New Work

Working on a series in this style (or similar) with various subjects. These will all be put on sale in my shop over the next months. I've used many different stitches on this piece, which made it very enjoyable to make. I started out with a simple anchor shape and improvised, because that's how I like to work. :)  

Questions/offers/commissions? Please get in touch! nicole@followthewhitebunny.com 

Fine Feathers

A tiny update on my tiny Bird the Squirrel embroidery (only a little over an inch high!). I started adding some colourful feathers to his back. Apparently when he was just a young squirrel Bird was adopted by a family of Flying Squirrels. They travelled with a circus performing a Fairly Amazing Flying Squirrel Act.  Being a regular grey Squirrel, flying didn't come natural to Bird so he made a rather clever construction (using lots of different feathers) which allowed him to fly short distances.

The orange pink feather (rumour has it that Bird the Squirrel obtained it from a sleeping Flamingo) is a tiny Raised Herringbone Stitch. The other feathers are all some sort of Fly Stitch varieties.

Garden Path Embroidery Sampler-along

In the past few months we had some great themes on the &Stitches blog. We have been looking at backsides of embroideries and we explored the Satin Stitch. This month we are looking at inspiring (modern) samplers and stitches and (quite spontaneously) started the Garden Path Embroidery Sampler-along!

First Carina tackled the Granito Stitch, last week Julie showed the Sheaf Filling Stitch and today I posted a tutorial for one of my favourite stitches: the Wheat Ear Stitch. Coincidentally these are 'grain' related stitches. :)  I already learned lots filling these three garden 'plots' even though I already knew the stitches. It's fun to practice and experiment and make your sampler look quite pretty at the same time as well. So do yourself a favour: download the free Garden Path Sampler and Sampler-along with us!

Bringing life to an almost monochrome embroidery...the Doubtful Guest

I know this is not strictly a monochrome piece, but the scarf just needed some colour right? Nearly done now with this embroidery, I just need to find the red/pink colour of the Doubtful Guest's scarf again in one of my not so tidy floss boxes/ziplock bags! I'm glad I have now put this piece in a smaller hoop because the little guy looked a bit lost in the larger hoop he was in. I like the effect that the use of different numbers of thread (1-3 strands of floss) different stitches (back stitch, my notorious 'crazy' fur stitch, stem stitch and satin stitch) and the direction of the stitch, have on the image. I have learned now that even with only colour you are able to bring an embroidery to life. And trust me it looks much 'livelier' in real life than on this photo! Besides the strands, stitches and stitch direction I will add another 'lively' aspect to the embroidery. Like in my first Edward Gorey/Doubtful Guest Embroidery I will make the scarf's fringe 3D. :)

Essential Stitches & Mini Peep Boot Contest

Detail of Castle Peeps sampler: there are quite a few different stitches here!

Just this afternoon I posted a question on my Facebook page (and through that on Twitter) about what people think the 5 most important stitches to learn are for a newbie embroiderer. I was surprised by some of the comments and clearly there is a difference of opinion on what should be in the top 5 of essential stitches. So I thought it would be fun to do a poll, it's in the left side bar. Also if you choose 'other', please leave a comment on this post on what stitch(es) you think is essential but not in the list. You can choose several answers.

I would also like to use this opportunity to write something about the fun Mini Peep Boot Contest that Lizzy House started today. You can find a template of a Peep Mini Boot on Lizzy's blog, make your own version of a Peep Mini Boot, join the Mini Peep Boot Contest Flickr Group and win awesome prizes. Contest is open until the 20th so hurry! I'm certainly making one, or maybe even a pair of Peep Mini Boots!

Something old, something new...

Last Friday I went on a little shopping excursion to Amsterdam to visit my favourite shop and this knitted peacock blue Polar Bear Dress is one of my purchases. I absolutely heart my new dress and I don't think 39 is too old to wear dresses with Polar Bears on, right? ;)

Moving on to another purchase which was quite an Ebay bargain for only 2.70 GBP!

This book was originally released in the 1930's but this version is from the 50's. Mary Thomas's dictionary is a classic and it's actually still available in a new revised version. My version is not new but I don't mind. :)

It has all these charming  animated illustrations that you will not find in modern day embroidery books! This one is for the brick stitch. One of my favourite filling stitches that I used a lot in the Castle Peeps Sampler piece. This book covers all the basic stitches and many other 'new' (to me) stitches to be inspired by. As this was a popular book for decades you should be able to pick it up somewhere for a good price!

New stitches on patterned fabric

I have been trying a new squiggly stitch in a checkered pattern and I'm very happy with the results so far. It's loosely inspired by patterns on Formica Kitchen Sets from the Fifties. Well I think it is anyway but I can't actually find an example on the internet with a similar pattern on it. The fabric is great as well, it's a linen/cotton blend with a soft blue gingham print on. This try out is part of the patterns that are to be released later. I'm going to stitch them over the next few weeks. That, and the Cross Stitch Patterns I bought at What Delilah Did. Very excited about those as well. I would love to create a wall in my living room dedicated to embroidery and with different styles and subjects, pretty much like this one!

Danish Delight for your Stitchy Library

My Feeling Stitchy colleague Carina released an awesome embroidery e-book last week called Stitching Borders and Beyond (also available in a left handed version!).  I took one look at the cover and I knew I had to purchase it right away. I was even more delighted when I got the PDF and saw the pretty border patterns (with fun names like Pompeiian Villa and Fabulous Fiesta) and the extensive stitch guide. The stitch on the photo, the Maiden hair,  was a stitch I did not know before and an immediate favourite. Of course I will have to try the Danish knot as well! Until July 15th Stitching Borders and Beyond is available in Carina's shop for only $10.

Trying new stitches (and failing hopelessly on some)...

This week I intended to work on (and finish) the 'My bed is a boat' pattern but I did not. (The pattern will be there soon I promise, just not this week!) Instead I did quite a bit of drawing, inspired by a sad but romantic song. I will show you more of what I have been drawing somewhere in the near future. Be sure to have a hankie near though! ;)


I also have been trying out new stitches. With my A-Z of Embroidery Stitches in my lap I first had a very unsuccessful go at the Chinese knot and then failed miserably at the Colonial knot as well. I moved on to the Bullion knot which was a breeze compared to two knots! Then I tried the Cretan Stitch, which is the leaf shape on the left,  and it wasn't too difficult either. Much to my surprise I found out I that I did my Chain Stitch all wrong, so no more wonky Chain stitches from me from now on. My favourite of this try out session was the Jacobean Couching stitch, the two not so perfect leaf-shapes on the right. I have a soft spot for Jacobean Patterns but had not tried this stitch before.
Which stitch would you like to master? Or which stitch do you find impossible to do? Please tell me I'm not alone in my failure of mastering some of them!

p.s. don't forget the Spring sale in the shop, it ends this Sunday!