Author: Ruth O'Leary

Pinterest – my boards

Do any of you use Pinterest? I know it’s been around for years but I’ve only just discovered it, and it’s fun! There’s so much on it – images of anything and everything you can think of. I’ve created a few boards for inspiration – pictures I like, basically; whether I’ll actually be inspired by…

Hints and tips articles: appliqué

Elsewhere on the site are a series of hints and tips articles, giving instructions on how to do some of the embroidery techniques I use in my work. When revising the content of my website for the development of this new version, I was horrified to discover that I hadn’t provided photos of each stage…

Plantagenet Wreath – stitching to the background

Back to business after the excitement of launching the new site. I haven’t had time to do much sewing recently, but I have finished off the Plantagenet Wreath.  With it cut out, I needed to stitch it onto the background fabric, which is a dark red cotton velvet.  I did take photos of this as…

Welcome to the new blog!

The new blog, and the new website, are now up and running! The old blog started in 2009 and has been largely unchanged since, and the old website back in 2007, so they were both well overdue for a new look.  All the old posts and comments from the previous version should still be here, if you…

Plantagenet Wreath – cutting out

With all the embroidery done, the next stage is to cut it out so that it can be applied to the background fabric.  I have to admit I haven’t been looking forward to this much as it’s such a fiddly shape, but I relieved to be able to tell you that it’s now done and…

Plantagenet Wreath – roses (part III)

The roses are finally finished!  Sorry that they’ve taken so long, but I got there in the end. Last time, I’d filled in half of the 20 roses; I’ve now done them all, and here they are: They’re not quite finished, though: the little green leaves (or whatever the correct name is – does anyone…

Advance warning: the blog is moving!

Just a note for regular readers: this blog will be moving to a new address in the next few weeks. For years now, my website and my blog have been at different locations.  I’m currently getting the website redeveloped, and as part of that I’m bringing the blog into it.  All past posts should still…

Plantagenet Wreath – stitching the roses

Still slow progress on the roses, though I am getting there.  In the mean time, here’s a closer look at stitching one individual rose. The shading is already done, of course, so here I’m just filling in the rest with the off-white. This is one of the larger roses, so there’s a bit more stitching…

Plantagenet Wreath – roses (part II)

Other things have got in the way a bit recently, so I haven’t got as far as I’d hoped with the roses.  Still, I have done half of them, which is something. And here they are, filled in with Madeira stranded cotton no. 2402: The full wreath: I’m going to be busy for the next…