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Helping hands? A new update! March 19, 2020
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If you've been with Sublime Stitching for a while, you probably know that before moving to Los Angeles, I started out in Austin where I lived for eleven years.
That's why this collab is extra special to me...
Jacket embroidered by Amy Byrne with Ft. Lonesome patterns
Chain stitched patches by Ft. Lonesome
If you're not familiar with chain stitching, it's kind of the cool cousin to hand embroidery and digitized embroidery. You've seen it emblazoned spectacularly on fancy western wear or at the very least, as your own name stitched across a hat with a set of Mickey ears. Worked neither entirely by machine nor alone by hand, chain stitching is an art all unto itself.
Since you probably don't have a chain stitching machine at home, I thought Ft. Lonesome's designs would be perfect to offer as designs for hand embroidery!
Chainstitch work requires incredible skill and patience to execute successfully. The machines (which in the USA are almost exclusively antiques) can be finicky and require a lot of technical TLC. You also have to be able to use your non-dominant hand to move the fabric to create graceful lines, while your other hand works a multi-direction needle. I compare it to the confused feeling of patting your head and rubbing your tummy. But I can do that. I can't, however, work a chainstitch machine at all. I know, because I used to own one. (More on that later.)
Meet Kathie:
Kathie Sever is a master seamstress. When I first met her, she was making offbeat, but meticulously-made western wear. The clothing didn't have the embroidery treatment yet, but the details alone were eye-catching: pearl snap buttons, patterned piping, unusual fabrics, ruffled sleeves...the detail and quality of her work is jaw-dropping.
So, I asked her to make a shirt as a project example for me to embroider in my book Embroidered Effects (Chronicle Books):
Do you see how beautifully made this shirt is? (I still have it, by the way.)
So when Kathie made the move into embroidery, specifically, chainstitch embroidery, it was the next glorious, logical step.
And, it was a lucky thing I couldn't get the hang of the chainstitch machine I'd hunted down in Waco, Texas. I was really interested in adding chainstitching to my embroidery repertoire, but I quickly bowed and backed away slowly, knowing I was beholden to hand embroidery alone, and that chainstitch work was a separate artform I was not prepared to devote myself to.
So I made sure when someone bought my machine that it went to a good home. Wouldn't you know it, Kathie called me one day: "You still got that chainstitching machine?"
And to work she went...
Wanna embroider something now? I thought so...
Check this out! I made a special guide for you! (The picture above is just part of the guide, it's not the whole thing.) I've created a special Stitch Atlas™ for the sunset design. My Stitch Atlas™ is included in the PDF version, which is a unique visual method that explains where to use:
Further reading...
Tutorial: The Easiest Chainstitch
Interviews: Ft. Lonesome in Texas Monthly and Esquire
History: Embroidered Suits Are Making a Comeback (Billboard)
]]>The auctions never disappoint...
And neither do the chateaux...
Le sigh! This chateau has a curse: It is told that a young woman was doomed to be locked in one of its rooms forever (I'm totally making this up), only allowed to be left alone to embroider endlessly, day after day.
Oh wait. I mean, that's my personal fantasy.
If I had this place, I'd probably want a lot of beautifully stuffed birds like the ones I saw at the auctions:
They'd go well with the dead hare painting I acquired last year! Remember that?
I didn't make it in to Au Ver à Soie in 2018, so I made sure to visit their showroom this time...
I'm happy to just wander around Au Ver à Soie, nosing into every corner...
But, this is a business and I am here on important embroidery work! So, I put together a wholesale order at their famous counter while I was there.
Though Au Ver à Soie's showroom is not open to the public, they do have an annual open house! Check out more info on Nuit de la Broderie.
Musée Bourdelle is one museum I'd never visited until I learned about the extremely popular and widely publicized exhibit Back Side / Fashion From Behind:
This exhibition was presented by The Palais Galliera (The Museum of Fashion in Paris) which is currently undergoing a massive renovation. It was fantastic to see these pieces from their collection so thoughtfully placed throughout the Musée Bourdelle.
If you follow Sublime Stitching on instagram, then you may know I've been...um...knitting. I actually bought some needles and wools while I was there just because I was dying to knit something. ("Something" always being a scarf.)
Whenever I admit (in a hushed tone) that I've been knitting, everyone insists that I go to La Droguerie. Which, I did. And it gives me the knitting wants so bad. Though of course, whenever someone suggests I should check out La Droguerie I have to be annoying and explain that I first visited their boutique back in 1994, when they were located in the Marais. I should stop doing that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get to SAJOU already! Okay, okay...here it is:
See what I brought back from Sajou for you here!
I can never resist picking out out a palette like this for myself! I don't even need this stuff! I already have too much! I am powerless against it! Oh, and while I'm shouting...
Guess what? Sajou is now offering beginner embroidery classes with Sublime Stitching patterns! Do you have any idea how excited I am about this, mom?
Taught in-store by the lovely Rebecca Devaney, an École Lesage trained, haute-couture embroiderer and historian who has worked in the houses of Yves Saint Laurent, Céline and many others:
(The classes are taught in English, but Rebecca also speaks French fluently.) If you're in Paris, email Sajou to get in on one of these workshops!
I need une pause...
Two and half hours later...that's better. Though I did come home with 'the gout'. No, not really, but I can't imagine how I didn't.
Guess who else I met up with while I was there?
Do you know the embroidery work of SiwooinParis? Camille and I have met up three times now, and it's always a highlight of my trip to spend some time with her. She's a little camera-shy, but she brought one of her works to show me! Her work is really tiny, playful and delicate.
I also met up with Nadia Albertini, another camera-shy haute couture embroiderer and historian who you should follow on instagram. Yes, les brodeuses are circling Paris.
So, why Paris all the time? Why don't I ever travel anywhere else? I do, I just have an extremely soft spot for France like everyone else (that, and I do have a degree in French don't you know), and a long personal history with Paris.
But for me, there is something very extra special that I love in France:
My niece's grandparents. I've known them for 25 years. Aren't they adorable even though he looks so grumpy? He's going to twist my nose for putting his photo up like this. Tant pis! On est adorable!
À la prochaine...
Notes from...
Sublime Stitching in Paris 2017
Sublime Stitching in Paris 2018
I brought back for you...
Sajou collection here
Au Ver à Soie collection here
My third embroidery pattern portfolio is here, and it features the magical work of the wonderful and endlessly inspiring Mary Blair!
Mary Blair Embroidery Pattern Portfolio
Not familiar with Mary Blair? Perhaps you don't know the name, but I bet you know her work:
In addition to being the designer for the It's a Small World ride at Disneyland, she was the concept artist for some of Disney's most famous animated features (Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan and many others).
Cinderella images are copyright © The Walt Disney Company
The Oklahoma-born Blair became known as a visionary California artist whose concepts enlivened animation, commercial illustration, children's books and theme park design. She also influenced decades of artists, illustrators and designers for decades to follow.
What's special about this collection of embroidery patterns, is that they are based on works from her private collection of commercial, personal and non-Disney work:
This painting of a girl holding a bird is one of my favorites, so I made it the image on the cover with my stitched example appearing on the back cover:
Mary's work lends itself so well to embroidery, and I'm thrilled to finally have this portfolio ready for you to play around with! I'm so curious to see what you'll stitch up with these patterns...xoxo Jenny
]]>With this pen, you have lots of creative options:
1. This pen has a continuous inkflow. You don't need to press the nib to get the ink flowing, which often results in overflow and can ruin your pattern.
2. The tip can make thick OR thin lines. By using the very tip (and a light touch) you can make a thin line, or a thicker line by angling it slightly. (Though, it doesn't make lines as thin as my Fine Tip Transfer Pens.)
This also means, you can create a pattern with a mix of line widths to indicate where you want to use thick threads or where you want to use finer threads!
3. Visible on denim (and other surfaces). Denim is one of the most fun and flashy fabrics to embellish with embroidery. My Fine Tip Transfer Pens aren't really made for that job, but this Bold Tip Transfer Pen is! And it's not just for denim: think of coarser fabrics and challenging surfaces. Burlap, heavy linens, canvas, wood for painting templates...
Check out what I made with it:
(This is linen embroidered with cotton yarn.)
My black cat pattern called "Mysterious Guest is available here.
And let me know how you like this new pen! For now it's available only in black ink, but more colors may become available soon!
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photo: Jana Kirn
photo: Jana Kirn - Estelle Embroidered Flare Jeans
No, I hadn't done anything quite like this before. This took weeks and weeks of work. We knew it wasn't possible to embroider all the clothes by hand, so how could they make them look as hand embroidered as possible?
I'll admit it: I was a little dubious about how well it could be done. And it took numerous meetings and samples and re-workings to get it just right.
So how did it all turn out? Have a look!
Astrid Embroidered Mini Skirt:
Estelle Embroidered Flare Jeans:
The "Desert Aura" collection is inspired by the mystique of the desert and the magic that seems to surround plant life found there.
It's my hope the clothes will continue to be embellished and stitched by the wearer to personalize the pieces and make them truly unique!
But what I am admittedly the most excited about is the limited edition,
Sublime / Citizens / Free People Bandana Embroidery Kit to accompany the collection:
photo: Jana Kirn
And, keep an eye on my instagram accounts @hellojennyhart and @sublimestitching for more details and images of this project! xoxo
]]>You can get any of my tool cases with or without tools included:
These cases fit neatly into almost any sized bag so you can break out the embroidery when you just can't take the world any more and have to stitch something.
]]>This was a very welcome break from a very busy year. To answer some questions: this is my twelfth (I think...counting on fingers...) trip to Paris since 1991. The longest stay was eight months, then three, then a series of annual month-long stays. A lot of people don't know that I'm bilingual in French and English (I have a degree in French, too) and...well, I have a long, intense, complicated and wonderful history with family and friends in Paris (who doesn’t?) and yes, that is a cup of Côtes du Rhône in my shoe.
You might be surprised that I didn't visit some of my usual places this year, and that was partly because I really wanted to keep my mind off work...and I plan to be back next year.
So what DID I do? Well, I went to a lot (a LOT) of vide greniers, which means "attic clearing". In other words: neighborhood garage sales. In Paris. All over Paris. These are the best, most fun and interesting kinds of sales to go to because they are (mostly) not professional dealers, but people who live in the quarter and have set up modest tables crammed with treasures they no longer want...
After buying an old ceramic hare for 15 euro that I had no idea how I'd get home (I carried it wrapped in a sweater on the plane), I spent a lot of time at the other end of the "second hand" spectrum: visiting the Paris auction houses!
(Don't cough, or you'll buy that Roman statue.)
I couldn't believe my eyes. I want everything. Gimme gimme...a bigger suitcase.
The intention was just to go one day to view the items on display the day before the auction happens just for fun, and instead we ended up spending three days in row attending the auctions. Oops.
Then, I saw something beautiful and heartbreaking (I've collected paintings for years) that gave me the extra tummy-aching wants:
Now, I realize "dead hare" is not everyone's decorating vision, but anyone who knows me personally isn't surprised I'd go for this.
There were paintings everywhere, but nothing like this. It was signed and dated 1872, and beautifully painted. Shouldn't this be in the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature? How could it be here? It's so sweet, so melancholy. A painting like this, that I'd expect to see in any European museum had to be worth like, a gabillion euro. Right?
I left an absentee bid just for fun. A bid so low I was sure the auctioneer was thinking "You silly American. That painting is going to go for money you can't imagine." Just a silly, little wishful bid.
Then, I saw THIS:
The most incredible, antique embroidery and sewing set in a mirrored and velvet box! Hoo boy. I had to calm down. I was leaving fingerprints and noseprints on the glass case.
Now, I don't know what everything in this set is used for, but the funny-looking things on the left are thread winders, and the "jardinière" to the right of the scissors is probably a needle case. Of course there's a thimble, to-die-for scissors and spools. The rest? I don't know! Do you?
I left an absentee bid for this set as well. Then, we needed a break from all the excitement and adrenaline and wishing.
Did you know it's free to go into the grounds of Versailles? (You need a ticket to go into the chateaus or visit Marie Antoinette's "Hamlet".) Did you know you can walk in with a bag full of wine, cheese, bread and a nap blanket and get lost in the far corners of the grounds? That's what we did. Wine, cheese, charcuterie and nap.
Though I've been to Versailles multiple times, I think this was the first time I'd found Marie Antoinette's grotto (above). That's about my speed. I'll be in there for the rest of the year if anyone needs me. I don't care if the stream is running through the middle of it. I love a water feature.
So, did I win the auction for the embroidery set? Well, no. I didn't.
But I did win something else:
If you want to see pics from my last trip to Paris, go here!
]]>Gahh! It's finally here! The Gemma Correll Embroidery Pattern PORTFOLIO!
]]>Gahh!! It's here! It's finally here!! The Gemma Correll Embroidery Pattern Portfolio! Who better to continue this series than...Gemma Correll!
Gemma is such a funny cartoonist and I've been laughing to myself at her illustrations and jokes for years. Gemma and I have wanted to do this collab for a long, long time and we're both so excited to finally make it happen!
This collection of patterns is purrrrfect for a beginner to tackle, or a more experienced stitcher to embellish and play with. Like this guy: GAW!
photo of Gemma Correll by Dave Tada
Think how easy it will be to stitch these up!
And in case you missed it, this pattern portfolio accessorizes quite nicely with the Gemma Correll Hoop Flair needle minder:
Enjoy! xoxo Jenny
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Your dreams have come true. I've turned Nathalie Lété's work into an entire portfolio of embroidery patterns for you!
]]>I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally reveal this new pattern format and collaboration! It's two new things at once! Where should I start?
Sublime Stitching Portfolios This is a new format of Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns! Seven, perforated pages of multi-imprinting embroidery designs, bound between a gorgeous, full-color cover.
Get it right here.
Who better to launch this series...
Nathalie Lété is one of my favorite artists, and I'm betting she may be one of yours, too. I've dreamed of doing a collaboration with her for years, but because she works in a loose, painterly style -how could I interpret her work into embroidery patterns?
Then, she invited me to visit her studio in Paris...
It was wonderful. I loved her work even more after seeing all the ways she plays with materials and generously collaborates with other artists. I am extremely grateful to her for entrusting me with exclusively interpreting her work for hand embroidery patterns.
And here we are:
Oh, and there's also a Nathalie Lété magnet-lined sewing case!
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Check out this lovely, short video that brings you inside my private studio!
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Check out this lovely, short video that brings you inside my private studio!
Hart Road Productions (name is a coincidence) of Los Angeles put together this really nice, brief interview and studio visit for me. And, they were great to work with. (Who hasn't dreamed of making an entrance in slow motion?) It's short and sweet, and really neat! Enjoy, and maybe we'll make more!
]]>Don't know how to access my Secret Library of free patterns for hand embroidery? All you need to do is join here!
]]>There's a new sheet of iron-on embroidery transfers! Butterfly Chart by Kyler Martz.
Do you see all the animal faces in the wings?
These examples were beautifully stitched up for me by Kirsten Moore (the filled version) and Amy Byrne (the outlined version).
The thread colors used are Sublime Floss in Laurel Canyon and Fruit Salad!
]]>This is Yoshi. He's my new spirit animal.
]]>This is a snapshot from a dizzying six days in Tokyo. I was there to launch my collection of hand-embroidered jeans, jackets, t-shirts, totes and embroidery patterns with AGOLDE (Los Angeles) exclusively for Rose Bud boutique in Tokyo. At the same time, the store held an exhibition of my artwork in their new salon with a media preview and party. This was quite the to-do.
We hear about "collabs" and "new clothing collections" all the time. We also hear the discouraging tales about clothing companies blatantly ripping off artists' work.
How about an awesome story where that DIDN'T happen? Here you go...
Earlier this year, I took my most recent artwork to Citizen's of Humanity / AGOLDE's showroom in Los Angeles. They'd invited me to discuss doing something with my embroidery, their clothes, and a very influential store they worked with in Tokyo. I didn't know whose idea it was at the time. Why me? I don't really do embroidery on clothing. I get asked all the time (and I say no all the time). I'm not an embroiderer-for-hire, and I was a little hesitant...
What became clear, and made this project special to me, is that it would be the first time I'd put my artwork on clothing for a legitimate brand. I found AGOLDE very exciting, and there would be no commercial direction. They simply wanted my work. Specifically: Yuki, the Senior Buyer of Rose Bud wanted my work because she'd recently discovered it. But I wouldn't fully understand that until later. For now, I was working only with AGOLDE in Los Angeles, and they couldn't have been better.
So...a fashion project with no telling me what to do? No tinkering with my work? With a house that makes all of its clothes in Los Angeles? For a Japanese store exclusive?
YES. Yes to all of that.
My current artwork heavily features these "floating ribbons" of silk threads (from historic Au Ver à Soie)
and skulls...
The entrance display at Rose Bud's Shibuya flagship store.
I'd never done a project like this before, and a lot of the challenges were unknown to me. The amount of work it took, even with talented embroiderers Shannon and Nina doing the actual pieces from my samples, was daunting. The shepherding of this project took months. The results are precious and few.
There are only ten pairs of hand-embroidered jeans, ten "I'm the Only One I Trust" hand-embroidered denim jackets, thirty screen-printed t-shirts (with tiny, hand-embroidered x's in silk here and there), 100 screen-printed tote bags (also with silk x's stitched on them) and embroidery patterns of the skull and floating ribbon. The clothes are only available from Rose Bud in Japan. (The patterns are coming here soon.)
None of this would have been possible without a key person at AGOLDE and a team of wonderful people in Japan I was just about to meet...
They arranged for me to teach Japanese model Mei Nagasawa to embroider for SHE magazine:
Preparations for the press event and exhibition began...
And once the party started it became kind of a blur...
They asked me to sit and embroider for a while as a demonstration. Being immediately surrounded with cameras, like paparazzi circling for hand embroidery, is something I won't forget.
There was a panel discussion to explain the project: the renaissance of Rose Bud via this collaboration and the significance of the Au Ver à Soie silk threads used for the embroidery:
Working with AGOLDE and Rose Bud's team couldn't have been better or easier. Everyone was kind, supportive and ready to make something special happen. It's not often you can say that. It's rare.
Two key people made this project happen. Yuki Ohtsubo (the Senior Buyer of Rose Bud who discovered my work) and Alicia Joines of Citizens of Humanity / AGOLDE:
(Maybe I could get used to posing in front of a logo wall. Maybe we should erect one here at Sublime Stitching.)
Here are the wonderful people at Rose Bud who made this all come together!
Japan: I love you. This was my second trip Tokyo, and the hospitality and kindness we were shown meant we left a chunk of our hearts there. (That's my long-time boyfriend and fiancé next to me.) I can't wait to see these faces again. Special thanks to: Shiho, Rika, Akemi, Nao, Ms. Hanzawa and Ms. Kumagai.
So, don't despair. I hope you can see from this example what it looks like when clothing companies work with artists to make a little magic happen.
As Yuki said during the panel discussion: The goal wasn't to sell a lot of clothes, it was to put artwork on a few pieces of clothing that she hoped would be understood, valued and still be around in 100 years.
。:゚(。ノω\。)゚・。
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Phew. This was quite a dry spell for us with no pens! But hey- it's all going to be okay now: they're back! All colors of my exclusive Fine Tip Transfer Pens for your contemporary embroidery pattern-making needs!
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Hey! One of my most popular sheets is back with new designs on it! Fantasy Flowers still includes all of the original transfer patterns along with some extra bouquets for 'broidery!
]]>I've even included an extra big needle for you. Visions of the 70s anyone...?
This soft, linen-blend pillow cover is perfect for working with these tapestry threads to create big, bold stitches! My design is already printed on the pillow, and you don't have to do any sewing. When you're done, you'll have a gorgeous, very bohemian and colorful throw pillow to lounge upon and enjoy!
]]>I am so excited to announce the launch of our embroidery collection with Japanese artist and illustrator Naoshi! We're kicking off this collection with a new Hoop Flair needle minder!
I chose one of her "Candy Girl" heads for this, because you can also use it as a thread winder! Look:
I've heard that some of you collect needle minders so you have one with each of your multiple projects. Is this true? Do I need to make more?
If you are new to the world of needle minders, then read all about Hoop Flair here!
]]>Chanel, Dior, Hermès, Jean-Paul Gaultier and you. What's the connection?
Each of these fabled couture houses, and many others, have incorporated these pure silk threads from Au Ver à Soie ("oh vair uh swah" which means "the silkworm") in their creations, and now, so can YOU.
Have you embroidered with silk before? Doesn't it sound decadent? It is...
But don't be intimidated. Like anything new, you have to jump in and try it. Don't think you have to be the finest of embroiderers to work with silks. I'm not, and I did! (You can see my first attempt below.)
I admit I catch myself just ogling them. (Is this the onset of true embroidery madness?) It's as if I just want them to stay as they are. Perfect, soft little shimmery skeins and glimmering spools...
So, how did this relationship with Au Ver à Soie begin?
Well, I was in Paris last winter visiting family and friends, after many years of being away, and I never miss a visit to this magical place:
Ultramod is the oldest haberdashery in Paris, having opened their doors in 1850. The walls groan with boxes of buttons and notions, needles and ribbons. You find yourself just ambling around with your mouth open, wanting a little bit of everything.
I had come across Au Ver à Soie's account via Instagram earlier in the year completely by chance. Oh! I bet they have some of their threads here at Ultramod! "Excusez-moi, do you have Au Ver à Soie?" For the first time I was helped by the owner himself, Jean-François Morin, who pulled out some drawers for me.
I was presented with a typically French, sweetly messy jumble:
Where to begin? Why are some skeins, and others spools? Which green do I like best? How should I start?
I set up by the light of the front window, and began laying out my favorite colors on a gorgeous old floss cabinet:
My go-to palette: two greens, three red to pinks, a bright blue, yellow or gold and white. I'll start here, I figured. Bring them back home with me, stitch around with them some and add them to my collection of threads.
But that's not what was going to happen.
We realized then that the Au Ver à Soie showroom was just a few blocks away from where we were. So we had lunch and decided to simply go over there.
It was intimidating. Do we dare enter? Dare I buzz? We don't have an appointment! Will some frozen-faced Madame be incensed that I disturbed their very important thread making with my silly American ways?
Gulp. We buzzed. They opened the door without a word, and up a winding, red-carpeted staircase we went.
Welcome to embroidery heaven.
We were greeted warmly and after explaining who we were and why we were there, Nathalie excitedly made the connection of having also seen me on Instagram. Their showroom is open only to wholesale accounts, and we said we were there to talk about bringing Au Ver à Soie to Sublime Stitching. Well, step right up...
Nathalie (who is extremely camera-shy) is the great-granddaughter of the founder of Au Ver à Soie, and she runs it today with her brother. Since 1820, they have been manufacturing the finest silk threads. The showroom we were standing in had been their same client showroom since 1860. It was like a museum, filled with glass-front cases of old products, advertisements, color cards and embroidered bits and ends everywhere. (Here's a brief video of Nathalie explaining this color card.)
One of the best parts was learning about the company's history with French couture.
Dior. Chanel. Jean-Paul Gaultier. For decades, the finest couture houses have turned to Au Ver à Soie for silk threads. (Who else had been in this room and stood at this counter?)
But the most exciting was learning about their relationship with Hermès:
Hermès ("air-mezz") world-famous silk scarves are known for being meticulously hemmed by hand. But they must be hemmed with silk thread, not cotton. If cotton is used, the edge of the scarf will crinkle and curl.
This is where YOU come in. You can embroider with the very same threads Hermès sews into their beautiful, legendary scarves. Je rêve...
Something that caught my eye, was this pillow kit, designed by Nathalie Dentzer for Au Ver à Soie:
How can you resist? Oh, and I had to get a picture of this, hanging in their showroom (because embroidered handwriting and notes are my favorite):
You may tell yourself, "Oh, I'm just a beginner. I can't possibly do anything well enough to justify embroidering with silk." Feh. Just get a slimmer needle, strip down to 2 ply and give it a try. Here's my first attempt:
I had no big plan, just drew some flower shapes directly on my fabric (that's a linen), and filled them in. I embroidered these guys with just 2 strands of the silk floss. Next to it, you can compare it to stitches made with six-strand cotton floss (stitched there with all six strands 'cause I like big stitches).
Try it. Just do it. You will ooh and ah and feel very fancy. Every stitch you see above you can learn here. (I mostly used stem stitch and satin stitch.)
So what are you waiting for? We're already running out of stock on Au Ver à Soie silk threads! xoxo Jenny
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But wait, stitchers- there's more!
Order by 9pm PST 1/20/17 and we'll throw in a third pack of patterns!
Bundle offer ends Weds 1/25/17
So, what are you gonna say with your stitches?
• FIND IT HERE • Say It With Stitches Sale Bundle
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(This is a big deal for us.) I am so excited to introduce our new linen pillow covers for you to embroider! Let's go beyond "craft project" and enter the realm of hand embroidered home décor together...
The design is already printed on the front, and there's no sewing needed. Just open up the zippered side, insert your hoop and get straight to the best part: E M B R O I D E R I N G.
Anyone can embroider these, and a veteran stitcher can add lots of extra embellishment to make it unique. The back side is blank if you'd like to also embroider your own design!
The fabric is super soft, and finished with a corded edge:
Your needle will float through the fabric. And there's no pattern tracing or transfer necessary:
Just stitch along the lines, and before you know it, you'll have a new pillow that looks like a million dollars, embroidered by you:
• Beginner Embroidery Pillow Kit with Art by Kyler Martz •
• Beginner Embroidery Pillow Kit with art by Emily Winfield Martin •
Each kit comes with multiple colors of floss, and this full-color booklet:
• WARNING • Not responsible for friends and family mistakenly thinking you got a raise, blew it on expensive, hand-embroidered home décor and start muttering about your "bougie tendencies".
You can just throw your head back, laugh and say "These? Oh why I embroidered those." Then plop down luxuriously on them, sip your cocktail and say "Did you want me to make one for you?"
(More are coming!)
• Beginner Embroidery Pillow Kit with Art by Kyler Martz •
and
• Beginner Embroidery Pillow Kit with art by Emily Winfield Martin •
xo Jenny
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NOTE: This was a special, one-time event we launched for National Embroidery Month in 2017. The response was overwhelming.
We sent out over 300 free teaching packets as far away as Moscow and Dubai to individual stitchers. We received hundreds and hundreds of photos in return (more than we could post here). It was exciting but it was very expensive for us to do. This is a tiny operation!
Scores of you are already writing in requesting free materials for 2018, but we are doing something different this year, so we can cover our costs and not lose our shirts, skirts and shoes. Details will be in all of February's newsletters, so be sure to sign up here:
Join here: sublimestitching.com/join
Did you know that February is National Embroidery Month? (It is, mom.) Let's celebrate it in a meaningful way, by making it TEACH Embroidery Month! You are going to become an embroidery teacher. Here's how...
I know how wonderful it feels to teach someone to embroider, so why don't YOU get in on these good feels?
Here's how you can join me in my efforts, and how I can help you teach someone:
1. You build the kit. Gather your extra embroidery supplies! I know you have like, 20 pairs of embroidery scissors and at least 8 hoops. I bet you have plenty of loaners lurking around.
2. We send you the patterns. (Yes, internationally, too!) Email us with your name and address, and tell us you are going to teach a friend (or group of friends) how to embroider. We will send you FREE Sublime Stitching patterns and instructional materials! Yes, really.
Not so fast! I want something in return.
3. I want photos of you teaching. I don't care if they're Pinterest-worthy or not! I want the names of who's stitching, where you gathered, the jokes that were told, the snacks that were nibbled, the pricked fingers, and the results -be they humble or daring.
How should you share your photos? You can email them to us, or use the tag:
All in February, I am going to be sharing and reposting as many of your stories as I can, while also teaching as many people embroidery as I can.
xo Jenny
]]>I'm still shaking off this first week following the holidays and New Year, but check the blog tomorrow for my embroidery mission for you. It's not just gonna be motivational rah-rah bla bla (although there's nothing wrong with that), your mission will involve directly working with us to get 2017 off to a very stitchy start!
]]>Something you don't know, that you couldn't know because I've never posted about it, is how heavily Carrie Fisher figured into my embroidery work. She was an enthusiastic supporter and patron at a time when I needed it the most.
In 2003, I was spending most of my time in hospitals which is also where many of my earliest embroideries were made. My father had been very, very ill for much of my life, and 2003 kept him in and out of comas until his passing the following year. It was during this time, that seemingly out of nowhere, Carrie Fisher entered my life.
She had seen my work at Yard Dog Gallery in Austin, Texas and inquired about commissioning portraits from me. Then began a long series of works I produced privately, for her family and friends. Being able to tell my father as I stitched by his bedside that I was working on a surprise gift for Debbie Reynolds was a wonderful, exciting and rare bright spot in our lives.
Around this same time, I had work in two group shows in Los Angeles. One was closing (Cherry & Martin) and the other was opening (Copro Nason) on the same evening. I flew to LA from Austin for the first time in my life to be there for these serendipitously concurring occasions. I told Carrie I was coming, and to my amazement she said she wanted to meet me, have me come to her house, and talk about my work.
What followed was a long, wonderful, unimaginable afternoon-into-evening I will never forget.
Every detail of that six-hours plus evening is etched in my mind, and I can't possibly share it all here. It included being whisked away to Elizabeth Taylor's home in Bel Air because Carrie wanted me to meet her (she wasn't feeling well when we arrived, so that didn't happen). But I did spend an hour or so there with Carrie while she secretly procured a photo of Elizabeth's beloved dog, Sugar, so I could make a portrait for her birthday. I was allowed to wander lightly around the house by myself...in a daze...embroidery had brought me...here.
Carrie drove me around Bel Air telling me stories of growing up in Los Angeles, the tragedy of the architecture that was being demolished and lost forever. The things her mother did to annoy her. She pulled an insane U-turn into oncoming traffic, and as a passing motorist yelled "YOU ASSHOLE" louder than I've ever heard in my life, she turned to me and grinned "Well, isn't that nice." Then we headed back to her house to hang out in her kitchen and have a light dinner. While James Blunt did his laundry. That's the short version of the story.
At one point, BUST magazine was going to publish (and Carrie gave her full blessing) a graphic-novel insert of my "Wild Evening With Carrie Fisher". Cartoonist Ellen Forney and I worked on it together, until I stalled, deciding not to share the story.
What I do want to share now is that, as a mere mortal, I was treated to the company of one of the warmest, funniest and most fascinating women ever. The entire time I was with Carrie, I felt like she was more interested in meeting ME. She was deeply curious, generous and warm. She had questions for me about everything going on in my life. She was perceptive with a lightning wit, and God, she was funny. She spoke so openly and intimately about herself that I developed an ironclad affection for her. We kept in touch for a few years, I could call her if I needed to and she was constantly stumping my work to her friends encouraging them to commission me to make portraits for their families.
My whole heart goes out to her family and friends, especially her mother Debbie and her daughter Billie. Thank you Carrie, you gave me memories for a lifetime and I've loved you forever after our evening together.
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Magnetic needle minders are a thing, and enamel pins are a thing, so...why not make "Hoop Flair" a thing? Okay then! Ta daa: Hoop Flair™ needle minders! It's a thing. Well, actually Sublime Stitchers, that will be up to you...
For the uninitiated, a "needle minder" or "needle keeper" is usually a decorative magnet you attach to the fabric you're working on. When you need to set your needle down just for a moment (or two), stick it to the magnet. (Oh but, you knew that already.)
I began noticing that I never have my pincushion where I need it, and sticking my needle in the arm of the couch isn't that cool, and there's still that one stray needle I dropped in between the cushions I dread "coming across"...the time for needle minders has entered my life!
When I was in the 6th grade, I had a necklace just like this. You too? Sigh. No? Well who doesn't love hearts and rainbows? (I don't need to know.)
You don't embroider or sew? That's okay, you still have my permission to own one and wear it. Enjoy!
HOOP • FLAIR - Magnetic Needle Minder from Sublime Stitching
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Maison Sajou lovingly recreates (and updates) antique tools and notions for today's stitchers to enjoy! Their products are made entirely in France, often re-creating historical pieces with a new twist.
I have been writhing with want over their extensive catalog for years and just couldn't take it any more. I had to get these goods for you. Their créatrice is Mme. Frédérique Crestin-Billet, a passionate collector and historian of needlework tools, fabrics, notions and advertising ephemera. Don't miss her fabulous book, where you'll see many examples of the tools she's made newly available again today.
Marie Antoinette would approve...
We'll be adding many more items from Sajou very soon (we're unpacking this shipment as fast as we can). But, you might want to snag these thread bobbins before they disappear...or just forward the link to your Santa.
• Maison SAJOU • (Listed under TOOLS)
]]>There's a new textile bundle for hand embroidery in town! I swizzled the combination up and made a new discounted combo that includes our crazy-popular Narrow Hem Pillowcases, 14" Cushion Covers and Most Awesome Gusseted Tote Bag!
If you are stitching your gifts this year, this textile bundle is your starter pack.
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