Product Release: DIY Embroidery Kit In The Woods

I am thrilled to share my latest DIY Embroidery Kit with the world. This kit is great for beginners who have never tried embroidery or for more advanced folks who want a quick/fun project. 

The design was inspired by the wonderful feeling of being emmersed in nature. The front of the notebook features original illustrations of a geometirc bear and abstract sunset. I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas and we get some awesome sun sets there. The notebook holes are laser cut to make it easier to sew (like connect the dots). 

EACH KIT CONTAINS:

• 1 tree and sun laser cut notebook

• 1 geometric bear laser cut notebook 

• Quality red and teal thread

• 1 needle

NOTEBOOK DETIALS:

• Notebook size: 3.5" x 5"

• Cover- Kraft paper 100% recycled

• Inside- Blank white paper 100% recycled

• 32 pages

One feature I really like about this kit is that there are lines connecting the laser cut holes, so there is no confusion of where to stitch. It's so nice to stitch these up without referring to pattern.

Product Release: His & Her Pillowcase Embroidery Kit

There is a new embroidery kit in the shop! After having such a great response to my Tea Towel Calendar kit I decided to continue the same aesthetic into a His and Her pillowcase project. It would make a lovely wedding or anniversary gift.

Each kit comes with:

• Two pillowcases screen printed with "HIS" and "Her"
• 220 Thread Count Very Soft Egyptian Cotton Pillowcases
• 30" x 21" to fit a standard sized pillow
• Quality red embroidery floss
• 2 embroidery needles
• 6" wood hoop
• Instructions and stitch guide

Buy here.

Product Release: Geometric Pocket Notebook Embroidery Kit

My love for embroidery and paper continues with my latest pocket notebook embroidery kit.

The inspiration for this kit came from an obsession with Japanese Sashiko stitching and designs. I really enjoy making kits that are both beautiful and functional. Personally, I keep one of these notebooks on me at all times so I can jot down thoughts as they come. I find it very helpful to keep my ideas from getting lost.

The kit comes with 2 laser cut notebooks, plenty of red thread, and a needle. The notebooks are made locally in portland and the paper is 100% recycled.

The grid is designed in a way that you could get several different designs out of it. I hope people get really creative with these and I can't wait to see other people's designs.

Click here to buy.

Haptic Lab: Modern Map Quilts

Emily Fischer of Haptic Lab has been making some noteworthy map quilts. Yes, take a closer look and you can navigate Lower Manhattan. I love the combination of traditional quilting with the modern map trend. See below for more eye candy.

King-sized quilt of Lower Manhattan: off-white silk

Queen-sized map of Rome: white silk shantung and red thread

Queen-sized map of Paris: white silk and taupe thread

Topographic quilt of Julian, California

Detail of Penobscot Bay keepsake quilt: silk applique

Embroidery Tutorial: Lazy Daisy

The lazy daisy embroidery stitch is especially helpful for flower petals and makes up the little blooms in my 2012 tea towel kit. Let me walk you through the basics of this fun, little stitch.

Come up and then immediately down a few millimeters away. Pointing your needle in the direction you want to make the petal, bring your needle back out about 1/4 inch away from the first hole, but don't pull the needle through.
With your needle in this position, wrap the tail (the thread coming out of the very first hole) around the needle. You can start to see the petal forming.
Pull your needle through, keeping the thread tight. Important note: pull your thread away from the tip of the petal like in the picture below.
Next, is a tiny stitch used to secure the petal in place. Bring your needle down just on the other side of the petal.
This is a finished lazy daisy stitch. Sometimes the petals will need some styling. Poke and pull at them with your needle to get the desired fullness and shape. Repeat several more times to create a full flower.
I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial and find some useful applications for the lazy daisy. Happy stitching!

-Laura

Sneak Peak of CuroiusDoodles Embroidery on Wood Brooches

I want to share some of my latest embroidery designs on wood. I absolutely love stitching into wood. Something very satisfying and tactile about it. The holes are laser cut into the wood which makes it really easy for stitching. I'm thinking of selling these as finished brooches or as a embroidery kit.

OMG Awesome Cross Stitch iPhone case.

I'm so glad to see this product in the market. There are so many fun ideas I can think of to do with this.

Available here for purchase $18.
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Product Launch: Introducing 2012 Calendar Tea Towel D.I.Y. Embroidery Kit

It's been a long time in the process, but here it is! I had so much fun with my tea towel last year, that I decided to bring it in to 2012. Wonderfully, my longtime love of embroidery has been well received by the ETSY community in the form of my STICHIES Kits. I thought it time to carry that passion over and expand into the world of tea towel calendars, a functional and beautiful addition to any kitchen.

The kits take approximately 8 - 14 hours. By the end of the kit, you feel confidant about the stitches (back stitch, lazy daisy, and the french knot). It is calming and meditative, a nice way to spend an evening. And it's really a nice feeling to lay back after completing a number and see your hard work translated directly onto the canvas.

The kit was designed for both beginners and advanced stitchers. The instruction guide goes over each stitch if you need that and I'll be creating in dept tutorials on the blog detailing each stitch. I've been compiling some good little tips through the process.

My test subject was a complete rookie, but by the end of the 2012, he felt the urge to keep going and fill in the CuriousDoodles logo and fill in his families' birthday dates. Apparently he sped up as his stitching got better and he just couldn't stop.

Part of the reason why I am interested in making kits, is because there is a lack of modern/relevant designs for embroidery. Sure, there are loads of vintage embroidery patterns which I adore, but it is a bit of dying art that I would like to see come back. I combined modern typography with dense organic stitch work. I started with big helvetica block letters and filled them in with intertwined vine work creating a different read from across the room vs. up close-up. Check out my blog post with some of the early sketches/prototypes. I did several revisions to the design once I started stitching up prototypes to come up with a design that is appropriate for the capabilities of needlework.



The towel comes with a hang tab in the upper right corner for easy hanging.

The completed kit would be a wonderful keep sake gift for a new baby or a wedding. It also makes a wonderful gift for crafty friends and family (especially those you feel have a little too much time on their hands).

Progress Update: Stitching up the Tea Towel

I have been stitching ferociously the past few days trying to get this baby done. I'm almost there!

Hand Embroidered Book Covers

I'm loving these hand embroidered book covers that artist, Jillian Tamaki, created for penguin classics. It makes me want to buy them. Not because I'll ever read them, but because I love the book covers.

Nina Gregier: Geometric Type + Embroidery

I want to touch!


Check out more of Nina's inspiring work here.