Category Archives: embroidery

April WIPocalypse

Posted in embroidery, stitching patterns, WIPocalypse by

Last night there was a red Moon. Or there should have been. Sadly I was on night five of interrupted sleep (Mase has asthma and this was one of the loooooong bouts where I get up on a cycle to keep ahead of the breathlessness) so when that alarm went off I rolled over. Never mind; apparently it happens again in 2018.

This month’s question is about speciality stitches. I know more than I thought but not enough! Zeb found a class last year that we both attended (www.thestitchsmith.co.nz check out some of her designs! Very Kiwi) and I’m comfortable with the basics, like cross, smyrna, chain, algereian eyelets, stem and so on. I can do but suck at French knots; I’d rather bead,  as evidenced here in B’s sampler. Nothing much has changed there since 2000!

image

Here’s the entire piece;  Alma Lynne’s Noahs Ark.

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Not much actual stitching since last WIPocalypse; lots of thinking tho. See you next full moon!

EXTRA EXTRA craft all about it

Posted in embroidery, freebies, grateful by

 

Yeah, I know. Cheesy title. But important topic!

 

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll know that this year is a big anniversary of World War One. You probably saw the amazing ceramic poppies that cascaded out and filled the moat of the Tower of London. Now’s your chance to contribute to a NZ version.

Download the PDF here http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/knitting-patterns.pdf – all instructions are included.

 

For the empire and for freedom, we all must do our bit, the men go forth to battle, the women wait and knit”

Lady Annette Liverpool

 

Stitching Tips I Love

Posted in embroidery, stitching patterns by

Not that I actually follow this tip much anymore, but it’s invaluable for the new stitcher, or the first few times you move from aida to evenweaves or linen. If I think that my fabric might not be big enough for the design I plan to stitch, I do grid, just for safety. There is nothing more frustrating than getting near to the end of a project and realising that you haven’t left enough room for framing  – cushions perhaps? – and the start point/centre points can be super critical.

This is from Liz the StitchSmith’s site. She ran the embroidery course I went to last year (that feels odd to write that, last year!) and she’s fantastic. http://www.thestitchsmith.co.nz/

Grid marking:

I find it helpful to mark a grid on your fabric so it’s easy to keep track of where you are. You can do this on white Aida with a water soluble marker pen – just draw your grid on and then once you’ve stitched the design, it washes right out.

With black Aida though you will need to stitch your grid. This is easy to do and worth taking a few minutes extra time. Just take a single thread of your stranded cotton and make large stitches over a 10 block square as shown in the photo. Download pdf to see a bigger image.

Once you’ve done one row it’s easy to do the next rows – do make sure your first row is correct!

When you are stitching try not to pierce your grid thread as this makes it just a bit harder to pull out when you’ve finished. It also leaves behind a bit of fluff. If you do find this happens, just wrap some sellotape around your fingers and dab away the fluff. Easy peasy.

On your chart, you will find it helpful to rule the 10 block squares in a highlighter. These squares will match the gird on your fabric. Mark off the rows as you go so you don’t keep having to double check where you are. 

WIP Wednesday – the TUSAL

Posted in embroidery, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

TUSAL? ORT? I didn’t formally join the Totally Useless Stitch A Long this year but I loved the idea of it. I found a Moccona jar, scoffed down the coffee and this is the result…chock full of ORTS.

2014-12-30 21.22.53

Looking at the layers I can see where I was this year, and it’s a tangible reminder of what I have accomplished in 2014 (especially given that I haven’t found the $$ to frame most of what I finished). Starting off with Teresa Wentzler’s Stretch, moving on to the Nora Corbett Sleigh (my fav of this year), a few minis, the start of Mirabilia’s Stargazer, a start to Mediterranean Mermaid, some more mini’s, three NC birds that are completed, Lou’s Letter Fairy and the start of the Reindeer. I love the glints of the metallic Kreinik that shine thru.

This has been really satisfying. I plan to use these threads to fill a Christmas ornie and I’ve already picked next year’s jar – a big, faceted whiskey decanter. Very Downton Abbey 🙂

Next year (it’s nearly here!) I’m planning on taking a photo with each WIPocalypse. Could be embarrassing…

Stitching

Posted in Christmas, embroidery, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by

2014 saw the start of a big creativity phase. So far, I’ve…

  • started and completed Teresa Wentzler’s Stretch (her dragon logo) and a little Christmas ornament is ready to finish as a hanging ornament. 

Stretch
  • I also added some beads to Misty, one of the TW Rocking Horses. I think she’s ready to frame now.
    detail from Misty


  • attended an embroidery class with Zeb, a new friend (who I’m sure will get me in lots of trouble and laughs in years to come). I’m fairly confident with about ten stitches now.

My StitchSmith owl. Yet to be completed. Cause I’m lazy.

  • started and completed Nora Corbett’s Santa’s Sleigh AND AM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH IT, so much so that I have acquired six of her reindeer patterns.  
    The Sleigh, nearly completed (some beading was still to be done at this point)

  • started Nora Corbett’s Arezzo, setting the bar high in making this my first colour conversion (hate the dress colour and the lilac roses, and have made the leaves darker) and my first “over 1”, meaning over the one thread not the usual two. Squintville, here I come. Not sure if this is truly an NC or a Mirabilia design, but it’s pretty and delicate.

Nora Corbett’s Arezzo

I’ve also stitched quite a few Christmas ornaments (starting early, but there is a lot of downtime while you’re waiting at league training and for reports to run) and made a cushion cover from a Pintrest image. Check out my NYC envelope cushion!