November 25, 2010
November 24, 2010
Goldwork Ribbon – A Pretty Find
It is true. I’m a sucker for goldwork. And while I love to do it myself, I also like to find other textiles embellished in goldwork. When very fine goldwork is involved, most textiles embellished with it are beyond my pocketbook, but when I come across a small piece hither and yon, I am just twitterpated enough with goldwork to pocket it. Or, in this case, to buy it.
This past weekend, I was hanging around Kansas City waiting for a flight to arrive, and, as usual, I couldn’t resist I stopping in at Florilegium (in Parkville), which happens to be the same shop where I picked up the Frog Concert button a while ago. And while there, I noticed, up high on a shelf, a couple spools of ribbon spilling over the edge. They were gauzy, and embellished with goldwork, beads, and sequins.
And, as usual when I go into this shop (which I am determined to avoid for the next year because this happens every time I go there!), I’m sure it was whispering to me from on high!
November 23, 2010
Braid Stitch Video Tutorial – aka Cable Plait Stitch
Here’s a video tutorial for the Braid Stitch, which is also known as the Cable Plait Stitch. I used the stitch recently in the felt and floche piece I was stitching, and received a heap of questions about it – more so, I think, than any stitch I’ve ever shown here on Needle ‘n Thread! The pink line in the photo below is the braid stitch:
November 22, 2010
Rouge du Rhin Embroidery Kit – Quick Christmas Stitching!
Did you plan on stitching some gifts for Christmas this year, and do you find yourself running out of time? Well, Rouge du Rhin has a solution, in their embroider-what-you-want kits. Sounds a bit bizarre, I know, but let me show you what I mean! I think this is kind of a neat idea for making a personalized embroidered gift that’s already half-way there.
November 21, 2010
The Dublin Craftlite Magnifier-Light Combo: Review
Yesterday, I mentioned that new phase of life, wherein eyesight just isn’t what it used to be! And this can really affect the pleasure we get out of doing our needlework. Having reluctantly entered this phase of life, I recently purchased a Craftlite “Dublin” magnifier-light combination, so I thought I’d give you an in-depth review of it.
November 20, 2010
Embroidery and Eyesight – Magnifier Lights are Magnificent!
If you enjoy needlework and you spend a lot of time at it, you know the value of taking care of your eyes, right? I’m going to talk to you today, very candidly, about a sore spot of mine. I’m going to be open and honest. I’m going to talk about…. *gulp* ….
….. my magnifier light.
November 19, 2010
Felt & Floche – Embroidery to Nowhere
It’s true. All the things I Should Be Doing as far as embroidery is concerned, I’m Not Doing. Not a rebellious streak here, not negligence, not lack of motivation. Just the simple, everyday problem of priorities! Work is keeping me busy. And it’s a busy time of year! So if I get to any “real” needlework at all the in the next week, I’ll be doggone surprised.
But in the meantime, the Felt & Floche Embroidered Chaos I started a couple weeks ago has served a really good purpose. Because it’s uncomplicated, because it involves only a needle, a little bag of random thread (in this case, a hodge-podge of loose floche in a ziplock), and a piece of felt – no hoops, no tools, no frame, no stand, no pattern, no instructions, no books, nothing beyond the basics – I can leave it out and grab it in an instant. It is “simplified” needlework. And this type of year, methinks it is good to simplify.
