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 4, 2021
Remember this little camper embroidery project I shared with you last week?
It’s my nod to summer and all the promises of adventure and sunshine and relaxation the sunny season entails.
It so happens that I finished the embroidery just in time for it to go adventuring with me.
June 1, 2021
Oh, Happy Tuesday! Today we’re going to look at an embroidery design book that came out earlier this year. But before we launch into my review, I have a wee bit of news to cover.
First, we’re pushing out some changes today to my online shop here on Needle ‘n Thread, so there may be a couple hiccups on the site, but hopefully not! I’m excited about the new layout – it should make it easier to keep the shop organized and easier for you to find things. Yay!
Second, I’m taking a short break for the next week, and I will have limited internet connectivity. I have some articles scheduled – including some project finishes – but I won’t be able to respond to email or moderate comments as frequently. I’ll check in as I can.
And now, for the book!
If you tend to hesitate to jump into an embroidery project because of the transfer process, then you’re going to love this! If you like source books for embroidery designs, you’re also going to love it.
The Embroiderers’ Guild Transfers Collection is a unique book, so let’s look at it a little more closely.
May 28, 2021
While I work with particular embroidery stitches, I always find it entertaining to think about the stitches.
One of my pet musings: Who was the first person to stitch This Particular Stitch? What instigated it? What happened next?
It’s not a novel thought. I’m not the only person in the word to wonder who was the first to do This Particular Everyday Thing. Charles Lamb, after all, pondered out the roasting of pigs in a whole dissertation!
But I do wonder about such things. Who, for example, first paired strawberries and cream? And what genius followed that by adding a bit of sugar and vanilla… and then froze it? Who put peanut butter and jelly together for the first time and found it good? (Or my mom’s incomprehensible favorite, peanut butter and mayonnaise?)
I ponder these types of questions about stitches. And while I could never tell you who came up with the two stitches we’re going to talk about today, I can guess that both stitches must have come about simultaneously (it only makes sense!), and that the original stitcher must have enjoyed a very smug satisfaction with the results.
May 26, 2021
One of the marvelous things about embroidery is that it can be as serious as you want it to be… or as whimsical.
It can be a Magnum Opus. Or it can be all Fun and Games!
I’m of the opinion that it should occasionally be all fun and games. Otherwise, we might take it too seriously. It might lose its ability to charm us.
And in fact, it might do the opposite of what it does so well: it might end up being a stress producer rather than a stress reducer.
And we wouldn’t want that!
Here’s a project that’s mostly fun and games, except for One Little Detail – one little moderately-wrong decision on my part, which I’ll share with you below.
May 24, 2021
It is the best of jobs. It is the worst of jobs.
Picking colors for embroidery projects can be great fun – but it can also be really hard!
Today,I’m going to sneak-peek the colors for the next tutorial series (I’ll let you guess what the subject matter is) and chat a bit about selecting colors and narrowing down a final color palette for an embroidery project… or at least, how I do it, for what it’s worth!
We’ll also discuss a few miscellaneous tips for project organization.
May 21, 2021
I love to come across old needlework books available online. There are several good sources for public domain embroidery books that are digitally archived, thanks to the effort of many institutions and individuals.
For your weekend reading, inspiration, leisure, perusal, browsing, curiosity, or for downloading for later, I thought I’d highlight a few online books from my own lists.
While I have physical copies of a couple of these, they’re not in the best shape! So when I want to glean a tidbit of information, or maybe find some inspiration for designs or projects, I prefer to look at them digitally.
You’ll also find some tips below on how to view and download.
I hope you enjoy these!
May 19, 2021
Rainy Wednesdays are a perfect day for embroidering daisies, and today, we’re going to finish up the series on How to Embroider Daisies with this final installment!
If you’re just joining in, you’ll find all the previous tutorials in this series here.
Scroll down for the Daisies, which were are the third project in the series. Earlier this year, we looked at How to Embroider Wheat and How to Embroider Strawberries. And there are a few more to come in 2021!
If you’re a member over on Patreon, you’ll already find the printable PDF for this installment available for download. I put parts 4 & 5 together in the same PDF.
In Part 5, we’re going to look at a relatively simple final daisy. It’s worked in satin stitch with French knots for the center. There are two key tips, though, that will help you create a great satin stitched daisy.
