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Needlework of all kinds
Counted thread techniques - Surface needlework techniquesNeedlework is a fantastic hobby! With simple step by steps, as well as techniques for the more advanced stitcher, this site is where I share my lifetime's love of the needle arts. With so many different forms of embroidery to learn about and enjoy you may need to go grab a cup of coffee and sit a while while you peruse this site and stitch with me. This can be our own special little place on the world wide web. Now it is just possible that we have actually met each other. As a teacher and designer I have traveled around England attending shows, workshops and shops, teaching blackwork, cross stitch, hardanger, needlepoint, and more for the last 12 years. I certainly met lots of stitchers when I visited the Heart of Cross Stitch show in Cherry Hill, USA in 1999. But even if we have never seen each other, I would like to think that we are like-minded friends. Don't forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter while you are here, Stitchin'Time. With exclusive embroidery projects that are released step by step, stories from the English countryside, and ways to get involved with the stitching community here it is not to be missed. The best bit? Its FREE (although some subscribers have told me they would gladly pay for the mystery element of not knowing what the next band in the sampler will be).
Counted thread techniquesWorking to the counted thread from a printed chart is common across a number of needlework methods. From dainty pulled work to chunky needlepoint even a beginner can produce a work of art.BlackworkBlackwork is my favourite needlework technique of all! I adore the crispness of traditional black on white stitching or the fun of creating modern pictures in colour. Using double running stitch we will create intricate looking patterns, stunning motifs, borders or bands, ladies from times past, all types of flora and fauna and much more.Cross StitchSimple enough for children but satisfying for everyone, you can relax and let the worries and cares of everyday life float away while you work your cross stitch. Its amazing how these little crosses bring animals to life. Watch as flowers grow on your fabric. Or even let your imagination go wild as you create fantasy scenes of dragons and wizards.
Hardanger needleworkStitched with white on white, hardanger embroidery designs remind me of freshly fallen snow. Clean, crisp and beautiful hardanger with its solid blocks contrasting with lacy open work and untouched areas of fabric is a joy to behold.Other whitework needlework techniquesIn some types of embroidery the stitches are not meant to be seen. Take pulled thread work for example, the stitches pull the fabric threads together into patterns that create the look of lace.In drawn thread you remove some of the fabric threads and fill the gaps with striking stitchery. Cutwork embroidery is one of the earliest forms of whitework. Or how about needlelace (also known as needlepoint lace) where you actually create the fabric itself. The Italians called this exciting technique "stitches in the air" which describes it perfectly.
NeedlepointMoving on to more practical forms of needlework, needlepoint (or canvas work) can be used to furnish and decorate our homes. Sumptuous cushions, colourful rugs and even belts and bags are not only beautiful but hardwearing. The tactile nature of the many stitches that can be used appeal to more than just our eyes.Surface embroidery techniquesNot all hand-work is worked to the counted thread. Free-style or surface embroidery can also take many forms. I will be covering many of them in the pages of this site but to start with why not try:Redwork embroideryRedwork is a simple form of needlework where just the outlines of a design are stitched, using just a single colour of thread, usually red, blue or green. With few stitches to master and no filling to do, redwork embroidery patterns stitch up quickly. The finished pieces are often stitched together into quilts.Crazy QuiltingA Victorian craze, that of joining odd shaped fabric scraps into a crazy quilt and then embellishing with surface embroidery, is again popular. Simple stitches combined in interesting ways are used for seam treatments between patches, while motifs are stitched on the patches themselves. Beads, buttons, lace and other trimmings are used to give an encrusted look to this form of needlework.Needlework tipsOn a more general note you will find tips on things like how to separate your floss into strands, what embroidery fabric to use, how to work basic embroidery stitches and how to remove stains from your embroidery. If you are interested in designing your own needlework don't forget to take a look at the DIY (Design it Yourself) section for hints and tips on using computer design packages.Needlework finishing schoolAfter all the time and care you take to create your project it would be heartbreaking to know it was then tucked away in a drawer somewhere. There are as many ways to finish your work as there are methods of creating it.Use the form below to sign up to the Stitchin'Time newsletter. |
 
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