Embroidery: A Most Agreeable Hobby

[GeoBQn]

My grandmother and great-aunt both had "their" craft. My grandmother knitted, which she taught me when I was 6 and I have been doing ever since. My great-aunt did embroidery. (Everybody described it as "cross-stitching," but what she was actually doing was free-hand embroidery with a cross-stitch motif). She never taught me, but I used to sit with her as she did it and would pick up any needles she dropped.

 

After my grandmother died last year, my parents were cleaning out the apartment she and my great-aunt shared when they found a bag of my great-aunt's embroidery supplies, including unfinished projects. My mom asked if I could finish them, and I decided to try. My local craft store happened to be offering a beginner embroidery class, so I took it and was able to learn the skills I needed to finish the project:

In the process, I discovered I REALLY enjoyed it, and I am now in that infatuation stage where I just can't read enough about it or find enough new patterns. I like the ones from Drop Cloth Samplers (the owner is a friend of one of the owners of my local craft store.)

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dropcloth?ref=ss_profile

 

She has a Sampler of the Month Club where she sends a small sampler with a different family of stitches every month. I have just finished the one for February--blanket stitch.

[Claddagh]

That's really nice.

My grandma used to embroider all sorts of things.

I know the basic stitches but I'm not very good at them. I have a book on how to embroider that I really need to get back to.

[Sister_Wife]

I love embroidery too! But I don't do it much, I refuse to wear my glasses, and then I can't see the small stitches. I enjoy counted cross stitch.

I think people who can freehand embroider are all sorts of talented!

[duplessis3]

I embroider but nothing fancy. I just do my own designs . If i get better at it i am going to embroider he drawings my grandmother did on my baby blanket. (She loved to sew and draw but hated fine needlework even though she was good at it.)

[latraviata]

I love embroidery too! But I don't do it much, I refuse to wear my glasses, and then I can't see the small stitches. I enjoy counted cross stitch.

I think people who can freehand embroider are all sorts of talented!

I (64) make smocked dresses (for little girls) and I have to use my reading glasses and a embroidery magnifier.

[Knight of Ni]

I've recently started to do cross stitch after a several year break. My current project is the hardest pattern I've ever attempted. I've been working on it for about 3 months and it seems like I'v barely gotten started. The fabric is also has the smallest squares I've ever worked with. So I'm really putting my skills to the test for this one. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish.

I've found that cross stitch is as great way to relax after a long day.

http://www.abcstitch.com/optioncart/ima ... ns&all=yes

This is a picture of what the finished result will look like.

[Quicklikeabunny]

What is the difference between counted cross stitch and embroidery? I cross stitch, and I also find it relaxing. In fact, I picked it back up again last year while I was planning my wedding because it was either that, or pull my hair out. I think embroidery is beautiful, but I don't know anyonewho does it. Is it similar to cross stitch? Is the skill set similar?

[Bethella]

What is the difference between counted cross stitch and embroidery? I cross stitch, and I also find it relaxing. In fact, I picked it back up again last year while I was planning my wedding because it was either that, or pull my hair out. I think embroidery is beautiful, but I don't know anyonewho does it. Is it similar to cross stitch? Is the skill set similar?

Cross-stitch only uses a few stitches: the primary x, a half stitch and long/back stitching for outlines and is done on a grid, usually with an even-weave fabric or Aida.

Embroidery is much more free-form, it uses all sorts of stitches and generally looks more organic.

[Quicklikeabunny]

Very cool. Thanks!

[latraviata]

I've recently started to do cross stitch after a several year break. My current project is the hardest pattern I've ever attempted. I've been working on it for about 3 months and it seems like I'v barely gotten started. The fabric is also has the smallest squares I've ever worked with. So I'm really putting my skills to the test for this one. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish.

I've found that cross stitch is as great way to relax after a long day.

http://www.abcstitch.com/optioncart/ima ... ns&all=yes

This is a picture of what the finished result will look like.

Very well done!

[latraviata]

I embroider but nothing fancy. I just do my own designs . If i get better at it i am going to embroider he drawings my grandmother did on my baby blanket. (She loved to sew and draw but hated fine needlework even though she was good at it.)

I never use a smocking plate, it is my own design. I use a pattern for the dresses.

My mother loved to sew and I learned just watching her, like she did with her mother.

The smocking I learned from the nuns a 100 years, when I picked it up a few years ago after a sort of burn out/depression. I learned to smock again from predominantly American and Australian (youtube) tutorials. In the Netherlands smocked dresses were very popular in the passed and they became popular again when the royal toddlers started to wear them. There was nothing to be found regarding smocking until I discovered the Amerian/Australian websites, smocking paradise was revealed!

[duplessis3]

Love smocking...

I just went to the thrift store and spotted a huge bag of embroidery supplies -4 hoops (three round of different sizes, one egg shaped) four vintage books a counted cross stitch package and some other things, plus a ton of floss. I'm making bobbins for them and winding them (after untangling it all.) All very nice quality floss - I have some really cheap crappy floss, so this makes me happy. And I probably have enough for the rest of my life. I also got another grab bag of ribbon and books, and a small square loom with those potholder loops on it. I love weaving, and had wanted one of these (with looms they have different gauges built in so it can be tricky.)

[latraviata]

Love smocking...

I just went to the thrift store and spotted a huge bag of embroidery supplies -4 hoops (three round of different sizes, one egg shaped) four vintage books a counted cross stitch package and some other things, plus a ton of floss. I'm making bobbins for them and winding them (after untangling it all.) All very nice quality floss - I have some really cheap crappy floss, so this makes me happy. And I probably have enough for the rest of my life. I also got another grab bag of ribbon and books, and a small square loom with those potholder loops on it. I love weaving, and had wanted one of these (with looms they have different gauges built in so it can be tricky.)

Good luck!

[Arete]

My grandma taught me how to embroider. She was a true artist with it, and we all have stunning tableclothes, runners, and free embroidery that has been framed. My stuff is kindergarten art to her Picasso.

The one thing she was adamant about was using DMC brand thread. She insisted there was no substitute, but when she started embroidering that stuff was still being made in France. Now like everything else, it has been outsourced to southeast Asia.

Thanks for this thread, it brings up such good memories of spending time with her. :)

[Just Not Good]

I love embroidery- and, have been obsessed with Sublime Stitching for YEARS. Her patterns are DARLING and great for making clothes a little cuter/more personal!

[nana sew dear]

I love to embroider and once actually had a business where I reproduced old day of the week patterns, etc. I used to be able to buy ink on-line that I ran through my printer and the resulting image would be iron-on. Someone now has monopoly on that formula and will only sell for large scale printers. So sad because I have a lot of old used patterns that would be so easy to iron on and such a pain to trace! I have a friend who still has her business www.yesterdayscharm.com. She has great original designs and quilting patterns too. Please check it out. I don't get a cut or anything, she just has great patterns1

[UnPitchPerfectViolin]

I love embroidery- and, have been obsessed with Sublime Stitching for YEARS. Her patterns are DARLING and great for making clothes a little cuter/more personal!

I second Sublime Stitching! Also, if you're looking for great patterns for beginners or project ideas, I'd suggest looking up Molly Johnson's Wild Olive blog. She has loads of free patterns, in addition to her Etsy store. Very cutesy, almost everything has little faces, :)

If you want something really sophisticated, though, look up Kazuko Aoki's embroidery books. I have two, and they look just like sketches. She really knows how to play with textures and layers of material, and everything is impecccably designed, using the very basic stitches for a jaw-dropping result. Everything she embroiders is based on her sketches from wandering around meadows and nature in general.

[47of74]

My aunt died back on Sep 5. Another aunt and my mom are helping my uncle clean out the house of stuff she had that he didn't want to keep - included was some of her embroidery supplies and stuff she was working on. My mom is going to donate some of the stuff to a local nursing home. She's currently trying to find a certain yarn so she can finish a project my aunt was working on.