Just in time for Hanukkah comes the new children’s book Race up Mount Ram: A Hanukkah Story. It’s the tale of two school boys who compete in a mountain race to win the title of Champion of the Maccabees. It’s a take on the classic tortoise and the hare story, but in this case winning … Continue reading
Did Hanukkah sneak up on you, too? Heck, even Thanksgiving snuck up on me. Only yesterday I realized I needed to check in with my kids on which foods they’d like for Thanksgiving. Then I realized Hanukkah starts only 10 days later. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for Hanukkah sewing. For folks who … Continue reading
Personalize your cell phone sleeping bag, the cut-and-sew project available at Spoonflower (Cell Phone Sleeping Bag Cut-and-Sew Project), by adding your name with embroidery. You can use an electronic embroidery machine, of course, and you can also embroider a name by hand. If you’re giving the bag as a gift, a hand-embroidered name gives your … Continue reading
The blanket stitch comes in handy for several uses. As an embroidery stitch, you can use it to outline an object and give it a real folk art look. Or use it to hand-sew an applique onto background fabric, like the hamsa in the photo. You can also use it to finish a narrow hem … Continue reading
This stitch creates a dashed line. Pass the needle up and down at equal intervals through the layers of fabric or trim. A typical stitch length is about 1/8” (3mm), but you can adjust the length based on the materials you’re working with. If the fabric allows, you can make more than one stitch at … Continue reading
The eye of this little dove is made with a French knot. How to Embroider a French Knot A key to making a French knot is to start with the thread in front of the needle. Then, rap the thread around the needle several times. The more times you wind the thread around the needle, … Continue reading
The French knot is one of the most popular and widely-used embroidery stitches. But sometimes you only need one, as for the eye of this little dove. Here is a technique for anchoring a single French knot. It’s especially useful when the knot is isolated and not conveniently near any other of your stitches. In … Continue reading
