March 22, 2023

Chipping Away at Goldwork and a Workstation Rig

Time is ticking and there’s no way to stop it.

I always realize this when a deadline looms and it seems like everything is moving in the slowest of motion and there’s no noticeable progress on anything, anywhere.

Time is ticking. There is no way to stop it.

To be comfortably finished with this goldwork altar cover, we’ve got 34 days. Will we make it? I don’t know. But we’re giving it our best!

We can add five days and be finished at the Absolutely Deadline, but I’d rather say we have 34 days and keep that in my head, because I don’t want to be frantically scurrying at the Absolute Deadline. I want to be able to breathe a bit at the very end of the project.

Now, there may be no way to stop time from ticking away, but there are ways to speed up processes, to make more of your time – even if it’s just in the tiniest of ways. It all adds up!

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March 20, 2023

Boycotting the Bullion Stitch – Help!

Sometimes, certain embroidery questions pop up with more frequency in my inbox than others do. Lately, I’ve had a few questions about the bullion knot.

Several readers have expressed some frustration over the stitch, and after a recent exchange with a very determined beginner, I decided to write about it here, in case others are facing similar frustrations.

I’m here to tell you today that you don’t have to use bullion knots! The bullion stitch is a lovely stitch, but if you’re a beginner and the stitch is putting you completely off embroidery, don’t use it! Substitute other stitches, and as your confidence grows, tackle the bullion later (if you want).

This very determined beginner told me quite bluntly, I’m boycotting the bullion stitch forever. I hate it! Can you suggest other stitches I can use on [the name of a project by a specific designer – she also attached a picture] in place of bullion stitches? Sincerely, Bummed by Bullions

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March 16, 2023

Little Blooms! The Materials Kit is Available!

Today’s the day!! Hip hip hurray!

Today, we launch the materials kit for Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse – the first Stitch Snippets stitch-along project for 2023! I’m so excited to get this project underway!

In Monday’s preview, which you can read here, I explained how the Stitch Snippets stitch-alongs work and what you can expect as we progress through the project together.

Today, besides letting you know that the materials kit is now available here in the shop, I’ll give you the details about what’s in the kit, what supplies you’ll need to complete the project, and a little bit about substitutions for those who want to make the project but can’t get the kit.

We’ll also chat about some timing details, so you can anticipate the beginning of the project.

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March 13, 2023

Preview! Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse

Welcome to the official preview of our first Stitch Snippet stitch along project for 2023. It almost feels as if the year is halfway over, but I like to think we slipped under the wire before the absolute end of the first quarter!

Stitch Snippets is an ever-developing series of stitch-along projects available here on Needle ‘n Thread for free. In each stitch-along, we embroider and finish small projects into items that are useful, decorative, or both.

In 2022, we were able to work through four Stitch Snippets together: Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Cotton Quartet Tool Wallet, Autumn Fire, and Christmas Tree Ornament.

This year, we’re going to start the series by embroidering and constructing a small snap purse – a little case that you can slip into a handbag, your pocket, or wherever you want it, and in which you can stow small things, from cash to ear buds to your lucky paperclip to you-name-it!

Here’s a little introduction to the first Stitch Snippet of the year and what you can expect.

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March 10, 2023

Drizzling & Parfilage – Goldwork in Reverse

My sister’s pajama pants are made from fabric that has a metallic thread running through it.

The other day she confessed that she finds it addicting to pick out the metallic thread. She carefully picks, breaks, and pulls out the metallic threads, bit by bit, when she’s wearing those particular pj’s. And she likes doing it!

This cracks me up! The addiction to picking apart textiles and pulling out metallic threads is not a new thing. Unbeknownst to her, my sister belongs to a history of rather grand people who engaged in the activity known as “parfilage” (the French term) or “drizzling” (the English term).

Parfilage is the practice of picking out or removing metal threads from textiles – from fabric, from braids and laces and the like – in order to recover the metal threads either for the fun of collecting them or to sell them. The hobby was pretty popular in Europe from the 17th through the early 19th centuries. They even had fancy tool sets just for engaging in the practice!

Hand Embroidery Books

March 8, 2023

Embroidered Birds & Their Habitats

With spring coming here in Kansas, bird life is picking up exponentially as each day passes.

I like birds! I find them extraordinarily beautiful (even the plain ones) and highly amusing. Even though I’m not a devoted twitcher, I love to watch birds, and occasionally, I’ll even go to pretty good lengths to see particular birds in their natural environments.

With all this in mind, I thought that this new book, Embroidered Birds and Their Habitats by Judy Wilford, would be a good candidate to kick off a series of book reviews. It’s one in a stack of books that I’ve been planning to share with you for a while, so … here we go!

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March 6, 2023

Just Another Pic on the Wall

Last November, Needle ‘n Thread moved into our new working studio in a commercial building in downtown St. Marys, Kansas. I wrote about that here and here.

Evaluating our first four months, I’d say we’ve settled in pretty well! We’ve become much more work-efficient in this space, because we have a better layout and we have more room.

Mostly, though, I think that we work better because we’re in a working environment rather than a residential environment. It makes a Huge Difference in the mindset when coming to work, getting into the work day, and carrying through the work day with focus.

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

Chipping Away at Goldwork and a Workstation Rig

Boycotting the Bullion Stitch – Help!

Little Blooms! The Materials Kit is Available!

Preview! Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse

Drizzling & Parfilage – Goldwork in Reverse

Embroidered Birds & Their Habitats

Just Another Pic on the Wall

Connect with Mary

How-To Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos