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
November 23, 2012
Remember Blissful Beginnings: Embroidered Blankets to Cherish? I reviewed this beautiful book of embroidered blankets earlier this month – and now, thanks to Country Bumpkin, I’m giving away two copies!
November 22, 2012
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the US!
In honor of the day, I’ve resurrected the Textile Turkey.
November 21, 2012
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…
November 20, 2012
Moving right along on the Hungarian Redwork Runner project, this is the final step before stitching begins!
After preparing the linen and basting in layout guides, I was finally ready to transfer the pattern – an ordeal that ended up being much easier than I first envisioned.
This is how I did it:
November 19, 2012
Four years ago, I hand embroidered all my Christmas cards. Embroidery on paper is a great way to make cards that are unique, fun, and more like a gift than a card.
November 17, 2012
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.
November 16, 2012
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.
