April 5, 2011
For Embroidery Thread Lovers (who might be nuts?)
This isn’t exactly an article about embroidery thread. It’s more about Me, the Meany.
April 4, 2011
Easter Eggs and Mind-Boggling Embroidery
When you see a needlework technique that looks intriguing, are you the type of person who says, “Hey, I think I’ll try that!”? Yeah, me too. And normally, if I see a needlework technique or a finished product that boggles my mind (you know: “How Ever in the Wide World did they do that?!”), I’ll at least try working it out so I know how it was done.
I’m not going to bother with this. It boggles my mind. But there are some things I know I just won’t ever do, and this is one of them. Still, I find it amazing that someone out there did do it, and in the scheme of All Things Easter Eggy, I can see how these things would be a show stopper!
Over on Au Feminin (a French website, so you can use Google translator if you need to) you’ll find a photo gallery of a needlework expo. And within that photo gallery, you will find five photos (numbers 55 – 60) of “broderie sur oeufs” – embroidery on eggs.
April 1, 2011
Needlework and the Mixing of Culture
Throughout history – whether through war and conquest or through migration of peoples or through other myriad events – cultures have mixed, and when mixing, they influence subsequent developments in the arts. Last week, while I was preparing this Hungarian embroidery pattern for publishing, I found myself thinking of the various influences on embroidery design, and in particular, I contemplated the Ottoman influence on Hungarian design. (Incidentally, Mike mentioned the Turkish influence on Hungarian embroidery in the comment section on the aforementioned Hungarian embroidery pattern published earlier this week).
There is something about this design of Lilly’s that struck me as particularly Byzantine-ish, and this thought led me to looking for examples of Turkish embroidery and designs online, which in turn led me to some good design resources. Today, I’ll share those resources with you and point out some things that struck me as similar between Hungarian and Turkish designs.
First, let’s start with part of Lilly’s design:
March 31, 2011
Spring Bright!
Spring is coming on in bits and spurts here in Kansas, and that means a couple things for me: one, my thoughts turn to bright spring colors and things I can stitch with them; and two, the school year is careening to a close.
For those of you who have been putting up with me for a while, you know that I’ve been teaching a high school Needle Arts class this year. I haven’t mentioned it much lately, because I don’t want to bore you with the nitty gritty details, but since it’s been a while since I’ve mentioned it, I figure you’ll indulge me!
On the school front, I’ve been working on adjusting my Needle Arts curriculum a little bit, to accommodate the onslaught of Spring and all the attitudes and accomplishments that go with it. By accomplishments, I mean the knowledge and skills gained through the school year, which, towards the end of the year, should be reinforced and put to the test. By attitudes, I mean the almost-jubilant antsy-ness that comes with warmer weather. Kids tend to think summer vacation is here long before it ever gets here, because suddenly the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it’s a lot warmer out. The arrival of spring is energizing in that regard, but it also presents a few difficulties in the classroom – like keeping students focused and encouraging them to persevere to the end.
March 30, 2011
Reader’s Embroidery: Pomegranate Corner!
Ok, ok. So I’ve been a lazy schmuck and haven’t gotten very far on the Pomegranate Corners wool embroidery project! But where I have failed, a reader has stepped up to the plate! Mary Martin (Magnolia Needlework on Flickr) finished her interpretation of the Pomegranate Corner design – and it’s Really Lovely!
March 29, 2011
Lilly’s Legacy: Hungarian Embroidery Design #2
Last week, I introduced you to the embroidery design work of Lilly Baróthi Zathureczky and told you a little bit of Lilly’s life story. Today, I’d like to share with you another one of her designs!
It’s hard for me to pick “favorites” from the various designs she drew – I find all of them enchanting in some aspect or another. On this particular design, I love her choice of colors, the somewhat delicate floral and swash that makes up the interior circular design, and I like the wavy edge around the perimeter. (In fact, what’s not to like about it?!)
March 28, 2011
Remember those Goldwork Scissors?
Back in January, when I was talking about various needlework tools, I featured a pair of goldwork embroidery scissors. They were new to me, and I hadn’t actually used them yet to cut real metal threads, but I previewed them here and got some excellent feedback from readers who use them.
Well – finally! – last week I had a chance to use these little scissors that feature a very fine serrated blade, so I thought I’d share my impressions.
