Because it’s Friday…because we’ve all made it to the end of another week…because it’s Raining in Kansas (which is always happy news in August!)…today’s a perfect day for a give-away!
And today, courtesy of Stackpole Books, I’m giving away a copy of Cheryl Fall’s Simply Samplers, which I reviewed earlier this week.
Simply Samplers is a terrific book for beginning stitchers who want to familiarize themselves with the basics of counted cross stitch and surface embroidery.
If you want to stitch and don’t know where to start, or if you know someone in that situation, or if you have a child, a grandchild, niece or nephew who would benefit from learning the rudiments of stitching, this book is a good book to get you going! It’s accessible to adults and youth, and is full of good information, instruction, and starter projects.
To find out more about Simply Samplers, feel free to read my review!
Give-Away Guidelines
If you’d like to enter today’s give-away, please follow these guidelines:
This Give-Away is now ended. Thanks for participating!
1. Leave a comment below, on today’s article on Needle ‘n Thread. Comments sent in via email or left on other articles on the website are not eligible. Just follow this link to reach the comment form.
2. In your comment, answer the following:
What’s your favorite embroidery project that you’ve ever worked? If you haven’t worked one yet, or if you don’t have a favorite, what’s your “dream project” that you aspire to embroider some day?
3. Please make sure you provide a recognizable name either on the name line on the comment form or in the comment box. If your name is Sue, for example, you might make it more specific (Sue in Schenectady, for example), to help eliminate confusion when the winner is announced.
4. The give-away is open to anyone, anywhere. Leave your comment before 5:00 am CDT (Kansas, USA) on Friday, September 5, and I’ll announce the winner that day right here on Needle ‘n Thread, so make sure you check back!
That’s it! Simple-dimple! Go forth and leave your comment – and have a jolly weekend!
Mary, Thanks for a good, rolling belly laugh.
I think that the Hummingbird is looking good. I do like your range of colours. Maybe the tail could use some of the darker shades to advantage. At the moment, your colour range is medium to light. Have fun even though it is frustrating to try and try again. You will get there and will have another wonderful piece of embroidery.
all good wishes Ann B.
My favourite project so far has been a hardanger anniversary sampler (Victoria Sampler pattern) for my parents’ 50th anniversary. It was my first hardanger, first silk ribbon embroidery, first use of metallic threads, first use of doodle cloth for practice, and the first completed project in a long time. DS picked out the mat and frame – ones I would not have thought to use, but they look great!
I have to pick ONE favorite? Probably the first large piece I did, a crewel bell pull from Erica Wilson designs. It won me a best in show at the county fair and lovely comments from the judges. I would love to share this book with my granddaughters, who have started embroidering, but the bug really hasn’t bitten them yet, at age 11 and 12.
I would like to do a project that combines embroidery & quilting. I have several designs in mind. Thanks!
I stitched in my youth, following my mother’s example. I have recently returned to stitching, doing needlepoint. Although I hope to start in on a sampler soon and when I’m ready, fix some small areas of my mother’s embroidery. Most have survived remarkably intact, but there is a large floral — at least 3″ wide — that needs a few repairs before I have it reframed. I have found your site and instructions to be remarkably valuable. Thank you so much!
Ho iniziato da poco a ricamare, le cose che ho fatto mi hanno dato molta soddisfazione, però penso che il cuscino con ricamo bizantino e nappine fatte da me sia bellissimo.Naturalmente ti devo ringraziare perchè il punto stuoia me lo hai insegnato tu.
My favorite project ever -well, I think it was the family coat of arms that I embroidered for my brother. I was very, very proud of what I had done when it was finished and framed.
Hi!! I’m a crafter & graphic designer. I make mixed media illustrations for children, and i would like to learn some embroidery stitches to use on paper, so i can give my work another effects with texture. I’m working right now on 10 digital illustrations, a series of portraits of my little students, but after i print them out i would like to finish them with some stitches. That is my dream project! \(• ◡ •)/ I would definitely love to win this contest! ♡
Hi Mary,
a great give-away just before the weekend starts!
my favourite project was my blackwork piece for the RSN course at the beginning of this year. I made a women’s face and working on it, it really came alive under my hands….
the book would be great for my daughter, age 14, she likes to work with her hands and maybe this book will give her just that extra push to embroider.
My favorite embroidery project is a little sample of garden flowers. I decided to ditch the painting part and just put flowers in the flower boxes. A combination of new stitches, familiar ones and beads was my favorite part.
I’d love to stitch some more samplers. Thanks for the book giveaway opportunity.
I love working on MarBek angels, Lavender & Lace, crazy quilting and other projects. I am not yet comfortable designing my own projects except when it comes to crazy quilting.
My favorite is the one I am currently working on. It is the Hunting Pocket from The Scarlet Letter. As I was working on this piece, my husband said a number of times how much he liked it. I am making it for him and will change the wording that it was made for him in the 37th year of our marriage – It’s a surprise and think he will be thrilled.
I’ve embroidered a few small things – pillows mostly, but I would like to get very good and made real art. I love botanical and fauna crewel work – that’s my fantasy!
I really want to do some sort of ecclesiastical work for my church!
I learned simple embroidery from my mom, so I did three samplers back then that I have framed and hanging on my walls now. I’ve been doing cross-stitching lately, but I would love to take a drawing and create something like what you are doing with the hummingbirds someday. This book would also help me teach my niece how to embroider. She lives in CA so it would be fun to give her this book and trade stitches in the mail.
Deb
Good Morning, Mrs. Corbet!
Okay, here I go again. Maybe, ‘Third time’s the charm,’ as they say… What is my favorite embroidery project? That’s hard to say because I put so much time and effort into each one! Although over the years I’ve been working with craft-store pillowcases and runners, I spend a great deal of time choosing the colors I will use, the stitches I want, etc. I literally NEVER follow the directions for stitches or colors. I want to make sure that the piece is MINE! Trying to choose a favorite, is like trying to choose the piece of my imagination I love best!
(Sigh…) I think if I really had to choose it’s the set of pillowcases I recently finished for my Grandfather. A wide mouth Bass Leaping from the water to grab onto the hook. Here are my reasons…
1. My Grandfather rarely gets personalized individual gifts all for himself.
2. I chose colors that ended up making the fish look alive if not accurate at all to a real Bass.
3. It was the fastest project I’ve ever done!
4. It really gave him joy!
So that’s my favorite, but I also have a dream project! I really want to do the Owl in the Secret Garden coloring book for my Grammy in Silks on fine linen! She’s been with me through everything and she loves owls.
Also, I must be aloud to mention, that like some of your young students, I hunger for the perfect stitch, and want to refine my knowledge of the basics. It will also come in handy if my neice and nephews ever want to learn. Ny mom also wants me to start teaching HER to embroider this winter! I think I need this book badly!
My favorite embroidery project of all time as a free-form tea-dyed sampler on vintage fabric, with strips of vintage bias tape making a grid of the fabric, that I stitched while living in Nebraska. I was homesick for the woods and hills of Maine. The sampler depicted scenes I longed for – the cat on the porch railing, a grove of maple trees, my little house and its flower beds, and a wistful face with Maine, My Home, stitched across the forehead.
My favorite is the one I’m working on now, of course! It’s a beaded and embroidered quilt wall-hanging. I’ve learned a few new stitches–some from you!–since I began. My next project will be a crazy quilt with lots of embroidery too.
I have gathered up my supplies, reviewed websites, and yet I hesitate to put the needle into fabric-I don’t know what to do! My mother and grandmother used to embroider, and made beautiful things I cherish-they both passed before they could share their secrets and I suppose I am too afraid to make a mess. I really want to make things for my new granddaughter, and think an extra boost might do the trick to take me from longing to doing!
Thanks Mary and Stackpole Books for another fine giveaway. One of my very first projects was a canvas work pillow top sampler in ecru wool. I loved reaching the next row to see what stitch was coming up. I would think about it last thing at night and first thing in the morning; I think I was about 16 and my thoughts at that age were not usually embroidery related .. it was *that* captivating!!
This book on samplers was just meant for my Granddaughter. Since we live in different states it’s been difficult to give her long range instructions, but she continues to persevere. From your review, Mary, the book sounds as if it is just the perfect gift for her.
I just finished putting the stitching on antique crazy quilt blocks pieced together by my gtandmother and her sister over a hundred years ago. I had to buy a book to learn the stitches to use. They look wonderful. I framed them individually and had them hung butted up next to each other to look like a quilt. Now I would like to learn to embroider, but need a book to learn the basic stitches. I would start with embroiding “days of the week” dish drying towels, etc, so would love to win your give away book. If I don’t win, do you have a book you would recommend for me. Thank you so much.
I have begun teaching myself embroidery since last winter, and other than freeform stitch samplers, I’ve not completed anything. So far, the favorite project I am currently working is a 15 sided biscornu done in blackwork motifs. As a beginner, so many projects fall under the category of “dream”, and I also tend to dream very big. So, a “dream project” that I feel I could could attempt right now would be a version of this “petal bag”: http://janetgranger.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/finished-embroidery-a-stumpwork-embroidery-petal-bag/.
Hello.
I have always done counted cross-stitch, but I would like to take up embroidery. I am particularly fascinated by stumpwork. I love looking at your projects, but I am having a hard time deciding how to begin. Do I begin by learning stitches or by trying an actual project?
Thank you.
Janice
Oh, what a perfect book. I’ve always wanted to be able to do samplers but just haven’t had the no-how. I’d love a copy of this book. Thank you for your wonderful work. helen
My favourite sampler is always the one I’m working on! I’m addicted to samplers-love to have a variety of stitches.
My favorite project is whatever I am working on and my ideal is finishing all the projects in my cabinets. Can not wait to get to all of those!!
What a pretty book! Thank you for showing it to us. I’d enjoy having a copy!
My favorite project is always my current one. I am currently working on Christmas ornaments for an exchange with my Crazy quilt friends but unfortunately I have to many started and am always finding a new one to start.
My favorite project have been a Hardanger table runner that I made for my mother. I used a pattern taken from the book Merveilleuse broderie Hardanger from Hiroko Takeuchi. I changed the white on white for ecru base and two shades of ecru thread. I also made small modifications to the pattern to make it to my own taste. I worked at least 25 hours per week on it for 5 to six months.
I am proud with the result.
I like to think that whatever I am working on at the timeis my current favorite. I just completed a stumpwork piece begunin 2007 and put away half done. I have no memory of why I put it away. When I found it againit was a pelasure to finish.
Dear Mary,
I have been doing counted cross stitch for many years, and I am working on charting my dream project. There is a story told at the Tomb of the Ubknown Soldier of a time when there was a threat of a hurricane. The honor guard were advised to take shelter. They refused. I am trying to capture that moment.
Myrna
I recently finished a derivation of “Coming to America” by Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks which I stitched in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of my family coming to Canada from Italy. To make it more personal, I changed the city names at the top to reflect the various ports of entry through which my family arrived; changed the stars to maple leaf charms; stitched an Italian flag on the ship and added a Canadian flag button to the immigration office; added the family name and the dates of the Centennial at the bottom. It was one of the more fun pieces that I have done in a while.
My mother taught me to embroider when I was very young, always saying it should be in a “straight line”, around letters, etc. And I got pretty good at it, but something was missing, I wanted more. I love the way you are working on the hummingbird piece, and would love to do that one day, but I don’t have that kind of imagination regarding colors, and maybe if I won this book, it would help with that. My dream piece to embroider would be to embroider a bedspread someday.
My favorite project I’ve done so far is a lovely table runner of a vine and flowers pattern I designed myself. But I really aspire to learn how to do needle painting. I would love to be able to do a silk landscape embroidery (maybe in two or three more decades).
I can’t say that I have a favorite piece because each piece is my favorite at the time I am working on it. Most of my pieces are samplers, though, and I would love to add Simply Samplers to my library of sampler books.
Thank you for all the information you provide for those who love to stitch I look forward each day to see what you are going to show me what to do. Linda Tomelloso
I’ve done a few kits, mostly pillow cases. I did one baby quilt top that was a kit as well. Those were learning projects, not something I had a particular affection for. I have eight sons and my dream project is to embroider the sleeves of an alb (Hardanger) and/or a lavishly ornate chasuble when one of them is ordained a priest (God willing). How’s that for a lofty dream project? :0)
I love samplers. Pick me.
My favorite project is still my first large-scale cross-stitch project when I was about 11. It was a beautiful Victorian house with a spot on the door to hang tiny embroidered holiday decorations. My mom still has it hanging in her house. You didn’t ask, but my least favorite has been completely cross-stitched Christmas stockings for each member of my family. I have 5 children!
My favorite and very loved embroidery was a small framed happy anniversary embroidery for my aunt and uncle. That was so loved it was on a prominent wall wherever they lived. Thanks for the chance for that lovely book.
My favourite stitched freestyle item I worked, is one I worked many years ago. It is a Jacobean style piece, using both conventional silks and gold thread. I have made it into a cushion cover and can’t believe that I stitched it —- not that the work is exceptionally good , but I have fond memories of stitching it when my children were so small!
Tengo comenzado un mantel en punto de cruz, pero me encanaría aprender a hacer bordados diferentes. Me gustan mucho tus trabajos. Gracias por darme la oportunidad de participar.
I’m beginning my stitching journey and one day I hope to be able to execute works such as the blackwork designs of Trish Burr. I think this book would help me along that path
What a great book “Simply Samplers”,for those of who are nearly beginners. I have done some smaller projects of fairly simple stitching forms. My favorite was a long & short stitch kit project of a lighthouse for my grandson. He actually likes it!
Now “Simply Samplers” could help me advance my skill level while working on a specific project. Hmmmmm….great idea!
Thank You for the offer.
My favorite/ my dream? I have not met that project yet. A quilt with embroidery would be good challenge. My favorites in the needle work area.
Thank you so much for what you do.
I’m fairly new at this, but so far, blackwork has been the technique I’ve enjoyed most. Looking forward to learning more.
Favorite project is the current one, because it’s my first: a crazy quilted sewing caddy (hussif)where I am learning the stitches as I go. This is a good project for me, as the seams to be stitched are small, and I get lots of variety. The only problem is that it’s taking a while as I ponder the next stitch, research and then try it out. Your site has been very helpful! The good part is that the seams are small. I could put this book to good use! 🙂
My favorite project was a throw pillow that had a maze that you could trace with your finger and contained the quote “Not Everything Will Be Okay But Some Things Will.” It helped me during a tough time and still does today.
Looking at your article i was surprised when you “delete”something that was done, it was a learning experience for me, if it does not look quite right is better to erased. and tried again.
I only embroidery baby clothes, now i am experiencing new areas, home pillows, small details in clothes as well as big pieces in clothes. And your emails are great for my new areas of learning.
Evelyn Dueno
I hope I win this book! My favorite project is an embroidery and appliqué small quilt by Lynnette Anderson.
My favorite embroidery I ever did is a kit Christmas stocking for myself. I made it in 1979 and it is still in perfect condition. I have 6 grand children ages 3-9. My 4 year old grand daughter is already stitching her own designs on plastic canvas using a large plastic needle and her pick of any of my yarns she wants to use.
The 6 and 9 year old boys already use my sewing machine to make pillows or fabric art. The 3 years olds (3 of them!) are not quite dexterous yet but are very interested. This book would be a great addition to Grandma’s sewing room.
Good Morning, I have two favorite projects. I did two different versions of Beatrix Potter characters alphabet blocks and made baby quilts for two of my daughter’s closet friend’s first babies. Thank you, Linda Pewaukee WI
Mary, I’m making a Cabinet of Curiosity, and my eleven-year old granddaughter is very curious about my work on it. We’ve tried a bunny so far, but she lives five hours away from me. I’d love to give her a copy of Cheryl Fall’s Simply Samplers to help her take off stitching on her own. For that matter, it would help my friends at Historic St Mary’s City to take off on a project, too!
Thanks for making us aware of all the wonderful adventures in stitching!
My favorite project is a rooster sampler . I took a simple color book like outline of a rooster and filled it with different stitches in each feather and body part. He is now framed in my kitchen.
I think that my favorite almost always is the one I’m working on. Right now that happens to be an oriental dragon that I plan on making the center piece of a new wall quilt.
My favorite project up to now is a Teresa Wentzler cross-stitch piece : Tradewinds. It took me 345 hours and 2 1/2 years to complete. It is now in my parents home.
I would really like to try needle painting, as I LOVE botanical and animal art and needle painting is do appropriate for these subjects.
Thank you for the giveaway!
My favourite embroidery project is one I called Celtic Spirals.
I used a combination of hand and machine embroidery techniques in copper and turquoise colours. It is a wall hanging of 6 embroidered squares – about 8 inches each- joined together with machine stitched cords. I used some silk fusion (silk paper) as background fabric as well as varied coloured organzas, and a copper metallic denim. I made small lace pieces to add as well as beaded design elements based on Celtic spiral designs.
Hi Mary, As a beginner at age 65, everyday I look forward to receiving your newsletter. I sooo love the “secret garden”, as I have a real outdoor one, albeit here in Ontario Canada, I can only enjoy it during the Summer months. You have a way with words which keeps me motivated and always looking outside the box and ready to break the rules!! Keep it up and thank you! Best regards
My favorite project, thus far, is a wedding name and date sampler I did many years ago that we still have in our bedroom.
As a long time lover of samplers, this looks like a good addition to my book collection. I would love to win it.
My favorite embroidery project which is a cross stitch project is Stargazer by Mirabilia. It was the first project that I completed and the first thing we framed in our home. I still remember when we hanged it, I finally felt like I put a stamp on my room and that it was mine. I’ve completed other projects, but none gave me that same feeling of satisfaction 🙂
This is a hard question! I think a tine book mark was my favorite. Not my biggest project but maybe my most precise. Then again maybe my favorite is the one that I think of next…
I am currrently working on a towell for my sister, a little bag for my grand mother, and in a pretty book sampler of traditional embroidered points. But recently, I have been wandering getting involved on a sampler of ones antiques abecedarians which young girls embroidered such “schoolarizing” (sorry, I don´t know the right word in English)work. Which is a topic I would like to learn more. But I am an autodidacta (I learn for my self) principiant, so every give-away is more than suitable for me! Thanks Mary! Paula.
My dream project is a large embroidered wall hang for my bedroom. At this time I do small embroidery accents on clothing and handbags. Thanks for the chance to win the sampler and for everything you share. Your work is exceptionally gorgeous.
Hi Mary
My ” dream project ” is a stitched map of my husband’s hometown. It is still in my head but I have been researching a lot of different ideas and techniques. Hopefully this fall I will get something started! That is always the hardest part.
I always loved doing counted cross stitch. I think crewel is awesome but I do not do it well. My favorite thread work was a redwork wallhangings that was done in fall colors in a patchwork fabric frame. This book looks like it has nice projects to try. Thanks for the chance.
I would love to win this for my grand daughter who is 7 soon to be 8. She has taken to cross stitch like a duck to water. We have been stitching together for the past year and half. Every Monday after school she comes to stitch. I plan to start her on linen next.
My favorite piece I have stitched is Blackbird Designs “Anniversaries of the Heart”. I just need to dedicate each block. Going to finish it this year!
The book is on my Christmas gift list for the gd!
I haeven’t started a project yet! My dream project would be to be able to work beautiful designs on my handknit sweaters! Thank you for the chance to enter your giveaway!
I have always enjoyed looking at and working samplers. My favourite project if a band sampler that I completed 5 years ago. I think I would also like to do a spot sampler for a change of pace. It would be great to add this book to my collection.
Hi Mary,
I’m fairly new here, have only did an angel before, sh’e almost done. I would this book to further me in Embroidery. I feel so lucky to have found your site, your work is beautiful. Love the peacock so far. I read you everyday since I’ve found you.
Thanks kathy, Pa
W
Alison Cole’s gold work butterfly. It incorporated some of my most favorite stitches
I want to share this book with one of the young girls in my temple who wants to learn how to embroider.
My favorite piece of embroidery is a cross stitch bell pull gladiola that I purchased in Copenhagen from Eva Rosenstaed or Claera Weaver in the 1970’s and it used 36 shades of thread. It was the most challenging piece I had worked on and I gave it to my grandparents (The grandmother who taught me cross stitch when I was a brownie scout) and sure enough, she found the two or three crosses that went in the wrong direction!! Now that both grandparents are dead, I have it hanging in a place of honor in my living room.
Mary, I recently subscribed to your blog, and I think it is absolutely fantastic! I love the Hummingbird Project (the blues and greens are beautiful), and I love your sense of humor in embroidering and re-embroidering.
I make hand-embroidered scapulars and medals (my Etsy shop is StellaMarigoldArt) and I have loved all my projects, but one dream project for me is to stitch the whole “Magnificat” prayer on real embroidery linen and decorate the words with roses and violets and a set of images on each side of the words (the Nativity scene on one side and the Crucifixion scene, with the Blessed Mother standing at the foot of the cross, on the other).
Thank you for this “give-away”!
My favorite embroidery project I made was a cross stitch of a moose walking through a misty lake for my husband. Took a year and a half as I wanted it to be a surprise and was able to pull it off! Always worked on it when he wasn’t around. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!
I think my favorite project was a sampler that I stitched from a kit. It was silk thread on linen with some pulled thread and various counted thread stitches. I would love to design my own band sampler and this book would provide a lot of inspiration.
One of my favorite pictures that I have done was a sampler…don’t remember the name of it but it reminds me of the Quaker samplers. The original was done in one color…black which I didn’t like so I changed the color to a silk color way…jelly beans. Took two years to complete but was worth it. I stitched it on light blue linen.
This book is just what I have been looking for. I have wanted to “design” some samplers for my home and this is just the inspiration I need. Thanks.
My favorite project was a birth sampler for a very good friend. It took a very long time and although I followed all of the instructions…I also had to pick out threads to correct and/or change something about the kit that was askew (from my perspective) Now, I have two granddaughters who are interested in embroidery and having never instructed someone about how to even perform the simplest of embroidery steps – this book is one that I would want as a “go to” source to build enthusiasm in my granddaughters (and two other little neighborhood girls who also have expressed an interest) I would like to teach them correctly from the start and choose a project that could be their very own.
It may look simple…but, to me it seems the perfect start. Thank you in advance for the opportunity.
Charlotte
Hi Mary, My favorite piece of embroidery was my very first attempt. I was about 8 yrs. old and visiting my great-grandmother. She was sewing pretty little flowers on some white cloth and answered my pesky questions about what she was doing. When I went home I cut a big chunk of white fabric, gathered up pretty colors of mother’s sewing thread and sewed a picture. Later mother bought me a hoop, floss and needles. I’ve been hooked on needle work ever since. But the mental picture of that first attempt will stay with me forever.
Jane
My favorite embroidery project was the embellishment of a folk dance shirt for my husband, lo so many years ago. Some of the stitches I used then I had to ‘ínvent’ for the purpose. Except for Enthoven’there were no books with stitches available then. This book might have helped…
Hanny with a y
I learned to embroidery from my mother when I was about ten. Even though I loved the art of embroidery I haven’t been able to comment time to it until I retired and now have fallen in love with it all over again. With a new grand baby due in a few months I’m just itching to get started on an embroidery project. This book would be just perfect to get me off on the right foot. Patty Bob is what everyone calls me, from Ovilla, Tx.
My favorite project is a sampler by Emie Bishop which incorporated lots of different counted stitches, variegated threads, some needlelace and Hardanger.
Many of the stitches were new to me, as was working with variegated threads.
I worked on this throughout the time I was helping take care of my Dad when he had cancer and was receiving treatments. He’s gone now, but I can always remember the special times we shared while we went through that experience together.
My favorite project has been Japanese Garden. I have learned many specialty stitches since starting it. It’s a beautiful project. Photos can be seen here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/meari/album/289594
Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
My favorite piece is generally the one I finished two or three years ago! I seem to need distance before I quit seeing what I think of as flaws. But probably my overall favorite is a red blackwork map of Canada I did in 1978. At least right now.
I have loved Counted Cross Stitch. Recently I did surface embroidery for two quilts and loved it. Now I am trying more detailed surface embroidery.
What a fun book! I would have to say my favorite project was a gift for a friend stitched on a kitchen towel. It was redwork done all in stem stitch and French knots of 2 little girls sitting on a fence. I’ve also enjoyed the many needle painting projects I’ve done, most for friends/relatives. The most recent was a prayer cloth for my sister. I had nothing to go by so it was totally my own project. Very exciting really. Thanks for all your encouragement and as always, I love your projects.
It’s a really hard choice as I’ve got lots of different projects that I’ve really enjoyed and have been happy with the completed item, but I think one of my favourites was the Cross Stitch Guild Sampler book because it combined lots of different types of stitching with my love of books.
I thoroughly enjoy reading your newsletter everyday and watching how the hummingbird is going to play out.
Birth sampler for my grand daughter.
Simple dimple..ok. I am a poor counted embroiderer and make a zillion mistakes and need help!!This book may be a miracle worker for me!! As to my dream project, I am working on an original oriental design created by an artist for a crewel valance for my guest bedroom. It is filled with peony
blossoms and pagodas in colors of peach and teal.Carolyn,Freehold,NJ
So far I have only done very basic stitches. My dream project would be to try some of your innovative stitches. They look like so much fun.
My favorite project has been samplers for new babies in the family. Thanks!
Hi from the East side of Kansas where it is NOT raining (but we wish it would). I would love to have the book of samplers because I am just developing an interest in this. My favorite piece so far is a triptic of an Amish Farm in cross stitch which won first place at the local fair. Thanks for having such an interesting website and I love reading it. I am really interested in how the bird if completed.
My favorite embroidery project was the quilt with a large embroidery panel that I made for my 6th grandchild. It was a pattern by Crabapple Hill that I modified especially for her.
Love Cheryl Fall’s work. I followed her on About.com for quite some time until she retired from it to write books. My favorite embroidery piece was a crewel sampler I made in home economics class in junior high school. It was worked in orange and yellow wool crewel yarns and mounted on stretcher bars. I even worked a copper penny into the design. That piece holds very special memories for me and was the spring board for many embroidery projects over my lifetime.
I did a very elaborate family tree many years ago. A Swedish pattern I think. All cross stitch. I hangs in a lighted nicho in our hallway.
Elaine in New Mexico
i would absolutely love the opportunity to win Simply Samplers. my favorite project sofar is working on the donation quilts i make for the local children’s hospital. it gives me great pleasure to try new stitches and to see the end result. i know the receipient has a smile on their faces when they get these quilts. i’d love to improve on my stitches.
I would love to win this book. My favorite project in embroidery is a quilt with 6 in. Blocks that I found the pattern in Homespun Magazine. I had never done much hand embroidery and these blocks were simple but had stitches I had never done. There are 18 blocks and by the time I finished, I felt like I had improved tremendously. By the way, I found your website during this time and your videos were lifesavers. I do much better seeing something done than just looking at a picture. I was so encouraged I am trying my hand at your Hummingbird project. Love your daily newsletter and feel like I have a new friend though we have never met. Jane D.
Book looks like a great resource for someone wanting to reAllybget a good grasp
Of basic techniques. I’d love to share it with my 2 daughters.
Thanks Mary
My favourite embroidery project is the one I’m working on currently. It is a beautiful Trish Burr design and my very first try at long and short stitch. It is only small, but so enjoyable and I can see my stitching improving as I go!
My favorite embroidery project is embroidering flowers around the birthdays on linen (or cotton but cloth) calendars for all my family. I do 8 of them each year and really need some inspiration on better/different/fresh flowers/motifs to put on the calendars. I have been doing lazy daisies for 42 years and need the inspiration and help this book will give. Thank you for considering my project as worthy. Peace
Thanks for the giver away and lovely review, Mary!
My favorite project so far is the one I’m working on now. It’s a pair of radishes for a wonderful gardening teacher friend with the words “You’re super rad-ish!” I’m framing it, and plan to give it to her when she graduates from grad school. I would love this book! I’ve only recently started embroidering, and I want to continue to learn!
I would love to win a “beginners-how-to” book. I am trying to learn simple stitches to us in multi-media art work. I need all the help I can get!!! This book sounds like the perfect answer.
Thanks for the opportunity.
My favorite embroidery piece is one I just completed called Home Sweet Home designed by Carolyn Pierce. It is a three dimensional house with ten accessories to place inside. I have not done much surface embroidery so there was a steep learning curve.
My favourite embroidered project was a gift made for a neighbour who was getting married. I took photos of our block of flats and after drawing the general details on fabric, embroidered the building including her and her future husband on the balcony of their particular flat.
I use various embroidery stitches to enhance my applique on quilts that I make. I moved from cross-stitching to quilting. This book would help me with new stitches.
I would love to get back to embrodery. But I was never very good at it. I think this book would really show me how to do the stitches like their supposed to look. Thank you Brenda in OK
Would love this. I want too get better at crazy quilting. Need too learn more stitches. I have worked on some blocks already. Thanks Lauren Mattison
My favorite embroidery project was made about fifteen years ago, titled Illuminated manuscript, and it took me eleven and a half months of dedicated days and nights to make it. I’ve never done anything else so complicated as that piece. It was filled with all kinds of exotic creatures, and had some gold metallic threads, a beautiful lady sitting in a big field doing her own embroidery work, and I love this piece. I see it every night in my boudoire ! I still am amazed at the amount of time that I committed to this project, and glad I did!
I would love to do a William Morris Design combining needlepoint with surface embroidery stitches using french knots, bullion knots, lazy daisy, etc. Thanks for the chance to win another wonderful book!
I have finished several sue spsrgo projects. My favorite one was the first leaf sampler done in her class
My favorite project – to date – is a small owl on a branch, which was also my first and only finished project (but not my only started project!) 😀 I love counted stitch and surface embroidery, but I’m also very busy with a full time job and little ones at home so I don’t have much time for hobbies. My dream project would be a sampler that’ll allow me to try a myriad of stitches, as I love trying new things but am not so good at implementing them in a creative fashion.
I have an old dresser scarf embroidered by my grandmother that I’d like to reproduce, but I need to be a little more skillful first. I spent several years doing counted cross stitch and enjoyed the regularity and structure of it, but after a hiatus where I did other things (knit, quilt, raise babies), I’m ready to try something a little more free-form, with fewer hard-and-fast rules. Every surface embroidery project I start now helps to build skills, so that hopefully I’ll be able to tackle the dresser scarf reproduction with confidence. I enjoyed your review of this particular book, as it looks like it covers some “structured” embroidery as well as more “flexible” ideas.
LOVE the Secret Garden by the way – I am in awe!!
My favorite project is the label I embroidered for my daughter’s wedding dress. We designed it together and I really took my time with it so it really came out beautifully. We also took a picture together with her holding up the hem of her dress with the label exposed. A memory for a lifetime.
I read your review of this book earlier this week and thought it would be perfect for me. My mom taught me some basic stitches when I was a child and I embroidered a lot of pillow cases back then. It was so much fun. As I grew older and busier, I put the embroidery away. Things have changed now and it’s time to return to the things that brought me joy. I’d love to make a quilt, embroidered and pieced of all places I’ve been to.
My favorite project would be Kristins Heart! Now I’m trying out crazy quilting and have so much fun! I love quilting & embroidery. Love to combine two different types together.
Robin
I think my favorite project would be the very first I did as an adult — it was a wild flower alphabet in embroidery (in 1973) and it is what hooked me on needlework. I’ve had many other projects that I love, but that one is still hanging in my bedroom and I still smile whenever I look at it.
Yeah Mary, Oh I love everything you do. Embroidery is my passion and you do such beautiful work. Someday when I grow up I hope to be as good as you. Right now I’m teaching 4 little ones and we are using the initials with the flowers. They love it. Thanks so much for sharing with all of us. I’m keeping for fingers crossed to win the book 🙂
My favorite project was a colonial sampler. I would love to have a copy of this book as my granddaughter is showing an interest in embroidery. Samplers are not only a way to learn and improve stitching but also a wonderful history lesson on the life and times of the women and young girls that stitched them.
This book seems quite interesting, and right up my alley with projects that I have up and coming. I am putting together a program for my guild this year that samples new stitches each month. With a year end project yet to be decided, it will incorporate many of these stitches that are shown in the book. My dream project is to complete my Mirabilia Angel of Love.
My favorite project is one that could have been a Thanksgiving piece but has a sentiment that’s perfect anywhere: “Be Ye Thankful.” The design was not complicated at all (straightforward cross-stitching) but the rich overdyed floss colors made it lots of fun to work.
The only project that I have embroidered is the beginnings of embroidered quilt blocks for a quilt. It will be a combination of the blocks and pieced baskets for the embroidered flowers. My favorite cross stitch is a scene of Santa kneeling over the baby Jesus.
My favorite project(s) are baby bibs. I’d buy the colorful terry cloth bibs from Target and embroider them with dinosaurs, flowers, rockets ships, bunny rabbits, etc. for my friends who are expecting. Alas, Target’s bibs are now backed with waterproof material so I’m not sure how I’m going to make bibs for my recently pregnant friend. I need to find a new source!
My favorite pieces have been the wedding handkerchiefs I started making for the nieces in the wedding that included some lace from my mother in laws wedding dress. I get better with each one, although I struggle to get them to look like they do in my mind (and they never do!). My dream piece is a motif sampler from Beatrix Potter, which I own the pattern, fabric, and silk to make, but haven’t started. Karen from the lovely pine barrens of Tabernacle NJ
My absolute favorite sampler project by far was Spanish Bleu by Sampler Cove because by choosing various colors and threads the appearance would be dramatically altered. It’s an incredible piece and I’ve done it three different times using different approaches. I guess this would be true of any sampler pattern but it’s amazing how any sampler can be personalized so easily. Thanks for all the wonderful articles and this great give-away for the kick-off of the holiday weekend!
I’m finishing up an applique quilt, but my next project is heavy on embroidery: Snowmen A to Z by Crabapple Hill. SO cute!
This book looks great! 😀
Most of my projects have been basic to intermediate, classic-styled Christmas cross stitch projects. Though in college I designed an embroidery water fountain with two white doves – never finished it with all the ensuing college and living life years, though I still have that linen project safely stored. But the real reason the creation slowed was lack of good instructional material, taking basic stitch instruction from simple kits, while creating my design that was more complex. Remaining over the years with relaxing cross stitch, the one combination cross stitch and historic American embroidery classic I’ve always wanted to accomplish has been the Elsa Williams Williamsburg kit, “The Chase” — but was this combination stitch kit still around? Most kits I could locate on eBay were the cross stitch version only. Finally, search produced the right kit, and in perfect, sealed condition. It will be a project to place in a recently found antique fire screen. Having just lost a spouse very unexpectedly, and going forward with a move to a planned new home location, this project will require some time to accomplish in needing to review everything on embroidery! Our family loves Williamsburg, our nation’s first capital city, so this historic project will be a very special reflective piece on our shared family love of country, and as a very special project for daughter and family to carry into the future.
So! Now to get it done, while needing to avoid the path of the girls years ago, which you so adeptly described, slowing their progress with the need to be perfect with every stitch length in their early learning of embroidery! Some good instruction for aging eyes to ‘paint with needle and floss’ would be wonderful!
LOVE your daily newsletters, Mary, sharing them with other lady friends every day, from OK to PA! Found your site in early 2013 searching online for that firescreen I finally found; saw your beautiful floor firescreen version, then popped into your site…I immediately signed up for your daily newsletters.
Thanks for your wonderful site and engaging dialogue with your listeners/watchers, revealing your expertise and depth of joy in your work. It is inspiring, an invaluable education into the incredible historic world of all sorts of needlework across the centuries. Thank you for ‘being there’, for helping each of us to both grasp and employ these old techniques and skills, while appreciating the origins of them — the Mission Rose project was incredible this past year, as was the info on gold thread usage, stitching techniques and designs, and techniques used in coats, clothing, dresses, etc., over the centuries — what a journey you provide here, in understanding, in truly KEEPING ALIVE, this incredible ART form!
My favorite sampler was for my first granson who is going to be 23 in a few days! so this book would be perfect refresher for me!! Thanks, Mary for such a nice treat.
What’s your favorite embroidery project that you’ve ever worked? If you haven’t worked one yet, or if you don’t have a favorite, what’s your “dream project” that you aspire to embroider some day?
My favorite embroidery project that I’ve ever worked is Victoria Sampler’s Heirloom Wedding Sampler. It is actually my current project that I’m making for my niece’s wedding next month. I really the variety of stitches that Thea Dueck uses to design the pattern.
Thirty yrs. ago, when I could still see to do cross-stitch, I made the sweetest Christmas sampler stocking. Every yr. when I unpack it, I smile!
My favorite project is mostly for sentimental reasons. My first piece of finished embroidery was on a skirt I made. I wore it to be married in. The skirt never worked out, so I cut out the embroidery and framed it for a keepsake. My dream embroidery is to embroider my daughter’s wedding dress (if she’d want me to, of course). Though it’s a slightly different question, my dream for my embroidery is to outfit my daughter’s and my son’s future homes with all the niceties they might want – tea towels and table linens, etc. I’d love to have them help when they are old enough (my son is 2.5, my daughter turns 1 on 9/5 – ack!) but for now I’m just steadily stitching away. I’m very slow! Thanks for the opportunity.
I loved working on Sophie’s Sampler from Scarlet letter. I love working on projects big or small. It is such a great way to escape the stress and enter into another world of color, texture and focus.
I love your website and I love how you dedicate your time to teaching others the passion of embroidery. Thank you so much! I would love to have this book to help me teach my grand daughters all of the stitches! My favorite piece to work on was a combination embroidery and crewel work kit of the famous painting Spring Elegance. My dream is to learn more stitiching so that I can work from a design I choose and not have it come from a kit. Thanks again for all that you do! Karen B. Murphy in NC.
I’m working on a project that was started by a dear friend’s grandmother. It’s a very early 90’s piece that I’m updating to make a bit more modern. I love samplers though. And I have a good friend who wants to get started with embroidering, too.
A flower sampler I actually finished and framed!
Maybe someday I’ll finish the last block of a quilt I started 40 years ago – then it will become my favorite!
I haven’t done anything yet, but I really want to learn hand embroidery! I’d like to do a beautiful blanket for my little cousin, Anna. Thank you!
I have done many lovely samplers over the years but if I had to choose my favorite it would be “The Embroideress” by JoAnne Harvey that I stitched in 1991. It hangs in my family room and I enjoy looking at it everyday. I am presently trying to teach my son’s girlfriend’s daughter who is 14 yrs. old how to stitch and this book would be helpful. I would love to have it so she would learn all the stitches correctly. I likewise must review how to stitch certain stitches from time to time and I would like to learn to do some of the crewel work stitches necessary to perform some of the reproduction samplers that are beyond my expertise.
my favourite project has been a book cover for a spanish company
I have mostly cross stitched in the past and have been wanting to work more embroidery into my rotation. I have plans to sew needle rolls for myself and my two girls and think they’d be just lovely if the outer fabric was an embroidered piece.
Oh,for sure it was the front panel of my nieces christening gown. I wanted to do something really special for her but could not find an embroidery pattern that was “just right”; so instead I designed one myself. It was a very rewarding experience and the embroidery was a joy to create. We now have a family heirloom and I have wonderful memories of working on a great project. Thanks for the opportunity to win such a nice book!
Hugs,
Kathy
I am determined to learn surface embroidery. I have done some needlepoint, but I like the freedom of embroidery. My dream project would be a colrful, beautiful embroidered table cloth. Love those colors ?
My favorite embroidery project ever is a small tablecloth (made for an ice cream table) filled with tons of Hardanger embroidery. I loved making and and still use it.
My best projects are making baby birth samplers for each of my 3 Grandchildren… a labour of love and no mistake.. .. but so worth it…
My favorite so far is Emie Bishop’s Embellishments sampler. It was my first piece with Hardanger and I’m still very proud with how well it turned out.
My favorite project was cross stitch embroidery of three Eskimo children in various dress that included raingear, and snowwear. It made me happy and I gave it as a gift to my mom. When she died, I got it back and it still makes me happy when I look at it. Thank you for sharing and teaching your skills so that we can make our artwork better. I would love to learn more from this book.
A favorite, eh? That is a tough one! I truly do enjoy each and every one as I get involved with it. It is exciting to plan. Exciting to start. Exciting to get past the 1/2-way point. And exciting to finish. I guess when I do goldwork and/or work with gilt sylke twist, the threads are So Special that I feel honored and lucky to be working with them — so I will narrow my “favorite” down to that for just that reason. But then, I can’t say that is my Favorite. I DO love my larger crewel projects because they build and build and build with stitches and colors! Oh Mary – does this mean I can’t be in the running for the book because I can’t decide? Eek! (FYI, the reason I would really like to have this book is to better help me teach beginners.) Thank you for all you do, Ms. Corbet!!
My ‘dream project’ is to combine embroidery with quilting for personalized gifts. Thanks for the sweet giveaway 🙂
My favorite piece just happens to be what I am working on now: a memorial sampler in honor of my mother, who passed away four years ago. With every stitch I think of her and am grateful for all the years we were together. I am also grateful to her for teaching me how to embroider when I was a child. It has brought so much joy to my life.
My favorite project is a jacket that I did a Hungarian Matyo design on. It was the first thing I did after starting embroidery again after many years. I’m looking forward to many more favorites!
These challenges for a drawing for a book is a fun thing you do. The review of this one on Embroidery Basics would be a great gift for my granddaughter who is 8 and wants to learn to stitch with her aunts and me. It would provide some motivation to sit still long enough to learn some stitches which would give her another creative outlet.
My favorite embroidery project is a crewel interpretation I did of Sheppherd’s drawing of “In which we say goodby” from AAMilne’s Winnie The Pooh series. Christopher Robin is leaving his childhood friends to start school. It hangs above my piano and all of our children and grandchildren ask about it.
I will have an embroidery workshop for beginner this fall and I think this will help me for my new skill.
Being totally self-taught,it would be interesting to learn about the ‘proper’ way to do things. 🙂
Looks like a great book! My favorite project so far was a set of mini samplers done as a gift, but I would love to learn more stitches.
I have done embroidery but tend more toward cross stitch. I would love to do a state birds/flowers coverlet. I want to start honing my skills with one or more of your monogram patterns. Thank you so much for your website, blog, and all the great information you give us.
It’s hard to pick a favorite! Since it’s August (almost September!) and my thoughts turn to such things around this time of year, I’ll say my favorite was the Christmas stocking that my sister and I made for my mother. She did the sewing work on it and I embroidered both an ornament for the sock part and “Mom” in gold chipwork on the cuff. It was the perfect project for velvet in my opinion — I love how the pearl purl on the ornament sinks into the pile, and the chipwork filling doesn’t demand super precise stitching.
LOL, I already got my copy from Amazon Prime. It is delightful! Good wishes for lots of fun for whoever gets it. Pat in SNJ
PS: I already am planning to do one of the samplers for a wedding present!
I’ve done quite a bit of cross stitch work, but I think I most enjoyed working on a blackwork unicorn by Dragon Dreams. I did it in blues. I really hope to do more fantasy and animal blackwork patterns and learn other stitches for samplers.
Hi Mary
My favourite embroidery project is the one I finished just a few weeks ago. It was a simple flower design with lots of leaves that I embroidered using various stiches and styles. It is special to me because it is the first project I ever completed. I learnt to embroider entirely online – making use of this site extensively – and to be able to complete a project with extensive shading and using so many techniques was an achievement.
My favorite embroidery project is one I am currently designing. I fell in love with
crewel work and the needlework of the Arts and Crafts movement. I have a huge canopy bed for which I have decided to embroider bedhangings . I want a vintage look but with a modern twist. I am doing them in shades of blue from
early american crewel work and using sampler motifs as well as vintage embroidery motifs. But I want to insert modern references – such as the
embroidered apple with a bite out of it to recall the iPhone Apple and vines that on closer inspection are cable cords. a sampler alphabet will be used as a small border in traditional motif but inserted in the letters will be modern words such as “can you hear me” , tweet, LOL, etc.
I’ve only done a few embroidery projects, but I’m planning one of my own. It will have some motifs based out of Norse mythology (the Wolf, a falcon, etc)and the edges will be the tree of life.
My favorite embroidery project was a quilt for my niece that I embroidered classic children’s story quotes&imaged from friends and family.
I haven’t done much, but years ago I started to make a copy of a darling illustration I found, a group of cute animals. It would be nice to get back into that, and finish it! I’m a rank beginner, in awe of everything you do, and longing to do some embroidery myself.
My favorite was a set of towels done at age 12 with gramma for my mothers kitchen. They had the days of week on them and girls in bonnets with big full skirts.
Favourite piece ? After long thought – In Memory of Elsa – use of colour, learned about dealing with silk, linen twill, and a variety of stitches, and did with great bunch of people!
Of course, there is Hedebo do e with Jetta RoyFindaly Heath – live this technique !!!
This book would be a great asset to have in our very small library for out Youth Guild here in Ottawa. A visual to go along with the practice !
Thanks for sharing !
Mary, thanks for all you do and share with us. This book would be perfect for teaching my daughter in law the basics. She has never been exposed to any kind of needlework or sewing. I have made several dresses and outfits for my granddaughter, who is three now. My dream project is to hand embroider her a pretty little dress for Sunday school. I have been shown how to do the smocking by hand. Just maybe want a little more also. Again thanks for your inspiration!
I was a child of the 70’s and embroidered everything. favorite was a pair of jeans I worked on all summer and wore the first day of school. my dream project for the challenge would be a sampler that used as many different stitches as could be fit in and still look good. thanks for your beautiful site!! kristine butorac.
My favorite embroidery projects were the flour sack dish towels I did when I was growing up. My Grandma’s and Mom worked with me and taught me. I haven’t done much embroidery for a while now, and really miss it. I have been loving your humming bird project, but only know the basic stitches, so I would love a book like this to learn more stitches so I can do a more difficult stitches. CDahlgren at live dot com
Embroidery is the first sewing I did as a child. I love all kinds, and always go back to it after working on other things. I love learning new stitches with all different threads.
Thank you, I would enjoy this book very much!
My favorite project was a surprise sampler for my sister’s 50th birthday…which I gave her a year before you died from leukemia. I now have it & it reminds me of her every time I look at it.
Sheila from CA
It was hard to pick a favorite but I chose “Cat Masquerade” by Liz Turner for Diehl, Inc. because it’s the first project that I was brave enough to do something different that the pattern suggested and it turned out to be just beautiful. That was indeed liberating.
I learn something new from every project, which keeps stitching interesting for me.
Thanks so much for sharing your time and talent with us. I’ve learned a lot from you and look forward to reading the blog every day. You would be surprised at how many I’ve saved.
Oh my, the one project that has always stuck with me is a sampler I made back in the late 60’s with a farmer raking hay and the words “Reap What You Sow” and boy did I ever!
The only project of embroidery-by-hand I ever completed was at the age of 12 — 40 years ago. It was on a piece of burlap, and my grandmother (“Ninnie”) helped me mark out my name in bold letters. She taught me the most simple straight stitch, which I stiched using green, pink and blue floss. She taught me how to use the same straight stitch to make circles in my design. I remember she also made me pull out the stitches that were too long for her liking, just as she did when we hand-quilted other projects together. She then sewed puffy flowers using purple dotted cotton, blue mini-flower-print, with red gingham leaves and a stem for the flowers with covered cording. I don’t remember attaching the flowers, but can tell from the stitching SHE did not stitch those items on. Must have been me.
As a little girl, I had this piece tacked to my wall in my bedroom, next to an old wooden Coca-Cola 24-pack case (used for old glass bottles) where I kept my collectibles.
I still keep this precious (to me) piece of beginner hand-work in a trunk with my first Raggedy Ann doll, my bridal book, and my daughter’s first outfit and first cowboy boots — items that bring back sweet memories of my Ninnie, my childhood, and my own sweet baby girl.
Oh, how I would love this Sampler book so my now-12-year-old daughter and I can turn off our electronics and computers and be creative together.
Thank you for your consideration!
Jan B in Terrell, TX
My favorite embroidery project is one I’m working on right now and it’s a crazy quilt with 26 different blocks, all sizes, with a photo of a gypsy girl playing mandolin in the center of each block because that’s the instrument I play. I am obsessed and can’t stop stitching and am constantly looking for different combinations of stitches. This guide would be helpful.
I have been stitching, in some form or fashion since I was 6 years old. When I discovered samplers about 20 years ago, I found my true needlework love. From reproduction to whimsical samplers, they all tell a story. Mourning samplers dating back to the death of George Washinton, birth samplers, samplers representing the season, to samplers about the Witches of Salem, each is a treasure! I would love be able to own this book, thank you providing this opportunity, I love your work!!!!
My favorite project is usually one that I am currently working on due to the fact that I love stitching! However, one of my favorites is a sampler dedicated to my Revolutionary War ancestors. Under the sampler I listed their names, service, dates etc. Hopefully this will be passed down thru generations in the family.
I don’t have a favorite. My dream project would be a sampler of all the stitches there are on a really nice piece of linen, with room at the bottom for new stitches.
I started something like this but did not have really nice fabric,so stopped.
Patricia C
I am currently working on a favorite- advent calendars for my daughters. I copied a picture of a huge pine and copied the outline onto fabric, then added felt and needled in wool roving, and then stitched with wool, cotton, and silk threads and ribbons to make shadows and deep branches and light, top branches. A variety of tiny beads represent snow on the branches. The light and snow are coming from the same side. Later, transparent buttons will be sewn on to hang tiny wrapped, numbered ornaments. Besides the tree there is one spot in the sky for a moon each time, one for Santa, one on the ground. I have thought I would do images of animals one year, bugs another, elves another!
My ultimate would be Needle Painting – maybe when I am big!!!
I’ve done some embroidery, but don’t feel very proficient at it. I’ve been helping my granddaughters learn how to embroider simple designs on dishtowels. I would love to feel more comfortable with a greater number of stitches for use, not only in embroidery projects, but also to embellish applique.
Count me in! My favorite project was an illuminated initial I designed and made for some dear friends. Alas, though I loved the design, the quality of my work showed my ignorance of some basic skills. So clearly I need to win a sampler book to correct my shortcomings. ;^)
When I was 9, my mother bought me an embroidery kit from Leggetts. I taught myself the various stitches by reading the instructions. That experience has stayed with me and now my dream project is to embroidering fun quotes and sayings from authors I admire to give to friends. I would love to win this book for my daughter who is 10. The instructions seem easy to understand. I’d love to pass on to her the fun of creating something beautiful with one’s hands.
What’s your favorite embroidery project that you’ve ever worked? I just finished a Mystery SAL from Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. It mainly cross stitching but I really enjoyed working on the SAL. I love to try new techiniques but sometimes is a little afraid to try the hard ones but am willing to learn
Currently my embroidery projects have been of the dishtowel project variety with a few quilt blocks thrown in for good measure. I am expanding to surface embroidery on wool appliqué but my dream project is the bird your are currently working. I have the linen and some of the threads but have yet not made the plunge.
I am new to this blog. I did some needlework before my 2 boys were born. They are now 30 & 32 years old. I recently retired and have ‘an itch’ to get back into it. Before starting something brand new, I thought it best if I completed a project I started awhile back. My sister & I were pregnant with our first children at the same time. We both started a darling 1 – 10 counting themed cross-stitch. She was a stay-at-home person & I worked. Guess who finished? Well, then I thought I’d finish it for #2 child. That too did not work. So, this summer, I brought to the beach this 32 year old project to complete. Fortunately, I had stopped at the number 10 ten and had completed 4 of the 10 balloons. But — I still did not finish. It is beside me now and I work on it in the evenings. When I finish it, I will gently wash, and have framed. A note will be placed on the back explaining the history. 🙂 I would love to have a book of simple samplers to use after this project. I am a history lover and enjoy the samplers of ‘old’. Plus, I am interested in continuing with projects which are needlework and not just cross stitch. Thank you.
Miss Mary – what a wonderful giveaway! Sure hope I win this book – have a 11 yo granddaughter that has recently gotten into embroidery and this book would be SO helpful to she and I. My favorite embroidery piece narrowed down would have to be some type of sampler I have done in the past – whether wedding, anniversary, birth, etc. and involve monograms! Just love’em so keep them coming!!!
Thanks so much!
Barbara in TN
My favorite finished project is one I still own and have hanging in my house. It is a crewel picture of three quails and some greenery. I started it when I was in my 20’s and I was a newlywed. When I finally finished it, I embroidered my name and the year (1981) on the corner. My sweet (not) husband said, “you should add 1977- before that!” implying I should be transparent about how long it took me!
It has a number of interesting and fun stitches which I learned as I went along…feather stitches, padded satin stitch, some couching, several others. Lots of texture. You can tell it was a beginner’s work, but I love it anyway.
My favorite embroidery project…probably 3 Halloween pieces I did for my Mother. She loves Halloween! It had been a long time since I’d done basic embroidery stitches and I found that I really enjoyed the simplicity of it even though the design was intricate.
It is hard to pick one favorite, but perhaps
mine is the three dimensional, stuffed pumpkin
that included several types of stitching on the
various panels.
Pat in Lebanon
Hi Mary, My project is still in the works. I am embroidering on vintage handkerchiefs to make a quilt. I was so excited to find your website and now I can learn new stitches and techniques. Denise G.
I made a really cute and pretty little embroidery for my mom, which she hung in her sewing room. I’m really enjoying cross stitch these days. 🙂
I long to learn new stitches and do something like the hummingbird (way over my head, but I’m in a rut using just two or three stitches. My favorite project (though it’s just the outline stitch), is a kid’s art re-creation with a drawing from a 4 year old – the arms are coming out of the head!
This book will teach me new stitches and spark my creativity! I hope I win!
I think my favorite project so far has been stitching my son’s cat to the pocket of a white dress shirt, for my son. It really looks like his cat, Fea! My dream project is my own design, inspired by old stump work projects, of the Nativity.
My first major embroidery project was a sampler for my mother when I was 8yrs old. Before that I would just practice stitches on scrapes of fabric hooped in a small frame. Though there were so many mistakes that I could see, my mother was very pleased. She stated at the time “this is the first sampler that has been made in the family since I was a girl.” She then showed me her collection of heirloom samplers made by members of our family that I had never seen before. The oldest one was made by my great great grandmother. She placed mine in this collection after having it framed and had been hanging for years in her bedroom. When she died in 2005, I found it again. What wonderful memories I still have of embroidering at my mother’s and grandmother’s knees! And now, I am teaching my grand daughter embroidery who just started her first sampler August 6, 2014. I can’t wait to include it in the family collection!
First of all Mary, I just want to say that discovering your web site has been pure joy for me. I live everything about it. That you for all your work and the time you put into this site.
My favorite embroidery project is a combination of the first project I ever worked on and my dream project. I started working on a Christmas project long ago and have have about 65% of it done, but life got in the way and I could never finish it. Now that I am retired, I have started working on it again and it is wonderful to be rediscovering it. I love it because it uses all kinds of stiches and each section represents a different Christmas theme. My favorite stitch on it is the French knot. It just bring everything to life. Thank you to you for your great demo on You Tube. It was just the refresher I needed to make this wonderful stitch.
Hi Mary, I just discovered your website recently and am attempting to learn basic stitches from your videos. I am very impressed with how good the videos are! Since I’ve not embroidered much before now my current project has to be my favourite. I am embroidering words of blessing inside of receiving blankets as a fundraiser for Compassion’s Child Survival Program and as a positive message to new Moms.
Sheila from Ontario Canada
My favorite project right now is the little book cover that I am working on. there is painting of the linen involved, then stitching a variety of sampler stitches over it. It will fit on a 2 3/4 inch by 4 inch book.
What has inspired me to look at surface embroidery again after close to 40 years was a need make quick and beautiful covers for some of my appliances. I find embroidery intimidating, but I am enjoying going back to the stitches I used to do as a child. It lends itself to creativity and open expression, which I don’t have in cross stitch.
Techiya
Mary,
My favorite stitching project AND my dream project is this Secret Garden Hummingbirds! It is on my embroidery stand and has become a permanent piece of furniture in the living room. And as I watch you rip out stitches, I wonder if I will ever finish it because I haven’t started the birds yet.
It definitely is a DREAM project because I dream of finishing it in the next decade!
love your site and thanks for the give away
my favorite is a piece I did when I was 18 (i am now in my fifties) and it was a crewel christmas stocking that I made for my boyfriend at the time who later became my husband (married 31 years) and we still put it out each year at christmas. It was a kit and has all kinds of toys on it. It still looks great after all these years.
thanks again
I designed a picture in crosstitch of my white cottage and all I see from it framing it. The apple trees in the orchard,the wild geese that fly over,the owl I hear at night,my husband’s old tractor,our two Scottish terriers,the sun and moon and a border of apple blossom and bees. My favourite poem as well. Two roads diverged in a wood,and I,I took the one less travelled on and that has made all the difference.
I made a quilt with embroidered blocks about 10 years ago I think it was called, I Done My Best.
Last year I had 2 quilts in the San Antonio Show and 2 of the quilts were needleturn applique. I embroidered around each piece – really makes the blocks stand out.
I want to learn the different stitches and become more proficient with my Embroidery work. I have Curtis Boehringer’s Santa pattern that I want to start, but need to brush up on my stitches.
I love your Blog and daily emails.
My “dream” project is to design and stitch a “full sized” tablecloth, stitched with a variety of hemstitching and surface embroidery techniques on a lovely linen.
I’m working up to it!
My favorite piece of needlework is a crewel picture of a weeping cherry tree. For years it hung next to my mother’s grandfather clock. It was next to a window where you could see her live weeping cherry tree.
I am teaching my great niece to cross stitch with a simple sampler.
I would love to win this book. My favorite project was when I first learned to embroider. My grandmother taught me to embroider on some pillowcases. I still have them but no longer use them. They are framed. Thanks for the giveaway.
Mary, thanks for the opportunity. I love all hand sewing and like to combine embroidery and embroidered applique with my quilting projects. I must say that my favorite project so far is beaded embroidery, and I made several beautiful beaded flowers to make into pony tail ties for my granddaughter. I would love to win this book to teach my granddaughter how to embroidery and help her to develop creative sewing and embroidery skills. I enjoy learning from you love your beautiful work.
I have finally retired and have time to pursue my embroidery. I have done many small pieces, but look forward someday to doing a Jacobean bell pull. I am also doing your Hummingbird project and just love it. I am also very fond of samplers and want to design my own one some day.
Mary, I have been enjoying your website now for over a year, as an art educator I’ve used your excellent tutorials to help my students achieve some truly amazing artwork. So… I have two successes to share; my favorite project completed by my students were some embroidery samplers inspired by the work of Wassliy Kandinskiy ( the Russian-born, Expressionist of the Bleu-Rider group). The combination of Kandinskiy’s style composed on colored felt and then stitched using craft yarn (size #14 sharp and blunt needles) and a variety of “beginner” stitches turned out AMAZING! Even my guys really got into it. My own personal success was a set of children’s blocks I made for my daughter out of remnant flannel and DMC cotton thread in a rainbow of colors. I used a quilter’s marker( the kind that washes out) and drew the designs…ABC’s, #’s Animals, Weather…etc. And using mainly chain stitch I had a lot of fun using your method of guess, frog and fix 🙂 to complete them. I had SO much fun with it I went on to use the remainder of the remnants to make a crazy quilt with even more designs on flannel and backed the whole quilt with fleece. I promise to take pictures and include them in the share section soon! Thanks for offering the give-away; I think this book would be a great addition to any classroom or serious crafter’s library. My head is spinning out a million fun projects just looking at the cover!
My favorite was the apron my daughter made for herself. She was 11 at the time and was volunteering at our church, making coffees and helping in the cafe. She wanted to personalize her apron so she designed a cute coffee cup image and I showed her how to transfer the design and then taught her the 4 different stitches she needed to get the effect she wanted. It was the first time she’d showed an interest in stitching and I was delighted that she chose embroidery over quicker, easier options for embellishment.
To date it’s probably a sea themed piece that I embroidered on a bag. Thanks for the opportunity!
My favourite piece?? You’re funny!! I have stitched way too many things to have a favourite. I would say that canvas work is my favourite and leave it at that.
I am currently working with 2 other women who are interested in starting to stitch as they always see me working on my things (my tote-along projects). So this would be a perfect reference guide for them to borrow if I were lucky enough to win it. May have to break down and purchase a copy.
Heather
Mary,
I have stitched for 70 years and picking my favorite would be almost impossible, but maybe it is a strip that depicts the major buildings in Flint, Michigan. I was born and raised there, but I have not lived there since 1989. When I look it at it, the word that still comes to me is “Home.”
Since I teach beginners, the book would be very helpful, and hopefully one I could recommend to them for their libraries.
Audrey Bruner
My favorite piece of embroidery was a sampler I did years ago to commemorate my father. I actually entered it into NC’s annual state fair and got an honorable mention.
Hi Mary ~
I have wanted to learn to embroider for many years. Following your blog has only heightened that desire – it’s the first email I read every morning! I have done cross-stitch for a number of years, and have made a couple of attempts at easy embroidery patterns using only the stem stitch; they didn’t come out too well! But I have been unable to find a suitable beginner’s embroidery book or even a class or instructor (other than you!).
My ideal project would be a pattern I bought of a beautiful vase with flowers. I suppose it could all be done in an outline stitch, but it would be so much more beautiful if I could fill it with some basic stitches. (I would also like to do something like your Jacobean Jumble – someday!)
The Stitch Sampler sounds like the perfect book for me! I read the customer reviews of the book on Amazon, and everyone gave it 5 stars and said how wonderful it is. The fact that it’s for absolute beginners is what really attracts me. I’ve never found anything like it!
Thank you for all you do for us – it has really inspired me!
Melissa
ps – I think I’m pathologically unable to write short answers! Sorry for my wordiness.
I love cross stitch. I have one on the go…it is just finding the time to do it. Love the sampler look and it would give me some confidence I think.
BTW the one I am working on is a quilter in a long navy dress. Very detailed…but I love it. Someday it will be done. 🙂
I sampler I did with specialty stitches by Just Nan. Remember 9-11 and a birth sampler I made for my Grandson.
My favorite project was a small sampler that I did several years ago. It was a sampler for “home” and the colors were so pretty. It was so fun to stitch!
Oops, I didn’t read far enough the first time. So sorry. My dream project would be to do a completely embroidered blouse for my darling little granddaughter as a gift for when she graduates from school. of course that’s way in the future as she’s only in first grade. I would cover it with kitty cats in various poses, because she owns two at present and really likes them. Her descriptions of their antics are so cute she sounds much older than her 5 years. I guess that’s because she’s being home-schooled and is much smarter than most children her age; unless I’m just prejudiced because I’m her Grandma! Thanks again for the chance to enter!
What a neat book and would be such an asset to have. I have a granddaughter that has taken an interest in embroidery and has stitched a few little projects from a book called Doodle Stitching. She and I could really go to town working on a sampler or two! Years ago I finished a sampler with alphabet, flowers and pineapples, and a lovely little cottage at the very bottom of the piece. It is so beautiful and will be left to one of my daughters. Thanks for offering such nice giveaways!
My first project was so far out of my ability range. It was a beautiful Christmas stocking for my future husband. I didn’t know how to do anything. It turned out to be about 8 inches across. I didn’t realize that there were different sizes of material. I lined it in a beautiful red satin. Thirty years later, we still take it out and laugh. I sometimes put pencils or a rolled up love letter in it. I have decided to start again. In the great wisdom that age has given me, I have decided to start at the beginning! Thanks
Hi Mary, I have always wanted to embroidered was a scarf for my mother. Since I’m Byzantine Catholic it would be for a Easter basket to cover. For the blessing of the baskets. I am just learning to embroider this book would be very helpful to use for the scarf.
Thank you
Liz Turnbull
My favorite project is the one I am working on. It is an embroidered Portrait of my daughter. I am winging it as it is how I see her in my head. When I am finished I will start one for my other daughter and son. I enjoy creating my own art. My kids are grown and quite creative. I would love them to start out with your Sampler Book. Who knows maybe one will embroider my portrait. It would be interesting to see how they picture me.
I would love to win the book. Have read the review and sounds like a great book.
Like Chris – I have to pick just one? It would have to be a bell pull I did called Simple Things. Every time I look at it, it humbles me a bit and makes me appreciate that the simple things in life are often the best and most enjoyed.
My favorite embroidery project was when I was many years younger. I embroidered flour sack dishtowels with kitties with the days of the week. I loved those. My favorite cross stitch project was a baby in a wash basin on linen. The baby looked exactly like my middle daughter.
Mary, thank you for offering this lovely book.
I think my favorite project was an embroidered flour sack towel made with one of your patterns. I did it for a friend, having borrowed a cup of her dishes to be sure I caught the correct colors. The color change in mine (medium bright pastels) made it look very different from yours but it was a lot of fun and a labor of love to my friend. Simple, and yet very satisfying.
My favorite embroidery project was my “Happy Bee” apron top which I did last year for the MN State Fair contest in the honey agricultural area for wearable art. And I got 2nd place. It was a 1950’s stylized bee sitting on a flower and I used metallic thread for the wings.
My ultimate dream project is a 3 panel standing screen room divider with all different botanical style animals and plants in land, sea and sky. One can always dream.
So many of my projects have been given away as gifts. Now it is time to do something for each of my five grandchildren. They will know for the ages just how much they are loved. Always time well spent embroidering.When they are older, I hope to teach each one a very simple sampler.
Karole King
Favourtite project is a dream project still. I want to embroider a table cloth using lots of different tiny pattern. I haven’t started though, cos O think it would take years, and I’m a bit scared!
thanks, Rachel
Since I have just come back to surface embroidery I would have to say my favorite is what I am working on now—-snowmen on dish towels. Seems pretty lame now that I think about it but I am enjoying just picking the project up and using the stem stitch to outline the snowman. My kitchen is decorated in snowmen for Christmas so these towels are for me. My motive is to improve my stitches on the front as well as the back. I have cross stitched for about 20 years and my favorite completed project is the winter angel by Lavender and Lace. I would love to add this book to my library as it contains two of my needlework loves—cross stitch and surface embroidery. Thank you for offering everyone the opportunity to win such a great prize.
Mrs. Corbet,
I haven’t done a ton of embroidery projects, and can’t choose a favourite. So, I dream to make a dress with a circle skirt that has embroidered sections and an embroidered bodice. I don’t know why, but that just sounds to me like it would be really pretty.
Have a nice weekend, Mrs. Corbet!
Sarah 😀
My mother taught me to embroider, but I haven’t stitched much since. This week I sewed a denim gored skirt for my daughter. To jazz it up, I’m crazy stitching the seams. It is turning out “way cute.” Thank you, Mary, your blog has been inspiring.
Dream project….a set of vestments with Goldwork & silkshading…etc.. Someday!
Every project I work on is my ‘favorite’! I have been doing embroidery as far back as my memory goes. To me, it is my own personal Zen space. Love you, Mary. I would feel lost without you.
My favorite project pattern is a piece of Hardanger Embroidery I made for my new new niece and my nephew for their wedding in 2012. The project that I really would like to do is your Secret Garden Project. I have the book, but need a refresher course on the various stitches and believe that a good way to learn is by doing samplers. That is the way I learned Hardanger. Thank you.
I’m a 67 yr old beginner (if you don’t count the pillowcases I did when I was 12. I’ve embroidered a couple more pillowcases but my favorite piece is one that is framed in a hoop that says “Do small things with great love”. Love that quote from Mother Teresa.
Would love to do a sampler of my house.
I love adding embroidery embellishments to my appliqué work, but my favorite all-embroidery piece is probably a crewel wildflower piece that I did some 30 years ago. I still enjoy looking at it. Thanks for the chance, Mary. I’m loving watching your hummingbird evolve. Happy holiday weekend!
I love to stitch samplers and have done so many. They arsimple but tell a story. Seeing an old sampler in an antique shop makes me think about the life of the person who stitched it.
Mary
You are an inspiration!!!!!!!!! Found your website awhile ago and used it to start sampling some of your stitches with my granddaughters ages 7 and 10. I’m retired and joined a heirloom sewing group to learn to smock. I now am trying my hand on padded stitches on a baptism gown.
It’s a very relaxing hobby after 17 years on my feet owning a restaurant. My husband now knows where to find me —-In my sewing room. Thanks for all the lessons and I’m looking forward to incorporating different stitches into my heirloom
creations.
Breta
I wish I would have had a sample book when I was working on my crazy quilt. I had to search for ideas and stitches to use on it. It gave me a lot of practice and I discovered so many new and old stitches. When I finished the crazy quilt it became one of my favorite embroidery projects. I won a blue ribbon at the county fair and had so many positive comments from friends and family. Thanks to your wonderful website and encouraging hints it was a hit! Carol Dundas
My most memorable project to date are 2 running horses. This is a wall frame the pride of my home. I want to do curtains for my living room which will have a garden lots of birds, flowers and butterflies. Your hummingbird is inspiring to start the drawings for my curtains
Currently I embroider the labels for my quilts but my ‘big plan’ is to eventually incorporate embroidery into the quilt. I love watching you work on the hummingbirds!!
Mary, I read your tips each day now and enjoy them very much. I read about this beautiful yet simple book teaching basic stitches. It looks “simply wonderful”. Showing the stitches in color and up close is a great advantage to me. I am legally blind but have done some sort of stitching all my life beginning with our 4-H Club many years ago. I use a reading magnifier which helps me see very close up how the stitches look.
This book looks great even for those who have done lots of stitching already as a basic guide to keep out. I love the colors and the brightness of the stitches and the texture is something you cannot get from an embroidery machine. I love doing almost any kind of hand work. I can tell where I put the needle in and where I end. I just hold the work very close and wear my high magnified reading glasses.
Thank you for sharing this little “gem” Mary your work is superb. Sincerely, Janie
I live in Michigan, USA
I just read a few of the comments about people’s favorite embroidery. Interesting to see what appeals to others.
My favorite project is probably a wall quilt I made just a couple of years ago with embroidered squares on it-all Christmas themed. The design is by Natalie Bird. Even though it’s August, it’s still hanging in my living room!
Connie Maude
I can’t really say that I have one favorite project. I guess the one I’m working on is usually my favorite. I do enjoy projects that combine quilting with embroidery. To date I have done three of these and have a new one on added to my to do list. I’ve been following the hummingbird project and have the book so that’s on my to do list also. Hummm that to do list keeps getting longer and longer. I learned basic embroidery from my mother as a child but never knew there were so many different stitches and techniques until I started following “Needle n Thread”. Thanks for sharing all your valuable information.
My favorite embroidry project to date is the Gardiner Angels series. I have the embroidery completed but have not decided how I am going to dispaly them. Framed vs. quilt. all together vs. separate. Decisions Decisions Decisions
I would love to do an old fashioned sampler but with modern colors and a variety of stitches
Para mi todo lo que he visto en tu pagina Mary, son un proyecto, ya que cada uno de tus trabajos son como un pastelito que tenemos que disfrutar y terminarlo. Soy del Mexico,D.F., y no me aburro de ver tu pagina. Gracias
I have just started embroidery and would love this book! I quilt and would love to try a crazy quilt
My favorite (and first) project i ever did was a picture of hello kitty and the girls name that i was giving it to. It made me really proud of myself since i am not a professional and only used simple stitches!
Mary, I am learning how to embroider just now with 59 years old. I am loving. I live in Brazil and I would love to win this beautiful book. Thank you very much.
Envious of the skills shown in the beautiful bird. My daughter just gifted me with a beginning embroidery class which we attended together. It was so much fun to spend a day with her and learn a beginning skill. Winning this book means we could continue the journey sharing and learning. My dream project(s) would be individualized pillows for each of my daughters and granddaughters to have as a memory piece.
I haven’t done much embroidery yet as I am a beginner. I have done some practice pieces. I want to incorporate embroidery stitches into art quilts and also some canvas work with the focus of nature from the photos taken. Doing stich samplers would be great for me to really fine tune my stitching.
My favorite embroidery project that I’ve ever worked is a giant cross stitched bedspread. The story is that my mom bought it as a kit from Bucilla about 40 years ago as an escape after her mother-in-law moved in. When she moved out (the mother-in-law) the bedspread apparently had served its purpose and was closeted. I came across it a few years ago and took part of it home with me. I guess it put a fire under Mom because she finished the rest. My sister and I recently sewed the parts together and plan on finishing the backing and quilting next time I’m home. There are stains and loads of mistakes on it. Quite the ugly duckling. Its history and the experience makes it priceless though.
I have to laugh!! Orts!! I have had a gazillion of them in my lifetime… I too, am guilty, of picking up the wrong colored needle… I looked at the right one, twice even, maybe 3 times… and pick up the wrong one, don’t bother to look before inserting needle into fabric… and even as frustrating as it has been, I am happy to say that I am happy that I still have my eyesight and live another day to add to the orts pile 🙂
My favorite project is easy to choose. I have only done a couple. I choose the one I made for my mother a couple of years ago for Christmas. She saw it in a magazine or book and liked it. It was very simple one stitch, one color.
My favorite piece of embroidery is a Pillowcase I worked on while taking care of my Cousin post Breast Cancer surgery many years ago – I ended up framing it and hanging it over my Daughters Bed ~ It is a beautiful script SWEET DREAMS with floral flourishes-I still can’t believe I did it ! 🙂
I am I half way through the Victoria Sampler alphabet samplers which
I am doing in two panels to hang side by side. It is my all time fav because
You use just about every stitch imaginable and each letter has stitches
Beginning with that letter. The sampler book looks lovely. Thanks for
The chance to win a copy. Sue in Bermuda
Mary, thank you for another give-away. I think my favorite project is the one I am currently working on. That is will always be the one I am currently working on at any given time, as that is the one I am actually seeing progress on. Teresa Lynn
It is raining here too!
My favourite embroidery project was; the figure of an old fashioned lady on a large pincushion, which I gave to a friend.
Thanks so much for the giveaway,
Jacqueline in Pitt Meadows
My favorite project was a hoop I made for a friend. It was a combination of things that made it my favorite; who it was for, the fun design I hand drew, and how much she loved it. I hope to recreate that feeling again.
My favorite project so far has been embroidering handkerchiefs for both the men and women in my granddaughter’s wedding party, grandparents included. I believe it was something like close to 20 and each had its own poem.
My favorite project so far is a fox I made for my son. I would love to create a beautiful sampler!
I embroidered pillow cases for birthday presents and had a lot of fond memories of each person while doing so….
I made a chipmunk with wool picture that came out so cute…but eventually it got eaten in a couple of spots and it had to go!
What a wonderful book to have as a reference. I would thorougly enjoy perusing it’s pages and trying out some of the ideas.
Love to have this book!
My favorite embroidery project … All of them. I love learning new (to me) embrodiery stitches. My CQ group are practicing stitches from you Stitch tutorial each month.
My dream project it to finish the CQ quilt I’m working on with beautiful embrodiery stitches that my GGGgrandkid will look at and feel the love that I’ve put in each stitch.
My favorite tends to be whatever new technique I’m learning at the moment! Right now my favorite is blackwork, and I’m working on a sampler from a Lesley Wilkins book. As for dream project… recreation of medieval blackwork garments – at least today 🙂 Things may change by tomorrow!
My favorite embroidery project–so far– is my first which i used to learn embroidery: I wanted to hand-embroider denim shirts and I’m now working on my 3rd.
I just started embroidery in February & wanted to make something special for my sister’s 60th birthday in June. But an old friend was celebrating her 80th birthday at the end of April, so I decided to embroider a denim shirt for each of them. They absolutely loved their shirts.
As I learned more stitches, I became more confident with the free-from designs.
I am now working on my 3rd denim shirt –and this one os for me! Like some people “can hardly put down a book”, I find it hard to put down my embroidery. I constantly look for new stitches and ideas on newsletters like yours & have bought a few books. I am sure Cheryl Falls’ Simply Samplers would be a delight to have!
My favorite project to date has been Beatrix Potter pillows that I embellished with stitches I’ve learned from NeedlenThread web site!!
The book for the give-away would be such a lovely gift for my granddaughter who has asked me to teach her to embroider.
Thanks for a wonderful web site….best I have ever found!
Hi,
My favorite project was my first white work. it was the first one I’ve completed without any delays. I have a lot UFO presently, and every year, I want to complete all of them, but there is always something new to learn.
thanks for this opportunity.
Pascale
Oh! Pick me! I adore samplers and am always looking to improve. I do so appreciate your blog!
I just love surface stitchery so much so that I am going to do an intermediate classes next year at the embroiderers guild so I will need all the books I can get my little hands on for help and inspiration. To give me ideas on what to do and to show me hoe some of these tricky stitches can be done, as it looks like this books has very clear instruction and the diagrams are also easy to follow oh how I love books
Goodness, that has made me think…after contemplating a long time…my favourite project has to be whichever one I am working on at the time!
I’ve made all the Marbek counted cross stitch angels. They look great when I put them up for the holidays.
My most favourite project is The Jacaranda Tree which I did at Koala Conventions about 6 years ago.Designed and taught by Debbie Mercer from Brisbane it is comprised of so many elements new and challenging to me from dying the background fabric, to embroidering the background and getting the perspective right. Many new and different threads and techniques were introduced throughout the workshop. The scene is a Jacandara tree in flower (purple /mauve blossom) on the edge of a paddock beside a fence with lots of free standing and colourful wild flowers along the front edge. The project is very pretty and Debbie’s careful and thoughtful teaching gave me the knowledge and confidence to tackle much bigger projects such as Catherine Howells’Flemish Flowers.
I have yet to start embroidering, but Mary you are my inspiration! As a matter of fact, I have just started to stitch samplers after years of only needlepoint.
This book is a great reference tool and I hpe it finds a home on my shelf.
My favourite piece was a tray cloth I made 55 years ago. My mum used in on her telephone table forever. Since then I have been in the stitcher’s wilderness, being a Born Again Embroiderer only a couple of years ago. I would dearly like to interpret some of my husband’s photos with needle & thread. “First, choose your stitches” is where I stop. There’s a limit to what one can do with back stitch and French knots. I need to learn more.
Many, many, years ago, I made a sampler for my Mum, that really wasn’t large nor complicated.
On it were the words,”The road to a friends house is never long”. She still has it hanging beside her bed and treasures it so much as she is now unable to stitch any longer.
I guess because I gave it as a gift, that it is truly loved and appreciated, make this my favourite.
I love working samplers as it is a good way of learning new stitches and if they are small enough, they are easily worked and finished. I have put this book on my bucket list as I can see it will be very useful. I am also looking forward to starting a sampler of Yvette Stanton’s Sardinian Embroidery from her latest book. Again nice and small and ‘finishable’!
Chris
Count me in a chance at that book. It sounds like a great way to start with a DIY sampler before moving into patterns…and I have so many patterns I want to use crewelwork on.
My favorite…favorite to look at? favorite to stitch? To some degree this is like choosing children. But my favorite project within the last 5 years is my stitched Zentangle!
I love to do all kinds of crafts and your email is the first one I open. You make me want to learn everything about needlework.
About 10 years I was in Copenhagen and saw a beautiful picture in a craft store.
I went in a d purchased the kit never knowing it was a blank canvas. I still have to do it. It is a beautiful cross stitch piece and your book has given me the inspiration to get started on it. That’s if I win
I have not embroidery before but would love to learn , this book sounds a great way to start with basic stitches . Hopefully one day I can embroidery something for my my family
My favorite piece is our wedding sampler; lots of French knots, couched ribbon, and an assortment of stitches. 25 years later, I still love the style and colors and the husband.
Usually my favorite is the one I have just finished. So many of my pieces remind me of specific times in my life when I was working on the piece – or the class I took to get the project.
My granddaughter and I embroider together whenever we are together – about four times a year and I think she would really like several of the projects in the book. Thanks for offering the giveaway.
My favorite embroidery project? That’s a hard one to answer. I’ve done a lot of counted cross stitch, did a hand embroidered christening gown for my nephew, and just finished all the embroidered squares for a wall hanging. Guess I would have to say my favorite is whatever I am working on at the moment.
What a wonderful give away. My favourite project to date was a white work sampler, closely followed by two hardanger tablecloths, that I designed myself, for my children when they married.
I would love to win this book as it would be an awesome tool to introduce my grand daughter to needlework.
Blessings
Maxine
This is a wonderful generous giveaway. I love samplers and am making mine into a fabric book…a long process. My very favourite piece of work is a large 3 dimensional piece depicting a coral reef.
When I was 6 I was in a car wreck that left me unable to walk for several weeks, and my grandparents had to watch my while my parents were in the hospital. My grandmother sat down and patiently taught me to embroider, and we made a small sampler together. It wasn’t very pretty, but my grandma went on and on about it, she even framed it and put it on her wall! I was so proud of that, and for years I admired it every time we came to visit!
My favorite embroidery was a medival lady with a grey sleek hound. The colors were beautiful and she turned out so pretty. I hadn’t thought of working on her for quite a while. Thanks for jogging my memory.
Mary, I enjoy reading your blog and have learned so much. My favorite needlework piece is the sampler I did to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. I enjoy stitching samplers but have not had the pleasure of doing crewel work and the embroidery you do. I want to learn and this book would be the help I need along with your wonderful tutorials.
Ruth on the First Coast
My favorite embroidery (crewel)project ever was a kit I bought from Avon company way back in the 1980’s. It was a bee’s keep with flowers and of course bees. I made it up for my mother who enjoyed it for years until my father’s new pup pal enjoyed chewing it to bits. I always wished I had kept the pattern page which showed the stitch directions so that I could duplicate it. I am now looking forward to using Sue Spargo’s embellishing book for embroidery to make some pillows for my sofa. I really want to spice up my living room with some color. Jayne
I finished the Red Brolly embroidered quilt, Le Jardin, this June. I really enjoyed how it has a touch of applique and different embroidery stitches highlighted on each block. I loved learning and using different stitches. I used a lot of my stash and had fun free motion quilting floral/flourishes and feathers.
Hi there! Just wanted to let you know I love your site, I look forward to all the updates about the hummingbirds, I sent a link to my grandmother, and now she follows you as well.
My favorite project I’ve ever worked was a portrait of a horse I started with my Great Grandmother when I was about eight. I still have it, its folded lovingly in a box of mementos of her, waiting for me to have time to frame it to put it on the wall. Its by no means perfect, but it reminds me of her, and that means the world to me.
I really love the Hummingbird piece you’re working on! While my skills are not quite at your level, I’d love to someday do a large embroidered wall hanging. I had one on my wall when I was young, and it got lost somewhere along the way. I would love to have something like that to hang up for my son (and any subsequent children) to enjoy!
I did my needlework (embroidery) version of Monet’s Garden at Saint Adresse – here’s a link:
http://realneo.us/system/files/Garden+at+Saint+Adresse.jpg
Used so many different stitches – and only DMC!
My favorite piece is a Hummel Shepherd Boy, I stitched many years ago and had framed. I have been thinking about embroidering a map of the US, and labeling all the states we have been to. Thank you for offering this special book giveaway, Mary.
I love to embroidery and would love to have this book to share with my granddaughters
My favorite needlework project of all time was designing and stitching a Christmas stocking for my new son-in-law.
Thanks FOR your website! I’m getting back into embroidery now since I’ve been trying other things but have forgotten MOST OF WHAT MY GRANDMA taught me almost 50 years ago. The project I did for my dad 30 years ago of a dock, houses and boats is my Most memorable because I was raising my children working and trying to go to college. The project was for Christmas that year so time was a factor and I wanted it to be perfect! It hung in his house until he moved to a new place last year. I don’t know if it’s hanging now or not but that’s my favorite to date. I bought Secret Garden to start the Humming birds BUT have fallen in love with the OWLS. That is my Dream project to do “”maybe”” next year
My favourite piece of embroidery is the one I’ve just finished – a jacobean pattern from Hazel Blomkamp – because I have learned so much from doing it. It’s not perfect by any means, but I know that I will take what I have learned and do better next time.
My dream projects include making samplers for my grandchildren for important milestones in their lives in the future. Every piece of embroidery I work on teaches me something new about myself and my work.
If I was to start a sampler today, I would take a quote from Picasso: I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn to do it.
My dream embroidery project would be a band sampler of all the known embroidery stitches. Before I found your website, I had no idea there were so many beautiful stitches! My goal is to learn them all… But I guess at my age, I had better get busy working on it if I hope to finish! Thank you for the opportunity to win the sampler book and your generosity in sharing your knowledge and skill with us.
The perfect book for my grand daughter. She is a perfectionist and neither her mother or I could get her started on needlework but as Bill Cosby once joked ” What do college grads do when they learn they are pregnant ? They enrol in a Child-birth class!” Well, her 7th grade year offered an elective in needlework and I sent her the link for chicken scratch and hopefully she is now on her way.
It is impossible to choose a favorite piece of needlework , but I am delighted to be one of 900 volunteers from all over the world who have and are working on a panel with 4 verses in Hebrew from the Hebrew Bible. Not all the volunteers are Jewish. Some of the panels can be seen at http://torahstitchbystitch.temmagentles.com/events-activity/completed-panels/
My favorite embroidery project is the next one! I am most fond of Crazy Quilt stitching and am oh so close to finishing Lynda Halls Wedding Day Quilt.
My favorite needlework piece is the cross-stitch that I did for my wedding. I combined 2 patterns to get exactly what I wanted and reworked the pattern to fit in a couple of areas to make them work. I like it best because it reminds me of our wedding, but also because I didn’t just follow a pattern but added my own energy to it. As for future pieces, I really want to learn to do stumpwork! Thank you for the amazing site and tutorials.
My favorite project was a koala pillow that I embroidered while waiting to catch an overseas flight to Korea when I was in the Air Force back in the 70s. I was in a strange city, had a 3 hr overlay, and it gave me something to do to pass the time.
Hello! Thank you for this opportunity to win a “Simply Samplers” book! I’ve always loved examining vintage, detailed samplers, but I’d have to say that my favorite project is also my “dream” project; a project that I’ve been working on for 2 years now…a huge, “Olde World Map” cross stitch project for my boyfriend. I made the mistake of telling him about this project, of which was going to be his birthday present. Alas, since I am still working on it, he likes to tease me that I never told him what YEAR for his birthday he would receive the finished project, ha ha! Sincerely, Kathy Hinkle
This book would make a wonderful present for my daughter’s 13th birthday next month. Every year I look forward to Mother’s Day and my birthday because my daughter always hand stitches a gift for me. She just uses basic stitches but her designs are original and mean so much to me. I know my daughter would absolutely love the Simply Samplers book! My dream project is to one day design and stitch panels for a folding screen as a dual project with my daughter. Thank you Mary for making everyday beautiful by sharing your invaluable knowledge and enthusiasm for embroidery to us all!
It’s hard to pick a favorite, it’s like your children you love them all. My dream project is a large mountain landscape.
Have a great day.
Dianne
My favorite things I’ve made have been name samplers for my children.
I embroidery a wall hanging form my pastor and she loved it. I also did a friendship pillow for a friend that was moving away.
I have yet to work my dream project, but I hope to introduce my daughters Girl Scout troop to Embroidery this fall/winter.
“… what’s your “dream project” that you aspire to embroider some day?”
Being that I’m kinda new to embroidery, I look forward to the day I have the skills to embroider a “collar” around a mirror.
I find that look so fascinating!
Hi Mary,
My most favourite project I have ever worked on was a thread painted mouse I adapted from a design in a very old magazine, it has been in exhibition, there have been comments like “surely that is machine embroidered” which make my chest swell with pride.Currently I am challenging myself on drawn thread work, totaly out of my comfort zone. I would love to win this book for the new members in our little embroidery group, we usually start them of on aida and this becomes their first needlebook.
Cheers Flora
Dear Mary,
You have me on Memory Lane. My favourite project that I’ve ever worked is Sandy Orton’s Colonial Alphabet from way back, made into a draft stopper (from Donna Kooler’s Glorious Needlepoint p50). It was my first “proper project” worked in cross-stitch with DMC wool on aida cloth. I didn’t know any better then so not wanting to waste any thread, I used every last bit until I physically had to unthread and re-thread the needle to take the last stitches with only just enough thread remaining to thread under the stitches at the back to finish off. When the thread became thin towards the end of each length, I just worked the stitches over again to thicken them up a bit. A knot even got worked in a one point by mistake. Luckily in was on a branch where the owl sits so the three-dimensional look fitted right in. The whole piece was so thickly stitched I often had to use a small pair of pliers to pull the needle through. Ignorance is bliss and it’s still a very pretty draft stopper.
I have this pretty little butterfly cross stitch that I started about a million years ago, and actually haven’t even finished yet
I would love to win this book for my granddaughter. She is in 3rd grade.
My favorite project is “The American Sampler” from the short-lived Treasures magazine: tons of queen stitches, bargello, cross stitch, 2 different filling stitches and a little bit of satin stitch. I stitched with the requested silk floss. It turned out really great.
Jane from Illinois
My favourite piece is the first one I ever did. It is Bernat’s Handprint Memories (I believe that is the correct title). I did that for my son 25 years ago and that is what got me started on this wonderful journey!
I would like to give this book to my granddaughter who is five
And start her in learning needlework and since I’m kind if a newbie myself this would be a great book
I love doing band samplers in all sorts of counted stitch ways. I have one in a bag right now (it’s a section a month project) that I can’t wait to start on. I tend to get impatient and want to have the whole thing before I start. It uses a variety of threads, which I haven’t used before.
My favorite project was adding a design at the hem of a simple blouse/top. It didn’t take long, but that was part of the beauty of it. I wanted to show my students how easy it was to embellish something plain and make it special.
A favorite project of mine was a pillow embroidered as part of an art project in grade 4 or 5 (back in the ’70s). I used a variety of stitches & embroidered a basket holding flowers. The material was a bit like burlap & the yarn we used was the kind of wool used in knitting. I was so proud to give it to my Mom as a gift. Simply Samplers would be a great book to get me practicing so I can evolve past cross stitch & embroidery projects using not much more than a chain stitch.
Lovely book, would love to win it! I aspire to embroider a Jacobean style cover to re-cover my late Mum’s sewing box, I’m starting small and working up to it….
I think my favourite piece embroidery piece I ever worked was my Crazy Quilt needlebook, although it didn’t win any prizes, I love it.
Marian, NZ
My favorite embroidery project is a Jacobean crewel which I learned to design and execute at my first class at the Royal School of Needlework.
I have the English Cottage from Theresa Wentzler. It’s about 25 years old or so. I WILL finish it one of these days.
I couldn’t begin to name my favorite project, but I dream of finishing a Mount Mellick bedspread that I started about 45 years ago. ever the optimist.
PS: I reconsidered my favorite project would be my daughter’s wedding dress which I embroidered with ribbon roses and added origami fabric buds copied from my wedding gown, or maybe the cat on cushion cover which I designed from a photo of a friends cat( people who see a photo of the cushion think that it is an actual cat.)Does that make any sense?
This book looks like an inspiration ! I have quite a few adorable kits awaiting but I am scared to start !I am sure this book would give me the confidence to do so. Your review makes me eager and keen to get started. I love the progression and precision of the pages shown. Your endorsement of it only enhances that.
My dream is to complete a candlewick-ed little ring cushion kit which I bought from the Birmingham quilt show last month. I would love to give it, completed (!) to my daughter if ever she marries or even if she doesn’t !I would stitch a piece of heirloom Victorian jewelry onto it.
Thank you for a great and informative review.
Caroline in Cumberland
My favourite embroidery project was the first one I ever did. I was doing a high school sewing class, and when I finished the class project ahead of everyone, the teacher told me to buy myself a cross stitch kit to keep me occupied. So I bought a ittle counted kit of my birth month flower, and it also came with some pot pourri.
I look back on it now, over 20 years on. The stitching is uneven (and the top legs cross in different directions) but I am still so proud of it because it’s what started me stitching.
I am new to the world of embroidery, but so far I think my favorite project has been embroidering a J from a Victorian pattern!
Thank you for the opportunity! 🙂
The embroidery project that I enjoyed working on the most was my “Day of the Dead” purse. There was a purse challenge on CQI (Crazy Quilting International) and that is what I chose to do. I’m pretty sure that I have pictures on my blog.
A set of six place mats ,six napkins and a runner is my favorite project because it is the project that I learned to embroider on. I was ten years old. My grandmother and my mother patiently taught me how on a complicated and way over my capabilities project that I insisted on doing. It took me months but I completed it. That was In Brasil 58 years ago . I still have the set. It holds a lot of memories. Since then I have taught my daughter and I am still trying to teach my granddaughters.
I am busy with very first sampler. This book is perfect for me, as I would love to design my own sampler. Its a fantastic book with wonderful instructions. Thank you
I did baby announcement samplers for all my friends babies! I loved doing those! thank you!
This book looks great! I haven’t done many embroidery projects yet, but I’m in the middle of an Alphabet Sampler that I am really enjoying, but my “dream project” is your Lattice Jumble sampler (and I’m not just saying that in hopes it will increase my chances of winning – LOL!) I have the patter, the cloth and the beautiful threads all ready to go. I just need to get the courage to take the plunge! Thanks so much for the chance to win, Mary!
There are too many pieces to pick from but just to mention a few, my Liz Almond Mystery Blackwork piece that I completed last year, a painting with threads original piece of a Lone Pine which was my own design, and my Hapsburg Embroidery Sampler. I know that a stitching guide like the one you are offering in this draw can always come in handy for references to various stitches. Thanks for the chance to win it.
I am a beginning stitcher and I just finished a Teapot by Nancy Nicholson. I Loved every minute of stitching in the evenings! I am looking for more projects to do. I would Love to find a Gingerbread House to do, or this book may help me create my own. Thanks for the Chance, and have a Great Week end!!
Nancy
My favorite embroidery project is usually the one I am currently working on, especially if it involves learning a new stitch or technique with an historical connection. That said, my dream project would be a lovely tailored jacket with whitework on the sleeves, colloar similar to one shown by Valentino in a 2012 runway show.
Thank you, Mary, for these opportunities to enter — even if I don’t win!
I am learning wool embroidery and want to embellish
Like many, my fave project is my current one. Right now it is a Norman Rockwell inspired piece. The design does not resemble his except that it has some of the same elements.
My favorite project is a redwork rooster that I incorporated into a quilted wallhanging.
I’m a beginning stitcher, but I have yet to do a sampler! This looks like a great book to learn some more stitches.
I think my favorite piece was a crazy quilt block. I didn’t do any fancy beading, I just wanted to try different embroidery stitches and try to combine some of them.
I aspire to get a good enough maginifier to try long and short stitch. Right now I just can’t see well enough.
Thanks Mary for the great giveaway.
I worked on a 11 x 17 of a mother holding a child. by far that has been my favorite. Thanks for the giveaway.
My favourite embroidery ever worked. I am teaching myself how to embroider. I was following TAST, but fell behind. I am most proud of the sampler I have started as it shows my progression from the first stitches, and how I am progressing. I will be joining an embroidery group this September. Starting a new hobby is exciting and fun.
My favourite to date is the one I am working on at the moment Crazy Quilting Do not know if it is really classed as embroidery but it is the nearest I have come to it so far. I wont to progress into more embroidery but not sure which way to go so the book would be a wonderful starting point. Love following what you do I would never be able to do what you do just so lovely to see such beautiful work.
Pippa P Cornwall UK.
I had my very first embroidery lesson today, Sat 30th August, with the lovely LisaD in Greenside, Johannesburg. Seems so daunting but i seem to have managed a few rows of stitches. Love the fact that it absorbs all my attention, such a relief from the other daily clutter & ‘noise’. I’d love to do a beautiful old fashioned flowery tea cosy for my daughter who has just left home!
My favorite embroidery project is a cream colored jean jacket that I have hand painted and embroidering large paisley designs.
I have done only small projects till now. My favourite (done years ago) is a cross stitch embroidery done on 2 hymn book covers using designs available on a website by Deb (Cannot remember the surname). Would love to have the book. Thank you for your amazing website and this opportunity to win this lovely book.
I am aspiring to embroider my own “quiet book” one of these days. It’s a book for children that can keep them entertained but isn’t very noisy. It has many pages with different activities, like a page with buttoning a vest, or zipping a zipper, or counting with buttons, or whatever you want it to be. I am also aspiring to make my own old-fashioned sampler with the lyrics to a song my husband’s uncle wrote about their ancestors for the words. I just need to learn enough about counted work to be able to design it. These projects keep me thinking and excited to stitch, so, someday!
While experienced I am always learning new things and look to the beginning for them and inspiration.
I have several pieces that are favorites, but the most memorable one is a queen size quilt our family made for my parents 50th wedding anniversary in 1989! It had 20 squares of counted cross stitch telling the story of their lives together and was presented to them at a surprise party in their honor.
Louise in Mt. Gretna, Pa.
My favorite embroidery project was a ring pillow for my daughters wedding. It is stored away for use in the future for her two daughters.
Cathleen from Washingtonville, N.Y.
Hi there, my favourite embroidery project was a garden scene with a cat, My dream is produce a really large piece, including sea, beach, town houses and a background landscape. It would include some applique too. Blessings Lesley UK
I’ve done a few crewel pieces–my favorite, is one I did for my son, when I was expecting him, in 1979. It is a little verse that beings, “Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow…” I was very ill and in the hospital with IVs in both arms. The baby’s head called for tufts of brown hair–I changed it to curly blonde, hoping the baby would take after my husband..he did!!!!
My favorite stitching techniques are surface embroidery, then blackwork, and cross stitch also whitework and crazy quilting. I can’t decide the order of preference. I am always looking for books to help me pass on any type of needlework to the youths at our local youth center. This would be a great reference for them.
Maudericcar
Mary,
I have been reading you posts about teaching embroidery. I have been asked to help a little girls club do a small project. I love your suggestions about using felt since no hoops are needed and using 5 Perle cotton. The only problem I am having is that the size 22 tapestry needles are only offered in “assorted” sets locally. I don’t have time to order online. I was asked kind of last minute!
I am currently working on a Brazilian Dimensional embroidery sampler. I want to do a project in honor of my family’s surname. That would be a beehive with 3 bees over it. I haven’t yet worked up a pattern that I like!
Blessings,
Lori
Hi, Lori – you’ll want to use crewel needles with the felt, probably #1-3, as far as size goes. They will pierce the felt easily. Tapestry needles would be more difficult. Locally, they’ll probably only have assorted sets, size 1-5 or 3-9. Hope that helps! -MC
My favorite piece is a Jacobean crewel pillow from an Erica Wilson pattern. I keep it on my rocking chair so I can enjoy it everyday.
I think my favourite was an emboidered lily of the valley on my sisters wedding hankie. She picked a very delicate antique hankie with a simple tatted edge, and then i embroidered the flower motif. It was a small design and the fabric was challenging, but it was the most fun because she was so delighted with it and so was I!
This sampler looks great! I’ve been struggling with how to improve my hand stitching and expand to more interesting stitches….have just felt a bit intimidated. The images look so simple and beautiful, would love to learn more! Thanks for the chance!
Simply Samplers – A Give-away.. Forward to see who will win? or me possible?
I love sewing and my passion of sewing since 12 yr old. Sewing made me thought of many things of creative!
Margaret Adamski-Thorpe
Mary,
I have two favorite projects. The first is the Hollie Hobby surface picture that now hangs in my bathroom. It was made in 1972 for my grandma and hung in her kitchen until her death when it was returned to me. The other was a crewel pillow stitched as a 4-H project when I was in 6th grade and was the first project that allowed me to combine hand embroidery with home decorative sewing. Those projects started a lifetime of learning and stitching, including leading me to teaching.
My favourite embroidery has to be the very first one I ever completed. My Needlework teacher dared us to ‘dream big’ with our sampler project I chose the church,’Savior on the Spilled Blood, St Petersburg’. Under her expert eye and caring encouragement, I entered the world of embroidery. Even now when I look at it 40yrs later I thank Mrs Mitchell and I am grateful to have had such an amazing lady in my life.
Hi! Thanks for hosting the giveaway. It’s hard to choose a favorite project, even though I haven’t done too many. Perhaps the cigar-smoking frog banner I made for Valentine’s Day. It’s cute and funny, and cheers the house at a gloomy time of year.
I have only done small amounts of embroidery on other projects, so a dream project would be to select something from Simply Samplers to give me a good start at a “real” embroidery project. I have been following your emails for some time now and this sounds like just the thing to get me beyond the dream stage and doing my own embroidery!
Love seeing all the different types of stitches. Favorite project 2 children looking out their bedroom window for Santa cross stitch.
I love sashiko and the running stitch, but am anxious to venture beyond this. my favorite project is a whimsical wall hanging of a dancing sky maiden. I just kept on embroidering until I was satisfied. there was no pattern other than my imagination. I find your site just amazing. laura
I would love a copy for myself. I have long been inspired your beautiful projects, but also completely intimidated because I am such a beginner. My favorites of all your projects would be your liturgical embroidery. I would love to one day be able to do that. As for my favorite embroidery project I’ve done, I think this would be two pillowcases that I gave to my sister and brother in-law as a wedding present.
Would love this book, my stitching varies from embroidery, crewel, tons of counted cross. I love the way you use your colors!!!! The piece I love the Best is a large counted cross stitch for my parents 50 th wedding anniversary. Lots of metallic threads, wedding bells and 2 white di
Oves, with flowers and ribbon laced throughout.
Thanks for all your hard work
Best wishes Patti
I’ve never done embroidery, but I’m learning to quilt and would love to add embroidery to a quilt project. Doing an embroidery sampler would be awesome too!
A large still life in gobelin stitch was amazing to stitch. The colours are glorious and I was ” in the zone” each time I sat at the frame
My grandmother taught me to embroider when I was 8. Ever frugal, she had saved, washed and ironed flour sacks for tea towels, my first embroidery projects.
When she invited me to join her, I was thrilled.
She treated my lessons as a great secret. She combined the excitement of creating something from hand with Christmas. Together, we made tea towels as Christmas presents for my mother and aunts. One of the best parts of our first work together was seeing the women I loved use these towels — and always, always, tell me how beautiful they were, and how much they enjoyed the work that Mama and I did together.
A brazilian embroiderd pillow
I think my favorite project is my Raven Steals the Sun. I did trace an outline on, but the stitches were all made up as I went along. I only really know two stitches and I’d like to learn more, and this book would be perfect.
I haven’t finished a project yet, but my dream project would be something with goldwork, I am DYING to use gold threads!
I made my mother a crazy quilt pillow in pinks and greens. It was not my usual color palette, but made me happy every time I stitched on it.
My favorite embroidery project was a towel set for a family who’s house burnt down. I did each member of the family’s name on their towel… so mom would know who left the towel on the floor 😉
Just trying to make their new lifestyle a little more personal. I’m a newbie so I took some tips from here and made a ocean themed font for their names and added waves for filler on either side of the name.
It was a rewarding project.
Hello Mary, thank you for all the wonderful information and techniques you share with us all. Your examples are very inspiring.My favourite project is a pair of birth samplers for my twin grandchildren. They were a combination if hardanger and cross stitch. My favourite technique is hardanger.
Dear Mary,
My best projects are dream projects. They are pristine and perfect in my mind’s eye, and can so easily be added to and changed without so much as a snip or stitch. There are many contenders, since I’d love to work a glorious project in every type of needlework there is, if only I had the time. The latest dream project to the list is an embroidered knee rug for my mother’s 80 birthday. Time for less dreaming and more action on that one. Imagine the collection of all the dream projects that never got done through the ages. Time to start stitching. Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorites are favors embroidered for my husband. We are in a group that re-enacts the Middle Ages and Rennaisance. The first one was a sun and snowflake. The sun was cross-stuched in yellow and bright orange, with Kremik gold backstiched to highlight the rays. It was lost at a group event.
Next, I embroidered him a favor that showed a pagoda on a mountain. His area of study is 14th century Japan. Because I wanted it to look more authentic, I didn’t use cross stitch. Instead, having just found this site, I learned to go filling stitches, and it turned out well. This favor also disappeared, at a public demo our group did.
He’s been ‘favorless’ for almost a decade! Guess I need to research Japanese needlework in the 14th century, and get a third one done!
My favorite embroidery project so far was the Hand Embroidery Letters here on Needlen’Thread. It was great because I got to try a ton of new stitches and threads. I’m still very much learning but I have the confidence to start and be able to complete other projects. Plus I loved the colors I used.
The first piece I did was a cross stitch sampler in my early 20’s. I did few other pieces and then stopped. This summer I realized that I want and need to start doing embroidery again. I will not tell how young I am (smile). This book would be a super great help in doing this. Also I am in recovery from having had breast cancer 3 times, 3 different types. I keep my ta’s however I gained weight because of the drugs and treatments. My medical team asked what I could do for myself to stop eating and I said without question I could start doing embroidery again. Thanks to you Mary for all the work you do in teaching and showing what the wonderful world of embroidery is all about. Joy and caring to everyone Epona in coastal Southern Maine.
My favorite embroidery project was cross-stitching the LOVE stamp from 1983. We used this stamp on our wedding invitations and then I found a pattern for the cross-stitch. It is framed and hangs on our bedroom wall. I love it!
My favorite and most memorable – -I bought 2 sets of stamped pillowcases – both different – embroidered one of each for my Grandmother – gave them to her and she was so tickled – but her response was – – “but I use 2 pillows on my bed” (she had a twin bed) – so I finished the other 2 so then she had 2 complete sets. I used variegated thread for the roses – many, many years later, I got them back – her wish was what ever we gave her, we would get back after her death – that was 33 yrs. ago. I plan to put the story in writing with each pillowcase for my Grandchildren to have.
My favorite project is one I’m working on now: I’m embroidering quilt blocks for a wall hanging. It’s an alphabet project, so each block is a letter, a word for it, and an illustration. It’s challenging me to try new techniques and expand my embroidery skill set.
I love samplers!
Thanks for the giveaway!! you are so generous!! I haven’t done any embroideries other than on some hand kerchiefs… I’m planning on one in my saree… that I hope will be the one 🙂
-Berina
I learned to do very simple cross-stitch when I was 5 or 6, but I’ve never developed any skill with the counted cross-stitch. I’ve done a few small projects–one was a longstitch picture of hot-air balloons for our teenage son, in 1984.
I’ve made a few candlewicking pillow covers, and embroidered things like monograms. But I’ve never really learned how! I’d love to win the stitch sampler book, and I plan to bookmark your site so I can find you again. Oh, I did use your Tudor Rose pattern to make a felt applique for a Christmas stocking (for my Delta Kappa Gamma chapter silent auction–the official flower is the Tudor Rose). Thanks!
No dream project, but you have certainly given me lots to drool over. Would love to make a beautiful floral piece to hang in my bedroom. Love your blog!
Thanks
Carrie PlaneNut
I’m a newbie! I want to make tags for the back of my quilts and pretty things for my daughter!
My favourite project (which therefore I am trying to make last as long as possible!!!) is one by a designer called Liz Turner Diehl, the reason I love it is because of the incredible amount of detail and the fact that I am learning specialty stitches as I go.
I so admire designers use of colour, I have always had difficulty in choosing colours for a project, sometimes I decide then as I start stitching they don’t look quite right, and there I go frogging what I have done until i “get it right”. Designers are brilliant at their choice of colours and textures, just like you Mary of course!!
Love to sewing the cross-stitches style with a specifically birds or creative since I grew up in very small town in Roseburg,Oregon. Sort of lonely because I do not hang out with deaf children s same as my age. Keep me to sewing up and Back 1970’s Deaf community finally quit socialized in Roseburg. Today two deaf people still remain lived out of Roseburg. Where is 200 deaf people moved away. Pretty sad for three deaf people lives there. I am no longer lives in Roseburg.. Seattle is huge and I am tried to selling my creative.
I came from large family and I am 9th of children which I am only deaf in my family. I thanked my mom taught me seam sewing and then, My sister, Roberta encouraged me to sewing the Huck towels. I won the prize huck towels and never stopping sewing .. I am now still sewing 53yr old. Never stopped and doing stress-free.
Thank you for willing piece of embroidery in your website.
Margaret Adamski-Thorpe, Seattle,WA
I love cross stitch and my sister loves hand embroidery, other then cross stitch. We both would love to share this book between us for the various stitches.
Thanks for the chance to win! My favorite is a simple towel I just embroidered for a friend’s birthday. I just made the pattern up as I went and it was really fun. I am still learning a lot, so I think each new project is my favorite as my skill grows and I have more confidence!
Cheers!
I think today I would have to say my shower curtain. I used quilt block to make a custom shower curtain. I embroidered nature – mainly flowers – on alternating blocks. I used threads that coordinated with the fabric. Every time I look at it I smile.
A Chatelain. Lots of stitches, very colourful. Three different ‘pictures’ on it. It was a project that our guild did one year and I won 3rd prize for it. I even took it on holiday with my whole collection of threads.
My favorite embroidery project is the one I’m doing right now for my 10 years old son – a cover for the Bible. All moms in our shool are doing one. My son asked me for the Tablets of Testimony with two lions… in gold…He was very specific.
The project is too advanced for me, but find lots of help in this site.
Thanks,
Merav from Israel
I remember when I was about 12 or 13 and was learning to do it was a pillow case with roses on it. I would love to do a awesome sampler for my very soon to born grandson..
Picking my favorite project is hard! I just did a Frida Khalo on a vintage table cloth. I liked that one a lot. One of my other favorites is the one I did of my pug surrounded by flowers.
I am so anxious to improve my embroidery stitches. the hummingbird is beautiful. I am hand quilting now but this is really making me want to stop and start with this embroidery now. Thank you for sharing this information.
Mary, The Secret Garden is lucious and my dream to complete, rather to start because I’m still working on a project from the Crewel Co. This book would help me with the stitches I’m sure which will expedite the rather long time it has taken me to do this project. This is why I like your projects. They remind me of the sing along, laugh along and cry along times of embroidery.
Lorraine
Thank you for your wonderful, informative site! I have always loved handwork, and I think my favorite item I ever did was picture of a line of elephants walking thru Africa. I did it in cross stitch, but would like to learn new techniques. thank you again!
Hi Mary, My best to date project is a butterfly worked in very bright colors and finished in eight different stitches! I would LOVE this sampler book to help me start my next dream project a beautiful sampler on linen and framed as they were in the 19th century.
Thanks, Barbara in Boston
My favorite embroidery project was my very first Brazilian Dimension Embroidery flower. I had wanted to learn to do this for many years. My flower wasn’t the best, but it was a beginning to my love of embroidery.
Mary in Oregon
My favorite project are a set of kitchen towels embroidered with SW designs. I use them every day!
My favorite piece is a little 1-1/4″ square silk gauze piece of a vase with flowers. It took me a long time to complete…who knew such a small piece would be so challenging. I selected a fairly ornate frame with two colors of matting. It looked so rich when it was completed that I absolutely fell in love with it.
I recently finished a great geeky sampler for my husband. It says, “Bless this wretched hive ofnscum and vilany,” a play on a quote from Star Wars. I LOVE how Etsy has given pattern designers a wider reach.
Eighteen years ago I started a Beatrix Potter Birth Sampler in the happy anticipation of the arrival of my first grandchild. He is a strapping 17year old now. It is still hanging in my daughter’s house along with 2 more birth samplers. Yes I was lucky enough to have another grandson and my only granddaughter. My son has two boys and they received birth samplers too. It is great to sit and stitch and wonder what joy the upcoming birth will bring.
Favorite project? I can’t remember so far back… But, in the recent past, my favorite would be the piece that resulted in one whole year of doing the weekly TAST on Sharron Boggon’s site. I so enjoyed doing it and it hangs (albeit unfinished) on the design wall of my sewing room. I guess it is called a sampler!
Ever since getting a third chance at life, yes 3rd from AML relapses and 2 bone marrow transplants, I’ve wanted to learn new things like quilting AND embroidery, so I’d love to just do a sampler if stitches to learn how to add embroidery to my quilts.
My favorite project was a sew-along called Summer Nights – fireflies by the moonlight. Getting ready to teach my daughter and her friend how to embroider, so would love to win this!
My favorite project was a cross stitched baby blanket made for my grandson. There are 14 squares. A square has a colorful blue bunny or yellow chick or brown bear stitched in it. The blanket is soft Anne Cloth. I enjoyed stitching the blocks and my grandson enjoys using the blanket.
My favorite embroidery piece was when I was 12 yrs old. I don’t have the piece any more. I decided to try my hands at it again. Embroidering felt like a ol’ friend coming back to visit for a long stay. We have a lot of stories to share with each other.
My favorite project was a Redwork quilt for my niece. Noah’s Ark. I have to say it turned out wonderful but took forever so I don’t want to do another large one again.
Hi Mary, My favorite embroidery project tends to be the one I am working on at the moment! With time as precious as it is, I try to focus on things I really want to make. My dream project is something with 16th century English or Elizabethan style embroidery, embellished with goldwork and bobbin lace. I do love samplers – their charm is timeless and irresistible! This book will provide that charm and lots of inspiration. Thanks for another great giveaway, Lynn
My favourite project so far is the set of napkins I embroidered as a wedding gift for my brother. They were elegant flowers with long leaves in shades of dark blue. They were shadoworked and I was really proud of them. This new book looks great! What a nice simple idea!
Mary,
Your Hummingbird project is very interesting and I learned much of your texts. I work preferably on own projects, now I continue my cycle of 6 bird fragments, which will be a doily connected with some lattice.
The first is showed here:
http://ephemeral-meadow-fly.deviantart.com/art/turtle-271529796
next is kingfisher (publish soon), and now I am in halfway of the great tit.
with my best wishes
Joanna
Hi Mary, I stumbled on your site about a month ago and haven’t been able to leave! I started a cross stitch project with my Grandmother about twenty years ago and it was never finnished. About a six months ago I picked up a kit for an embroidered growth chart and haven’t been able to put it down!
As someone who needs a creative outlet embroidery has become an amazing option because it can be put on hold and mistakes can be corrected. Once your cake has been mixed you have to bake it, no matter what is happening around you.
Your hummingbird project is such a beautiful, modern design. I can’t wait to practice more and create something lasting like that.
Would love to pass on that sampler beginner book to my granddaughter. My favorite embroidery project to date has been a crazy quilted needlebook that I treasure.
Love your daily emails. The hummingbird is looking great
My dream is to finally be able to embroider a back piece.
It should look like a tattoed back but on a heavy duty piece of cloth so it will last for a good many years in use.
Some of the elements will be dragons, one in red (visiting China) and one in gold (crossing the pacific), a turtle (equator baptising) and a whole range of other symbols and markings.
I have done a lot of redwork, greenwork, blackwork, etc that I have made into quilts. I have bluework snowmen ready to work on and I just need to get motivated to start them.
Hi Mary! I have many favorites, but the one that stands out the most would be a baby quilt top that I hand embroidered for our granddaughter who is 3 yrs. old now. Our daughter specified that she didn’t want the “traditional” pink color, so, I stitched Crab-apple Hill pattern #261 Nesting Time in shades of purple on a blue background. It came out beautifully! Thanks for a chance to win this book.
The sampler I’m most proud to have embroidered is a reproduction of the “Flora Homes Sampler.” I love it, mostly because of the many beautiful yet bold colors and the enchanting verse. There is a picture of a girl selling flowers, with her home in the background, and a cute little dog scampering at the girl’s feet. A lovely border of roses sets off the picture.
I used all silk flosses, which set me back a bit, but I am so glad I did it.
If I could have chosen only one sampler to embroider in my whole life, it would be this one.
I love making Christmas ornaments as gifts for my friends. I’d really like to embroider some pillowcases and/or dish towels for my hope chest, but I’m not terribly experienced in embroidery.
What a lovely book to have in one’s library. I find myself doing more and more sitting and stitching. I recently did an English Nursery Rhymes in Redwork stitching and had it quilted with Baptist fans – just beautiful. Thanks for such a generous giveaway. Love, love your Hummingbird – particularly love your instruction and information. Judy C in NC
I made a sampler fifty years ago with drawn thread work hems and a variety of stitches. This was for a Girl Guide badge. What I would really like to do is finish a tablecloth my late Mother started before I was born; now that would please me no end – I just have to try and find the correct threads. The book would be a delightful gift for my Great Niece, to whom I have just given a little sewing workbox I received aged 7.
My favorite needlework project was a crewel primitive that I worked on with my grandmother as we traveled across the US in a car. I was 14 and my dear grandmother had taught me to embroider, knit, and crochet when I was 10. Over the years, I went on to master many forms of embroidery and other needle arts including counted cross stitch, hardanger, tatting, and Brazilian embroidery. I inherited the crewel piece after her passing. Seeing it reminds me of my grandmother and the gift of love for a craft she patiently fostered in me so many years ago.
Hi Mary
I don´t consider myself a beginner, but your give-away book looks interesting: I LOVE books (all kinds).
And in answer to your question, I´m always creating “dream projects”- my current one is a huge tablecloth to be embroidered in our local traditional technique involving pulled threadwork, satin stitch, buttonhole stitch, etc. Started 1yr ago, still in the making, to be finished sometime in the future…
Keep well, loving your latest project with the birds!
Hi Mary!
I’m a new fan of your website. I just picked up my first supplies last week! I don’t have any favorite projects yet, but my current “Dream project” is to be able to embroider a gift for my niece/nephew who is on the way. I’ve got 8 months to get it done, so hopefully I can get my stitching chops up by then!
My absolute favorite project was jumping into your bird needlebook (which I have not found since our move, to my great distress). It taught me so much. I learned more than I could’ve imagined and it set me on a course with a life long love. My grandmother has always hand quilted and is in the late stages of cancer. Her UFO’s will come to me, and I hope to add a bit of stitching to her Hawaiian applique, but a stitch sampler would help me greatly to do that in a suitable and beautiful manner. Thank you for reviewing these items for us and offering such generous give-aways!
I think my favorite piece ever stitched is “My Secret Garden” by Lauren Sauer of Forget-me-Not in Stitches………I have a lot of favorite pieces I’ve done, but that one was such a collection of so many different stitches and colors and I personalized it to remember my kitty Livia that passed away that year – I stitched her into the Secret Garden behind the gate on one page of that beautiful sewing book. I love different sampler stitches and I’d love to win this sampler book! Thank you for the drawing!
Looks like a great book for me!! Since I am just trying embroidery after have been crosstitching for years. My favorite part of your website so far are all the differend project pictures but but most helpfull are the How to Videos, Love your website and all the nice information, patterns and inspiraion!
What better way to learn stitches than doing a sampler.
Thanks for the chance to win Mary
I’ve done a couple of embroidery projects and I’m definitely still in the learning phase. I would love to do a quilt out of blocks I’ve embroidered and the embroidery looks really nice. Something that would combine my love of embroidery with my love of quilting.
I watch in awe as you work on the hummingbirds and bring him to life. As a relative beginner I’m not sure I will ever know which stitch to use where on my own. Shading is a whole different issue. One of my favorite pieces that I’ve completed is Watercolor cats Using 3 different skeins of watercolor thread and 8 different stitches. Each cat was different.
I love this book!
My grandmother taught me to embroider when I was young. For many years I did cross-stitch until I began quilting. My quilting has brought me back to embroidery doing redwork. Now I am faced with my ultimate challenge in embroidery to complete wedding attire for my daughter. How I wish my grandmother was here to work with me and make sure all my stitches are correct. I am having to re-discover stitches that I once knew but have not done in more than 35 years. My ultimate project
My grandmother taught me to embroider when I was young. For many years I did cross-stitch until I began quilting. My quilting has brought me back to embroidery doing redwork. Now I am faced with my ultimate challenge in embroidery to complete wedding attire for my daughter. How I wish my grandmother was here to work with me and make sure all my stitches are correct. I am having to re-discover stitches that I once knew but have not done in more than 35 years. My ultimate project is my daughter’s wedding dress and veil
I love the ideas I am getting to use on a Crazy Quilt that I have been dreaming about for 20 years. I am getting closer and closer to starting it…
Hi Mary,
Trying to think about my favorite work in embroidery is so difficult. However, I did complete an angel with a beautiful all beaded tapestry skirt and i really do love it. My dream- to embroider a stump work design with several people in it and if possible, I would like it to be a mirror surround. Not to much to ask of myself- well- actually it is such a tall order that it will probably stay in my dreams forever. The book that you are giving away appears most useful for everyone from beginner to advanced. I can see the value in starting with the cover design and practicing all the stitches from front to back. That would be amazing and invaluable! Thank you so much for this opportunity.
My favorite is a Holly Hobbie I did in the 70’s for my daughter. I still love it.
Mary, Really enjoy your Daily Newsletter. Keeps me inspired. Started a crazy quilt over a year ago, but want to incorporate more stitching. One of my ongoing projects. My dream project is to do a linen for the wine table in church. Thanks for all the info you provide us all. Linda in CT.
Hi Mary!
What is my favorite project? That is a hard one to answer…..I think maybe the denim shirt I embroidered back in the 70’s (does that date me just a little??) with a spider web on the back. Being a novice, I used wool yard to do the web and it shrunk the first time I washed the shirt. But in the process, it created a really unique effect that I have not been able to duplicate since!
Thanks for the giveaways and I look forward to reading your tips and tidbits every day!
I’ve been working a Nativity set, piece by piece, for a few years now, that I’m quite fond of.
Another great give-away and I’m loving the colors in the hummingbird. Picking one favorite project is way too difficult. It’s usually the one I’m currently stitching (a Shepherd’s Bush Halloween piece). I really loved a Mother’s Heart from SB (I’ve stitched it 3 times) mainly because I love the verse. The Victoria Sampler’s Silk Wysteria is another favorite and C.A. Wells nantucket basket set. In the “want to stitch” is VS Gingerbread Haunted House & Mary Clark Donegan’s Patchwork of Peace canvaswork. So much to stitch…so little time!
I have only completed one project. I say completed but frankly, it wasn’t something I WANTED to do, and I was extremely impatient to have it over with. Consequently, the border had HUGE, absolutely monstrous stitches. About an inch apart, no kidding. Sixteen years have past and I now yearn to try again. I just need a few things; more than the 5 most common stitches, the scene already preput on, and all the colors chosen, and clear, exact directions!
I would adore to do dobermans. But what I really want is one that has just LOADS of different stitches. A fall scene with dobermans!
I’ve only completed a few projects because I’m new to embroidery. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from you, Mary! My favorite things to do so far are towels because they are pretty simple and they’re usable when they’re finished. I’ve given a few as gifts. My favorite, or at the least the one I think came out best, was a group of pickles, some filled in with long and short stitch and French knots and some outlined. I did them on a linen kitchen towel that has green stripes on it. I might even do another one, it went over so well with the recipient and everyone comments on it! Thanks for everything you’ve taught me, Mary! I don’t know what I’d do with my down time, without you! ~Marly K in Ontario
My favorite project always seem to be christmas themed. I am working on a set of 12 ornaments and I started them back in april. So many of my friends make fun of me, they say, “wow, your getting a head start” but secretly I like to work on them year round because they bring cheer to my life!
This book looks fantastic. As far as your question goes I have been doing lots of needle painting lately in order to gain the skills to work on a project for my mother. Several years ago I received a book from an Aunt that has a library of embroidered flowers. I have not really felt up to the task yet but every day I read your blog and every day I feel more empowered to try. I have been looking for a sampler book that would help me define the borders of this project and I think this book might have just what I need. BTW Thanks for the daily dose of encouragement.- Tawney
Hi Mary,
I think my favorite embroidery so far is a piece of surface (mostly) embroidery I have in a color show. There was some drawn and pulled thread in it, some combination stitches, and beads. It was my own design, so no rules! I’m looking at old embroideries, hoping to create a fine whitework sampler in the future. That is the dream piece! For now, I have other sampler books out at work, a school library, that the students have been going nuts over. I was studying for my own purpose, but the girls were picking out fun things and were amazed that very young children worked the pieces. They are very new stitchers and want to design their own samplers! That is their dream piece. As always, thank you so much for bringing your reviews of new books and materials to us!
I just love this book. My youngest is wanting to learn to crossstitch and this would be perfect. I haven’t embroidered in years since taking up cross stitching. I have a project to embroider a sewing box featured in a Finelines magazine to do in the future. I started it but got frustrated but I want it so bad I know I will take it backup. Thanks for this chance.
I love so many of my projects, but one I keep dreaming about is a stumpwork garden project that started in my head when I first saw quail running around my yard. They are just so funny. It took me a few years to get a decent picture of the little buggers, but one day I was out near the antique farm equipment and found a whole flock that was willing to let me get photos. They turned out great, so now, it has to be a “garden” piece. I have a book about embroidered knot gardens and while those were fancy English gardens, mine is going to be a “Wild West” Garden with quails playing among the bricks and the rusty farm equipment.
G’day, and thank you Mary and Stackpole Books,
Unfinished but loving it, a free style stitching project I started some time ago. I have no pattern and just a vague idea of how I want it to be. I’m using a heavier satiny type of fabric that is darker and duller on one side. I’m bringing the darker side to the front in places . I’m folding, pleating, dimpling and smoothing my way through it with different embroidery stitches and obscure clusters of tiny beads, often tucked under and peeping out of a fold or somewhere just enough to make you want to peer in to see more. At the moment it’s looking like a water line with undersea thingys below and landscape sort of things above. It’s not something I can do quickly because I’m rather indecisive, and with no pattern it takes me some thinking through.
I’d love to work your blackwork fish too.
Cheers, Kath from Oz
My favorite embroidery project ever was a sailing ship with many sails – each with a different blackwork pattern as filler. I loved the variety of effects each offered. Now I still love blackwork, but also want color in there and more stitches, probably for more variety. Please enter my name in the contest.
Loved crosstitching For His Mother, it meant so much to me to gift to my MIL. I really enjoyed and was so proud. Thanks for the chance.
Just what I need! Thanks for the chance.
I made a pillow cover as a housewarming gift for a friend, with a really intricate Hungarian embroidery design. It was my first major undertaking, and I am still really proud of it!
Favorite project: I was in love. We were in a museum shop, and I noticed a UK Needlewomen’s Guild kit for a luscious William Morris embroidery. Gorgeous, but too pricey for me. Of course, he bought it for me, and every stitch is filled with that special glow of young love. The heavy creamy wool felt so luxurious and rich compared to the denim and gingham I had worked until then. The swirling leaves, langorous petals, and sensuously curved vase combined the colors of green and blue that have always attracted me the most. Later, he had it framed, and it hangs now above our dining table as an everpresent reminder of the beginning of our lives together. The experience of working this project showed me for the first time what a beautiful piece of embroidery could be, and it has inspired me since.
A small purse that I embroidered for my mother.
Traveled from Maine to Chicago for a wedding, only to see my mother carrying the purse I had made for her. Linen with strawberries and flowers.
Currently working on a Tanja Berlin needle painting project, and, and, and have to say, working with a between size 12 needle has made all the difference. Check it out!
I’m new to surface embroidery and recently picked it up as a means to keep my sanity while I work on my Ph.D. My very first project is a TARDIS (of Doctor Who fame). It’s mostly straight lines and quite a few open spaces that I can play around filling in. I’ve got a lot of practice to do before I can take on anything like it, but I’m in love with your secret garden embroidery. I even got the book for myself, and I just keep drooling over all the pictures in it and getting way ahead of myself when I imagine how I might recreate them in thread. I need some directed practice like this, I’ll probably end up getting the book regardless.