March 24, 2021

Embroidery Hoops – Binding & Other Tips

I’m so happy there was a lot of enthusiasm for the square-round embroidery hoop we talked about on Monday! If you wrote in to be on the advanced notice list for those, I have duly placed you on it. I’ll notify you when they’re available again.

In the meantime, I’d like to show you how I bound the inner ring of that hoop using the 3/8″ cotton twill tape that I packaged with the hoop.

Do you have to wrap the inner ring? No. But I think it’s a good idea. It protects your fabric, it adds a touch more friction, and it’s a job you only have to do once if you do it right. It’s worth it!

We’ll also touch on a few tips about using hoops and clarify a misconception or two.

Square round embroidery hoop - tips and binding the hoop

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March 22, 2021

The Sqround: The Marvelous Square-Round Embroidery Hoop

You know that feeling of delight when you try something out – whether it’s a new piece of embroidery equipment or a new pair of shoes or a bowl of porridge – and you find yourself saying, “Oh yes. This is just right!”?

You half-way sigh and wonder why this wasn’t in your life just a little bit sooner.

Well, that’s how I felt when I started using a rather unique embroidery hoop that I’ve subsequently fallen in love with.

I call it The Sqround.

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

March 20, 2021

How to Embroider (Blank): Project Index

This year, we’ll be working our way through a series of tutorials for embroidering (blank) – that is, a number of different embroidery subjects.

We’ve already worked through how to embroider wheat five different ways, and we’re on our way through strawberries at the moment. You can see in the image below a sneak peek of what’s coming up after the strawberries.

How to Embroider (Blank) - tutorial series

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

March 18, 2021

How to Embroider Strawberries: Burden Stitch & Leafy Bits

Time to move along with our embroidered strawberries adventure!

Just to start, I made some corrections on the color list in the first article in the series. I corrected a typo on a DMC color (it should be 3705 in the pinks) and changed one of the House of Embroidery colors (it should be 4C, not “U”).

Last time we met on this project, we talked about blending thread colors in the needle and we stitched a very simple little strawberry.

Today, we’re going to fill one of the larger, plumper strawberries and crown it with some dimensional leafy bits for the sepals.

Let’s move on, shall we?

How to Embroider Strawberries: Burden Stitch and Woven Picots

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March 16, 2021

Two Stitched Rows … and a Thing

Last time we visited Stitch Fun 2021 – my yearly sampler that I am endeavoring to add a little to every singly day – I’d already laid the foundation for the composite stitch that makes up one of the decorative bands I’ll show you today.

There are a few things here I want to chat about. One is thread. We all like talking about thread, but today’s approach is more by way of a warning!

I need to branch off and get away from decorative bands for a while – and I started to do that the other day and then I lost my bearings.

So here’s where I am so far on this sampler. As we look at it, I’ll note a few thoughts, ideas, problems, and so forth.

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March 12, 2021

Embroidering Strawberries, Part 2: Simple!

On Monday, we started a series of tutorials on how to embroider strawberries five ways, and in that first article, which you’ll find here, there’s a materials list and a free pattern for the strawberry design.

You can stitch along with the series – it’s not too late to start – or you can come back to it here on the website whenever you want! If you’re on my Patreon membership page, you can also download the PDFs for the series to your own computer for future use or printing.

Today, we’re going to start very simply. We’ll chat about blending colors, and we’ll work through the first strawberry.

Embroidering Strawberries: Tutorial for five ways to stitch strawberries

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March 10, 2021

Striped Shell, Stitching a Starfish & Getting Crusty

Last time we visited my M monogram from A Sea to Stitch, I was contemplating the tulip shell – that conch type shell in the center of the M. I wanted to make it striped, remember?

And it ended up a bit wonky some five times, and I had to keep picking it out.

I finally quit picking it out, determined just to consider it an anomaly: a wonky seashell.

I call it an anomaly, because most seashells are pretty nigh-on perfect. They don’t all look the same, but within their own little construct, they usually reflect a marvelous perfection of coloring, pattern, shape, and structure. Golly, I love seashells! I could contemplate them all day and never grow bored.

Maybe not this one, admittedly… though I’m not unhappy with it. I can see clearly what the problem is, but I’ve moved on to my overzealous crusty starfish, and I’m not going back. No siree, Bob.

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

Embroidery Hoops – Binding & Other Tips

The Sqround: The Marvelous Square-Round Embroidery Hoop

How to Embroider (Blank): Project Index

How to Embroider Strawberries: Burden Stitch & Leafy Bits

Two Stitched Rows … and a Thing

Embroidering Strawberries, Part 2: Simple!

Striped Shell, Stitching a Starfish & Getting Crusty

Connect with Mary

How-To Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos