About

Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

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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On Silk Threads and Blogging

 

Amazon Books

Silk Embroidery Threads and Blogging don’t seem to have much in common, do they? Well, to me, they do. I’m nearly addicted to silk embroidery threads, and blogging is a very big part of my life! The greatest thing about writing Needle ‘n Thread is the people I’ve “met” through the website – readers who have written with questions, fellow bloggers who have shared experiences and helped me out, and long-distance friends who share with me a love of stitching. It’s nice, you know!

Well, not very long ago, I ran a series of articles on Needle ‘n Thread by Kathy Andrews, featuring a few aspects of her Spring in Italy. I was really touched when Kathy sent me a little “thank you,” especially when she’s the one who helped me!

Pearsall's Filoselle
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Gold Silk on White Linen – It’s Coming Along!

 

Off and on this week, I’ve been able to spend some time in the afternoons out in the “studio” getting some stitching done on this hand embroidered pall that I’m trying to finish. Working out there in the afternoons is terrific! I’d almost forgotten how much more a person can get done when working in a “dedicated” space. It’s cool and quiet, with few interruptions… except for Emma.

Two of my nieces have been working out there with me – Anna is working on the first pall that I set up and Emma, who’s now 9, is working on a stamped pillow case. Emma is prone to knots. So every six minutes, practically on the dot, she says, “Ooooooooh. Another knot!”

Guess who the Official Knot Remover is? Riiiiiight!

Still, the pall is coming along!

Hand Embroidered Pall
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SPOOL! Look What’s Coming!

 

I’ve discussed before the needlework magazines that I subscribe to – and there are really only a few: Inspirations, Sampler & Antique Quarterly, (sometimes) Piecework, and (sometimes) a French Mains et Merveilles magazine. The first two are “always,” the latter two have been off and on.

And all those needlework magazines are good. They provide projects, history, techniques, and all sorts of stuff that help me learn, understand, and have better insight into all kinds of needlework, past and present.

But there’s a new magazine coming out this fall – and it’s not entirely your typical needlework magazine. I have found my curiosity piqued. What the heck is Spool all about? If nothing else (and I’m hoping it’ll be a lot else), it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Spool Quarterly Magazine
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Remember the Fish!

 

‘Struth! I have got to get this blackwork fish FINished! And with that in mind, here and there over the past week – 15 minutes here, 10 minutes there, even an hour hither and yon, I set about to make some progress.

Actually, I set about to finish it, but I didn’t make it that far!

When last we left the blackwork fish, he was just barely afloat, looking like this:

Blackwork Fish
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Stumpwork – the Temptation is Strong!

 

Did you know that Jane Nicholas’s new Tiles book is out? And along with it, lots and lots of kits? Oooooh. The temptation is strong, let me tell you! The other night, I was perusing her kits from the new book, and adding the ones I really like to the shopping cart.

It was midnight. I was tired. My will was weak.

I added one kit after another. I was throwing caution to the wind! After all, why not? I’d do them… eventually.

And it was midnight. And I was tired. And my will was weak.

Jane Nicholas Stumpwork Tiles
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