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Mary Corbet

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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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    Over 75 Embroidery Stitch Videos to Help You Learn

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Hand Embroidery Patterns

April 8, 2013

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Stylized Flower Inspired by Lace

 

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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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Hand Embroidery Patterns

March 31, 2013

Happy Easter – and a Free Pattern!

 

Happy Easter, everyone!

I wanted to show you a nice display of my embroidered eggs this morning, but in fact, I didn’t finish them after all. Life is sometimes like that!

Instead, I’ll share with you (again) this beautiful example of Pysanky (Ukrainian dyed Easter eggs), with an embroidered Ukrainian cloth in cross stitch, along with a pattern for my version of the cloth.

Ukrainian Easter Eggs
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