Welcome to my Blog. This a place to share and learn all things embroidery. Here I post inspirational stories and free lessons in the form of tutorials and guides. I also share tips, tricks and teach stitches and techniques.
You will also find free patterns and designs for you to unlock your creativity. It is a great place for any creative looking to learn or find inspiration in this art form.
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This will be my final post of the year (apart from Christmas and New Year greetings), and I wanted to share this stunning piece as special inspiration for those planning to stitch over the holidays or thinking about picking it up again in the new year. Take a look—don’t you find it exquisite? It was embroidered with ribbon by the incredibly talented Valentina Razenkova, an embroiderer whose talent...
Hello from a hot and sunny Cape Town The Dicraft team would like to thank all our customers who ordered from our Black Friday promotion. We are grateful for every order received and are packing orders as fast as we can. As soon as your order is ready, Lisa will be in touch by email with your tracking number via FedEx (outside South Africa) or The Courier Guy...
November 2025 News Hi, hello from a warm and sunny Cape Town. I have the latest updates for you! A lovely short tutorial on how to make gorgeous three-dimensional flower shapes that will add a perfect dimension to your ribbon embroidery design. You will find it here on my blog. Hope you will enjoy ♥ . . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- . And a new blogpost to show a handsome rooster all the...
Did You Know? Framing Tips • Choose regular or museum glass; non-reflective glass tends to obscure embroidered detail. • It is a good idea to sign and date your work before framing. Use a fine HB or 2B pencil then stitch over the lines discreetly with one strand of thread. Choose a dark to medium grey, charcoal or green thread and make tiny back or split stitches....
Isn't he a splendid chap? By Norma Mulligan from Cork in Ireland, he makes me smile. I do so love the sound of them crowing in the morning - reminds me of my days on the farm. Made with simple Ribbon stitches, loose and puffed. So effective. Thank you, Norma! ♡♡♡
How to make amazing dimensional flowers -Agapanthus - in silk ribbon embroidery by Di van Niekerk and Marina Zherdeva
Latest Embroidery News from Di van Niekerk
Did You Know? The simplest of stitches will often be the most effective. A common error is to use too many stitches in one design. The best approach is to keep to a few stitches and use different textures of ribbon and thread to create an interesting dimension. I would love to see what you are making, please email me your pictures! Until next time, have fun...
Did You Know? Needles should be changed regularly as they can become blunt after repeated use. Typically, it is recommended to discard needles safely after two or three projects. If a needle begins to feel sticky or loses its shine, it should be replaced. Avoid using the sharp end of the needle to adjust the ribbon stitches, as this may damage or tear the ribbon. I would...
Hint: Use this technique to add that special touch of a little moth in 3D to make a brooch, to add a delightful touch to clothing, scrapbook pages, curtains, handbags, quilts, cushions... Hawk Moths and Honeysuckle from my Perfect World book Hello everyone, hope you are having a good day ♫♬♪ Today I will show you a quick and easy way of making life-like stumpwork...
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