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
Contact Mary
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
Contact Mary
June 20, 2022
When we first started chatting about the altar cover that we’re working on here in the Studio, I mentioned the whole issue of selecting the right materials and so forth for the project.
I think one of the greatest difficulties is making a decision when there are too many choices!
Especially if you need to keep things relatively simple in order to finish a project more efficiently, I think it might be best to have fewer choices.
June 17, 2022
If you’re looking for a relaxing dive into needlework history this weekend, here’s something for you!
Do you ever delve into exploring something, knowing that you’re going a bit too far in – getting kind of geeky about it?
Well, I do that with old embroidery books (as you have probably figured out by now). I doubt I can count the number of downloaded PDFs of historical embroidery books I have on my computer. I try not to download them and just forget them. I usually transfer one at a time to Dropbox, so I can access it from anywhere while on my phone or tablet. This way, when I have the opportunity, I can explore the book in depth.
Lately, I’ve been perusing a book on the history of embroidery and lace.
June 15, 2022
Ok! It’s time to finish up the outside sampler cover for Cotton Quartet! We’re going to finish the outside today, and then the next steps will be the inside embroidery, followed by construction and then finishing the outer edge.
So we’re not too far away from the finish. The finishing requires a bit more instruction than the rest of the project, though, so I’ll try to break it down into really manageable, easy-to-follow steps.
If you’re just joining in on this stitch-along project on Needle ‘n Thread, you can find all the previous installments (with instructions, tips, & techniques) available here in the Cotton Quartet project index.
For members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community over on Patreon, I’m going to be combining this lesson with setting up and embroidering the accent on the inside lining of the tool wallet, as well as other pre-finishing tips. I will have that PDF up for you before the weekend.
June 13, 2022
Last week, I introduced you to the very beginnings of a goldwork project that is due to grow in size and time commitment over the next less-than-a-year.
Since then, I’ve moved on to try a few more materials and techniques. Let’s look…
June 10, 2022
Happy Friday! I hope today’s the gateway to a beautiful weekend for you.
I just love weekends. You know – laundry, housework, grocery shopping, menu planning, cooking. All the fun stuff in life that I’d personally rather avoid, if the truth be known. And yet… we must do what we must do. And besides, if we never did the unfun stuff, how could we appreciate the fun stuff?
Still, on the weekend, I always enjoy a good delve into a rabbit hole or two of various interests, one of which usually involves needlework. Today, I’ll share a lovely resource with you, so that you can enjoy a bit of a reprieve from the humdrum parts of the weekend, too.
June 8, 2022
Today, we’re going to complete the right side of the sampler for Cotton Quartet, and then hopefully, we’ll move forward a little faster to catch up the left side!
A quick note to members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community over on Patreon: You already have this lesson in PDF format – it’s part of the second PDF that was already posted. I can fit a lot more in a PDF than I can in a blog article, so you’re already ahead on this! We’ll be moving forward again over there soon, too, finishing the left side and doing the embroidery on the inside lining.
June 6, 2022
In the studio, we’ve been gearing up for a very big project. It involves design, lots of goldwork embroidery (and other embroidery)… and did I mention it is Big?
We’ll be making altar covers for a new church here in Kansas. The altar covers – also known as vesperale or “vesperal cloth” – are essentially dust covers that go on top of an altar in a church any time the altar is not in use, in order to protect the linens underneath it and to keep them free of dust.
The vesperale is sometimes plain, but it can also be embellished, and, in many churches, it is typical to see lettering of some sort across the front fall (the front of the cloth falling over the edge of the mensa or “table” top of the altar). The typical lettering is usually “Holy, Holy, Holy” or “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” or something similar.
