Old Stitches, New Tricks

Just in case you don't read the &Stitches blog: we have a fabulous new Embroidery competition going on called Old Stitches, New Tricks!  You can read all the details (about how and when to enter etc) on the &Stitches blog but basically the idea is that you take something 'old' (an old pattern or technique for example) and use it in a contemporary way. An interesting challenge for sure! 

Great prize to win: this is the loot the winner will get!

I was planning on playing along as well. Obviously I can't enter the contest (as I am an &Stitches co-host) but I really wished I could, because the prizes are fantastic.  Anyway, I started researching an old, somewhat forgotten technique yesterday (not revealing what it is yet!) and I hardly could find any information on it. Nothing in my personal 'library' and very little online as well. I wonder why that is but I'm determined to bring it put it in the spotlight a bit before it disappears in oblivion  :) 

News from the Stitchy Community

Illustration SAL 3 From top left clock wise: Wrightson Frankenstein by Sandy, H.R. Giger illustration by PixieFey, Totoro hoop by Rebecca and St Trinian's by Meredith. See the whole gallery here which includes photos I couldn't use here due to copyright.

The Illustration Stitch Along is already in it's third round! This time people who have joined in are free in their choice of which illustrator/illustration they are going to tackle and so far the results are very impressive! You can still join in this Stitch Along or perhaps you'd rather wait until the next Illustration Stitch Along starts in October? If I remember correctly we'll be making embroideries based on the illustrations of Dr. Seuss then. I think I'll embroider a Dr. Seuss pillowcase for my daughter. :) 

Another fun challenge is up on the &Stitches blog! Last Thursday I announced our Back to School Stitching Competition there. A fun theme and fab prizes by Penguin & Fish, Lucky Jackson and Septemberhouse! There is still plenty of time to enter as the contest closes the 15th of October. Check further details here.

Back to Black

One of the gifts I received for my birthday was this book about Blackwork by Becky Hogg. This publication by the Royal School of Needlework is only 96 pages but for me it is a perfect addition to my stitchy library.  There's a short history of blackwork embroidery, a chapter about materials (funnily enough cheap bright blue plastic hoops aren't required), design and transferring. Of course there is a chapter about Stitches. Blackwork is limited in the number of stitches it uses and you will not need to learn any new stitches if you already know your 'basic' embroidery stitches.

There are lots of different patterns to be found in this book with diagrams and stitched examples. And with patterns I mean 'filling' patterns like diamond and hexagon shapes, not bunnies and hedgehogs. The patterns are followed by chapters on different Shading techniques. That's my favourite section of the book, it's amazing what you can do with variations in pattern, type of thread and stitches! 

Of course I had to give Blackwork a try too (see top photo) and grabbed some even weave fabric (not sure of the count 32 possibly?) and black floss. I drew a Jackalope (not sure yet how to tackle the antlers so haven't added them yet) on the fabric with a regular pencil and started filling it with a simple diamond pattern. It's far from perfect. Problem is that with my eyesight I can hardly see what I'm doing so it's really time to get a magnifier for detailed work like this. As it happens there was a review of an interesting magnifying tool called Craftoptics on Needle 'n Thread today. It would certainly do wonders for adding a Steampunk touch to my look (and possibly help me with my stitching too) but sadly it is a little too expensive for me. 

Speaking of tools...

We have such a good contest going on at the &Stitches blog at the moment. The only thing you have to do is blog (or if you don't blog, post on Flickr) about your embroidery tool kit  or embroidery tools and share the link on our blog. The prizes are so fabulous that I truly am sorry that I can't enter the contest myself. Sublime Stitching goodies (scissor, labels, patterns), a most wonderful tiny Abstract Art needlepoint kit from RetrosariaZoe and yummy handspun floss from DragonFlyLotus Designs. The winner will be picked by myself, Carina & Julie so make sure your entry is special :) 

Mini Peep Boot Ornament!

It was fun making this Mini Peep Boot if not a bit fiddly. I used felt, a small piece of Lizzy House Duck fabric, pink pom pom and pink ric rac. And I added some simple embroidery stitches too. I thought the vintage trim suited this Mini Peep Boot well.  I love working with felt and it's so easy to embroider on. You can still enter the Mini Peep Boot contest till tomorrow I think. There are not many entries yet and the prizes are really great. Also make sure to check out the giveaway on Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread. You can win some awesome embroidery books!  It ends tomorrow so hurry.