March 4, 2022

Oh, the Guilty Pleasure of Stitching What You Want

You might find it hard to believe that there are times when I feel guilty about embroidering. Weird, huh? Especially considering I do it for a living!

There is a certain guilty pleasure in stitching what you want to stitch, when you know you should be stitching what you need to stitch, when you stitch for a living.

Do you remember, growing up, your parents explaining to you the difference between a want and a need? I’ve always tried to keep the difference in mind when I prioritize things.

But sometimes… sometimes… you just have to capitulate to the guilty pleasure of want as opposed to need. And this week, even though I needed to get some other stitching accomplished, I really wanted to get this thing started.

And so I did!

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March 2, 2022

The Well-Laced Slate Frame Wins

After we chatted last week about slate frames, tensioners, and the like, I thought I’d revisit the topic today after making adjustments and playing around further with slate frames all week.

Just like Bach and his well-tempered claviers (which I happen to be listening to as we speak), I say you can’t go wrong with a well-laced slate frame.

And that point is pretty much the upshot of this week’s toying about. But! There’s more to it than just that.

For those of you exploring framing options, slate frames and their tension is a topic worth pursuing a little more, think. There were some questions that rolled in last week – and some ongoing discussion back and forth with some readers on the topic of frame tension – so I thought I’d bring up the questions and some of the points that were discussed.

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

February 28, 2022

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Supply Information

At long last, I’ve lassoed the supply list for the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion project and, after a bit of a struggle, fought it to the ground.

Below, you’ll find the supplies I used on the sample version of the pincushion and on the various in-progress sections that you’ve seen along the way. I’ll include substitutions that I had to track down for some parts, and a few suggestions for other possibilities.

I do have more supply kits coming out, and I’ll try to keep at least some stocked on the website after the initial demand is met. At this point, much depends on supply availability.

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion Supply Information

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February 25, 2022

Tying Up this Week’s Loose Ends

Gosh, there are loads of loose ends this week, so I’m going to tie them up here today! Mostly, this is just website news and some other tidbits.

First, if you ordered Jo Butcher’s new book, Where Meadows and Gardens Grow, you are not going to be disappointed! Wow! Such a beautiful book!

where meadows and gardens grow embroidery book

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February 23, 2022

Slate Frame, Tension, and Tidbits

Today, we’re not really chatting about embroidery on the cutwork project we’ve been discussing lately. Instead, we’re going to go on a little detour.

I often find myself meandering into diverging paths, away from embroidery, when I’m trying to figure out solutions for tools, work station set-up, and the like for larger projects.

Oh, who am I kidding? Not just for larger projects – for any projects! I like the tool side of embroidery, I admit it. And given the opportunity, I will explore toolish ideas like a dedicated hound dog, if my interest is piqued and I think there’s value to the tool or it offers a unique or efficient solution.

I’m not into tools that are beautiful but completely impractical. I like tools that do their job well, and if they can be beautiful to boot, well, that’s just icing on the cake! When it comes to tools, I love nothing better than those that are both practical and beautiful.

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February 21, 2022

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Little Floss Flowers

Today’s lesson for the Bee-Jeweled Pincushion is rather short and sweet!

The longest stretch of stitching on this project is in the next lesson, where we tackle the bead embroidery. Oooooh, fun! I love sewing on beads!

But in the meantime, you’ll want to get all the floss embroidery finished. I always try to leave bead embellishment on any particular area on a project for the last, because it’s sometimes a pain in the neck to embroider with floss around beads. The floss can catch on the beads, and I always figure why put up with those little frustrations that slow you down while you’re stitching?

So today, I’ll tell you how to stitch these very very very simple little floss flowers across your flower line.

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February 18, 2022

Stitchy Bits and Kits and Books, Oh My!

Lots of little loose ends to tie up today here in the studio and on the website. Bear with me! It’s been a crazy, wild ride this week and last on this end of the stick. Golly!

But first, today, I want to show you, calmly, some bits of stitching that will most likely finish up my coverage for quite a while of the whitework linens we’ve been talking about. (Well, I don’t say that with certitude, but maybe more with hope. Remember, they’re not my project!)

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

Oh, the Guilty Pleasure of Stitching What You Want

The Well-Laced Slate Frame Wins

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Supply Information

Tying Up this Week’s Loose Ends

Slate Frame, Tension, and Tidbits

Bee-Jeweled Pincushion: Little Floss Flowers

Stitchy Bits and Kits and Books, Oh My!

Connect with Mary

How-To Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos