Roses in Long and Short Stitch---Finished Project Images

I would like to share with you all the finished pictures of another project --- Long and Short Stitch Roses, which I had shown you in one of my previous posts.

I wanted to try long and short embroidery with variegated embroidery threads. And am so happy with the outcome. 

If you would like to use DMC variegated threads in any of your embroidery projects, you can buy it from Amazon.com:

Hungarian Matyo Embroidery Project---Finished Project Photos

Today I want to share with you the pictures of my Hungarian embroidery project. I recently found out that the type of Hungarian embroidery which I shared with you in my earlier post on Hungarian embroidery is Matyo embroidery, and not Kalocsa embroidery as I had mistakenly assumed. I got confused with both forms of the embroidery.

I did a little research and learnt that the most prominent difference between Matyo and Kalocsa is that in Matyo embroidery the roses are usually embroidered only in red, while in Kalocsa embroidery they are done in different colors. Also Matyo embroidery was traditionally densely stitched. 

Matyo embroidery is one of the traditional folk art embroidery styles in Hungary, which stretches back nearly 200 years. The motifs were sewn with bright colors such as red, green, yellow, blue, black, and purple, as well as with their soft shades. The color red retains its dominance in all motifs. Towards the end of the 19th century, peony became the most famous motif, which was given a special name, the “matyo rose," which became the main feature of the motifs. 

According to the Web site folk-art-hungary.com,

There is also a legend about the development of matyo embroidery. Once a matyo bachelor was kidnapped by the devil. The boy’s sweetheart rhymed a lot asking him to give him back to her, and the devil said, “You’ll get your love back if you bring the most beautiful flowers of summer in your apron!” She was in trouble as they were in the middle of winter. But in the end, she figured out how to fulfill the devil’s wish. She embroidered the beautiful roses of her garden on his apron and gave it the devil in exchange for her valentine.

Please visit folk-art-hungary.com for more info on Hungarian embroidery.

Also visit the Web site fromhungarywithlove.wordpress.com to know the differences between the different forms of Hungarian embroidery.

Below are the final pictures of the Hungarian Matyo embroidery project which I completed a few years ago.

This is the back side (wrong side) of the embroidery.

Please chime in your ideas whether you would like a tutorial on Hungarian embroidery on this blog. I will post a tutorial with another design if you like. 

How to Make Progress on Your Embroidery Project

I have not started any new embroidery project recently (although I have a very long wish list of projects) as I have decided not to do so without completing the old projects that have been pending for a long time. Therefore at present I am continuing with only two unfinished projects.

Out of my experience, I would like to share a few tips on how to see some progress on your embroidery project:

1. Never start an embroidery project that is too big and too time-consuming unless you are sure you can spend considerable time for the project. Because with a long-pending embroidery project there are chances that the fabric and threads may become old, you may lose some threads, and the pattern you transferred may fade away. You will also lose interest in your project in the course of time if it has been pending for long.

3. Prepare a schedule for your embroidery project like 30 minutes a day, and try to stick to it.  It is okay to finish only a flower or a leaf in a week's time than not making any progress at all. I used to complain that I don't get time for embroidering. But of late I have included embroidery into my daily schedule, because I enjoy doing it. So try to squeeze in as much time as possible from your daily schedule (even 20 mins will help to make a little progress).

4. Most importantly, never concentrate on more than two projects at the same time. If you do more projects at the same time, there are chances that you may get confused doing many projects at the same time, and you can't concentrate or make progress with any one of those projects. I have done this many a times. (Experience speaks 😀)

5. Long and short (needlepainting) embroidery projects may consume more time and need more concentration. Therefore try to do an easy project along with a long and short embroidery project.

6. Make sure you don't get distracted often with social media (designate a time for social media like for 30 minutes a day), and also don't start  your embroidery when your household is busy and when you spend time with your family. Try to do your projects without any hurry when you find some quiet time for yourself in the day. It may be early in the morning, mid-morning after kids left for school, in the afternoon when your baby takes a nap, or before bed time. You can designate some extra time for embroidering during weekends.

7. Designate a box or basket for each of the embroidery project you are doing, so that you won't lose your thread, needle, etc. Also make sure you have got enough threads for the entire project. This way you will avoid running out of threads. Also note down the list of thread colors used in the project in a piece of paper and keep it inside the box, so even if you are running out of any color shade, you can easily refer to the list.