Monthly Archives: May 2011

Kiswah: Religious goldwork on an enormous scale

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

My Saudi friend helped me out again! The picture below shows the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba (Arabic: الكعبة‎) is a cube-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur’an states … Continue reading →

Posted in Embroidery around the world, Goldwork | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Book review: Crewel Embroidery

Posted on May 9, 2011 by

This is a review of the book Crewel Embroidery, edited by F. Anderson. Octopus Books Limited, London, 1974. ISBN 0-7064-0319-3. A tip I picked up from this book, which will entertain my fellow Americans no end: remember the rainbow (red, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Crewel | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Machine Embroidered Portraits

Posted on May 6, 2011 by

I saw a post about artist Harriet Maxwell on Mr. X Stitch, and just had to pass the word along. She uses an Irish sewing machine to create detailed portraits. Y’all, what is an Irish sewing machine? Is it just … Continue reading →

Posted in Surface embroidery | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Flowerpot Tablecloth

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

My grandma gave me this tablecloth. Usually when I see embroidered tablecloths, I think to myself “Wow, that is huge and way too much work!” But this one is bright and fun and uses 6 strands of floss, so something … Continue reading →

Posted in Grandma, Surface embroidery | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Debate: Trunk Color

Posted on May 2, 2011 by

OK, folks, I’m looking for some opinionated people. The trunk (according to the kit) should be in 3 shades of gray. I’ve started work on it, but it’s not too late to change! I’ve had one commenter who prefers brown. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crewel, My work | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments