'Needlework' Category
Creative Gifts – Day #12
Today, on the Twelfth Day of Creative Gifts ideas, we’re going to combine the idea of a re-usable holiday ribbon or decorative tag with the strap idea from Day #10′s ornament. We wave our magic needle over it, and, voila!, we have a re-usable, customizable holiday gift tag. Once again, while I plan to write [...]
Creative Gifts – Day #11
I wear a wool felt hat in winter. I wear a wide-brim straw hat while gardening. I wear a . . . different hat when hiking, canoeing, fishing, etc. Sun protection, heat retention, and fashion: hats do it all. Embroidered stitchbands and ribbons = hatband. Dress up and personalize a hat for a special gift.
Creative Gifts – Day #10
Are you sick of stitch band ideas? I’ve got at least two more on my list, but I’ll switch to something else for today. We can come back to the stitch bands. Maybe. We’ll see. This is one of my personal favorites. I introduced the idea last year in The Needlework Nutshell (subscription box in [...]
Creative Gifts – Day #4
This creative-gift-idea-a-day idea is challenging! It was a whim, not something planned, let alone prepared. It feels a little lame to throw out a bunch of ideas sans pictures or tutorials, but time simply won’t allow for daily tutorials, certainly not 24 of them. (Did I really say 24? Was that a typo? Did I [...]
Creative Gifts – Day #3
If you’re giving away any knitted garments–hats, socks, scarves, mittens, etc.–this one’s for you. Items can be handmade or machine made; it doesn’t matter. Make a special gift extra special with the duplicate stitch or Swiss darning. Not a knitter? No problem! You know all those cross stitch charts you have? Put them to use [...]
Creative Gifts – Day 2
Well, can you tell what today’s Creative Gift idea is? That’s an hors d’oeuvre pick! With a longer wire, it could be a drink stirrer. A noodle + some wire + a pair of pliers = hors d’oeuvre pick A less-intricate noodle would certainly be acceptable. Also, I might look into whether that wire is [...]
Creative Gifts – Day 1
Today in the Needlework Nutshell (subscription box in the sidebar), I rant about the hype over last weekend’s kick-off to the holiday shopping season. The whole Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday hoopla annoys me to no end; I think it brings out the worst in our culture and too many people. My [...]
The Plimoth Jacket
Last week we visited Winterthur, a du Pont family mansion (175 rooms, I believe) which is now a museum of American decorative arts. We toured one floor of the house, viewed the Betsy Ross exhibit, and wandered through the museum. One highlight for me was The Plimoth Jacket, which is on loan from Plimoth Plantation. [...]
2011 Bookmarks
Bookmark stitched by Linda H. The first bookmark for the Needle and Thread: Stitching for Literacy 2011 Bookmark Challenge is in at The Stitchers’ Village. Yay, Patty, for getting the collection started, and yay, Linda, for getting the first one in! It’s possible some participants are still collecting for 2010, but others are beginning collections [...]
What’s Your Motif?
As I meander around the Internet and through magazines and stores, I pay attention to small motifs used on clothes, decorations, advertising, etc. I’m looking for potential embroidery designs, things we don’t already see in patterns. Bear tracks bracelet I’m always a little surprised by the seeming lack of new motifs. Hearts, spirals, flowers, leaves, [...]
, by Ellen Ruppel Shell
, by Elizabeth Strout.
