long time ago, I used to embroider all the time. It was such a great thing to take on car trips or to pick up when I didn’t have enough time to start a drawing but felt like doing something creative. I used to embroider work shirts and jeans for me and boys I was dating (remember, this was back during the hippie scare of the late 60’s and early 70’s, when boys wore their hair long and weren’t afraid of a peace sign or a flower or two on the pocket of their shirt). When Phil and I were dating AND taking long car trips to visit friends all over the country, I embroidered a little red VW camper, his dog Jigsy, and of course, tiny versions of the two of us all across the back of his denim shirt.
Then when the boys came along, I embroidered and appliquéd my way through blankets, onesies, overalls, jackets, and pillows until they got old enough to say the word “stop”.
And then I got busy with the business, and the embroidery took a back seat to drawing until I finally stopped altogether. I started again when Mikayla came along and have even taught her some stitches, but as I’ve said before, if it doesn’t involve a horse or a ball, she’s really just being polite.
Now we have a new book out called “Stitched So Cute” from the ever-fabulous Leisure Arts, and it is SO cute (and thus, appropriately titled) that I might have to take up all this stitching stuff again! Take a look at these darling owl and mushroom pincushions. So many wonderful projects and none of them will take you years to complete—which works for me! Because if there’s one thing I love as much as I love making things, it’s instant gratification. If you decide to get this book, let us see your finished projects– I’d love to show them on the website.
Oh, and one final note– we made almost $6000.00 for Doctors Without Borders with our Haiti print. Thanks so much for all of you who supported this worthy cause by buying a print. Although they’re off our radar now, with new disasters cropping up all the time, Haiti still desperately needs our help, especially with hurricane season in full swing. Anything you can do to help will certainly still be appreciated.
~Mary
I love your bird pillow. You know no matter where we lived; embroidering seems to be part of our earlier sewing experiences. I remember when I was about 12 or 13 and Polio was rampant, and terrible crippling disease. To keep me quiet and occupied during the hot summer afternoons she taught me how to embroidery. Tea towels and pillowcase were very plentiful that summer. I now make dolls, bags, Christmas decor and am now trying to get back into drawing. My Mom who is now 91 about to be 92 next month is still embroidering though. She makes sets of pillowcases for us, her grandchildren and now her great grandchildren.
Thank you for sharing your embroidery experiences.
Cheers Sandra Santa Lucia
Banff, Alberta
Canada
Mary
My latest treck into embroidery is using my gradmothers and any others I can find to make pillowcase dresses for a project called Little Dresses for Africa. You cut the top off of a pillowcase cut in the arms, and add a pocket on the top of the back and front for elastic and trim out the arm holes with bias tape and ribbon. The project has delivered over four thousand dresses to orphanage’s all over africa, thanks for your words of encouragement and creatative genius!
I just ordered cross stitch pillowcases from you line to make dresses for my great niece.
Dear Mary, A fan forever who is more than delighted to discover this place of inspiration. I am so surprised to find on this first visit a post about your newest crafting book. I am someone with the most adorable blog inspired by my love of all things “Mary” and who happens to be a prolific crafter in felt inspired by vintage greeting cards. I do hope you will stop by to see my most amazing crafting room filled with keepsakes from the creative women of this community. Elizabeth of Creative Breathing
Mary, I think your embroidered projects are so adorable, like everything you do! I grew up learning basic needle arts skills, back when crewel work was very popular, along with felt, burlap, macrame and other hippie-type stuff. I’m glad to see that it’s making a comeback, and your book will certainly help the cause!
I can’t wait to go get one! Glad to see such beauty, such dreams coming forth! Blessings and light to you, dear!
Mary, I just read about your book, Stitched So Cute! I will certainly pick up a copy. I just recently (many years (too) late got interested in Ribbon Art & Embroidery (check out books by Di Niekerk – especially her Monograms & Alphabet book & her Fairies book) also a fantastic website is Mary Corbet’s NeedleNThread. It is an amazing place & Mary, like you, just explodes with every kind of embroidery & stitch knowledge & freely passes it on – esp. interesting is her goldwork emb.
My copy just arrived (I ordered it as soon as I read your post!) and I’m so excited to start that I’m going to abandon all responsibilities this weekend and stitch some new bed sheets!
The stitching comments and stories bring back memories. I still have two sweaters that I embroidered using waste canvas. Basted the canvas onto the sweater, completed the stitching and then pulled the canvas threads away. That was in the 70s, I still like them.
Wonderful…I’ll have to check it out at Michaels next time I’m out “acquiring”. You can’t tell much from the picture of the book on Leisure Arts website. The Rose album on the mantle in the picture above is just stunning.
Thanks for sharing!
´*•.¸(´*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
♥•.*.Thank you.*.•♥
♥•.*.from Vicki*.•♥
¸.•*´(¸.•*´♥´*•.¸)´*•.¸
Mary the book looks very inspiring. I used to embroider a lot also. Love the birds of a feather pillow. How wonderful you were able to raise the money you donated to Haiti.
I was a teenager in the 70′s and embroidered a pillow with all kinds of crazy birds, flowers and love stuff for a boy friend at the time. Same as you I went on to embroider on some of my daughters cloths and then I went on to counted cross stitch. I do not see those charts too well now so I have went back to sewing and other crafts. Love the sneak peek I think I will have to check the book out!
I used to embroider all the time, but now I just sew and smock. But I am working with my girls on their first mini quilts and am teaching them to embroider their names on the quilts to sign them. So cute! I want that new book!
I have the tea towel that I embroidered for my grandmohter when I was 12. She never used it because she thought it was so special. It hangs in my sewing studio now…I miss her still.
Rainbows, sunshine and mushrooms were all over my oldest son’s overalls! He’s now a California Highway Patrolman but still appreciates his former outfits.