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Archive: Needlearts

June 29, 2009

Memory Catcher Pouch With Embroidery From Photograph

Gretchen of Muddlepud created this charming "memory catcher" pouch for her daughter. As though the idea for the project wasn't sweet enough, she adorned the pouch with embroidery based on a photograph of wildflowers she picked while she and her daughter were taking a walk. It's such a beautiful translation of a photograph, and a really dear project!

June 25, 2009

Surveillance Camera Cross Stitch

This surveillance camera cross stitch pattern is subtle, you might not even notice it in overall design. I'd like to see this on Cory Doctorow's next book cover.

June 24, 2009

Jenny Hart Embroidery Class at HomeEc in Los Angeles

Sublime Stitching founder, Jenny Hart, will be teaching a small embroidery class at Home Ec. in Los Angeles next month. One of my first embroidery learning experiences was in a similar class with Jenny a few years ago, and I left completely inspired and obsessed with stitching. It's a great opportunity to learn hand embroidery!

June 22, 2009

Needlepoint Space Invader Magnets

This would keep me from ever getting a meal prepared, because all I'd want to do is play Space Invaders on my fridge. Needlepoint Space Invader fridge magnets, via BBG.

June 19, 2009

CRAFT Video: Embroidery 101 at Maker Faire

Craftzine Contributing Writer Rachel Hobson led this informative demo on hand embroidery basics at Maker Faire Bay Area 2009. She goes over tools, supplies, and a few stitch techniques to get you started!

Subscribe to CRAFT in iTunes or download the m4v video.

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CRAFT Video: Embroidery Pattern from a Photo

Anatomical Merit Badges

Mary Yeager made these exquisite anatomical merit badges; they're at the Forget Me-Not embroidery show at Gallery Hanahou. Via Street Anatomy.

June 18, 2009

Jane Austen Cross-Stitch Book Covers by Leigh-Anne Mullock

Prideandprejudicecover
Designer Leigh-Anne Mullock created cross-stitched cover illustrations of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice as well as Mansfield Park. The illustrations feature imagery about their relationships the novel's protagonists might have been inspired to stitch. Can all Austen books be like this please?

New Sublime Stitching Patterns

Sublime Stitching has just released four new packs of patterns just in time for some summer stitching. There are two new artist series packs, Including a new set by illustrator, Carson Ellis. Ellis' work was previously featured in the special limited edition set of The Decemberists patterns. Fans of The Decemberists will recognize Ellis' work from the covers of The Decemberists' albums. The new Ellis embroidery patterns are other pieces of her work, with a small overlap from the original Decemberists set. There is also a set from artist, Jim Woodring, as well as a fun Roaring 20s pack and Beach Babes pack. I recently did an interview with Cut Out + Keep about how I love to do embroidery because it's the perfect hot weather craft. These new patterns will keep me busily stitching throughout the entire summer!

June 15, 2009

Needlework brings together programmers, crafters

Nice story about the Open Source Embroidery exhibition and movement over on Wired.com:

The movement brings together knitters, embroiderers and quilters who see parallels between the way they create their crafts and how open source software creators share their ideas. At the BildMuseet (art museum) at Umeå University in Sweden, an exhibition — also called Open Source Embroidery — showcases artworks that use embroidery and code as a tool for participatory production and distribution.

“The idea of collaboration has been made cool by open source software,” says Carpenter, the curator of the exhibition. “But artists have been working like this for a long time.”

Even the differences between needlework crafts and open source software are alike, she says. Embroidery is largely dominated by women, while software is created mostly by men, she says. In embroidery, tiny stitches come together to create a pattern visible on the front of the fabric, while its system is revealed on the back. It’s similar to how software is created.

The arguments about open source vs. free software can also be applied to embroidery, says Carpenter, where artists struggle with questions around borrowing and modifying patterns. “The Open Source Embroidery project simply attempts to provide a social and practical way of discussing these issues and trying out the practice,” says Carpenter.

There's also a nice shoutout to MAKE and CRAFT in the article, too!

June 11, 2009

How-To: Repair a Slip Knot on The Back of Your Embroidery

I'm pretty laid back about how the back of my hand embroidery work looks, but there are times when an unnoticed slip knot can actually distort how the front of the work looks. Mary from Needle 'N Thread has a handy tutorial on how to repair a slip knot if you weren't lucky enough to catch it right as it happened.

June 8, 2009

Giant Needlearts Display at Maker Faire

One of the most eye-catching booth displays at Maker Faire came from The National NeedleArts Association. Their oversized knitting and embroidery props were not only fun to see, but were actually fully functional, too! This video captures the folks from TNNA working with students who visited Maker Faire and were able to actually stitch on plastic fence webbing with a giant embroidery needle and knit with 10-foot long knitting needles. They stitched with giant lengths of yarn made from plastic bags tied together.

Circuit Board Cross Stitch

Vonkrankipantzen took this classic ThinkGeek t-shirt slogan and turned it into a fancy cross stitch with circuit board edging. I love the look of that wiring on the classic green board! Via Mr. X Stitch.

June 7, 2009

Hand Embroidered Note

I've seen several versions of hand embroidered notebook paper and handwriting, but I'm still quite smitten with this sweet, simple embroidered love note from katie.cupcake. What I love even more is the location where she decided to hang it ... above her toilet in the bathroom. I always forget about decorating the bathroom, but what a fun, unexpected place to find a bit of art like this!

June 5, 2009

Thousand Hand Quilt at Maker Faire

The San Mateo Area Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America was at Maker Faire last weekend with a fascinating project. They brought 24 crazy quilt blocks and encouraged folks to stop by and hand embroider on them, with their goal of having one thousand hands work on the quilt. Over the weekend, they had at least 100 people stop by for five to 30 minutes to stitch designs and beading on to the quilt blocks.

I added a five-petal Lazy Daisy flower on one block, and loved chatting with the ladies at the booth. I love the idea of a collaborative stitching project like this. The chapter will continue to take the blocks to various events throughout the year, and hope to have the completed quilt finished and on display at the 2010 Maker Faire Bay Area. I'm looking forward to seeing it then!

Columbine Cross Stitch

This piece is called "Nothing Much Happened Today (for Eric and Dylan)" and is by artist Noelle Mason. It's been ~~lovingly~~ carefully stitched by hand, and who knows how long it must have taken. My interpretation: those long hours pay homage to the community around the Columbine High School shooting. I'm sure each stitch was spent deeply considering the implications of the image. The piece measures 50 x 66 inches. Via Radical Cross Stitch.

June 2, 2009

Embroidered Vintage Hankies

CRAFT DIY Wedding

Merrill Hankies1
CRAFT reader Merrill Lehmann of Sugar Darling Vintage is getting married in two weeks! As a special gift for her bridesmaids, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and a few other important ladies in her life, she embroidered these beautiful vintage hankies.

Merrill writes:

Many of them already had some beautiful stitch work, but I satin stitched each girl's initial and the date of the wedding. I'm pretty new to embroidery, so I was teaching myself as I went along but it was such a fun project and so rewarding when I saw how amazed everyone was!

To learn how you can do this too, check out Sublime Stitching's embroidery tutorials. See more photos of Merrill's hankies after the jump.

Read full story

June 1, 2009

Stackable Cats Cross-Stitch Pattern

Stackablecats Stitch2
How adorable is this stackable cats cross-stitch pattern? Anna of Mochimochi Land made this, her first ever cross-stitch pattern based on her knitting pattern of these adorable cats pictured below. (For you dog lovers, Anna just released her new stackable pups knitting pattern.)

Stackablecats Shop

May 27, 2009

Space Invaders Cross Stitch Pattern

Here's a free Space Invaders cross stitch pattern from Sprite Stitch, complete with War of the Worlds quote.

Cross-Stitch Cars

Xtitchcar
Xstitchcar2
My jaw is dropping over the amazing cross-stitch car art by Severija Incirauskaite-Kriauneviciene. The artist is a part of an upcoming exhibition in Berlin called Strich und Faden. View her gallery to see her beautiful cross-stitch art on car doors, skillets, and more. [ via Embroidery as Art ]

Free Embroidery Pattern From Misako Mimoko

I am utterly charmed by this delightful little embroidery pattern from Misako Mimoko. Based in Bareclona, crafter Eva Monleón makes fantastically unique and whimsical dolls. This embroidery pattern is based on one of her "kettle head" dolls, and just has me downright giddy.

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