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Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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  • How-To
    Videos

    Over 75 Embroidery Stitch Videos to Help You Learn

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    A Collection of Instructional Articles

 
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June 3, 2024

Cornflowers – Stitch-Along Materials Kits Available!

 

Amazon Books

And here we are, at long last! Time for the second Stitch Snippet Stitch-Along of 2024!

Featuring a vibrant field of cornflowers embroidered on natural colored linen, lined with a sumptuous shot silk, and constructed into a simple scissor envelope, Cornflowers is a project suitable for beginners and beyond. The project offers a very satisfactory finish into a very pretty, usable needlework accessory.

You’ll find the materials kits for Cornflowers right here, if you’d like to grab one for this stitch-along.

Cornflowers Scissor Envelope - Embroidery Stitch-Along
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May 31, 2024

Delicious Colors & Fibers: Gumnut Yarns Up Close

 

If I were a koala bear, I’d apparently find a gumnut tree irresistible!

I’d also be irresistibly cute and everybody would love me and want to cuddle me.

Fortunately, I’m not a koala bear.

Still, I also find certain gumnutty things irresistible – specifically, the colors and fibers of Gumnut Yarns, which hail (of course) from Australia.

In our ongoing exploration of wool threads, we’re going to look at some threads from Gumnut Yarns up close and compare them to previous wools that we’ve already explored. But before we get into the details, let’s do a General Overview of Things.

Gumnut Yarns
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May 29, 2024

Cornflower Scissor Envelope Stitch-Along: What You Need to Know!

 

Good morning and welcome to another Wednesday at Needle ‘n Thread…. where we are in full production mode on the new kits that are coming out for the next Stitch Snippet stitch-along: a Cornflower Scissor Envelope!

Very simple in concept, embroidered with lovely cornflowers, this little scissor envelope will encase your favorite scissors in colorful style!

Read on, and I’ll tell you what you can expect from this stitch-along, from the kit for those who want it, and with the timing of the whole project as it unfolds here on Needle ‘n Thread.

Cornflower Scissor Envelope stitch-along
Continue reading “Cornflower Scissor Envelope Stitch-Along: What You Need to Know!”

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May 24, 2024

Cornflowers – Embroidery Finished & Coming Soon!

 

Do you ever get so excited about an embroidery project that it is constantly on your mind? That you’re always looking forward to your next encounter with it?

Do you find yourself, in those daydream moments throughout the day, imagining your next stitching session when you can immerse yourself in your needlework and let the world go by?

I love projects like that!

These cornflowers are that kind of project for me. And I’m so excited about them – and about what they will become – that I can’t help ending the week by sharing the finished embroidery with you!

I’ll also tell you what you can expect, timing-wise, with our next Stitch Snippet Stitch-Along, which features these very cornflowers.

Cornflower Embroidery Project
Continue reading “Cornflowers – Embroidery Finished & Coming Soon!”

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May 22, 2024

Tambour Beading by Hannah Mansfield – Book Review

 

Week before last, I resurrected the topic of tambour embroidery, revisiting the tutorials, books, and projects that I’ve written about in years past.

I have a tambour embroidery project that I want to start working on soon – just a personal project that I’ve had percolating in my head for a while – and so I thought it would be a good idea to re-introduce the topic here on Needle ‘n Thread.

I also knew this book we’re going to look at today was hitting the market this year (it’s out in the UK, but won’t be out in the US until this autumn), and I wanted to review it for you. With high hopes for the book, I ordered a copy from the UK so I could show it to you up close. I’m glad I did!

Tambour Beading: Techniques and Projects
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May 17, 2024

Some Fishy Questions – On Stitches

 

Last summer I released Something Fishy – a ready-to-stitch towel set featuring some very stylized tropical fish.

I know summer must be nearing, because many of you are stitching Something Fishy again, and I’m getting a few questions on stitch choices and other inquiries.

So I thought I’d pop in and share a few tips again for embroidering these ready-to-stitch projects. Even though I’ll be specifically talking about the fish I stitched last year, the concepts can be applied to any similar projects. So whether you’re stitching tropical fish on Something Fishy, or any of the floral or Christmas ready-to-stitch towel sets, or even an Aunt Martha transfer that you’ve pressed onto your own flour sack towels, hopefully you’ll find some tips and ideas here that will be helpful.

Something Fishy: Embroidered Tropical Fish Towel Set
Continue reading “Some Fishy Questions – On Stitches”