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
Contact Mary
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
Contact Mary
October 20, 2012
Here’s a little corner leaf hand embroidery design for you! It would work well for adding just a little touch of hand embroidery to your fall kitchen and table linens, and it would also work well for card-making and similar crafts.
I like this leaf design. The swirly parts give the leaves a sense of movement – like a windy day in autumn!
October 19, 2012
This week – today, in fact – Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching is announcing her new cotton embroidery floss, available in color palettes!
October 18, 2012
Last week, we took a glance at an old fragment of goldwork and silk embroidery. As promised, we’re going to look at it a bit closer today.
October 17, 2012
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!
October 16, 2012
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.
October 15, 2012
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.
October 13, 2012
If you enjoy blackwork – or if you haven’t tried it but are keen to – here’s a wonderful online resource for an extensive collection of blackwork filling patterns – and it’s free!
