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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Murder & Mayhem, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and Overdyed Linen

 

Amazon Books

Well, I have a piece of linen that came to me from origin unknown. It’s a Mystery!

I like mysteries. I’m pretty sure this one involves murder and mayhem, based on the piece of linen.

I’m curious about the linen and what people think of it. And apparently, so is the original owner of it.

I have a feeling I’m going to be sticking my neck Way Out and ruffling some feathers here. It’s not my intention.

Let me clarify: I don’t know everything going on in the needlework world. So if this is some big project out there, social media thing, mystery stitch-along, or what-have-you, well… beats me. I don’t know all the details!

But I can give some thoughts that occurred to me about the linen, since that’s what I was asked to do.

And since the question of using overdyed linen comes up a lot in my inbox, I figure I might as well take the opportunity to write about it. I’m going to do that in a meandering way, so bear with me! There’s a point in here somewhere.

Overdyed Linen questions
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Goldwork Inspiration

 

Goldwork has been much on my mind lately, as we continue to work our way through the lettering on this major goldwork project that’s been underway here at Needle ‘n Thread since last summer.

Our time is running out. April is coming. And yet, we can’t seem to find more time! So we’re a little under the proverbial gun here, and I’m starting to feel a bit sweaty-in-the-palms about it.

I’ve been on the hunt for fringe that will finish off the edge of the cloth the letters are going on. And while searching for the fringe, I took a good look at the blog of Sebastián Marchante Gambero, a goldwork embroidery workshop in Spain which features gorgeous ecclesiastical goldwork.

Sebastian Marchante-Gambero-goldwork-embroidery
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Answering Common Questions about Floche & Other Threads

 

Here on Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve talked a lot about cotton floche, because it’s an embroidery thread I really love.

A lot of people aren’t familiar with floche, and newcomers to our little community here may not have had the opportunity to learn about it or see what it can do as a unique embroidery thread.

I’d like to highlight some details about floche and answer the most common questions about the thread. I’ll be linking you to previous articles that will take you into further depth, if you’d like to know more. If you’ve been around here a while, this will be a little refresher, and if you’re new, it may open up a whole new world of thread for you!

Cotton Floche Embroidery Thread
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Problem Solving for Stitchers: Needles without Nickel

 

When it comes to embroidery, it would be nice if all the supplies, all the tools, all the fibers, all the fabrics, all the lights, all the stitching aids, all the *everything* that we like and use with our needlework were universally usable for every single person, no matter what.

Often, it’s simply not the case. Allergies, sensitivities, physical difficulties with vision, with motor skills, and more – all of these things can hinder the pursuit of needlework.

Sometimes, many who love embroidery, who find happiness, a sense of calm, relaxation, or alleviation of stress with needle and thread, end up giving it up altogether because of some hinderance that is hard to overcome.

They lose something beautiful in their lives.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if they were able to find solutions to their difficulties, that would keep them stitching?

These are topics I’d like to address more frequently on Needle ‘n Thread. I would love to hear from fellow stitchers who either have a solution to a specific hardship that would have kept them from stitching, or from folks who are looking for a solution to some difficulty that’s keeping them from stitching.

I think it’s important to address these challenges and to share the solutions to them! And we can do this best when we all put our heads together! Please feel free to contact me if you have some experience and input on the topic!

Needles without Nickel
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Stitch Snippets, 2023: The First Adventure

 

Happy Friday!

To whet your appetite for upcoming projects on Needle ‘n Thread, this morning I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at our first Stitch Snippets adventure for 2023, and introduce newcomers to the concept of the Stitch Snippet Series here on Needle ‘n Thread.

I’ve had a lot of feedback from last year’s series, and it seems that participants really enjoyed it! I’ve also had some constructive feedback that I very much appreciate!

Floche for a Stitch Snippet
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