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, 2011
Yesterday afternoon, the “Ask & Share” section here on Needle ‘n Thread went live!
2016 Update: The Ask & Share Section on Needle ‘n Thread is view only now. You’re welcome to browse through it, but it is no longer functioning as an active forum.
I’d like to give you a little overview of this new site feature, so you can see how to use it and what it can do for you.
June 20, 2011
This summer, contrary to all previous plans and imagined agendas, I’ll be teaching an ecclesiastical embroidery class twice a week. I shouldn’t really call it a class. It involves one person, to whom I couldn’t say no. I’m glad of it – even though I hadn’t intended to teach at all this summer, a regularly scheduled meeting time twice a week is a great mainstay when it comes to keeping a structured schedule. So, I succumbed, and the first step in preparation for the class was the design process.
Before entering that process, I considered a few things: 1. What does the student already know? 2. What does the student want to learn? 3. What is reasonably achievable in the time that we have? 4. What are the various approaches we can take to reach our goals? 5. Of those approaches, which makes the most sense?
Next, I dug out my Ecclesiastical Stuff box.
June 17, 2011
The last couple days, I’ve shown the beautiful goldwork & pearl and beadwork frames embroidered by Larissa Borodich. Well, for the fun of it, today, let’s look at the artwork she framed.
Yep, I thought they were paintings or prints. Didn’t you? And surrounded by the sumptuous embroidered matting, I didn’t look that closely at the images themselves. Did you?
But when I started cropping the photos in Photoshop, I zoomed in on one of them. I couldn’t tell for sure what I was looking at: was the picture just slightly grainy? And then it occurred to me! So I whipped off an e-mail and got a response, with a few more photos. Here they are:
June 16, 2011
Yesterday, I showed you some stunning beadwork embroidery worked by Larissa Borodich, and today, I’ll show you another gorgeous piece she did, worked with gold threads and natural freshwater pearls. I’ll also tell you a little bit about Larissa’s technique.
And then…. and then…. later on, I’ll tell you something else. Something incredible about the pieces that I’m showing you… but I want to see if you can guess the last detail!
June 15, 2011
Today, I’m going to share with you some photos that were sent to me by Anna at Talliaferro, who just knew that I would love seeing these pieces.
Prepare to be inspired!
June 14, 2011
Thumbing through the latest issue of Needle Arts Magazine (the EGA’s official quarterly publication), I fell into a reverie on all sorts of subjects related to the needleworker’s dedication to the pursuit of All Things Needle.
The cover started me off:
June 13, 2011
Last week, after reviewing Autopsy of the Montenegrin Stitch: Exhumed by Amy Mitten, we had a little give-away for the book, and today, the winner is announced!
