I've been looking for hand embroidery sites that offer some good instructions for beginners. I have a friend that lives out of state and wants to learn. Do you know of any good websites that offer instructions?
Annie, You might try
Sharon Boggon's stitch guide is the best on the web that I know of.
My site is geared not only to the beginner who has no clue how to start, as well as the more advanced stitcher.
You will find a "primer" for how to get started (tracing, how to begin and end threads), stitch diagrams for some stitches with long essays on their use. It is not a complete "dictionary" as is Sharon Boggons site, but it has many lessons.
You can start the journey here:
Classic Stitches magazine's website is one that I rely on.
Dear Diane,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your site is the only one that explains that buttonhole stitch and blanket stitch are NOT WORKED THE SAME! Most sites, and sadly to say, many books stte that blanket and button hole are the same stitch. Your dictionary explains the difference very well. These are the first stitches I always check in any author's work. My mother had an old white sewing kmachine that did not do buttonholes, and I spent what seemed like a large part of my childhood doing handmade buttonholes with "button hole" stitch, not, thankyou very much, blanket stitch. We put blanket stitch around the edge of blankets, not buttonholes. Today I much prefer buttonhole stitch for finishing the edge of fused applique, as it gives a much nicer, finished edge to the work. I must point out, that it is much easier to work if one follows the second diagram in your dictionary, ie, just insert the needle under the edge, come up within the fabric, pull through and then insert the needle back through the loop formed by the stitch and pull snug with the fabric edge.. Very difficult to do it as shown in the first diagram.
Becky
Your very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the visit.
The term "buttonhole stitch" - when you mean closed blanket - has been around at least 100 years, and probably got started with cutwork, where it is common to say "buttonhole around." The actual stitch used, except in new Hedebo, is closed blanket. But it is in such common use, that most people know what you mean. However, for beginners, that might mean a lot of confusion.
I'll take a look again at the illustrations. I learned both methods, and although one might seem awkward, it's all in what you get used to.
Also, you can tell your friend that I evaluate embroidery free of charge. Frequently, if I see a stitcher struggling, this means I will actually use needle/thread on cloth and send samples of stitches back whenever necessary - with all the different steps for some stitches.
Again, thank you for your nice comments.
Dianne
Becky wrote:
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