Let the Good Times Roll Stitching my 2021 Band Sampler

For many years, I have been adding a strip of stitching to a long Stitch-roll or what is traditionally called a band sampler.  My sampler is a strip of fabric where I improvise stitches, add bands in a freeform manner and often journal on it too. If you want to …

Tutorial on how to work Ainu Running Stitch

Ainu Running Stitch is a type of running stitch. It comes from the indigenous people of northern Japan and southeastern Russia, known as the Ainu. It was traditionally used on embroidered garments. Apart from traditional applications, Ainu Running Stitch lends itself to experimenting with different thicknesses of threads, different coloured threads, …

How to start embroidery without a Knot

Some people worry about knots on the back of their project. In some cases there is a good reason. In other projects if you use knots to start a thread it is your business alone. Often people are embroidering a project that will have batting between the top layer where …

Creative Happy Hour – Embroidery: Hand Stitching Past, Present and Future

Just a quick heads up to announce that I am one of the invitees on the expert panel for this Creative Happy Hour event run by C&T. So if you have any embroidery related questions you may be interested in joining us. Creative Happy Hour Embroidery: Hand Stitching Past, Present …

Freeform Cross stitch

Normally, you work cross-stitch on the weave of the fabric neatly in rows along the lines of the thread. Each stitch is supposed to sit in the group, without calling attention to itself. Generally, you work cross-stitch with an even tension and uniform size, with each bar crossing in the …

The Frederick Herrschner Art Needlework Supplies General Catalog free online

While browsing the net over coffee I made a wonderful discovery while poking around in the Antique Pattern library. I love finding stuff like the Art Needlework Supplies General Catalog produced by Frederick Herrschner in 1907 is a huge 242 page catalogue of embroidery patterns. So, I thought I would …

Fabric book in Progress

Today, I am sharing a recent project: a fabric book in progress. The content is the 4th-century poem by Lao Tze. It is far from finished, but I think I have developed the hand embroidery enough to give my ideas form for you to see where this fabric book is …