On a recent visit to the Powerhouse Museum Sydney, I was thrilled to discover Myra Mogg, an inspiring stitcher and woman. Myra lived in Mudgee, rural NSW and produced exquisite examples of needlecraft through the 1930’s. Finding Myra It was as I wandered through the exhibition of the museum’s shoe collection, “Recollect: Shoes” that I found three pairs […]
Needlepoint accessories: Pincushions-Part 4
I was so inspired by my research on pincushions that I decided to offer a free pattern so that you can make your own. And this is not any old pincushion, but rather one that sharpens every time you use it! Some interesting facts about pincushions: Pincushions or pin pillows date back to the Middle […]
Scissors, the cutting edge: needlepoint accessories Part 2
It is rare that a sewing project does not require a pair of scissors. The earliest scissors are were made in ancient Egypt in about 1500 BCE. The metal used was bronze and shaped like a U with sharpened ends. In about 100 AD the Romans designed cutting tools which looked more like […]
Baskets, boxes and bags: the accessories of needlepoint-Part 1
Sewing baskets have been an important part of women’s lives for hundreds of years. It is easy to forget that before the industrial revolution all clothes, underwear, bedding, tea towels and washing cloths were all made by hand. Many of these day to day objects were decorated with beautiful stitches, and a flourish of highly […]