Stitchers Garden has long been one of the largest providers of quilt fabrics in Middle Tennessee. Myra opened her store at Carter’s Court before expanding it to downtown Franklin.
A modern interpretation of an iconic garden, this garden combines design innovation with the legacy of Fine Cell Work to pay tribute to prisoner artisans stitching in it.
Embroidery
Embroidery is decorating fabric using thread or threaded-through needles to decorate fabric surfaces with decorative designs using thread or yarn thread. It can be completed manually or with machines. It has long been practiced as an art form; today its popularity remains high – often seen on clothing, textiles such as hats, gloves, bags, and paper, as well as wood surfaces like paper or wood panels; embroidery designs may be simple or complex with satin stitch, backstitch, French knots being amongst its most commonly practiced stitches being satin stitch, backstitch and French knots – an enjoyable art form which also shows off your skills while creating beautiful designs!
There are various forms of embroidery, each offering its distinct look. For instance, counted thread embroidery involves measuring individual threads in even-weave fabrics to form intricate patterns; crewel embroidery uses wool threads for bold designs; free-motion embroidery on a sewing machine allows more artistic freedom for detailed motifs and intricate designs.
Embroidery stitches tend to be more intricate than cross stitch stitches; however, you may still use cross stitch patterns in embroidery with some modifications required – for instance, leaving a longer tail at the start or using the loop method rather than straight stitch stitching may be required for more complex designs or working diagonally instead.
Embroidery can be performed on many fabrics, with cotton being the most commonly used. There are numerous thread options for embroidery ranging from standard floss to more specialty threads; high-quality threads will last longer and produce better results; the ideal line should also have natural colors and medium weight.
Stitcher’s Garden offers an incredible selection of threads in various colors, textures, and sizes for embroidery, cross stitch, punch needle, silk ribbon embroidery, and stumpwork projects. Visit them today and discover your perfect thread!
Needlepoint
Embroidery has long been an art form that brings its participants great satisfaction and relaxation. Cross stitch is an accessible entry into hand embroidery, while needlepoint is more intricate and complex, using various stitches to form artwork and lasting longer than cross stitch – perfect for things such as pillows and seat covers!
Needlepoint embroidery is a counted embroidery technique performed on even-weave fabric and can be used to produce any number of designs, from simple motifs to highly intricate ones. Needlepoint is distinguished from cross-stitch by using larger stitches with more loosely spaced holes than those commonly found in cross-stitch fabrics.
Needlepoint requires both a canvas and threads for starters, with designs typically printed onto either blank canvas or preprinted canvas as the basis of any pattern work provided in a graphical chart for your reference when stitching stitches. Different kinds of thread can be used, ranging from embroidery floss, tapestry yarn, and rug yarn – your selection will depend on both canvas size and the desired look of the finished piece.
Once you have selected a canvas and chosen threads, the next step should be anchoring your work. Needpoint differs from other needle crafts by beginning with an anchor stitch on the front rather than starting with a waste knot on the back; this allows the process to proceed much more quickly. When choosing your location for your first anchor stitch, it is recommended to be at least an inch from where your waste knot was made.
Tapestry needles with blunt tips will allow you to create your stitches. A frame or stretcher bars are necessary as the canvas is too large to fit inside an embroidery hoop, though you could work without one if desired.
Punch Needle
Punch needle is a fiber art that uses wooden or plastic punch needles to craft beautiful artwork. This fast and fun craft technique offers more variety than embroidery thanks to the different yarn types and patterns it allows you to work with; plus, you can experiment with changing stitch heights for even more visual interest!
If you’re new to punching needles, there are a few key considerations you should bear in mind. First and foremost is choosing fabric carefully; monk’s cloth is famous, but any weave material will do. Ensure the weave matches your needle and thread size; fine threads on thinner fabric create more delicate stitches, while thicker yarns and larger fabric create rustic stitches.
Your foundation fabric needs to be held under tension as you punch. Standard embroidery hoops work fine, while various shapes and sizes of frames are explicitly designed to keep it under pressure as you stick – including Rico’s Q-snap frame or no slip designs that ensure fabric won’t shift while punching.
Once you’re ready to get punching, thread your yarn through your punch needle tool and begin beating. It may help if you use a pencil to mark out your design on the back of the fabric beforehand so you know where you should hit. If your outlines aren’t as precise, poke any loops of yarn with your finger or another pointed tool, such as scissors, to bring them back into position.
After you finish your project, trim its yarn tails and coat the back side with textile glue or use a nail file to smooth any bumps on its back side. Once complete, turn over so the front side faces out, and enjoy your masterpiece!
Punch needle techniques allow you to craft many projects, from wall hangings and pillows to bags and pet beds.
Stumpwork
Stumpwork embroidery adds a fresh perspective to traditional hand embroidery techniques. Stumpwork employs all the usual embroidery stitches, padding, and wired slips for its raised effect, creating three-dimensional flowers, leaves, and animals; it can also be used on borders and decorative elements such as surface embroidery borders. Popular embroiderers like Jane Nicholas have published multiple books on Stumpwork embroideries; this collection combines their best examples in one publication.
This book showcases different authors’ designs, offering hand and machine embroidery projects. The stitching is stunning and very straightforward; projects feature designs using basket weave stitches, Bullion knots, and buttonhole scallops; kinds of cotton, wool, and silk blends are used, among others, to craft these stunning projects. This diverse selection of embroidery patterns will indeed inspire you!
This book offers plenty of helpful advice for getting started in this embroidery style and is suitable for all levels. While basic hand embroidery skills may be sufficient to create stumpwork embroidery projects, the “Learn Hand Embroidery” course offered by the School of Stitched Textiles would make an excellent starting point.
A typical stumpwork design involves working stitches around pieces of wire to form leaves, flowers, or insect wings in three dimensions before anchoring them on fabric using embroidery stitches such as a couching stitch or buttonhole stitch. Once complete, this shape can be filled in using stitches such as couching or buttonhole stitch before filling out to give an eye-catching three-dimensional effect. Both stumpwork and Needle Lace use similar techniques for their three-dimensional products, which can often be combined.
Stitchers Garden provides an incredible selection of embroidery threads and fabrics, including over-dyed lines in various thread counts. In addition, it has supplies for cross stitch, needlepoint, silk ribbon embroidery, beading temari balls and stumpwork projects, and ongoing project support services to customers. Their friendly staff is always happy to answer customer inquiries or assist them with ongoing projects – make Stitchers Garden part of your next stitching adventure today.
