Historically Inspired Needleart
What's New
Kits
Retail Charts
Magazine Projects
Teaching Projects
& Schedule
Limited Edition Kits
Finishing Supplies and Accessories
Grand Tour
Coming Soon!
Textile Arts Symposium 2004
Just Cross Stitch German Folk Slipper
About Us
Contact Me
Our Sister
Company
|
Kits
These kits are available from:
|
Elegant Stitch
www.elegantstitch.com
lois@elegantstitch.com
|
|
Thistle Threads
thistlethreads@comcast.net
|
Criss Cross Row
www.crisscrossrow.com
|
|
3 Stitches
Spring, Texas
281-320-0133
|
 
Salem Flower Basket Needleroll
This adaptation of a 19th century needleroll is embroidered with charmingly naïve wildflowers
amongst the counted alphabets and motifs from Lucy Beadle’s 1817 sampler, housed in the PEM
collection. Worked in Au Ver a Soie silk on a 32 count green linen, the accessory is finished
with rose-green changeable taffeta and textured satin ribbons. The kit includes instructions
and CD Rom of the embroidery in process and finishing, 32 ct. linen, silk threads, needles,
doctors cloth, green taffeta, batt, cardboard tube, Mokuba ribbons, and design transfer paper.
A portion of each kit's proceeds goes to the Peabody Essex Museum.
|

Memorial Photokeep
The approximately 4.5 inch x 7 inch Memorial Photokeep features an embroidered weeping
willow and flower garland over an urn on the front cover. Open the photokeep bi-fold
and the inside contains a place to put a photo of a departed loved one, perhaps a
favorite relative, friend, or pet, and an area to stitch a personalized saying. The
project teaches a combination of embroidery and counted stitches using Au Ver a Soie
Soie Paris filament silk on 40-count linen. The design of the photokeep is inspired by
several silkwork mourning pictures in the Winterthur collection. Silk chenille, specially
dyed for this project, is used to embroider the tree trunks and grass as was often done
in the mid-nineteenth century. The embroidery is framed by a black velvet ribbon and
couched gold outline to emulate the painted glass which was often used to frame these
silkwork pictures. A touch of gold is included in the picture as the vine of the garland.
A button closure that is reminiscent of a piece of Victorian mourning jewelry is included.
The kit includes a CD-ROM with in-process photographs of the embroidery and finishing along
with the 40 ct linen fabric premounted to scroll bars with the design transfer completed.
Other kit contents include instructions, 40 ct. linens, silk threads, needles, hand-dyed
silk chenille thread, metal threads, Mokuba velvet ribbon, victorian button, silk taffeta
finishing fabric, and all other finishing materials needed to produce the photokeep. A
portion of each kit's proceeds goes to Winterthur.
|

Lady's Sampler Slipper and Burse
Lady's Sampler Slipper and Burse is a three piece needlework necessities set featuring muted colors.
The pieces are worked on 32 count Belfast linen using Au Ver a Soie Soie d'Alger silk. The pieces
include a pinkeep, a slipper to hold your scissors and needles and a sampler burse with peak-a-boo
gussets. The kit includes all instructions, silk fibers, linen, needles, silk finishing fabrics
and all needed finishing materials such as interfacing, skirtex, and cardboards. A CD-ROM showing
the finishing of the pieces in detail is included with each kit.
|

|
|

|
A Casket Needlecase and a Scissors Gauntlet
Many of you have asked about the availability of the kits from
the Peabody Essex Museum Textile Symposium 2004. The kits will be
available both retail and wholesale from Thistle Threads starting the
week following the Symposium. I will also be available to teach the
project for groups who are interested.
Three kits will be available:
- Rose Needlebook and Tulip Pinkeep (price to be announced)
A portion of each kits proceeds goes to the Peabody Essex Museum.
Check the Textile Symposium Page for full descriptions of the kit contents.
If you are interested in a kit, please contact me at thistlethreads@comcast.net
before the website becomes active for orders.
|
 |
|
 |
Fragments Of Italy
This piece is inspired by a series of wonderful embroidery fragments found at flea
markets in the US and Europe. What would happen if they were all used to make
another piece, I wondered. While the design of this piece is new, you could
imagine how it was "constructed" of "fragments from Italy". The project includes
double running motifs, Assisi, and delightful tassels inspired by Castiguli work.
We use a hand dyed pink-peach silk to give the impression that the Assisi piece
has been faded from many years of use. We will also learn to use wooden beads to
make tassel forms which we will embellish to make our project special. The bag
also includes a pin keep and a scissors case as accoutrements.
Fragments of Italy Kit - $150.00 SALE PRICE: $115.00
|
|
Acorn Treasures
Acorn Treasures is a five piece needlework necessities set featuring
multiple adaptations of an antique acorn border. The piece is worked
on 40 count hand dyed linen using Au Ver a Soie Soie Paris filament silk.
The pieces include an octagon shaped pinkeep, an acorn emery accented
with silk chenille top, a three sided emery keeper, a needlebook that
can hold threadwinders, and a scissors fob. The kit includes all
instructions, silk fibers, ribbons, chenille, linen, emery, wool, and
silk finishing fabric. The Historic Needlework Guild carries acorn
scrimshaw threadwinders which compliment this project and fit into the
three threadwinder pockets.
Acorn Treasures Kit - $110.00 SALE PRICE: $85.00
|

|
|
 |
French Monogram
|
|
Friendship Huswif
|
The French Monogram set of needlework necessities includes
a reproduction of a 19th century reticule from the designer's
own collection. Luscious double-sided satin silk ribbon was
used extensively on this project to complement the large and
small coordinating silk check. The set includes a pin pad,
scissors fob, thimble nest, and thread keep, all fitting inside the
drawstring reticule. The kit contains 36-count hand-dyed linen,
silk floss, Thread Gatherer silk ribbon, and all specialty
finishing materials. Hannah's Treasures has made an exclusive
bandbox to accompany your set. Kit for five pieces available for
$85.00 Red Toile Wallpaper Bandbox available for $45.00
Download the thimblenest instructions as a preview of our
quality kits.
Download the thimblenest instructions as a preview of our quality kits.
|
|
Tell me ye knowing and discerning few
Where I may find a friend both firm and true
Who dares stand by me when in deep distress
And then his love and friendship most express.
This elegant project provides storage for your fine needles, skeins of silk,
and other stitching accessories. The huswif is wrapped around the
needleroll or can be detached using leaf-shaped mother-of-pearl buttons.
Portions of the project use quilting to accentuate the silk taffeta, which
has been custom woven especially for Thistle Threads.
The kit includes 36-count linen, Soie Paris floss, imported Japanese ribbon,
Thread Gatherer silk ribbon, and all specialty finishing materials. A
limited number of Hannah's Treasures vintage wallpaper-covered
bandboxes are available to complement your set. Bandbox kits also include
silk lining for the box.
Kit packed in a vintage wallpaper bandbox
Choose the size and color of your box.
Inside the kit, each huswif is the same.
-
- Small Blue Toile Box and kit - SOLD OUT
- Medium Blue Toile Box and kit - SOLD OUT
-
-
-
-
-
- Empty Medium Dark Blue Friendship Box - SOLD OUT
|
 |
|
 |
House on Hill Pin
|
|
Though Far We Be Stationary Holder
|
House on the Hill Pin was inspired by classic 19th century samplers. This
interpretation of girlhood embroidery allows you to wear a bit of schoolgirl
art every day. Worked primarily in tent stitch, accented by stitches in
untwisted silk, this project can quickly adorn your lapel. The kit contains
the chart, 40-count linen, silk floss, velvet backing, pin back, floss for
twisted cord, and the finishing instructions to complete the two-inch pin.
-
House on Hill Kit - $30.00
|
|
We have adapted a 17th century running stitch border to serve
as the decorative accent to a stationary keep for your writing supplies.
There are pockets for an address book, pen, envelopes, and paper. The keep
is fabricated from a blue silk taffeta with silk ribbon accents. The
piece is tied using a jacquard ribbon imported from Japan which matches the
colors in the silk. The kit includes 36 count fabric, 100/3 silk
threads, needle, all ribbons, silk finishing fabric, color xerox,
skirtex stiffener, and muslin.
-
Though Far We Be Stationary Holder -
$70.00 SOLD OUT
|
 |
|
 |
Vintage Purse
|
|
Blue Icicles
|
The motto on this piece is certainly contemporary: "If All
Mankind Would Live in Mutual Love, This World Would Much Resemble That
Above". The piece is designed to match the two lovely vintage toile wallpaper
boxes made for us by Marilyn Krebiel of Hannah's Treasures. The purse
has areas to hold needles, threads, and two extra pockets for your
needlework necessities. The kits for this piece and a limited number
of vintage toile boxes are available for purchase. In addition, a kit with
silk and ribbon is available if you are interested in lining your box
to match. If you are not a Fine Lines subscriber, we can send you the
issue which contains the instructions for the purse and lining the box.
|
|
Blue Icicles is an elegant adaptation of historic pattern
darning worked using a light grey-blue silk on matching linen. The simple
stitch is well diagrammed in the instructions, showing each stitch through
the linen fabric. The kit includes linen, instructions, silk perlee thread,
and a needle.
- Blue Icicles Kit -
$7.00 SOLD OUT
|
 |
|
 |
Diamonds with Chocolate
|
|
Diamonds
|
We all need a little chocolate while we stitch! This small
kit includes the 36 count linen, silk thread, instructions, silk jacquard
backing fabric, finishing floss, and other finishing materials all packaged
in a set of three nesting birch boxes with Lake Champlain chocolates. The
piece uses faggoting and detached buttonhole bars to form a lovely scissors
fob.
- Diamonds Kit with Chocolate -
$20.00
SOLD OUT
|
|
If you are interested in working our lovely diamonds piece in
a brighter color, this simple kit provides a color or our choice (gold,
peach, red, green and others) and a neutral linen with needle. You can
provide a fun fabric to finish the piece as you like.
-
Diamonds Kit -
$7.00
SOLD OUT
|
 |
|
 |
Two Hearts As One
|
|
Dutch Sampler
|
This piece makes a wonderful gift or weekend project. It comes
in either blue or red, your choice. The kit contains 36 count linen, silk
floss, silk backing fabrics and all other finishing materials.
|
|
This piece was developed for Kreinik to showcase nine silks
from the Milkpaint collection. The Dutch inspired sampler kit includes nine
skeins of silk and the instructions for the sampler in a handy little box.
|
 |
|
 |
Nantucket - Hearts
|
|
Nantucket - Snowflakes
|
Our heart nantucket pincushion makes a fast evening project.
The kit contains the instructions, linen, needle, silk floss, two inch
nantucket basket and the pincushion form.
Nantucket Basket - Heart Kit - SOLD OUT
|
|
Our snowflake nantucket pincushion makes a fast evening
project. The kit contains the instructions, linen, needle, silk floss, two
inch nantucket basket and the pincushion form.
- Nantucket Basket - Snowflake Kit - SOLD OUT
|
 |
|
 |
A Blushing Summer's Peony
|
|
Peony Sampler |
Beautiful hand dyed silk ribbons were used to form this
wonderful peony corsage. Wear it on your lapel or on a romantic hat
reminiscent of the Victorian Era. The flowers, leaves, and berries are
formed from simple straight stitches and gatherings of the silk ribbons.
The kit includes all silk ribbons, matching threads, stamens, buckram,
ultrasuede backing, pin back, and instructions.
|
|
The silk flowers which adorn the cross stitch sampler are
formed from bias cut hand dyed silk ribbons. As beautiful as they look,
they are formed using simple straight stitches and gatherings. The kit
includes all silk ribbons, matching threads, imported gros-grain ribbon
with stripe, linen, needle, and instructions.
|
 |
|
 |
Carnation Candy Cone
|
|
Elizabeth's Sweet Bag |
This piece was designed after a visit to the Sampler A to Z
exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston a few years ago. On display was a
Mexican sampler which had a set of flowers, like carnations, which had been
embroidered in long and short stitch. What was unique about this piece was
that the flowers were stitched with a two color twisted silk thread. Having
studied Japanese embroidery, I knew that the stitcher must have made her own
thread to achieve the unique "candy cane" effect. This piece incorporates
'candy cane' silks in a traditional sampler band. The instructions teach you
how to take two colors of Au Ver a Soie Soie Platte and twist it by hand to
make a two color thread for your satin stitches. If you are interested in
something different, try this technique. The kit includes the linen,
instructions, silk threads, needle, velvet and morie, and floss for
finishing.
- Carnation Candy Cone Kit -
$25.00 SOLD OUT
|
|
The Elizabeth's Sweet Bag was the continuing project for Fine
Lines Volume 5. The instructions are incorporated into all four issues. It
is designed based on stitches and designs commonly used on 17th century
coifs, purses, cushions, and jackets. I took inspiration from a cushion
cover in polychrome silks from the Embroiderer's Guild collection and created
this piece to appeal to those stitchers who would like to produce a
challenging, historically styled piece. A kit for this piece is available on
the Kits page. Also, while the instructions are comprehensive, some groups
like to have me come and teach this piece in person. One guild also
commissioned me to design a matching set of accessories, which can be found
on the Teaching page, entitled Elizabeth's Accessories.
The kit includes linen, silk perlee and goblin, gold threads, Japanese
needle, paillettes, wooden tassel forms, and finishing silk floss.
- Elizabeth's Sweet Bag - Instructions, Fine Lines Issues -
$32.00 SOLD OUT
|
|