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Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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  • How-To
    Videos

    Over 75 Embroidery Stitch Videos to Help You Learn

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    A Collection of Instructional Articles

 
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April 9, 2013

Mission Rose Embroidery Project: Ground Fabric!

 

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Well, isn’t it about time? I finally have a full-fledged embroidery project underway, and I can’t wait to share updates, tips, techniques, mistakes, divergences, and so forth with you again. I always have Much More Fun with my embroidery when I journey through a project with you!

Let’s talk about ground fabric, shall we? Besides coming up with the embroidery design and a general idea of colors and threads, ground fabric is my First Big Consideration when starting a project.

Mission Rose Embroidery Project: Silk & Goldwork
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Hand Embroidery Patterns

April 8, 2013

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Stylized Flower Inspired by Lace

 

Browsing through a copy of Élizabeth-Félicie Bayle-Mouillard’s Nouveau Manuel Complet de la Broderie (1840) – thanks to the direction of a kind reader who pointed out the book! – I came across a page of motifs intended for embroidery on a net ground.

I liked this one, so I made a few very minor adjustments to make it embroidery-friendly, with goldwork in mind. I think it’d make a great little design for a beginner goldwork project! But it would also work well for all sorts of embroidery – whitework, regular surface work, you name it.

And, since it’s been a long time since I’ve posted a free hand embroidery pattern on Needle ‘n Thread, I figured it was about time to do so.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern - Stylized Flower Inspired by Lace
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April 5, 2013

Stitch Fun: Embroidering a Thick Stem or Branch – Simple, but Effective

 

In embroidery, thick stems and branches often get the same treatment: filled with stem stitch, filled with chain stitch, sometimes satin stitched, maybe a little texture added with knots and so forth. And all these techniques work great!

Here’s another option, though, that can supply a little bit of color depth and a little bit of texture, without a whole lot of complex effort. It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s quick. It would work great in crewel embroidery, in regular surface embroidery, with different types of threads – you can mix it up and play with it and come up with all different looks to it. But it really is just one simple stitch: whipped chain stitch.

Whipped Chain Stitch stem
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April 4, 2013

Hungarian Redwork Runner: Slow Progress… & Mind Games!

 

I haven’t abandoned the Hungarian Redwork Runner – it’s just been a while since I’ve had a chance to pick it up and do much with it!

This embroidery project, worked from this embroidery design, is my grab-and-go, 15-minute project for right now.

Now, by a “15-minute project” I don’t really mean it will only take 15 minutes to complete. (If only…!) Instead, I mean it’s a project perfect for 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there.

Hungarian Redwork Embroidery - Table Runner
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April 3, 2013

To Pin or Not to Pin: Why I Use Pinterest & Love It!

 

I’d like to open up a discussion about Pinterest, the visual social network that created a lot of controversy in the arts & crafts (and especially needle crafts) blogosphere when it first started up, and that still has its adamant advocates and staunch opponents.

Since there are quite a few needleworkers out there using Pinterest, I think it’s a worthwhile topic to discuss, and I’d love to hear your opinion about it.

Lately, too, I’ve received some well-meaning, but horrified, e-mails, informing me that they saw a photo from my website on Pinterest. I had to write back and assure my friends that it’s ok. I actually like Pinterest, and I use it a lot, and sometimes (between you and me), I even post my own photos on there!

Needle 'n Thread on Pinterest
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April 2, 2013

Stitch Fun: On the Edge with Palestrina Stitch

 

The whole idea of Stitch Fun is to explore some of the more obscures stitches or to explore more obscure – but fun! – ways of using common stitches.

Today’s Stitch Fun is a more obscure way of using a fairly well-known stitch, the Palestrina stitch.

Palestrina stitch is one of my all-time favorite embroidery stitches. It creates an interesting line with texture to it, thanks to the knots formed by the stitch. It’s also lots of fun to work. It’s got a great “stitch rhythm,” and once you get going with it, it works up quickly into a really attractive line.

If you haven’t added Palestrina stitch to your embroidery repertoire, I encourage you to try it out! For even more fun and more texture, you can even try beaded Palestrina stitch.

Palestrina Stitch Edging
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