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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Jacobean Jumble – A Stitch Fun Sampler Pattern

 

Amazon Books

Lately in the Stitch Fun series, I’ve been playing with lattice stitch variations and whipped and laced stitch variations. When playing with filling or line stitches (as opposed to individual elements, like the raised spider daisy), I like to have some kind of pattern or drawing to “play” in.

Think of the pattern as a sandbox. It’s nice to have something to contain all the sand – to keep it from spilling about and getting too messy – but you still have plenty of scope inside the sandbox for creative play. That’s pretty much how I approach patterns like the Jacobean Jumble.

Jacobean Jumble embroidery pattern
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Spiral Eye Needles, Revisited

 

For stitchers who find it difficult to get their thread into the tiny eye of the needle, there are solutions to this difficulty! If you have a hard time threading your needles, don’t let this prevent you from indulging in embroidery. The trick is to find a solution that works for you and helps you overcome the difficulty once and for all.

When it comes to tools to help you thread your needles, there are plenty of different needle threaders available on the market. But sometimes, keeping track of another little tool – and one that can be awkward to use – may not be your idea of an ideal solution.

So here’s another option – the Spiral Eye Needle.

Spiral Eye Needles
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Stitch Fun: A Little More Lattice Filling

 

I’m overlapping my Stitch Fun articles these days, playing back and forth between lattice fillings (like the Griffin stitch and these lattice variations with French knots) and lacing and whipping various embroidery stitches.

Working on a very strange looking sampler pattern that I’m calling Jacobean Jumble, I’ve been embroidering different Stitch Fun stitch combinations and varieties onto the sampler. With a sampler that is made up of shapes rather than lines, you can especially see how filling stitches like these lattice variations can work on your own projects.

Lattice Filling Stitches on an Embroidery Sampler
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Stitch Fun: Lacing and Whipping Embroidery Stitches

 

Did you know you can completely change the look and the function of an embroidery stitch by either lacing it or whipping around it with another thread? Well, you can! There are all kinds of embroidery stitches that can either laced or whipped, and the effects you can achieve with the stitches vary, depending on what type of thread you use, what colors you choose, and so forth.

So let’s play with some stitches and have a bit of fun with lacing and whipping. Then, next time you’re dabbling about with your embroidery stitches, try these techniques out to see what new combinations you can come up with!

Laced and Whipped Embroidery Stitches
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Beautiful Needlework Tools

 

When we really get into any hobby, art, or craft – when it becomes a significant part of our lives – the tendency to accessorize becomes part of the the whole experience.

That’s not to say that we can’t dabble in our hobbies or delve into our arts and crafts without tools and accessories, but if it’s true that the right tool makes a job easier, then isn’t it also true that the right tool that happens to be beautiful can add another degree of pleasure to the pursuit?

Laying Tools by JR Crafter
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