Get The TechniqueI rarely do needle crafts, but I was looking around my apartment and surprised to realize how many examples of different types of needlework decorate my home. My collection ranges in style and technique, but they're all warm additions to my space. I love living with objects, knowing whoever made each piece invested a lot of time and care.
My friend Emily Eibel made the undersea embroidered applique above. It's one of my most prized pieces. A few pieces are from friends or family, but plenty are vintage from estate sales and Ebay. Take a look...
1 I picked this up on Ebay. It's like a cross between string art and lace making. I've never seen anything like it before.
2 I love how simply it's matted.
3 This is a detail of the first Crewelwork my mother ever made.
4
5 Here's another example of Crewelwork. It's from Ebay. I love the embroidered signature.
6 I picked up this Bargello piece at an estate sale.
7 This Bargello pillow is from a flea market. I love the flame pattern.
8 My mother made this while she was pregnant with me. I'm still not sure where to hang it, but I love having it.
9 She spent some serious time using different stitches and types of embroidery floss. So much detail!
10 I picked this up from Anthropologie this winter. It was on sale and matches everything else I own.
11 This needlepoint pillow is another estate sale find. It's great to give a second home to a piece someone clearly labored over.
12
From: Teri | 6/8/10 at 11:57 am
I like the profile of the lady too. What a unique piece.
Teri
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From: Ilana Kohn | 6/8/10 at 5:10 pm
Emily really does make the most amazing stitched creations!! A couple of them are among my most prized possessions as well.
From: Jordan | 6/8/10 at 5:51 pm
What an inspiring post. The undersea piece is absolutely beautiful!
From: helene | 6/8/10 at 7:23 pm
I love that clown. The detail's amazing. Thanks for sharing your home with us.
From: Sarah from Create Studio | 6/9/10 at 12:05 am
How inspiring! You guys have the greatest jobs!! I love Martha's new book and I wrote a review here:http://createstudio.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-review-thank-you-martha.html
Thanks again for all of the inspiring new ideas you keep coming up with! Great work!!
-Sarah from Create Studio
From: Frances Tellis | 6/9/10 at 5:41 am
I am from Mumbai - India and love needlecrafts like embroidery and crochet. I liked each and every piece posted by Morgan.
From: nick | 6/9/10 at 11:43 am
Emily is an amazing, multi-talented artist! I would love to own a piece of her needlework!
From: KAREN | 6/9/10 at 3:07 pm
I love finding needlework at garage sales, estate sales and flea markets. So often, as Morgan says, it's a piece someone labored over. Who? Why? We can only imagine. But I like to honor the women who spent their days with needles and threads, creating beautiful things for their homes. I rescue those forgotten pieces, and often whole sewing boxes, and put them back into life.
From: *gemmifer* | 6/9/10 at 10:14 pm
My mom did some amazing bargello pieces back in the 70s. My dad still has a couple of pillows she made, and the cover of his rectangular piano bench is upholstered with one of her bargellos too. She used to always say that my dad, sister, and I were the artistic ones in the family, but didn't give herself credit for all the crafts she created (including painting ceramics, hook rugs, sewing, etc.). Needlepoint and embroidery take such patience, beyond my attention span!
From: Morgan Levine | 6/10/10 at 10:10 am
Hi Jennifer
It's so funny, my mom's exactly the same way. She's knitted, quilted, and needle-pointed the loveliest things for me, but insists she's not creative.
From: forex robot | 7/1/10 at 12:02 pm
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!
From: Marcie McGoldrick | 7/1/10 at 12:35 pm
Great! Thanks so much.
From: Needlepoint JL | 11/9/10 at 3:18 pm
It's great to see vintage needlework being enjoyed in another home. Anyone who stitches knows that giving a project to someone who really enjoys it is the BEST feeling.
It's always funny to me when people see me stitching and say they don't have the patience for it -- the OPPOSITE is true for me. I have too much energy and can't sit still very well. Stitching lets me sit quietly on the couch at night while watching TV or endure long plane rides, sitting in the pick-up lane at school, etc.
Thanks for the post. It's always fun to see what others treasure in their homes!