Wendy Week Giveaway Winners!


Today we are excited to announce the randomly selected winners of our Wendy Week giveaway contests! Thanks so much to everyone who participated and we hope you had a fun week exploring shadow work embroidery with Wendy Schoen! Don't forget to pick up your copy of the book in our online store to continue the fun.

3 signed copies of the book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery
Linda (wmsla at bellsouth dot net)
Karen (ksupper1 at verizon dot net)
Lori Anne (lorianne129 at gmail dot com)

2 copies of the machine embroidery disc, Wendy Schoen's Machine Embroidery Collection I
Laurie Guidry (ljg923 at msn dot com)
TexasQuilter (drummers2 at yahoo dot com)

Year of lessons from Wendy Schoen's Embroidery Club (2004)
Jean (jean at roadq dot com)

2 copies of Wendy's instructional Shadow Work Embroidery DVD, each paired with a floche sampler pack
Robin Fonville (robinfonville at hotmail dot com)
Cindy Sews (cindy_sews at hotmail dot com)

Ducky Daisy Pillow Kit from Wendy Schoen Design
Debi (dkerbes at comcast dot net)

Wendy Week Day 5: Free "Ducky Daisy" Design (Plus one last giveaway!)


Welcome to Day 5 of Wendy Week here at the Sew Beautiful blog! With the release of designer Wendy Schoen’s new book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, we’re honoring the renowned artist and teacher with a week of special promotions and giveaways. We hope you have enjoyed joining us on the blog every day this week for exclusive book previews, an interview with Wendy, and our awesome giveaway contests - a different one each day!

Today we are giving away a Ducky Daisy Pillow Kit from Wendy Schoen Design! Details follow the instructions below.


To give you a small taste of what you can expect to find in Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, we have excerpted Wendy's adorable "Ducky Daisy" beginning shadow work design. Color key and stitch instructions follow below; click here to download the Ducky Daisy design template in Adobe PDF format.

Using the techniques we shared with you yesterday regarding supplies and tracing off your design, prepare your fabric with the Ducky Daisy template, then stitch out design in the following order. (Check out the introductory video here if you missed it!)
1. Working from foreground to background, look for shapes within other shapes. Shadow stitch the wing as you would a teardrop shape beginning at the tip in the “V configuration.” Work the beak in the same manner. The eye and facial features are stitched, as well.

2. Work the neck tie and lower bow loop as you would a rectangle. The top loop is worked as a teardrop, beginning with backstitches down the center line then shadow stitched on the outer edges, ignoring the center line.

3. The head is worked as you would a circle, beginning at the top and worked toward the body.

4. To complete the design, work the body as you would an oval, beginning at the breast and worked toward the tail, ignoring the wing entirely, but piggy-backing the stitches that share common boundaries.

5. Enjoy your completed design!




TODAY'S GIVEAWAY
Today we are giving away a Ducky Daisy Pillow Kit from Wendy Schoen Design!

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this blog post below.
Be sure you include an email address or contact information so that we can contact you if you're a winner. Entries will remain open through the rest of Wendy Week and the winners will be drawn at random and announced next Monday, March 14, 2011.


We hope you have enjoyed Wendy Week here on the SB blog! Don't forget you can still enter to win any of the giveaways announced this week by leaving a comment on their respective posts:
  • Monday: 3 signed copies of the book, Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery
  • Tuesday: 2 copies of the companion machine embroidery disc, Wendy Schoen's Machine Embroidery Collection I
  • Wednesday: An entire year of lessons from Wendy Schoen's Embroidery Club (2004)
  • Thursday: 2 copies of Wendy's instructional Shadow Work Embroidery DVD, each paired with a floche sampler pack
  • Friday (this post): A Ducky Daisy Pillow Kit from Wendy Schoen Design
Winners will be announced and contacted on Monday, March 14th, 2011. Thanks for joining us this week - it has been a blast!

Wendy Week Day 4: Video Lessons with Wendy (& another great giveaway!)


Welcome to Day 4 of Wendy Week here at the Sew Beautiful blog! With the release of designer Wendy Schoen’s new book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, we’re honoring the renowned artist and teacher with a week of special promotions and giveaways. Join us on the blog every day this week for exclusive book previews, an interview with Wendy, and our awesome giveaway contests - a different one each day!

Today we are giving away two copies of Wendy's instructional Shadow Work Embroidery DVD! Each will be paired with a floche sampler pack (in either "layette" or "spring" colors) from Wendy to help you get started. Details follow the videos.

Have you always wanted to attend our MPC School of Art Fashion and take classes from Wendy, but haven't been able to make it? You're in luck. We produce teaching DVDs that are as close as it gets to the real thing! Here is a quick introduction to Wendy's DVD collection from the designer herself:



Today's Wendy Week feature is an excerpt from today's DVD giveaway, Shadow Work Embroidery with Wendy Schoen. Here, Wendy introduces you to the basic supplies you'll need to get started with shadow work as well as tips on tracing your design. (Hint hint...these will come in handy when we share a free design and instructions on tomorrow's Wendy Week post!)



All of the products and supplies mentioned in the video above are available from either Martha Pullen Company or Wendy Schoen Design. The rest of this DVD is filled with more great information, tips and instructions for shadow work embroidery, and would make a fantastic companion to the instructions found in Wendy's new book!



TODAY'S GIVEAWAY
Today we are giving away two copies of Wendy's instructional Shadow Work Embroidery DVD! Each will be paired with a floche sampler pack (in either "layette" or "spring" colors) from Wendy herself to help you get started. (Visit Wendy's website to order floche in many colors!)

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this blog post below.
Be sure you include an email address or contact information so that we can contact you if you're a winner. Entries will remain open through the rest of Wendy Week and the winners will be drawn at random and announced next Monday, March 14, 2011.


If you are a Sew Beautiful fan, make sure you've "liked" our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to keep up with Wendy Week events (and more). Don't forget that Martha Pullen Company is also on Facebook and Twitter – you definitely don't want to miss out on this week's special deals. While all Wendy Schoen merchandise is on sale in our online store for 20% off all week, MPC will be featuring additional, deeper daily discounts on certain Wendy Schoen products!

Wendy Week Day 3: An Excerpt from the Book (Plus another giveaway!)


Welcome to Day 3 of Wendy Week here at the Sew Beautiful blog! With the release of designer Wendy Schoen’s new book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, we’re honoring the renowned artist and teacher with a week of special promotions and giveaways. Join us on the blog every day this week for exclusive book previews, an interview with Wendy, and our awesome giveaway contests - a different one each day!

Today we are giving away an entire year of lessons from Wendy Schoen's Embroidery Club (2004), a current retail value of $105.00! Details follow the stitch instructions below.

Not quite sure what shadow work embroidery is or how it works? Today's post is for you. We are excited to share a short excerpt with you from the introductory portion of Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, including a brief introduction to shadow work and a few of the "must-know" stitches you'll need to get started. Enjoy!

What is Shadowwork?
This lovely, delicate embroidery technique is most often found in white work and Broderie Anglaise embroideries dating back to the 18th Century. The technique is believed to be of Indian origin and until the 19th Century was worked exclusively in white on white fabric. Technically known as closed herringbone stitch and traditionally worked from the wrong side of the fabric, the stitch is worked over the finger in a sewing motion.

Herringbone stitch is worked along two parallel boundaries alternately, having one stitch placed on the first boundary, and the next on the second boundary. The stitches are always taken in back-stitch motion and worked from one boundary to the other alternately. They are aligned so each stitch shares the hole of the previous stitch on respective boundaries.

Once the work is completed, it is turned over to the right side to reveal a continuous row of backstitches along the outline of the design. Between the boundaries, a band of color shows through the semi-transparent fabric in a shadow-like effect, which results from the dragging of the threads from one boundary to the other. Because of this, the technique is most commonly referred to as shadow work and the stitch is called shadow stitch.


Used as a fill-in stitch, the work is brilliant for stitching flower petals, ribbons and bow shapes. Beautiful swirling shapes and long linear shapes look feminine and romantic, making the technique the perfect complement to baby wear and lingerie. Worked with broader shapes, such as those found in nature, shadow work leaves and flowers work up quickly and are quite attractive, especially for household linens.

Currently, it is more common to see shadow work with colored threads. The introduction of colored threads has changed the character of the technique immensely and the shapes have become more complicated to stitch, therefore working from the right side is the easiest method of stitching. This method of closed herringbone is most often referred to as shadow work.

Contrary to shadow stitch embroidery from yesteryear, the technique of shadow work is a bit different. Small motifs take shape and beautiful pastels are the norm in this new way of stitching the shadow designs. The technique has made enormous strides in the past several years and has evolved into a technique unique to itself. No longer worked from the wrong side of the fabric, the back-stitch is best when worked in an embroidery hoop.

As you will notice, almost without exception, the motifs in this book were designed for embellishing infants and children’s garments. This glorious technique is perfect for adding just a little embellishment to tiny garments, without fear of over-powering the delicate nature of its intended use.

For more information on shadow work embroidery and for many more detailed stitch instructions, designs, tips and patterns, get your hands on a copy of Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery (20% off all week!) and get stitching! For now, here is a short exerpt from the book showing a few of the must-know stitches for getting started with shadow work.

CLOSED HERRINGBONE STITCH
Shadow Work (Closed Herringbone), simply said, is basically a Backstitch. The backstitch is taken alternately from one boundary point to another. The stitches are lined up head to toe with every two stitches sharing a common hole. Usually the stitches are very short, less than 1/16” long, and it is important that they be stitched carefully so as not to “jump the track” of the stitching line. The stitches look pretty when they are placed exactly on the drawn line so take extra care to trace your design exactly.

BACKSTITCH
Working along the design line with one strand of floss, tie on with a split-backstitch directly on the design line. Take a short stitch from A to B and out at C, a stitch length away from B, covering the tie-on stitch. Each stitch should be placed head to toe, each sharing a hole with the previous stitch.

PIGGYBACKING
This term applies to the technique of stitching over an existing stitch. This is only done when two shapes share a common wall. The stitch is taken into the exact two A-B points as the previous section. If the two shapes are the same color, the stitches lay on top of each other. If they are different, they lay side by side, but are still sharing the same holes.

TODAY'S GIVEAWAY
Today we are giving away an entire year of lessons from Wendy Schoen's Embroidery Club (2004), a current retail value of $105.00! (Learn more about Wendy's Embroidery Club on her website.)

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this blog post below.
Be sure you include an email address or contact information so that we can contact you if you're a winner. Entries will remain open through the rest of Wendy Week and the winners will be drawn at random and announced next Monday, March 14, 2011.


If you are a Sew Beautiful fan, make sure you've "liked" our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to keep up with Wendy Week events (and more). Don't forget that Martha Pullen Company is also on Facebook and Twitter – you definitely don't want to miss out on this week's special deals. While all Wendy Schoen merchandise is on sale in our online store for 20% off all week, MPC will be featuring additional, deeper daily discounts on certain Wendy Schoen products!

Wendy Week Day 2: An Interview with Wendy (Plus another giveaway!)


Welcome to Day 2 of Wendy Week here at the Sew Beautiful blog! With the release of designer Wendy Schoen’s new book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, we’re honoring the renowned artist and teacher with a week of special promotions and giveaways. Join us on the blog every day this week for exclusive book previews, an interview with Wendy, and our awesome giveaway contests - a different one each day!

Today we are giving away 2 copies of Wendy Schoen's Machine Embroidery Collection I, the companion CD to Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery! Details follow the interview below.

So who exactly is Wendy? Allow us to introduce you! Wendy Schoen is a native New Orleanian who resides there with her husband, William, and their son, Evan who is in his 4th year of college. A regular contributor to Sew Beautiful Magazine, Wendy teaches at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion and hosts the hand embroidery segments on Martha’s Sewing Room. Through her company, Wendy Schoen Design, Wendy has published five books on the subject of fine embroidery and sewing. She has published over 30 patterns marketed under the name, Petite Poché, of which she is the owner, and countless embroidery designs and kits. Her latest business venture in conjunction with MPC includes the production of three hand embroidery DVDs, Shadow Work Embroidery, Basic Embroidery and Embroidery II, and several machine embroidery disks, featuring Wendy’s original embroidery designs in digital format.

We're thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Wendy this week as we celebrate the release of her new book and machine embroidery CD. Enjoy!

SB: Wendy, we are proud and excited to be celebrating the release of your new book, Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some of our questions! Let's start out with the basics; tell us a little bit about yourself.
Wendy:
Thank you so much for this opportunity. I have been designing as long as I can remember. I dressed my dolls in custom made outfits when I was a small child and decorated my blue jeans when I was a teenager. I designed and painted backdrops for a school play in the 6th Grade. I became an art director for a weekly newspaper when I was just 17 and worked in the graphic industry until I began my sewing business in January 1994.


SB: How long have you been sewing? Teaching sewing?
Wendy: I taught myself to sew when I was 28 years old. One day I decided it was something I wanted to do, and loving clothes as I do, it came naturally. I remember phoning my mother to tell her my decision to learn to sew. I asked if there was anything I needed to know and her advice was to follow the pattern instructions verbatim without skipping any steps. That was terrific advice, don't you think? I then asked what a selvage was, which tells you how little I knew about the craft. I loved it instantly. I have been teaching since 1994 and one of my first jobs was at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion in Huntsville.

SB: Tell us how your business Wendy Schoen Design began and has grown to what it is today.
Wendy: I was a free lance graphic designer when I gave birth to my son, Evan in 1989. The schedule was killing me and taking precious time away from my baby. Because sewing was such a joy to me, I became disgruntled towards my job. When Evan turned 2, I attended the Martha Pullen School for the first time. I remember sitting in the lobby of the hotel thinking there must be a way for me to earn a living in the sewing industry. That's when I decided to write a book, which began my career in sewing. Five books, over 30 patterns, embroidery disks and dvds later, I managed to live my dream.

SB: You are an extremely busy woman, from running your own online store to designing patterns, managing an embroidery club, teaching classes all over, and of course, writing books and creating beautiful pieces! How do you stay on top of it all?
Wendy: Truthfully, I am a very motivated person and deadline oriented. I try to focus on the task at hand, and not think of all the other things going on until the task is completed. I attribute my success to my dear husband, Billy who literally bankrolled my business and my sister, Penny who continues to manage my business. Without them, I don't think I would be a success at all.

SB: From where would you say you get your inspiration for your sewing projects and designs?
Wendy: I never run out of ideas; everything inspires me. I can literally wake up in the morning with an idea or inspiration. I have always had a sixth sense of what color will be in vogue and the ability to envision a project to completion even before it has been started. Some of my best ideas come in the shower, when all I can do is think. I need complete quiet sometimes to rejuvenate and other times I can see beauty in the most humble objects.

SB: You have worked with Martha Pullen Company and Sew Beautiful magazine for many years. Tell us how that relationship formed and continues to develop.
Wendy: I think my marketing background helped me tremendously in promoting my business. I made an appointment with Amelia Johanson, who was editor of Sew Beautiful at the time, to show her my garment samples. She was interested in showing my designs in the magazine and scheduled articles immediately, which was quite lucky for me. It wasn't long after that I was teaching preday classes at the School of Art Fashion.

SB: Your new book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery is now available. Not only are the projects and designs gorgeous, but your detailed instructions make this a must-have for any embroiderer. This book is the culmination of many years of planning and love; how did you make your way from inspiration to publication?
Wendy: This book has been long in coming. It probably would have been published a long time ago, but for the fact I was trying to make the transition from offset printing to digital and wasn't remotely familiar with the new design programs. The new technology intimidated me so much, I put off production for years. Luckily, Sew Beautiful approached me to publish and the project took off immediately.

SB: The book includes everything from an overview of shadow work embroidery to instruction for stitching different shapes, tips and techniques, a number of sweet designs, and two adorable patterns. What is your favorite part of your new book?
Wendy: Having the step-by-step directions for stitching the designs is invaluable. It has been my dream to finally have my original shadow work techniques in print. The techniques are uniquely mine and I was anxious to share the idea with everyone.

SB: Also available as companions to Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery are a machine embroidery CD, Wendy Schoen's Machine Embroidery Collection I, and an upcoming pattern. Tell us a little bit about these "extras".
Wendy: Not everyone has the time or inclination to hand embroider so it is my great pleasure to "introduce" my designs to machine embroidery enthusiasts. The machine stitch-outs have surpassed my expectations and look as lovely as the hand counterparts. The companion patterns are to be released next month and we are quite excited to offer them in a wide array of sizes. I'm very proud of them.


SB: What are some of your favorite go-to sewing tools?
Wendy: I am asked this question quite often, and I don't think I would want to be without a good quality embroidery hoop. Shadow work requires the fabric to be drum tight in the hoop. Those made by Clover and Susan Bates are the best on the market because of the inner rim which grips the fabric well and never slips. Of course, my embroidery needles are the best and I highly recommend them. Many say they are marvelous and I agree.

SB: What about some of your favorite sewing resources (publications, websites, etc.)?
Wendy: I don't really have a lot of time to view websites or blogs, but I do enjoy eBay every day. I love hunting for antique garments and patterns for inspiration or simply to collect. I also scour the boards for thimbles and stilettos, which I have been collecting for years and have too many to count. I actually use them, so I don't think it frivolous. I also keep my eye out for large lots of threads and trims to add to my ever growing collection. My antique books have been invaluable to my design business. I absolutely love reading and studying the old techniques to determine how they can be incorporated into my designs and lessons.

SB: You are a great inspiration for so many sewers. Who are YOUR sewing role models?
Wendy: Without hesitation, I would say Margaret Boyles, Judith Dobson, and Margaret Pierce are the embroiderers whom I admire most. And, of course, Wendy Lee Ragan, who was the best shadow work designer in the industry. Helen Poprick, my Aunt "Red" sewed beautifully and the summers of my childhood were spent watching her diligently at work. I'm certain she had a huge influence on my attention to detail. My mother sewed when we were babies, but her ability to make a silk purse from a sow's ear during my formative years was the catalyst of my creativity.

SB: What would your advice be for a true beginner of fine sewing or shadow work embroidery?
Wendy: Keep working on your embroidery, as it improves with each project. I can give you the tools to learn the techniques, but only you can put the miles on the fabric to further your skills.

SB: Any last words of advice for our readers?
Wendy: Handwork has been around for thousands of years. It has passed the test of time and is still as important an art form today as it was in ancient times. Let's keep it alive for many more generations to come.

SB: Wendy, thank you so much for sharing your stories, advice and talent with us. You are a true source of inspiration for all of us!
TODAY'S GIVEAWAY
Today we are giving away 2 copies of
Wendy Schoen's Machine Embroidery Collection I, the companion CD to Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery! To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this blog post below. Be sure you include an email address or contact information so that we can contact you if you're a winner. Entries will remain open through the rest of Wendy Week and the winners will be drawn at random and announced next Monday, March 14, 2011.


If you are a Sew Beautiful fan, make sure you've "liked" our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to keep up with Wendy Week events (and more). Don't forget that Martha Pullen Company is also on Facebook and Twitter – you definitely don't want to miss out on this week's special deals. While all Wendy Schoen merchandise is on sale in our webstore for 20% off all week, MPC will be featuring additional, deeper daily discounts on certain Wendy Schoen products!

Welcome to Wendy Week - Giveaways every day!


We are so excited to welcome you to Day 1 of Wendy Week here at the Sew Beautiful blog! With the release of designer Wendy Schoen’s new book Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery, we’re honoring the renowned artist and teacher with a week of special promotions and giveaways. Join us on the blog every day this week for exclusive book previews, an interview with Wendy, and our awesome giveaway contests - a different one each day!

Today we are giving away 3 autographed copies of Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery! Details follow the video below.

Today, we have an introduction to Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery from the author herself. We caught up with Wendy at the February School of Art Fashion here in Huntsville, Alabama last month, just as Wendy's book arrived in our warehouse. Check out our video below to see what she has to say!



Today we are giving away 3 autographed copies of Mastering Shadow Work Embroidery! To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this blog post below. Be sure you include an email address or contact information so that we can contact you if you're a winner. Entries will remain open through the rest of Wendy Week and the winners will be drawn at random and announced next Monday, March 14, 2011.

Honestly - the staff here at MPC is in love with this new book. The photography is gorgeous, Wendy's instructions and guided illustrations are wonderful and the final product is a must-have. Be sure to tune in to the SB blog again tomorrow for an exclusive interview with Wendy and another great giveaway contest!