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
May 20, 2011
When I think “scraps,” the last thing that comes to mind is goldwork embroidery on velvet. But I’m not sure what else to call this! It’s a remnant, certainly – the remains of something never quite finished, and then apparently somehow damaged… it’s more than a scrap, though less than whole. But it’s still neat to look at and wonder!
May 19, 2011
Yesterday, I finished the miniature stitching project I’ve been working on for the past five months! So here are a couple shots of the finished project, and a little information about it.
May 18, 2011
Hand embroidery does not have to be complicated in order to be effective.
Take, for example, the under-rated, under-estimated, under-valued, plain-old-every-day straight stitch.
The straight stitch is exactly what it sounds like: a straight stitch. It is the most basic stitch. You bring your needle up in the fabric at some point, and you take it down at another point, pull your thread through, and voilá! You have a straight stitch.
You can’t get more basic than that!
May 17, 2011
By Thursday of this week, I’ll show you the finish on the miniature stitching project that I’ve been working on … Continue reading Cluny Countdown – the Blues Begin
May 16, 2011
Several months ago, I was offered one of those deals I couldn’t pass up. A fellow needleworker had purchased in bulk a massive quantity of magazines from some source, because she wanted to acquire certain issues of a different magazine (hm… is that confusing?) Anyway, she had to buy this whole quantity of magazines, in order to get the magazines she was actually after.
Once she sorted through her acquisition of hundreds of back issues of various magazines (some 200+), she grouped together the leftovers, which included all of Inspirations issues 1-25, plus numerous back issues of Piecework and other needlework related magazines. And I bought them!
May 14, 2011
Here’s another Hungarian embroidery pattern for you! You can pair this one up with the Floral Square embroidery pattern I posted earlier. It’s not an exact “match” but I like the same style on the borders and the similar dots on the patterns. I could see both of them being used to make matching embroidered linens for end tables, or a matching setting of pillows, or something like that. With the blues and the touch of purple in some of the dots, you can see that Lilly’s choice of colors for this design is a little different from the colors in the Floral Square design, but of course, as with any embroidery design like this, you can work the colors out according to your own preferences.
May 13, 2011
Are you familiar with turkey work? Turkey work, also known as ghiordes knot, is an embroidery technique that can be used to created a fluffy piled clump (for lack of a better word!) anywhere you want one on your embroidery. The technique is used a lot in stumpwork, but it can also be used in other needlework techniques. Turkey work makes great squirrel tails! Like this one, stitched by my sister:
