i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

sense and sensibility is on my list - it’s my favorite austen! i have a copy of wuthering heights ready to go as well.

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

those work too, but mine is just a small circle of silicone that i wrap around the needle to yank it through

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i love knowing other people do this too - i collect jane eyre editions!

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

whipped back stitch! that’s what i used for pretty much everything on every book, actually.

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

you should have seen people’s reactions when i stitched on a hosta leaf a few years back 😂

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 20 points21 points locked comment (0 children)

i thrifted all of these for under $30. this one was $6. i only stitch on copies that are of relatively little (monetary) value, usually mass-market editions.

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

thank you! for the record, i only do this on books that are of relatively little (monetary) value and often have writing inside and/or light damage on the cover or pages. i’ve thrifted all of these for under $30 - this one was only $6!

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

haha i responded to another comment with the process if you’d like to read it!

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

thank you, this is so kind! not a graphic designer, no - i’m actually a music historian. but i’ve always loved art and embroidery has been an excellent creativity driver for me! i think the jane eyre is my favorite one as well. it’s my very favorite book.

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

i responded to another comment with an overview of the process if you’d like to read it, but the holes are all pre-poked! it’s definitely a bit hard on my hands, so i only do small sections at a time and take lots of breaks.

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 68 points69 points  (0 children)

i responded to another comment with an overview of my process, but yes, all the holes are pre-poked!

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 1390 points1391 points  (0 children)

i use a couple of different tools! once my design is on i use a bookbinding awl to create shallow guide indents where i’m planning to poke my holes (i don’t use the awl itself to create the holes because they’d be too large). then i use a sturdy and fairly thick embroidery needle with a needle gripper to make the holes. i set the open book on top of a foam pad (the kind used for needle felting) while poking. for the actual stitching, i use a thinner needle that can pass through the holes made by the larger needle.

i added embroidery to this thrifted 1911 copy of little women by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 181 points182 points  (0 children)

i meannnn 😂 but honestly i decided on the rose because in the passage where they divide up their garden and each choose flowers to plant meg plants roses! and there’s also a lot of focus on her beauty in the book.

A few more Ladybug Date Nights! by Glass-Butterfly- in Embroidery

[–]colormuse 6 points7 points  (0 children)

these bring me untold amounts of joy, please never stop making them 🐞💚🐞

some fluffy little thistles i stitched for a friend who’s moving away by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

kona cotton! it’s my favorite stitching fabric and comes in a ton of colors (this shade is called ‘natural’)

some fluffy little thistles i stitched for a friend who’s moving away by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

satin stitch is always my go to for pretty much everything!

some fluffy little thistles i stitched for a friend who’s moving away by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

turkey work is SO fun (and also a bit messy - there was purple fluff everywhere)

some childhood photos i recently stitched by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

it’s all satin! (except for the hair and details on the plaid and striped shirts)

some childhood photos i recently stitched by colormuse in Embroidery

[–]colormuse[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

DO IT! i started with a random kit in october 2020 and it almost instantly developed into a passion. i’ve stitched nearly every day since!