Diane Gilleland proves that you don’t need fancy equipment to produce basic, beautiful weaving. See her excellent tutorial on Craftsylish for creating a loom from a piece of cardboard and using it to weave a simple fabric.… Read More ...
Free needlework books online
Sharon B of In a Minute Ago blog has posted a list of needlework books that are available or downloadable free online. Resources range from Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont to Ladies’ Guide in Needlework published by W. … Read More ...
Watch needle lacemaking in action
Thanks to blogger Gina at Threads of a Tatting Goddess, I just saw the most remarkable video demonstration of handmaking needle lace. If you’ve never seen needle lace being made, you’ll probably be mesmerized as I was. See the … Read More ...
Great idea: bottlecap ornaments
Emily of The Floss Box produces exquisite stump work. In a recent blog post, she shares how she makes small embroidery works into bottlecap ornaments. While these would be lovely hanging anywhere in a home or office, I think they … Read More ...
More cute electronic embroidery
Remember Becky Stern’s article about incorporating conductive thread and LEDs into your needlework? Well, jcferreiradasilva has taken it a step further, so to speak, with her firefly-bootie entry in the Michael Miller Baby Bootie Contest. You can check out … Read More ...
Etsy find: LadyShuttleMaker
LadyShuttleMaker on Etsy.com has a tatting shop unlike any I’ve seen before. She offers beautiful completed projects of handmade lace, such as the grapevine necklace shown here. And her hand-dyed threads are to die for. But, most interesting of all, … Read More ...
Your mistake could make you a winner!
Createforless.com is sponsoring Share Your Craft Bloopers, a new contest in which you get to show off your worst crafting mistakes. The winner, to be chosen July 28 by drawing, will receive a US $100 shopping spree on the Create … Read More ...
Liberty is free!
Cross-stitching.com is offering a free chart for this friendly Miss Liberty. Designed by Christine-Ann Martin, the site says, “This awesome design is easy to stitch and makes the perfect gift for a friend or relative residing in the Land of … Read More ...
3D quilting
JMD Designs of New Zealand is offering designs for quilts that incorporate dimensional elements–kind of a cross between soft sculpture and applique. You can get the designs via e-mail for NZL $18.95 each or by international post for NZL $24.95. … Read More ...
Birthday sale at Dicraft
Di van Niekerk Crafts Unlimited is celebrating its 20th birthday with a 20% Off Everything Sale. You’ll also receive a beautiful design and instructions free with each order.… Read More ...
Use iron-on patterns for repeats
Mary Corbet‘s site, Needle ‘n’ Thread, offers a nearly endless wealth of needlework instructions and tips. In this excellent recent tutorial, Mary walks us through the steps of using an iron-on embroidery pattern for repeats, such as … Read More ...
Great tutorial: simple machine applique
Sew, Mama, Sew blog is running a series of tutorials by board member Elizabeth called Summer Sewing ~ Simple Machine Applique. The instructions are outstanding, and Elizabeth even provides a PDF file of the applique motifs she uses. Be sure … Read More ...
Brazilian embroidery site
I can’t believe I’ve never stumbled across this wonderful site before. If you’ve missed it, too, now is the time to check out Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild, Inc. Brazilian embroidery, as the site points out, “uses stitches that … Read More ...
Good advice: Making your embroidery thread behave
How you thread your needle makes a big difference in how your embroidery thread behaves, whether you’re stitching by hand or by machine. Jennifer Stern at Craftstylish gives the lowdown on how to avoid tangles, breaks, and frustration. See her … Read More ...
Tutorial: painted fusible web
Helen Cowans of Textile Goddess blog has posted a tutorial for “using painted bondaweb to create a coloured and textured background” for textile projects. This technique should work with any paper-backed fusible web. The results are particularly wonderful when she … Read More ...
