October 29, 2021

Weekend Reading: Samplers & Tapestry Embroideries

Happy Friday – and happy weekend!

Gosh, we’ve been pummeled out here in the Midwest with bleak and rimey weather – maybe not quite frost (that comes tonight), but with wind and rain and chill. It’s been positively lovely! It’s always lovely when you don’t have to go out in it, right?

Just in case you’re stuck indoors this weekend, or even if you’re not, here’s a fabulous book on the history of samplers and tapestry embroideries that you might enjoy perusing. It’s truly a rabbit hole, if you have any interest at all in historical needlework, in sampler stitching, in embroidered tapestries, and the like. I enjoy it for its historical perspectives and its delving into the make-up of samplers.

Hand Embroidery Tutorials

October 27, 2021

Embroidering Dragonflies, pt 2: Wee Bodies

I almost titled this morning’s article Vile Bodies, as a nod to Evelyn Waugh (an author I like), who was born 118 years ago tomorrow.

However, Vile didn’t really work. Wee definitely works better, because the dragonfly body (or thorax) that we’re going to embroider today is pretty darned small, in the scheme of things!

Today, we’re moving on with installment 2 of embroidering dragonflies, and we’re going to stitch the thorax.

If you’re just joining in on this tutorial series, we started with the introduction a couple weeks ago, and the first installment last week, where I talked the supplies I used and made the design available.

All episodes of this series are available under the main menu on Needle ‘n Thread, under Tips and Techniques, in the How to Embroider (Blank) Index. In that index, you’ll find all the tutorials that we’ve covered this year in the series.

So – the dragonfly body! C’mon, let’s do it!

Hand Embroidery Books

October 25, 2021

On Pincushions & Ports

I really wasn’t going to write about this until I had Needful Things in hand, but many of you have asked, so I thought I would put a little placeholder in your head for this!

This year, Inspirations Studios initiated a new series of needlework books, beginning with volume 1 in The Design Collective, which is dedicated to the making of pincushions.

Because it’s coming from Inspirations Studios, we can reasonably surmise a few points: it’s going to be a fabulous series, it’s going to be packed with gorgeous projects, and the instruction will be excellent!

Plus, the pilot book in the series – on pincushions – is a great way to kick the series off! Why? Because pincushions are small, they are charming, they are multi-use, you can never have too many of them, and they are eminently doable as far as a project goes.

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October 22, 2021

Embroidering a Dragonfly, pt 1: Design, Materials, Set-Up

Good morning and welcome to the first official installment of How to Embroider a Dragonfly, wherein we will talk about the design, materials I used on the sample, possible substitutions, and setting up the design for embroidering.

This project belongs to the How to Embroider (Blank) tutorial series, which you will find here.

Before we launch into the dragonflies, a little announcement: The Mini Sampler Stockings ornament kits are at long last ready to ship! The supply lines being rather slow these days, it is not likely I will be able to restock these before Christmas. If you want one, please get them while you can!

Now, let’s talk about dragonflies!!

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October 20, 2021

Embroidering Dragonflies – An Introduction

This year, we’ve enjoyed a few different series of embroidery tutorials covering a range of stylized botanical subjects, including wheat, strawberries, daisies, and grapes. You can find all these tutorials listed here, in the How to Embroider (Blank) index.

The last series of tutorials for this year is going to focus on something not-so-botanical, but garden-related nonetheless: the dragonfly.

Reaching back into the dark recesses of my memory, I’m pretty sure the reason for exploring this particular wingéd creature was related more to the materials rather than the subject. Don’t get me wrong – I love dragonflies. They’re such curiously different bugs.

But really, it was more about the materials when I thought of this particular project.

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October 18, 2021

Anichini Exhibition & Loreto Embroideries in the US

Over the years here on Needle ‘n Thread, I’ve written a bit about the Loreto Embroideries that are held by the Royal School of Needlework in the UK. They are fascinating embroidered panels depicting 12 titles of the Virgin Mary from the Litany of Loreto.

These 12 embroidered panels depicting illustrations of titles of the Virgin Mary in the Litany of Loreto are exquisite works of art in their own right. However, Ezio Anichini, the Italian illustrator behind them, was a prolific artist.

If you’ve not heard of Anichini and the Loreto Embroideries, take a look at this article, which includes a downloadable PDF of John Schaffer’s scholarly article on Anichini.

Now – the big news! – if you live in North America and you don’t have the opportunity or inclination to travel abroad, here’s some great news for enthusiasts who would like to see the Loreto embroideries and the artwork of Anichini in person. Ready?!

Litany of Loreto illustrations by Ezio Anichini

Hand Embroidery Books

October 14, 2021

Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators – It’s Coming! Don’t Miss It!

This is one of the books I’ve been Absolutely Dying to get to, to let you know about! Now that the release date is getting very close, I’m really excited to write a review of it.

The book is Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators: An Insect Lover’s Guide to Silk Shading Embroidery by Victoria Matthewson. It is a lovely book from Search Press, and it falls into a very interesting category. It’s pretty much a nature journal in thread, combined with instruction and projects.

I knew it was going to be good. I follow Victoria’s Instagram feed and really enjoy seeing her work. So, yep. I was excited to get an advanced copy and see the book in person! Let me show it to you…

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

Weekend Reading: Samplers & Tapestry Embroideries

Embroidering Dragonflies, pt 2: Wee Bodies

On Pincushions & Ports

Embroidering a Dragonfly, pt 1: Design, Materials, Set-Up

Embroidering Dragonflies – An Introduction

Anichini Exhibition & Loreto Embroideries in the US

Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators – It’s Coming! Don’t Miss It!

Connect with Mary

How-To Videos

Embroidery Tips & Techniques

Connect with Mary

How-To
Videos