Embroidery was the first needle art I learned as a child.  I remember designing and sewing my own

doll clothes when I was 5.  Here is a photo of a bathing suit I made for my doll.  Notice the embroidered motif on the bodice.   Notice that crotch! hehe...pretty good for a 5 yr. old to figure

out on her own!  I do remember creating this ‘all by myself.‘    (This garment is well over 50 yrs. old!)

(Here are a few more of my doll clothes creations, which include my first forays with my Mom’s Singer treadle sewing machine. )

After that, I advanced to designing my own clothes.  I don’t have them anymore, but I did preserve them with these drawings that I scrapbooked.   (coming soon)

As a young bride, I was alone and bored in my new apartment, a thousand miles from my family.  I checked out Erica Wilson’s Crewel Embroidery book from the local library, and was instantly comforted and inspired.  I longed to own that book, but could not afford to buy it.  So, I painstakingly copied each stitch into a spiral notebook.  That was my reference book for several years as I embroidered pillows, wall hangings and other items to decorate my frugal little home.  Years later, I did purchase the book, but the best was yet to come.  I met Erica Wilson and her daughter Vanessa at a trade show where THEY ordered MY painted canvas designs for their shop on Nantucket Island.  Before I deposited the check, I made a photo copy of it and pasted it on the inside cover of the book! 

For me, embroidery was the starting point for my creativity in all aspects of my life.  I embroidered as a child, a teenager, as a young adult, and throughout my life.  I have used embroidery to decorate my home and my and my children’s clothing.  Sewing and embroidery have always been linked together, along with quilting and even designing needlepoint canvases.  Because I knew how to embroider, learning to needlepoint was a natural progression for me.  My life has been forever enriched because of it.

Here are photos of embroidered jackets I made a few years ago.  I took purchased sweatshirts and personalized them for my little grandchildren.

New Ideas in Embroidery that I’ve been experimenting are Here.