Good morning, my friends! Over the next week, I’ll be giving away a few lovely gifts here on Needle ‘n Thread to put us all in the holiday mood!
Today, we’re going to start with a kit! Read on, and I’ll tell you about the give-away and how to enter.
Ho ho ho! Here we go…
Wildflowers in Wool is a complete embroidery kit featuring 10 full skeins of naturally dyed Eco Vita crewel wool, a beautiful piece of linen twill with the design pre-transferred, full instructions, and needles.
All you need on hand to complete the project is a hoop and some scissors!
This is a great little kit for introducing yourself (or any stitcher) to wool embroidery. The variety of simple stitches work up fairly quickly, making for a satisfactory project that’s perfect for beginners and beyond.
Give-Away Guidelines
This give-away has now ended. The winner was announced in Monday, December 16th’s blog post.
If you would like to enter this give-away, please do the following:
1. Leave a comment on this blog post (you can follow this link directly to the correct place to leave your comment).
2. In your comment, answer the following question:
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why?
(You must answer the question to be included in the give-away!)
3. No anonymous comments – please leave a recognizable name or nickname – and please make certain that your email address on the comment form is correct. We will contact the winner by email.
4. Leave your comment by Monday, December 16, 2024, 7:00 AM CST. I will draw a random winner on Monday morning and announce the winner that day, when I post the next Give-Away.
This give-away is open to anyone. We will ship overseas if the winner is outside the US. However, winners are responsible for any customs or duties.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately. Comments are moderated, to keep the comment area free of spam. It will eventually show up!
Here Comes Christmas Sale – Almost Over!
Just a note to remind you that our shop-wide sale ends tonight (Friday, Dec 13) at midnight, CST.
If you’d like to take advantage of it, hop on over to the shop! The discount is automatically applied to your cart at checkout.
We have Wildflowers in Wool (among other kits) in stock and ready to ship – and on sale – if you’re looking for it!
I’m pretty basic and like my embroidery that way. Just give me some nice linen and dmc thread and I’m in my happy place.
My favorite technique to look at is stumpwork. My favorite to actually do is cross stitch!
Thanks for the giveaway!
My first love is counted cross stitch but I do all kinds of stitching
I like wool embroidery the best. I like the texture, the feel of it and the finished look.
Love almost any style! Really would like to try more gold work, but settle for easy and fun felt appliqué and embroidery. (And it’s cheaper too!)
I love the old fashioned Aunt Martha’s type of embroidery patterns. Give me a dishcloth and dancing dinnerware and I’m a happy embroiderer.
The Stitching that speaks to me the most is pulled thread, but I’m still learning. I was inspired by a class in which I participated. It amazes me that so many designs can be made by pulling threads in different ways.
I like to do wool embroidery.
My favorite embroidery technique is not difficult …but time consuming. As a quilter and doing much needleturn appliqué…I have experimented and learned that doing embroidery around the edges of the appliqués – just doing a back stitch but going around each appliqué piece twice. Once with contrasting thread and once with matching thread. The outcome makes the appliqué pieces truly stand out.
Right now, my favorite needlework style is counted cross stitch…it is so fun to see a design come to life while being in a meditative state and sewing…no whirl of a sewing machine! Thank you for your posts…I enjoy reading them!
My favorite needlework style is crewel work. I self taught when I was in high school. Now in my late 60’s. It’s relaxing.
I used to to do counted cross stitch, but now surface embroidery on a printed pattern is easier.
I love stumpwork as it can include so many techniques in one piece to stitch. Having a challenge, with needle and thread makes any day better!
Such full! My go too stitching favourite would be blackwork. Simple and fast yet very elegant!
My favorite needlework is painted canvas needlepoint because I own sooo many, and I’m comfortable with the stitches and threads. I am challenging myself to jump in with non-counted embroidery… AND IT IS A CHALLENGE. The little stocking kit from NeedleNThread led me to try crewel this past year. Success!
I enjoy repairing antique crazy quilts – the variety of materials and especially the stitches keep it interesting!
Oh this is a great question! Crewel work is my favorite needlework technique. I have been practicing it for many years now. I simply love the weight of the wool threads and the heft of the linen twill. Many of the crewel work projects I have worked or designed follow a Jacobean style. This little kit is a nice, bright variation of the more formal Jacobean pieces. Thank you for the fun tradition, Mary!
Merry Christmas,
Erin R.
Surface embroidery and needle painting – it’s the two techniques I can work with imagination only, without patterns or plans.
My favorite style is crewel embroidary,wish I was better at it.
I very much like your posting and I try to learn some new stitches evert time. You inspire me to keep trying to improve.
I really enjoy stumpwork. The three dimensions are unlimited. Thank you for providing a rewarding site.
My favorite needlework style is crewel done with wool threads. I love the look and feel of wool since I was a long time spinner!
Thank you for being there for us all. You are an inspiration! Happy Holidays!
My favorite type of embroidery/needlework is what I am working on at that moment. I like cross stitch but my eyes dont anymore. I love surface embroidery, shadow work and smocking. I will try anything once. Diane Polley
I love the information available through this site. I’m primarily a cross stitcher, using the advice and lessons here to venture into embroidery.
My favorite needle work style is ribbon embroidery. I like the way it looks on crazy quilt pieces and how nicely it enhances other quilt work.
My favourite needlework style is stumpwork, I love the 3 dimensional aspect and range of textures offered. Really anything goes! I can spend hours and it feels like 15 minutes.
I’m very new to needlework so I’m not sure I can talk about style, but I do have a stitch that I really like: bouillon. I can’t do it, mind you, at all, but it’s something I’m working up to and I love to see it. I like making roses and such. I would love one day to be able to do gold work.
My favorite needlework is needlepoint. I also enjoy crewel embroidery. I have several crewel pieces I have worked on through the years, including many Christmas ornaments that just went on the tree!
I would enjoy this kit! Merry Christmas Mary!
I love many techniques but the one I enjoy the results of most is stump work. I love the 3D effect
This is a difficult question for me because I love ALL styles and types of embroidery. My least favorite is cross-stitch, but the one I do the most of is simple embroidery that I work on garments, needle cases, and such that I give as gifts. I hope this answers the question!
Although I enjoy doing anything with a needle, I think my favorite is surface embroidery. My great aunt taught me rework when I was about 6 years old and I have been doing
Oh I think I love the traditional stranded cotton embroidery. I like detailed designs to stitch and I find the floss gives me the most control. Once in awhile I like to incorporate some nice metallic thread, like Au Ver A Soie. I’ve also like trying to include a few beads every once in awhile.
I like the long and short stitch to create painting effects with color transitions. But I also like a lot of textures that pop out with padded satin stitches and cast on stitches
My favorite embroidery technique is hand embroidery. I like the freedom of choosing the stitches I want and being a bit more creative than when doing cross stitch. Although I do like to cross stitch also.
I have purchased a number of kits and they are great!
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why? I am in the process of learning more about medieval needlework. I think it is sooo beautiful.
Favorite style to admire is gold work, but favorite style to stitch is crewel.
I enjoy all types of embroidery….I guess I tend to work more on samplers, but just love it all, especially those with specialty stitches!
My favorite style is traditional. I’m trying to teach myself the other styles.
My favourite stitching style is samplers. I love being able to modify, adapt and enhance some simple or basic stitches to achieve a new style or effect. There is always something new to try whether with threads or emblishments.
I make liturgical priest vestments and mostly use machine embroidery, but I always add some hand embroidery interwoven into my very traditional English Warham Guild pieces. I have also used many of your patterns for inspiration! I am always trying new stitches, techniques and styles
My favorite stitch was the simple blanket stitch until this year. I learned to do the wheatear stitch and the raised chain band. I am also liking the trellis stitch. These stitches add so much more dimension to my embroidery.
I’ve mostly done counted cross stitch. As a child, I could buy stamped cotton pillow tops and towels, etc., from the local Woolworths. It’s been a while since I’ve done any embroidery and a kit would get be reacquainted with this needle art.
Gosh that’s tough to answer! Embroidery, cross stitch, smocking (especially with Floche, thanks for having it in the shop!), appliqué…but would love to try wool embroidery…I haven’t tackled that yet. Merry Christmas!
Thanks for the giveaway, Mary! My favorite needlework style is 3-dimensional embroidery, either Brazilian embroidery or stumpwork. I like it because not many people do it, and it looks impressive but is super easy to do.
I love counted thread techniques. I love to combine them into designs and use monochromatic and colour to enhance the techniques. By using different techniques, not only do I practice them but never get bored of one technique.
I am just learning. So I do basic embroidery. I enjoy doing it in quiet time, it is so relaxing. Thank you for all you do and this giveaway
My favorite needlework technique is surface embroidery. I LOVE cross stitch because of its soothing rhythm, & the texture of linen fabric and of cotton or silk fibers, but I am enchanted by adding specialty surface embroidery stitches to spice it up a bit!
My favourite needlework is bead embroidery. I like anything with sparkle and each addition of beads adds more satisfying sparkle as the project goes along. I usually add beads to most anything I embroider.
I love stumpwork! I love the 3d aspect of the designs and all the different textures you can play with.
Merry Christmas! My favorite embroidery style is hardanger. I love all the different ways you can mix up just a few simple stitches and make something so gorgeous. And it’s even prettier if you use colored perle cotton!
I really enjoy Blackwork and cross stitch with some specialty stitches. I love seeing the designs develop and that counted work gives reliable results. I would enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone with a surface embroidery piece.
Hardanger. I think it is AMAZING, especially the really big projects because so much is on the line if you make a wrong cut. 🙂
I love crazy quilt embellishment embroidery! Every element is a new journey of connection
I love all of it – if there is a needle and a threads, I am happy and content. But if I had to choose – probably pulled and drawn thread techniques. The more intricate, the better!
Happy Holidays!!!!
I love your work, your attitude and your giving nature.
Ohhh, love this giveaway – thank you!
My current favourite stitching is canvas work. A close second is counted thread work
Blessings
Maxine
I enjoy having access to so many stitch demonstrations. Currently I am enjoying stitching needlepoint designs with various stitches.
Hi Mary, Merry Christmas to you. My favorite method of stitching is cross stitch.
I am able to stitch more neatly with cross stitch. I do like surface embroidery
as well. I enjoy your patterns and have stitched some of your towel sets.
Thanks for the give away.
So many styles of embroidery an so little time! I love them all! But if I must choose one style, it would be hardanger embroidery. There are so many combinations of stitches that can be used in a single design and using one color of thread makes for an enjoyable and elegant project.
I love stitching that gives a 3D effect, be it 3D stitching such as drizzle stitch, but also work which uses padding, such as some goldwork .
My favorite stitching is counted canvas because the canvas holes are easy to see and the types of stitches and colors are endless.
Love to see what you’ve designed. I can’t do everything that I would like to these days but seeing the projects inspires me to pick up my needle.
My favorite needlework is embellished wool quilting. I love the feel of the wool and the vast variation in stitches and types of thread that can be used to embellish it.
I just received the Christmas Mitten kit, and am thrilled with the quality. I’m just as thrilled to find this site. I’ve been looking for a good place to buy quality embroidery supplies.
My favourite needlework style is embroidery. It was the first craft I learned as a child and I embroidered for years, then moved on to cross stitch, then quilting. I have gone back to embroidery and forgot how much I love it. I will always have an embroidery piece to work on even if I do other crafts.
My favorite needlework is crossstitch with a close second being Hardänger. I can carry my projects just about anywhere. We travel a lot and stitching keeps me from being the “backseat driver” while my spouse is driving. The trips are more pleasant!
My favourite needlework technique is crosstitch as I’ve been doing it for over 40 years, however I’ve recently discovered goldwork and am quite hooked on it.
I love all needlework styles! But lately, I’ve been enjoying “slow stitch” with no particular plan, just the rhythm of making marks on cloth with thread.
I am new to need work and do not have a favorite style. I have only been creating for three years. I do know that French knots are evil. lol
My favorite style is improv because first off I have freedom to create and second I don’t feel like I’ve messed up. I love patterns and use them for my base but almost always change it up some way.
Merry Christmas
I am an embroidery fan, but have tried tapestry work. The meditative focus needed for this work brings me a deep peace. Currently exploring Jacobean motifs. What drew me to your site was the excellent indexed, stitch tutorials. They have strengthened my practice so much! Thank you for sharing.
Julia
It’s hard for me to pin down a single favorite needlework style! I have done so many of them and enjoy almost everything I’ve done. I think right now my favorite is probably gold-work – especially Or Nue. I took an online class for this from the RSN in September and had so much fun with it!
I have found counted cross stitch to be my favorite. I have over the years branched out and changed thread color and or type and t0 some extent created my own samplers. Sometimes it’s just easy to follow a pattern and not have to think about what comes next. I have tried gold-work, canvas work, surface embroidery, hardanger as well but always seem to go back to cross stitch.
Hi Mary,
I really love it all. Sometimes I think I have needlework ADHD because I just skip around. Right now I am into Needlepoint/counted canvas.
Thanks for the give away. This will be a lovely surprise for someone.
Barb
I enjoy two different needlework styles for two contradictory reasons. I like doing crewel embroidery because I like the feel of wool thread and the way it makes the design look as if it is 3D and lifted from the fabric. I also enjoy needlepoint as well, but with needlepoint, I prefer untwisted cotton or silk threads because of their smooth, flat appearance. Maybe that’s because the designs on needlepoint are somewhat pixelated due to the canvas mesh? Not sure. But what I do know for sure is that I love needlework!
I love quilting and doing small embroideries to use on greetings cards. I can’t choose which I like best
Lovely give away thanks. Am still learning and experimenting. Working with wool certainly has a different feel to it. Hardanger mount mellick are favorites!
Hi Mary, I love hand embroidery. I have followed your site for years now and love your ideas and teaching. You are always giving us new things to try. I want to do more Jacobean style and to learn thread painting.
My favorite technique is needlepainting. I love how it completes your projects with dimension and realistic shades (as found in nature). Then for added touches I love to include metallic threads and beads. Second choice would be whitework with color… Ohhh be still my heart❣
I love embroidery and learning new stitches. It adds the extra finish to projects and reminds me of my Grandmothers that used embroidery to decorate their simple belongings during the depression era.
Gorgeous! What a great design
I love to embroider. Fun! Such a beautiful design.
My favorite needlework technique is counted cross stitch. The repetitive nature of making x’s on fabric is very relaxing for me and I enjoy seeing the pattern slowly emerge after each stitching session.
I am a beginner. I paint in acrylics and I always say, embroidery is like painting only with threads. You were the first site, and still the best, that I visited when looking for help. I’m not sure what you mean by style, but I’ll say it’s vintage Christmas design I like. Technique, well I’m learning from you, I seem to enjoy doing the French knots. Hope this is the correct criteria for the contest. Your back story is interesting, leaving a professional teaching career to follow a dream. What an inspiration.
I like all different kind of stitching, embroidery, free style, hand quilting embroidery.
How do you choose❤️
My favourite type of embroidery is using wool felt. I love the dimension that the felt gives to the stitches and the colours that are vibrant.
My favourite embroidery technique is surface embroidery,which I do to embellish my applique quilts. Merry Christmas!
I’ve cross stitched and done canvas work for many years. Lately (last 5 years) I’ve come to find wool applique which lead me to surface embroidery. I didn’t realize I knew how to embroider! But lots of the stitches are the same as wool applique. Right now cross stitch still tops but wool and surface embroidery are a very close second.
Love you newsletters, even when I didn’t realize I knew how to embroider!
Gail
MerryChristmas! Appreciate your gracious giveaway.
Hard to say what my favorite needlework style is because I like most all of it.
Favored is regular embroidery – used on any item to gift someone. This year I made sil and cousin a hussif. Required hand sewing, with embroidery for embellishment.
Last year I had the two pockets off an apron my mom had made my dad more 60 years ago. Pocket pieces were the perfect size to make into hot pads…so I did! The original pockets had a simple outline embroidery of a Mexican, sombrero and basket. By the time I was finished, it was a completely different, colorful filled-in piece. When given to brother, he said they were too nice to use, they were hanging them on the wall. 🙂
My favourite needlework technique is cross stitch because it spans such a wide variety of countries. I really enjoy the history behind designs and cultures.
Merry Christmas, Mary and Anna!
My favorite embroidery style is realistic thread painting of botanicals.
Best wishes for 2025
Sharon K.
I love working on linen, with wool thread, and or silk. I love stitches that are complex and sometimes take two stitches to create one. I’m 78 and have a slight trimmer in my left hand.(thank goodness it’s my non-dominant) I’ve been a hand needleworker for over 50 years, but I love Needle and Thread because I learned something new every week. Sometimes I’m sent off on a resource and go down many rabbit holes, but always come out the other side very satisfied. Mary always.” GETS her adoring public” right where they are, novice or master stitcher. What a grand quality to have.
Caws and Flaps from your fan,Mama Crow ⬛
I love working on reproduction samples, especially the ones with specialty stitches. Amazing to think a lot of these were done by young schoolgirls.
My favorite needlework style is classic stitches using DMC or Anchor floss. I find nice photos or clip art, mostly of flowers and ferns, and convert them into my own patterns. The best technique I have learned from this website is how to combine threads of different colors to get very nice effects.
My favorite style of embroidery is definitely in the crewel family, worked either in wool, floss or perle cotton. I enjoy the many different stitches and it’s applicable to everything from a simple picture to home textiles, clothing, shoes, bags, you name it.
I think I’m actually a jack of all trades and master of none style needle worker but my favorite this year seems to be the smaller embroidery type kits . I have 11 grand children and 6 great grand babies and this year I decided, kinda late, that I wanted to make each of the girls (8) a small embroidered piece in a finished hoop for their rooms. I am pleased how they are turning out as are their parents who have also requested I make them one ..That’s for another Christmas and another time.
Such a beautiful project, and I’d love to try the Vita Eco threads. Crewel is right up there in my list of favorites, but I like a lot of techniques, including many types of whitework, blackwork, silk shading, and canvas work, and too many more to name.
Mary my favorite is surface embroidery. I love the options available. So many beautiful fabrics and threads.
I falling in love with crewel again. One of my very first projects was a crewel pillow that my grandmother helped me with when I was 9 or 10. She’d teach me a stitch by working one of the motifs, and then I’d complete all the rest of the motifs that used that stitch. I’ve got a big project ready to start, but I’m trying smaller ones for now until I get the hang of it again.
My favorite needlework technique is crewel embroidery. I especially like Jacobean crewel designs. I still have a lot of practicing to do!
Overall, I’m quite fond of white work in all its variations. But then I get the urge for some color, and I do vivid flowers – like this kit!
And please don’t forget that we’re holding our breathes waiting for pictures of your new storefront and your big party!
Merry Christmas, Mary.
Embroidery is my favorite thread work…but there used to be other contenders.
Alas, I gave up knitting after I’d made the last pair of socks/shawl for a loved one and global weather suggested it stridently. And I gave up quilting after sewing machine work hurt my back too much. (Only swimming laps is allowed to wreck my body!)
Through all the years of my life, hand-sewing remains as my lone, constant companion.
I couldn’t be happier.
Favorite is hard, because I like so many kinds of needle work. I enjoy needlepoint, crewel, really surface embroidery of almost any kind. I love the Bayeux tapestry stitch. I love blackwork. My least favorite, probably because I am not good at it, is thread painting.
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why? My favorite needlework style is really both cross stitch and embroidery. I love to embroidery and embellish projects with a variety of stitches. I tend to lien towards projects that are very involved, but do enjoy more than ever learning something new. Wishing everyone the very best this holiday season.
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why?
Although I am not great at it, I enjoy Brazilian embroidery. The results look so elegant, and I love the shine on rayon threads that are often used!
My favorite is embroidery. I enjoy watching the design come to life as the thread is stitched
Hi Mary. I have been embroidering for many years. I’ve stitched almost every style. lately I have been stitching Japanese Embroidery also called Bunka. It is done with a punch needle but its finish is smooth. There is a lot of blending of colors. The finished EmbroideryIs beautiful.
Thanks for your newsletter. Happy Holidays!
My favourite embroidery technique is crewel work, particularly where various stitches/threads are combined to make combination stitches which give additional variety and depth. It is even more effective if appliqué is also thrown into the mix, but you do need to take care that the resultant fabric is not too thick to sticth through!
Although I enjoy crochet , I think I probably appreciate crewel embroidery more…
Judy Lawrance
Tallahassee, Florida
My favorite is embroidery. I enjoy watching the design come to life as the thread is stitched.
I haven’t embroidered any way but straight embroidery
My favorite needlework style thread painting by using the long and short stick to create shadows and highlights. Additional stitches can be used as needed to create the design.
My favorite needlework is freestyle embroidery as embellishment on wall quilts, earlier on garments. I learned stitches and stitch combos from Montana’s book Elegant Stitches and an old brochure from the 1960s I picked up as a teenager. I like to add beads, too. I guess it’s crazy quilt stitching but I don’t make that kind of quilt—just ordinary designs like Baltimore/Whig Rose-type appliqués and pieced blocks like Delectable Mountains. I’m learning sashiko stitching and think freestyle embroidery would mix well with it and boro (patching) stitching. But I like following traced and printed pattern stitching on dish towels, esp. the great designs Mary Corbet does.
I really love void work and 3D work. Also cross stitch. How can you make us pick a favorite!? But I am attempting to answer the question so I can be in the drawing for the kit, which I would loooooooove to have.
My favourite overall is probably canvas work—grids appeal to the mathematician in me. Plus you get to use so many beautiful threads and stitches.
However I seem to be trending back to crewel and surface stitching. That’s where I started so many years ago.
Then there’s hardanger .
But NOT cross stitch
Thank you Mary for your wonderful giveaways.
My favorite style of embroidery is crewel. I just love the different styles of stitches. Wool is my favorite yarn/thread of choice.
My favourite needlework technique is embroidery and it’s so versatile and varied. I feel very relaxed when embroidering even the simplest motif.
It’s hard to pick just one. I love hand embroidery and counted Crossstitch. They are beautiful and they calm my soul. About 40 years ago, in California, I was privileged to take classes from a wonderful teacher named Vreni Landolt. She was from Zürich, Switzerland. Her father was the curator of a museum and she and her mother had repaired the tapestries. I could listen to her speak for hours about all the things she had seen and done She was an expert in everything that included yarn or thread. She taught Crosstitch, embroidery, weaving, crochet, and many more things. I learned basic embroidery from my Mom at a young age and from Mrs. Landolt I gained a love of all the many stitches and ways you could embellish it. Your beautiful stitches remind me of her.
Lina Britton
I enjoy freestyle/surface embroidery because of the flexibility it affords me in interpreting designs and because one can create 3-D effects.
My favorite has been cross-stitch for many years, but I’m thinking this next year I’ll try something new. Not sure just what yet . . . I’ve tried crewel and wasn’t very good at it, but that was years and years ago. I’m going to get out my long-neglected copy of The Stitches of Creative Embroidery and see what looks appealing.
My favourite needlework technique is embroidery as I just love the great variety of stitches to fit all moods, project ideas and eventualities. I am totally relaxed when I embroider and forget the things which are bugging me. A stress free activity.
I’d love to win the kit.
Thank you.
Nonx
My grandmother taught me the basic stitches about sixty years ago. I returned to embroidery about ten years ago. It brings great peace to me. Although I quilt and do many sewing projects, I always have an embroidery task at hand. I guess my favorite style is traditional and the many ways the stitches can be manipulated. I have really enjoyed the projects you share and the way you teach each stitch. Thank you for sharing all you do.
My favorite needlework at the moment is bead embroidery. It just makes me so excited to imagine all of the infinite possibilities that I can create with a batch of beads.
My favorite needlework style or technique is: surface embroidery. So many stitchs, types of fiber, color and ways to use them. Just use your imagination to create something beautiful.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Blackwork but I don’t do it nearly as much as I would like.
My favorite needlework technique is needlepoint. I enjoy anything on an even weave fabric.
My favorite embroidery is crewel embroidery. I love to see the piece develop as I go on. Crewel just brings the elements to life. Lately I’ve been doing simple embroidery on children’s clothes. It adds so much to the outfit and is pretty quick to work up.
Thanks for the giveaway but mostly for your posts that provide so much inspiration and tips.
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why?
I love to stitch samplers, whether on linen or canvas. i love to see the various stitches and textures coming together.
Woo-hoo! I love a give away!
I also love smocking. That’s my favorite type of needlework. I love the technique itself, the rhythmic meditative repetition of the stitches. But, I love that it’s a functional type of needlework. Not only is smocking decorative, sometimes it shapes the fabric into a garment (like a bishop dress) or it adds flexibility (like a smocked yoke dress.)
I also love hand embroidery of a beautiful floral design, which is why it would be splendid to win this kit.
Pulled thread speaks to me. I’m learning many different stitches and it just amazes me that so many designs are structured with a needle, thread and fabric by pulling stitches.
Needle point is easier for me and I seem to be more able to follow the wanderings of my imagination.
My favorite needlework style or technique is embroidery. I especially love to find old patterns that I can use on pillowcases and dish towels. I like all the traditional stitches too, and pretty much stick to the easy ones as my hands and eyes are getting old, just like the rest of me. I do often change the colors and kinds of stitches to give my work an original twist. I find it almost magical what one can do with just colored thread and a piece of fabric. Recently I have been exploring freehand embroidery, and even have a couple of sweatshirts that I embroidered without any pattern.That was quite fun, and I like them enough to even wear them in public. I like to think of needlework as my form of painting and I love making “thread pictures”.
My favorite needlework technique is cross stitch. It’s simple enough I can converse or watch streaming while I stitch. It also calms my mind and body.
I don’t have a favorite style since I’m a beginner. I am drawn to embroidery and cross-stitch kits and knitting.
I love embroidery the best of all needlework, even needlepoint which is what I do most. A lovely fabric, a little needle, some pretty threads and a hoop, and I’m lost in my work as well as any good book. Thanks for your generosity Mary❣️❤️
My favorite needlework style is embroidery. I am currently working through some of the wreaths from last year’s Christmas stitch-along and the Key to My Heart project. So. Much. Fun!
I get great satisfaction from doing the turkey stitch – I love how something 2 dimensional becomes 3 dimensional. So fun!
the one that I always come back to is cross stitching. But, I also love Hardanger and Schwalm for their timelessness.
Merry Christmas from S.C.!
My favorite type of embroidery is Brazilian. Every design has something new and different and the dimensionality and texture are just a wonderful sight to see.
crewel embroidery
With wool I can my more creative. I like raised stitches to give the piece a more “live like” feel.
It is hard to pick a favorite, but crewel embroidery would be my all time favorite because it is so soft looking when finished. It is like painting a picture with wool.
My favorite embroidery technique is design printed on fabric because that way I have a guid for correct dimensions but can fill in design with whatever stitches and colors my imagination chooses!
Lovely flowers. My fav technique is anything that involves beads and metallic threads!
My favorite embroidery technique is design printed on fabric because that way I have a guide for correct dimensions but can fill in design with whatever stitches and colors my imagination chooses!
I think my favorite technique is cross-stitch but that’s mostly because that is what I’ve done the most of. I look at goldwork and stumpwork and crewel and think that I’d love to try it, but I don’t have the confidence.
Thank you for the giveaway.
My favorite embroidery technique is invariably the technique I happen to be using when asked— so today it is goldwork. There is something magical in the effect, almost as if your needlework turns into jewelry.
Happy holidays to you.
I love all kinds of embroidery-crewel, embroidery on wool, cotton embroidery in linen. And I love needlepoint. Your emails are inspiring and instructive. Thank you for all you do for us out here in the hinterlands!
I love Mary Corbet website, it’s always be so helpful and inspiring. I have learnt so much and still do.
My favourite style of embroidery is white work.
I don’t think it’s fair to ask which is a favourite as I love all embroidery.
Stem stitch is a favorite because while simple it is very versatile in applications.
Crazy quilts are my favorite project because you can experiment with many techniques like surface embroidery, beading, stumpwork, and needle painting.
I love your lovely embroidery and admire the patience it requires. I am a quilter and weaver foremost, but I always have handwork or knitting for early mornings or evenings watching TV with my husband. I have done crewel and ‘regular’ embroidery in the past and your blog has inspired me to get back into it. My favorite handwork at present would have to be the more complicated cross stitch kits such as Dimensions Gold as they require precision and can take weeks and weeks to complete.
Crewel work, then needlepoint-oh but there is cross-stitch Oh My hard decision! But my favorite place to visit yours Mary!❤️
I like pieces that touch my heart, bringing back a memory, a story, or an inspiration. The flowers in the kit remind me of my grandfather’s colorful flower gardens.
Hello Mary,
I’ve enjoyed reading about your recent projects so much! My favorite needlework style is – whatever I’m stitching at the moment! But if I had to choose I’d say crewel embroidery. The motifs are SO creative… I’ve had fun tracing basic outlines and choosing filling stitches as I go. Last year I embroidered the yoke of a loden jumper with a varigated red sock yarn, adding some beads here and there for sparkle, and totally fell in love. I hope to make another one next year.
June House
My favorite needlework style is embroidery. I’ve tried others, but embroidery seems to lend itself to being more creative. There are so many different stitches you can use when trying to depict a subject. To me, embroidery can be used to make something more life like.
I love cross stitch — I have for decades, since it enjoyed popularity around 1990. While I love all needlework, it still is my favorite. It is SO easy to do, too.
Counted Thread cross stitch is my favorite needlework style. My stitches are much more even with cross stitch than with other embroidery. I do love the other embroideries, I just don’t think I am as good at it.
How to pick just one? I guess love needle weaving & needle lace best. I love the patterns and textures you can achieve with these techniques. I love the way they change depending upon the thread I use. I love how they play in conjunction with other stitches and techniques and that they can be padded or left solitary. I love that there is scope for so much creativity with them. I don’t think there’s a project I’ve completed recently where I don’t employ one or both in the work. It’s true love.
My favorite needlework style/technique to work on is counted cross stitch and most particularly, samplers and that style. However, more and more I’m enjoying surface embroidery a la Needle n Thread and have started to really enjoy and appreciate the look of added beadwork. I have a few of the kits that – ahem! – I haven’t started yet. But I did finish and loved working on the Bee Jeweled pin cushion. I couldn’t get enough beads on that thing! It was so much fun. Thanks, Mary, for all you do!
I think my favourite is goldwork because the metal threads adds a richness to the project. I love combining techniques and have a project in mind that will combine surface embroidery with stumpwork with some gold thread high lights.
Thanks for the Christmas give aways.
Over the years I have done all kinds of needlework. Right now I’m back to embroidery. I love needlework, because I can sit in a chair and watch a movie.
I am new to embroidery at 72 years young. I love surface hand embroidery. I am keeping my mind active by learning and trying to remember new stitches. The feel of the thread and the fabric, the repetition and sound of stitching have a very meditative quality for me. Embroidery requires my focus and attention which is a distraction from other stresses. I feel a sense of community through Facebook, blogs and other social media. Although it is more about the journey than the end product, finishing and admiring my completed project brings me joy.
I know that your embroidery must be as beautiful as your words. Well spoken, Cordell. Your comment brought me (77 “years young”) a real sense of joy and camaraderie. Thank you.
My favorite style of embroidery is simple stem stitch. I learned it as a child and it’s nostalgic and soothing to outline something with this versatile stitch. Love the giveaways!! Thank you for being an amazing resource on needlework 🙂
Favorite needlework? I love working with wool because it covers a lot of surface area in a short amount of time. But, I really love padded satin stitch with standard floss because I do it well and looks amazing.
Pick me!!
I like Blackwork, because of how it can convey an image so sparingly in just one color.
The wildflower kit is lovely. Hope Im lucky!
I really enjoy complicated, technically challenging designs with stitches I haven’t done before …… Especially if there are beads or other accessories to add to the piece. It’s so satisfying to complete a design and feel a real sense of accomplishment.
My favorite needlework style is counted cross stitch because I like working puzzles. I go to great lengths to plan the stitches such that the back looks almost as good as the front. It takes awhile to finish a project, and my eyes aren’t the greatest anymore, so I don’t do as many as I would like.
I have more than 1 favorite depending on where I am. Embroidery produces the most detailed results and silk thread really shines, but it requires good light, strong magnifying glasses and concentration.
Bargello is easy and the mesh canvas makes it possible to do in a moving car, while watching TV or while talking with friends.
My favorite needlework style is embroidery. I love doing the button hole stitch as it can be done on most anything and looks different based on stitching it close together as a filler stitch, far apart, and it can looks great on curves or points. Thank you for the oppotunity to win the lovely kit.
I think wool applique is so beautiful. I’ve only done a little, and would like more practice. It is pretty forgiving for newbies, too.
Relearning crewel and love it
My favorite needlework style is wool applique/stitching. Most people hate hand work, but I personally enjoy having a needle in my hands to work at my own pace. Merry Christmas.
While I have really been enjoying wool appliqué lately, I think I have to claim my first love as my best love- counted cross stitch. It was taught to me by a dear friend who is no longer here, and it is a lovely way to feel close to her. When I work on unfamiliar stitches to learn them, there is some stress involved as I try to master, or at least reach a certain level of consistency – very much a work in progress. Now, I don’t mind learning. In fact, that is why I enjoy the stitch snippets so much. I get to learn and practice new-to-me stitches and techniques on a relatively small project project with very clear and complete instructions, and I don’t feel overwhelmed by a huge project or an enormous investment. But when I cross stitch, it is pure relaxation. I know what to do, and I know that I do it well. And this comfort has allowed me to experiment with various threads, fabrics, embellishments, and techniques without any stress because of my bedrock comfort with the format. I have the most wonderful floss storage system, and always keep multiple skeins of every DMC color in every form. This gives me immense satisfaction. Who’s afraid of a zombie attack if you have that, plenty of needles, and fabric. I know some people sneer a little at counted cross stitch. But it soothes my soul and fills my life with joy. How can you ask for more?
I actually have two favorites, Whitework Embroidery and Needlepoint. I have been using many of the techniques that you have shown on Needle n Thread to embellish needlepoint canvases. These flowers would be perfect.
My favorite embroidery technique is surface embroidery, with crewel work a close second. Then stump work and gold work.
My favorite hand technique is wool appliqué. I am also a quilter. I love learning new stitches and trying them on my appliqué table runners, pillows and quilt blocks.
I love the basic redwork embroidery! I’ve made many projects over the years and I never get tired of the look
Single line embroidery. I can get pretty detailed on items for everyday use
I don’t have a favorite yet. I’m still learning!
I love crewel, not only because it is fun, but because my grandma taught me.
My favourite needlework style is silk shading because it creates such beautiful pictures which look realistic
Right now I’m using a stash of embroidery thread to do clothing repairs with floral flourishes… the truth is I started doing this because I was too lazy to set up the sewing machine and now find myself a bit addicted to turning a tear or hole into a little scene. My latest is repairing a shell jacket that really should be retired but now has happy flowers over the tears so… how can I get rid of it now even if it isn’t waterproof any more?
I love Embroidery and love learning new stitches. I enjoy your news letters and projects but have not tried any yet. Still trying to learn more stitches, and also do some knitting.
I love all types of embroidery
I like doing cross stitch
My favorite type of needlework is counted work, preferably on a fairly small thread count fabric. I love the precision of that sort of fine stitching and enjoy it particularly when using lovely silk threads. Certainly samplers using different stitches would come at the top of the list. Sandra
I am fairly new to embroidery but have used your videos and articles to give me the confidence to try some of your projects. My last endeavor was working embroidery on your Thanksgiving flour sack towels. I gave them to friends and they loved them. Thank you for all you do❣️
My favorite needlework technique is probably a mix of basic embroidery, hand piecing, and hand quilting. I do love EPP, and I also enjoy Sashiko and cross stitch!
My favorite needlework technique is wool. I love how the embroidery stitches make the piece unique.
Wildflowers in Wool is a lovely piece! I am a long time needleworker and while I enjoy cross-stitch, needlepoint, and other types of needlework, crewel embroidery has always been my favorite. I love the vibrant colors and broad array of textures working with wool brings to a needlework piece. For me, it provides a more diverse and exciting needlework adventure than the repetition of cross-stitch or needlepoint. I also find crewel work to be a more satisfying endeavor as the piece seems to come to life more quickly than it does with other needlework mediums.
I would dearly love to win this giveaway!
I enjoy crewel work and embroidery. I recently worked on embroidery mitten ornaments for each of my grandchildren. I love learning new stitches and I enjoy a beautifully embroidered pillowcase. I have collected many of those and completed several myself because they are practical and lovely.
I like doing cross stitch. But am willing to try other stitches of all types.
I love crewelwork and blackwork. Crewelwork because I feel wool lays better and any misstitch doesn’t show. Blackwork I like the intricate detail
My most favorite needlework style is NEEDLEPOINT because I love the array of beautifully hand painted canvases that look so fantastic as they are waiting to be stitched with an endless number of needlepoint stitches and embellished with embroidery stitches, beads and other wonderful findings.
I have tried so many needlework styles thru the years – cross-stitch, smocking, several styles of surface embroidery. I love smocking and adding embroidery touches like bullion roses on top. But I think my latest favorite has been making some of the kits I’ve purchased here on Needle n Thread. I’m finishing up 3 of the Christmas wreath ornaments now. And I love, love, love my purple posy tape measure and my Cornflower scissors envelope!
I love all forms of embroidery the most, but especially applique with embellishment. I find the act of creative embellishment – adding beauty – gives me Joy, peace, and fulfillment.
Actually, I’m a quilter, but I frequently add hand embroidery to my quilts.
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why?
Hi Mary. I truly enjoy your blog posts. I read them avidly. To answer your question, I started with cross-stitch and that is what I did until I found your blog. Then I started branching out. I think my current favorite is crewel work. Although I’ve loved your work on your trees using the satin stitch. I really want to do something similar.
My favorite embroidery is long and short soft shading. I love flowers, butterflies, birds, etc and long and short technique provides realistic results.
I like the blanket stitch to applique my wool shapes on projects. I am able to make consistent spacing so it makes a really nice finish.
I love whitework (drawn and pulled tnread). I am fascinated by the rich history of whitework across so many different cultures. How they are the same but different. I am always learning which deepen my stitching experience.
i enjoy embroidery. it is very relaxing and gives me an outlet for my creative need.
Currently mine is blackwork! I’ve written on my blog about discovering it, but realized I haven’t really articulated why I like it so much…. I think it’s a combination of things. Making reversible designs is just really cool. The design limitations (counted stitch, very few stitch types) make it pretty approachable as a beginner. (And creating within limitations is always a fun exercise.) And finally, the more complex shading style popularized by the RSN is very beautiful, and it’s a goal to work my way towards doing one day.
My favorite type of needlework is Stumpwork.. I love all the possibilities you can create with Stumpwork, it’s endless.
I love Goldwork
I love the look of hardanger so elegant! I made my brother’s ring bearer pillow.
Goldwork. The beauty and impact of the various metal threads on a completed piece is hard to beat. It has been used in so many cultures and for so many centuries and its appeal is easy to understand.
My favorite embroidery is Brazilian dimensional embroidery because I love the rich glossy colors and shine of the floss, and the beautiful work in a variety of stitches creating dimensional pieces.
Over the years I have tried many different styles of needlework and, while there are a couple I will not do again, I couldn’t pick a favourite from the many I do enjoy. Right now, as I wait for my cataract surgery, I am finding more success with crewel work.
My favorite technique is your bullion knot technique. As a beginner, I tried the bullion knot with instructions from a weekly stitch program I joined, but it just wouldn’t work for me and I got frustrated. I tried searching the stitch online and directions were the same as the other and I still couldn’t get it to come out. I loved the project in the Purple Posy stitch along but figured I could do french knots instead of bullion knots for the project since I couldn’t get them to come out nicely, but I went ahead and first tried your technique for bullion stitch. Success! It is so easy! I now find the stitch to be one of my favorites because of your different technique for doing them.
I love, love, love reproducing any historic piece of needlework. I am currently on a schoolgirl sampler kick. It’s not just that the old linens, silks and wools are so gorgeous, it’s that as I copy the original piece I gradually take on the mindset of that long ago maker. I love getting to know these women and girls that I have so much in common with. And nothing in common with.
There’s rarely a day when I don’t have a needle of sone sort or other in my hand, but I’d probably have to say that cross stitch is pretty close to the top of my list.
I recently re-discovered it, having not done a lot over the past few years. It’s a bit addictive: just one more line! Just that little bit of yellow that will finish off this flower! Just 10 more stitches and I will finish off that letter! Meanwhile the house gets dustier and dustier, the husband is wondering when his dinner will be ready, and I get cranky when the phone rings.
Yep, I’d have to say cross stitch (followed by free-style, go wild stuff, followed by…)
I love the stamped embroidery in whatever style I find pleasing, your tea towels, pillowcases, kits ( often vintage) or the hot iron transfer stampings. I love these
for the ease of use. They take little focus, just the relaxing stitches in pleasing
colors. This is meditative and relaxing, done at home, in the car or visiting
elsewhere from friends to doctor’s offices. I do lots of other stitching that takes
much more focus and precision, but these stamped pieces are just to keep the
nervous system calm, contented and able to carry on – even during rougher
times!
My favorite technique is surface stitchery. I enjoy the variety I can achieve with surface stitching. So many stitches, threads and effects, many of which you showcase in your blog posts, Mary!
I think needle painting is my favorite,because it looks so real and intricate.
I’ve always loved Blackwork. It was one of the first things I tried as a girl after counted crossstich, and I look forward to decorating my first blouse with it someday.
One technique that I like is couching because you can get smoother tight curves.
My fall back needlework style is cross stitch. It’s simple, only one style of stitch.
I’m trying to do more surface embroidery but with the multitude of stitches available I have trouble deciding a stitch to use.
I saw the Bayeux Tapestry in my teens. It was so moving. I’ve loved Crewel , wool thread, the texture and the linen fabric ever since. I used to buy wool thread and just enjoy the rich feel.
I could never sit still to really devote time learning embroidery. Then, I retired and have been devoting time learning to embroider with your tutorials. I used the wool thread I bought years ago and
I also do wool applique as well but I’m always come back to crewel because I love the texture and patterns. Thank you
My favorite technique is blackwork!
I love how much detail and design you can get with just one color! Also I find counted stitches easier
My favorite craft has to be counted cross stitch. I love taking a totally blank piece of fabric and watching an image “miraculously” appear on it in perfect form. I can’t sign my own name twice the same way, but I can create something exactly the way I want it with thread. Blackwork comes in as a second favorite for the same reason.
I love blackwork as it’s so relaxing making repetitive patterns, and I love how it looks. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll tell you a different style though!
Anything hand embroidery – all the techniques. Needlepoint, tapestry, all of it!
Of the styles I’ve tried, hardanger has been my favorite (though it was a little frustrating to do because my scissors were too big). The style I’ve been wanting to try is crewel, ever since I read a book about its history.
My favorite styles tend to be more delicate and precise. I’ve really enjoyed surface embroidery, and so far my favorite stitch is the chain stitch
I enjoy embroidery. Flour sack towels are my only medium. The kits are very inspiring.
My favorite technique is Needle painting, I just love blending all the thread colors
My favorite needlework style is jacobian embroidery.
I like to do wool applique. I like to add embroidery details to the designs to make them more decorative.
Hmm my favourite style or technique…well I have 2 I love fancy embroidery stitching on crazy quilting, I just love the look of it and have been doing it now for a couple of years, prior to that and still currently I love to cross stitch but for some down no thinking time slow stitch is also a way that I occupy myself. Thank you for giving us the chance to win that wonderful prize. I love kits as all the hard work is done I can get on and enjoy the stitching
My favorite style… hmmm, I would have to say “Hardanger/Reticella/Ruskin lace combo”, along with embroidered landscapes, and 3D stumpwork. LOL, I pretty much like everything “needle and thread”! Why? Well, because… that is a reason isn’t it? I just like it because – it is healing, it is zen-like, it is creative, it is lovely to look at when finished, it can be useful, or not… again, it can be done “just because”. 😉 If I were to win this one I think it would be a gift for my “piano student, now embroidery friend” who I am going to be teaching her “all things needle and thread” starting this week- she’s 19 yrs. old, been with me for 5+ yrs. and we’ve become friends. This would be wonderful to have to gift to her. I’ve been looking at my books, etc. for “what can we do”, purchased all sorts of “goodies” yesterday for her, all in a nice tin so she can carry them to and from, etc. I think I’m as excited as she is to have a fellow stitcher near at hand. 😀
Love crewelwork. I treasure pieces done by my late mother and enjoy creating my own in both traditional and modern styles. Besides, I find crewel yarns more forgiving of my less than perfect efforts than floss or silk.
My favorite needlework style is embroidery. I love how creative you can be with a few threads and a needle. There are no limitations when it comes to embroidery. There are multitudes of stitches hat keeps your mind active.
I really enjoy wool appliqué since I can do that in the car. However for at home with light and magnification stump work is my new favorite although right now I’m trying to finish a black work project.
What a fun thing to do for the holiday. I love embroidery. I have used cotton and silk but have not tried wool. It would be interesting to see how using wool thread would work.
Thank you for being so talented and inventive.
Right now, my favorite needlework style is cross stitch. Crewel embroidery would be next in line though.
Your website, newsletter and blogs are like a never ending novel with wonder twists and mystery, and delightful endings to each chapter. I can never get enough…hard to put down and I really have to focus to stay on track for what I was initially looking for. I have learned so much and leaves me pining for more.. love it
My favorite needlework technique is embroidery. I love the use of many different colors in a project. To me, completing an embroidery project is like looking at a painting coming together. Such a relaxing evening activity while watching television!
I love embellished wool applique!
My favorite type of needle work is embroidery with my new Cotton Floche. I am new to this type of thread. I love it. I have a second order arriving today.
Happy Holidays.
My favorite needlework style is counted cross-stitch because when the project is finished the blended threads almost look like a painting.
My favorite technique is English Smocking. I have done this since our oldest daughter was 6 months old. I find it relaxing and reminds me of what I wore as a child.
Crewl Embroidery was my go to in the early 70’s while living in Australia. I just got back to embroidery about 5 years agof and found out how many different types of emboidery there are. I have been doing a lot of canvas work the last two years, but really enjoy the serenity of crewel work vs the strain of doing the counting correctly.
My favorite style of embroidery is surface embroidery, including crewel work, stump work, and needle lace. I love the variety of stitches!
I love thread work, thread painting, Stump work, wool work and silk ribbon embroidery. Oops also crocheting and knitting. Just give me the appropriate needle, threads, hoop and ready to go. Loved your Christmas mitten. Thank you for your knowledge and all that you do to keep this stitching alive.
I love all forms of needlework as I do crazy quilting.
Jackie
zcrazyquilter@aol.com
Just simple embroidery. It is a great way to relax and create beautiful work to share with family and friends.
Oh and I do not have a website but I do love doing embroidery I’m just learned the past year so I’m still learning and the thread would help me out a lot with all the different wildflower colors thank you
I love crazy quilting, because one can incorporate so many different stitching possibilities into each project.
Hi Mary! Oh my, thank you so much for your Santa spirit! My favorite needlework style is Brazilian dimensional embroidery. I teach surface embroidery through my local library (and list your website as a wonderful resource), but my passion for embroidery runs to the vibrant rayon threads that comprise Brazilian dimensional embroidery. I love your blog and newsletters too, as I often learn something new from you!
Favorite form of needlework is hard to pick, embroidery, cross stitch.
I like pretty much all embroidery by hand and my favorite is beaded embroidery. Thank you Mary for all your videos. They are extremely helpful. Your work and expertise is extraordinary.
Thank you,
Linda Pazdzinski
As a beginner needlecrafter, I have not yet determined my favorite technique/style. Looking forward to discovering this.
Brazilian embroidery is my favorite. It was and beautiful from the beginning. Very relaxing the stitches are fun. Love working with wool embroidery too. Love all of the textures.
I love embellishing on wool applique
I’ve been doing wool applique for a while and love the stitching but it is pretty basic (blanket stitch, stem stitch, a few bullion knots, etc.)but I need to branch out into other stitches.
When I was a little girl my mom would take me with her to a needlework store and she would let me pick out a small kit for myself. It was always crewel. I would search through all the Elsa Williams and Erica Wilson kits. I loved everything about it. The patterns, the colors and the textures of the linen and wools . I stopped stitching for a long time but picked it up a few years ago. I’ve branched out to other embroidery and wool applique, but crewel will always be my favorite.
My favorite needlework technique is cross stitching!
My favorite needle pastime is counted cross stitch on many stitches per inch even weave fabrics, such as linen or silks. I love working with fine fabrics, feeling the hand and weight gliding over my hand as I guide color after color in the design. I got started in this, more complicated method of cross stitching when my third son began school. My husband was in grad school, and all three boys had obligations with school and extra curricular activities. For the first time, I had some hours that were mine to choose how to fill. i could sit in the bay window of our bedroom, if all were away for some time, but more likely, I was alone in the car, waiting for one of the guys to finish their favorite activity. My favorite activity, being ultimately portable,travelled minute by minute and mile after mile, with me. My interest and skill level grew. I read and stitched, there was so much to learn, I was challenged with many projects. It was a very special time in my life. I still stitch, but not so intensely. I remember that period fondly.
My favorite kind of needlework is Blackwork. I think the structure of it appeals to my engineering background. Besides Blackwork, I like to try new stitches and techniques.
I am looking forward to trying these new wool threads in the new year. My current selection from the Elsa Williams era is looking pretty tired.
My favourite needlework technique is canvaswork. I love counted work and the use of different types of threads.
I like many styles of embroidery. But if I had to choose I would pick stumpwork because of the variety of techniques involved and the three dimensional result.
I love goldwork; I enjoy the different techniques and love the effects obtained with the different kinds, from flat or nue to the 3d effect of raised and padded goldwork. I love the play of light across a piece of goldwork and enjoy combining it with silk shading.
I have tried an assortment of different needlework styles and techniques, and I think my favorite is always what I’m enjoying at the moment! And currently I’m learning wool applique. I love working with wool, and it’s the first time I’ve worked with pearl cotton.
My passion is just drawing needle and thread through fabric and mostly allow the needle to lead the way, following my intuition
My favorite changes, depending on what I’m working on. Right now it’s surface embroidery, but I suspect it’ll change to Hardanger when I start my next project.
I’m a fan of reversible black work. Love the challenge of figuring it out.
My favorite needlework style has recently changed to wool, but after seeing the lovely stamped cross stitch in the shop, it may easily become that! I can’t wait to start them!
I believe me favorite needlework technique would be embroidery. I enjoy it because it can vary from one creator to another. Although there are some things that need to be followed, you can always make it what you dream of. My second reason for enjoying embroidery is because it was the first needlework technique my mother taught me.
My favourite embroidery is surface stitching but gold work is a very close second. I enjoy surface embroidery as I can utilise it in many ways.
I love all handwork – embroidery, bead embroidery, crazy quilting. I also love machine sewing, especially when I get to the part of hemming, sewing on a button, binding a quilt, embellishing a quilt.
Give me fibers!!!!!!
My favourite style is Schwalm white work, its purity and charm. It combines surface, pulled, drawn and woven stitches that delight every time, both designing and working the technique.
I love cross stitch and surface embroidery, particularly I’ve really been enjoying stumpwork!
My favorite technique is cross stitch; along with specialty stitches that are included in some charts. My alter favorite is counted canvas needlepoint.
I love embroidery. My grandma taught me in the early 70’s with a pillowcase kit from a catalog.
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why? Brazilian – the texture and dimensions speak to me!
I have been embroidering for 3 years now and loving it. I have been trying different styles and it’s hard to decide which I love the most but thread painting ( long and short ) is what I’m doing at the moment and I can’t wait to start another one.
I love cross stitch! I am starting to get back into embroidery too.
I like to do hand embroidery. I’m no expert but I’ve learned a lot from your projects. I also like redwork stitching which I incorporate into my quilts.
I like crewel embroidery. Love the wools and the texture it gives.
My favorite needlework is embroidery. I enjoy it because of the different stitches and threads I can use. It can be used on simple items such as potholders, tea towels, baby bibs and to embellish clothing for memorable occasions.
My favorite is always surface embroidery. I love all types of embroidery, but surface embroidery has less rules. I like to color outside of the lines, so of course my stitches go the same way. Happy Holidays to all of you. Hope your new storefront is as beautiful as can be.
Needlepainting is currently my favorite needlework. I love the way the colors blend and emerge as an image as you work. Quite magical.
My favourite technique is thread painting.
Brazilian embroidery is my favorite type of embroidery because of its glossy dimensional finished work. My second favorite is Sashiko Japanese style needlework because of its simplicity and attractive results.
Thank you for this opportunity. This looks like a wonderful kit. I would love to gift this to my artsy granddaughter!
My favorite needlework is freehand embroidery. The current project is embellishing these curtains with stumpwork and whatever else I choose, it’s a lot of fun.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1296738200/ikea-eivor-black-white-curtain-trees
Thanks for your site, you put a lot of work into it.
I absolutely love goldwork but do less of it than I want to because the materials are hard to source.
My current favorite type of needlework is thread painting, though I still need lots and lots of practice to become good at it. Crewel is another favorite- I love the texture of the wool.
I love rework as it takes me away from all the troubles and worry in life. I found it extremely helpful when my son passed away suddenly and I am sure it got me through the first few weeks. I try to do some kind of hand stitching every day as it is soothing and mindful.
My favorite style of needlework is simple embroidery. Because I taught myself when I was a teenager. I love the rhythm of stitching. Thank you for an opportunity to win a wool embroidery kit. Merry Christmas!
After doing no needlework for years, other than mending, the urge came upon me to try crazy quilting. Starting with an abundance of freeform embroidery motifs on cotton sateen pieces and covering the seams with decorative stitches, I have progressed to velvet, which is more challenging in both quilt assembly and embroidery. As an oil painter in the tradition of realism, the CQ adventure satisfies my desire to make pictures, and it imposes some discipline in making orderly stitches for the seam embellishments. It is a nice change to make art and keep my hands clean at the same time.
My favorite is probably stumpwork, followed by satin stitch or silk ribbon. I love how stumpwork lends itself to so many other sculptural techniques – I majored in sculpture in college and I love the additional freedom of making stitched insects!
I love anything that involves a needle and fiber!! But I have to say my heart belongs to crewel embroidery!!!
I love whitework and goldwork. Most anything with a needle is great fun, though! I always need to keep my hands busy!
I love quilting and embroidery is a close second favorite.
I enjoy a basic outline stitch. I feel they can be simple and bold!
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why? – I really enjoy surface embroidery. I like all the different threads with surface embroidery and the variety of stitches.
I like most types of embroidery. My favorite type uses cotton thread on cotton fabric. I love the unusual stitches.
My favorite needlework style is simple embroidery with simple sewing projects, simply old fashioned embroidery stitches like corn flowers and blanket stitches… I love this because my great grandmother Cora taught my mom and my mom taught me.. I was so young and those memories with them are “priceless.”
I like the simple back stitch outline embroidery with french knots and minimal other stitches. All I can manage at this time but working on learning and incorporating more stitches in my embroidery journey!!! I design quilt patterns and have done a couple with embroidery blocks. So tend to keep it simple!
It’s hard to pick but probably embroidery because it encompasses so many styles and textures. I love French knots.
I love lots of embroidery but I love cross stitch because it always comes out even!
Merry Christmas!!
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why?
I love doing counted cross stitch. Being able to start with a blank piece of fabric and bring it to life with a cross stitch pattern is always fun.
But I’m always willing to try something new.
I thought it would be a hard question to answer, but crewel embroidery sprung immediately to mind and didn’t dislodge! So many reasons to love. For starters, wool thread and the fast coverage it gives, plus the soft colors let you get away with what would be jarring combinations in cotton floss. I love the updated styles of Jacobean designs, stylized yet with whimsical charm. I love working on linen – won’t use anything else for any embroidery these days, in fact – largely due to YOU, Mary! And, these days, my eyes aren’t up to traditional cotton embroidery, while crewel’s relative thickness is still doable. Merry Christmas!
I love all things needlework, however embroidery is my main interest currently. I love the calm rhythm of working a piece, bit by bit and watching it grow into something beautiful!
While I mostly do quilting, sewing tote bags and yarny needlework like knitting and crocheting, I do love a simple embroidered chain stitch project for its relaxing repetition and for the way it takes curves so nicely. I used to do a bit of crewel embroidery with wool and still have a few of my projects from 40+ years ago. A beautiful updated project like Wildflowers in Wool would be lovely to do!
My favourite needlework style is thread painting, I love the fine detail that can be achieved when stitching. 2024 has been a tough year, the small precious moments of stitching have given me the space to regain peace, to sit in silence and to pray.
I love crewel embroidery! the texture is divine.
I have learned so much from your stitch snippets and learning new stitches. I am fascinated by the dimensionality of thread painting and want to do more.
My favorite needlework style is wool embroidery – crewel embroidery
I used to do Hardanger embroidery but since I follow Needle n Thread I enjoy more and more surface embroidery even if it is challenging for me. It is a perfect way for me to kind of meditate. I do enjoy cross stitch to. Thank you Mary for your fantastic work.
My favorite needlework is goldwork. Aside from the bling, the stitches are rhythmic and relaxing. The variety of fibers and threads and the techniques provide interest and are not as repetitive as other needlework types.
M6 favorite needlework to do is applique with embroidered accents. It’s a bonus that it is mostly portable and I can tae it with me.
Mmmmm, my fave used to be standard embroidery, kits, towels, clothing etc. in the last 2 or 3 years i have become enamored of slow stitich, kantha, boro ….so much fun, so easy…
I really like goldwork and surface embroidery. It is hard to say which I like more.
My favorite is surface embroidery because it allows me to stitch with my own feelings and impressions–not just filling distinct holes.
I like to work on hardanger projects. They always look so lacy
My favorite is cross-stitch, and I guess the reason is that I like following a chart.
Too many favorites. Wool applique is what I am working on at this time, using your website to learn embroidery techniques to embellish and add texture to my wall hangings and quilts. The embroidery finishes the beautiful look.
I love most types of embroidery but am particularly fond of surface embroidery and crewel work.
So far my favorite needlework technique is Blackwork. I’ve done cross stitch off and on since age 8. Embroidery stitches that were not cross stitch did not even seem a thing for me until about ten years ago. Blackwork I found about four years ago. I find it fascinating, trying to work the stitches so that they are perfectly aligned and exactly the same on either side. I admit it is hard and I often have to stop and think again, but I enjoy it. I have not given up my other embroidery or my cross stitch, but Blackwork is almost meditative once I get it going.
My favorite style of embroidery is free form or some call it “ slow stitch.” I like the relaxing mood it provides. No rules, just what moves you and then make it into something or frame as “ abstract” art.
White work. I don’t know specifically why except it seems like a connection to the past. Like a string attached to women before me.
My favorite is “needle painting” in a realistic style.
I also paint traditionally, but the most pleasure is capturing animals in a realistic style, even though it takes longer – it gives me a warm feeling to use needle and thread!
Lately I’ve been doing counted cross stitch but have one of Hazel Blomkamp’s designs on tap for after the holiday.
Counted cross stitch is my fave because of the gird, I know exactly where to put my needle for each stitch and they all come out the same
I love surface embroidery, either from patterns or by stitching intuitively. Surface embroidery allows me to use color, stitches and placements that please me, even if my choice varies from a pattern.
I love embroidery with applique and beading. I work small, around 10×12 inches, and insert my pieces into wooden tri-fold room dividers that are made to display photographs. Want to see one?
I also enjoy “Needle ‘n Thread.”
Sincerely, Gaye Elder
I really haven’t done enough embrodiery to have a favorite style or tecchnique! I hope to win this kit so I can learn and fiqure out the answer to your question! Fingers crossed that I win, it is a beauitful kit!
For many years embroidery, especially X-stitch, was my favorite pastime! Since retiring when COVID shut down the world, I have ventured into other personal territories: machine and hand sewing, Swedish embroidery, and lap quilting.
I believe X-stitch will always be my true passion as there are so many patterns available; the tools are simple, inexpensive, and easy to find; generally the projects are portable; and the results fill in quickly and beautifully. Definitely my favorite hobby!
My favorite type of needlework is free style embroidering because I am free to create, mix and match different fabrics, beads, etc.
Thank you so much Mary for being so generous in sharing your knowledge with the people that follow you!
I love surface embroidery, I’ve tried using the pencils, I’ve tried cross stitch, but I continue to go back to surface embroidery. I started as a young teen doing tea towels with my mom. After my mom died I found 3 embroidery cloths done for each of her children, all needed a tad to be finished. I was honored to do this for my brother and sister.
I did try crewel embroidery many years ago, so I would love to try this wool embroidery.
Billie Dickinson, Littleton Co
I love crewel embroidery because of its history
My of cross stitch is the strongest of all needlework even though I enjoy many different types. I really enjoy drawn thread, hardanger and all speciality stitches. Needlework projects go with me everywhere and are truly a therapy for mind and soul.
My favorite technique is surface embroidery. Although my introduction to embroidery was stamped cross-stitch, it was a crewel pillow top kit that got me hooked! It was a 9th birthday gift from an aunt and the vibrant colors for the flowers and butterflies are captivating.
My favorite is embroidery. It was my first needlework I learned when I was about 7. It’s just very calming.
I used to avoid silk shading. For some reason, I Could Not Do It. I recently realised that splitting the thread is actually not necessary, and I’m off! I now know that the more irregular is better than eg one up one down,(also the clarity of your explanations and tutorials Mary many thanks) and I am no longer afraid. Or making a hash of it!
I love hardanger white on white very easy,,,,,as long as you put in basting lines,,,
I love, love, love to do crewel embroidery. My grandmother and mother taught me as a girl and I’ve enjoyed seeing how my work as progressed over the years. When I sit and stitch, I am reminded of them and it makes me happy!
My favorite is regulas slow hand embroidery with floss. I like it because I feel like I’m painting a picture, supplies are easily available and I can draw my own designs.
My favorite type of needlework is cross stitch with fancy stitches. I love samplers, particularly reproduction samplers. And the more types of stitches the better!
My favorite is surface embroidery and the reason is because I discovered it at a time in my life when everything is calming down and I have patience that I didn’t have in my younger years. I definitely think you have to have patience for embroidery. The other reason is I have never been good at any artistic effort. I may not be good at embroidery but I have produced many works and that is important to me.
I love crewel embroidery. Lately, I’ve been doing regular embroidery as my mother taught me at a very young age. When I was learning it was a tedious and painful lesson. I sat on a very stiff and uncomfortable couch next to my mother. The fabric on that couch felt like steel wool to the 6 year old, left handed little girl. All these years later. I’m so thankful to have had those lessons my mom taught me. Love embroidering towels and give them to family and friends. They are always delighted with them and seems to make their day.
Mary,
When money was tight I as introduced to Hardanger needlework. I loved it and when you finish the piece, your needlework piece is completed.
Thanks once again
Melinda
I enjoy surface embroidery the most especially when I can incorporate the embroidery piece into my quilting. I enjoy your articles and always seem to learn something new which I appreciate!
My favorite needlework technique is embroidery, and lately it has been shading or needle painting technique.
I just love working with a needle and thread. I have often thought about what is my favorite style of embroidery and it comes down to the piece I’m working on at any given time.
My favorite type of embroidery is surface embroidery. I have loved it since my grandmother taught me at a young age to embroider stamped pillowcases. Later, I embroidered muslin napkins for my mom for Christmas as I only had money for the muslin and red and green floss since my husband was in graduate school. Later, as a quilter, I made a crazy quilt and loved the surface embroidery stitches over every seam and the motifs in the open spaces of the fabrics. Today, I still enjoy embroidering felt ornaments for my family for Christmas.
I would like to have this to do some crewl work. I really like reading your blogs
I enjoy embroidery the most because it has many different stitches so projects can be unique.
My favorite technique is fairly simple embroidery stitches. I like especially combining different stitch’s like French knots and bullion roses as well as outline stitches. I mostly do my embroidery on doll clothing.
I’ve been focusing mostly on needlepoint the past few years. Enjoy the variety of threads and stitches available. Focus is mainly on counted designs. Have a number of your kits (Christmas ornaments from last year) that are in my rotation and finding them lots of fun.
My favorite needlework style is embroidery. There are so many beautiful threads to choose from; one can create pieces, tiny to grand; no matter what skill level you have, there are a great number of stitches to learn and choose from (one never needs to get bored); and projects can — be whipped up in a day, if need be — be treasured heirlooms — or, be individual gifts for every season! Love my embroidery!
I like to go cross stitch patterns But I like to do all other needle patterns.
I love the way Brazilian embroidery is so three-dimensional. It is a little more work to relax the threads before you stitch, but the effort pays off in the end result.
I do a lot of cross stitch, but I have been doing more embroidery. Right now I am learning how to do buillion roses and I am liking that design a lot. For Christmas I am making some ribbon embroidery ornaments. Those tend to go pretty fast. I love the look of ribbon embroidery the most.
I’ve never worked with wool. How gracious of you to offer such a nice kit.
Merry Christmas, Ginny K.
My favorite needlework is cross stitch because it helps me de-stress. I enjoyed embroidery when I was in my teens and have thought about picking it up again. now in my 70s.
I’m a needlepointer who finds the many tips from Needle ‘n thread very useful. From time to time I also buy products and some patterns. I want to get the fall tree from a few back under way this year.
My favorite needlework is crazy quilting embroidery. It works with my skill set at this time and I love variety of stitches.
I love all forms of needlework, but cross stitch or embroidery are my go to. I can carry them with me or sit in the evening with my husband and stitch.
I actually do not have a favourite- they all yield beautiful textures and results- none necessarily better than the other, just different.
My favorite needlework technique is crewel.
I like all embroidery. I started with crewel work. Always liked working with wools. The work seems to go faster and there is lots of dimension with the wool.
Oh!! It is so hard to isolate a favorite, as I am consumed with a love of ALL STITCHING, but I guess I would have to go with pulled and drawn. It charms me how simply pulling threads tight can create so many different fabric appearances.
Happy holidays to all!!
I do a variety of needlework. I do a lot of counted canvas but I also do some hardanger.
I have just been introduced to surface embroidery and I am finding that this is very relaxing and it is bringing some of my creativity.
My goal at this point is to stitch every day.
I love embroidery! It makes simple things beautiful
My favorite embroidery stitch is French knots. I like the rhythm and find it meditative.
I love Jacobean crewel embroidery patterns because of the variety of stitches used and exotic patterns. I also love how wool threads stitch up quickly 🙂
Lovely give-away. My favorite needlework is needlepoint. Love the look and feel of the wool thread. Also love counted cross stitch because of the variety of designs and cotton floss is so readily available in so many colors and shades.
Merry Christmas.
I like Sue Spargo-style of embroidery with a wide variety of threads and stitches.
My favorite needlework style is historic, 17th century needlework. I’ve been able to take some classes in the style and had a great time. I also enjoy crewel, goldwork, silk work, etc.
I love printed crossstitch
I’ve done all types of needlework, but as I age and tremor has affected my hands, I enjoy crosstitch and kantha style slow stitching.
I really enjoy doing embroidery on felt. It is a very forgiving medium, and easy to use. I’ve made lots of stuffed Christmas ornaments embellished with embroidery and given them as gifts to my dinner guests, family, and friends. I usually use simple stitches like daisy, straight stitch, French knots and blanket stitch. I embellish with small beads to add a little sparkle.
After more than 55 years of stitching I’ve had many different favorites but the technique that ignited my love of embroidery was huck weaving. Years before I actually started stitching I bought a book of patterns from a department store that had a small fabric and notions section. I was enchanted by the designs and the clear
do-ability of the technique. I never forgot the delight I got just from reading that booklet over and over and, one day years later, I finally picked up a needle.
I am mainly a cross stitcher as I find that the most relaxing stitching.
Although I love doing anything with a needle, I think that embroidery is my favorite. My great aunt taught me redwork when I was about 6 years old. I have expanded on that skill through the years but it’s a skill that is a constant in my sewing room. When I teach I introduce my students to your videos, a great resource. Thank you. Maryann
I love Goldwork!!!!! Love the shine!
I enjoy surface embroidery and learning new stitches. My favorite stitch is the bullion with it being so versatile.
I enjoy counted thread embroidery. This includes cross stitch, Hardanger, pulled thread, and drawn thread. The counting is what makes it all work for me.
I enjoy both machine embroidery and hand embroidery. I am currently working on a sampler book working through a stitch each day from a charm embroidery stitch book. I am also working on a fabric journal which I hope will be a family heirloom in due course
I most enjoy surface embroidery, particularly patterns with flowers, leaves, vines and other plants. I like the way the texture of the various stitches add dimension, and how any small irregularities just make the plants look more natural and real.
I love freeform surface work! I was never very good at staying in the lines..
Favorite embroidery style: Opus Anglicanum. Because I’m a musicologist/singer with medieval and renaissance music as my specialities. Love of the music of those periods apparently bled over into my stitching life. ☺️
My favorite needlework style – I am loving being able to see the needle painting that others do. I am not confident enough to try it right now, but I am enjoying the post of other stitchers on different platforms. Just makes me want to dash out and buy more floss.
I haven’t worked with wool in ages! The project looks like a ‘good back to stitching with wool’ kit. I’ve been working on samplers with silk and DMC floss. Stitching with wool will be a nice change. Thank you, Barbara Larson
Love,see what your up to….i so wish i could stitch for 5 minutes without be interrupted…it’s at dream….when I’m in the field, I always stitch on my down time.
Hope your doing well…take care…and thank you for all you do for the stitching community..
Nannett
My favorite technique is needlepoint. I love the challenge of turning square boxes into curves and rounds!
I am passionate about canvas work. I love the “rigidity” of a grid, but I also like the versatility of working on canvas. I can do embellished canvas work with a painted canvas and have fun bringing the painting to life. I can also start with a blank piece of canvas and by using charts can create a gorgeous counted geometric. As you can tell, I get excited about canvas work.
My favorite needlework is making bullion stitches, and most any that fill an area with fullness.
The first project I ever embroidered was a crewel pillow. Now I’m a simple stitcher. Red Work has been my go to for relaxing stitching and I’ve stitch some of your flour sacks designs.
Thank you for sharing and teaching us all the beauty of this art.
I’m a free style kind of embroidery….I’m working on and English, (UK) Alphabet that we draw out a letter and stitch every month. Also, I’m doing that month hoop wheel challenge to Embroidery thing about that month in the area…..thank again
Oooooo. I love this kit. Let’s see … my favorite form of needle work is crewelwork. And of course surface embroidery and recently I’ve taken up cross stitch which I was surprised that I like so much.
I really love surface embroidery and smocking! I love the counted work but just LOVE it ALL!
Surface work and monograms and all the stitch along projects you’ve had!
Thanks for this opportunity!
And I didn’t answer the why!… so an addition!
Just slowing down to stitch calms my soul when the rest of the days are SO busy!
I love doing embroidery. It is so relaxing and I do not have to count. This gives me freedom to use which ever stitch I want.
My favourite needle work or style is hand stitching botanical embroidery on vintage linens. I would absolutely love to receive this botanical kit to embroider.
What a wonderful give-away gift! I’ve never used wool thread and would love to use it.
My favorite technique is surface embroidery using many different textures & stitches that really show up.
Everyone, have a wonderful family&friend-filled Christmas.
It’s hard to choose…I’ve been really enjoying cross stitch lately. (I know Mary isn’t a fan, but I find some of the more complex patterns engrossing.)
Growing up in India in a family that had few resources for anything fancy and that included supplies for needlework didn’t stop my mother from doing the best she could. She would sew clothes for us six children, embroider tea cosies and pillow cases and shirts. I learnt to embroider and and crochet from her when I was just six but my favorite needlework technique is embroidery with satin stitch and the stem stitch .
My favorite style shifts but I enjoy 3D stumpwork just because they are cool. Additionally I like needle painting /long & short because it is very forgiving and I usually don’t have to rip anything out!
Needlepainting it is so realistic. 2D looks like 3D
I love the look of thread painting. I can’t believe how photo realistic embroidery can be with such simple stitches.
Thank You Mary
My favorite needlework style is embroidery because it’s so versatile. One can create absolutely anything with embroidery .
My favorite needlework is crosstitching at this time, however, in my teens I did a lot of embroidery. I’m now trying to to relearn with your excellent techniques and patterns. Love your creativity and teaching!
My first love is embroidery, taught to me by my grandmother. My second love is cross stitch taught to me by my mom. I continue to do both and have been since the late 50s. I find it calming, creative, fun and challenging, especially as new techniques, flosses and fabrics continue being available. I will stitch until I no longer can, which I hope is never.
I have tried most needlework styles. When I am feeling creative I like free embroidery, but when I just want something more soothing I prefer cross stich or hardanger.
I love Goldwork…it is challenging and so pretty!
I love any kind of wool embroidery work. It’s easy on older hands like mine and the feel of wool and linen while working on a piece is very comforting. Love your site and all the help you give us all.
Since I’m so new to embroidery, I’m not really sure what style I like most of all. I grew up with embroidered pillowcases and flower sack towels so interested I doing some of this basic work but have seen so many amazing stitches and styles, I’m ready to retire so I have more time to stitch.
My favourite type of needlework is crewel stitchery, because of the texture and beautiful colours in the pieces. There are so many wonderful types of needlework, but I do like the contrast between the fabric and the threads.
I like to learn all kinds of embroidery. There are so many wonderful types of embroidery to try and learn about. But I do especially like white work like Hardanger or Schwalm. Merry Christmas.
So hard to choose one technique. It changes over time but at the moment I really enjoy any kind of counted work, so have been mostly doing cross stitch/specialty stitch samplers and some blackwork.
Looks like a wonderful kit. I enjoy stitching all the embroidery designs!
My favorite is thread painting. I love the result and have done one kit by Michelle Agnew. I have Trish Burr patterns and have done some of the smaller ones. Through the local EGA chapter, I will join a class on another piece of thread painting.
However, as I gain confidence in my artistic skills, I want to branch out into creating my own pattern, like I did from a photo of my cat. And, I’m starting a crewel piece to see how that differs from or is the same as thread surface embroidery.
I love all types of embroidery, although I am very slow at it. I think it is very relaxing!
Hi Mary,
Happy Holidays!!
My favorite needlework style is Crewel work. I just adore surface embroidery, and that certainly includes Crewel.
Regards,
Sandra F. In NY
Judging by time spent my favorite needlework would be counted work and I think blackwork might be my favorite type of counted work.
I like the repetition and variation of most counted work, how the stitch stays the same but the color and placement vary.
I also like doing a bit of surface embroidery just for the satisfaction of a quicker finish.
My favorite embroidery technique is surface embroidery. I like the freedom of doing my own design and the variety of stitches and threads available.
I like surface embroidery with DMC floss and would like to try wool embroidery.
Dear Mary,
I love your Christmas Give-aways! It is fun to enter and to read the responses.
My favourite embroidery style is thread painting. I love the realism that can be created like old masters paintings.
Thank you
Louisa
My favorite embroidery projects are designed by someone other than me and include the thread and printed fabric. Then I can just follow the directions and know that the finished product will look like it was designed to be. I have had too many failures at trying to design embroidery on my own…
This looks like such a fun kit! Thank you for the opportunity to win it!
I like regular embroidery and sashiko best, although visible mending is very satisfying. I’ve even done some embroidery with my handspun cotton!
Applique is my favorite needlework because I have lots of fabrics and patterns.
My favorite needlework style is any kind of embroidery where I can freely stitch without counting threads. The main reason is that I have found it to be a little difficult to count threads on very small stitches like tiny cross stitches. I love the way it looks, but my preference is following a pattern drawn on the fabric. Thank you, Kim
I am primarily a hand quilter who loves to embellish with embroidery but am jumping into more embroidery with your kits! Hope to grow my expertise!
I enjoy wool applique and embroidery. You can be very creative in your stitching with wool. Can be simple embroidery stitches or more interesting ones.
I enjoy all types of needlework. My favorite is what is in my hands at the time.
My favorite work is needlepoint with embroidery being a very close second. I think it goes back to my love of coloring as a child. I started with embroidery and I liked ironing a pattern onto a pillow case then choosing my own colors to fill it with running stitch. Later I tried different stitches with my favorite bring french knots! I moved onto crewel embroidery then needlepoint. I guess I still love coloring in the spaces!
Merry Christmas!
Right now, cross stitch is my favorite needlework technique. It’s easy to take it traveling with me and I’m working on small projects to turn into ornaments for my Christmas tree and gifts for others.
I love most types of needlework. I am working with wool just now and recently finished the December portion of a wool block of the month project. I would enjoy the wildflower kit as the colors are so fun to work with
I learned embroidery as a child. Did crewel embroidery as a young adult and was
introduced to needlepoint in my forties. It is my favorite style of needlework & I especially enjoy stitching canvases using many different embroidery stitches to give depth & interest to the canvases.
My favorite needlework style or technique is embroidery samplers with any type of thread.
My favorite is surface embroidery. There are so many stitches and with so many colors of floss, the creative possibilities are endless!
My favorite needlework technique so far is Hardanger. I took a couple on online classes and was amazed that I was able to create lovely spaces and fillings once I learned how to cut the openings….magic!
I only know just plain stitches, like most on the mitten and those that fall into those for fabric embellishment. I hope to learn more as I move into a retirement community as I believe (perhaps wrongly) that relatively simple embroidery won’t take up as much space as yards of fabric. I enjoy Needle n thread and learning.
Carolyn
The away knot. It saves turning over my work so many times, therefore giving me time for more stitching.
Favorite technique to do: embellished wool applique
I love the look of the heavy threads on the lush wool. It is a very forgiving technique
Favorite technique to look at: stump work insects
wow, I have tried this but not with the satisfactory results
That is too hard of a question. I change from needlepoint to cross-stitch to embroidery with some quilting thrown in. Jack of all needlework, master of a few.
My favourite needlework style is Cross Stitch and any of the other counted thread styles. They are so portable and can be picked up and worked on even if you only have a few minutes available.
I’m a very beginner and I’m working on samplers to try and follow different stitches and give things a modern twist. When I finish enough 5 inch squares i’d like to join them by threads into a wall hanging of some sort. I so enjoy seeing your work and commentaries.
I love all embroidery styles and will dabble in them all. I did fall in love with gold work when I sat in a shop in Tiwan for a whole afternoon and watched a master start a gold padded dragon – I was hooked. Then watching silk embroidery in Vietnam in a small village with the wonderful women. My go to is cross stitch when my brain needs a rest.
Goldwork is my favorite
Traditional embroidery
Learned it as a child and it brings back good memories
Love your designs. You are so kind sharing your knowledge.
I like most forms of counted embroidery but don’t like cutting!! 🙂 so blackwork and cross stitch are my go-to techniques.
Currently I am re-learning Mountmellick in order to give a program for the local chapter of EGA. I actually love almost all types of needlework!
I really enjoy adding wire, padding, beads and other embellishments under and on embroidery stitches to create a raised surface texture. My favorite stitch is the bullion knot to design unsual flowers. I love experimenting with stitch variations!
My favorite needlework technique is crewel embroidery because I feel it allows lots of freedom in the way you place your stitches. Very east to embellish stitches in crewel.
Also the embroiderer can use all types of threads for added panache!
Your embroidery is extraordinary and I’m so glad to see all the wonderful stitches I have forgotten about. I am 83 and find doing my projects are both relaxing and a welcome gift to recieve by my grands! Thanks so much.
Hi!
Lately my favorite needlework things to do is slow stitching and fabric collage, though I generally just love exploring different fibers and textures. I haven’t used much wool and haven’t yet tried the Eco Vita, so this would be an especially fun kit to try.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I love natural looking flower patterns. I enjoy surface embroidery stitches and I do well with most of them. Backstitch is tricky for me – not a forgiving stitch! Have never stitched with wool thread.
Thank you for the give-away! My favorite needlework style/technique would have to currently be smocking. I love embroidery, but now that I have a granddaughter to sew for, I am really enjoying smocking with beautiful threads. I still have a lot to learn but I find it to be very rewarding and relaxing.
Thank you Mary!
I love whitework and any pulled or cut thread technique. Lately I have been experimenting with working with silks and the vibrant colours are leading me to explore more surface techniques. I love the colours of this kit.
My favorite needlework is freestyle embroidery. I am free to use whatever threads, stitches, fabrics and design styles I can think of for my embroidery. I find it a very creative outlet for embroidery.
Mary, I think it is so generous of you to share your embroidery knowledge with your readers through your newsletters and projects. I have learned many things from the projects I have done. Thank you also for offering the kits along with them if we so choose.
I do many different kinds of needlework but I would say Hardanger is my favorite. I love the elegance of the finished projects and it looks more difficult than it is. I enjoy doing different stitches along the way. Happy Holidays.
You are wonderful with your newsletters and give aways. I prefer thread painting to portray my pictures and have not tried with Eco vita wool. I have read your previous comments on this wool thread and would love to try it. Ariel.
My favorite embroidery style/technique is Crewel, and I am looking forward to trying out this new thread from DMC to see for myself how it compares with others available!
Well, I don’t know if I actually have a style per se 🙂 My Mom embroidered on tea towels for as long as I can remember. We all have some of her work & really cherish them now that she is in Heaven. I like to look at all kinds of embroidery and if I see something I like I try it. I like to learn new things so I also choose patterns where I can learn some new stitches. Your tutorials are a great help!
I enjoy all types of embroidery as I like the challenge of trying new styles and stitches
I am trying to learn more that just the basic stitches my grandmother taught me.
So right now, my favorite embroidery style is just basic… I want to expand and explore.
I also enjoy cross stitch. There isn’t much expansion there… (hahaaa)
Thanks,
Roberta
I really enjoy handwork and I’ve gotten into embroidery in the past few years. I’d like to think I’m improving!!
I like all needlework I have tried so far, but recently I have been enjoying thread painting. Similar to painting, I figure out what colors to use as I go.
My favorite needlework style is crewelwork! But I really enjoy just about everything with embroidery, and look forward to learning more styles as time goes on!
My current favorite is free style embroidery on handmade felt.
Hi Mary,
Just hoping to win one of your giveaways is a real Christmas gift. Thank you for that fun period of waiting in hope to win.
I used to prefer counted thread type of embroidery because it was easier for the perfectionist in me, easier to master, harder to make mistake.
Now I couldn’t say I have a favorite needle work style, but I do want to try as many different style as I can so I can sort out what I really don’t like to do from what I like to do. And I am very patient when I want to finish something that I have difficulty mastering like Sardinian embroidery (thanks to Yvette Stanton book, I finished my little piece and was happy with the result).
Merry Christmas to you and your family and close friends.
It’s hard to decide what my favorite stitch is: I haven’t done much stitching since I was a kid, and then it was mostly embroidery, which I love. I’ve done a lot more slow stitching recently, which can be really creative and fun. But I also like darning and visible mending. And I keep seeing some amazingly beautiful Japanese techniques that look like they’d be interesting to explore. I think my favorite thing to do, though is to incorporate whatever stitching I’m doing into mixed media type projects, or into junk journaling, and creating all kinds of fun things that way.
I enjoy happy folk art wool appliqué on cotton, with lots of embroidery embellishments, inspired by Sue Spargo. I love your blog and website. I tell all my students about you.
My favorite needlework is Jacobean style. But I love all of it. So grateful that more fun threads are becoming available once again.
I love embroidering small designs, often floral, and making them into greetings cards. I try to include different types of stitches and enjoy finding new to me stitches to use.
My favorite needlework style: I recently finished a winter table runner. It has 2 large snowflakes worked in white-on-muslin, which I just love. I enjoy the simplicity of redwork and blackwork, but now white-on-white is my favorite style because it’s simple, subtle, and elegant.
My favourite needlework is anything counted – whitework, cross stitch, hardanger, pulled thread, etc. I like the restrictions of a grid since I have a very un-artistic way of thinking!
I have no special stitch. I am just grateful I was introduced to your site and so simply like trying new stitches, threads. Thankyou
I love to complete hardanger projects and needle and thread is the place to go to when I need info on a stitch
My current favorite embroidery is Brazilian, but it changes with the seasons
Hardanger is my favorite type of embroidery. I feel successful when the kloister satin stitches meet after stitching them around the project and feel lucky after successfully cutting before doing the filling stitches. Areal since of accomplishment when a project is completed. I recently completed a project about 12″ by 20″ and get to look at it daily. I also enjoy the history of Hardanger. The only thing better would be if I had Norwegian heritage.
Embroidery is my favorite newdlework style. I love all the different stitches you can use and making 3D designs.
I love doing embroidered flowers in all different styles and techniques. Currently working on Medow flowers by Gerda Bengtsson. I love the subtle colours and effects.
Hi Mary. I enjoy doing basic embroidery stitches. I am also learning sashiko. Thanks, Sandy
My favorite needlework technique is outline embroidery. I am a beginner at embroidery so I am playing around with different techniques and this seems the best method for me right now , but I am having fun exploring more techniques.
I have followed your stitching for many years and appreciate your excellent tutorials. I’ve done several of your kits. My wish is to someday get to your shop.
Stem stitch- It’s the most elegant z as nd versatile stitch.
My favorite is embroidery, although there are many others I have not tried! I find it very relaxing.
My favorite needlework is needlepoint with complicated counted cross stitch a close second. I love challenges and it may take a while but usually I learn something new with every project.
My favourite needlework style is crewel work.
Currently, I’m loving freestyle surface embroidery.
My favorite embroidery to do is Crewel because of the variety of stitches and endless possibilities in the materials you can use. It never gets tedious.
I love embroidery, especially Crewel. I find the textures that the stitches create give the project dimension. It’s amazing to see the fabric come to life with vibrant colors and the using the various stitches.
Merry Christmas
My favorite needlework style to look at is stumpwork. My favorite kind to do myself is a more folky textured style with textured fabrics – like Sue Spargo.
I am currently doing embroidery on a new to medium range. I enjoy the intricacies in an embroidery pattern and love to see finished pieces especially those that have been done in the embroidery painting style. I have also done cross stitch a little tiny bit of latch hooking (I did a Christmas tree skirt, and a little needle point but not much at all. I did cross stitch until my eyes were only good on the 14 count cross stitch fabric. I think embroidery and cross stitch are my favorites.
My favorite style of needlework is what I think is called thread painting. I like to embroider realistic looking pictures using long and short stitches. I think it’s amazing to watch a picture develop. It kind of reminds me of those paint-by-number pictures I did as a little kid, except I’m choosing the colors of thread, and get to mess with the “brush strokes” with color changes and directional stitches.
My favorite form of embroidery is using silk ribbon with all kinds of threads and beads. I do lots of other things, but when there is a break, I go back to the silk ribbon because of the colors, the sheen and the ease of designing. With an S curve or another curved line, I am on my way to another quieter world.
Hardanger is by far my most favourite stitchery (also reticella, almost the same to me just different country country if origin). Hardanger is difficult yet very relaxing and the end result is stunning.
My favorite embroidery is crazy quilting. But I love all types.
I would love to try wool embroidery. I love to embroidery and quilt but have never done anything with wool. Working with my hands is very relaxing. I can easily embroider when I travel too.
I love doing stumpwork. I love watching all the pieces come together from their parts. I also love that so much of stumpwork uses thread painting. It’s just fun.
I like stem stitch as it is easy to do and looks good. Recently I try out hardhanger which is easy to learn and the cutting of threads is real theraptic
My favorite needlework is wool applique- I really enjoy it and am learning new stitches to try out and make my project more interesting- thank you for your tutorials as I have learned a lot from watching them-
I love adding details with hand embroidery to my hand appliquéd pieces. I like to have projects to do when we travel.
Jacobean Crewel has been my favorite type of needlepoint since my first foray back in 1978 with the Tree of Life. I love the whimsical aspects of the flowers and the usual animals are always touching. This kit is so bright and cheery.
My favorite needlework is decorating useful items as gifts with initials in different forms of letters.
My favorite needlework is hand embroidery o a nice linen, specially if the design is pre-printed.
I love learning from you by the way. Your pictures and instructions are superb.
Happy holidays and thank you.
Andrea
I think I am currently in love with collage/free form embroidery. I have standardized my blocks, 6 inches, and color, blue. And from there I go where whims take me. Sashiko, florals, scenes from travels, bits of embellishments I love, beads and baubles and a chunk of the Berlin Wall. Then I collage and embroider till I love it. The hardest part is knowing where to stop. But the good news is, there is another one ready to be imagined and embroidered. It started out as stash busting and has become so much fun. I like no rules embroidery.
I would have a hard time picking a favorite because I enjoy so many different kinds. One I enjoy a lot is huck weaving. It is so easy to do once you establish the pattern, which makes it relaxing.
My favourite needlework technique is Hardanger. I love how quickly it comes together and the lacey looks that can be achieve through the design.
This kit looks wonderful! Merry Christmas!
I had embroidered several years ago when I was making pretty clothes for my girls. Now, I am getting back into embroidery again…..so much more involved and a lot of enjoyment from stitching. Very glad I found “needlenthread”. Thank you for all you do for all of us! ❤️
Love the colors and the beautiful flowers in the design. I’m working on a lama reusable bag.
I love needle painting, I’m just a beginner but I love blending the the thread colors.
My favourite stitch is cross stitch
My favorite technique is regular old surface embroidery because of the wide variety of stitches, threads, and applications. Also, it was the first technique I learned As a child, so I feel those memories as I stitch.
My favorite style is whitework.
Thank you for this give-away!
I love reading your blog, especially when you test and review products. I feel safer making a purchase after I’ve read your review. My favorite needlework technique is embroidery, and I am exploring new stitches that will provide more texture to my designs.
My favorite is embroidery. My mom was so gifted with her handwork and I took it up after I lost her. I know that she has been with me as I have learned. It calms me after my crazy days! Second is counted crossstich – love making gifts for my family and friends. But can’t leave out wool applique!
…..and recently discovered slow stitch!!
Guess I can say that I haven’t met any stitchery that I don’t enjoy!
Hi!
i’m a beginner with hand embroidery and still learning a lot . I really love satin stitch…it is elegant and looked easy but it is not!
Although I love to try all types of stitching, I have become hooked on surfce embroidery. There are so many different stitches to do and I find it very relaxing.
I love whitework, but particularly love pulled thread, which for some odd reason produces a soothing, meditative state as I stitch.
Right now, my favorite needlework technique is anything I am using in crazy quilting. So a little bit of cross stitch, surface embroidery, beading, ribbon embroidery, trapunto, stumpwork, and applique. I hope to someday add a little bit of gold work to the mix.
My favorite type of embroidery is anything Christmas. I like the intricate designs the best. I like doing the lazy daisy, any type of satin stitch and even outline stitching.
I really like cross-stitch for balancing my sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The simple rhythm of cross stitch is calming and good for toning down back pain, which I suffer from. I have been cross-stitching for many years. I also like general embroidery, as it requires real art and skill to fully express myself; I have learned most about that craft through your stitch snippets in recent years. I just finished the cotton quartet, which I love. But lately, the most intriguing thing I have been learning about is Goldwork. I have followed a lot of your Goldwork posts. I also found a (signed) copy of Alison Cole’s Goldwork book in a local shop while on vacation, and I snagged it and now I really want to practice some Goldwork! So, that’s a future favorite, maybe?
My favorite needlework style is needlepoint and using decorative stitches that are also used in embroidery. This allows me to be creative and make each piece unique!
My favorite needlework style is needlepoint and using decorative stitches that are also used in embroidery, making it unique
I was a huge cross stitcher in the 80’s and 90’s, then went to crochet, knitting and more sewing once I had kids. Now that I’m older, I like any slow stitching! Enjoying your mitten kit a LOT this weekend! Thanks for such great instructions!
I lovely crewel embroidery worked in rich colours. It reminds me of when my mother taught me chain stitch and she and I would hand embroider my sister’s Irish Dancing dresses with beautiful Celtic designs. We would work them entirely in chain stitch which is probably why it is still my favourite embroidery stitch to this day.
I’m 2/3 through a major cross stitch project and thinking about getting back to embroidery. Your projects are inspiring.
My favorite hand stitching is embellishing stitches on wool. I love embroidery and slow stitch too but when you add the thicker threads for embellishing you get a deeper dimensional type finish.
My favorite needlework style?? It would be bead embroidery, love the bling and the dimensionality of it. If that is not a valid style then it would have to be freeform embroidery. I like to do art quilts and it is so versatile. Looking forward to exploring wool embroidery.
Right now my favorite type of needwork is counted cross stitch on high-count evenweave, but that’s because that is my to-go project right now. When I have a surface embroidery project for my on-the-go hand work, then surface embroidery is my favorite type. I like to switch up my projects.
Cross stitch is my favorite technique. I love working with many colors at the same time on fairly tiny count fabric and watching the colors gradually form an art work. And cross stitch is relaxing for me. I do several others, too, but this one is my first choice.
Hello! My favorite needlework style is embroidery. I am a beginner, and I enjoy embroidery because it is very relaxing and calming! It’s my new favorite hobby 🙂
I love free form embroidery and lately really enjoying some dimensional stitches.
My favourite needlework style is thread painting. I love the blended effect that you can achieve.
My daughter and I LOVED stitching the Mini Blooms kits together. Love the free-style of embroidery. I also like cross stitch samplers, though!
My favorite needle work is applique. Could be Amy form of hand applique, applique cotton fabric designs on quilts or wool applique with embroidery embellishments.
I love to do hand embroidery on on type of material and applique. MY FAVORITE SUBJECT IS WILDLIFE
Stumpwork! I love the realistic 3D shapes!
Goldwork! I love the neatly aligned gold and the colours!
Surface embroidery! I love the colours and the endless choice of threads!
Cross stitch! I love the predictability and gentle repetition: perfect when your mind needs a rest but you absolutely need to stare at threads and colours and make something!
Woolwork! I love the softness and the sweet fuzziness of the threads!
Whitework! I love that using only white gives the light a beautiful place to play!
Blackwork! I love the way you shade a shape using different threads, different number of strands with partially or totally worked patterns!
Basically, all types of embroidery that require a needle 🙂
Counted Cross-stitch on linen is my current favorite. I like the look of the finished product and enjoy the variety of possible stitches.
My favorite style of embroidery is just regular surface embroidery, though I do enjoy other types such as stumpwork, blackwork, brazilian, crewel, needlepainting, etc. I love trying techniques I haven’t tried before.
I enjoy all types of embroidery but I’d have to say that I enjoy kits. Lately, I’ve liked having the pattern, colors and instructions figured out for me so I can just relax and embroider. It’s a meditation practice for me just watching my needle flow in and out without having to think too much about what I’m doing. To watch the beautiful pattern come to life in color.
What’s your favorite needlework style or technique and why?
My favorite needlework style is crewel embroidery. I love all the floral designs, and the texture of the wools. I did a cross-stitch sampler when I was 10, my next was a crewel pillow when I was in my 20s. I m now in my 70s. I retired when I was 72 and and have spent the last few years trying to learn how to embroider in different ways. Crewel remains my favorite!
My favorite is counted cross stitch. I enjoy this style because the appearance of the design/picture emerges stitch by little stitch. Makes me smile.
My current favorite style of embroidery is Jacobean patterns and crewel stitching with a bit of Brazilian thrown in for interest
My favorite type of needle work is wool applique. I find it easier than cotton or linen embroidery. I like the rich look of wool. No ravels either.
I love many types but lately have really enjoyed Swedish huck embroidery. I am a weaver and love making something from just strings all the way to the finish line.
Great blog!
Brad
I have done crewel, counted cross stitch, and regular embroidery. I like crewel the best as that is what I did as a child. My mom would give me kits for Christmas and I’d give the completed project back to her on her birthday (March 27)
I love most all types of needlework, but I truly love embroidery when I have a pattern and instructions to follow. It takes the stress of choosing what stitch to use and what colors are needed. I say that, but sometimes I do love seeing a photograph and trying to recreate it with thread! (Which I’ve only done a few times.) But mostly I love a well constructed kit!
Any kind of crewel and wool appliqué. Any anything Mary does I want to do!
Love embroidery and would love to try wool embroidery. Lovely kit!
My current favorite is stumpwork. There’s just so much variety and everyone is always surprised and delighted to see 3D embroidery.
But for years my favorite was crewel. I spent seven or eight years mostly working in wool. I’m really curious to try the new Eco Vita wool at some point.
Wildflowers in Woil is so pretty! I like to work crewel but just about any embroidery makes me happy.
I love the satin stitch because if it is well done the results are so beautiful!
I love stitching miniature knot rugs. They are very relaxing, small, and portable. Plus I love to stitch French Knots. You can create so many textures and designs using French Knots.
Love the Eco Vita wool! Aptly, crewel is my favourite so far–I love the texture of wool and how quickly it works up.
The wildflower kit is beautiful and I would enjoy stitching this project very much. The colors are lovely!
Merry Christmas
I love Red Work. You can put your mind in neural and solve the worlds problems. (Not)
(I hope this is,not a,repeat. I may of hit the wrong button. If it is, sorry. Just ignore
My favorite needlework technique right now is cross stitch. Truthfully it changes with the project.
My favorite needlework technique is wool embroidery. I love hand stitching, so much so that I volunteer to sew the binding on friends quilts!
Wool embroidery allows me to stitch larger projects, since the wool can cover larger areas. The variety of embroidery stitches are fun to use on wool, and the added dimension brings a flat surface to life! I recently started using variegated thread and am in love with the effect it can have. There’s always something new to learn, even if you’ve been stitching for years!
Thank you for the question. Thinking it through helped me realize how much I gain from hand stitching!
I really enjoy hardanger and other Whitework. The look of white on white is so beautiful.
I can’t decide between counted thread and needlepoint.
I love embroidery! I don’t have a favorite technique at the moment, other than whatever technique is new to me. I love learning new stitches & styles.
I am smocking right now, then will do embroidery on a blouse then will try to finish a sweater. I enjoy sewing the most : embroidery, making blouses, smocking baby bonnets. Your displays of stitches are so helpful!
My favorite needlework style is whatever I’m working on at the time. I find needlework so immersive it becomes my meditation. Even a style I’m just learning.
Goldwork is my favorite—looks more complicated than it is and the bling from the metal threads helps hide any imperfections in stitching.
Thanks for all you do, Mary—love your website and always look forward to your posts.
Best wishes for 2025
Love all the patterns, but the best part is the ‘how too videos’ for stitches. They have help imm
Love all the patterns, but the best part is the ‘how too videos’ for stitches. They have help immensely. I love the patterns that are layered, multiple colors, lots of different stitches to master.
my favorite embroider is reticello because it it looks so complicated and beautiful. I like that the technique is taking on some fun “modern” new twists.
My favourite depends on my mood – do I need something that doesn’t need much concentration and just the rhythm of the stitches (surface embroidery)? Or, something that requires my attention and thinking (canvaswork)? Or, am I in the mood to learn something new (Mountmellick is on my list)? But, I love, love, love goldwork – the sparkle and shine keeps my attention and always makes me happy.
Whitework is my favorite because it’s so clean and challenging. It is new to me so I’m learning a lot
My favorite style of needlework is surface embroidery because it seems like the possibilities of what you can create are endless.
My favorite needlework is surface embroidery. Stump work to Brazilian…love it all.
My favorite needlework style has to be cross stitch. I learned how to do it while living in Copenhagen, Denmark in the early 1960s.
I enjoy all types of embroidery. I always follow your tutorials when I’m looking for new stitches. I totally enjoy hardanger, Brazilian embroidery & drawn thread work
I love embroidery. My favorite is the free style hand embroidery, and I love the chain stitch, the back stich, satin stitch, stem stitch. I learned to embroider when I was a young girl, and it always gave me a feeling of creating something special. I love folk embroidery. I am from Hungary, and we have many different types of folk embroidery. One lifetime isn’t enough to learn all the different motifs and styles of embroidery of my country and then it is all the different folk embroidery of the world that I am interested to explore. Thank you for all the beautiful patterns, newsletter and information you created.
I love appliqué, and embellishing with embroidery. That’s actually all I do.
My favourite technique is free form embroidery because it opens up my creativity and needs little prep time. Somehow I still manage to overthink it!
I guess my favorite needlework is Cross Stitch. It’s where I started and am proficient, therefore, most comfortable. I am trying to branch out & learn other techniques. As with everything there is that darned learning curve!
My favorite needlework technique is counted cross stitch. I love it because it is easy, relaxing, and very versatile.
My favourite is wool embroidery as it is quite quick and very forgiving
My favorite needlework style is embroidery using different embroidery stitches. Or learning new stitches from your site. I have done crewel embroidery, Cross stitching, ribbon embroidery. I love any kind of stitching.
I just love doing white in white (amateur Mountmellick!). Thank you for your wonderful site.
My favorite type of embroidery right now is needle painting. I thoroughly enjoy making the colors flow into each other to make the end result captivating. Not that I am able to do it so well, but I certainly aspire to it! I’ve seen portraits of people done with needle painting that just blew my socks off, and if I could be half as good as those fiber artists I would count myself blessed. Merry Christmas everyone!
Kinda depends on the year for a favorite type of needlework, love most all kinds but tend to do more of one than another each year. Overall favorite is counted work, counted canvas work, hardanger.
Thanks for all your coverage of all varieties.
Cross Stitch is my favorite as I can do it while watching TV, very portable, and relaxing.
My favorite embroidery stitch is a stem stitch. I was making totes for my daughter’s bridesmaids and had used a satin stitch to embroider their initials, but the font I chose had linear swoops. I’m not an experienced embroiderer, and was initially trying to complete the initials using a backstitch, which looked terrible. I asked for help in a cross stitching group I was in, and got several recommendations to use a stem stitch instead, along with links to your tutorial for stem stitch. The stem stitch worked like a charm and now I use it anytime I need to have smooth writing lines for things like quilting labels or when I don’t want to couch curves. It’s just so versatile!
Has to be Florentine – there’s nothing more relaxing, and the result is disproportionately spectacular to the amount of actual effort. And I love stitching with wool.
My favourite needlework style is crewelwork. I love the beautiful colours and the textures; they are so tactile and 3-dimensional. Working on a piece myself is so satisfying and relaxing but the more I do and the more I learn, the more I am in awe of the women who produced far superior work in days gone by, often in such poor light conditions. Truly incredible!
I love stump work, goldwork and thread painting. My favourite is definitely stump work. I love the effect
I love all kinds of needlework styles and enjoy exploring new techniques and ideas. There’s so much out there that one lifetime isn’t enough to do it all.
I need more time!
I really enjoy surface embroidery, and love learning new stitches, which is how I found your blog. Thank you for all you do!
I absolutely love goldwork! I enjoy all aspects of it (even the padding lol) I think being able to use metal within the framework of embroidery is wonderful
Warmest Wishes
Michelle
I am still a beginner, so I do not have a favorite style yet. I love to learn lots of new and interesting techniques. I do really enjoy the bullion stitch.
My favourite needlework technique is pulled and drawn thread. I love the range of effects and patterns that can be created even if you choose to use only one colour of thread. And it always feels a little risky when you start cutting threads but so satisfying.
I think I like all of them but I have been doing a lot of Redwork lately.
My first love is still my only silly, cross stitch. One day o hope to try freeform embroidery.
Skill, not silly lol.
I love any needle work! I’m a quilter and enjoy adding handwork as an added layer of interest to my projects. I also love any handwork relating to flowers and nature. I’ve been attempting Brazilian embroidery, it’s beautiful! But I seem to always fall back to simple embroidery on flour sack towels- the most used thing I make
I enjoy doing counted cross stitch, though haven’t done much of that lately. Recently, I have been hand piecing hexagon stars for a quilt.
I have just taken up slow stitching and textile art, wanting to get back into embroidery that I did when I was younger. And I am enjoying pulling a needle through fabric without having to count or worry about how my stitches look. I have been doing cross stitch and blackwork for along time and finding this re learning of stitches enjoyable.
My favorite needlework style is Cross-Stitch. I love watching the design appear upon the blank linen, bit by bit.
I learned embroidery from my Grandmother but haven’t stitched in many years. I’m a retired labor and delivery nurse and have thought I need to get back at it! So, I appreciate all types of needle work, but have only embroidered pillowcases!❤️
Right now my favorite needlework style is whatever I am finding the time to work on. So currently I’m working on smocking two dresses for my little granddaughters for Christmas. I am 49 days away from retirement and hope to dig into some needle work once I settle in. I would love to try my hand at this wool embroidery kit. Thanks for the opportunity. And merry Christmas!
My favorite needle work I enjoy is hand embrodery.
I just love embroidery. Mostly with cotton perle but use floss and silk perle too. Although I haven’t tried wool, that’s mostly because I have already invested enough in my threads.
My favourite embroideries are gold work and crewel work.
Over the years I’ve tried many types of needlework, crewel, canvas work, embroidery, needlepoint to name a few. I’ve always had a special love of embroidery that involves variety of threads and stitches to evoke the natural look of floral work.
I LOVE embroidery. I love counted cross stitch results but it’s kind of boring doing the same thing over and over. With embroidery you can let your imagination FLY with different stitches and the results are BEAUTIFUL.
Embroidery and cross stitch are my most favored needlework. Embroidery because it is so fun to see the plain line design come alive with the addition of the embroidery stitches and thread. Cross stitch is so fun when the design appears on the blank fabric. Like painting a picture without all the brushes, paint, and all the other things needed for painting. Also both are very portable so can be taken along to work on in any down time.
What a beautiful kit! I love embroidery because of all the different stitches, textures, and flexibility with colors and threads. I even love reading about it, too.
Thank you for the opportunity to win this kit!!
Stumpwork! It just sings to me; being able to sculpt and paint with thread and make nature come to life is like magic.
I don’t know a lot of needlework styles. I’ve done some hand embroidery and some cross stitch and loved doing both. I just found you through Kelly cline’s post and fell in love with the Christmas mitten and ordered the kit yesterday and a 4” kit. Can’t wait to get them!
My favorite type of embroidery is surface embroidery in its many forms. I personally embroider on crazy quilts, felt ornaments and have started kits.
I guess I am partial to “primitive” work. I enjoy embroidery on wool and linen, I enjoy bead work and add them when appropriate. Thanks
My favourite style of embroidery is stumpwork. I love how it brings a piece of textile art to life. While it takes patience to master, it produces the most wonderful, lifelike flowers, animals and much, much more. I have been stitching for many years and still like a challenge so stumpwork it is!
Crewel and wool awesome, giving depth in the composition.
I love Hardanger as it challenges me to learn new needle weaving creating a lace look. It’s a vintage look I’ve always loved.
I love surface embroidery and learning more techniques from Needle’nThread is a huge help.
My favorite stitching style currently is embroidery! I have gone through stages of loving cross stitch and crewel, but right now I am enjoying the process of using a variety of stitches that you do not get in cross stitch!
J’aime bien la peinture à l’aiguille pour sa precision . J’aime qu’il y ai beaucoup de couleur.
Merci pour tout ces beaux cadeaux. Je vous suks depuis plusieurs années et j’adore votre site. J’ai souvent participé au “give away” de Noel mais ne n’ai jamais gagné.
Merci de la refaire année apres année
My favorite needle work technique is stumpwork…..love the 3D effect……always amazed when I finish a project……..
It is hard to pick a favorite. I like to do ALL needlework. I suppose I am most drawn to crewel needlework. But I also love embroidery, EPP, applique and cross stitch. 🙂
My favorite is hand embroidery. Probably because my mom taught me my first stitches when I was about six years old.
You know, Mary, it just isn’t fair to ask for a FAVORITE! It’s all good! It’s all satisfying! It is all fun! I’m gonna say, just plain ole embroidery!!! (but goldwork embroidery is particularly amazing!!)
My favorite needlework is thread painting. I’ve done a couple of Trish Burr kits and the results were amazing. I’m sure that they will always be in the family.
I love to do all kinds of needlework. Lately I’ve been doing alot of wool applique. Sue c
I found Needle ‘n Thread through my embroidery class. This is a wonderful site to browse and shop. Mary Corbet carrries the mosst wonderful metalic thread and oh my goodness scissors with etching on the blade. I haven’t been able to attain a pair yet because
they sell out as fast as they come in.
Thank you Mary for all your gorgeous kits to embroidery and many other items!
Embroidery on wool is my favorite, but also using those stitches on quilts to embellish.
My favorite needlework type is cross stitch.
I also do some canvas work as well as surface embroidery.
But I have to say that counted cross stitch is my go to style when I just want to relax and enjoy the process. No stress.
I love adding special embroidery to my pieced blocks, but I actually love every part of the quilting process.
I have enjoyed Chicken Scratch, Embroidery on Linen, Swedish weaving and learning new stitches!
I love all types of needlework but “lenços dos namorados” have a special places in my heart, for it’s history and simplicity.
My favorite needle work is applying felted wool to wall hangings with various stitches and then adding embroidery flowers or insects etc.
I am a newbie to embroidery. (less than a year) So I have no idea what the different styles and techniques are. I do really love kits with instructions though as I get started and try to learn different stitches.
Embroidery is my favorite needlework presently. I was doing cross stitch for years but I’m currently fighting stage IV Breast cancer and my eyesight has changed. I love using your YouTube instructions. Thank you.
Your column brightens my day! It is like a friend who visits and tells me what they are doing and how your projects are going! It gives me an opportunity to learn new techniques and about tools to make embroidery more fun! Thank you!
I love your needlework, and would love to win your giveaway . I normally stitch freestyle, fabric collage. Usually with no set plan. I tend to stitch birds instead of flowers, so winning your kit would be a change for me.
Merry Christmas, Barbara
I love to do several types of needlework including sashiko and embroidery but my favorite is counted cross stitch. I like to stitch mostly reproduction samplers. I find it relaxing and rewarding to see the pattern appear as I’m stitching.
My favorite needlework is counted cross stitch. I find cross stitch very relaxing and my day is not complete without having counted at least a couple of stitches.
I really like wool embroidery. The wool feel soft to your hands. I also have a crazy quilt in process. Actually, I like it all.
I like a variety of embroidery BUT MY FAVORITE is “open embroidery” because it I can just go with the flow and don’t have to concentrate on it so much. Thanks!
My favourite needlework technique is needlepainting. The soft shading creates depth and interest to any subject.
Thanks!
This blog is my go to for all embroidery questions. I also order kits from here.
I love embroidery with cloche and regular thread.
Favorite? That’s a hard one. I’m working on cross stitch, blackwork, and embroidery projects right now.
My favourite is most types of not-counted embroidery. Though I can do math, I can’t count threads and stitches!
My favorite technique is thread painting. I find it very relaxing
My favorite needlework by far is embroidery. I love doing a variety of different stitches on one project using a variety of threads. A close second is wool applique.
Needlework has been my passion since I started with hand embroidery at the age of nine. That has been over seven decades ago. I love reading about all forms of needlecraft and trying new techniques to do old art forms. A project bag is generally located by chair in every room. A project even travels with me for all those waiting times. (Some times there is even more than one project there.) Your indepth information and pictures are always complete and appeal to new and to more experienced needle artists. Thanks for providing information that is appealing to all levels of needle workers.
I am not sure why, but I enjoy the simple satin stitch! There is something very satisfying about filling in a space with the satin stich, especially when the stitches lay perfectly flat and even! Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make life special!
I enjoy the traditional embroidery style. Simplicity works for me and reminds me of those days in my youth where I sat next to my Grandma and watched as she worked her magic with a needle and thread as we watched the old black and white movies from the 40s and 50s. I guess it goes back to nostalgia and memories that makes me happy.
My favorite technique is using composite stitches, especially those that are tied, whipped or laced. Tied lattice filling is my current favorite. I’m still a beginner when it comes to needleweaving, but I hope to explore that more in the coming year.
I enjoy just basic surface embroidery–the opportunity to use and experiment with any number of stitches, whether it be in an organized way like a sampler, or something much more free form. It’s very relaxing to pick up a needle and thread, and go.
I generally do fairly basic embroidery. French knots are about as fancy as I get! In 2025, I hope to learn some of the more difficult stitches. I’d also like to do some slow stitching projects…just need inspiration to strike! Thank you for all of the great tutorials…I have learned so much from you!
I like embroidery. Any stitching is my hobby!
I mostly do cross stitch because it’s straightforward. I’m trying to learn more embroidery stitches though.
My favorite needlework is surface embroidery. I’ve done a lot with brazilian threads, but would like to try working with wool threads. Thank you for all your contribution to the world of hand work.
I joined EGA to learn more about surface embroidery. I loved your Autumn Leaves for this technique. Although I’m not done with all 3, I love the journey! Thank you!
I love all types and techniques. I get bored easily apparently so I switch from one to another often. I figure it’s giving me the best of all worlds!
While I admire the more detailed techniques, I still prefer just plain surface work with a limited amount of satin stitches. My hands don’t hold the needle as well but the plain stitches allow me to still make some beautiful stitches.
Mary – thank you for such a wonderful newsletter that you put out. You work so hard and I hope you will continue to find success. Merry Christmas
My favorite embroidery technique has to be Hardanger. Love the “lacey” look!
After many, many years of not doing cross stitch or embroidery I’ve begun stitching again and wonder why I stopped. I’ve never stitched wool embroidery. The kit is lovely.
Hmm I do not have a favorite, but I have collected samplers and other embroideries because I respect the makers. In 2025, I am going to explore adding hand embroidery to my art quilts, so I am open to learning about materials etc.
A very hard question to answer as I jump from one project to another. I get bored quickly. I do enjoy the huge about of stitches used in surface embroidery. There is such as variety that I love them all.
I love surface embroidery because I don’t have to count and lose my place. You can also be more creative with the stitching.
I’m interested in many styles/types!! But I think my favorite right now is needle painting. I paint so it appeals to me because of that but also the technique itself – so many beautiful pieces.
My favorite style is embroidery. There are so many different stitches and you can follow a pattern or just do your own thing with slow stitching. And best of all, no counting!!
I love to do embroidery and also crocheting. I enjoy reading needlenthread, and trying new threads.
How nice of you to offer such a prize!
My favorite embroidery technique is Hardanger. It offers so much possibilities and is a strong embroidery that can stand the test of time and use.
My favourite embroidery technique is crewel embroidery. I like the use of a large variety of stitches.
Right now my favorite needlework is counted cross stitch with beads. I haven’t embroidered in years and am going to try a few projects as my 2025 resolution!
Thread painting is my favorite style of embroidery although I’m not really there yet…..
I cannot say there is a particular embroidery I prefer over another. They are so diverse and each can lend itself in it’s own beauty.
Most of my embroidery work over the years has been in the form of smocking. Using what you have
earned on flat fabric is yet another challenge on pleated fabric.
Hi mam I already purchased in directly shop as well on online I like the perfection of the design and quality
I flip flop. Lately, I’m enjoying “primitive” embroidery – less stress, as imperfections are simply design features 🙂
I can´t decide!!! Every time I learned a new technique I decide it´s a favoutite, but at the momment I Learn a new one, my number one change
While I like several, my favorite is needlepainting. The challenge of blending colors with short and long stitches is what I like.
My favorite needle-art at the moment to do is Thread Painting. For over 40 years it was Brazilian Embroidery. Stitching is very relaxing for me; I ook forward to my stitching time every day. Today I am going to finish getting the last of every color of DMC floss. I have ‘kits’ pot together for 4 patterns to stitch. I would really like to win this wool thread kit, it would be fun to stitch and be something different for me.
My favorite needlework is embroidery. I embroidered pillowcases and clothing for my daughters and nieces. Now they are adults and still request a project from me. It is wonderful to be able to stitch for my grandchildren as well.
I would love to do crewel embroidery for myself this winter. Thank you for the opportunity to receive your gift.
My favorite needlework style is cross stitch. I like to do simple embroidery too.
I seem to enjoy wool embroidery/wool applique and most often just use the blanket stitch! Thanks for the opportunity to win in your giveaway!
I thoroughly enjoy embroidery stitch samplers done in lines, as you’ve provided great joy through Snippets projects like Christmas Mittens and Cotton Quartet.
I’m falling in love with Jacobean crewel embroidery. Definitely my favorite style. There is so much variety of lattice and couching types. I started out with your Lattice Jumble Sampler, and had such a good time working that. So far I’ve worked just with embroidery floss, but I want to start working with traditional wool.
My favorite needlework style is cutwork. I adore its lacy effect, and I enjoy the challenge of incorporating a variety techniques (needle weaving, satin stitch, eyelets, etc.) into a piece. Cutwork has a fascinating history, and there’s so many regional variations to choose from. I find it to be incredibly fun, and it gives me an excuse to collect embroidery scissors!
I enjoy crewel embroidery ( and all other types). The colors stand out, and the texture is emphasized. I find it a little more accommodating for my older, arthritis fingers!
The blog post is well organized, crystal clear, and very thorough – in short, exactly what you know you’ll always get with Mary’s posts.
My favorite style of embroidery is surface work because I have been doing it most of my life and feel comfortable with quite a few stitches.
I guess it is called free style or surface embroidery. I don’t like to count stitches.
My favorite type of embroidery is counted work of all kinds, particularly hardanger and drawn thead work. If I was to win this kit, it would be a marvelous opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and have another go at surface work.
My favorite style is Jacobean, (not tried it but would love to learn). I love the look of it, the waves and flow of the images and how they interrelate, and the way the colors are used.
My favorite technique is stump work. I love how it brings a piece to live by giving it an added dimension!
I enjoy a variety of techniques. I am currently experimenting with using different fibers in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Overall, my favorite longterm technique has been learning cutwork and Hardänger. I like small projects with beautiful materials especially linen and wool
I love satin stitch because of the way it looks. I also love needle painting
I really like surface embroidery. There are so many stitches to experiment with and different ways to put them together. I’m currently working on Purple Posy, and the result of very simple stitches whipped or laced is remarkable. I used to do cross stitch but grew tired of reading charts and counting threads, so tried surface embroidery. There’s no turning back for me!
My stitching love is embroidery, but I’ve never stepped out to using wool threads. It would be great to experience a new product. Embroidery is such a great craft to take-along on trips in the car and for down time in my easy chair at home!
I enjoy all your emails Mary and had hoped to get to your Open House. Living about 5 hours away and with prior family obligations, it wasn’t meant to be this year. Hopefully another time.
I love hand embroidery and all the wonderful colors to chose from. I work mostly in backstitch but love to add satin stitch and french knots or what I think it needs.
My favorite technique is Jacobean Crewel embroidery, followed by Canvaswork.
Free style surface embroidery is my favourite to do because of the wide variety, almost limitless it seems, of types of stitches to learn. And it lends itself to such a variety of designs, whether abstract or graphic representations, or just embellishing sketches. Completing the stitches well is so satisfying, like scratching an itch. I have a couple books on crewel work, and want to start learning that as well. But after reading the Tracy Chevalier book “A Single Thread” I am also very keen to try some canvaswork!
My favorite type of stitching is counted cross stitch, because that’s what I’ve done the most. I’m actually a quilter primarily…would love to see how your quilt is coming along!
Hello Mary,
My favourite embroidery technique is Goldwork. I enjoy the whole process of goldwork (except plunging). The finished embroidery always looks spectacular.
Regards,
Rosemary
I’d have to say cross-stitch, quite possibly because it’s the first one I learned. 🙂
I like surface embroidery and enjoy the colors and trying new stitches.
Crewel work has always seemed beyond my skill level.
Thanks for give away opportunities
Love your work. I love anything floral, especially Australian natives, using all different types of embroidery stitches and thread.
My favorite is counted cross stitch. I find it very relaxing. What I really enjoy the interplay of the colors.
Hardanger is my favourite style although I enjoy most styles . It is the one I return to when I’m between projects. Recent publications have provided me with more stitches to explore. Nutmeg stitch from Yvette Stanton’s latest book is my current project.
Thanks for once again bringing Christmas fun to embroidery Mary.
Crewel is my favorite type of needlework style because because I love the feel of stitching with wool and the way wool works up quickly, easily blends in long and short stitch and is wonderful for creating texture with a wide variety of stitches.
My favorite needlework to do is kantha or freeform simple slow stitch embroidery, on quilts or Alabama Chanin style clothing. It’s beautiful, functional and relaxing to create. And I enjoy beaded embroidery, and want to learn cross stitch better. I also love learning about, and deeply admire, the stunning ecclesiastical embroideries, which are far beyond my skill level!
Dimensional embroidery has been my latest favorite. I like to do stitch samplers with it so, I don’t need a pattern and can use what I have on hand. Cross stitch and counted needlepoint come in second place. Usually I have what I need on hand. I’m interested getting back into crewel embroidery and have bought a couple of kits; I love wool!
I love doing crewel embroidery! I love it as I can experiment with a wide variety of different stitches. The use of fine or thicker wools give you different textures of stitches and designs ! I also love doing hardanger and cross stitch .
Hello, I don’t have a favorite as I have not been doing embroidery for very long.
I have mostly been doing cross stitch.
Thank you for the opportunity.
I have been embroidering since I was seven. I can do all handwork except counted cross stitch which does not keep my interest. My favorite is just creating my own picture and choosing or creating my own stitches usually just modifications of existing stitches. I can make the sketch using sewing thread and for the basic outline and then take off creating as I go. They are large and take forever to finish. When I am done i give then as gifts because I no longer interested. The doing is the pleasure.
Hello. I love all embroidery but the question is what is my FAVORITE? The embroidery that I love is the only kind I really do. I use white denim fabric, no synthetic. I wash and iron it before starting.
The only thread I use is cotton a broder #5. I love the way the colors look in this thread, very vivid and somewhat pearlized! They are very easy to work with also, as they are several threads somehow binded together into ONE thread. The colors that I love to use are: white, tan, taupe, gold, metallic gold, and all shades of yellow. Now and then some versions of green – perhaps sage or what is almost a pale chartreuse. I guess I should branch out — and I will, and I have, having used silk thread, using only three threads, but I always go back to my real preferance.
Thank you for all your inspiration. It’s always been important to me.
Lyn Procopio
I love to cross stitch! It relaxes me and yet challenges me at the same time!!!
Ever since I bought Trish Burr’s book, I’ve fallen in love with thread painting. Every time I see a painted bird or flower I think of the colours of threads I need to use to make it come alive. Although it takes a while to complete a project, the satisfaction it gives me is beyond words.
Crewel… I love all the different stitches that come together to make the design.
I would like to be entered to win this kit. My favorite type of embroidery is stumpwork because I learned it while in Denmark in a very serendipitous way. I got to sit in a lovely little shop in Copenhagen and learn the various stitches from a very sweet woman that owned the shop. It’s an experience I’ll never forget
I love hardanger because of the preciseness and geometric nature of it. I love needlepoint for the heirlooms I can gift.
Crewel is my favorite needlework because it grows with me. No matter my skill level mastering any technique, I can always produce something beautiful yet still have room to grow. And I love the way crewelwork lets me time travel and link with centuries of needlewomen–just thread my needle and off I go into the past, present, and future! Thanks, Mary, for providing the magic carpet.
I’ve been cross-stitching for many years and have just discovered thread painting and am enjoying the embroidery you are demonstrating on your site. The precision for the stitches is challenging and so lovely when completed. I like the long and short stitch shading for creating detail in many projects.
I especially like doing repetitive, simple stitches, which helps free my mind from worries and just lets me enjoy the colors and emerging design.
Surface embroidery is my go-to right now! I am fairly new to embroidery, but am enjoying learning different stitches.
My favourite style is Elizabethan, I love that all the symbolism, all plants and animals have meaning and the history adds a new level. This style was lost for a long time as there is little evidence on the reverse of the fabric how it was done. So I love that a New Zealander Dorothy Clarke helped recreate and revive these techniques.
I started with crewel embroidery when I was sixteen years old, as the result of a “birch trees” kit given to me, so I have always leaned towards embroidery…….until I began experimenting with blackwork and now stump work. So the short answer would be blackwork.
Thank you for your insightful posts and beautiful designs. Merry Christmas!
I love embroidery. When I was young, my Grandma taught me a few stitches to embroider on a pillowcase and I have loved it ever since. Whenever I embroider, I find myself relaxing and thinking about the beautiful gift she gave me.
My favorite technique/style? Where I can combine at least two (and hopefully more) techniques in one piece, such appliqué and surface embroidery and quilting all in one piece, small or large – and where i have to learn at least one new thing I have not done before.
My favorite needlework method is hand piecing. It is relaxing and allows me to be expressive.
I love all types of embroidery, but my favourite is stumpwork. I like 3D projects.
As a newcomer to the art of thread painting I’m finding it mirroring my love of watercolor painting perfectly. My new favorite technique!
Hello everyone! I recently started dabbling in embroidery, and this blog is already one of my favorite places on the internet. Thank you Mary!
I haven’t done much yet (a few kits) but surface embroidery is my favorite, especially long-and-short shading. It’s simple and beautiful, and the way the colors blend together is mag
Elaina J in Ohio
Oops, meant to say ‘magical’.
I’m quite new to needlework, but 2 techniques stick out to me: Sashiko, and another form I’ve seen that ends up giving parts a 3d visual. I eventually want to learn everything there is to know about needlework. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win this giveaway! This would be so helpful in my learning journey, and it’s a beautiful kit! Happy holidays!
Thank you for all that you do to teach us and for running these competitions.
I like to do tapestry best. I enjoy the feel and versatility of wools of different thicknesses and colours.
I love silk ribbon embroidery…the feel of the fiber, the fullness of the ribbon, the style of stitching! Thanks for teaching us so much Mary.
My favorite needlework is counted cross stitch. I find it meditative. Recently I started doing crewed embroidery again and have been enjoy it quite a bit. Happy holidays to all!
Cross stitch is my favorite needlework style. The stitch repetition is soothing to me. The designs can be intricate or simple. Thanks for the giveaways. Merry Christmas!
My favorite style has been Trish Burr’s black & white with color, which is a lot of Satin stitch.
I would like to try something different & would love to try working with wool
Judy
My favorite needlework style to stitch is counted thread work with a variety of stitches and fibers, which is why I’m loving your mitten project. It’s delightful! Thank you!
I love embroidery and learning new stitches. Going to try my hand at blackwork as I love how the end product looks.
I can’t say I have a favorite type of embroidery. I like to try all the different kinds and see where it takes me. Experimentation is the spice of life. Luckily, everything I have tried has worked out for me. I am currently embroidering a wool army shirt with short and long stitches. The kit you are giving away is very pretty and would be fun to sew.
I like working with the wool. I enjoy learning the different techniques that can be applied to a piece.
Crewel is my favorite!
It’s nearly impossible to choose, but at this point I would say goldwork is my favorite. I love things that sparkle!
I began with no clear type to learn. Needle, thread, fabric and a thought in my head. Now some 50 years later I enjoy combining styles and techniques to create the image I want. Now I am focusing on details to achieve that seamless art piece of long ago. Using various techniques like Stumptown, goldwork, padded stitching and beadwork.
Surface embroidery with wool – like adding beads and baubles for embellishment. Really enjoy reading your posts thank you
I honestly cannot pick a favorite needlework style or technique. Mood, time available, and deadlines influence”favorite” at any particular time, and I usually have several (many actually) different projects going at the same time. Like the variety !!
Cross stitch. Because it is the most relaxing. I love stitching anything new but fall back to cross stitch.
I and 2 friends are exploring and learning several embroidery and needlework techniques together. We started with Swedish weaving on Monk’s cloth and progressed to chicken scratch, hardanger, blackwork, kogin, sashiko, and now Kutch work. We plan to try Brazilian embroidery and stumpwork, pulled thread, silk ribbon, whitework including Schwalm, Dorset buttons, Richelieu, Romanian lace, needlepoint, and embroidery with mirrors among other techniques. We are enjoying the challenge of self teaching and are encouraging each other. Most of all, we are loving the hand (slow) stitching and preserving the art of embroidery. I cannot say which of these techniques I like the best because they are all wonderful to behold. We display our work at the county fair and among other stitchery enthusiasts in our area.
I still enjoy counted cross stitch but have always loved the silk ribbon embroidery too. I have a quilt with embroidered sections that create winter scenes and I really enjoy working on that too. I guess there isn’t much in the way of hand stitching that I don’t enjoy!
My favorite needle art is ribbon embroidery. Love the dimention of the work. The challenge of correctly puling the ribbon so you actually have a leaf, bud stem or flower.
Cross-stitch – more relaxing because with only one stitch style there is little to “worry” about
Needlepainting as it blends colours so beautifully
My favorite type of needlework would be embroidery. I just enjoy hand stitching.
I do mostly cross-stitch and some free-form embroidery that covers whatever shape I need it to. I would like to learn something more structured but haven’t tried that yet.
Surface techniques are my favorite. I like to use different stitches in a piece for texture.
I love embroidery. My favorite stitch is a French knot. It sees to add the final touch to my work. Although I also like learning new to me stitches.
What is my favorite style? Useful things. I most enjoy making useful things for friends and family. Little triangle corner book markers with their initials, scissors cases that we made, the tape measures we did, those things are what I enjoy most.
I love doing crewel work, especially a historical pattern in which the original might be found in an old castle. Just to imagine that someone was stitching the same pattern hundreds of years ago, provides a connection with the art of embroidery.
Currently, I am enjoying surface embroidery. It is relatively new for me so I’m going slowly with so many stitches to learn.
Many years ago, say 1970’s-80’s, I did crewel work and loved it. With small children and a FT job I ended up setting it aside. Now would be a perfect time for me to return to this form of needle work.
First, thank you for all your inspiration. My favorite method of stitching is Crazy Quilting. There’s not much space left on the block. I can’t stop..
What a beautiful kit! It is perfect to tempt folks who would like to take up embroidery in wool, as opposed tapestry. Would love to be in the draw please !!! Thank you Mary
I learnt to embroider at my mother’s knee. Through out my life, I have enjoyed the dance of the needle but mostly with freehand embroidery using differing hues of stranded cottons. Just venturing into silks , but would love a chance to try embroidery in wools, the texture looks fascinating!!!
Thank you for the chance Mary and a Merry Christmas to everyone …good luck in the draw!!
I have been a student of surface embroidery for over 50 years and it is still my favorite. It is my constant companion and my greatest creative outlet!
I really enjoy Pulled Thread Projects. Sometimes the intricate designs look very complicated. I love puzzles and I see stitchery as something to solve. Turns out, though, that step/stitch by step/stitch, the design forms and the result is very satisfying.
My favorite needlework technique always comes back to counted cross stitch although I also enjoy free-style embroidery.
I have just fallen in love with embroidery again after many yers of absence. Hve joined an emebroidery guild and love learning so many new stitches. Am working on your Cornflower scissors holder. So far my favourite stitch is the fishbone. I love the way it looks on the leaves.
My favorite needlework style is cross stitch. There is something about the rhythm of making those crosses that is very soothing to me. Using silks and overdyed cottons makes everything I stitch seem like an elegant heirloom from antique reproductions to simple seasonal designs.
I am new to embroidery and loving it. I like to keep my hands busy.
Wool applique is tops on my list. The feel of the needle gliding through the wool and the immediate satisfaction of a (hopefully) well-placed stitch help calm any day.
My favorite embroidery style is counted thread, but I am trying to branch out to other styles and techniques. I also love beading – peyote stitch in particular.
My favorite technique is “visible mending” that uses decorative, sturdy stitches to embellish repair work. Hooray for practical stitching!
I prefer cross stitch because it was my first embroidery love
My favourite needlework technique is needlepoint, followed by embroidery on felt.
My favorite needlework technique is goldwork because I love the sparkles. Thank you for the giveaway Mary.
My favorite needlework technique is surface embroidery. I design small animal ornaments & “tattoo” their bodies with embroidery & beads.
I have done some embroidery projects, but I like to cross-stitch, usually something small but very detailed. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to hang a completed project with not only cross-stitch but the added stitches that further define the house, or tree, or whatever…
I love cross stitch, but that is partly because I am a total beginner and haven’t tried many other styles yet. It sure helps to relieve stress and you end up with something beautiful.
My favourite needlework is cross-stitching. I find it relaxing.
I’d probably say free-style hand embroidery right now, with a little silk ribbon thrown in. I’ve been doing some crazy quilting and slow-stitch books and things, and just love all of it. Thanks for the giveaway and all the great information!
How lovely! The ‘Wildflowers in Wool’ design reminds me of my grandmother’s embroidery, and I would so enjoy stitching it to remind me of her. Thank you, Mary, for your delightful newsletters – always interesting and inspiring.
Oops, it sent before I’d finished – sorry! My favourite style of embroidery is freestyle surface embroidery, and I am hoping to become more skilled in working with metallic threads.
French knots
I do not have a favourite style of embroidery, but I will say that I abhor counting or following a chart . Too much eye strain!
So far my fav stitch is Feather stitch
I am practicing ( i am new☺️!) Using one thread for a while then 2 then 3 up to 6. Getting into the flow of the feather stitch.
Mary, thank you sharing your knowledge. Your “work” is awesome!
Best Regards, Marianne H.
I really enjoy creating my own embroidery designs for the piece I am working on, although I set up your beautiful projects for when I am traveling.
My favorite technique is stump-work-I just love the dimensionality of it. It takes a while to learn, but it is just so fun!
Stump-work is my favorite technique-I just love the dimensionality of it. It takes a while to learn, but it is just so fun!
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I’m just starting to learn crewelwork – I am no good at counting stitches and want something that’s freer than cross-stitch so I’m going back to something similar to what I used to do when I was a child and seeing what happens.
I love working in colour and texture
My favorite technique is needle painting! I fell in love with needle painting when I saw Trish Burr’s work in one of her books. I knew then that that was the type of embroidery I wanted to do. That was over 10 years ago. My house is filled with my needle painting pieces now!
I like hand ebroidery and my favorite stitch is the French Knot. I like making teeny tiny ones with two strands and once aroud the needle or great big whopping ones with six strands of floss. They are so useful for filling in or making a statement.
I love your blog and emails and all the helpful info you give away for free.
I am very smitten with the Wildflower embroidery kit, and have looked several times at it in your store, thinking how sweet it would be hanging in my studio. I am returning back to doing some embroidery, but now my eyesight is more challenging and I have decided I believe the best threads to use would be the DMC wool threads, which this kit happens to use. I think the thicker woolen thread would be easier to manage, and I am a huge fan of wool anyway. I also like the look of wool on linen, it just seems to be a good match. Fingers crossed. Merry Christmas Mary. And I do hope your eyesight issues are improving. Congrats on your renovated store front as well. I would love to travel to see it. Cheers!
I love hand embroidery! And I’m pushing my bounderies by learning more stitches. My most recent project was a Christmas tree skirt in cream satin with cream and gold threads. I have yet to quilt it but that will come!
I enjoy many forms of needlework, but I especially enjoy counted cross stitch. What I enjoy about it is that I find that counting the stitches is meditative and relaxing, and that helps quiet my mind after a busy day.
I don’t have a favorite stitch. Straight stitch lol. I am a quilter but came to the website by recommendation from a YouTube forum. Would love to be entered! Thanks!
My favorite needlework is counted cross stitch because I find it very relaxing. But I’m hoping to broaden my experience with embroidery because the finished projects are lovely.
I’m loving gold work right now – working in tones and textures is great fun!
My favorite needlework technique is wool applique.The embroidery on the wool is gorgeous when finished.I really enjoy your blog . I’m working on the. Christmas tree book.
My favorite technique depends on what I want to accomplish. If I want to relax and stress free stitch, cross stitch is still my favorite. But for some challenge or something a little different, I do some hardanger or whitework. Of course I always like to try something new also. So much to stitch, so little time.
My favourite needlework technique is French knots – they can add such a wonderful highlight of texture and colour and in groups look so amazing
My favorite is embroidery on linen with a good quality thread like floche or silk and a technique I really love is il punto Assisi. I also really like crewel work.
I love surface embroidery. My journey began when I was 12 and taught myself crewel embroidery. Feeling the softness of wool flowing through my fingers is a pleasure. Combining stitch techniques and building textures on linen is such a visual reward.
Embroidery, I can see to do it better than counted cross stitch and I feel like I can finish the stitched piece in a wider variety of ways.
I enjoy counted work the best because it is so precise and neat. there are so many fancy stitches that create beautiful results!
My favorite needlework style is goldwork.
I seem to gravitate towards Cross Stitch especially on linen or on perforated paper!
Just love it!
What qualifies as needle work?
I did a lot of cross stitch and some crewel and wool embroidery, but mostly focus on quilting and crocheting now.
I really like the look of stump work, but haven’t gathered the courage to attempt one of those works of art.