter, I start getting the itch to travel. I think it’s because, now that the year is underway, I expect it to be spring. (Shouldn’t it be spring?!)

In any case, I’m not going anywhere! But if you are traveling this year and these would be a good fit for you, you might check out these needlework-related events.

L'aiguille en fete
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Cutting Felt Shapes for Embroidery Padding

 

This is how I cut the felt shapes to use for padding under long & short stitch filling on the monogram in the middle of the Medallion project. There are various ways and products you can use for cutting clean shapes from felt. Those of you who do a lot of appliqué are probably familiar with all kinds of ways to go about cutting shapes, and you’ll find that this particular method I’m using is not anything new!

But what I’ll point out here is why this method works well for padding for hand embroidered objects, whether you’re doing goldwork or working regular embroidery stitches in floss on felt.

Cutting Out Felt Shapes for Embroidery Padding
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Long & Short Stitch Filling with Felt Padding

 

Yesterday, we mused over the stitching of the central monogram on the Medallion project. I was considering padding the monogram with felt, and working long & short stitch over the felt to fill the monogram. But the felt that I chose was a very dark blue, deeper in color than the silk thread I am using for the stitching. And this presented a problem: I couldn’t see the stitching well enough against the dark blue felt.

Long & Short Stitch Filling over felt padding
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Vermicelli Goldwork – Finished, and The Back

 

The vermicelli goldwork on the Medallion Project is finished!!

To celebrate, I’m going to show you the back of the embroidery, because, for some reason, people like seeing the back of other people’s embroidery. I’ve never quite understood why, but if that’s what you want….!

First you have to look at the front. It’s much more attractive.

Vermicelli Goldwork on Ecclesiastical Embroidery
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How Much Thread?

 

When working any hand embroidery project – but especially a big one that’s going to take a lot of time and a good quantity of specialty threads – the rule of “better too much than too little” should apply when ordering your embroidery supplies.

At the same time, though, to keep the costs of the project reasonable, you don’t want to over-estimate your thread amounts too greatly, or you could end up with surplus threads that you don’t need or want. (Well – are there ever any threads we don’t want?!)

Flat Silk Thread Amounts
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Laying Flat Silk: Direction of Filling

 

In the Medallion Project that I’ve been working on, the background is stitched in flat silk that is held down by a meandering gold thread in a technique called “vermicelli.”

Today, I’d like to show you how I lay the flat silk, and explain why it’s useful to change the direction of filling an area while doing so. For the most part, I don’t change the direction of stitching, but instead I turn my frame 180 degrees. We’ll look at laying flat silk threads, and then how to fill an irregular shape, changing the direction of the filling process along the way.

Laying Flat Silk Threads in Hand Embroidery
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The Wrap Up

 

The 12 Days of Christmasneedlework give-away series is over, though you still have time to enter comments on the give-away posts! So if you haven’t entered yet, jump to it!

I think the series has gone well. Who knows? Maybe this can be the beginning of a Christmas tradition on Needle ‘n Thread!

I hope you enjoyed the series as much as I did. The fun part for me – besides preparing it – was reading all the comments! My goodness, there were lots, and I enjoyed them all! Yes, I do read them – each one – as those who received e-mail replies can attest. They always put a smile on my face, or thoughts in my head, or inspiration in my heart. Thank you for participating!

12 Days of Christmas Needlework Give-away
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Eleventh Day of Christmas: Millenium Frame!

 

I love my new Millenium needlework frames. (That’s a link to my review, if you’re not sure what the Millenium frames are and you’d like to read about them.)

It was one of those love-at-first-try sort of situations. I set up the frame the first time and was completely twitterpated. It was so easy to set up a large project: no tacking, no sewing and lacing up a slate frame. Oh wow. I was really besotted! But I knew that infatuation doesn’t always last, so after working with the frame for a couple weeks (and calming down a bit), I sat back to re-assess my first impressions.

And they didn’t change. The Millenium frame is a magnificent tool!

Millenium Needlework Frame
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Tenth Day of Christmas: Tools for Hand Embroidery!

 

For some reason, I am Really Excited about today’s give-away. I suppose it’s because I’m a “tool” junkie – even though I’m not really a collector of tools. Just give me good tools that do the job well and I’m happy. If they happen to be attractive to boot, that’s great!

On this Tenth Day of Christmas, the give-away focuses on a few tools that I find serviceable. It happens that two of them fall into the “good looking” category – and in fact, one is downright gorgeous. So, three tools in all for one lucky winner.

Tools for Hand Embroidery
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Ninth Day of Christmas: Favorite Linen & Silk for Hand Embroidery

 

Hand embroidery books and tools and accessories are all well and fine – we need them to inspire us, to help us learn, to get the job done. But when it comes to actually producing a beautiful piece of needlework, it’s the basic materials that make all the difference in the outcome of the work.

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again. The fact is, average embroidery done on good materials will always look good. Exquisitely executed, perfectly stitched embroidery done with poor materials will never look better than just average. And poorly stitched embroidery with the wrong materials will pretty much always look like poorly stitched embroidery with the wrong materials.

The basic materials you use in your embroidery – the fabric and the thread – determine the difference between an average outcome and an exquisite outcome. If you take your embroidery seriously – if it’s more to you than just a fad or a craft that fills time and will eventually be faded, discarded, and forgotten – then eventually you’ll want to invest in the right materials for the best outcome and for the best chance of longevity.

Today’s give-away offers some of the Best basic materials on the market today for hand embroidery.

Legacy Embroidery Linen and Silk Thread Pack
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Eighth Day of Christmas: Beautiful Range of Wool Threads

 

After today, only four more days of this 12 Days of Christmas give-away series! It’s been a lot of fun reading all the incoming comments – and a lot more reading than I realized it would be when I conceived this whole plan. I love hearing other people’s thoughts about needlework!

These last five days promise some really fun stuff, so I hope you’re still hanging in here with me!

Today’s give-away is courtesy of Renaissance Dyeing, a company devoted to creating natural plant-dyed wool yarns and threads for needlework. Renaissance Dyeing produces a beautiful range of threads for crewel embroidery. They are a pleasure to stitch with, smooth and soft, and the colors are fabulous! I used quite a few of Renaissance Dyeing’s crewel wools in my crewel rooster project, way back when. It’s a great thread to work with!

Renaissance Dyeing Crewel Wool - Elizabethan Range
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Seventh Day of Christmas: Little Kits & Other Goodies

 

I love little things! And little embroidery kits are wonderful to have in one’s stash, because they make the perfect “quick fix” when you want to work on something – but not something big!

Today’s give-away includes little kits, plus some miscellaneous goodies, all contributed by The French Needle. I’ve divided the collections into two packages, so for today’s give-away, there will be two winners, each receiving one of the packages.

Hand Embroidery Kits and Accessories
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Sixth Day of Christmas: Embroiderer’s Companion Stitch Dictionary!

 

A stitch dictionary is a Must on every embroiderer’s bookshelf – whether you’re a beginner or an experienced embroiderer. And Yvette Stanton’s stitch dictionaries – The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion – are excellent choices when it comes to selecting a comprehensive, instructive stitch dictionary.

Today’s give-away is one of these books – the winner’s choice, actually – courtesy of Yvette Stanton of Vetty Creations.

Right Handed Embroiderer's Companion
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Fifth Day of Christmas – Evertite Stretcher Bars!

 

One of my favorite tools over the past seven or so years of stitching is the Evertite Stretcher Bar frame. Evertite Stretcher Bars are the Rolls Royce of stretcher bar frames for hand embroidery, and today, thanks to Evan Burroughs, the creator and manufacturer of Evertite Stretcher Bar needlework frames, you have an opportunity to win a set!

Evertite Stretcher Bars
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Fourth Day of Christmas – Crewel Embroidery!

 

Welcome to the Fourth Day of Christmas Give-away! All you crewel embroidery enthusiasts out there will love this one – it is a combination give-away, from Wooly Thread and from Talliaferro Designs. It’s for the whimsical embroiderer and for the serious embroiderer, all rolled into one.

Today’s give-away is one gift, in two parts: a Wool & Hoop crewel kit from Wooly Thread and the latest (and not yet out) Talliaferro Design kit, Paradiso I.

Wool & Hoop Embroidery Kit
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Third Day of Christmas: Japanese Silk – Lots of It!

 

Today’s give-away came about in a funny way.

I had already decided to do this 12 Days of Christmas series of give-aways, and had drummed up quite a bit of generous and enthusiastic participation from designers, needlework retailers and manufacturers, tool-makers and so forth.

One day, while in the midst of working out the details, I received an e-mail from a reader who had a question about Japanese flat silk. Since the question was a scientific-practical combination one regarding silk, I recommended the reader to contact Michael Cook of Wormspit, who knows a lot about silk. The reader wrote to Michael, who then forwarded the question to me. While we were going in circles, Michael and I struck up a conversation, and he told me about a whole collection of Japanese silk that he had received from Julie Mar, a needlepoint designer.

It so happened that Michael had surplus silk and he was trying to come up with a clever way of getting the silk into the hands of people who would benefit from it, appreciate it, and use it to its full potential. I told him about the 12 Days of Christmas, and he jumped on board!

So, today, thanks to Michael Cook of Wormspit, and Julie Mar of Julie Mar Designs, we have two collections of Japanese flat embroidery silk to give away!

Japanese Embroidery Silk
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First Day of Christmas: Gorgeous Needlepainting Kits & a DVD!

 

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Needlework Give-Away series! I’m very excited about this series of give-aways, each of which is sponsored by the designers, manufacturers, retailers, or artists featured in each give-away post.

For this series of give-aways, entering is very easy. Just read each article completely and follow the instructions at the end of the article.

For the First Day of Christmas give-away, we have three beautiful needle painting embroidery kits from Trish Burr, along with a set of her needle painting instructional DVDs. The winner will receive all three kits and the DVD set.

Trish Burr Needle Painting Kits & DVD
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Packages – Wrapped up in String

 

Brown paper packages wrapped up in string, These are a few of my Favorite Things…

Do you ever wonder why that song – My Favorite Things (of Sound of Music fame) – makes it into the Christmas music line-up every year? It wafts through the air in shops and on radio stations, nestled cozily between Jingle Bells and Sleigh Ride. Is it just the mention of brown paper packages wrapped up in string? Surely it’s not the dog biting or the bee stinging that gives it rank among Christmas favorites. Perhaps it’s those snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes? Or the silver-white winters that melt into springs? If they’re melting into spring, why isn’t it an Easter song? After all, there’s that mention of girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, which sounds much more like a spring wardrobe than a winter one!

This is something that baffles me.

12 Days of Christmas Needlework Give-Away
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Erica Wilson

 

When Erica Wilson died last week at the age of 83, I thought about writing a tribute to her. She was, after all, the most influential lady in the needlework industry in the last half century here in America.

But I was a little daunted at the prospect of writing about her. I cannot say that I ever met her, because I never did. I cannot say that I ever spoke with her, because I never did. I cannot say that I ever attended class with her, because I never did. What do I know about Erica Wilson, and who am I to write anything about her? How could I pay even a remote tribute to her and to her impact on the needle arts?

From Erica Wilson's Embroidery Book
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Silver Thread, Silver Thread…

 

This is a little update on the Silver, Silk, and Suede Embroidered Snowflake project.

There’s a little bit of silver on the snowflake, finally! With out-of-town company and Christmas preparations, I haven’t had a chance to do much stitching this week, but I did want to at least try the silver threads on this pseudo-suede fabric stuff. As it turns out, this is a tough kind of fabric for sinking real metal threads into, so I had a bit of a time with it! The outcome isn’t too reprehensible, but I’ll do things a bit differently in the next section and hopefully smooth out some of the rough spots.

Silver Metal Threads for Hand Embroidery
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The Necessaire Floor Stand – The Millenium Frame’s Best Friend

 

Back in November, I reviewed the Millenium needlework frame, and about a week later, wrote a follow-up article on the Millenium frame to answer some questions about it.

Needle Needs, the company that produces the Millenium frame, also makes a floor stand that accommodates the Millenium frame well. It’s called the Necessaire floor stand.

Necessaire Floor Stand
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Colour Confidence in Embroidery: Book Review

 

This is it – my last book review for 2011, and WOW – what a book! Trish Burr’s new text, Colour Confidence in Embroidery, is the first of its kind. Sure, there are several color theory books out there that have to do with textiles, but these are generally geared towards fabric, with the exception of a couple color theory books that have to do with color choice in abstract needlepoint and cross stitch design. These latter books rely on technical color theory, adhering rather rigidly to the dictates of the color wheel, and advancing color theories through technical language and hypothetical design scenarios.

Until now, we’ve yet to see a book on color, focusing on embroidery, that is accessible, instructive, practical, applicable, and beautiful.

Trish has achieved all of the above with her new book, Colour Confidence in Embroidery.

When pondering an embroidery project, if you’ve ever found yourself asking, “But what colors should I use?” then this is a book you need. (And haven’t we all asked that question at some point or another?) It’s THE color reference book for hand embroiderers – and it will not go neglected on your bookshelf.

Colour Confidence in Embroidery
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How To End Couched Goldwork Threads

 

Working the background of the Medallion project in this vermicelli goldwork technique, I don’t actually have to end the goldwork threads too often. I start and stop the thread only once in any given space, always either at a corner of the space, or somewhere along the edge.

When using couched goldwork threads, it’s really very easy to end off the thread. Let me show you how it’s done.

How To End Couched Goldwork Threads
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Don’t Underestimate the Stitch

 

Never underestimate simple stitches.

Take, for example, the running stitch. It is the simplest of embroidery stitches. But you can do a lot with it! The running stitch can be used as a filling, it can be used to form the foundation of compound stitches, it can be “dressed up” by being laced or whipped with another color of thread. Simple – yes. But versatile, too!

Here, I’m working with the wrong thread, the wrong fabric, and the wrong needle. I was demonstrating pattern darning to a student, explaining that running stitch should not be poo-pooed just because it’s such a simple stitch.

Pattern Darning in Embroidery
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Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion – Book Review

 

It’s been a while since Yvette Stanton’s stitch dictionary, The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion, hit the market. Her first book of the stitch-dictonary ilk was written for the left-handed stitcher, and is appropriately called The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion, and when it came out, I reviewed it here on Needle ‘n Thread. It is the definitive stitch dictionary for the left-handed stitcher.

I wanted to review The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion today for a few reasons: 1. I think it would make a great Christmas gift for any stitcher interested in surface embroidery, crazy quilting, counted work, drawn thread work…. (should I go on?). If you don’t already have it, you may want to add it to your wish list! 2. It’s a Really Good stitch dictionary, and I’ve been making use of it for a while now without actually giving any verbal credit to it. I refer to it often when I’m either deciding on a stitch to use or needing a refresher. When I get transported to that desert island to be forever stranded, limited in the number of embroidery books I can take with me, I’m pretty sure this book will be in the boat. Reason 3. It’s always nice to have a review to fall back on when someone inquires about “which stitch dictionary” to buy. This will hopefully give some insight into the book, so folks can make a good decision when judging among several available stitch dictionaries.

If you’re already familiar with the RHEC and you think this is “old hat” because it’s been available for a while, bear with me! If you’ve not heard of the book and you’re looking for a good stitch dictionary, this is definitely one you should add to your list of contenders.

Right-Handed Embroiderer's Companion by Yvette Stanton
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Upside Down Stitchery, Silk, and Perfect Bliss

 

Lately, I’ve been stitching upside-down.

(How’s the visual on that? Not so good?)

I am not upside-down – but my design is.

Working with the design upside-down for the area I’ve been filling with silk, I’ve found that I’ve been stitching much faster because the reach to the area I’m working is not quite as far.

Depending on the embroidery project, you’re perfectly justified in turning your design upside-down. There are some embroidery techniques where doing so wouldn’t work so well, but with this type of flat stitchery, to avoid reaching far to the top of the design, it’s much easier just to turn the frame 180 degrees.

Church Embroidery with Flat Silk & Gold
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Step Your Stitches

 

When working vertical satin stitches to fill an irregularly shaped area, it’s extremely tempting to crowd the stitch on one side of the design or the other. I think the reason for this is that satin stitch is generally demonstrated in diagrams as worked straight up and down, right next to each other. For example, this is what a typical satin stitch diagram might look like:

Vertical Satin Stitch on a Slanted Design
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Thimble Pads – Pros & Cons for Embroiderers

 

The Thimble – it is a humble little tool that’s been around for a long time! Did you know the earliest archeological thimble-finds date to the 1st century AD? So it’s a little tool with a long history, and throughout the thimble’s history – whether made from ornate, precious materials or simple wood or leather – the thimble’s Ultimate Goal has been to protect the fingers of people like you and me.

And that is a Noble Goal.

But there are lots of people out there who don’t use thimbles. I was one of them. I didn’t learn to stitch with a thimble, so at first it was pretty awkward getting used to working with one. This is the thimble that I use when I use a thimble, and I’ve gotten a whole lot better at using it.

But when I came across Thimble Pads the other day, I thought, “Why not? I’ll give them a try.”

And I did give the weird things a try. These are my impressions.

Thimble
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A Pretty Little Treasure!

 

Remember the goldwork & silk Tudor-style rose? I’ve not done anything with the sample I stitched, I suppose because it is “just” a sample. I’m using it for reference as I work on the Medallion project. Eventually, I will be stitching five more of those roses. (Yeeeeesh. What was I thinking?)

But I love seeing what other people do, when they embroider a project initiated here on Needle ‘n Thread, and here’s a great example of a beautiful finish!

Goldwork & Silk Tudor-style Rose Tape Measure Cover
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Home Sweet Home – Book Give-Away!

 

If you read my review of Carolyn Pearce’s new book, Home Sweet Home: An Embroidered Workbox, and you decided you just must have a copy, well – you’re in luck! Today, courtesy of Country Bumpkin, I’m giving away a copy of the book to TWO lucky winners!

And, on the even brighter side of things, I’ve got the books in my possession, so as soon as the give-away is over, if you win, your copy will be on its way to you, and you’ll have it possibly before it’s even available in stores. In the long-run, this doesn’t mean a lot, but if you’re super-eager to see it, this might be a good way to get your copy post-haste!

Home Sweet Home: An Embroidered Workbox
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Embroidered Face Video

 

Sarah Homfray is the author of the Royal School of Needlework’s stitch guide on Silk Shading. (That’s a link to my review.) It’s a nice little reference book to add to your library.

Sarah Homfray’s website has some good stuff on it for embroiderers, especially if you’re located in the UK. I mentioned her pounce kits earlier, but there are plenty of other little treasures there, too. (I especially like the look of her little chunks of beeswax with the bees & honeycomb!) She also has a blog, where she occasionally posts instructional information and other insights into her work.

Sarah Homfray's Website
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Home Sweet Home: An Embroidered Workbox – Book Review

 

Embroidered boxes fascinate me. And I suppose this isn’t a unique fascination – plenty of other people have been fascinated by the embroidered box over the centuries!

Carolyn Pearce, in her new book titled Home Sweet Home: An Embroidered Workbox, creates a charming embroidered workbox that is not only lovely to behold, but functional (and fun!) as well. Today, I’d like to show you the book and share my impressions of it with you. If you love embellishment, embroidered boxes, and enticing needlework accessories, I think you’re going to like this book!

Home Sweet Home: An Embroidered Workbox
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Flat Silk & Gold Threads

 

Silk and gold combined – aaaaah! I love it. Two great tastes that taste great together. When Reese’s came out with their 80’s ad campaign about chocolate and peanut butter, they had nuthin’ on silk and gold!

Time for an update on the Medallion Project. What you’ll see here may not seem representative of much work, but it was a satisfactory start, and it assured me that I was on the right path.

Flat Silk and Gold Threads
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Evolution of an Embroidery Pattern

 

The silver thread in yesterday’s article cries for transformation into a snowflake. After all, here in Kansas, winter’s coming, and so is Christmas. A hand-made Christmas ornament will make a perfect “small” project.

I started playing with the idea of a snowflake design by working out 6 lines on a circular grid. I made little changes and additions along the way, until a design emerged, eventually ending up at something that just might fill the snowflake bill. The embroidery pattern continued to develop until I had a look I wanted, but I kept making adjustments. I thought I’d show you the evolution and then the devolution of the design, sharing my thought process along the way.

This will probably end up looking like one of those picture games – can you spot the differences in the snowflakes?

Probably this isn’t the most efficient way to go about developing a design, but here it is, nonetheless!

Snowflake Hand Embroidery Pattern
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Pounce Transfer Kit, Part 2

 

Yesterday, we looked at making your own pounce for embroidery design transfers. Today, we’ll look at the pouncer itself.

There are many, many ways you can go about making your own pouncer for your pounce powder. You can use just a simple piece of rolled up felt, for example. It’ll work fine, and if you have scraps of felt lying about, it’ll cost you nothing.

But since I’ve got three colors of pounce powder, I like to have three different pouncers, one for each color. This is how I made mine.

Pounce Pad for Embroidery Design Transfer
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Make Your Own Pounce Transfer Kit: Part I

 

We’ve already discussed using drawing charcoal for a dark pounce powder, for transferring embroidery designs on light fabric. Then we looked at using talc for light pounce powder, for transferring embroidery designs on dark fabric.

But there’s an in-between.

We’ll call it grey. Or, if you’re insistent on the American spelling, we’ll call it gray. Either way, it’s not black. It’s not white. It’s in between.

And this in-between color is nice, because it’s subtler on both light and dark fabrics.

If you want to be completely Pounce-Obsessed, you’ll want all three: white, charcoal, and grey.

Making Pounce for Embroidery Design Transfer
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Stop Shifting – Simple Basting

 

Day before yesterday, I showed you the Medallion project framed up on my new Millenium embroidery frame (which, as each day passes, I love more and more!). Yesterday, we looked at a built-in cover on the embroidery project, to protect it both during stitching sessions and outside stitching sessions. Today, I’ll show you what I did to ensure that my ground fabric (which is linen) and my lining fabric (which is muslin) don’t shift.

This is something you can do when you’re stitching through two layers of fabric. It’s not always a necessary step – on smaller projects, I rarely baste. But on larger projects that will be framed up for a while, and especially if there’s any chance that down the road I might remove it from the frame before it’s finished, it’s a good idea to do some simple basting to keep things from shifting.

Basted Layers of Fabric for Embroidery
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The Big Needlework Cover Up

 

There is a real cover-up going on here. It’s perpetrated by me. And I did it on purpose.

Last time, when I started the Medallion Project, I started hastily. This time, I have started slowly and I’ve taken a little more care with the initial stages of the project. I don’t usually talk about my cover-up jobs with my embroidery projects, only because they always come after the fact: after I’ve taken photos, after I’ve done a round of stitching, after I’ve straightened everything up after a session. And frankly, I never really think about it.

When I straighten up from a stitching session, I always (always always always always – get the point?) cover my embroidery project. If it’s a large project on a frame, I lay a clean cloth over it (could be a piece of muslin, could be a clean pillow case, etc.). If it’s a small project in a frame, I’ll slip it into the bag I’m using with the project. If it’s on a hoop, I take it off the hoop and put it in my project bag. But the point is, it’s good to cover your work when you’re not working on it. Why? The reasons are somewhat obvious, I suppose – to reduce dust accumulation, to keep excess light off it, to ensure against something accidentally snagging on it – whatever. The idea is to protect it.

But it’s also a good idea to protect your work while you’re working on it.

Covering Needlework with Cloth for Protection
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Millenium Embroidery Frame: Review

 

Have you heard of the Millenium needlework frame? Well, you know I harp a lot on slate frames and on Evertite stretcher bar frames, and I do love them both. But today, I want to show you a different type of frame.

Perhaps … the Last Frame!

It’s true. I have a new love. It’s the Millenium frame, and I’ll tell you why as I show it to you.

Update, 2016: Due to an overwhelming amount of feedback from readers, I’ve adjusted my Pros & Cons list below. Please read it carefully! I still love the frames and their stand, but please be aware that lots of people have encountered some difficulties, which I detail in the Pros & Cons below.

Millenium Needlework Frame
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Cleaning Vintage Crewel Work Embroidery

 

Last week, I was delighted to hear from a reader & fellow stitcher I hadn’t heard from for a while! She wrote and sent a picture about a clean up job that she recently undertook on some embroidery. There are two reasons I’m sharing her story and photo with you: 1. There’s some good information here about cleaning a piece of time-stained needlework; and 2. The needlework is quite vibrant and pretty! I think you’ll like it.

Cleaning Hand Embroidery
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Marian Medallion Church Embroidery – Project Index

 

The Marian Medallion Project began in the summer of 2011 and was completed in May, 2012. The whole journey was chronicled here on Needle ‘n Thread, so that readers could follow along with progress.

Marian Medallion Ecclesiastical Embroidery Project

From beginning to end, every step of the project was covered (including mistakes!) so that we could all learn together on it. It was a fun adventure!

The Marian Medallion Project E-Book

You can now find The Marian Medallion Project available as an e-book here on Needle ‘n Thread, thanks to the digital formatting skills of Cindy Russell.

The e-book is in PDF format (51MB), and is delivered via a download link in your e-mail. It is 287 pages long, completely cross-referenced and interlinked throughout, with a clickable table of contents and index. Instructional and technique articles that were referred to in the original series of website posts are also included in the e-book, which can be read on your computer or any device that will read PDFs.

There are many advantages to having the entire project compiled in one document, not least among them the fact that the pages are in print-friendly format, so you can print for personal use a page, a chapter, or even the whole book!

You can find The Marian Medallion Project e-book available in the Needle ‘n Thread shop, where you’ll find a complete description of the e-book, plus photos.

Marian Medallion Church Embroidery Project
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Product & Process & Product

 

When you use the right product in a given process you can be assured of a better final product.

Last week, when we spoke about packaging of supplies and looking for needlework tools outside the Needlework Industry Proper, we were looking at buying charcoal powder to use as pounce for transferring embroidery designs.

Today, I’m going to continue in the same line, talking about another type of product that is suitable for embroidery design transfers. At the same time, I’ll answer some questions that came up after last week’s article on charcoal.

I guess what I’m trying to do here is two-fold: 1. to encourage you to look for the needlework tools you need outside of the normal needlework channels, either because they might be overpriced when bought with a “needlework” label or because they might just be impossible to find in the needlework industry of today; 2. to encourage you to at least try a form of embroidery design transfer that may seem to be inconvenient, but in fact, is most gratifying because it is so accurate and because it is a “satisfying” part of the whole embroidery process.

That being said, prick & pounce is a process you have to get used to. But once you get used to it, you may actually end up preferring prick & pounce to any other form of design transfer. The more you do it, the easier it is and the faster you can accomplish your transfer.

On to the product.

Talc for Embroidery Design Transfer
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The Nesting Place – Some Fabulous Finishes!

 

The first round of The Nesting Place – an online class offered here on Needle ‘n Thread through October and involving a darling wool, silk, and linen embroidered needlebook designed by Bobbi Chase – came to an end a little over a week ago. It was a lot of fun! I find myself still checking the classroom forum to see if anyone is still participating. I miss it. It’s kind of like summer camp coming to an end!

If you’ll allow me, I’ll do the Teacher Brag Thing, and show off some of the finished projects worked by the participants in the class.

Nesting Place Crewel Embroidered Needlebook
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Packaging is Everything

 

The art of drawing and the art of hand embroidery cross paths quite often. Designers, for example, draw. They even make it a point to practice drawing and keep sketch journals and so forth. And then there’s the whole question of using drawing pencils and pens for design transfer, right?

But here’s a little tip for you on a drawing supply that can save you quite a bit in your needlework budget.

Pounce Powder
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Subtle Contrast with Stem Stitch: Thread Thickness & Color

 

Yesterday, I was toying with the idea of contrast achieved by using different stitches in an embroidery project. Today, I want to show you an update on my current church embroidery piece, where you’ll see a subtle contrast achieved through changing the thickness of the thread and switching to just a slightly darker shade of color.

Using Stem Stitch as a Filling in Church Embroidery Project
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Hand Embroidery, with Chopsticks

 

No, no. I’m not embroidering with chopsticks. But I am embroidering in the company of chopsticks. And I don’t mean that annoying piano piece we all learned as kids – you know, the one that can effectively drive even the most resilient person nuts in a matter of seconds?

I really do mean chopsticks, as in Asian eating instruments.

You may remember that a couple weeks ago, I showed you my slate frame set-up for the commissioned embroidery piece I’m presently working on. And you might remember I was worried about the close quarters of the piece within the slate frame, because it didn’t leave me any room for tensioning the piece further if I needed to.

Enter: the best part of Needle ‘n Thread. You.

Using chopsticks to tighten a slate frame
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Beads & Sequins on a Polish Vest

 

Even though today is Halloween, and I know many people expect something pumpkin-ish, orange, or scary, I’m afraid I don’t really have anything to offer in that regard. So how about a splash of color, instead?

This past weekend, I had a blast at a local festival that featured booths and costumes and performances highlighting different countries and their cultural customs, costumes, foods, and so forth. Besides being fun, the festival is always a huge splash of color. I don’t often take photos at it (and I didn’t take very many this year, either), but I did snap a few shots of this Polish vest that’s covered with sequin and bead embroidery. The girl who wore it is my nieces’ friend, so I was able to cajole her into some shots and take a look at the vest’s construction.

Bead and Sequin Embroidery on a Polish Vest
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Needlework Around the Traps

 

For your browsing pleasure, here are a few needlework-related articles, resources, and fabulous things that have caught my attention lately. Perhaps within the mix, you can find something that is particularly interesting or useful or inspirational for you, too!

Academic

Let’s start with the academic, just so we don’t feel as if we’re wasting time!

Orkney Hood
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Slanting Stitches, or Why Start in the Middle?

 

The angle at which you slant your satin stitch makes a difference in the outcome of your stitching. Have you ever asked yourself this question: “Why do they say to start the satin stitch in the middle of an element and work to the edge? Why not just start at the edge and work across?”

One of the reasons (there are two, in my mind) is that it’s in the middle of the element that you set the slant of your stitches.

Let me show you what I mean.

Slanting Satin Stitches and Starting in the Middle
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Project Progress: Stem Stitch Filling

 

This week, I’ve made a little progress on my Medallion project I showed you a couple weeks ago. It’s a commissioned piece of church embroidery that needs to be finished this coming spring. I’m shooting for February.

The piece goes quickly enough when there are good chunks of time to devote to it. I’ve got about 6 projects going right now, but this is a priority, so more time is spent on it than on the other projects… You know how it is!

Church embroidery: Marian Medallion
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Which Needle?

 

When you’re getting ready to launch into a hand embroidery project, do you struggle with the question of which needle to use with which thread? This is one of those “frequently asked questions” that arrive in the inbox every few days, so I know it’s a prevalent question among many stitchers!

Well, the folks in the Valley Quail EGA chapter out in California came up with a solution that can help you answer all your questions about which needle to use! Since 1996, they have been selling as a chapter fundraiser a little fat book called The Needle Index.

The Needle Index
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A Tale of Two Lotions Specifically Made for Needlework

 

The other day, we were discussing my blue alien hands that were enrobed in some strange material while I embroidered. Due to the usual wear and tear on the hands from typical household work – not to mention some non-typical work – my hands were having a rough time of it with silk thread.

I received a regular heap o’feedback on the site and via e-mail, with all kinds of suggestions for remedies. Thank you so much for your input and ideas, everyone! Wow – lots of solutions for rough handed stitching! Thank you, thank you. I’ll definitely test some of them.

On the market today, there are several lotions that are made for stitchers. I thought I’d give you my take on two of them, and tell you why I prefer one above the other.

Lotion for Needlework
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Desperate Times, Alien Hands, and Silk Threads

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures – even in the calm and sedate world of hand embroidery.

I have a hand problem. It’s called “Dishes,” which closely akin to that other problem called “Meal Preparation.” Normally, I expect chapped or rough skin on my hands in the winter months, and I prepare for it. But I was taken unawares when this situation creeped up on me last week.

Embroidery Hand Care
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Medallion Progress & Stem Stitch Notes

 

Yesterday, I showed you the frame up on the church embroidery project I’m working on, and as the project unfolds, I’ll show you my progress on it, including tips and techniques that would be useful for all kinds of embroidery, whether church related or not.

So today, let’s look at the start. It isn’t too impressive right now, but there are a few tips here worth sharing.

Marian Church Embroidery Progress: Stem Stitch Filling
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Awl’s Well with the Right Tools

 

Hand embroidery is much easier when you work with the right tools. Today, I’ll illustrate this point by taking you through the rather shoddy set-up of my latest embroidery project.

This is a commissioned piece of church embroidery. I should have started it a month ago, but I offer no excuses beyond the fact that my Subconscious Self had a certain premonition that the set-up would go the way it did.

Church Embroidery Marian Medallion
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern for Fall: Scarecrow ‘n Pumpkins

 

When my niece asked me to draw her a scarecrow, I really wasn’t thinking in terms of hand embroidery (incredibly enough). But this is what we concocted, and I thought I’d pass it on to you, in case you’re looking for something cutesy and fallish to embroider. Maybe if not for you, for the kids – and if nothing else, it can always be a coloring page, right?

Hand Embroidery Pattern: Scarecrow 'n Pumpkins
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The Book of Fine Linen

 

I’ve been thinking about linen lately.

Ok, what’s new? I think about linen a lot! I thought about linen here (different types of linen for hand embroidery and where to find them), and I thought about it here (5 things you need to know about hand embroidery fabric), and I thought about it some more here (when I was considering embroidering on antique linens).

So this is just another post about linen, right? Because, after all, I think about it a lot.

No, no! Wait! That’s not it! Let me differentiate: Linen as opposed to linens. Linen The Fabric vs. Household Linen. See? There’s a difference! And today, I’m thinking of the latter linens.

My mind has turned towards monogramming lately, and before I ever embark upon a Big Project in any particular technique – especially if I’m planning the project for the website, or for teaching, or for a kit – I like to study up on the various aspects of it: social history, background of techniques, materials involved, and so forth.

Which brings me to this book:

The Book of Fine Linen
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Are You Going?

 

Last year, I made the over-hasty announcement that I would be attending Beating Around the Bush, 2012, down in Australia. Alas, for me, it was over-hasty, because I’m not going after all. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the various project deadlines that Country Bumpkin had to meet for marketing the event, and, having three teaching jobs in three different schools, I couldn’t meet the project deadlines by last January. So I had to renege. Life is like that.

Wouldn’t it be great to say, “Let’s meet in Adelaide and have a cuppa?” It would be so fun to meet you face to face and enjoy a real chat! And I think needlework events like Beating Around the Bush are a great way to connect with fellow stitchers and to enjoy that “community spirit” with a bunch of kindred spirits!

Beating Around the Bush, 2012, by Country Bumpkin
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My Box, sans Embroidery

 

I have a box. It is a Beautiful Box. It’s wood. Its finish is smooth as glass. It opens on elegant hinges to a finished, cavernous interior.

Its outside is paneled, made to display embroidery. Not just on top, mind you, but All Around the Sides, too.

But my box is without embroidery. It’s still beautiful, but it isn’t complete.

I keep my box on an old sideboard in the entrance of my house. And when people see my box, they say, “What is this?” And I say, “It is a box.” They open it, they look inside, and they say, “Hm. A box.” Though the workmanship is exquisite, though the box itself is attractive, they wonder what it is. Why do they wonder? Because they recognize that it is incomplete.

Wooden Box to Display Embroidery
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Grapes, Acanthus, Passion Flower Border

 

This is an elaborate hand embroidery pattern, but I think it’s pretty. It’s meant for ecclesiastical embroidery, but you can always adjust the passion flower (taking out the cross-shaped stamen that’s often seen in church patterns) and use the design for whatever you wish.

This is what I’ve been doing lately: cleaning up Lots and Lots of embroidery patterns. You can consider this a little preview of what’s coming in a church pattern e-book (available by the end of the month!) – though the patterns aren’t all quite this elaborate!

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Grape Border
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Woad Winners!

 

A big Thank You goes to Renaissance Dyeing for offering the two woad-dyed crewel embroidery thread packs for this give-away!

Without Andie’s offer, I would not have been so thoroughly entertained for the last few days! For some reason, the woad give-away inspired lots of witty responses. I decided the reason for this is that “woad” is just a funny word. Say it ten times slowly. You’ll see what I mean.

Woad-dyed Crewel Wool
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Satin Stitch Recaps

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about satin stitch lately. It’s probably the most question-provoking stitch out there. In concept, it isn’t a difficult stitch: really, when we satin stitch, all we’re doing is lining up straight stitches parallel to each other, to cover an area. Still, it’s not as easy as it sounds, is it?

The other day, I started browsing through articles on satin stitch here on Needle ‘n Thread, just to see if I’ve ever covered anything really meaningful and instructive about this glorious stitch – anything that people could really get their teeth into (or their fingers) and conquer once and for all the satin stitch. I came up with a lot of articles and a lot of thoughts on the stitch. It would take too long to recap too many points about satin stitch all in one place, so today, through pictures, I’m going to talk about materials that can be used to achieve a nice satin stitch. You can click on the photo to be taken to the blog post related to each photo.

Satin Stitch on a Monogram
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Pins, and more on Woad Dyeing of Textiles

 

You might wonder what pins (as in, sewing pins) and woad have in common. And I wonder the same thing! According to Tony Robinson, making pins and dyeing with woad are two of the worst jobs in history. Following up on yesterday’s post on dyeing wool threads with woad, I started squizzing around the internet and found some interesting information. But by far the most interesting – and entertaining – are a couple clips from Tony Robinson’s series, The Worst Jobs in History. So I thought I’d point these out to you, in case you haven’t seen them, to give a little more insight into the dyeing of wool with woad.

Wool Tapestry with Blue Background
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Dyeing with Woad in the South of France

 

Andie of Renaissance Dyeing offered to tell us a little bit about dyeing wool threads with woad, which is a plant that produces a blue dye. At Renaissance Dyeing, Andie uses natural plants and mordants available in the 16th century and earlier to achieve a gorgeous range of colors in her hand-dyed wool. I hope you’ll find her commentary on dyeing with woad as interesting as I do! All the pictures in the article can be clicked for larger versions.

Dyeing Wool with Woad
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Goldwork Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspiration – Book Review

 

Goldwork Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspirations by Hazel Everett – there’s a lot I could say about this book.

And I probably will say a lot about it. (Well, you know me… when the opportunity strikes, I do go on, don’t I?)

But, if I could sum it all up in a short sentence, it would be this:

You Need This Book.

Goldwork Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspiration by Hazel Everett
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Painted Strawberries

 

Normally, I write about embroidery. Today, I’m writing about paint.

Sometimes, you can combine the two concepts. You can embroider painted things. You can paint embroidered things. You can paint something that looks embroidered. Or you can embroider something that looks painted!

These sweet little strawberries are painted by Carolyn Phillips, of Sunshine Designs. Carolyn paints little pretty things on silk dupioni, and I think that’s how we started chatting about her paintings – we were discussing silk fabric. Carolyn does all kinds of interesting things with fabric.

But these strawberries – they are especially sweet!

Strawberries painted on silk dupioni
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Needlework Around the Traps: With Cunning Needle

 

For those of you who live in the Northeast or may be traveling to the Northeast, you might want to take a day excursion (or two day… or three!) out to Delaware, to the Winterthur Museum between now and January 8th, to see their exhibition of textiles called “With Cunning Needle.” It includes some gorgeous pieces of historical embroidery and, of course, the Plimoth Jacket.

With Cunning Needle Needlework Exhibit at Winterthur Museum
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Hungarian Embroidery Pattern #10: Circus Pods?

 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted another Hungarian embroidery pattern from Lilly’s Legacy! This one is really hard to name descriptively. It’s busy, it’s colorful, and for some reason, it reminds me of a circus. I think it’s the striped “pods” around the outside of the design.

Many of Lilly’s patterns weren’t necessarily intended as embroidery patterns, per se. They can certainly be used as embroidery patterns, as they are typical of the folk art traditions of Hungary, and this folk art translates well into Hungarian embroidery styles. But we’ve already seen patterns that were intended as wood inlay or painted designs. This particular pattern that I’m sharing with you today can be used for many arts & crafts applications: wood design, folk painting, appliqué, paper crafts, and – of course – embroidery. There is no indication on the pattern what Lilly intended this one for. All I can tell from the pattern is that it was painted in 1956.

Hungarian Embroidery Pattern #10
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Awl with Flat Silk & Questions Answered

 

Following up on Anne’s article yesterday on tips & techniques for using flat silk, here’s a photo of her embroidery set up, with the flat silk hitched onto her awl, which is stuck in a hole in her embroidery frame! I received lots of questions via e-mail about this method of securing the silk, so Anne snapped a photo!

I’ll also answer a few other questions about flat silk, and share a couple tips.

Flat Silk on Awl
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Flat Silks: Tips & Techniques

 

The following article is by Anne Gomes, who generously offered to write up some tips on using flat silk to share with you. (Thank you, Anne!) If you’ve ever worked with Japanese silk thread, you know that it can be quite difficult to get used to! Anne’s tips will come in handy if you ever want to venture into the world of flat silk threads. The tips are great for working with any flat (untwisted) filament silk, whether Japanese silk or not!

Japanese Flat Silk
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Needlework in Art + Color Ideas

 

Art museums always fascinate me. My favorite part of any art museum is the galleries of paintings. Oh, sure, it’s nice to see artifacts and sculpture and so forth, but I really love looking at paintings. One thing I always look for in paintings is textiles. To me, there’s nothing more amazing than an artist’s rendition of embroidered clothing, fine lace, and so forth.

Often, when I’m squizzing around the internet looking for inspiration, I end up in online art galleries. Besides making note of art that features textiles, I find myself looking at color palettes. Looking at the colors that the masters have used in their work can be an interesting lesson in color, and with technology today, it’s pretty easy to extract color palettes from an image.

Needlework in Art & Color Palettes
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You Can Pounce Felt

 

A little background, so you can see where I’m coming from: felt is used to pad goldwork. That is, it’s cut into the shape of whatever area is being filled with goldwork threads, sewn onto the ground fabric, and then the goldwork threads are worked on top of it. Using felt accomplishes a few things: 1. it lifts the goldwork a little bit; 2. it “fills” the background behind the goldwork with yellow, so that the ground fabric doesn’t peek through; 3. it gives the goldwork some shape and a cushion.

My favorite felt for padding goldwork is wool felt, but it’s not always easily available in gold or yellow. If I want it, I usually have to special order it online. So I often use craft felt that comes off a bolt, and it suffices. Bolted felt (the stuff you buy by the yard at the fabric store) is much firmer than the craft felt squares that you can buy for a few cents.

When padding goldwork with felt, you have to transfer your design onto your ground fabric and also onto the felt, because you want to be able to cut the exact same shapes from the felt. There are several ways to transfer a design onto felt in order to cut it for goldwork use, and one of them is prick and pounce.

Transfer Design onto Felt
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Old Needlework Books – and Online Sources

 

A few days ago, I mentioned that I love old needlework books, and that I’ve been reading through a few lately. This is a self-inflicted program of study, of sorts. There are things I want to know, and I suspect I will find out these things in old books.

This particular collection of old books that I’m currently reading through came about shortly after reviewing Early 20th Century Embroidery Techniques, by Gail Marsh. If you haven’t read this book yet, I highly & enthusiastically recommend it! Even if the style of embroidery isn’t “you,” there’s a lot to learn in those pages, about the work (the real work!) of keeping embroidery alive. It’s really a good book, and an interesting social commentary.

Old Needlework Books
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Goldwork Class: Progress is Slow, but It Is Progress

 

At the beginning of this past summer, I took on a student. Just one student. We met all summer long, twice a week, for about an hour (sometimes an hour and a half) at a time. Her goal is to learn how to do specific elements of goldwork, to use in ecclesiastical embroidery. To this end, she wanted to work on real projects that, in the end (provided they ended successfully), could be usable.

Beyond the most basic embroidery (chain stitch, backstitch), she hasn’t really ever done any surface embroidery as an adult. As a child in South Africa (where she grew up) she learned the basics in school. She does have some really well-honed sewing skills, though, including hand-sewing skills, so she’s pretty adept with a needle. Throughout the summer, we covered the groundwork.

Goldwork Embroidery IHS
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Monogram for Hand Embroidery – Fan Flower N

 

I’m drudging up a ghost from the past here! I really do want to finish the Fan Flower Monogram Alphabet – it’s been on my List of Things to Do for the past year or more!

As autumn rolls around and I start looking ahead at other embroidery projects that I’d like to accomplish in the next year, the Monogram keeps popping up in my head. I love the look of monograms, whether they are the single monogram, or the entwined double monogram (is that an oxymoron?) or triple monogram. I often wonder if other people like monograms – they seem to be popular for some things, but do you reckon they still have a popular spot in the embroiderer’s repertoire? Is embroidering beautiful monograms something that entices you? What do people think of monograms these days? These are the questions I was pondering when I remembered this unfinished alphabet.

So, I’m tying up a loose end!

Here’s the N in the Fan Flower Monogram alphabet:

Free Monogram for Hand Embroidery: N Fan Flower
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My Workroom, Organization, and Labor

 

Where do you do most of your needlework? Do you sit in a comfortable chair in your living room, stitching in front of the TV? A sunny corner next to a window? Outside in the garden?

There are lots of places I’d like to embroider, but in fact, there’s only one place where I really get a lot of needlework and associated tasks done, and that’s in my workroom. Sometimes, I call it a studio (by definition, it is – classes go on there, I do art-related work there); sometimes, I call it the garage. It really is a garage, but it’s revamped into a workroom and storage area.

My garage-gone-studio/workroom (there must be a way to combine those into a clever name) is not part of the house. It shares a joining wall on the back of the house, but I have to go outside to get into the place. While this may seem inconvenient, especially in inclement weather, it’s nice to be separated from the rest of the house. That way, when I do go to “work” out there, I actually feel as if I’m going somewhere to work!

(Why am I calling it work?! It’s fun!)

In case you haven’t seen it before, I thought I’d show you my workroom on a good day! I took most of these photos on Memorial Day at the beginning of this summer, when I cleaned up the workroom.

Embroidery Workroom
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Shaded Embroidery & Old Books

 

Thanks to all who responded to The Nesting Place registration on Wednesday – I was really just as surprised as many of you were, to see the class full in 20 minutes. I think I’ve answered most inquiries personally by now, but in case I missed you, and if you want to be on an “advanced notice” list for the next run of this class, then please do feel free to drop me a line and let me know! I don’t have an official “guaranteed waiting list,” but I’ll send out a short advanced notice to those who are interested in the class.

On to other things: I’ve been reading some old needlework books lately. The books I’m reading are actually real books (the kinds with pages, and some even have hard board covers!), but I think a couple of the titles are online, so I’ll try to dig those up for you and point you to them in the future. If I come across any tidbits that I think you’ll like to hear, I’ll definitely take note and share them with you!

Needlecraft Journal: Embroidery Shading
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Iron-On Monogram Transfers

 

I love it when products geared toward simple yet tasteful surface embroidery hit the needlework market. Last week, I showed you a new line of surface embroidery projects out from Rouge du Rhin – kitchen towels ready-printed for embroidering. The same company is catering to the surface embroidery crowd with a line of iron-on monograms, too, and the ones they have out so far are pretty nice! So I thought I’d show them to you…

Monogram Iron-On Transfers
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Working a Bullion Knot, Framed Up

 

The bullion knot is a terrific little slug-like stitch. Oh, that sounds ugly. It’s a terrifically beautiful stitch, and you can make terrifically beautiful things with it!

It’s a terrifically versatile stitch, too.

And at first, it can be terrifically intimidating.

To help you with the latter point, I have a how-to video for the bullion knot. In the video, I’ve worked the bullions with the fabric in a hoop that’s stretched somewhat tight, but not tight enough to prevent me from making the bullion knot easily.

Today, we’re going to look at the bullion knot, worked on fabric that’s framed up very taut in an embroidery frame. When the fabric is very taut, and when you’re working in a frame with two hands available for the stitching (you don’t have to hold the hoop with one hand), there’s a slightly different method you can use for making a bullion knot. You might find it much easier to approach bullions this way.

Making a Bullion Knot with Fabric in a Frame
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My Social Chicken. Embroidered.

 

Would you believe me if I said that embroidery can be strenuous work? Most people wouldn’t! But it can be – depending on the type of embroidery.

Lately, I’ve been working on some fairly intense embroidery projects. The kind that require concentration. The kind that require space in my workroom. The kind that are not transportable. I can’t sit and chat with friends or watch a movie and do them. In fact, when I’m working on them, I become rather anti-social.

But I like embroidery to be a social thing. I like to embroider around people. If I want to watch a movie of an evening with friends and family, I like to have something to do with my hands. I like to grab a project and take it with me on long car rides, or if I’m going somewhere that will inevitably require a wait.

For these situations, I usually have a few projects set up that I call grab & go projects, or “social” embroidery projects. Most of them are casual embroidery items that I give away.

Rouge du Rhin Embroidered Redwork Kitchen Towel
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Needle Painting Embroidery Book Review

 

Needle Painting Embroidery: Fresh Ideas for Beginners by Trish Burr is hot off the press – and I think it’s definitely a “must have” for any embroidery library. If you’re keen to learn needle painting (a.k.a. long & short stitch embroidery, silk shading, thread painting), then Trish Burr is one of the best needle artists to learn it from, and this book is going to be one of your favorite resources for both instructions and projects.

Needle Painting Embroidery by Trish Burr
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On Slate Frames

 

Yesterday morning, I finished setting up a slate frame for my little goldwork class. Having run out of twill tape, cotton webbing, and any other stuff pre-made into sturdy strips that I could sew onto the sides of the linen for lacing the frame, I had to improvise.

Setting up a Slate Frame for embroidery
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5 Points to Consider about Hand Embroidery

 

A couple weeks ago, we looked at 5 points about hand embroidery needles, and 5 points concerning hand embroidery fabric.

Today, I’d like to propose 5 general thoughts about hand embroidery and invite you to add your own thoughts. When you think of hand embroidery in general, what ideas or insights would you share with other stitchers or with folks who are just getting interested in the art of embroidery?

Here are 5 points that I think are worth considering about hand embroidery in general:

Learning Hand Embroidery
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Cutwork Embroidery…. and Squirrels

 

Autumn is just around the corner, here in Kansas. One thing I love about autumn, besides the blessedly cooler weather, is the squirrel-ish activities that go on in my backyard. I love squirrels. They’re generally such chipper little creatures!

And I like squirrels in embroidery! From this mini squirrel in cross stitch with a really fluffy turkey work tail, to this gorgeous realistic looking squirrel embroidered in needlepainting, designed by Tanja Berlin (I have this kit, but haven’t stitched it yet!) – I just love embroidered squirrels.

It’s really no wonder, then, that this cutwork embroidery design that includes two little squirrels is a favorite of mine. Some day, I want to stitch it (or a variation) at the end of a linen table runner, perfect for fall.

Cutwork Embroidery: Two Squirrels
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Time Savers

 

I’ve been sifting again through my collection of ecclesiastical embroidery photos. There’s a lot to learn from ecclesiastical embroidery – whether you use what you learn for religious or for secular needlework, the lessons can be quite helpful.

In this piece, there are a few notable points that catch my attention and that are worth learning from. Two in particular are “time savers” – time saving being a relative term, of course!

Hand Embroidered Marian Vestment
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Perfect Pillow Top

 

This hand embroidery pattern available for free download would make a perfect decorative pillow top. I’ve only embroidered two pillows in my life – one was all satin stitch, in a very ornate entwined knotwork design, worked in silk on white linen with a royal blue velvet pillow back, finished with hand-made cording and tassels. And I still think it’s one of the prettiest projects I’ve ever stitched. I made it as a gift. Where it is now, I have no idea! The other pillow top was not quite as successful – in fact, I think it was a dismal failure. Unfortunately, I know where that one is!

So every time I clean up a design that looks like a perfect pillow top, it reminds me of those two pillows. Both of them were pleasurable to stitch, despite their varied outcomes. I’m convinced that a beautiful hand embroidered decorative pillow in the home is the perfect accent. Someday, I’ll make another one.

In the meantime, I’ll share this pattern with you. I think it’s a neat one – and you can probably find other uses for it, too!

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Perfect Pillow Top
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Goldwork & Silk Tudor-Style Rose: The Finish

 

This is the 7th and final part to this series of tutorials on the Goldwork & Silk Tudor-style Rose project. If you’re just joining in on this series, you’ll find the index of all the previous stages of this embroidery project listed under Tips & Techniques, in the first section titled Hand Embroidery Lessons & Step-by-Step Projects.

Let’s look at the last step of the project, which involves outlining the inner circle of the flower with pearl purl and filling inside of the circle with Gilt Wire Check #10, which is a check purl in a fairly small size. I’ve already covered today’s particular goldwork techniques elsewhere on Needle ‘n Thread, so we’ll look at them briefly here, with links to other articles if you wish to read further.

Goldwork & Silk Tudor-Style Rose
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Needlework Sneak Peek! Online Class Project

 

I’ve been working behind the scenes on this little project and having so much fun with it, that I just can’t wait any longer to show you at least some of it! Hopefully, I’m not ruining the “unveiling” of the whole. I’m willing to take the risk, though – I just love this project! And I hope you will, too!

The Nesting Place is a beautiful little crewel needlebook designed by renowned needlework artist and designer, Bobbi Chase. It’s darling. It’s exquisitely detailed. And it’s beautifully finished.

The Nesting Place Crewel Needlebook
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Early 20th Century Embroidery Techniques: Book Review

 

I wasn’t going to buy this book. As much as I like Gail Marsh’s previous books – 18th Century Embroidery Techniques and 19th Century Embroidery Techniques – her latest book, Early 20th Century Embroidery Techniques, sort of fell off the radar. I didn’t think it would interest me that much.

But on a whim one day, I ordered the book, and then I duly forgot about it. When it arrived in the post, I set it aside for a day. I barely even looked at it. And then …. then it happened! I picked it up, and I started reading it….

Early 20th Century Embroidery Techniques Book Review
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Considering the Scale of Your Embroidery Project

 

Lately, I’ve taken to considering the scale of embroidery projects that I work. “Small” and “large” are relative terms when it comes to hand embroidery. Sure, a small four inch embroidery design, when lined up next to a large forty inch embroidery design, will look small, no matter what.

But there are times when a four inch embroidery design can be huge. Let me show you what I mean!

Large Hand Embroidered Tudor-Style Rose
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Another Mystery: Hand Made Lace – What is It?

 

The other day, I posted photos of a mystery stitch, and received some really good response from readers who offered a variety of ways to construct the unknown stitch. Today, I’ve got a couple pictures of a hand-made lace, and knowing that many of you are very knowledgeable about lace of various types, I thought I’d post the photos and see if you can come up with the type of lace, or perhaps determine the techniques involved in making pieces that look like this.

The photos come from a reader who recently visited an exhibit at the Utah Quilt Guild museum. They had a display on lace, with various types of lace exhibited and named. They called these two samples “Mystery Lace,” as they didn’t recognize the type, with a request for any information. The visitor took photos and sent them on to me, and I thought it would be fun to send them on to you! I’m no lace expert, that’s for sure!

Hand-Made Lace Mystery
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Hungarian Hand Embroidery Design #9: Floral Rectangle

 

This is a magnificently complex rectangular design from Lilly’s Legacy, a collection of Hungarian folk embroidery patterns drawn by graphic artist Lilly Baróthi Zathureczky between the 1930’s & the 1960’s. Today’s design was drawn in 1945, while Lilly was living in a refugee camp in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Unlike most of her other drawings I’ve posted so far, this one is not completely colored. Just a corner has been painted, with the outline of the rest of the design drawn in ink.

Hungarian Hand Embroidery Design #9
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Ideas from the Past – Needlework Inspiration

 

In the most recent issue of Inspirations Magazine (Issue #71), you’ll find an article by yours truly about finding inspiration from the past for needlework designs today. In the article, I highlighted sources for out-of-copyright needlework designs that can be adapted to all kinds of different embroidery techniques.

Besides designs from these old publications, I also like to glean ideas and inspiration from old pieces of needlework. One area of needlework where stitches, techniques, and materials are used in interesting combinations is old church embroidery. Whenever I get the opportunity (and have permission), I photograph old pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery, and often when I’m looking for ideas for materials, for interesting combinations of threads for certain effects, or for some kind of inspiration for a design, I’ll flip through my ever-growing collection of photos of church embroidery pieces. I also have a tendency to collect old worn out pieces of ecclesiastical needlework. Damaged beyond repair, they make a great learning tool.

Using an example from my collection of photos, I’ll show you what sparks my interest.

Hand Embroidered Church Medallion in Silk and Gold
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Goldwork & Silk Tudor Rose: Final Petals

 

The next step on the Goldwork & Silk Tudor-style Rose project involves filling up the rest of the inside petal space with #7 tambour gold. If you’re just joining in on this project, feel free to read up on the rest of the stages. You’ll find the embroidery pattern, plus each developing stage of the project, listed in the goldwork & silk Tudor-style rose index.

Goldwork & Silk Embroidered Tudor-Style Rose
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Goldwork & Silk Tudor-Style Rose: An Outline

 

When last we visited the Goldwork & Silk Tudor-Style Rose series, we outlined the inner petals with gold check thread. It would make sense at this point to fill the rest of the inner petals with gold, but that wasn’t actually my next step! Instead, I moved to the outside of the rose and outlined the gold petals on the outer layer with a stem stitch outline, using a dark red Soie Gobelins (#2546).

As simple as stem stitch outlining may seem, there are a few aspects of working with this thread that can make it frustrating, so I’ll see if I can help dispel some of that frustration. Here are a few tips on how to go about outlining the outer petals.

Goldwork & Silk Tudor-Style Rose: Outlining with Soie Gobelins
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Sanding Embroidery Patterns

 

Sounds a little weird, doesn’t it? But I really do mean it literally – sanding (as in, with sandpaper) your embroidery patterns! It makes a Big Difference!

Lately, I’ve been using the prick-and-pounce method to transfer most of the embroidery designs I’ve been stitching. I like this method. It’s accurate. It’s “re-usable.” It works. So when a reader commented on my post about prick & pounce embroidery design transfers that she sands the back of her pattern and it really makes a difference in the transfer, I thought I should try that out.

Sanding the back of an embroidery pattern
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Plunging Lasso for Sinking Embroidery Threads

 

A plunging lasso is a little get-up involving a piece of string and a needle, and it’s used to plunge couched embroidery threads – and most often, goldwork threads – to the back of the fabric.

I prefer using a plunging lasso to using a larger needle to plunge threads, although I use both methods. The plunging lasso is more convenient – it’s easier to thread the loop of string than it is to thread a needle eye. The lasso also works easily with short lengths of gold thread, so in the event that you accidentally cut your couched metal thread shorter than you intended and aren’t sure how to get the short end to the back of the fabric, the plunging lasso will save you!

Incidentally, the lasso can be used to plunge other threads in addition to metal threads – whenever you’re couching threads and need to pull your laid thread to the back and are having trouble getting it there with a needle, this little home-made devise works great.

Plunging Lasso for Goldwork Threads
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Goldwork & Silk Embroidered Rose: Check Thread

 

So far, on the Goldwork & Silk Tudor-style Rose embroidery project, we’ve satin stitched the outer leaves and petals, embroidered the inner petals in long & short stitch, couched the gold tambour thread around the outside petals, and now it’s time to move to the inside ring of petals.

On the inner ring of petals on this piece, I’ve used two types of gold thread: the #7 tambour thread that I used on the outside petals and a #7 check thread, to add some sparkle and texture to these inside petals.

Goldwork & Silk Hand Embroidery: Tudor-style Rose
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Persian Blossom Crewel Embroidery Project Update

 

I’ve made a wee bit of progress on the Royal Persian Blossom crewel embroidery project from Talliaferro. I started a Royal Persian Blossom stitch-along over in Ask & Share, and since I’m the one who started it, I was beginning to feel rather guilty about not making much progress!

Well, I still haven’t made much progress, but it’s something, anyway.

Royal Persian Blossom Crewel Embroidery Project
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17th Century Women’s Dress Patterns – Book Review

 

Did you like playing “dress-up” as a kid? I did! And heck, given the opportunity, even as an adult, “playing dress up” for the right occasion is still fun! As the hot Kansas summer wears on, though, the last thing I’d want to do these days is don the clothes that women of the 17th century wore! They were heavy, elaborate, layered, a little constricting – probably not the ideal clothes for 110-degree weather!

Still, they’re fun clothes to look at, and there’s a new book out that gives some detailed insight into women’s clothes of the 17th century. It’s called 17th Century Women’s Dress Patterns, and the book is all that its title promises, and more.

17th Century Women's Dress Patterns
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Goldwork & Silk Tudor-Style Rose Tutorials – Index

 

In an effort to keep this series of tutorials on the Goldwork & Silk Tudor-style Rose a little bit organized, I’m created an index page for all the related posts on this project. That way, if you want to come back to this project a little later on, you’ll be able to find all the links in one convenient place, which I’ll include under the Tips & Techniques page here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Goldwork & Silk Embroidery Tudor-style Rose
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What’s Up on Needle ‘n Thread? Here’s the News!

 

Once in a while, I like to risk boring you with some behind-the-scenes news for Needle ‘n Thread, and today strikes me as the perfect day to do that.

Why the perfect day?

Because I just lost a batch of digital photos between my camera and my computer. I know they’re in that transfer cable somewhere, but no matter how hard I suck on the thing, I can’t seem to get them out.

Do you ever experience super-busy days, but still feel as if you are crawling when it comes to making progress? That’s me right now. Do you know why? Because hand embroidery is a slow process. It does not give instant results. It requires Time. And Time passes inordinately fast when you want a lot of it.

And when Time starts passing really fast, things start feeling a bit hairy, don’t they?

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Jane Nicholas Stumpwork Class in San Diego

 

Last month, I brought up the subject of needlework price tags and the needlework things that stitchers save their money for. I was mentioning especially the big needlework events that cost a lot of money, but are great things to attend, in order to learn techniques and to connect with other needleworkers.

But national seminars are decidedly more expensive than regional seminars, and local workshops are even more affordable. Local workshops are also smaller – not nearly as overwhelming people-wise or class-choice wise.

Jane Nicholas Stumpwork Classes, September, 2011, San Diego, CA
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Satin Stitching to a Sharp Point

 

Today I want to show you how to satin stitch to a sharp point. Sometimes, on your embroidery designs that you’re working, you might find an small element (like a leaf or a petal or a bird beak) that requires a sharp point. You satin stitch the element, following the “stitch-just-over-the-outline rule” that seems to govern satin stitching, and …. you end up with a slightly rounded tip to your leaf, or at least it isn’t as pointed as you thought it should be.

The two things that will ensure a pointy point on a satin stitched element are the length of the first center stitch and the angle of all subsequent stitches.

Let me show you what I mean:

Satin Stitching to a Point
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Goldwork & Silk Tudor Rose

 

The last couple days, I’ve been working out the details for the small rose motif that’s repeated on the current ecclesiastical embroidery project I’m working on.

And really, when I say the last couple days, I mean just that – two days. Two! Sure, we’re not talking about stitching 24 hours a day, but all my stitching time has been devoted to this one thing for two days, and – woe is me! – I haven’t even finished the thing!

Goldwork & Silk Tudor Rose
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RSN Stitch Guide: Silk Shading (Review)

 

Last year, when the Royal School of Needlework began producing a series called “Essential Stitch Guides,” I was pretty excited! The first two books in the series, the RSN Essential Stitch Guide for Blackwork and the RSN Essential Stitch Guide for Crewelwork, I’ve already reviewed. I like them both.

The RSN Stitch Guide for Silk Shading is going to be a little more difficult to review. After reading the book cover-to-cover, I have to admit that I wasn’t in raptures over it. That’s not to say it doesn’t have some good points and some good content. I’ll give you a synopsis and touch on some pros and cons, from my point of view. Then you can decide whether or not you’ll add it to your library.

RSN Essential Stitch Guide: Silk Shading
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Hand Embroidery Design Transfer Lessons

 

For me, the question of the Ultimate Design Transfer Technique for embroiderers is an ever-present one. I’ve discussed in-depth the various hand embroidery design transfer options that are available and often used, but you know, I’ve never found the Absolutely Perfect Design Transfer Method, and I don’t think I ever will.

That being said, I did manage transferring a couple of designs this week, and one of them is this one from the “Royal Persian Blossom” collection from Talliaferro designs.

During the transfer process (I used the prick-and-pounce method), I learned a couple little lessons that I thought I’d share with you.

Embroidery Design Transfer: Prick and Pounce
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Elizabethan Twist Couched on Silk Fabric

 

Yesterday, we talked about couching gold thread over flat silk thread, in a technique called “Italian Stitch.” One other thought occurred to me while I was trying out the Elizabethan twist couched over flat silk in random patterns. I wonder how this random couching would look, on top of a colored silk fabric, rather than on thread?

And so I set about to answer that question, by stitching up a small sample, just enough to see what it would look like.

Real Metal Thread Randomly Couched over Silk Dupioni
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Couching Gold Thread over Flat Silk

 

In a very old book on church embroidery (Church Embroidery and Church Vestments by Lucy Mackrille), I was quite taken by a technique that the author called the “Italian Stitch.” Why she called it that, I couldn’t tell you. I would guess that it was a stitch common on Italian-made vestments back in the day. But that’s just a guess. And I could be wrong.

I played around with this Italian Stitch once upon a time, and I did end up liking it a lot. In fact, I used it on the background sky in my Agnus Dei project.

I was thinking about using the same technique in the project I’m working on now, so I played around with it – with some variation.

Couching Gold Thread over Flat Silk
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Basketweave Stitching in Gold Threads

 

One technique that I plan to use on the embroidery project I’m working on now is a kind of “basketweave” stitching, using gold threads. The concept is pretty much the same as working with any smooth passing thread – the threads are couched, and they are couched in a bricking pattern, so that on each row of couching stitches holding the passing thread, each stitch falls between two stitches on the previous row. You can see this concept of bricking your stitches in this article about smooth passing thread.

The difference, though, when you want to achieve that woven basketweave look, is what you use to pad your stitches. To achieve a basketweave look with the gold threads, you need some bumps to couch the threads over. Let me show you what I mean!

Basketweave with Gold Metal Threads
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Summer Fun with Gingham Embroidery

 

Laurie Latour, author of The Guide to Gingham Embroidery: Book One – Stitch & Learn Gingham Lace, Snowflaking, & Gingham Cross Stitch, is guest posting here today. Laurie’s an avid collector of gingham embroidered aprons and an expert on the subject of All Things Gingham-Embroidered. I hope you enjoy her article!

Ah, the long lazy days of summer, a time to dream and play and have fun. Or so it was when we were kids. Now, maybe not so much. I don’t know about you, but there’s still a playful little kid inside me yearning to be set free. Free to explore, imagine, and well, just have fun.

These are the very prerequisites for creativity: giving that inner child permission to play, time to dream without the clamor of endless To-Do lists, and freedom to explore without the fear of making a mistake. That applies to our needlework as well as any other creative endeavor.

As we play and try out something new with needle and thread, why not invite a child to join you? Or perhaps an adult who never learned to sew, much less to embroider. Approach needlework as a fun time together, rather than an intimidating endeavor.

My hobby, collecting gingham embroidered aprons, became a call to creativity and has sparked many ideas to try new designs and threads in my needlework. My display of vintage aprons has changed me from someone content to always follow a pattern, to a more adventurous soul who now delights in playing with needle, thread, and fabric. After all, what do I have to lose? A bit of gingham and some floss is not a huge investment, but it is the “perfect playground.”

The aprons also inspired me to teach gingham embroidery to young and old. Because it is easy to learn, and needs only a few inexpensive supplies, most people are willing to give it a try and are pleasantly surprised that their needlework efforts are quickly rewarded.

So on this breezy summer’s day, let me share with you some of the embroidered aprons that inspire me.

Gingham Embroidery Aprons
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Fabric for Embroidery: Final Take!

 

For the past couple days, we’ve looked at some silk options to use as a ground fabric for hand embroidery, specifically goldwork and silk embroidery. I tried out some very nice Italian silk satin and a beautiful Japanese silk dupioni.

Today, I’ll tell you my final choice, which is neither of the above, and tell you why.

You see, while I was contemplating exactly what to do fabric-wise, I started flipping through photos I’ve collected of different ecclesiastical works. This particular photo caught my attention:

Fabric for Hand Embroidery
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Fabric for Embroidery: Take Two

 

There were lots of questions and helpful comments on yesterday’s post about using silk satin as a ground fabric for hand embroidery. I’ll answer those questions (I hope) within today’s article, where I’ll also show you the second silk option I tried out.

A couple months back, I showed you some gorgeous silk dupioni from Japan, bought by a good friend who went shopping in Osaka just to find it for me. (What a guy!) My second Ground Fabric Test made use of the “white” (more like egg-shell) dupioni. Again, it’s silk, so it’s not a glaring white – just a soft pearl-ish white. A very pretty fabric!

Choosing fabric for hand embroidery
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Choosing Fabric for Embroidery Project: Narrowing Down

 

Do you every wonder how to decide on the ground fabric you’ll use on a major embroidery project? I wish I were the type who could definitively say, “This is my design, and this will be the ground fabric I stitch it on.” For some hand embroidery projects – especially smaller, quicker ones – it sometimes goes that way, but for anything that I’ll be investing a lot of time and supply money into, I am not very quick at making a decision on the ground fabric.

The other day, I showed you my design process for this current embroidery project I’m working on. The project will be worked in silk and gold threads, that I know for sure. But I’m still a bit undecided on the ground fabric. So this is what I’ve been doing – trying to narrow down a choice of fabric, based on various considerations.

So, how do I narrow down my choices? By testing. Let me show you what I mean…

Choosing Fabric for Hand Embroidery Project
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Needle ‘n Thread “Ask & Share” is Here!

 

Yesterday afternoon, the “Ask & Share” section here on Needle ‘n Thread went live!

2016 Update: The Ask & Share Section on Needle ‘n Thread is view only now. You’re welcome to browse through it, but it is no longer functioning as an active forum.

I’d like to give you a little overview of this new site feature, so you can see how to use it and what it can do for you.

Needle 'n Thread Ask & Share Launch
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Embroidery Design Process: Haphazard at Best?

 

This summer, contrary to all previous plans and imagined agendas, I’ll be teaching an ecclesiastical embroidery class twice a week. I shouldn’t really call it a class. It involves one person, to whom I couldn’t say no. I’m glad of it – even though I hadn’t intended to teach at all this summer, a regularly scheduled meeting time twice a week is a great mainstay when it comes to keeping a structured schedule. So, I succumbed, and the first step in preparation for the class was the design process.

Before entering that process, I considered a few things: 1. What does the student already know? 2. What does the student want to learn? 3. What is reasonably achievable in the time that we have? 4. What are the various approaches we can take to reach our goals? 5. Of those approaches, which makes the most sense?

Next, I dug out my Ecclesiastical Stuff box.

Church Embroidery Project: Design Process
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Take a Look at the Artwork

 

The last couple days, I’ve shown the beautiful goldwork & pearl and beadwork frames embroidered by Larissa Borodich. Well, for the fun of it, today, let’s look at the artwork she framed.

Yep, I thought they were paintings or prints. Didn’t you? And surrounded by the sumptuous embroidered matting, I didn’t look that closely at the images themselves. Did you?

But when I started cropping the photos in Photoshop, I zoomed in on one of them. I couldn’t tell for sure what I was looking at: was the picture just slightly grainy? And then it occurred to me! So I whipped off an e-mail and got a response, with a few more photos. Here they are:

Tent Stitch Embroidered Artwork
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Gold Threads and Pearl Embroidery

 

Yesterday, I showed you some stunning beadwork embroidery worked by Larissa Borodich, and today, I’ll show you another gorgeous piece she did, worked with gold threads and natural freshwater pearls. I’ll also tell you a little bit about Larissa’s technique.

And then…. and then…. later on, I’ll tell you something else. Something incredible about the pieces that I’m showing you… but I want to see if you can guess the last detail!

Gold Threads and Pearl Embroidery Continue reading “Gold Threads and Pearl Embroidery”

Church Embroidery: Inspiration!

 

In ecclesiastical embroidery – both historical and contemporary – it’s fairly easy to find representations of the Holy Ghost in most collections. The Holy Ghost is symbolically represented as a dove, from Christ’s baptism in Luke 3:22: “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him.” As a symbol, the dove evokes certain images – it is gentle, pure, peaceful. Within larger images on historical vestments, you might look at the whole picture and completely miss the dove, but if you look hard enough in Christian figure embroidery on vestments, sure enough, you’ll often find a little dove figured into the needlepainting somewhere.

Lately, I’ve been in touch with several embroiderers out there who have been working on different pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery for Pentecost. A couple sent photos, so I’d like to share them, and I’ll also show you some photos of historical pieces with the Holy Ghost discreetly figured into the embroidery.

Holy Ghost Banner
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Needlework Nibble – a Guilt-Free Snack!

 

Tricia Nguyen over on Thistle Threads is doing it again – she’s selling a special little “needlework nibble” to help a cause. For each $18 Tulip Slip Needlework Nibble kit she sells, $10 will be donated to Winterthur Museum to support their textile and needlework exhibition budget. They’ll be running an exhibit called With Cunning Needle: Four Centuries of Embroidery, from September 3, 2011 through January 8, 2012. The more funds they raise to support the exhibit, the more items they will be able to exhibit. RIght now, they’re $5,000 short of their needed budget.

Needlework Nibble to Raise Funds
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Montenegrin Stitch – Book Give-Away!

 

Remember the book I reviewed yesterday – Autopsy of the Montenegrin Stitch: Exhumed? Well, thanks to the author Amy Mitten, I’ve got a copy to give away!

If you’ve ever tried to unravel the intricacies of the Montenegrin stitch, especially when it comes to making seamless joins between lines traveling in different directions, then you’ll want this book! Stitchers who enjoy working historical reproduction samplers will find it an immense help, as will anyone who wants to add this beautiful stitch to their repertoire.

Montenegrin Stitch book
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Montenegrin Stitch – Thoroughly Montenegrin!

 

For those of you familiar with canvas work and with counted thread embroidery stitches – especially variations on cross stitch – you are probably familiar with Montenegrin Stitch, or have at least heard of it. Montenegrin stitch is similar to long armed cross stitch, in that the stitches “interlock” and overlap, but it is different, in that it includes a vertical stitch in its stitch movement, and the resulting band of stitches tends to look more “braided” than long armed cross stitch.

Confusing? Yes, well – try working the stitch! It can be a real bear, especially when it comes to changing directions, moving on the diagonal, and merging lines that travel in different directions.

Several years ago, Amy Mitten published a book called Autopsy of the Montenegrin Stitch, which became the definitive guide to the stitch. By examining examples of Montenegrin stitch and working out all the possibilities of the stitch herself, Amy was able to compile clear diagram instructions for Montenegrin stitch. Recently, Amy updated and re-published her book, and now we have Autopsy of the Montenegrin Stitch: Exhumed!. (Yes, she’s a bit of a mystery buff.)

Montenegrin Stitch Book
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Guide to Gingham Embroidery … or … errr … Chicken Scratch!

 

Chicken Scratch is such a weird name for an embroidery technique! I can only imagine that it came about because this technique of embroidery on gingham involves sharp little stitches … like chicken’s feet maybe? Or maybe some of the stitches look like the hatch marks in the ground after chickens have been foraging for peckable foodstuffs? Whatever the case, for some reason, the name was used, and it stuck.

Gingham Embroidery, gingham lace, snowflaking, and gingham cross stitch are all interchangeable words for “chicken scratch,” and golly – I’d even venture to say they’re somewhat preferable! Chicken scratch makes me itchy.

Anyway – to get one with it – summer time is a perfect time to teach embroidery to kids, or to take up a quick project yourself, and gingham embroidery can fill the bill on both accounts. One of my plans this summer is to help keep my niece occupied by making a chicken scratch apron with her. I want to incorporate this drawn-thread-on-gingham technique with the chicken scratch, using a smaller checked gingham.

It just so happens that there’s a pretty good e-book available online that teaches step-by-step the methods and variations of gingham embroidery. The book is by Laurie Latour, and it’s called The Guide to Gingham Embroidery: Book One – Stitch & Learn Gingham Lace, Snowflaking, & Gingham Cross Stitch.

Chicken Scratch, Gingham Embroidery Book
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Needlework Book Review: Lefkara Lace Embroidery

 

Lefkara Lace Embroidery by Androula Hadjiyiasemi is perhaps the only thorough book written on Lefkara lace. I’ve hesitated to review the book, because it’s Really Hard to find at an affordable price. So far, I’ve only found one or two copies online, and they’re running about $90. Today, I’ll show you what the book is like, so that, if you are are interested in Lefkara lace, you can decide whether or not it’s worth the investment to buy a used copy of the book or the effort to hunt one down somewhere! The library system can be very handy for this, though I haven’t found the book available in many collections.

While I take you through the book, I’ll point out some differences between Lefkara and Hardanger embroidery, too. Many folks saw similarities between the vintage linens I wrote about the other day and Hardanger. There are definite similarities, but Lefkara leans more heavily on the traditions of Italian needle laces. The book clearly points out the connections and gives an excellent history of the development of Lefkara lace.

Lefkara Lace Embroidery by Androula Hadjiyiasemi
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Church Embroidery Pattern: Decorative Cross & a Question

 

I’m in the midst of cleaning up a bunch of ecclesiastical embroidery designs and developing several new ones. Today, I’ll share a little decorative cross with you. It’s definitely suitable for all types of hand embroidery, but it would also work well in other arts & crafts designs, too – banners, applique, paper crafts, leather work, printing and coloring, and so forth.

I’ve also got a question for you, especially for those of you interested in church embroidery patterns – but I’ll save that for the end!

Here’s the embroidery design:

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Decorative Cross
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Vintage Linens: Lefkara Lace?

 

About eight years ago, bumming around Kansas City one day, I ventured into an antique store wherein I found one of those happy little treasures – a complete set of vintage table linens, including a table runner, what I think must be a tea tray liner or sideboard cloth (larger than a placemat, but not long and narrow like a table runner), eight placemats, eight napkins. They were an oatmeal-ish color and in very good condition. I liked their simplicity, and I liked the drawn thread work and embroidery that adorned them. And the price was actually very good. They were asking $60 for the set, so I thought it would be All Wrong just to leave them there. I almost felt morally obliged to take them home! Heck, I just like vintage linens. I didn’t really need to convince myself…. (Are you with me?)

Vintage Table Linens: Lefkara Lace?
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Block Shading

 

Not much stitching went on this past weekend in my house! In fact, It’s taken me about a week now to tie up loose ends before the “official” beginning of summer, and in there, the needle didn’t get a whole lot of companionship! I’ll show you what I managed:

Tanja Berlin Embroidery Kit: Modern Jacobean
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Reader’s Needlework: A Tribute to Tenacious Stitching!

 

Pat Young wrote me a little note as I was nearing the completion of the Cluny miniature embroidery project, and told me about a needlepoint project that she began way back in the early 1990’s and had not finished. She tenaciously decided that she would finish it this year, and set about doing just that, tackling a little bit at a time, much in the manner of my 15-minute stitching philosophy (even if you only stitch 15 minutes here and there, you can make progress on a project).

Well, Pat finished ahead of her set deadline, and she sent a photo of the finished piece. And wow. Talk about tenacious! Here it is, and a little bit about it:

Needlepoint Squares
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Birds for Whitework – Hungarian Embroidery Pattern #7

 

Here’s another hand embroidery pattern from Lilly’s Legacy. Like the “Hearts for Whitework” pattern posted in April, this one is painted simply in black. This particular style of pattern was apparently intended by Lilly to be a whitework embroidery pattern.

Like many of the other Hungarian embroidery patterns in this series so far, this one lends itself to all kinds of possibilities in other craft areas, including appliqués, paper and wood crafts, and so forth. For embroidery, though, the oblong nature of this design suggests a table runner to me.

Hungarian Hand Embroidery Pattern #7: Whitework Birds
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Another Needlework Finish in the (Near?) Future

 

After finishing the Cluny piece up last week, I sifted through a few other pieces of needlework I want to finish up and … ahem. Well, not to sound insulting… but I want to get them over with and out of the way! Makes it sound like I’m trying to plow through an Unpleasant Task, doesn’t it?

It’s not the case at all… not really! If they were Unpleasant Tasks, I’m pretty sure I could justify not doing them at all. (I’m really good at that!)

But they are Loose Ends, and I want to tie them up while I’m organizing my Knuckle-Into-Summer List. That’s the list of Big Things I want to do this summer. And I’m more likely to knuckle into those big things, if I have some little things finished and out of the way.

Tanja Berlin Embroidery Kit
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On Pins and Needles

 

When talking pins and needles on a needlework blog written near the end of the school year by a teacher, I guess we could approach the subject two ways: metaphorically or literally. Metaphorically, I’m in the same state as most students at this time of year: a bright cloud of anticipation is hovering over me as we get closer to The End. But in every end, there’s a beginning, and in my case, the beginning of the summer signals a time for fulfilling all those solid plans and even wispy daydreams of the Creative. So, yep, I’m on pins and needles in that regard, kind of floating in a state of suspension while struggling to remain very focused on my job.

Literally, though, let’s talk pins and needles – you know, real pins and needles. The-tools-of-the-trade pins and needles. You know the kind!

Needlework Needles and Sewing Pin Storage
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Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hungarian Design #6

 

Lilly’s Legacy of Hungarian hand embroidery patterns continues, with this combination of hearts and tulips in a medallion-shaped design suitable for embroidered cushions and household linens. Besides hand embroidery, the design is perfect for quilt appliqué, paper crafts, toll painting and stenciling, and myriad other applications limited only by your imagination!

Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hungarian Design #6
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Scraps: Goldwork on Velvet

 

When I think “scraps,” the last thing that comes to mind is goldwork embroidery on velvet. But I’m not sure what else to call this! It’s a remnant, certainly – the remains of something never quite finished, and then apparently somehow damaged… it’s more than a scrap, though less than whole. But it’s still neat to look at and wonder!

Goldwork on Velvet Remnant
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Simple is Good: Straight Stitch Flowers

 

Hand embroidery does not have to be complicated in order to be effective.

Take, for example, the under-rated, under-estimated, under-valued, plain-old-every-day straight stitch.

The straight stitch is exactly what it sounds like: a straight stitch. It is the most basic stitch. You bring your needle up in the fabric at some point, and you take it down at another point, pull your thread through, and voilá! You have a straight stitch.

You can’t get more basic than that!

Straight Stitch in Hand Embroidery: Flowers
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Inspirations & Organization

 

Several months ago, I was offered one of those deals I couldn’t pass up. A fellow needleworker had purchased in bulk a massive quantity of magazines from some source, because she wanted to acquire certain issues of a different magazine (hm… is that confusing?) Anyway, she had to buy this whole quantity of magazines, in order to get the magazines she was actually after.

Once she sorted through her acquisition of hundreds of back issues of various magazines (some 200+), she grouped together the leftovers, which included all of Inspirations issues 1-25, plus numerous back issues of Piecework and other needlework related magazines. And I bought them!

Inspirations Magazines Issues 1-25
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Hungarian Embroidery Pattern #5: Makes a Great Pair.

 

Here’s another Hungarian embroidery pattern for you! You can pair this one up with the Floral Square embroidery pattern I posted earlier. It’s not an exact “match” but I like the same style on the borders and the similar dots on the patterns. I could see both of them being used to make matching embroidered linens for end tables, or a matching setting of pillows, or something like that. With the blues and the touch of purple in some of the dots, you can see that Lilly’s choice of colors for this design is a little different from the colors in the Floral Square design, but of course, as with any embroidery design like this, you can work the colors out according to your own preferences.

Hungarian Hand Embroidery Pattern
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Embroidery Fluff & How to Make It Fluffy

 

Are you familiar with turkey work? Turkey work, also known as ghiordes knot, is an embroidery technique that can be used to created a fluffy piled clump (for lack of a better word!) anywhere you want one on your embroidery. The technique is used a lot in stumpwork, but it can also be used in other needlework techniques. Turkey work makes great squirrel tails! Like this one, stitched by my sister:

Turkey work embroidery stitch
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Cluny Countdown – Closer!

 

Last night before hitting the sack, I snapped a couple photos of the miniature stitching project I’m working on (and that I just spoke about two days ago…) I promise I won’t be updating you every single day between now and next Wednesday (when I intend to have this embroidery project finished), but the fact is, I wasn’t actually convinced that I’d finish by next Wednesday, until I took these photos last night. There’s not that much left to go – and I’m pretty excited to see the end so close at hand!

Miniature Embroidery Project: Cluny Tapestry
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How to Judge a Book by Its Cover

 

Did you go through life being told not to judge books by their covers? This expression, of course, has a metaphorical meaning in the human relations field: it’s not the outside that matters – it’s what’s inside that counts. And I’m all for that! This lesson is reinforced daily when teaching youth, that’s for sure.

But when it comes to needlework books, I often judge them by their covers. Tsk, tsk! And I’ve been seduced by book covers before, only to regret my choice when I’ve found the content a bit lacking.

Here are a few upcoming books in the needlework field, and though they aren’t published yet, I’ve pre-ordered them. I base my decision to pre-order needlework books on a few factors that I’ll discuss below, and there are two reasons why I pre-order books, rather than waiting to order when they’ve already hit the stores: 1. they get here faster – usually before their release, which gives me a head-start on reading them so I can review them for you; 2. Pre-orders are always guaranteed the lowest price: if the price goes lower before the book is shipped, you get the lower price, but if it goes higher, you don’t pay more than the pre-order price. This point has served me well in the past, so I figure it’s a no-risk situation.

Goldwork Techniques, Projects, and Pure Inspiration by Hazel Everett
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Call Me Naive

 

A couple weeks ago when I posted my last miniature stitching update, I naively asserted that I wanted to have this Cluny tapestry piece finished that week. Oh boy. I always under-estimate the amount the time it takes to put stitches in, no matter how furiously fast I try to get along on a piece.

Still, little by little, I’m getting a lot – a LOT – closer to the finish! All the major elements are in, and now it’s just a matter of stitching a bit more foliage and some background.

Miniature Embroidery Cluny Tapestry
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Mother’s Day Give-Away: Talliaferro Royal Persian Blossom Design Kit

 

Today’s one of those give-away days – for a lot of reasons! Not only is it my favorite time of year – with green grass and bright flowers and cheery sunshine flooding the landscape – but it’s Friday. And not only is it Friday, but I’ve only got (officially) one more Friday left to the school year after today! (Exams follow… but let’s not talk about that right now!) And on top of those pleasant thoughts, everything is coming up roses on the new website developments that will be showing up here on Needle ‘n Thread in the very near future… and so… life being so good, things going so well, I feel it’s a good time to pass along some cheer!

This is what I’m giving away:

Talliaferro Crewel Embroidery Design: Royal Persian Blossom Design Kit
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Embroidery Design Inspiration: Playing with Pugin

 

Where do you find inspiration for your embroidery projects? I suppose inspiration can really be found anywhere, but I like to look at other textile designs, wallpaper designs, tile designs, wrought iron designs, and on and on and on.

One of my favorite artists (actually, an architect) from the past – Augustus Pugin – happened to leave behind a massive legacy of textile, wallpaper, tile, and all kinds of “decorator” items that are suitable for adaptation to embroidery. I especially like looking at Pugin’s tile designs, but his wallpaper patterns, stained glass, furniture, textiles, and metal work all give plenty of play room for the imagination, when thinking in terms of embroidery design.

Pugin Wallpaper Design
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Hand Embroidery Pattern: Hungarian Flowerpot

 

This little Hungarian Flowerpot design comes from one of Lilly’s drawings that features six bookmark-sized pieces. Instead of presenting all six in one pattern, I’ve decided to present them individually so that you can enlarge or reduce them easily, for whatever type of project you’d like to undertake with the designs.

You’ll find the background story on these Hungarian embroidery designs with the first design posted, the Golden Circle design.

All of these designs can be adapted to a variety of artistic uses besides embroidery. Many readers have said they plan to work the designs as quilt appliqués, while others have suggested paper crafts or wood carving and the like as possible applications for the designs.

Hungarian hand embroidery designs
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Shopping for Silk in Japan

 

A few weeks ago, a very good friend of mine who of late lives in the Philippines was visiting Osaka, Japan. He called to ask if there was anything I wanted while he was there. Heh heh. What a question! Good Japanese silk fabric is exquisite, so I happened to mention that if he happened to be visiting shops that happen to sell silk fabric, I wouldn’t be opposed to a little snippet.

The likelihood that he would visit fabric stores while traveling in Japan (work-related travel, mind you) was pretty slim, and in fact, I didn’t want to impose at all, so I begged that he wouldn’t go out of his way for such a thing.

Well. He did. He actually went hunting for some snippets, and sent some photos to prove it. Four days after our phone conversation, a package arrived… with some gorgeous silk in it. So, vicariously, let’s enjoy his shopping experience for silk fabric in Japan.

Shopping for Silk Fabric in Japan
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Prick & Pounce Embroidery Design Transfer

 

“Prick and Pounce” is a method of transferring an embroidery design by using a pattern that is pricked with tiny holes, placed on the fabric, and then pounced all over with a powder that filters into the tiny holes, leaving tiny dots on the fabric. Nowadays, the prick-and-pounce method of embroidery design transfer gets very little attention in the everyday embroidery world. Perhaps it’s because we have so many other design transfer methods available – from iron-ons to water-soluble transfer materials to “disappearing” pens – that we tend to think prick-and-pounce transferring is a bit passé. If not that, it may simply seem too labor-intensive or too messy to bother with. And so, we don’t.

But this seldom-used method of transferring an embroidery design has been around for a long time, and it’s still used, for good reason: it’s reliable.

Prick and Pounce Embroidery Design Transfer
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Royally Gorgeous Cope

 

While most folks in the textile-related blogosphere were watching the Royal Wedding yesterday to catch a glimpse of The Dress, I admit, I was looking for something else: the clerical garb. I figured there’d be a good chance to see some beautiful examples of ecclesiastical embroidery.

The dress was stunning – really beautiful. But did you catch the cope?

Royal Wedding: Archbishop's Cope
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Royal Persian Crewel Design – Review

 

Way back in January, I mentioned the website Talliaferro Classic Needleart, and pointed out some of the gorgeous crewel designs that Anna has been developing. Well, Anna’s first crewel embroidery design – the Royal Persian Blossom – is finally published and available, so I thought I’d show you what the design packet looks like. This is crewel embroidery on a grand and glorious scale!

Talliaferro Crewel Embroidery Design: Royal Persian Blossom
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How a Shirt Grew in the Field

 

I have three weaknesses. You’ve already figured out the embroidery one – I’m a bit obsessed with needle & thread. But you might not know about the other two, which are closely connected. One is old books and the other is children’s books.

Imagine all three of those woven together into one book – a book I grew up with.

And that’s where this book fits in. How a Shirt Grew in the Field is a children’s book that, in storybook fashion, takes the child (and adult!) through the whole process of how linen was made by the Russian peasant back in the days before industrial farming and textile machinery. In the late ’60’s, Marguerita Rudolph adapted the original Russian tale by Konstantin Ushinsky (the original story is over 140 years old), and Yaroslava, a Ukrainian folk artist and illustrator, drew the illustrations. The book has since been republished (in the ’90’s) and re-illustrated by Erica Weihs. Both editions are out of print but available through used book sources or libraries.

How a Shirt Grew in the Field
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Miniature Stitching: Another Person!

 

Here’s a little update on my current miniature stitchery project, a mini rendition of the “Sense of Hearing” Lady & Unicorn tapestry found in the Cluny museum in Paris.

When I set this project up at the beginning of this semester of school, my intention was to keep it on hand for those brief moments throughout the day when I could do a bit of stitching, but not a whole lot. That way, I’d have something to stitch on during busy times, and I’d be making progress on a project even if I couldn’t devote hours at a time to needlework. A little project like this one serves as motivation for me – if I do what I need to do throughout the day (and do it efficiently), then the reward is an extra few moments to stitch here and there. I like rewards like that!

So, over the past four months, approaching the project in bits and pieces, it’s come along quite far. The finish line is still far away, but at least at this point, it’s visible!

Miniature Stitching: Embroidered Lady & Unicorn tapestry
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Who Won the Agecroft Sweet Bag Thread Kit?

 

Well, as promised, today I’m announcing the winner of the Agecroft Sweet Bag silk thread kit give-away!

And you know, I thought I’d wax loquacious for a bit, and ramble on about the how fun the give-away was, how much I enjoyed reading your comments (yes, I read all 740+ comments!), and how much I appreciate the enthusiasm and interest of all of you – how you inspire me, how great I think it is to be able to “connect” with like-minded embroiderers, and on and on and on!

Yes, I was going to ramble on. But really, I know you just want the punch line! Who WON?!

Agecroft Sweet Bag Thread Kit
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Needles & the Lessons of Life

 

This week, I’ve spent a lot of time (a LOT of time) getting my workroom cleaned up and organized, in anticipation of two things: 1. several Big Projects coming up; and 2. that glorious time of year called Summer, which is when I get most of my needlework-work and major blog work done.

Between cleaning up the Disaster Zone that’s my workroom and an Incident with a Needle, I’ve learned again (for the umpteenth million time) one of Life’s Most Valuable Lessons.

Needles for Hand Embroidery
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Satin Stitch & Embroidered Monograms

 

Monograms and satin stitch just seem to go together. True, true, there are other ways of embroidering a monogram, besides using satin stitch. But I’m infatuated with satin stitch – it is the Queen of Stitches, in my book. It’s a gorgeous stitch.

Here’s a little monogramming project I’m working on right now. It’s not “little, little” – the monogram itself is 3″ tall – but it’s not huge, either. It’s just a little monogram being stitched onto a lovely linen towel.

I started out using Londonderry linen thread, which is a high quality linen thread (as linen threads go, it’s really the smoothest one I’ve ever used). Londonderry linen thread comes in 5 different sizes (from 18/3 – 100/3), and for this project, I started out with 80/3 (which is fairly fine, for linen thread) in red.

Hand Embroidered Monogram on Linen Towel
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Easter Give-Away – Silk & Gold Thread Kit!

 

Because Easter is coming up, and because you’re all such a swell bunch of readers, and because Access Commodities sent me this beautiful thread kit, and because it’s rainy and gloomy in Kansas and I need to make my own sunshine….

because of all of that….

… and the fact that I somehow deleted the article I was supposed to post today….

It’s time for a give-away!

Silk and gold threads are The Best, aren’t they? And I think you need some!

Silk & Gold embroidery threads
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Miniature Cluny Tapestry Update

 

Just a short little update this morning to show you some progress on the miniature “Lady & Unicorn” piece that I’ve been stitching on. Nope, I haven’t abandoned it for other things – even though there are about sixty gazillion embroidery projects floating around here right now!

Still, this little piece has been a pretty good carrot, so I have to keep it going! And, though the progress is slow, with literally just a few minutes here and there now and then being devoted to it – still, it’s getting somewhere!

Miniature Embroidery: Lady & Unicorn Tapestry
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The Agecroft Sweet Bag Thread Kit

 

Well, I seem to be on a Kit Kick lately, don’t I? Today I’m highlighting a thread kit, which isn’t quite the same as a full-blown embroidery kit, but it’s sort of close.

You see, designers often design a piece of embroidery, and then, if the designer doesn’t offer a full kit but just the design, a manufacturer or a shop might put together the kit of threads for that particular embroidery design, so that customers can purchase all the threads needed to complete the design in one tidy package. And that’s what this is – it’s a thread kit (with spangles), and it’s been put together by Access Commodities for the Agecroft Sweet Bag project highlighted in the last issue of the EGA’s publication, Needle Arts Magazine.

Agecroft Sweet Bag Thread Kit
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Suzhou Embroidery Revisited – & Up Close

 

At the end of January, we took a close-up look at some silk embroideries from the Suzhou region of China, specifically those created be the Su Embroidery Studios. The studio continues the tradition of Chinese needlepainting from this region, by offering various types and grades of Chinese needlepainting, as well as custom reproduction work.

After highlighting the work of Su Embroidery Studios, you can imagine my delight when I received in the post a couple week ago a beautiful piece of Suzhou embroidery for my very own, as a thank you for highlighting the work of the studio! So of course, I want to share it with you, too, so that you can see the piece up close. A study of it provides an interesting lesson in color combinations to produce a given effect.

Suzhou Embroidery: Chinese needlepainting up close
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Free Embroidery Pattern – Hungarian #3: Hearts for Whitework

 

Continuing with Lilly’s Legacy, here’s another Hungarian hand embroidery pattern – this time, a little different, as you will notice that it is not colored. The black silhouette design may bring to mind visions of paper cutting rather than hand embroidery, but in fact, Lilly designed several pieces that look like this, that were meant for whitework embroidery.

If you’re just joining in on this series of Hungarian embroidery patterns, you can read the original story of Lilly Baróthi Zathureczky here on Needle ‘n Thread. It’s an interesting story of a Hungarian designer whose previously unpublished embroidery patterns have been brought to light and will be published now for all to enjoy! As many readers have already commented, the designs are suitable for much more than just hand embroidery. They’re adaptable to all kinds of arts and crafts, from painting, to paper crafts, to quilt appliqué.

Hungarian Embroidery Pattern #3: Hearts for Whitework
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I Love Sparklies!

 

Goldwork is called “goldwork” because it involves the use of gold threads. The term goldwork is often used interchangeably with “metal thread embroidery,” though metal thread embroidery encompasses the use of more than just gold threads. It pretty much takes into account the use of any metal threads. The gold threads involved in goldwork are not “metallic” threads, but are rather “real metal threads” – gold, silver, and alloys – that are used (often in combination with silk) to produce the richest results in hand embroidery.

Real metal threads today come in a variety of colors, and these can be used to produce some interesting effects in metal thread embroidery. I haven’t done any real work with colored metal threads beyond playing with them, but I’ve recently gotten my grimy paws on a few new pieces of colored metal threads, and my mind is whirling with The Possibilities! I suppose I’m a bit like a crow that way. I just love sparklies!

Colored Metal Threads for Hand Embroidery
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Birthday Give-Away – Embroidery Kit and then some

 

My mom always says it’s better to give than to receive, and I suppose she’s right. (I think she is just setting up her excuse in advance, for the day she forgets my birthday!)

In an effort to live by the virtues my parents tried to instill in me, I thought I’d test the proverb. And to that end, I’m giving away a brand spanking new embroidery kit and some other delectables, in celebration of turning yet another year older today.

It’s not so bad to turn over another year, in the scheme of things. After all, there’s only one alternative…

Berlin Embroidery Wild Rose Needlepainting Kit
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Easter Eggs and Mind-Boggling Embroidery

 

When you see a needlework technique that looks intriguing, are you the type of person who says, “Hey, I think I’ll try that!”? Yeah, me too. And normally, if I see a needlework technique or a finished product that boggles my mind (you know: “How Ever in the Wide World did they do that?!”), I’ll at least try working it out so I know how it was done.

I’m not going to bother with this. It boggles my mind. But there are some things I know I just won’t ever do, and this is one of them. Still, I find it amazing that someone out there did do it, and in the scheme of All Things Easter Eggy, I can see how these things would be a show stopper!

Over on Au Feminin (a French website, so you can use Google translator if you need to) you’ll find a photo gallery of a needlework expo. And within that photo gallery, you will find five photos (numbers 55 – 60) of “broderie sur oeufs” – embroidery on eggs.

Embroidery on Eggs
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Needlework and the Mixing of Culture

 

Throughout history – whether through war and conquest or through migration of peoples or through other myriad events – cultures have mixed, and when mixing, they influence subsequent developments in the arts. Last week, while I was preparing this Hungarian embroidery pattern for publishing, I found myself thinking of the various influences on embroidery design, and in particular, I contemplated the Ottoman influence on Hungarian design. (Incidentally, Mike mentioned the Turkish influence on Hungarian embroidery in the comment section on the aforementioned Hungarian embroidery pattern published earlier this week).

There is something about this design of Lilly’s that struck me as particularly Byzantine-ish, and this thought led me to looking for examples of Turkish embroidery and designs online, which in turn led me to some good design resources. Today, I’ll share those resources with you and point out some things that struck me as similar between Hungarian and Turkish designs.

First, let’s start with part of Lilly’s design:

Hungarian and Turkish embroidery design similarities
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Spring Bright!

 

Spring is coming on in bits and spurts here in Kansas, and that means a couple things for me: one, my thoughts turn to bright spring colors and things I can stitch with them; and two, the school year is careening to a close.

For those of you who have been putting up with me for a while, you know that I’ve been teaching a high school Needle Arts class this year. I haven’t mentioned it much lately, because I don’t want to bore you with the nitty gritty details, but since it’s been a while since I’ve mentioned it, I figure you’ll indulge me!

On the school front, I’ve been working on adjusting my Needle Arts curriculum a little bit, to accommodate the onslaught of Spring and all the attitudes and accomplishments that go with it. By accomplishments, I mean the knowledge and skills gained through the school year, which, towards the end of the year, should be reinforced and put to the test. By attitudes, I mean the almost-jubilant antsy-ness that comes with warmer weather. Kids tend to think summer vacation is here long before it ever gets here, because suddenly the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it’s a lot warmer out. The arrival of spring is energizing in that regard, but it also presents a few difficulties in the classroom – like keeping students focused and encouraging them to persevere to the end.

Embroidery for Spring
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Lilly’s Legacy: Hungarian Embroidery Design #2

 

Last week, I introduced you to the embroidery design work of Lilly Baróthi Zathureczky and told you a little bit of Lilly’s life story. Today, I’d like to share with you another one of her designs!

It’s hard for me to pick “favorites” from the various designs she drew – I find all of them enchanting in some aspect or another. On this particular design, I love her choice of colors, the somewhat delicate floral and swash that makes up the interior circular design, and I like the wavy edge around the perimeter. (In fact, what’s not to like about it?!)

Hungarian Embroidery Design: Floral Square
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Remember those Goldwork Scissors?

 

Back in January, when I was talking about various needlework tools, I featured a pair of goldwork embroidery scissors. They were new to me, and I hadn’t actually used them yet to cut real metal threads, but I previewed them here and got some excellent feedback from readers who use them.

Well – finally! – last week I had a chance to use these little scissors that feature a very fine serrated blade, so I thought I’d share my impressions.

Goldwork Scissors
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Miniature Stitching, Slow Progress

 

The miniature embroidery project I’ve been working on as my “15 Minute” project is chugging – and I mean, barely chugging – along right now. Part of the reason is that I’ve been working on other projects, specifically some samples for my Needle Arts class (more about that later).

But, Little Progress beats No Progress. Here’s where I am at this point on this miniature tapestry, designed after the Sense of Hearing tapestry at the Cluny Museum. This miniature project is available through MicroStitchery, if your curious about the source!

Update, 2018: While MicroStitchery is still online, they are no longer honoring orders. I have heard from many folks who have placed orders with them, but have never received the orders and had to apply to PayPal for a refund. I’ve tried to contact Joy, the lady who took over the business, but with no luck. Just a word of caution, for those looking for miniature tapestries!

Miniature Embroidery Project: Cluny Tapestry
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Silhouette Give-Away Winner!

 

Well, it’s done. After much fiddling with spread sheets to keep everything organized and to give everyone their correct numbers of entries, and after weeding through duplicate comments and following up on rules to keep everything fair, I stuck the numbers into a random number generator, and with one click of a button (that part is So Easy!), the winner appeared.

Silhouette Machine Give-Away
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Embroidered Table Linens – and an Artichoke

 

Yes, it’s true. I have another stitching project. I can’t help it. It’s Spring, after all. And I’m sure that has something to do with it!

If you’re looking to brighten up your table setting with a little embroidery, but, like me, you aren’t up to tackling a full table cloth or runner (I’m completely un-up to tackling any new large project right now!), you might like these new linen placemat kits available through The French Needle. They feature vegetables – and we all know veggies are good for us, so why not embroider some?

I particularly love the artichoke in this set of linens, so it’s another (simple) project on my plate for this Spring, hopefully to be finished by Easter.

Embroidered Artichoke Table Linen
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Spooled Threads & How I Hold ‘Em

 

While attempting to straighten up my workspace the other day – sorting through embroidery thread, organizing too many needles, trying to find space for fabric, and in general wishing I were just a wee bit more organized (know the feeling?)! – I found myself holding this little piece of Needlework Furniture, and thought, “Why, I haven’t shown them my spool holder.”

So today, I’m showing you my spool holder!

Spooled Thread Holder
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Hungarian Embroidery Designs: Lilly’s Legacy

 

Today, I’m very excited to start a little series here on Needle ‘n Thread that features some Hungarian designs suitable for embroidery and other artistic pursuits. There’s a little background story here about the artist’s legacy, so I’d like to share that with you, along with a pattern that has lots of possibilities for stitching.

Hungarian Embroidery Design: Free Pattern for Hand Embroidery
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Satin Stitch Padding – Follow Up Tip!

 

Yesterday, we looked at how to embroider a satin stitched dot, which is not as easy a task as it sounds, but once the general layout of the stitches in the top layer of satin stitch is understood, it sure makes it a lot easier to achieve a nice looking satin stitched dot.

One thing I failed to mention in that tutorial – being too caught up in the finished satin stitched top, rather than what was going on underneath – is that the padding of the dot is not actually “satin stitched.” Thanks to Carol-Anne of Threads Across the Web, who followed up the original post with a very informative comment about padding in Japanese embroidery, I decided I better complete the dot tutorial by clarifying the method of padding the dot.

And so, today, in a somewhat reversed order, I’ll show you how I do the padding for a satin stitch dot, and really for any area of satin stitch where I don’t want a layer of padding as thick as the padding on the front of the work, on the back of the work. Make sense? Let me show you!

Padding a Satin Stitched Dot
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Satin Stitched Dot Tutorial

 

The satin stitch is one of my favorite filling stitches for small areas and narrow elements in embroidery. While it is absolutely a gorgeous stitch worked in silk, really, in any thread, it’s beautiful.

Perhaps the most difficult element to stitch well in satin stitch is a circle or larger dot. A wee tiny dot in satin stitch isn’t so difficult – it’s really just a matter of stitching two or three tiny stitches the same size and two slightly smaller stitches on each side of those, to give the look of a dot, without it actually being a perfect circle.

But those are wee tiny dots (an 1/8″ or smaller). But what about larger dots? Once you get the hang of them, they’re actually pretty easy! Here, I’d like to show you how I satin stitch larger dots or circular elements.

How To Satin Stitch a Dot
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Cross for Church Linens

 

This is one of the questions I receive via e-mail quite often, and I figured I may as well put it on the website, just in case there are other stitchers out there wondering the same thing.

How do you embroider the little red cross that is traditionally found on most church altar linens? Normally, this cross is quite small and is actually cross stitched. While it doesn’t have to be cross-stitched, and while it doesn’t have to follow this pattern, this is a typical pattern that is very neat and tidy, tiny, and pretty, and it serves its purpose well.

Cross for Church Linens
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Wool Embroidery: Re-Thinking the Pomegranates

 

Ahhhhh. It’s Saturday, and much of today, if I have anything to say about it, will be spent with this wool embroidery project (the Pomegranate Corners) that I’ve been muddling through. It’s true that I’ve been putzing around on it! I’ll share with you my source of consternation on the project, which I think most needleworkers can relate to at some point or another.

So the question is, why the hold-up on this particular work, and how can we get over the walls we build when frustration sets in?

Wool Embroidery Project: Pomegranate Corners
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Six Down, Three to Go

 

Here’s a little update on the miniature embroidery project I’m working on – the “Sense of Hearing” Cluny tapestry, designed for working on silk gauze. I will admit that this past week with grades due and lots of school work to concentrate on, I didn’t work in too many 15 Minute sessions.

Instead, last night I had a therapeutic few hours of stitching with an audiobook and a cup of tea or ten. I told myself I needed the “break,” but in fact, I was really just procrastinating. It was relaxing – a good audio book, peace and quiet, no interruptions, lots of stitching, and finally finishing the 6th section of the piece. Only three more pages of charts to go! Three. More. Pages.

Miniature Embroidery Cluny Tapestry
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Book Review: Allie Aller’s Crazy Quilting

 

If you’ve been reading Needle ‘n Thread for a while, you’ve probably gathered that I’m not a crazy quilter. It’s not that I don’t like crazy quilting – it’s just that I don’t do crazy quilting. My attempts have been … well … half-baked, at best! But I love looking at crazy quilting, and I love watching what other people do with crazy quilting.

One crazy quilter in particular that’s fun to watch is Allison Aller. Allie takes crazy quilting to a level of such richness – in color, in embellishment, in construction – that I often find myself boggled at what she creates!

Allie wrote a book, and it is finally on the shelves and available. So I bought the book, and I thought I’d show it to you.

Crazy Quilting by Allie Aller
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Free Church Embroidery Pattern: IHS with Grapes & Wheat

 

Today being Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent, I thought a new church embroidery pattern might be appropriate. The central part of this image is the IHS, but you can actually substitute any symbol in there. On the original design (which I’ve altered a bit), the center image was a chalice. A simple cross would look nice, as would any number of religious symbols.

Free Church Embroidery Pattern: IHS with Grapes & Wheat
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Sulky Iron-on Transfer Pens

 

This past weekend, I had a chance to try out Sulky’s Iron-On Transfer Pens. Readers have sent questions about them for a while, but they’re not something I’ve ever tried before, until this weekend. I could never give an answer beyond “I’ve heard they work ok, but I haven’t tried them.” This is something I wanted to remedy!

Now I’ve tried them. Here’s a little bit on how you’re supposed to use the pens, along with my impressions and some pros and cons while working through a couple transfers using the Little Tulips hand embroidery pattern.

Sulky Iron-On Transfer Pens
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Little Tulips

 

This is a pattern re-make! I was looking for an embroidery pattern that was small and simple – something suitable for a wee project that’s tumbling around in my head. Something…. simple. Simple lines. Simple shape. Not much to it.

So I started filtering through the embroidery patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread to remind myself exactly what I have on here, and when I came to this Tulips a la Morris pattern, I realized it was exactly what I was looking for – but it was too big, and the lines weren’t quite sharp enough. I drew the older one up when I was tracing patterns with a tablet (which I still do, now and again!) So I revamped the pattern, cleaned up the lines, and shrunk it down to 3″ tall.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Little Tulips
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15 Minute Project Update: Stitching Long-legged Unicorns

 

Well, if nothing else is progressing very quickly in my life right now (as a school teacher, I’ve always found this time of year to be the s-l-o-w-e-s-t), this miniature embroidery project – a miniature reproduction of the Lady & the Unicorn “Sense of Hearing” tapestry from the Cluny museum – is actually coming along better than I thought it would be!

Miniature Embroidery Project: Cluny Tapestry
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Separating Floche

 

Floche is a non-divisible thread, made up of 5 plies of softly twisted cotton. It’s a beautiful thread which stitches up wonderfully. Floche comes in a gorgeous array of colors, though not as many colors are available in the US as there are available in Europe (haven’t the foggiest reason why – ask DMC!).

Floche, as I mentioned, is non-divisible. You’re meant to stitch with the whole strand, not separating it as you would separate stranded cotton.

Separating Floche
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Embroidery as Craft: Finishing the Boxes

 

Time to finish up this interlude on combining fabric, paper, and embroidery to create little gift boxes using the Silhouette cutting machine and fabric interfacing. Day before yesterday, I reviewed the Silhouette, and yesterday, we looked at the first steps in making these small gift boxes out of paper and fabric. Today, we’ll finish those up, add a touch of embroidery, and construct them into boxes.

Fabric, Paper, & Embroidered Boxes
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Silhouette Cutting Machine – Review

 

Happy Monday! This morning, I’m going to review a paper cutting machine, so if this totally isn’t up your alley, feel free to opt out.

Tomorrow, I’ll be going into details on how I made these fabric and paper gift boxes and decorated them with embroidery stitches, and since the machine was a central player in the project, I figure I better show you what it is, first.

Silhouette actually gave me this machine. I’m not obliged to review it, but I think it is fair to review it, and the fact that they gave it to me doesn’t really change my impression of it. Silhouette is also providing another machine for me to give away to one of you – and that will happen later in March, when the give-away will include some other fabric-related items along with the machine. Well, heck. You don’t get that many perks, reading my blog, so you may as well have the opportunity, right?!

Silhouette Cutting Machine
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Framed, in Silk & Gold

 

Here’s a free hand embroidery pattern for you that can really be used for any type of surface embroidery, but I can see it in silk and gold, working it in such a way to give dimension to the piece by bringing the stylized plant forward from the frame, and then sinking the background even farther back from the frame. It’s hard to explain how I see this, without actually showing the piece already worked.

Needless to say, I haven’t worked it – you’d know if I had!

I’ve been sitting on this pattern for a while, planning on doing something with it before putting it up on the site, but since I’m not moving too quickly on my present projects, you may as well have access to the pattern. If you come up with a brilliant idea for it, let me know!

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Framed in Silk and Gold
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15 Minutes Stitching Update: Creeping Along on Miniature Cluny

 

I’ve noticed a Saturday trend here – this seems to be the day that I update my progress on the miniature Cluny tapestry project that I am crawling along on. The 15 Minutes approach works, albeit slowly. And lately, I haven’t had (or haven’t been taking, I’m not sure which!) as many short spurts to devote to this piece.

Miniature Embroidery Cluny Lady & Unicorn Tapestry
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Bullion Knots and Thread Twist

 

The other day, we discussed the direction in which buttonhole stitch is worked, and I demonstrated that the direction you move with your buttonhole stitching can change the look of the buttonhole stitch. Well, the same principle is true with bullion knots. The direction in which you wrap the knot makes a difference in the way the bullion knot looks.

Now, this isn’t to say that wrapping in either direction is wrong; rather, that stitchers should be aware of the difference in direction in which they wrap the knot, and if their bullions are coming out looking different from each other, the difference may very well be due to the direction in which the thread is wrapped around the needle. Keep in mind that sometimes, you want one result or the other in your bullions.

A few photos will demonstrate this.

Direction of thread wrap in making bullion knots
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Tulips & Carnations

 

Here’s a free hand embroidery pattern for you. I mentioned it a while ago, but never published the complete pattern. It comes from a stitched design in the work New Patterns in Old Style by Emilie Bach, which you can find in digital format (PDF) online at Antique Pattern Library.

I think it’s an excellent design that would look great worked small, in silk and gold, or larger in crewel embroidery.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Tulips & Carnations
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Buttonhole Stitch – Direction Makes a Difference

 

Did you know that the direction in which buttonhole stitch is stitched makes a difference in the finished look of the buttonhole stitch? You almost wouldn’t think it would – buttonhole stitch, after all, is buttonhole stitch.

There are two points that come to mind when speaking about stitch direction and buttonhole stitch: The downward stroke of the stitch, and the twisted rope-like edge that forms on the outside edge of the stitch.

Buttonhole Stitch Direction
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Combining Fabric, Paper, and Embroidery. It Took a Long Time.

 

This weekend, with the invaluable aid of some little advisors and half-way helpers, I got back to the project I mentioned last week, when I brought the subject of embroidery as craft, and asked you all if you have other creative pursuits outside of needlework. I think most needleworkers do. Maybe it’s the whole “hobby” thing: people who are prone to have hobbies or to be creative seem to cross over lots of interest areas, don’t they?

This past weekend, I got to dabble in a cross between embroidery and paper craft and… fabric manipulation, in a sense. It was fun (ish), and these are the results:

Fabric and Paper Boxes
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Hungarian Folk Embroidery – a Great Pattern Book!

 

In March, there’s something coming to Needle ‘n Thread that I’m very excited about! Thanks to Mike up in Canada, I’ll be adding a new element to the free embroidery patterns offered here. These new patterns will feature formerly unpublished patterns from a Hungarian lady – a professional embroiderer and artist – with an interesting history. I’m excited to provide them to you for several reasons: 1. I think it’s important to keep alive the interest in folk embroidery from various regions of the world, and Hungary has a very rich tradition of colorful folk (and fine) embroidery; 2. the patterns can be easily adapted to other embroidery styles, such as Schwalm whitework techniques and so forth; and 3. the patterns are just really beautiful!

So as the time creeps closer to presenting those patterns, I want to highlight some books that I have in my collection that feature folk embroidery from different regions. I’ve already touched on one book – Nagyanyáink öröksege – which illustrates the variety of color and styles in Hungarian embroidery.

The book I want to show you today is called Korai Kalocsai Hímzések, or Early Kolocsa Embroideries. It’s essentially a pattern book, excellent for embroiderers looking for patterns to use on tablecloths, household items, and costumes, and the individual motifs would serve well for adapting to all kinds of needlework projects.

Hungarian Embroidery Patterns
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Wool Embroidery: Pomegranate Parts

 

Finally, at long last, the main parts of the pomegranate are embroidered! Keeping in mind that this means I’ve satin stitched only five little strips of color, it’s really not that impressive of an accomplishment. BUT – I think I’ve finally found my groove on this project. (Did I just say groove? My inner nerd is creeping out…)

But it’s true! Do you know what I mean? When you start on a project, and it just doesn’t grab you – you just don’t get into it? But with a little plodding and plugging away, often it clicks. And then the project is suddenly all-consuming. The click has clicked, and I find myself thinking Wool and Pomegranates all day long!

So I was happy to spend a good chunk of time yesterday afternoon getting in these short bits of satin stitch.

Wool Embroidery: Pomegranate Corners Design
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Embroidery as Craft = Fun

 

When embroidery meets craft, the results can be Really Fun!

A recent quandary over time combined with a bit of selfishness almost made me turn away from an upcoming project. I often convince myself that “I don’t have time,” when, in fact, I usually just want to spend my time the way I want to spend my time! But it was a happy circumstance when I said yes, I would come up with some ideas for crafts that would be suitable for youth (not necessarily little children, but rather younger teens) that could be helpful with some fundraising endeavors.

Ok, ok. I got suckered into this! But sometimes, I’m glad I’m a sucker! It’s fun, and the projects that eventually will materialize are fun, too. And since the stars actually aligned correctly to enable me to do more than I intended and produce better results than I imagined, I ended up pretty happy with the initial test session.

Embroidery as Craft
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Back to Thimbles and… uh…. Finger Gloves

 

A month ago today, I wrote about Thimbles. But don’t worry – on the Ides of every month, I don’t plan on writing about thimbles! What I really enjoyed about the post was the reader input on the question of thimbles. There were over 100 comments on that post, and so many of them were good suggestions, good stories, and good information about thimbles and finger protection when stitching. It was so enjoyable reading them!

There is a certain attraction to the thimble, no doubt. Do you suppose the thimble is a kind of “symbol,” in a way? (“Thimble Symbol” – eesh, what a rhyme!) But really, we collect them, we embellish them, we make houses for them – they are precious, and they’ve certainly been a valued tool to generations of needleworkers. Take, for example, the latest issue (and many, many past issues!) of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly. In the latest issue, there are some of the most elaborate thimble holders that I’ve ever seen! What effort people have gone to, to protect and house their thimbles! It’s really amazing!

And that brings me – with some trepidation – to today’s topic: the Finger Glove!

Finger Gloves instead of Thimbles
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Be Linen – a Movie worth Seeing

 

I love linen. It is my favorite fabric, hands down, for needlework. But I love it for other things, too. I love it for clothing, I love it for household goods. (Did I mention that I love linen?!)

And good linen is …. oooooh. Like nothing else for stitching on!

I think it’s good for needleworkers to know about how linen is made, and to know that All Linen is Not Created Equal. Mass-produced linen made from inferior flax and woven for upholstery, for example, is not the same as linen made from superior flax where all the growing conditions are just right for the plant, where all the production is overseen step-by-step by people who know linen, and where this quality linen is woven specifically for needlework.

Be Linen, the Movie
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15-Minute Miniature Stitching Cluny Thingamabob Update

 

This morning, Title Creativity is out the window! After ten minutes of staring at the computer screen hoping an ingenious title for this post would simply emerge from somewhere… “thingamabob” crept in, and I knew it was going to be One of Those Saturdays.

Here’s a quick update on my miniature Cluny piece, which is a kit from MicroStitchery. This past week has been riddled with 15-minute bursts of stitching on the miniature Cluny piece, and overall, the progress isn’t too bad.

Update, 2018: While MicroStitchery is still online, they are no longer honoring orders. I have heard from many folks who have placed orders with them, but have never received the orders and had to apply to PayPal for a refund. I’ve tried to contact Joy, the lady who took over the business, but with no luck. Just a word of caution, for those looking for miniature tapestries.

Miniature Stitching on Cluny tapestry embroidery project
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Counted Thread Bird Border

 

Here’s a remake of a bird border from an old German needlework book, published in the late 1800’s. One of my students came across it in a stack of books I brought into class, and was interested in working it. Unfortunately, the diagram in the book is not really “readable” – it’s small, it’s hand-drawn and it doesn’t photocopy well. So I said I’d play with it to see if I could come up with a cleaner version.

When the pattern was finally finished, I thought the results were worth sharing with you, in case you can find a use for it, too!

Counted Cross Stitch Bird Border
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Wool Embroidery: Padded Satin Stitch on the Pomegranate

 

Progress! It’s slow, but it’s something! Yesterday, I had a bit of time to work on the Pomegranate Corners wool embroidery project, and instead of tackling more leaves, I thought I’d brighten up the chilly day by stitching with some red. I moved on to the pomegranate with eagerness. It’s the only element in the whole project that I knew exactly how I wanted to stitch, before the project was even underway.

The design itself sets the pomegranate up as a rather stripped affair, and I want to keep that striped look. So, starting in the middle and working outwards, every other section will be worked with padded satin stitch.

Wool Embroidery Project: Pomegranate Corners with satin stitch
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Book Review: More William Morris Applique

 

Michele Hill and Country Bumpkin have teamed up again to produce a sequel to Michele’s first William Morris appliqué book: More William Morris Appliqué. Though I’m not a quilter (more from lack of time rather than lack of desire!), I’m a huge Appreciator of Quilts. I love them! And this book has a few things to it that really recommends it to my liking: 1. It’s William Morris-related, with whom I tend to border on obsessed; 2. The subject leans towards a very heavy embroidery influence, and there’s definitely scope for embroidery here; and 3. Wow. There are some Really Beautiful quilting projects in here.

I know that many needleworkers are quilters, too, so I’m going to review More William Morris in Appliqué for those of you who are quilters and might be interested in adding the book to your library, and also for those of you who, like me, like Morris.

More William Morris Applique Book Review
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15 Minute (& more!) Project Update: Micro Stitching on Cluny

 

Just a brief progress report on my current “15 Minute” project, this micro rendition of the Cluny tapestry “Sense of Hearing,” designed by Bobbie Schoonmaker of MicroStitchery.

Update, 2018: While MicroStitchery is still online, they are no longer honoring orders. I have heard from many folks who have placed orders with them, but have never received the orders and had to apply to PayPal for a refund. I’ve tried to contact Joy, the lady who took over the business, but with no luck. Just a word of caution, for those looking for miniature tapestries.

Admittedly, I’ve gotten in a LOT more then just 15 minutes here and there this week – with snow days, sick days and so forth. I didn’t realize how much I actually stitched on this over the past week until I took photos!

Stitching on Silk Gauze: Sense of Hearing Cluny Tapestry
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Threads of Light – A Book Worth Seeing

 

Last week, I had the pleasure of showing you a few samples up close of some gorgeous needlepainting from Su Embroidery. In the comment section of that post, Suzanna beat me to the punch on today’s blog post, which focuses on a book called Threads of Light. If you’re interested in textiles, and especially if you are interested in needlepainting, or the history of textiles in China, or silk embroidery, or the embroidery Suzhou, or photography – or a combination of all of the above – then you may very well find this book right up your alley.

Threads of Light: Book about Suzhou Embroidery
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Following Up on Needles and Emery

 

Yesterday, I broached the subject of caring for embroidery needles and using emery (often found in the little strawberry on the tomato pincushions) to polish and sharpen them. Today, I’d like to follow up on that post, just to answer a few questions, mention a few resources, and perhaps get more input from some emery-using pros out there!

I’m not a pro on the subject of needle care, admittedly. I’ve never looked it up, found much information about it in books, or even talked to other stitchers about it until yesterday. Funny that the subject wouldn’t come up very often, given the fact that, in embroidery, the needle is pretty much the most essential tool!

First off, a timely resource:

Strawberry Emery Kit
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Taking Care of Embroidery Needles

 

Once upon a time, embroidery needles were precious commodities. They were hand made, sometimes made of precious metals, and they cost (relatively speaking) a pretty penny.

Today, needles aren’t so difficult to come by. In the scheme of things, they’re relatively inexpensive. I mean, what other embroidery supply can you buy, that you get 12 of for under $2? Because needles are so readily available, we have a tendency to replace our needles often, rather than caring for them.

But occasionally, you might have a favorite needle that you don’t want to get rid of so quickly, and yet, it needs… something. It’s not as sharp as it once was, it’s got a burr, or something is wrong with it.

And that’s where the strawberry comes in.

Sharpening Embroidery Needles
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A Visual Feast: Needlepainting Up Close: By Hand, With Silk

 

Needlepainting – the art of “painting” with a needle and thread – is one of the most complex forms of hand embroidery. Realistic needlepainting is an art mastered by Chinese embroiderers in Suzhou, China. In this region of China, embroiderers create the most amazing masterpieces by hand using tiny silk threads.

I recently had cause to be in contact with Chunhua Mao, the founder of Su Embroidery Studio, and he graciously sent the photos of some of the needlepainted works at his studio that caught my eye. I asked if I could share them with you. You see, if you’re like me, you will be filled with wonder and delight when you see the detail and beauty of these embroidered pieces. To think that they are worked completely by hand with such accurate and perfect detail! It boggles the mind!

Silk Needlepainting - Hand Embroidery in Silk
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Brazilian Embroidery Inspiration and Addition!

 

Now and then, I get e-mail inquiries about Brazilian Embroidery – either from newcomers who are looking for learning resources for Brazilian Embroidery or from stitchers looking for supplies.

I was glad to receive an e-mail not long ago from Pat Kamperschroer, who is the newsletter editor for the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild (BDEIG). Pat noted that I don’t have Brazilian Embroidery listed under the “Types of Hand Embroidery” section on the website. I suppose it was kind of cheeky of me, but I hinted (or maybe I asked outright!) that if I had some good photos of some Brazilian Embroidery, I could build a permanent page with resources. The last time I did Brazilian Embroidery was about 18 years ago, so I don’t have anything of my own to build a page around. Pat very kindly sent my reply on to some of the others involved in the BDEIG, and thanks to Loretta Holzberger, the treasurer, I now have some samples of Brazilian Embroidery to use to build a permanent page under “Types of Hand Embroidery,” and link it up to some good resources.

Thank you, Pat and Loretta!

Today, I’d like to show off some photos of Loretta’s Brazilian Embroidery and talk a little bit about this type of embroidery. And then later in the week, I’ll build that permanent page and do some linking up!

Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery by Loretta Holzberger
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Pomegranate Corners: The Stitching Begins

 

After finally getting Pomegranate Corners framed up and ready, it was time to start stitching. The thread selection for this wool embroidery project has already been discussed, but I’ll make a few clarifications here, for those who wish to follow along.

Now, one thing I should probably mention is that this project will develop a lot like the Crewel Rooster project developed last year. I’m showing it to you “raw” as I go. For new visitors to Needle ‘n Thread, this means that I will make mistakes and change my mind and pick things out and change them and try again – and maybe even again – until I get what I want out of the thread and the stitches. When I show this kind of embroidery project development on the website, you get stuck with the whole darned process! So it won’t be like receiving a kit with perfect instructions in it – instructions that have already gone through the process, have been tested and found successful!

So that’s my disclaimer. It’s sort of like “covering my six,” as my dad-the-pilot would say…. or basically just offering a really lame excuse for showing you my mistakes!

Wool Embroidery Project: Stitching on Pomegranate Corners
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Pomegranate Corners Wool Embroidery: Framing Up

 

This past weekend proved to be good and bad. Good, because I was able to devote quite a bit of time to the Pomegranate Corners wool embroidery project. Bad, because everything seemed to go wrong with the project from the outset!

I’m going to show you all the ways I went wrong, starting today with the framing up of the project. Now, despite the “negativity” that you might think accompanies this post, in fact, overall, it was a positive experience. When everything goes wrong, it’s hard to see how the experience can be positive, eh? But really – it was a positive and productive weekend, because once I got going and making all kinds of mistakes, the fire was lit! I was into the project, and determined to make headway.

Pomegranate Corners Wool Embroidery Project: Framing the Embroidery Project
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Book Review: RSN Essential Stitch Guide for Blackwork

 

Like the RSN Essential Stitch Guide for Crewelwork that I reviewed the other day, the one for blackwork is a definite must-have resource for your needlework library – even if blackwork isn’t your thing, but especially if you have an interest in it. Let me explain…

Blackwork is only sometimes my thing. There are many aspects of blackwork that I like, and I’m drawn towards certain techniques that employ elements of blackwork. I love border patterns that include blackwork, for example, and that are worked in Holbein stitch. When considered a strictly counted, linear technique, however, it doesn’t really appeal to me too much: medallions or other geometric shapes (mandalas that repeat, and gridded stars and squares and circles and so forth) that are strictly counted Holbein stitch or backstitch – as lacy and pretty as they might be – aren’t really up my stitching alley. Though I suppose, like everyone else, I do go through phases where I can see how they could be appealing!

But blackwork can be something different from this linear approach – i.e. “pictures” achieved by patterned stitching with a gradation of shading, and often employing embroidered outlines. This, I find appealing. There’s something about achieving a shaded effect by gradually changing a pattern or by gradually changing thread weights within a pattern that I think is interesting and challenging… and beautiful. I also like the variety of filling patterns that are often employed in blackwork. Filling patterns interest me – whether they are counted or not.

So the blackwork embroidery that is primarily covered in this RSN stitch guide is not necessarily the same type of charted blackwork that we see often today. Certainly, elements of this type of blackwork “fit” within the frame of what the book is all about, but in fact, the RSN stitch guide concentrates more on that latter type of blackwork – a challenging form of blackwork that is more akin to surface embroidery than it is to counted cross stitch.

Book Review: RSN Essential Stitch Guide for Blackwork
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Now You See It, Now You Don’t. Now You See It.

 

There are several reasons why water-soluble, air-soluble, and “erasable” transfer pens for tracing embroidery designs make me a bit nervous. One reason is that the pens are made of a chemical substance that, in the long run, may affect fabric and threads. I tend to think that anything too chemical-ish is not the best choice to use on a fabric. Another reason is because I don’t trust them on two points: 1. I have witnessed a discoloration of fabric / threads from them; and 2. I have witnessed them re-appear as magically as they disappear.

That being said, on cotton fabric with colored cotton thread (for example, household projects like flour sack towels or pillowcases), I have used them to good effect, without any problems.

I recently procured an “erasable” water-soluble transfer pen, and I thought I’d give it a try. I was really curious about this “erasable” part! Was it a gimmick? I was also curious about how fine a line the pen would draw. Fine lines, even with marks that will wash away, are important to me in a transfer – the finer the line, the more accurately the line can be followed while stitching.

Water-Soluble and Erasable Transfer Pen for Embroidery Designs
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Book Review: RSN Essential Stitch Guide for Crewelwork

 


The Royal School of Needlework has begun publishing a series of “essential stitch guides” for various needlework techniques. The first two to come out in the series are on crewelwork and blackwork, and it looks as if two more will not be long in coming.

The title of the series indicates exactly what the books are: guides to the essential stitches used in the given technique. Keep in mind that they are not project books – you won’t find any practice projects in them, or anything of that nature. Rather, you’ll find the essential information for getting started (and progressing) in the needlework technique.

Royal School of Needlework Essential Stitch Guide for Crewelwork
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Jumble Project: Chain Stitch Swirls in Spun Silk

 

Last week, I showed you a “sneak peek” of the Jacobean Jumble embroidery project that I’m working on. I’ve taken a couple little turns in this project (in a number of ways), and am adjusting things as I go. Today, I thought I’d show you one turn in particular – a chain stitch swirl, worked in Soie d’Alger, which is a spun silk that’s used pretty much the same way you’d use stranded cotton.

Only it’s silk. And so it’s softly shiny, as only silk can be!

Jacobean Jumble embroidery project: chain stitch swirl worked in silk
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Spool Needlearts Quarterly – Winter Issue, 2011

 

On chilly winter days, there’s nothing better than coming home from work for a lunch, picking up the mail, and finding a needlework magazine just waiting for exploration. A great way to spend a lunch hour – inside, warm, with a cup of tea and something interesting to browse through. That’s how I spent my lunch hour the other day – browsing through the Winter Issue of Spool, a quarterly needlearts magazine.

Last July, De Selby announced the premier of her new needlework magazine called Spool, and since then, two issues have hit the press and arrived in the mailbox. With the first issue, there was a flutter of reviews on various needlework blogs, so I thought I’d hold off a review until the second issue. And I’m glad I did! The second issue is a lot of fun – take a look!

Spool Magazine
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Another Needlework Tool: One I LOVE and Wouldn’t Be Without

 

Well, after yesterday’s post about Thimbles, it’s hard to follow up on anything that could generate as much input! I really, really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. If you haven’t read them yet, do take some time to – you’ll hear all about thimbles in the lives of needleworkers, why they’re liked, why they aren’t, substitutes for thimbles, special memories and stories of thimbles, and so forth! Fun stuff to read! Thank you!

One more little tool post for the week – back to the subject of scissors – and then I’ll leave off tools for a bit.

Maybe… I can’t believe it, but I did buy another little tool just yesterday, when I had to zip into the city after classes, and managed a quick stop at the LNS for some DMC.

Hm. Imagine: You’re walking down the street, collar up against the wind, darkness coming on, and you pause to ask passers-by: “Can you point me to the closest LNS? I need some DMC.” Methinks you’d be suspect to Shady Things.

Anyway – that new tool aside, here’s the thing: I love my good scissors. My absolute favorite scissors. They’re sharp, they’re thin-bladed, they’re reliable. They’re just great. But there’s another pair of scissors I wouldn’t be without, and after several months of using them, I consider them essential for my workbox.

Curved Embroidery Scissors
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Open Thimbles Saves Fingers!

 

Who woulda thunk it? I am using a thimble! I have never used a thimble for embroidery in my life – except once, in a trial-and-error-this-thing-is-ridiculous situation.

I’ve always found thimbles awkward and clunky when I’m trying to embroider. My grandmother used to use one, and I suppose that it’s just a matter of getting used to the things before they become second nature. But I’ve never gotten used to them, and I’ve never had much use for them, when I’m doing embroidery. (Hand-sewing is a different story, for a different day.)

Lately, while working with a tiny needle (it’s always the tiny needles that get you!), I developed what seemed to be a permanent hole in the side of my first finger where I habitually push on the eye of the needle as it enters the fabric. In the past, I’ve dealt with this little sink hole (which the needle invariably locates and enters without compunction!) with a dab of superglue. See, my Dad has always sworn by superglue for these types of things. Superglue, in my house, cures all kinds of skin cuts – from chapped and splitting winter skin to paper cuts… to needle holes. Think “Big Fat Greek Wedding” and Windex, only for us, it’s superglue. But it’s not the best thing to put on skin, and it takes forever for the skin to soften up after it’s been superglued.

When hand quilting, I’ve used leather thimbles and they work ok for me. And they aren’t that great when working with finer silk embroidery threads, as the threads tend to catch on them.

Open Thimble for Embroidering
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Goldwork Embroidery Scissors: Slightly Different, but… ?

 

This week, I want to highlight some needlework tools that I’ve purchased in the last few months or so. Curiosity and a certain “need” usually compel me to purchase needlework tools. Normally, when I buy a new needlework tool, I have a problem I’ve come across that I’m hoping a certain tool will help solve. Sometimes (I admit it!!!), I buy a tool just out curiosity, to see if it really does make a difference.

This pair of goldwork scissors was purchased to satisfy the latter excuse: I was curious. Here are scissors that are specifically manufactured for goldwork. What would they be like? Would they make that much of a difference in cutting real metal threads? Are they a necessary tool for goldwork?

Goldwork Embroidery Scissors
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Goldwork Thread Tray & How To Make One

 

Various metal threads for goldwork are cut into pieces and sewn onto the ground fabric like beads. For example, bullions and purls (check, smooth, and rough) are applied in this fashion. The pieces are often cut in advance, and then sewn on as you go. You can see a good example of this when I started applying the chip work the goldwork pomegranate I embroidered last year. I usually work on a velveteen or velvet mat, and I’ll usually put the mat inside whatever basket or tool box or any other thing with sides on it that’s at hand, so that I can pick up the mat with the cut pieces on it, and hold it next to my work surface.

But you know, the idea of having something a little more permanent – especially something that closes and keeps the already-cut gold threads secure – has preyed on my mind off and on. I decided to concoct my own goldwork tray, one that was small enough to be comfortably holdable, and that could close for storage when putting a project away.

Goldwork Metal Thread Cutting and Storage Tray Tutorial
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Jacobean Jumble: Sneak Peek

 

Here’s a sneak peek at my current embroidery project! This from the beginning of the sample project. I’m working on a test piece, and when an element works out the way I want it to, I move over to the actual project, embroidering the element anew, with confidence that it’s exactly what I want… not just guesswork. This process makes for slow going towards any kind of definite finish, but it gives me a chance to work out several thread scenarios and make the threads do what I want them to do.

Jacobean Jumble: Silk Embroidery Threads
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Design Resource: Italian Renaissance Textile Designs

 

While digging through my bookshelves lately, trying to arrange books by “type,” I realized that one of my favorite types of needlework books are not necessarily needlework books at all. They are what I call “resource” books, usually dealing with design ideas. I’ve have quite a few of these types of books – books that struck me as useful sources of inspiration for embroidery designs.

Some of these books are not directly “design” books; they contain elements that can be converted into embroidery designs, or that inspire color combinations, or texture combinations and so forth – all useful stuff that can be interpreted or converted into elements in embroidery. And some of these books have designs that can be copied directly from the books and used in personal needlework projects. If the books are still under copyright, of course, the designs can’t be reproduced or sold, but they still make great designs for personal projects.

In the latter category falls the book Italian Renaissance Textile Designs by Dolores Andrew. This is a book that contains line drawings and interesting patterns that can be used directly as embroidery designs on their own, or as elements of larger embroidery projects.

Italian Renaissance Textile Design
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Pomegranate Corners

 

How about a free hand embroidery pattern for today? This is a variation on a design – meant for cutwork or Battenburg lace – from an old Herrschner’s catalog. I have a collection of four of these old catalogs – one from the early 1920’s, one from the early 1940’s, a “supplement” from the 1940’s, and the better-known edition from 1907, which is also available online at Antique Pattern Library.

These catalogs are gems. Much like the Thomas Brown & Son catalog from the turn of last century which features embroidery patterns for ecclesiastical needlework, the catalogs have small line drawings that provide a wealth of inspiration from the past for embroidery in the present.

Take, for example, this design:

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Pomegranate Corners
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Give-Away Winner!

 

Wow! Lots of good response on last week’s give-away question: what’s your favorite needlework accessory or tool, or what type of needlework accessory or tool would you like to have… and why? (Don’t you just love the “Why” question? It’s a teacher-thing!)

The most popular answer was probably scissors, and after that, a good craft light, then embroidery hoops or frames or stands, then needlebooks and similar “etui” type items, and thread organization items. I loved reading everyone’s answers as they come in. I loved hearing especially about those items that were given as gifts or handed down from a mom or a grandmother – things that we really couldn’t buy replacements for. Or, those items that we’ve used for so long, that they’ve become comfortable and familiar, like having a good friend around.

Thanks, everyone, for participating in the New Year’s Give-Away! It was fun! There were over 525 responses (a few were accidental duplicates and so forth, so they’ve been weeded out), and I’d love to be able to send out 525 little New Year’s packages, but instead, I had to pick just one winner, who gets this collection of needlework accessories…

Hand Embroidery Accessories
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Stem Stitch Updates!

 

What better way to start the New Year, than by cleaning up something I’ve been wanting to clean up for a while! I’ve updated the stem stitch video tutorial in my collection of How-To Videos here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Now, why the eagerness to update this video? To put it frankly, because I just love the stem stitch! And the previous video, though a lot shorter and probably a lot easier to watch, didn’t do the stem stitch justice. It also didn’t instruct on some of the finer points of getting stem stitch right.

Stem Stitch
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Myth Busting: My Needlework Space

 

Happy Last Day of 2010! May it pass in peace.

Today, I’d like to dispel a myth. When we were talking about keeping a Thread Log the other day, and I was mentioning keeping a notebook with thread lists and project details in it, I noticed in the comments that there was some underlying notion that I am … well. An Organized Person.

And as much as I’d like to say, “Certainly, I’m organized,” as if it were the most natural thing in the world for me to be organized, the fact of the matter is, I’m not. I’m not as organized as I would like to be, nor as organized as I should be. When it comes down to it, I’m disorganized. And right now, I’m Utterly and Completely Disorganized!

I’ll show you what I mean….

Needlework Work Room Organization
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End of the Year Give-Away: Embroidery Kit and Needlework Accessories

 

With 2010 slipping away in a couple days, I thought it a good time to have one final give-away for the year – and to liven it up a bit, I’ve added a few little dandy things. Of course, there’s an embroidery kit (I promised I’d give away another Trish Burr kit last time I gave one away!), and to top it off, I’ve added a few little needlework accessories to the package:

Needlework Accessories
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Keeping a Thread Log

 

“Thread Log” is a strange name. But that’s what I call it. And it seems to work.

Whenever I receive an order of embroidery threads for specific large embroidery projects, I log them in a project notebook. In fact, I log everything I can about the project in the notebook. I started doing this when I was working on this church embroidery project, and I found it’s a very useful when I want to remember specifics about a particular embroidery project.

Most of all, the notebook ends up being a Thread Log, because that’s the majority of information that I note – the thread and how and where I used it, or the thread, and how I didn’t use it. I also include information on time involved and on quantities.

Embroidery Thread Log
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A Glance at Silk Embroidery Threads

 

Today I wanted to show you in up-close, personal detail, the new palette of threads for my next embroidery project, which I am itching to start stitching on! Unfortunately, right in the midst of their photo session, a little emergency creeped up, preventing me from getting a good range of quality shots. For now, I’ll just give you the overview and tell you where I’m headed. We’ll look a bit closer later!

Silk Hand Embroidery Thread
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Transfer-Eze Finish

 

Thank you all so much for your Christmas wishes, for the greeting cards, the comments on my Merry Christmas post, and the influx of so much very nice e-mail, which I’m trying to answer! You certainly made my Christmas even cheerier! I hope yours was merry and bright!

After the brief holiday hiatus, it’s time for me to move forward on several embroidery-related endeavors that I hope you’ll enjoy! This week, for me, will be dedicated pretty much to needlework and blog work. What could be better? I’m so excited!

First, though, let’s finish up that Transfer-Eze experiment!

Last week, I showed you the beginning of a little embroidery project, using Transfer-Eze, an adhesive water-soluble, printable stabilizer sold for hand embroidery. This is the finish of that project, with the clean-up and some reflections on using Transfer-Eze.

Transferring Embroidery Design using Transfer-Eze Continue reading “Transfer-Eze Finish”

Playing Around with Transfer-Eze

 

The question of transferring hand embroidery designs to fabric is a mighty one. I’ve discussed it quite a bit here on Needle ‘n Thread, because it is the Most Frequently Asked Embroidery Question from beginners.

And gosh, let’s face it. We’re all looking for the dream method of design transfer – that perfect way to get the design precisely and as painlessly as possible onto the fabric, in such a way that it is invisible on the finished product, but easy to see – in all its detail – while the project is being stitched. This dream method, by the way, doesn’t exist absolutely – there are a variety of methods for transferring patterns, and which one you choose often depends upon the type of embroidery project you’re working.

That being said, my curiosity was piqued by this stuff called Transfer-eze. Lately, there’s been some buzz about this new product, which is supposed to make all the anguish over transferring designs to fabric magically disappear. It is, in effect, an adhesive water-soluble, printable stabilizer. I thought it essential to procure some of the stuff with the eventual intention of trying it out, so when Wooly Thread announced that they carry it, I bought some so that I could try it out and tell you about it.

Transfer-eze for transferring hand embroidery patterns to fabric
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Hand Embroidery Pattern: Boughs of Holly

 

Deck the halls – and anything else that you want to embroider – with these boughs of holly. This time of year, I always try to embroider at least one Little Something that’s Christmassy. If nothing else, a new bread cloth for the Christmas table is always welcome. But this year, I’ve been a bum, and I haven’t managed it.

This is the holly corner I wanted to stitch up. And there’s still a little nagging voice in my head saying that I could do it in time for Christmas – if I started right now. A few evenings of stitching is all it would take, after all. C’mon, Mary, what’s the big deal? You can do it!

Silly voice. I have a feeling it’s going to win.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Boughs of Holly
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Christmas Cheer Give-Away Winner!

 

Wow! Thanks for all your response on the Christmas Cheer Needlework Book Give-Away from this past weekend! Normally, my give-aways aren’t over such a short span of time, but despite being up only a couple days, there were over 500 responses, which is pretty good! I was afraid everyone would be busy this weekend – you know, baking, shopping, stitching madly to finish up Christmas gifts….! – and that the response would be minimal. I’m so glad it wasn’t the case!

I’ll give you a hint about the winner:

Embroidery Stitch Bible
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Stitch a Snail – and Help Preserve Needlework!

 

Let’s pause a bit and think about doing needlework for a cause. I mean, what could be better? Doing what you love, and helping a good cause at the same time? Well, Tricia’s new project introduced over on Thistle Threads is just that sort of project!

Not only do you get the opportunity to do a little stitching, but you get to help out with a worthy cause. Oh, and did I mention, the object of your stitching would be a darling blue snail? So… stitching… stitching a blue snail…. and helping a cause! Yep, this is right up my alley!

Stitch a Snail
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Christmas Cheer Give-Away! a Needlework Book!

 

Since I can’t give you ALL a Christmas present this year, I figured I could at least offer the chance at winning a needlework book and maybe even receiving it on time to put it under your tree!

So today, I want to offer you a book for Christmas, and to make it a more specifically “for you” sort of gift, I’m going to let you pick the book! Are you ready?!

Needlework Book Give-away
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Needlework Books as Holiday Gifts

 

If you’re looking for holiday gifts for your needlework buddies, how about a new book to add to their collection? This isn’t actually a novel idea. My inbox is inundated with questions about holiday gifts for stitchers this time of year – where to find unique needlework-related gifts, book recommendations, shop recommendations, and so forth.

Invariably, I fall back on books as gifts, probably because I’m a book freak, and that would be my preference.

So, if you’re floundering about, wondering what to get a stitching buddy, or if you’re planning on buying your own gift and wrapping it and putting it under the tree and feigning surprise on Christmas morning, I thought I’d give you a list of twelve needlework books that are popular on Needle ‘n Thread. Just for ideas….

Beginner's Guide to Crewel Embroidery
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Proserpina: Choosing Linen and Transfer Method

 

This past weekend, my goal was to get Proserpina onto fabric so that I could test various embroidery threads and colors, to narrow down some choices.

The first consideration with this embroidery design was fabric choice. Working with Access Commodities, I considered various possible linens as a ground fabric for Proserpina. There are two choices of fabric I’m debating on now – narrowed down from about six.

Transferring Embroidery Design on Linen
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Make your Own Light Table for Tracing Embroidery Patterns

 

When I lived in a dormitory in college, I was desperate for a light table for tracing embroidery designs. But light tables were way beyond my means. But I had a friend! And he had some left over plexiglass! So he gave me a large sheet of it. It was 1/4″ thick, very stiff, not quite as brittle (or breakable!) as glass, and a whole lot lighter. I put my desk lamp under it, and used the make-shift plexiglass table as my light box. It was GREAT. It was big – about 36″ x 40″ – and it was free. I ended up using it practically permanently as an extension to my desk, even though it meant there wasn’t a whole lot of room left in the room!

I’ve been venturing into some new embroidery projects which I already briefly introduced to you a while ago. The project I’m concentrating on first (“Proserpina”) is about 12″ long, which necessitates either moving the design around on my minuscule plastic light box (which is actually a kid’s tracing box from a local craft store), or finding some other solution to transferring the design. I was a bit frustrated at first…. but then….. wistfully recalling the spent days of my youth, and waxing melancholic over the joys of living in a cramped dorm room, I bethought myself of plexiglass.

Light Table to Trace Embroidery Patterns
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Mind Your Own Beeswax… er, for Needlework

 

My sisters and I said that a lot as kids. I guess we thought that “mind your own business” was a bad thing to say… or maybe we thought “mind your own beeswax” was a funny thing to say (We were probably a bit nerdy in that regard.) In any case, it isn’t the most polite thing in the world to say!

I really don’t mean mind your own beeswax. In fact, what I mean is find your own beeswax. Beeswax is an essential ingredient for goldwork embroidery. It’s used to coat the stitching threads that hold the real metal onto the fabric. It helps protect the stitching thread from abrasion. To use beeswax for goldwork, run the stitching thread two or three times through your cake of wax, and then run it slowly through your fingers to smooth out any bumps of wax and kind of “melt” the beeswax onto the thread.

Beeswax is used for other needlework adventures, too. Hand quilters, for example, will often use it to stiffen sewing threads, to smooth them, and to prevent tangling. So it’s not just essential for goldwork – it’s also nice to have on hand in your needlework supplies for other needlework pursuits.

But there’s beeswax for embroidery, and then there’s Beeswax for embroidery. I don’t like the kind of beeswax that flakes all over the place. Even after running the thread through your fingers, inferior beeswax products tends to “peel” and flake off your thread as you stitch, leaving residue behind. No, no. It won’t do! For example, that pale yellow round of “beeswax” that comes in a clear plastic, slotted disk and is widely available in the notions section in sewing stores? There’s just something not right about it. It’s flaky. It’s pale. And did I mention that it’s flaky?

So instead of turning to your sewing notions aisle, where else can you find beeswax for your needlework?

Beeswax for Hand Embroidery
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Bayeux Tapestry Embroidery Kit! What a Find!

 

Christmas came early for me this year – in the form of an embroidery kit! My First Bambina was visiting thrift stores when she came across an incredible find – for a dollar!! (This never happens to me!)

Being the generous soul that she is, she thought of me and picked the thing up, and mailed it to me! Thanks, Bambina!! And I just had to show it to you, because it’s one of those finds that, had I found it, I would’ve been showing it off to everyone, and rambling on about it for days!

Embroidery Kit Bayeux Tapestry
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A Tale of Two Embroidered Mitres

 

Ecclesiastical embroidery always fascinates me! One of my favorite aspects to consider when contemplating different ecclesiastical embroidery pieces is the question of origin. I like to think about – and maybe try to find out about (if possible) – the origins of the piece, the origin of the designs and patterns used, and so forth. I also like to compare and contrast different pieces, especially those from different places. I’m always excited to find similarities between pieces, such as the similarities between these two embroidered faces of Christ, one from a museum in California and the other from a museum in Missouri.

Along those lines, I thought I’d show you pictures of two embroidered mitres that are very similar. I took a bit of liberty with the photos, and, playing around in Photoshop, I put them together so that you can see how similar they really are.

Hand Embroidered Bishop's Mitre
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Considering the EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America)

 

Living in rural Kansas, I don’t have the advantage of being associated with a particular embroidery guild in my area. However, I’m still a member of the EGA – the Embroiderers’ Guild of America – and though I’ve never attended a guild meeting or been to an EGA event, I am glad I’m a member. If you take your needlework seriously and you think it’s a life-long passion that you’ll keep pursuing, you might consider becoming a member, too.

Because I’m not near a local chapter of the EGA, I’m what they call a “Member at Large” – just kind of floating out there, but still in tune with what’s going at with the EGA, and still able to participate in their extensive correspondence courses if I wanted to, attend their functions, take advantage of their online “members area” resources on the EGA website, and receive their publications. One day, I even came across an unexpected advantage to being a member – I was visiting a couple different needlework shops while on vacation a few years ago, and found out that both shops offered a 10% discount to EGA members. (Hey, it was a happy surprise!)

So membership has its advantages! But today, I wanted to show you another advantage, and that’s the EGA’s regular quarterly publication, NeedleArts Magazine.

Embroiderers' Guild of American - NeedleArts Magazine
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Hungarian Embroidery

 

Recently, thanks to reader Mike up in Canada, I’ve had the opportunity to look into Hungarian embroidery. I love regional embroidery techniques, especially the types that reflect the social heritage of a nation. I don’t know a lot about Hungarian embroidery – I’m just beginning to learn a little bit about it. Before my interest in it was recently awakened, what I knew about traditional embroidery from Hungary was pretty vague: that it is colorful, that it sometimes involves cross stitch and sometimes involves cutwork or lace, and that it is often employed (quite exuberantly!) in the national costumes of Hungary.

Any time I begin a new journey into learning about a type of needlework, I start with searching online for resources and searching for books. One of the most helpful websites I came across in my preliminary search into Hungarian folk art and Hungarian embroidery was Folkology. It was here that I found titles of various books in Hungarian on Hungarian embroidery, with brief reviews of the books’ contents. Though the books are no longer available on Folkology, I was able to do some searching and land a few through used books sources. The first one that arrived is called Nagyanyáink öröksege, or “Legacy of our Grandmothers.”

Hungarian Embroidery
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Needlework and Hand Embroidery around the Traps

 

Well, it’s Saturday, and a good day to look around online for some hand embroidery and needlework resources. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your needlework, or you’re trying to track down a fun hand embroidery kit, or you’re looking for embroidery threads, supplies, or gifts for the needleworker in your life, you’ve got to admit – there’s a lot to find online! And for those of us who don’t have a local needlework shop around, the internet is a handy tool.

So if you’d like to browse through some needlework places I’ve visited online lately, sit back and join me! Maybe these spots can inspire you, help you find embroidery supplies you’re looking for, or just give you a break from (or a reason to put off) your Saturday chores!

Let’s start with Needlework Inspiration, shall we?

Hand Embroidery Inspiration: Needle Painting
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Embroidery Linen: Puritan Gray from Legacy

 

Have you ever tried to characterize yourself by color? Me, neither. But if I did, gray wouldn’t exactly come to mind. Reds would. Blues might. But gray? Not really. Granted, it isn’t really a “color” proper – it’s just a shade – but normally, I’m not too attracted to grayness.

However, the first time I smacked eyes on Legacy’s “Puritan Gray” linen for hand embroidery, I new I had to use it for something. I liked it. I liked the putty grayness of it, and I really liked the way it felt.

In my head, “contrast” was bubbling up. The idea of contrast, that is – whites on gray, blues on gray, maybe flaming reds on gray. I didn’t know yet, but I did have, floating around in my head, the notion that whatever is stitched on the gray (as long as it’s not more gray) would somehow jump out in contrast to the gray. I’m not sure if this makes sense, but it’s something I’m dabbling with.

Puritan Gray Linen for hand embroidery by Legacy Linen
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Needle Arts Class: Color Control

 

Variegated embroidery floss. It had to happen.

When I began teaching my Needle Arts class this year to high school students, my intention was originally to keep the embroidery floss selection pretty simple. Since the goal for the first semester was to work a spot sampler with a variety of stitches, I planned on giving the students a rather narrow selection of floss – all regular stranded DMC cotton – in a particular range of colors and shades.

Well, I figured out right away that the color limitation wasn’t going to work. The students had their own ideas about color – what they like, what they don’t like – and I suppose if I had left my floss box at home, we would all have the same color schemes developing on our samplers, despite their likes and dislikes.

I’m glad I took the box in. It’s fun to see the variety of colors the students chose for their own samplers. But hidden in the floss box, unbeknownst to me, were quite a few skeins of variegated embroidery floss. Today, I’ll show you how we dealt with variegated floss, and other ways we discussed controlling color.

Needle Arts Class Hand Embroidery Samplers
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Trish Burr Embroidery Kit Winner!

 

Well, here it is. The winner of the Trish Burr Embroidery kit give-away! I really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments as they came in. So many embroidery techniques out there, and so many of us wanting to do them all!

I chose the winner using a random number generator, just so you know. It would be waaaaay too difficult to select among comments, but I love reading the comments and they are quite useful to me, too. Besides being entertaining and interesting, they help me get ideas for future work here on Needle ‘n Thread. Thanks for that!

Ok – on to the winner!

Trish Burr Needlepainting Kit
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Help Send Needlework to Space!

 

Here’s a neat little hand embroidery story – a combination of one woman’s love of hand embroidery and her life-long interest in all things space related.

Being the embroidery-obssessed person that I am, I think it would be a great step for mankind, to send a piece of hand embroidery out into space. And Rachel of Average Jane Crafter is trying to do just that. She embroidered this highly textured image of the moon, and it’s presently part of a contest sponsored by NASA and Etsy, in which the winning entry may go to the moon on one of the final space shuttle flights.

Hand Embroidery of Moon's Surface
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Hand Embroidery Pattern: Another Stylized Pomegranate Design

 

Here we go again, with another free hand embroidery pattern, the creative naming of which fails me. The design is definitely a stylized pomegranate, though you’d find it hard to believe so by looking at it. It doesn’t look too pomegranate-ish. But, let me show you the design and tell you a bit about the symbolism.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Stylized Pomegranate
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Give-Away! Trish Burr Needlepainting Embroidery Kit!

 

Good morning, all! Today, because it’s Saturday, because it’s a gorgeous day out, because I’m behind the 8-ball as usual (hence, the post is late!), and because I think you all deserve a little needlepainting in your Needlework Lives – I’m giving away a Trish Burr Needlepainting Embroidery Kit!!!

The kit is compliments of Trish Burr (thank you, Trish!), and it’s suitable for beginner to intermediate levels.

Trish Burr Needlepainting Embroidery Kit
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From Button to Needle Minder

 

When I purchased this Singing Frog button a while back, the idea of a needle minder seemed like a good use for the fellow. I don’t always follow through with my original ideas for any Spontaneously Bought Thing, but I had a tube of glue out the other day, and I had some blank magnets on hand, and it just seemed like a natural thing to do, to make the button into a needle minder.

It isn’t precisely perfect, as far as needle minders go, but I don’t suppose there’s any Absolutes when it comes to these types of things. And, anyway, it works. And I like it. Must it measure up to any other criteria?

So today, I thought I’d show you how to make a needle minder out of a button. It’s Really Simple, and this is really a casual tutorial. I’m sure there are hundreds of better ways to go about the process, but this is what I did….

Making a Needle Minder out of a Button
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Goldwork Ribbon – A Pretty Find

 

It is true. I’m a sucker for goldwork. And while I love to do it myself, I also like to find other textiles embellished in goldwork. When very fine goldwork is involved, most textiles embellished with it are beyond my pocketbook, but when I come across a small piece hither and yon, I am just twitterpated enough with goldwork to pocket it. Or, in this case, to buy it.

This past weekend, I was hanging around Kansas City waiting for a flight to arrive, and, as usual, I couldn’t resist I stopping in at Florilegium (in Parkville), which happens to be the same shop where I picked up the Frog Concert button a while ago. And while there, I noticed, up high on a shelf, a couple spools of ribbon spilling over the edge. They were gauzy, and embellished with goldwork, beads, and sequins.

And, as usual when I go into this shop (which I am determined to avoid for the next year because this happens every time I go there!), I’m sure it was whispering to me from on high!

Goldwork Ribbon
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Braid Stitch Video Tutorial – aka Cable Plait Stitch

 

Here’s a video tutorial for the Braid Stitch, which is also known as the Cable Plait Stitch. I used the stitch recently in the felt and floche piece I was stitching, and received a heap of questions about it – more so, I think, than any stitch I’ve ever shown here on Needle ‘n Thread! The pink line in the photo below is the braid stitch:

Braid Stitch Video Tutorial, aka Cable Plait Stitch
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Rouge du Rhin Embroidery Kit – Quick Christmas Stitching!

 

Did you plan on stitching some gifts for Christmas this year, and do you find yourself running out of time? Well, Rouge du Rhin has a solution, in their embroider-what-you-want kits. Sounds a bit bizarre, I know, but let me show you what I mean! I think this is kind of a neat idea for making a personalized embroidered gift that’s already half-way there.

Rouge du Rhine embroidery kits
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The Dublin Craftlite Magnifier-Light Combo: Review

 

Yesterday, I mentioned that new phase of life, wherein eyesight just isn’t what it used to be! And this can really affect the pleasure we get out of doing our needlework. Having reluctantly entered this phase of life, I recently purchased a Craftlite “Dublin” magnifier-light combination, so I thought I’d give you an in-depth review of it.

Craftlite Dublin Magnifier-Light for Needlework
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Felt & Floche – Embroidery to Nowhere

 

It’s true. All the things I Should Be Doing as far as embroidery is concerned, I’m Not Doing. Not a rebellious streak here, not negligence, not lack of motivation. Just the simple, everyday problem of priorities! Work is keeping me busy. And it’s a busy time of year! So if I get to any “real” needlework at all the in the next week, I’ll be doggone surprised.

But in the meantime, the Felt & Floche Embroidered Chaos I started a couple weeks ago has served a really good purpose. Because it’s uncomplicated, because it involves only a needle, a little bag of random thread (in this case, a hodge-podge of loose floche in a ziplock), and a piece of felt – no hoops, no tools, no frame, no stand, no pattern, no instructions, no books, nothing beyond the basics – I can leave it out and grab it in an instant. It is “simplified” needlework. And this type of year, methinks it is good to simplify.

Embroidered Wool Felt with Floche
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Hand Embroidery Pattern: Quatrefoiled Rose

 

Lately, I’ve been sharing with you some treasures from old ecclesiastical embroidery, cleaned up into patterns and print-ready. Today’s hand embroidery pattern is another such piece, with lots of possibilities for embroidery, whether secular or ecclesiastical.

I suppose one reason I’m sharing the patterns – besides wanting you to enjoy them, too – is because I’ve had such little time to embroider lately, and I’m hoping Someone Out There is having more luck putting needle and thread to fabric and producing something! Since I can’t seem to do all the things I’d like to be able to do right now, maybe someone else can!

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Quatrefoiled Rose
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Crested Chain Stitch Video Tutorial

 

The crested chain stitch! It’s pretty, it’s fairly simple, and it’s a neat little stitch to add to your repertoire!

What I like best about this stitch is that it can be made large or small, with just about any thread, on any fabric, and the look can be varied quite a bit, depending on how you work the stitch. You can use a heavier thread and increase the height of the stitch between the chain stitch and the top knot, and come up with something completely different looking when compared to the stitch worked small and compact with a finer thread. My favorite look of the stitch, though, is a bit more compact, used as an edge or border stitch.

Crested Chain Stitch Video Tutorial
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On Singing Frogs & Embellishments

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve written about needlework-related embellishments here on Needle ‘n Thread, and it’s been even longer since I’ve written about singing frogs.

The subject of Singing Frogs hasn’t come up too often in my life, actually, but when I came across this button in a little specialty shop one day, I succumbed to ISS – Impulse Shopper Syndrome – and I bought the darned thing! I thought I’d show it to you and share my needlework-related plan for it.

Singing Frog Button
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Twisted Chain Stitch Video Tutorial

 

The twisted chain stitch is a decorative line stitch that’s great for curves, straight lines, seam treatments in crazy quilting, or stems and branches in all kinds of surface embroidery (think: crewel work). Depending on how far you enter the fabric from the line you’re following, the “barb” on the twisted chain stitch will either be very noticeable (if you take your needle into the fabric far above or below your line) or hardly noticeable at all (if you work close to your line).

Twisted Chain Stitch Video Tutorial
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Spontaneous Hand Embroidery, Spontaneous Musing

 

Remember that felt and floche embroidery project I started the other day? It’s the only project I’ve ever named that actually had some sense in the name – Embroidered Chaos! Thank you all so much for your name input on yesterday’s embroidery pattern – your comments were so fun to read! It was fun to see how people’s perceptions are in many ways the same, and in many ways completely different!

Beginning the felt and floche embroidery project was rather fortuitous. It’s gotten an interesting reaction from among my students, and has raised a compelling question.

Felt and Floche in Hand Embroidery
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Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: A Circular Thing

 

I need to come up with a better way of naming embroidery designs. I mean, really. “Circular Thing” doesn’t say much.

Anyway, this is a motif taken from an old ecclesiastical embroidery book, but obviously, the design itself is adaptable to anything. You can turn it, arrange it, make it into a connect vine-type pattern…. and on and on. Or you can just work it as is. It reminds me of something that would be suitably adapted to crewel embroidery, but any thread and any fabric would work, pretty much.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern
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French Knot Video Updated

 

I promise I won’t write a special post for each and every hand embroidery video that I update on Needle ‘n Thread in the future! But just to let you know what I’m doing behind the scenes, I thought I’d point out the update to the video on how to make a French knot. It’s the first of many updates to the Embroidery How-To Videos that will be rolling out in the next month or so. I plan, by the end of December, to replace many of the current videos. Most will be completely re-recorded, but the filming on a couple of them can be salvaged, I think, and just re-edited and re-processed. (If not, they’re out, too!)

French Knot How-To Video
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Embroidered Spot Sampler Update

 

I’m in a tight fix. I’ve let the spot sampler slide a bit, because at one point, I had gotten pretty far ahead on it… so I haven’t embroidered on it for quite a while. But rats. My students are almost caught up with me! This week, they’re filling in a few leaf motifs and learning the stitches associated with those, and then they’ll be where I am.

This could be a good thing. It could also be a bad thing. It could be a good thing, because it might motivate me to move ahead quickly with some stitching. It could be a bad thing, because I don’t have a lot of time for stitching right now! But I’m pretty certain I’m not supposed to fall behind my students. Hmmmm……

In the meantime, I thought I’d show you what my spotty spot sampler looks like. This isn’t really my favorite type of stitching, but I have enjoyed working on the sampler. I just need to get back to it!

Hand Embroidered Spot Sampler
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ThreadworX Hand Embroidery Threads – Here’s a Look!

 

Are you familiar with ThreadworX embroidery threads? ThreadworX has an extensive line of different types of overdyed threads for hand embroidery, so if you love overdyed threads, you might want to take a look at what they offer. I’ve been playing with some ThreadworX threads, and while I was at it, I thought a few photos were in order, to entice you!

Well, what can I say? I’m a thread junkie. You know I am. And I’m not afraid to admit it!

ThreadworX Hand Embroidery Threads
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How to Use a Laying Tool Video Tutorial

 

A laying tool is an instrument used in hand embroidery to help keep multiple strands of thread that are being used at one time, flat and parallel. It can be used for a number of stitches, but I use it especially for satin stitch when stitching with multiple threads. It’s also used extensively in Japanese embroidery (the tool is called a tekobari) to stroke flat silk, and in cross stitch and needlepoint as well. Pretty much any needlework technique that involves a smooth-lying stitch made from multiple strands of floss would benefit from the use of a laying tool.

Using a Laying Tool in Hand Embroidery
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Video Tutorial: Scroll Stitch

 

Here’s a video tutorial for the scroll stitch. While working on refurbishing the How-to Videos here on Needle ‘n Thread, and going through the list a gazillion times to try to remember what’s there and what’s not, I was surprised that somehow, I missed this stitch! So, finally, I’m adding it to the collection.

Scroll stitch is a line stitch – it makes very pretty decorative lines, curves, and so forth, that look scalloped.

Scroll Stitch Video Tutorial
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Cretan Stitch – Close it Up!

 

Cretan stitch gets a bad rap, in my opinion. It’s normally demonstrated open, with the stitches spread out so that they look kind of like a pointed and twisted herringbone stitch. And that’s all well and fine – but cretan stitch can do more than form decorative lines. When worked closed, it can fill up a space pretty effectively. It’s a perfect stitch for leaf shapes, for filled bars, petals, and so forth. Don’t underestimate the cretan stitch in its versatility!

Cretan Stitch as a Filling
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Next Embroidery Projects Lining Up!

 

This past Sunday, I posted a bit about an embroidery design that I’m looking forward to playing around with and adapting for a project. Thanks for all your input on that! I appreciate your comments and some very good ideas that I received both on the website and via e-mail! But I’m afraid I jumped ahead a bit…

My next, next project, which I have only slightly mentioned once, is this:

Hand Embroidery Design: Tulips & Carnations
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Developing a Spot Sampler: Filling Patterns

 

Last time we visited the spot sampler, we added some herringbone stitch to the sampler. Today, we’ll look at some filling techniques that work well on even-weave ground fabric. Specifically, we’ll look at darned fillings (uh… darned as in the darning stitch, which is really just running stitch), some lattice work, cloud filling, and others.

Most of the filling techniques I worked on my sampler are in 1″ squares, but some of my students worked some 2″ x 1″ rectangles – and other various sizes. You can work any size filled area you’d like, and you can get creative with your fillings, too, and incorporate them with other stitches on your sampler.

Geometric filling patterns for hand embroidery
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Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Salvator Mundi Vestment

 

Last year, I visited San Carlos Borromeo Mission in Carmel, California, and while there, I had permission to take photos of the vestments in their museum. I wrote a brief comparison of two sets of vestments, one from the museum in Carmel (this Salvator Mundi set) and the Splendor Patris set at the vestment museum in Clyde, Missouri, because the faces in the two sets struck me as similar.

I thought I’d show you two motifs from the Salvator Mundi set – one of which I plan to use as a springboard for another embroidery project.

Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Salvator Mundi Vestment
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Embroidery on Crochet: Children’s Hats

 

My mom and my sister are pretty proficient with the crochet hook. I am not. I can crochet, but normally, the product looks like some abnormal growth from the Depths of Beyond. But my mom can wield a crochet hook with skill, and lately she’s been playing around with little winter hats for her granddaughters.

When you see little winter hats for little girls and wee babies, do you automatically think “Embellish!”? Admittedly, I do. So I duly confiscated one of the hats and started playing around with some embellishment.

Embroidery on Crochet: Hats
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Video Tutorial: Basket Stitch

 

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve successfully produced video tutorials for different hand embroidery stitches. The collection of how-to embroidery videos here on Needle ‘n Thread includes over 50 videos of embroidery stitches, but they are all woefully outdated. I’m working on updating the collection, but golly, I’m slow! And on top of that, I think all the planets have to be aligned a certain way for each video to come together as it should!

But – today – finally – I’ve got one to share. It isn’t utterly perfect, but I hope you find it useful!

This video is for the Basket Stitch. I love this stitch! I’ve not used it much, but every time I have, I’ve been really satisfied with it! My most recent encounter with Basket Stitch was on the spot sampler:

Basket Stitch in Hand Embroidery
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Hand Embroidery Around the Traps

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a “Embroidery Around the Traps” type post. This is my way of cataloging the various needlework websites and goings-on in the online needlework world that I’ve run into while squizzing about the internet lately.

It’s a leisurely meandering – and I hope you enjoy browsing these spots as much as I did!

First up – Trish Burr has a new blog:

Embroidery Around the Traps
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Basic Embroidery Tip: Stem Stitch Corners

 

Continuing with some basic embroidery tips here, today we’re going to look at taking a sharp corner with stem stitch. While the technique applies to stem stitch specifically, you can look beyond stem stitch and apply the idea to many stitches.

In the photos, I’m stitching scallops, but this tip applies to any sharp change in line direction where an angle is involved (so, squared corners, tips of stars, and so forth).

Stem Stitch on Sharp Corners
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Basic Embroidery: Stem Stitch Tips

 

A couple weeks ago, we looked at how to join up a circle when working chain stitch. Today, here’s a similar tip for stem stitch.

The idea here is how to join up with a line of stem stitch “from the rear” – that is, when you’re stitching towards another bit of already-stitched stem stitch, whether it’s a circle or any other shape, and you want to make a seamless join in the stitching.

Stem Stitch Circles
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New Colors of Floche Available!

 

Floche – ya gotta love it. It’s fine and soft, it’s got a beautiful sheen, it comes in lots of colors. It’s a great thread for stitching! Floche is a 5-ply mercerized cotton thread with a loose twist. A while ago, I compared floche to other better-known cotton embroidery threads so that you can get a sense of what floche looks like. It’s a fine thread – not much thicker than 2 single strands of regular embroidery floss – and it’s non-divizible (in most cases – I have divided it before and stitched with it successfully, but it isn’t easy to divide, as it’s not meant to be divided).

Floche comes in a good number of colors, and lately, a few more colors have been added to the collection:

New Colors of Floche Embroidery Thread
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Developing a Spot Sampler: Herringbone

 

After we added a bit of blackwork to our spot samplers, the next step for the Needle Arts class was to look at some other stitches – aside from cross stitch, backstitch, running stitch, and Holbein stitch – that could be used in counted techniques.

There are LOTS of stitches that can be used in counted thread embroidery, but what I wanted to accomplish with my students was to get them comfortable with working more complex stitches, following stitch diagrams, and working out variations. For this exercise, we focused on the herringbone stitch, which can be worked effectively on either even-weave or plain-weave fabric.

Developing a Spot Sampler: Herringbone Stitch
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Assisi Embroidery: A Wee Rabbit & A Book

 

A couple months ago, I worked up a tiny Assisi Embroidery motif, so that I could demonstrated what a “voided” area looks like in embroidery. I picked a bunny for the voided subject in a little medallion, just because I like bunnies.

I thought I’d show you the little fellow, which is stitched in tiny cross stitch that covers the background completely. Often, in Assisi work, the cross stitched area is not quite so compactly filled, so that more of a lacy look is achieved. But with this piece, I’m stitching on 25 count fabric, over one, with one thread of stranded cotton, which pretty much fills the background pretty solidly.

Assisi Embroidery: Rabbit Medallion
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Colbert Embroidery Revisited

 

About a year ago, I wrote a post about Colbert Embroidery, which is a technique that combines surface embroidery, counted stitches, and voided areas on even-weave fabric. The technique interests me, because it provides a nice balance of color with bold, voided (blank) areas. As I mentioned in the last article on the subject, it seems like it would be a great technique to combine with Wessex-style stitchery.

Colbert Embroidery
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Introduction to Needle ‘n Thread Site Sponsors

 

This past August, there was a major change here on Needle ‘n Thread, and if you’re relatively new to the site, I’d like to take a little time to tell you about it. For those who have been following along for a while, you know that in August I introduced for the first time four commercial advertisements, to help cover the increasing costs of Needle ‘n Thread. Continue reading “Introduction to Needle ‘n Thread Site Sponsors”

Blackwork Design Development: Variations on a Theme

 

Following up on yesterday’s blackwork pattern, I thought I’d talk a little bit about developing designs for blackwork and show you a bit of the basic process of coming up with myriad patterns all from the same basic design.

I don’t normally sit around drawing blackwork patterns, but since it was part of the spot sampler series, I messed around a bit with one theme, and developed it into several different looks. So I thought I’d show you how I did that, and encourage you – if you’re interested in blackwork – to sit down with some graph paper and doodle out some designs. You’ll be surprised what you can come up with, employing only slight variations on a theme.

Developing Blackwork Embroidery Designs
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A Tale of Two Hoops

 

Did you ever find yourself working along on one part of your embroidery project, when suddenly you have a hankering to move to another part and try something out?

This happens to me a lot. Maybe I’m too sanguine. I like to jump about and try things out! And if I’m getting bored with one part of a piece, moving to another part can re-kindle my interest and enthusiasm for the piece overall. So perhaps sanguinity can be a good thing….

Using Two Embroidery Hoops at a Time
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Chain Stitch Tip: Circles

 

Last week, we looked at how to switch to a new thread when working the chain stitch. And we found out that you can actually get away with be Technically Incorrect when you start a new thread.

Today, we’re going to look at joining up the end of a circle with the beginning of it, when working the chain stitch. Now, keep in mind, this techniques isn’t just for circles. It’s for any time you need to join one section of chain stitch to another section from the “back end.” You’re not continuing forward with a length of chain stitch, but you’re running into some already-stitched chain stitch at the point where the previous stitches started. Ovals, irregular shapes, twists, stars, knotwork – there are lots of instances where you bring your chain stitching back to where it began.

So let’s take a look at how to join up the chain stitches when you arrive back at where they began.

Joining Chain Stitch in a Circle
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Developing a Spot Sampler: A Bit of Blackwork

 

If you’re following along in this series on developing your own spot sampler, and you’re sticking pretty much to what I did on mine and my students are doing on theirs, then the next step after adding a little Quaker motif is adding a bit of blackwork.

We’re getting close to the end of the counted thread work on this series on the embroidered spot sampler. In fact, everything after this section on blackwork belongs to both surface and counted embroidery, depending on your fabric. So if you’re hankering for surface stitches, they’re a-comin’!

Adding Blackwork to a Spot SamplerStudent’s Sampler
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Stitch Sampler Winners! Yes! More than One!

 

Thanks to all for your participation in this week’s book give-away! I read each one of your 300+ comments and it was great fun hearing about your favorite stitch dictionaries. Your favorites and mine seem to coincide, for the most part – there were a couple mentions of little gems that I haven’t gotten my grubby paws on, though, and with your glowing recommendations, I find myself compelled to check out some of your favorites that I haven’t seen yet.

OH NOOOOooooo! You know what this means, don’t you!!? No! No! I must not succumb!!!!

I’ll just keep repeating to myself, “No More Books. No More Books. No More Books….”

But I don’t think it’ll work.

Well, today being Saturday, and the weather being happily autumnal, and darn it, because I want to, I’ve decided to give away three copies of Stitch Sampler. There are just too many people out there who need another book (or a first stitch dictionary!), after all.

Stitch Sampler Embroidery Book
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Developing a Spot Sampler: Add a Quaker Motif

 

Still working with counted stitches on the spot sampler, the next step that I took on mine (and that my students took in the Needle Arts class) was to add a Quaker motif to the sampler. In class, along with the Quaker motif came a lot of history on samplers, the Quaker samplers, the various school girl samplers, and so forth, to fill in some background information on samplers for my students.

If you don’t prefer to add a Quaker design to yours, you don’t have to! But if you’re following along on developing a spot sampler and want to follow the same steps we took, then the Quaker motif is the next thing to add to your sampler, and to that end, here are some motifs for you.

Quaker motifs on a Spot Sampler
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Embroidery Hoop Talk: Binding Both Rings

 

When it comes to embroidery hoops, there are hoops, and then there are Hoops. Ideally, wooden embroidery hoops are made of smoooooooothly finished wood, and have good, strong metal hardware on them. The screw that tightens the hoop hardware normally has a slit in it, so that a screwdriver can be used for tightening the hoop further than the fingers can manage.

There aren’t a whole lot of Really Good wooden embroidery hoops available in the world today, but there are some. Hardwicke Manor hoops are a favorite of mine. If you’ve been reading Needle ‘n Thread for a while, this probably doesn’t surprise you, as I’ve covered the subject several times! Today, my purpose isn’t to be redundant. Sure, we’ve talked about embroidery hoops before. We’ve discussed what makes a good embroidery hoop, and we’ve talked about binding embroidery hoops. I’ve told you why I bind my hoops, and I’ve even shown you how to bind your own embroidery hoop if you want to.

So, why more hoop talk?

Binding Both Rings on Embroidery Hoops
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Satin Stitch Length: Sometimes, It Just Doesn’t Work!

 

Last week, we discussed different stitches that can be used for filling larger spaces. I brought the subject up because lots of folks ask whether or not they should fill this particular (large) space with satin stitch, and I wanted to emphasize that satin stitch is really not an ideal stitch for covering a large space, unless the satin stitch is somehow couched or held down by other stitches.

The difficulty is the notion of “large,” I think. After all, there’s large, and then there’s Large. It’s pretty obvious that I’m not talking about Large, as in table-cloth size or something of that nature. The term large being rather relative, let’s take a look at a small design that’s actually “large” and that just didn’t work with satin stitch.

Satin Stitch Length
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Chain Stitch Switch: Adding a New Thread

 

Running out of thread when there’s only four more stitches to go is one of the Absolutes in the Life of the Stitcher.

It’s also one of those wonderful little aggravating trials that makes people of a certain personality (take me, for instance!) want to swear (under my breath, of course…). It’s a Riffemrackemfrickemfrackem Moment!

I’ve been working up instructions for doing the chain stitch and some of its variations, and while I was chain-stitching along, It happened. I ran out of thread with just over an inch left to stitch.

Aha! A perfect teaching opportunity, because you know what? It will probably happen to you some day, too, if it hasn’t happened already. As my Dad would say, “It’s a has or it’s a gonna.” One day, you’ll be chain-stitching along, and bammo! You’ll have about an inch of thread left and four more stitches to go. Instead of cursing under your breath, though, you’ll remember that switching threads is not so difficult as all that and that it’s even – yes – fun.

(Ok, fine. I admit this might be a stretch. It would be easier not to have to change the thread. But we’re trying to be optimistic here!)

So here’s a little photo tutorial on how to change threads when chain stitching. First we’ll talk about the technically INcorrect way to change the thread, then I’ll show you the technically correct way to change the thread, and then… I’ll admit that you don’t always have to be technically correct.

Changing to a New Thread in Chain Stitch
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Needlework Book Review: Stitch Sampler

 

Here’s a stitch dictionary that I’ve had on my shelf for ages. For some reason, I pulled it out the other day, and golly, I’m glad I did! Now I remember why I bought it. It’s a great little stitch dictionary – simple, uncomplicated, colorful, informative… and fairly inexpensive. The book is called Stitch Sampler by Lucinda Ganderton, and published by DK Publishing. There are lots of things I like about the book, and maybe a few drawbacks, but overall, a handy little visual reference for stitching.

Book Review: Stitch Sampler
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More Small Hand Embroidery Patterns

 

Last week, I posted the first collection of Grace Christie’s little designs for exploring hand embroidery stitches, and now, here’s the second set. These little designs come from Samplers and Stitches by Grace Christie, a very nice embroidery book that’s available online for free.

In the book, the various stitches that Mrs. Christie explores are shown in diagram form, partially worked on lots of different little motifs. To make the motifs workable for a sampler (or anything else you can think of to use them for!), I redrew them as vector images and, for ease of printing, have collected them into several PDF files.

Small Designs for Hand Embroidery
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Developing an Embroidered Spot Sampler: Initials

 

Last week in this series on developing a spot sampler, we discussed choosing and setting up fabric, and picking out threads and colors. Now it’s time to stitch. There are a number of ways to go about exploring stitches on a spot sampler. You can plop motifs, stitch samples, lines or bands down wherever you want, or you can plan out where to put things ahead of time. On my sampler, I’ve done a little of both, but pretty much, I’ve looked ahead to see where I might stitch the next element.

The first thing we stitched in class were initials on the sampler, to mark them as “ours.” Initials or signatures or first names, or first and last names – all of these work when it comes to marking the sampler as your work. Normally, the signature comes at the end of the work, right? Well, ours came at the beginning for a couple reasons: 1. There are heaps of initials available online in counted format, and since we’re doing a little bit of counted work first, initials seemed an easy and available way to get started; 2. initials are personal, and I think they helped the students form a “personal connection” with their samplers.

Developing an Embroidered Spot Sampler: Initials
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Hand Embroidery Kits: A Good Resource

 

Kits for surface embroidery projects are sometimes pretty hard to come by. They’re even tough to find in local needlework shops, although occasionally you can find some nice crewel kits in shops that carry a wide variety of needlework supplies and that cater to a variety of techniques. But mostly, if you want surface embroidery kits, often you have to go straight to the designer.

For those of you who like to work kits that employ traditional surface embroidery techniques, I thought I’d point out Roseworks Embroidery Designs, a company out of South Africa that sells a whole plethora of surface embroidery kits.

Roseworks
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Developing an Embroidered Spot Sampler – Index

 

This is where I’ll collect all the posts on developing an embroidered spot sampler, so that you have easy access to each post, and so that they can be viewed in order. You’ll find a link to this post (the index for the spot sampler project) under Tips & Techniques, too. If you haven’t visited my Tips & Techniques page, you might want to check it out. That’s where I list articles on Needle ‘n Thread that either teach a specific technique, or that index various series of articles on a whole project.

Developing an Embroidered Spot Sampler
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Developing a Spot Sampler: Selecting Colors

 

Selecting colors of threads for an embroidery project can be a pretty daunting task! On the bright side, when it comes to working a spot sampler, you aren’t restricted in the same way as you would be if you were embroidering, for example, a picture.

I’ll tell you right off the bat that I’m no expert in color theory! But I’ll show you how I went about selecting colors for the spot sampler, in case it helps.

Developing a Spot Sampler: Selecting Colors
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Beginning Embroidery Most Frequently Asked Question: Design Transfer

 

Over the years of writing Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve tried to keep careful track of needlework questions that I’ve received through the website. I always think that some day, I’ll categorize them and publish all my answers! But Wow, there are lots! I have over 1,000 e-mails saved that fall under the “Question and Answer” category! But this is understandable, because the beginning embroiderer faces quite a few challenges, especially when going it alone.

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Developing a Spot Sampler: Fabric Set-Up

 

For those interested in following the Spot Sampler that I’m currently developing with my Needle Arts Class, I’ll be publishing a Spot Sampler Series over the next several weeks. If you are interested in developing your own “learning sampler,” you’re welcome to stitch along at your own pace, using these mini-tutorials as they develop.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of other ways of working your own sampler. Here, I’m simply outlining how I’ve been developing mine. These are just loose ideas that you can adapt and alter to fit your own style!

Developing a Spot Sampler
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A Few More Spots on the Sampler

 

Spot Samplers can be a lot of fun to embroider! I’ve gotten a few requests about how to create one, and that’s the whole fun of it, really. The purpose of this type of sampler is simply to practice and get the “feel” for stitches, motifs, and so forth. It’s not necessarily something that’s planned out meticulously ahead of time, or that follows a stitching chart. Still, the stitcher, while working on it, kind of gets an idea of where the next spot should land.

I’ve added a few more spots to my sampler since you saw it last, so I’ll show you what I mean by being “unplanned” but still planned ahead, in the head.

Embroidered Spot Sampler
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Embroidery Project Planning: Phase 1 (and a half)

 

I’ve been planning an embroidery project. It’s a different sort of project than the ones you’ve seen here on Needle ‘n Thread before – but in some respects, it is similar. The project will be a figure embroidery project, and I thought I’d take you through the decision and planning process as the whole project comes together.

The first challenge I normally face after coming up with a design is deciding on a ground fabric. That’s where I am right now – ground fabric. Doesn’t sound too thrilling, does it?

Ground Fabric for Embroidery - Linen
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Stumpwork Tiles Winner!

 

It looks like a lot of people are interested in the Stumpwork Tiles book! It was fun reading all your comments and seeing what designs people prefer. In fact, I actually started to count up the “favorites” so I could list some statistics, but I quit after the first page of comments! If you’re interested in statistics, though, feel free to count them up!

But really, you’re not here for the stats – you just want to know who the winner is, and I can’t say that I blame you! Continue reading “Stumpwork Tiles Winner!”

Blackwork Fish Fin-ished.

 

This Blackwork Fish embroidery project has dragged on long enough, hasn’t it? In my imagination, the project had become a big googly-eyed monster, and every time I sat down to do some stitching, it stared at me with a Certain Look that I generally ignored. But last night was different. Last night, I said, “That’s it! Like it or lump it, I’m finishing you now, and your little bubbles besides!”

And so I did. It’s not the best finish in the world, but by gum, it’s finished.

First, this is where we left off on the Blackwork Fish:

Blackwork Fish Embroidery Project
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15 Minutes: Snatching Time for Needlework

 

When the school year starts and life gets hectic, it’s time for me to kick into “15 Minute Mode” with needlework, or I’d never get anything done. If I want to make any progress on needlework, I have to snatch time here and there. And, believe it or not, snatching 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there makes all the difference in progress! I’ll show you what I mean…

Monogram on Sampler
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Goldwork Threads, Itemized

 

If you’re looking for goldwork threads, or interested in getting into goldwork and you don’t quite know what real metal threads are what, you’ll want to check out the Products List on the Access Commodities website. There, you’ll find a list of goldwork threads distributed by Access Commodities, and – better yet – you’ll find photos of the individual types of real metal threads.

Goldwork Threads from Access Commodities
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Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flower L

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to these monograms, but I really need to finish this alphabet! So here’s the L in the Fan Flower alphabet. If you’re looking for stitching suggestions, check out the “A” in this same series of monograms – I’ve included just a few loose ideas. I’m sure you can come up with some great ones on your own!

I’ve included below a small version, a large version, and a PDF with both:

Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Fan Flower L
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Beating Around the Bush, 2012?

 

Rarely do I plan my embroidery projects super far ahead, and frankly, I rarely plan my life this far ahead… but Beating Around the Bush, 2012, is right around the corner, really, when you consider all the planning that has to go into putting on a needlework convention, or even going to one!

Beating Around the Bush is a needlework convention in Australia sponsored by Country Bumpkin, in April of 2012. It consists of five days of fantastic classes taught by some of my greatest needlework heros. There’s not a lot out about it yet, except that it is going to happen and … it’s going to be a great event.

But you might wonder why I’m bringing it up…

Continue reading “Beating Around the Bush, 2012?”

Samplers & Stitches by Christie

 

The other day when I wrote about favorite stitch dictionaries, a friend commented about a fantastic book called Samplers and Stitches by Mrs. Archibald Christie. Ironically, the book was on my list for blog posts this week! It’s a book I’m using for my needle arts class, and since it’s free online, I wanted to point it out to readers.

True to form, Mrs. Christie’s book is excellent! I love her books! And this one happens to be perfect for my current situation!

Samplers and Stitches by Christie
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Preparing Linen & First Needlework Lessons

 

The challenge of preparing for a needlework class that meets every day for only 45 minutes at a time can be rather daunting. But I have to admit, teaching Needle Arts at the high school level is FUN! Despite the prep work, despite the glorious mess taking over my studio, I find that I’m enjoying the heck out of teaching the class. It almost seems… well… mercenary that I actually get paid for it!

When I bring up the Needle Arts class here on Needle ‘n Thread (which I promise won’t be every day!), I hope to make whatever I write about useful for you, too. Rather than just a journal of what I’m up to with the class, I’d like to share with you what I’m learning along the way. That’s the funny thing about teaching: it’s a learning experience for all parties concerned, not just the students.

Preparing Needlework Classes
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Removing the Linen Slub

 

Linen is my all-time favorite fabric for embroidery of every kind. I love linen! And I like all types of linen – even weave, plain weave, twill, damask – you name it! If it’s linen, I’m bound to like it. What I especially like about linen is that it is not “fake” looking. It’s a real fabric with a long and noble history, and, if it’s good linen, it always looks great.

One characteristic of linen is that, in the weave, there are often “imperfections.” Unlike Aida cloth (usually cotton), Lugana (cotton & viscose blend), and other mechanically perfect fabrics, linen will often have variations in the fabric that come from the spinning or weaving process. The better the linen, the fewer these variations, but even in the best linen, you will sometimes run across irregularities.

One such irregularity in linen is The Slub.

Removing the Linen Slub
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Embroidered Portraits: Detailed & Gorgeous!

 

Michael Cook of Wormspit sent along a link the other day to the website belonging to artist Cayce Zavaglia. Cayce is an artist who uses fibers (wool and acrylic) on canvas to create painted portraits, or at least what looks like painted portraits. This is needle painting taken truly to the artist’s level! It is amazing how Cayce Zavaglia uses strategically stitched threads to create these gorgeous portraits – and it is definitely worth taking a good look at the website!

Cayce Zavaglia Embroidered Artwork
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Embroidery Class Preparation

 

As the summer draws to a close (officially, it ends today for me), I’ve been frantically preparing to teach the Needle Arts class I mentioned a while back. I really appreciate everyone’s feedback on the subject – your comments were very encouraging and really helped get me fired up about the class!

“Needle Arts” is probably a misnomer, and I may discuss this with the school a bit later. My brief exposure to other needle arts besides embroidery is minimal – I can crochet, but I don’t do it much; I can knit only the simplest stitches; and aside from occasional needle tatting (in conjunction with needle lace), I don’t tat. In fact, mostly, I just embroider. (You’ve probably noticed that!) My focus, then, for the class, is only embroidery of various types. The first quarter is devoted to counted techniques, including cross stitch, blackwork, Assisi work, and petit point. The remainder of the year is devoted to learning stitches and applying the knowledge in various surface embroidery techniques. I won’t go into all the gory details right now, but said techniques will include, especially, crewel work and silk work.

MacStitch Program - Monograms
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Ricami a Fili Tesi – Book Review for Openwork Embroidery

 

This past summer while I was away, one of my guest post writers was Anna Catagnetti, who has recently authored and published a book on “Openwork Embroidery” (Ricami a Fili Tesi).

Now that the book is on the market, I’ve had a chance to look at it, and I thought I’d show it to you, too. If you like needle lace, this is a good instructional book to have on hand!

Ricami a Fili Tesi - Openwork Embroidery Book Review
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Two-Stranded Embroidery Thread, off the spool

 

One of the questions that came up the other day when we were speaking of Cosmo embroidery floss was whether or not I had tried their two-stranded embroidery thread. I haven’t yet, but I will. It’s an interesting concept, and I would guess that the two-strand embroidery floss off the spool has come about thanks to the popularity especially of redwork and other line embroidery common to quilting.

Cosmo Multi-Work Embroidery Thread
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Turkey Work Tails

 

My sister Sarah has a friend who has a thing for squirrels. With that in mind, Sarah set about stitching a squirrel for her pal for Christmas. The design was originally meant to be stitched over two, on 28 count linen, but I persuaded her that over one on 28 count would be really cute…. Then I talked her into Turkey Work.

Turkey Work on a Squirrel Tail
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Schoolgirl Embroidery Exhibit

 

When an e-mail arrived from the Director of Marketing at the Florence Griswold Museum, asking me to help spread the word about their upcoming fall exhibit titled With Needle and Brush: Schoolgirl Embroidery from the Connecticut River Valley, a couple things popped into my mind: 1. To my knowledge, the exhibit’s been announced on at least two popular needlework websites already – Needleprint and Thistle Threads. People are going to see it as old news; and 2. FIELD TRIP!

Florence Griswold Museum Schoolgirl Embroidery Exhibition
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Cosmo Embroidery Floss: First Impressions

 

Back to Floss Talk! The embroidery floss that I mentioned last week is Cosmo Embroidery Floss. Several readers commented in the original Floss Talk post about Cosmo Embroidery Floss, so you probably already know that it isn’t a new floss, though it is new to me. It’s very popular among quilters and is found more often in quilting stores, I think, than in regular needlework shops.

I’ve wanted to try out Cosmo floss for a while, after hearing about it from readers and getting several questions via e-mail about it. So far, I’ve only done a little bit of stitching with it, so I thought I’d share my first impressions.

Cosmo Embroidery Floss
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Embroidery Project of Unknown Origins: Can you Help?

 

Erin, a reader in Michigan, sent me some photos of an embroidery project that she inherited from a friend. I bet many of us can relate to receiving a partial embroidery kit from friends or relatives, and not knowing where to find the missing elements. In Erin’s case, she has the fabric stamped with the design, and nothing else. Some stitching has already been done on the project, and she would like to finish the rest.

Unknown Embroidery Project
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DMC Coton a Broder #12: RIP

 

Yesterday, I brought up the subject of favorite embroidery flosses, specifically of the cotton 6-stranded variety. While I was writing that post, it brought to mind all my favorite embroidery threads. And among the favorites is what we call in the US “coton a broder,” a 4-ply, non-divisible, mercerized cotton thread that is used especially for whitework. If you’re not familiar with what it is and what it looks like, you can read a previous article on coton a broder and thread organization, which will give you some information about the thread.

DMC Coton a Broder #12
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Floss Talk: Coming Up!

 

If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while on Needle ‘n Thread, you’ve probably already discovered that I have a deep love for embroidery floss of all kinds. Yes, I’m a sucker for silk, but I love cotton, too. Wool? Oh, yes! Wool is right up my alley. Linen threads? Absolutely – why not? Silk and wool blends? Oh, what a happy combination! What not to love?

And that’s not to mention the sub-categories, the brands, the synthetics, the…. ok. You get the idea! I am a thread junkie!

Cosmo Embroidery Floss
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Orvus for Cleaning Vintage Linens, Needlework, Quilts, and Stuff

 

The other day when I growled about my Big Mistake with the bleeding dye from the silk thread I was using on a hand embroidered pall, I mentioned Orvus, and since then, I’ve gotten lots of questions about it.

I’m not an expert on cleaners and so forth – I’m just going to tell you what I know about Orvus, which isn’t necessarily from the “expert” point of view – but maybe there are others out there who can vouch for it, too.

Orvus Cleaner
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And Thus the Tale Ends…

 

Sorry about stringing you along there yesterday! The fact is, I wasn’t sure how this tale would end. Would Orvus be the hero of the piece, saving the fair embroidery so that we could all live happily ever after? Or would this be one of the stories with the unsatisfactory ending – realism, in a harsh and unforgiving world?

It’s difficult to say. I think we could call it a story of compromise. The Orvus didn’t work completely, but it worked enough to be satisfactory.

Hand Embroidered Pall
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The Mother of All Humility Mistakes

 

There are some stories that shouldn’t be told. Those regrettable moments when we embarrass ourselves so badly that we cause others to feel embarrassed for us – these are the moments that should be kept hushed, within familial circles and among close friends, protected by that little bubble of “We-love-you-too-much-to-let-other-people-know-just-how-stupid-you-are.”

In my family, it never really works that way. We’re pretty up front about things, and we don’t mind laughing at ourselves. In this particular case, though, there’s a bit of an obligation to share a little stitching-related experience I had yesterday, so that you can learn from my mistake and hopefully never do what I did!

Hand Embroidered Pall
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Embroidered Pall: Finished and Half-Way Finished

 

Have you ever experienced the elation of finishing your embroidery on a project, then suddenly realized that you’re really only half-way finished? That’s the case with the hand embroidered pall I’m working on. When last we visited the project, I was filling in the letters with stem stitch, and I still had quite a way to go on the other little elements in the embroidery. Now, I’ve finished with the embroidery, but I’ve still got the assembly process to face, as well as adding lace to the edge.

Overall, I like the way the embroidered design came out – I hope you do, too!

Ecclesiastical Embroidery: Hand Embroidered Pall
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Needle Arts Class Preparation

 

Over the next two weeks, as the summer comes to a rapid close, I’ll be frantically preparing for the next school year to start.

If you’re a teacher, you already know that the summer is not really completely free. During the summer, we prepare for the next year in various ways: by professional development, by study, by organizing paperwork, by planning classes, and on and on. I’d also say that the relaxing that teachers can do during the summer also helps prepare them for the next year! So summer is a time of preparation for the teacher, and though I am not always as diligent as I should be in this regard, I do at least attempt a modicum of preparation for the next year.

This summer, I have something different to prepare for – something I find kind of exciting!

School Sampler
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On Silk Threads and Blogging

 

Silk Embroidery Threads and Blogging don’t seem to have much in common, do they? Well, to me, they do. I’m nearly addicted to silk embroidery threads, and blogging is a very big part of my life! The greatest thing about writing Needle ‘n Thread is the people I’ve “met” through the website – readers who have written with questions, fellow bloggers who have shared experiences and helped me out, and long-distance friends who share with me a love of stitching. It’s nice, you know!

Well, not very long ago, I ran a series of articles on Needle ‘n Thread by Kathy Andrews, featuring a few aspects of her Spring in Italy. I was really touched when Kathy sent me a little “thank you,” especially when she’s the one who helped me!

Pearsall's Filoselle
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Gold Silk on White Linen – It’s Coming Along!

 

Off and on this week, I’ve been able to spend some time in the afternoons out in the “studio” getting some stitching done on this hand embroidered pall that I’m trying to finish. Working out there in the afternoons is terrific! I’d almost forgotten how much more a person can get done when working in a “dedicated” space. It’s cool and quiet, with few interruptions… except for Emma.

Two of my nieces have been working out there with me – Anna is working on the first pall that I set up and Emma, who’s now 9, is working on a stamped pillow case. Emma is prone to knots. So every six minutes, practically on the dot, she says, “Ooooooooh. Another knot!”

Guess who the Official Knot Remover is? Riiiiiight!

Still, the pall is coming along!

Hand Embroidered Pall
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SPOOL! Look What’s Coming!

 

I’ve discussed before the needlework magazines that I subscribe to – and there are really only a few: Inspirations, Sampler & Antique Quarterly, (sometimes) Piecework, and (sometimes) a French Mains et Merveilles magazine. The first two are “always,” the latter two have been off and on.

And all those needlework magazines are good. They provide projects, history, techniques, and all sorts of stuff that help me learn, understand, and have better insight into all kinds of needlework, past and present.

But there’s a new magazine coming out this fall – and it’s not entirely your typical needlework magazine. I have found my curiosity piqued. What the heck is Spool all about? If nothing else (and I’m hoping it’ll be a lot else), it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Spool Quarterly Magazine
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Remember the Fish!

 

‘Struth! I have got to get this blackwork fish FINished! And with that in mind, here and there over the past week – 15 minutes here, 10 minutes there, even an hour hither and yon, I set about to make some progress.

Actually, I set about to finish it, but I didn’t make it that far!

When last we left the blackwork fish, he was just barely afloat, looking like this:

Blackwork Fish
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Stumpwork – the Temptation is Strong!

 

Did you know that Jane Nicholas’s new Tiles book is out? And along with it, lots and lots of kits? Oooooh. The temptation is strong, let me tell you! The other night, I was perusing her kits from the new book, and adding the ones I really like to the shopping cart.

It was midnight. I was tired. My will was weak.

I added one kit after another. I was throwing caution to the wind! After all, why not? I’d do them… eventually.

And it was midnight. And I was tired. And my will was weak.

Jane Nicholas Stumpwork Tiles
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Hand Embroidered Pall: Slow Progress

 

Do you ever suffer under the delusion that you’re making a lot of progress on your needlework, but when you step back to take a look at what you’ve done, you find yourself smacked in the face with the cold, dead Fish of Reality? That’s me right now! Wow. Yesterday, I was patting me on the shoulder, telling me that there were no worries, that I was almost done with this project! What the heck was I thinking?

No matter – we must always subscribe to the notion that some progress forward, be it even a little, is a good thing. It isn’t stagnating, after all, and – better yet – it isn’t going backwards. So here’s my wee bit of progress so far on the hand embroidered pall that I’m currently working on.

Hand Embroidered Pall
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Rhodes Embroidery – A Follow Up

 

Quite a while ago, when I was exploring Lefkara Lace, I heard from a reader who was looking for a resource for Rhodes Embroidery. If you search online for Rhodes Embroidery, most likely you’ll come up with lots of references to Rhodes stitch, but this isn’t what the reader was asking about. She was looking for information on a form of whitework that mimics embroidery originating in Rhodes, and which is basically a pulled thread technique. While I was exploring online the other day, coming across oh-so-many needlework books to meander through, one of the books I came across which I should have mentioned long before this is The Cult of the Needle by Flora Klickmann. Like Elementary Embroidery, the book I pointed out yesterday, this is another gem that is worth downloading and keeping.

I’ve had the PDF version of this book for a long time, nestled in the deep recesses of my folders-within-folders-within-folders on my computer (covered in cobwebs, along with hundreds of other PDFs), but it wasn’t until I was using the handy-dandy “flip through the pages” set-up on the Internet Archive that I made it through every page in the book. And what did I come across?

Rhodes Embroidery
Continue reading “Rhodes Embroidery – A Follow Up”

Elementary Embroidery: Online Book – Free!

 

Elementary Embroidery by Mary Symonds is a little gem of a book – it’s old, it’s thorough on the basics, it’s still applicable today, and – perhaps best of all – it’s free!

I like to go squizzing around online to see what out-of-print needlework books are available. I really think that you can find just about any “how to” information on needlework online, in the old books, catalogs, and pamphlets printed before 1950 and made available on various websites for free. Sure, the instructions rely more on words than photos, and sure, the books are mostly black and white with line drawings (at best) for instruction, and sure, needlework products have changed a lot in the last 75 years. But the technique is there, and the technique is generally very good! If nothing else, many of the books are fun to read just to see how things used to be done!

This particular book – Elementary Embroidery – has some elements in it that I really like. If you have time, you might want to take a look at it.

Elementary Embroidery by Mary Symonds
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A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2 Winner!

 

Wow! There was a good response to this week’s give-away of the book, A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2. It’s one of those give-aways where I wish I could send out a copy to everyone! It’s such a great little book! Alas, there is only one. (Well, actually, I do have two, but one is mine … and you’d probably have to pry it out of my fingers with a crowbar in order for me to give it up! I’m just that stingy when it comes to my books!)

A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2
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Deliberating over Linen Choices

 

Oooooooh. I’m in a bind. A pickle. A dilemma. A quandary, even. In short, I am bemuddled, addled, flustered, and even… confused. I’m feeling just a bit like Winnie the Pooh, when he realized he had fluff in his head. And it’s all because of LINEN!

I’ve begun work on the pall I was talking about yesterday twice now, and I can’t decide on the linen to use. Both linens I’ve started out with have shortcomings for this project. May I tell you about them? Maybe someone out there will have a better solution for me that will put my mind at rest!

Hand Embroidered Pall
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Transfer Embroidery Designs with a Flair?

 

I’ve been wanting to do this for a looooong time. Almost a year ago, I wrote about using watercolor pencils to transfer embroidery designs. After writing the post, in which I wished for the Ultimate Embroidery Transfer Implement, a reader (Jean, thank you!) sent me an e-mail suggesting that I try the Paper Mate Flair ultra fine felt tip marker in green. Now, the Papermate Flair is not an “embroidery transfer pen.” It is simply a fine tipped marker with a quick-drying water based ink. But I was curious about it – Jean said that she uses the green ultra-fine Flair for all her embroidery transfers and it washes out every time. So…. I purchased a set of the pens in a variety of colors and over the weekend, I finally began The Experiment.

Embroidery Transfer with Paper Mate Flair
Continue reading “Transfer Embroidery Designs with a Flair?”

A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2: Book Review

 

Embroidery Stitch Dictionaries are handy books to have on your shelf, if you’re a die-hard embroidery fanatic.

Even if you only dabble in hand embroidery as an occasional hobby, you’ll never be sorry you have a stitch dictionary or two at hand – they are wonderful reference tools to have on hand, especially when you want to expand your stitching horizons a bit.

One of my favorite series of how-to books for embroidery is the A-Z series, which used to be published by Country Bumpkin, but is now (as of 2014) published by Search Press.

Today, I want to show you one of their stitch dictionaries – A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2. It’s a terrific stitch dictionary for stitchers wishing to increase their stitching repertoire.

A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2 published by Search Press
Continue reading “A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2: Book Review”

Victorian Perforated Paper Embroidery

 

While enjoying life in the Canadian Maritimes on my recent break, I ran into a few needlework-related items. The first one was a piece of Victorian perforated paper embroidery, hung on the wall of the “rectory” in the idyllic (and fictitious) town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Since I took a few photos of the piece, I thought I’d share them with you and tell you a bit about this embroidery fad that lasted from the 1820’s through 1910, reaching its zenith of popularity in the 1880’s and 90’s.

(You can click on the image below for a larger version.)

Victorian Perforated Paper Embroidery in Avonlea on Prince Edward Island
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Getting Back to Needlework

 

After returning from vacation, it’s awfully hard to get back into the swing of things, and my needlework has been suffering because of my relative lethargy when it comes to picking up handwork! Admittedly, I’m in a bit of a slump!

So, how does one crawl out of a needlework slump? I’ll tell you what I do, and then you can give me your advice on how you get out of similar slumpy situations!

There are two things I do to work myself out of a needlework slump: First, I evaluate. Then, I anticipate.

To evaluate, I take a good look at my current situation. There are really only two projects that I was concentrating on with any intensity before vacation – the Floral Glove Project from Thistle Threads and the Blackwork Fish.

Floral Glove Needle Case Project
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Miniature Embroidery: How Small Can You Go?

 

Even though I’m officially back from vacation, I still have two more guest posts on needlework that I want to share with you. Both are really good – and they touch on needlework topics that I don’t often visit. This first one is by Patricia Richards, who operates Patricia Richards Miniatures, a website devoted to hand made dollhouse miniatures, as well as kits for miniature pillows. Patricia stitches incredibly tiny miniature items in unbelievable detail! She enticed me with the topic of her miniature embroidery projects by sending me a picture of her reproduction 17th century embroidered casket, which you can see in the article below. The casket is beautiful – full-size, it would be amazing in itself. When I realized the piece was about an inch wide, it took me a while to pick up my jaw! I hope you enjoy the article and are just as amazed as I am at the micro-stitched art!

Miniature 17th Century Embroidered Casket by Patricia Richards
Continue reading “Miniature Embroidery: How Small Can You Go?”

Garniture: Trim Out Your Needlework

 

What’s in my Stash? Here’s another look at a something in my needlework stash. The purpose of these “stash” posts is to show you some things I have in my supply closet that you might find interesting. It’s not to “sell” you on anything, but just to let you know that this stuff is out there, in case it’s something that you would find fun or useful for your stitching needs.

Today, I’ll show you some Garniture! Garniture, by definition, is something that decorates or embellishes. And there’s a whole line of Garniture on the market that is perfect for finishing needlework items. Have you ever made a pin cushion, an ornament, a needlebook, or some other item, and been stumped about how to finish the edge? Garniture helps solve that problem!

Garniture: Trim for Needlework
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I’m Back!

 

I’m happy to be back in the blog-o-sphere again, and am so thankful that Needle ‘n Thread wasn’t “empty” for the last couple weeks! Thanks to all the generous guest writers who shared a glimpse of their needlework worlds!

Here’s a little glimpse of my vacation:

Dreamweaver's Cottages on Prince Edward IslandView of North Rustico Harbor, Prince Edward Island
Continue reading “I’m Back!”

On Princess Lace

 

Bobbi Chase is a needlework designer with a passion for making Princess Lace. I first “met” Bobbi when I started embroidering a needlebook that she designed. Bobbi operates a website called Embellishments One, which is devoted to Princess Lace. (The website isn’t entirely complete yet, but do bookmark it for future reference!)

I was delighted when Bobbi agreed to write an article introducing Princess Lace. I have long wanted to undertake another embroidery on tulle project, and whenever I start meandering through the books, I invariably come across Princess Lace, a technique I’ve never actually tried. Bobbi teaches on the subject of Princess Lace, so it’s great to have an introduction from an expert!

Introduction to Princess Lace
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On Publishing Needlework Books

 

The following article is written by Yvette Stanton, author of the blog White Threads and owner of Vetty Creations. Yvette has self-published a variety of needlework books on various subjects, including Mountmellick Embroidery, Ukrainian Drawn Thread Work, Hardanger Embroidery, and most recently, a Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion (the link is to my review). Soon, she will have the right-handed version of the same book available on the market. Yvette’s successful forays into the publishing world make her an idea source of insight into needlework book publishing.

Left-Handed Embroiderer's Companion by Yvette Stanton
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Canvaswork, Needlepoint, and Stitches

 

Today’s post is from Sara Leigh Merrey, author of the blog Confessions of a Remedial Stitcher and proprietress of The Scarlet Thread, a needlework shop devoted to canvas work. While I haven’t covered a lot of canvas work on Needle ‘n Thread, I have touched on it a little bit with this canvas work sampler, and I do have a little section devoted to canvas work (or needlepoint) under Types of Hand Embroidery. I’m really happy to have Sara Leigh as a guest blogger, because she’s going to show us that canvas work is more than repetitive tent stitch. It encompasses a huge variety of stitches that cover the grid of the canvas, and because of the variety of stitches, canvas work can be challenging and fun.

Canvaswork or Needlepoint: Various Stitches and Threads
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A Brazilian Embroidery Odyssey

 

Sharon Shetley of Threads in Bloom is going to share her Brazilian Embroidery Odyssey with us! Sharon is one of the “pioneers” when it comes to making Brazilian embroidery popular. Hers is a story of pursuing her passion for Brazilian Embroidery at a time when resources and instruction in the technique were scarce. Now, when supplies, books, kits, and instructions can be found with the click of a button, Sharon keeps her fingers in the Brazilian embroidery world by operating her own store dedicated to the technique. I hope you enjoy reading about her journey!

Brazilian Embroidery
Continue reading “A Brazilian Embroidery Odyssey”

Transferring Embroidery Designs using Silk Gauze and a Printer

 

A long while ago, I was looking at the book 18th Century Embroidery Techniques, and I came across the section on embroidering on velvet.

18th century embroidery techniques

The book describes how the embroiderer would put a loose silk gauze over the velvet to hold up the stitches and provide a foundation on the velvet pile. Goldwork and embroidery worked over silk gauze placed over the ground fabric isn’t a new concept, but today’s guest writer has a great way of transferring the embroidery design to the silk gauze using an inkjet printer, so that even highly detailed designs can be transferred with accuracy. I hope you enjoy her detailed tutorial! Continue reading “Transferring Embroidery Designs using Silk Gauze and a Printer”

Spring in Italy Sampler: Pearsalls Silk

 

Kathy Andrews continues today with her final guest post on Needle ‘n Thread. This is the fourth post in a series on her Spring in Italy Sampler, where she’s been exploring embroidery motifs inspired by Italian pottery. So far, Kathy has shown us how she came up with her embroidery designs, and then she’s stitched one embroidery design in wool threads and one embroidery design in cotton floche. Today, she’s working with Pearsalls silk. Enjoy!

The first thing I did before stitching the third design was to scrub my hands with olive oil and sugar. Sounds gooey and sticky, right? Not something you’d want on your embroidery. When working with silk, it’s important that your hands are smooth or the silk will snag and tangle and generally be a mess. I didn’t know that the first time I stitched with silk: I thought it was just difficult thread and decided it wasn’t for me. Then I read Mary’s post on the olive oil and sugar hand smoothing scrub, and now silk has become a joy to stitch with! Thank you, Mary!

Hand Embroidery Inspired by Italian Pottery
Continue reading “Spring in Italy Sampler: Pearsalls Silk”

Italian Needle Lace by Anna Castagnetti

 

Anna Castagnetti of Verona, Italy learned to embroider from an enthusiastic group of women who were passionate about their art. Being of a curious nature, she soon discovered the beautiful stitches of needle lace like Hedebo, Teneriffe, Aemilia Ars, Reticello, Renaissance and Venice Point. She takes traditional surface embroidery patterns and fills them with an assortment of the stitches from these styles.

Italian Needle Lace by Anna Castagnetti
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Soft Metallic Twist for Trimming Your Needlework

 

This is “stash” post by yours truly – an opportunity to introduce you to supplies that I have in my needlework stash that you might not know are on the market, and that might be Just The Thing you need or want for your own needlework. Remember the post I wrote a while back on Accentuate thread? My purpose there was the same – to introduce you to something on the market so that you know that it’s out there. My point is not to “sell” you the stuff, but just to inform you of needlework goods that exist, in case you’re looking for something similar!

Today’s “stash post” is to introduce you to Soft Metallic Twist.

Soft Metallic Twist Trim for Needlework Projects
Continue reading “Soft Metallic Twist for Trimming Your Needlework”

Spring in Italy Sampler: Cotton Floche

 

Here’s the third post on Kathy’s “Spring in Italy” Sampler, focusing on embroidering a motif using cotton floche, which is an all-time favorite thread of mine! (Well, it, and a how many other favorite threads? We better not count!) Floche is a beautiful cotton thread. It’s a non-strandable mercerized cotton with a wonderful sheen, and it’s very soft and fine. If you’d like to read more about it, you can check out this comparison of floche with Danish flower thread (a matte thread) or this comparison of floche with other cottons. You can also check out this delectable collection of the range of cotton floche, which I love looking at, but haven’t touched yet!

Kathy Andrews is guest writing this series of articles for Needle ‘n Thread on using Italian pottery as inspiration for an embroidery project. For more information on her project, her first article covers the design process and her second article takes a look at working a motif in wool.

Hand Embroidery Sampler Inspired by Italian Pottery
Continue reading “Spring in Italy Sampler: Cotton Floche”

Spring in Italy Sampler: Wool Threads

 

Kathy Andrews shares her first step on her Spring in Italy Sampler. If you’re just picking up on this series, be sure to check out the first article on Kathy’s design process on designing a hand embroidery project using Italian pottery as inspiration.

Here’s the first stitched design of the “Spring in Italy Sampler.” Why Spring in Italy? I have been to Italy many, many times, at all times of the year. Spring is the best. There aren’t nearly as many tourists as later in the summer, the air is fresher and the colors are clearer. Whenever I use this pottery, that’s what I remember – a cool, spring day in the hills of Italy. (Before those of you living outside Europe think I’m made of money…the distance from where I live in Berlin, Germany to Florence, Italy is the same as traveling from Ames, Iowa to Denver, Colorado. It’s a vacation spot but not the trip of a life time as it would be if I were living in the USA!)

Italian Pottery Inspires Hand Embroidery Designs
Continue reading “Spring in Italy Sampler: Wool Threads”

Needlework Threads: On Natural Dyeing, part 1

 

Yuki Sugashima lives in Japan and is author of the blog Barefoot Shepherdess. Yuki started out as a knitter and spinner, but has recently moved into embroidery and natural-dyed threads. In the Barefoot Shepherdess’s Etsy shop, you’ll find naturally dyed embroidery threads of amazing color! The natural dyeing process is fascinating and Yuki writes about it beautifully – I hope you enjoy reading a little bit about Yuki’s adventures with naturally dyed threads.

Roadside Yomogi for Natural Dyed Embroidery Threads
Continue reading “Needlework Threads: On Natural Dyeing, part 1”

Book Review: A-Z of Stumpwork

 

A-Z of Stumpwork was originally published by Country Bumpkin Publications, but, as of 2015, it has been recently re-published by Search Press, along with the rest of the A-Z needlework series.

This is good news for embroiderers worldwide, because the A-Z books are some of the best embroidery reference books (and the most beautiful!), and they’re now available to a wider audience, more affordably.

A-Z of Stumpwork focuses on dimensional embroidery techniques, made famous in 17th century embroidery, and enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity today.

A-Z of Stumpwork Book Review
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Needlework on the Road?

 

Do you do needlework on the road? If you do, I’d love to hear from you! See, I’m leaving on Thursday on a rather extended road trip (I’ll be telling you more about it later this week!), and I’m questioning whether or not I’ll take any needlework with me!

The first “on the road” needlework project I ever did developed into this:

Felt Embroidered Needlebook Cover
Continue reading “Needlework on the Road?”

Thread Drop Winner!

 

It was a lot of fun to read everyone’s organization tactics for their needlework threads! If you haven’t had a chance yet to read through the comments (there are 285 of them!) on the Thread Drop post from the other day, you might want to take a look at them for some good hints on thread organization – and for some chuckles, too! I think most avid stitchers can understand the difficulties of keeping things organized, especially when we’re really eager to stitch, and the clean-as-you-go theory just seems to get in the way!

Thread Drops for Embroidery Thread Organization
Continue reading “Thread Drop Winner!”

Do You Accentuate your Needlework?

 

There are some things in the World of Stitched Stuff that deserve to sparkle. The snowflake. The dragonfly’s wing. The treasure under the sea. And to get these things to sparkle, we can resort to all kinds of threads on the market – specialty threads abound today! Blending filament is one way to achieve sparkles in your embroidery, but … alas … most blending filaments are simply a pain to work with. They snap, they stretch, they shred. Well, the answer is simple – if you want sparklies, you should Accentuate!

Accentuate Thread for Hand Embroidery
Continue reading “Do You Accentuate your Needlework?”

Weekend Stitching: I Actually Made Some Progress!

 

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to devote a “chunk” of time to stitching. Yesterday, I actually made some progress on the Floral Glove project! I’m not finished yet by a long shot, but I did at least finish the top half of the piece, which is a relief. I’m hoping desperately to get the Blackwork Fish and the Floral Glove finished by the end of this week, so that I can move on to arranging a few other projects before we take off on our little road trip. And, hanging over my head like a low, dark cloud, there’s also the riffemrackemfrickemfrackem studio that needs cleaning and organizing this week! (More on that, later!)

In the meantime, here’s an ever-so-brief update of the project:

Floral Glove Needle Case embroidered in silk and gold
Continue reading “Weekend Stitching: I Actually Made Some Progress!”

Elizabethan Twist on the Flower

 

Elizabethan twist is a real metal thread used in goldwork embroidery. It’s very fine, and it’s made out of two even finer gold threads lightly twisted together. This is the stuff that is outlining most of the embroidered elements on the floral glove project. I love Elizabethan twist – it’s delicate, pretty, and adds just the right amount of gold sparkle around the edges of the silk embroidery. I finally managed to finish outlining the central flower on the project, so I thought I’d show you some progress!

Floral Glove Needle Case in silk and gold
Continue reading “Elizabethan Twist on the Flower”

A Call for Guests on Needle ‘n Thread!

 

Would you like to be featured on Needle ‘n Thread this summer? If you stitch, if you write about needlework or textiles on a blog, if you have a hand-made enterprise for needlework-related goods (like an Etsy or Artfire shop), if you own a needlework shop, if you are a needlework book author or publisher, if you dye your own threads or fabrics, if you’re a designer or a manufacturer – if you’re involved in the needlework industry in any way at all and would like to contribute content to Needle ‘n Thread, I’m ready and waiting!

Embroidered aquatic sampler
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Perfect French Knots, Perfect Bullions

 

If you want to make perfect French knots and perfect bullion knots, the only thing for it is to invest in the right needles. There aren’t too many embroidery stitches out there that require a specific needle and, in truth, you can get away with making French knots with regular embroidery needles, and you can get away with making bullion knots with other needles, too. But if you shy away from French knots and you bolt at the thought of bullions, then maybe, just maybe, a different needle will help you overcome your fears.

Bullion Knot in Hand Embroidery
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Lefkara Lace Up Close

 

Over the past few days, I’ve been sharing with you some photos from a reader who enjoyed some time in Cyprus learning about Lefkaritika, or Lefkara Lace, a traditional form of embroidery from the island. Today, I’m continuing the topic, showing you some close up photos of some of the different motifs used in Lefkara lace.

Lefkara Lace from Cyprus

To start, though, let’s look how the Cypriots traditionally work on their lace. They use pillows. This is not to be confused with a bobbin lace pillow, though – but it serves some of the same purposes. Continue reading “Lefkara Lace Up Close”

More Lefkara Lace (and Resources)

 

Lefkara lace, from Cyprus, has become a fascinating subject of study for me the last couple weeks, ever since Elissa sent me photos from her Cyprus adventures. The other day, I showed you a few brief bits of Lefkara lace, hoping to whet your appetite for the subject, too. I think what fascinates me most about the technique is that it strikes me, too, as a combination of Italian needle lace and Hardanger, with a little Schwalm thrown in along the edges. The Venetian influence on Lefkara lace is easy enough to understand, as Venice had administrative control of Cyprus some 500-ish years ago. Sources seem to be in conflict over whether Venice brought the lace technique to Cyprus, or Cyprus sent it back to Venice. I’ll have to do a little more research on that one!

Lefkara Lace from Cyprus
Continue reading “More Lefkara Lace (and Resources)”

Embroidered Rose Before and After

 

Still plugging along here on the Floral Glove project, I’ve managed to finish the silk embroidery on the central floral element on the needlecase. The other day, I showed you how I adjusted the shape of the flower. I received a few e-mails and comments requesting a before and after shot, since some readers weren’t sure which shape they liked best. So, here they are:

Embroidered Rose: Before and After

This is the before shot – the flower prior to picking it out and changing the shape a little bit. Continue reading “Embroidered Rose Before and After”

Lefkara Lace from Cyprus

 

Tucked in the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey, is the island of Cyprus, and in Cyprus is a town called Lefkara, which gives its name to a regional “lace” called Lefkara Lace. Lefkara Lace is a combination of drawn thread, whitework, and needlelace techniques. I was fortunate to receive some beautiful pictures of Lefkara lace from a reader in Lebanon who hopped over to Cyprus for a short while, so I thought I’d share some of the photos with you!

Lefkara Lace
Continue reading “Lefkara Lace from Cyprus”

Picking Out My Stitching is Good

 

Most embroiderers will agree that when we’re not satisfied with our stitching, we’re prone to react certain ways towards our projects. Me? I go two ways, depending on my frame of mind: 1. If I’m feeling determined and curious about the project, I’ll correct the problem right away, no matter how much time or trouble is involved; or 2. If I’m not wholly “into” the project and I’m already looking ahead to the greener pastures of another project, I’ll usually turf it, or at least relegate the project to a shelf – maybe to resurrect later, maybe not.

Picking Out my Stitching

The Floral Glove project is one that I’m rather ferociously determined about, so the idea of doing a little picking didn’t bother me at all. In fact, in such circumstances, picking out stitches is always a good thing!

Although the project is not meant to be symmetrical, I could not find happiness in the look of this flower, which, as you can see, is somewhat sloppily stitched. You can see little bits of white between the layers, for example. I knew there would be some gold in there, but still – I just wasn’t satisfied with the look of it! At the same time, as I approached adding the gold Elizabethan twist around each layer of the flower, my mind boggled at how I would add the gold around the outside layer without plunging on both sides of every outside petal. I really didn’t want to do that.

The only thing for it, then, was to pick out the flower and start over with it. Continue reading “Picking Out My Stitching is Good”

The Dark Side of Embroidery: The BACK!

 

It’s not unusual to be asked to see the back of an embroidery project. I do believe that on just about every project I’ve done here on Needle ‘n Thread, someone has asked at least once to see the back. Working with the Blackwork Fish project, the question of the back of the needlework seems a bit more pertinent, because I’m working with black thread on white fabric. Carrying threads any distance on the back of the fabric would seem a horrific idea, because surely the black thread would show through the front!

That sounds right, but in reality, there are a couple things going on here that prevent the threads showing through the front of the fabric.

Blackwork Embroidery: The Backside of the Fish

So this is the back of the fish. (Note that he’s swimming in the other direction!) Continue reading “The Dark Side of Embroidery: The BACK!”

The Blackwork Fish: Stalled, but Not Sunk

 

It’s been a while since I picked up the Blackwork Fish project, so he’s in a bit of a stall. But I do intend to finish him! (I keep saying that!) Actually, I’m dying to finish him! But I’ve only been able to snatch a few minutes here and there to stitch, and he isn’t the project I have out right now. On the bright side, since the last time I showed him to you, I made a little progress before he got shelved.

Blackwork Fish Embroidery Project

The tail and fins are all getting the same treatment: they’re worked in lines of backstitch, with one of the lighter weights of black silk. Continue reading “The Blackwork Fish: Stalled, but Not Sunk”

Elizabethan Twist: Rooling and Spigging

 

I’ve been working with the Elizabethan twist on the Floral Glove project. Elizabethan twist is a very fine goldwork thread – it’s actually two very fine goldwork threads, twisted lightly together. It’s lightweight and tiny stuff, and, couched along the outside of the a little embroidered element, it makes a nice outline.

Elizabethan Twist Goldwork Thread

The kit came with several yards of Elizabethan twist. When working with this thread on small elements, it’s best not to cut it, but to work from the full length. When working with the full length of any fine goldwork thread that is being couched to the surface of the fabric, I like the thread to be on something, not just loosely wound up. The obvious reason is that a loosely wound goldwork thread that is not wound onto something can become a pain in the neck to keep in order. Continue reading “Elizabethan Twist: Rooling and Spigging”

A Beautiful Embroidery Treat!

 

Here’s a real treat! Margaret Cobleigh, who has become a really good online embroidery friend, is an excellent stitcher. She strives for perfection in all her embroidery, and everything she touches with her needle and thread turns out beautiful! Her approach is a lot like mine – she troubleshoots her way through her projects, making adjustments and corrections as she goes, and the results are outstanding. I count myself lucky to be privy to her progress notes on the various things she stitches. She was happy to let me show off the following finish, and since it is, after all, Spring, it’s mighty appropriate!

Reader's Embroidery: Spring

The piece that Margaret recently finished is titled “Spring,” designed by Helen Stevens. Continue reading “A Beautiful Embroidery Treat!”

Apologies and a Clarification

 

Those of you who read my website regularly know me fairly well – you know that I try to be honest in my approach to my work and in everything I write about on Needle ‘n Thread. Sometimes, I am too frank, and sometimes, I obviously write without thinking things through completely. And this gets me and other people in trouble. I’d like to clarify a situation and offer an apology. Continue reading “Apologies and a Clarification”

Hand Embroidery Tip: Care of Hands

 

In reading through the catalog Embroidery Lessons with Color Studies (the Brainerd & Armstrong booklet on silk embroidery published in 1899, that I wrote about last week), I came across a little paragraph thate emphasizes the care of the embroiderer’s hands.

Given the increasing popularity of silk thread for hand embroidery, and understanding that sometimes embroiderers are put off by silk threads because some of them can be extra-snaggy and cantankerous, I thought I’d share the little blurb in this old book – a little blurb that reads somewhat antiquated, but that’s still relevant today. I’ll also point you in the direction of my recipe for smooth hands for stitching with silk.

Hand Care for the Embroiderer
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Floral Glove Needlecase: The Fix – Sort of…

 

Thanks heaps for all your response my Floral Glove dilemma the other day! It’s funny how stitchers more or less think alike – I went through just about every thought process presented in the comments, and I finally settled for Option #3, fixing what I could and then making alterations on the rest as I go.

Here’s the fix. It isn’t perfect, but it’s better than it was.

Floral Glove Needlecase Embroidery Project
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Valdani Needlework Threads – Have You Used Them?

 

Have you tried Valdani threads? I haven’t. But I’m going to. I’ve heard from readers off and on who have inquired about them, but I didn’t know much about them, and since I haven’t tried them, I can’t really give an opinion on them. But, like I said, I’m going to try them!

Valdani Needlework Threads

In the meantime, I’ll tell you a little bit about the threads, and later, I’ll tell you how I like stitching with them. Continue reading “Valdani Needlework Threads – Have You Used Them?”

Floral Glove Needlecase: Decisions, Decisions…

 

Do you ever reach a point in a hand embroidery project where you stop and say, “Ok, wait. Do I go any farther on this thing, or do I stop now and start all over?” That’s about where I am with the Floral Glove Needlecase. Last time we talked about this particular embroidery project, I had made a decision that, in spite of the faulty transfer of the embroidery design, I was going to plug on ahead. And now I’m debating all over again.

Floral Glove Needlecase Project from Thistle Threads

The circled areas in the photo above are the two points that are Really Irritating me. Continue reading “Floral Glove Needlecase: Decisions, Decisions…”

Hand Embroidery Traditions from Portugal

 

While Méri (of agulhas da méri) was vacationing in America, she mailed to me a gorgeous book on hand embroidery traditions in Portugal. The book is titled Bordado de Guimarães, and the text is in Portugues with an English translation. I haven’t finished reading the book yet, but I’m enjoying it so much and am completely enchanted with the needlework therein, that I had to show you some bits of the book! If you like reading about and trying regional embroidery techniques, this book may very well be worth trying to track down!

The first thing that struck me about Guimarães Embroidery from Portugal is the dimensional quality of the work.

Hand Embroidery Traditions from Portugal

In much of it, you will see a consistent use of the bullion knot. And many of the bullions are really long! Méri mentioned this in the letter that accompanied her gift, but I didn’t understand how extensively the bullion knot is used until I started reading the book.
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Housewarming Party at Needle ‘n Thread: Gift Certificate Give-Away!

 

This week, the “new” Needle ‘n Thread was launched, and the first week has slipped by very smoothly for the new website. I think it’s time for a housewarming party, and instead of you giving me gifts, I’m going to give you gifts – or at least, the opportunity to win a gift!

To celebrate the new Needle ‘n Thread, I’m giving away two gift certificates to Hedgehog Handworks! (Update, 2017: Hedgehog Handworks is no longer in business, as the owner has retired…)

Hedgehog Handworks Gift Certificate

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Hand Embroidery: Lessons from the Past

 

At the dawn of the 1900’s, the companies that manufactured embroidery silk (known as filo and floss silks) published little manuals of instruction in hand embroidery that were also meant to be marketing tools.

Society Silk Embroidery Catalog and Instructions

One such company was the Brainerd & Armstrong Company out of New London, Connecticut. In 1899, they published a 140+ page instructional booklet called Embroidery Lessons with Colored Studies. It’s a fantastic little piece of embroidery history, focusing on Society (or Art) Silk Embroidery. I happen to have a copy of it, and when thumbing through it the other day, I found myself here and there chuckling, often nodding in agreement, and finally wondering why I hadn’t read through the whole book before. Continue reading “Hand Embroidery: Lessons from the Past”

A Frame Job – the Goldwork Pomegranate

 

Do you do your own framing on your needlework projects? Admittedly, I rarely do. For small projects, I sometimes do (like the embroidered flowers and bird I framed in this tutorial on framing needlework). But on larger projects, and especially on special embroidery projects that required expensive materials and lots of time, I prefer to turn my work over to professional framers. So that’s what I did with the Goldwork Pomegranate, and this is what I got back from the framer:

Goldwork Pomegranate Framed

Would you be surprised if I told you that many of the projects I embroider never get framed or finished? Continue reading “A Frame Job – the Goldwork Pomegranate”

The Blackwork Fish Is Coming Along Swimmingly!

 

You’d think that, with all the “time off” from blogging, I would have finished the Blackwork Fish by now! Alas, it is not the case! Still, the embroidery on this fishy fellow has come along fairly well. I’ve finished the body, the tail, and a bit of fin.

What I liked best about this project up to the point of starting the tail was the diversity of stitches. Embroidering the body of the fish was fun, regardless of stitching solely in black for a relatively long time.

Blackwork Embroidery Fish in Progress

I found myself getting pretty excited as I approached the last few inches of filling down by the tail, Continue reading “The Blackwork Fish Is Coming Along Swimmingly!”

Welcome to the New Needle ‘n Thread!

 

I’ve been dying to write this post for a long, long time – before I even knew what the new Needle ‘n Thread would look like, and for that matter, before I knew we would even have a new Needle ‘n Thread for sure! But here it is, shiny and new, and I want to tell you a little bit about it.

But first, a final tribute to the old, so that we can remember what it looked like:

The Old Needle 'n Thread

RIP.

And now let’s get on with the new! Continue reading “Welcome to the New Needle ‘n Thread!”

Goldwork Embroidery: Pearl Purl Outlining

 

After finishing the chip work on the “petals” on the goldwork embroidery project I’m currently working on, I set about outlining the larger areas of chip work on the top petals. The method I used is really very simple, and it makes a really nice edge!

Outlining various parts of a goldwork project with a different metal thread helps not only to make the edges look neat and finished, but also helps to set off an area filled with gold. Pretty much every filled element in my goldwork projects ends up with some kind of different thread as an outline, and in this case – outlining the larger chip work areas – I’m using pearl purl.

Goldwork Embroidery: Pearl Purl
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A Crewel Weekend

 

Yesterday, I actually got to do some stitching on a wee little crewel piece (appropriate called a “small”) from Tristan Brooks Designs (Barbara Jackson is the designer behind Tristan Brooks).

Ahhh – to be snowed in is not such a bad deal!

I want to show you this piece of crewel embroidery in a bit more detail later. My intention is to compare and contrast some different wool threads available on the market, but I’ll await the sun before venturing into detail photos!

In the meantime, I’ve had a bit of fun with this piece, a tiny bit of which is shown here:

Crewel Embroidery
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Hand Embroidery: Lettering and Text Index

 

If you’re a hand embroiderer, a quilter, a textile artist, or a crafter, you’ve probably run into situations where you could add words, text, and lettering to your projects.

Hand embroidery is an excellent way to personalize gifts, household objects, momentos, quilts, journal covers – just about anything! Writing with your needle and thread can also be a lot of fun! And while I wouldn’t necessarily advise you to take class notes this way, just think of all the instances in our lives when hand embroidered words could be the perfect form of expression.

There are so many ways you can include a signature, a special quote, or just a simple word on your latest project by using hand embroidery. To help you out, I’ve put together a series of lessons on adding lettering and text to projects with embroidery stitches.

Here’s a list of the 15 tutorials that will take you through the ins and outs of stitching beautiful hand embroidered words!

Hand Embroidery Lettering and Text Tutorials on www.needlenthread.com
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