Welcome to my blog!
I have loved embroidery since I was a little girl, and have played/worked with fabric and threads most of my life. One of my earliest memories is of standing beneath a family sampler before I could read, and trying to decipher its beautiful letters and numbers. That sampler was lost in a flood years ago, but the memory of it remains … linking me to the stitcher and her mysterious message. It was perhaps, the start of my fascination with samplers and needlework.
There is deep satisfaction to be found in the workings of fiber, cloth and color. My fingers ply the needle, while the stitches soothe my soul. Designing and stitching an embroidery connects me to every woman who’s ever held a piece of cloth, and dreamed of what to create with it.
Thank you for visiting !
Remy
Hi Remy
I hope everything is going ok for you, you haven’t posted in a while, hope you are just busy with work, friends, family and life.
Dear LA,
Thank you sooo much for writing! Yes, things are very good, and very, very busy. I’m catching up a little at a time.
Remy
Hi Remy, I really liked the “Coffee” and the “Frederick Douglass” designs. Keep up the great work!
Hi,
I am new at this, really new and I don’t know how to read the patterns here as I don’t know what the squares or other graphics means as stitches. Can you help me?
Hi Dora,
Welcome to the addicting world of cross stitch! I think that you should first visit a needlework shop near you for some hands-on instruction. In a chart each square represents an individual stitch, but it’s the stitch itself (the basic cross) that you’ll need some hands on instruction with. You won’t need much, but you’ll benefit greatly from watching someone right in front of you show you how it’s done. Some stitchers have tight thread tension and some are looser … it just depends upon what you’re comfortable with once you get started. There are even demos online, but I think in person is best for beginners.
Once a stitcher gets her “sea legs” there are thousands of choices concerning fabric, fabric size, and fabric color. And then there are the thousands of choices concerning floss! So it’s good to have an experienced stitcher to guide you in person. It won’t be long before you’ve fallen in love with a chart and are stitching along as if you’d done it all your life!
One more suggestion would be to select a simple pattern on 14 ct aida, with a limited color palette as your first project. I learned on a small Band Sampler. Completing each tiny band of stitches gave me a tremendous sense of satisfaction and a big boost of confidence! I’ll post a small Band Sampler as soon as I can, and if you like it you can print it out and take it with you to use as your practice piece.
Happy Stitching!
Remy
merci beaucoup
Hi Remy,
Very beautiful designs, I love all of thems. TRhank you so much. So Uou have a newsletter and how can I subscribe to it ? Bonne continuation dans vos jolis ouvrages.
Ann
Hello Ann,
Thank you! It makes me truly happy when a stitcher loves one of my designs. I don’t have a newsletter, but you can sign up to follow my blog via email, and be notified whenever I post a new embroidery pattern. There is a little app at the bottom of the right hand side of the blog for that purpose.
Happy Stitching!
Remy
I have just been through your beautiful samplers. I keep some of them for my G.D.’s to make them be fond of “your” stitches when they come for their next holidays.
Thank you so much !
Mati
Dear Mati,
You are most welcome, and thank you! Your G. D’s are are blessed to have you encouraging them to embroider! How wonderful to work on things with your loved ones, and then have those pieces to enjoy and pass on.
Happy Stitching!
Remy
Thank you so much Remy !
De très belles grilles ! Bel été
Thank you!
Hi Remy,
You might not be able to help me, but thought I would take a
chance. I noticed you had a recipe called ” Coconut-Raspberry-Dark
Chocolate Chip Cookies. If it’s possible, could you give me some information
about these cookies. I would love to make some! If you can’t do this for me,
I completely understand. Kate
Hi Kate!
I like easy recipes … the one bowl kind of cookie. So I plunked all the ingredients into the bowl, and added dried raspberries at the very end. I cut back on the sugar and added a splash of very good vanilla extract. I always use Let’s Do Organic’s dried shredded coconut, and then add some Baker’s sweetened coconut rather than increase the flour, if the consistence isn’t like a thick cement mix. The recipe calls for up to two cups of flour. Then I put the mix into a container and pop it into the fridge to “meld” it’s flavors. The cookie dough itself is heavenly, so I can’t leave it too long or the dough mysteriously disappears!
I can help you … I just made these again yesterday! They originally came from a recipe in Damon Lee Fowler’s, NEW SOUTHERN COOKING, which I borrowed from the library. I made them so many times that I bought the book! The man is a genius!! In his book they’re called Coconut Tea Cakes (page 130). I love to bake, but do not always follow the recipe
Here are the ingredients and the basic directions:
~ Makes about 6 dozen cookies my way ~
1 lb. (2 cups or 4 sticks) softened, unsalted butter
1 lb. (2 cups) sugar … I use 1 cup + a smidge more
3 large eggs + 1 generous splash of vanilla … whisk together
4 cups finely grated coconut, preferably dried
2 teasp baking powder
1/2 teasp salt
10 ozs (about 2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour … I use about 1 1/2 cup plus regular sweetened coconut till the mix “holds”
6 + ounces of bittersweet chocolate chunks or mini-chips
Mix all thoroughly and then add:
1 or 2 bags of freeze dried Crunchies Raspberries depending how much you like raspberries. 1-888-997-1866 These are fabulous and our local Stop and Shop carries them.
Preheat oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with double parchment paper
Roll dough into balls, about 1″ to 1 1/2″ in diameter and gently tap onto the baking sheet so that they don’t roll around.
Bake (depending upon your oven) till the edges of the cookies are lightly brown (and look amazingly like something like Pepperidge Farm would make), usually for me about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a counter on the parchment paper.
Yummmmmmmmmmm!
Hi Remy,
I really like your designs, they are absolutely beautiful! Keep up the great work!!
Hi Lorie,
Thank you so much!
Remy
Hi Remy,
I’m so glad I found your blog. I rarely follow blogs but I think I’ll make this an exception. I love your freebies, your cats, and the links to various articles, notably those in the Spiritual section because I’m a Catholic. I will have to find time to read all your posts from the very beginning.
Zen
Hi Zen,
I’m delighted that you found me!
Remy
Well said, Zen! I too am a Catholic, cat lover, stitch and sampler lover! Beautiful designs, Remy! Thank you for adding joy to our lives!
Hi Maria,
Thank you so much for visiting and reading! It makes me happy that you enjoy my designs.
Remy
HI Remy
You have very beautiful memories, also this sampler is lovely
Thanks a lot!
Maria del Valle