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 28, 2011
Last summer, I had the pleasure of spending some time looking into Lefkara lace, which is a cutwork, drawn thread, and hand embroidered lace originating from Cyprus. You’ll find three previous articles here on Needle ‘n Thread about Lefkara lace: Lefkara Lace from Cyprus, More Lefkara Lace and Resources, and Lefkara Lace Up Close, if you’re interested in reading a little bit about it.
May 27, 2011
Pat Young wrote me a little note as I was nearing the completion of the Cluny miniature embroidery project, and told me about a needlepoint project that she began way back in the early 1990’s and had not finished. She tenaciously decided that she would finish it this year, and set about doing just that, tackling a little bit at a time, much in the manner of my 15-minute stitching philosophy (even if you only stitch 15 minutes here and there, you can make progress on a project).
Well, Pat finished ahead of her set deadline, and she sent a photo of the finished piece. And wow. Talk about tenacious! Here it is, and a little bit about it:
May 26, 2011
One of my summer projects is to make up color cards for different embroidery thread sets that I have – or sort of have – or want to have…..
May 25, 2011
Here’s another hand embroidery pattern from Lilly’s Legacy. Like the “Hearts for Whitework” pattern posted in April, this one is painted simply in black. This particular style of pattern was apparently intended by Lilly to be a whitework embroidery pattern.
Like many of the other Hungarian embroidery patterns in this series so far, this one lends itself to all kinds of possibilities in other craft areas, including appliqués, paper and wood crafts, and so forth. For embroidery, though, the oblong nature of this design suggests a table runner to me.
May 24, 2011
After finishing the Cluny piece up last week, I sifted through a few other pieces of needlework I want to finish up and … ahem. Well, not to sound insulting… but I want to get them over with and out of the way! Makes it sound like I’m trying to plow through an Unpleasant Task, doesn’t it?
It’s not the case at all… not really! If they were Unpleasant Tasks, I’m pretty sure I could justify not doing them at all. (I’m really good at that!)
But they are Loose Ends, and I want to tie them up while I’m organizing my Knuckle-Into-Summer List. That’s the list of Big Things I want to do this summer. And I’m more likely to knuckle into those big things, if I have some little things finished and out of the way.
May 23, 2011
When talking pins and needles on a needlework blog written near the end of the school year by a teacher, I guess we could approach the subject two ways: metaphorically or literally. Metaphorically, I’m in the same state as most students at this time of year: a bright cloud of anticipation is hovering over me as we get closer to The End. But in every end, there’s a beginning, and in my case, the beginning of the summer signals a time for fulfilling all those solid plans and even wispy daydreams of the Creative. So, yep, I’m on pins and needles in that regard, kind of floating in a state of suspension while struggling to remain very focused on my job.
Literally, though, let’s talk pins and needles – you know, real pins and needles. The-tools-of-the-trade pins and needles. You know the kind!
May 21, 2011
Lilly’s Legacy of Hungarian hand embroidery patterns continues, with this combination of hearts and tulips in a medallion-shaped design suitable for embroidered cushions and household linens. Besides hand embroidery, the design is perfect for quilt appliqué, paper crafts, toll painting and stenciling, and myriad other applications limited only by your imagination!
