We’ve reached the mid-point of May already, and it’s been a while since I’ve shared some little embroidery bits that have caught my eye lately.

So, for your weekend browsing, here are a few online embroidery spots to explore – just a bit of inspiration and information from around the traps!

So, when you have a quiet moment this weekend, pour yourself a cup of you-know-what (for me, it’s iced coffee right now, I’m afraid…) and let’s peruse some spots together.

Portrait Embroidery – and Goldwork!

Over on Charlotte Bailey’s blog, Hanging by a Thread, she’s got several articles on her forays into portrait embroidery. In her article Golden Haired Girls, she uses goldwork threads for blonde hair.

I love the way she has built up the foundation for the hair, and especially how the padding helps impart a shaded look to the goldwork. She also discusses her stitching choices for the shading on the face – pretty neat stuff!

Testing Fabric Suitability

Luzine Happel has done it again, with a very informative article on how she tested fabric suitability for Schwalm whitework. Whether Schwalm is Your Thing or not, the article is instructive – it illustrates the necessity of working with the right supplies for the job!

Fun Stitches!

Over on KerryStitch Designs, you can see some really colorful, fun examples of various stitch combinations on felt appliqués. Kerry’s making ingenious use of some of the stitches in Stitch Sampler Alphabet for her felt appliqués, and they look great!

So there’s another good idea of what you can do with the instruction in Stitch Sampler Alphabet – it doesn’t have to be letters, after all.

Embroidery Magazine from Italy

On her blog, Italian Needlework, Jeanine introduced us to a very intriguing (and, darn it, unavailable in the US!) new Italian embroidery magazine, Giuliana Ricama. The text of the magazine is, of course, in Italian. Browsing through the fantastic projects in the later issues admittedly brought a green tinge to my cheeks!

Who knows? Maybe some day, they’ll extend the possibility of subscribing to enthusiasts outside Italy!

Stumpwork, Anyone?

Over on Thistle Threads, Tricia shared some great little stumpwork figures worth checking out, especially if you’re a 17th century stumpwork fan!

Breath of Spring

Breath of Spring is back in stock at French Needle. This is a lovely kit featuring wildflowers and a bit of bug life. I embroidered the project a long time ago, when it came out in Inspirations Magazine – you can see it here. Now it’s available in kit form, with pre-printed fabric and specialty threads available. It’s a fun project – very much like a sampler, because there are lots of different stitches involved, but the result is a colorful, spring wildflower scene.

Silk Shading…with Silk

There is nothing quite as glorious as silk shading done well, with silk! If you want to see an absolutely stunning example, check out the silk shaded pink anemones here on Jessica’s blog. She’s showing off some student work – all of it’s worth looking at (just exquisite!), but the pink anemone is fantastic!

Magna Carta – Wikipedia Style – Embroidered

Here’s an interesting article on embroidery – specifically, the Wikipedia entry on the Magna Carta, embroidered by prisoners and Embroiderers’ Guild members in the UK, to mark the anniversary of the Magna Carta.

More of Me?

Well, I don’t know if you want more of me, but in case you do, here are some recent articles published on Craftsy, if you want to check them out:

Embroidering our own Handwriting – an overview of stitches that work well for embroidering your own handwriting
How to Start Embroidery without a Knot – three ways to start your threads without using knots
5 Essential Supplies for Hand Embroidery – which covers the basics and some information about needles and such

Coming up on Needle ‘n Thread!

It’s going to be a wet weekend in Kansas – which is perfectly appropriate, because I’m embroidering ducks! I’m also thinking of throwing in a few frogs. Just because, you know… I’ll share progress with you next week.

I’m also embroidering spots this weekend. Yes. Spots. I’ll tell you more about that, too.

Several stitch tutorials are awaiting editing, so those will show up on Needle ‘n Thread in the near future, along with a bit of embroidery for relaxation.

What are you working on this weekend? I hope you have a chance to indulge in some fun with your needle and thread!