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
June 21, 2012
The Basque stitch is a hand embroidery stitch perfect for working lines, curves, flowers, and borders.
You can think of the Basque stitch as a combination of twisted chain stitch and buttonhole stitch, upside down.
June 20, 2012
Barbara Suess’s new book, Temari Techniques: A Visual Guide to Making Japanese Embroidered Thread Balls is out, and is it a beauty! If you are familiar with temari and fascinated by the art, this is definitely a book for you! I’ve gone a few rounds with temari myself – I made this temari ball for my niece, for example – but I’ve always wanted to venture further with the it. And now, I think I definitely will! Barbara Suess’s book is inspiring!
June 19, 2012
Today’s video tutorial is on the Pekinese stitch. This is a composite stitch that starts with a backstitch line. A second thread is then looped behind the backstitches.
June 18, 2012
No, no. We’re not talking about stitching with mirrors involved – as in Shisha embroidery (though I do have a Stitch Play coming up on that!). Here, I’m using “mirror” as a verb.
Today, I’m suggesting that you play around with your stitches by mirroring them. That is, work them opposite each other.
June 17, 2012
The up & down buttonhole stitch is a variation on regular buttonhole or blanket stitch. Up & down buttonhole creates a scalloped-looking line of buttonhole stitches, with two stitches tied together and locked down with a loop.
June 16, 2012
We have a winner for the Portuguese Whitework book give-away that was announced earlier this week!
June 15, 2012
The open chain stitch works well on lines, curves, and circles. It creates a square-looking stitch if space is left between the individual stitches, but you can also close up the open space between the stitches, to create a more solid-looking line.
