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Mary Corbet

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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

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    Over 75 Embroidery Stitch Videos to Help You Learn

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February 14, 2011

Be Linen – a Movie worth Seeing

 

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I love linen. It is my favorite fabric, hands down, for needlework. But I love it for other things, too. I love it for clothing, I love it for household goods. (Did I mention that I love linen?!)

And good linen is …. oooooh. Like nothing else for stitching on!

I think it’s good for needleworkers to know about how linen is made, and to know that All Linen is Not Created Equal. Mass-produced linen made from inferior flax and woven for upholstery, for example, is not the same as linen made from superior flax where all the growing conditions are just right for the plant, where all the production is overseen step-by-step by people who know linen, and where this quality linen is woven specifically for needlework.

Be Linen, the Movie
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Uncategorized

February 12, 2011

15-Minute Miniature Stitching Cluny Thingamabob Update

 

This morning, Title Creativity is out the window! After ten minutes of staring at the computer screen hoping an ingenious title for this post would simply emerge from somewhere… “thingamabob” crept in, and I knew it was going to be One of Those Saturdays.

Here’s a quick update on my miniature Cluny piece, which is a kit from MicroStitchery. This past week has been riddled with 15-minute bursts of stitching on the miniature Cluny piece, and overall, the progress isn’t too bad.

Update, 2018: While MicroStitchery is still online, they are no longer honoring orders. I have heard from many folks who have placed orders with them, but have never received the orders and had to apply to PayPal for a refund. I’ve tried to contact Joy, the lady who took over the business, but with no luck. Just a word of caution, for those looking for miniature tapestries.

Miniature Stitching on Cluny tapestry embroidery project
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Hand Embroidery Patterns

February 11, 2011

Counted Thread Bird Border

 

Here’s a remake of a bird border from an old German needlework book, published in the late 1800’s. One of my students came across it in a stack of books I brought into class, and was interested in working it. Unfortunately, the diagram in the book is not really “readable” – it’s small, it’s hand-drawn and it doesn’t photocopy well. So I said I’d play with it to see if I could come up with a cleaner version.

When the pattern was finally finished, I thought the results were worth sharing with you, in case you can find a use for it, too!

Counted Cross Stitch Bird Border
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Uncategorized

February 10, 2011

Wool Embroidery: Padded Satin Stitch on the Pomegranate

 

Progress! It’s slow, but it’s something! Yesterday, I had a bit of time to work on the Pomegranate Corners wool embroidery project, and instead of tackling more leaves, I thought I’d brighten up the chilly day by stitching with some red. I moved on to the pomegranate with eagerness. It’s the only element in the whole project that I knew exactly how I wanted to stitch, before the project was even underway.

The design itself sets the pomegranate up as a rather stripped affair, and I want to keep that striped look. So, starting in the middle and working outwards, every other section will be worked with padded satin stitch.

Wool Embroidery Project: Pomegranate Corners with satin stitch
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Hand Embroidery Books

February 8, 2011

Book Review: More William Morris Applique

 

Michele Hill and Country Bumpkin have teamed up again to produce a sequel to Michele’s first William Morris appliqué book: More William Morris Appliqué. Though I’m not a quilter (more from lack of time rather than lack of desire!), I’m a huge Appreciator of Quilts. I love them! And this book has a few things to it that really recommends it to my liking: 1. It’s William Morris-related, with whom I tend to border on obsessed; 2. The subject leans towards a very heavy embroidery influence, and there’s definitely scope for embroidery here; and 3. Wow. There are some Really Beautiful quilting projects in here.

I know that many needleworkers are quilters, too, so I’m going to review More William Morris in Appliqué for those of you who are quilters and might be interested in adding the book to your library, and also for those of you who, like me, like Morris.

More William Morris Applique Book Review
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