June Winner & July Giveaway

The winner of June’s giveaway is Renee Grandinetti whose first project was a pincushion with yellow and white flowers.

This month’s giveaway will have a grand prize and five runners-up. The winner will get a selection of threads, and a scrap bag project with some scrap threads to try.

The five runners up will get the scrap bag project.

Here’s the question — what’s you favorite piece of needlepoint you’ve ever done? If you have a picture of it out on the web, add the link to your comment, so we can all enjoy it.

Because shipping prices have gone up, only US addresses qualify. If you are outside the US,you will need a US address for shipping.

Winners will be announced August 1.

Ok, my Needlepoint Is Stitched - What Do I Tell My Finisher?

Leigh Shafer is talented finisher based in Arizona. In Jane Zimmerman’s most recent email newsletter she shared the most wonderful tips about what we as stitchers need to know in order to get the best results from the finishing.

Leigh was gracious enough to give me permission to post it here for you.

Once you have finished stitching your project, you need to consider how you want it finished. Will it be a pillow? A standing figure? Do you want ornaments that you can hang on your Christmas tree? Do you have favorite colors, or do you have one color that you absolutely hate? How will the finished piece be used or displayed?

All of these thoughts must be conveyed to your finisher so that you and she can be in agreement on the finished product.

Do you want a pillow? Ok - what kind? Knife edge with cording, ruffle,
lace, a fabric border framing your stitching? Perhaps you like the look of a more formal boxed pillow with just self cording. Will the pillow get a lot of wear? Will you want to take out the pillow form and dry clean the work occasionally? A zipper closing will make this much easier to do. Let your finisher know. Most finishers I know prefer to do pillows with zipper closings - it gives a neater, more finished look to the piece.

Have you stitched an additional two or three threads outside the design area so that no bare canvas will show when all the finish work is done? This is not an absolute rule, but it is a good idea. Have you selected fabric and trims or will you let your finisher pick for you? Here is where your finisher needs to know what you like. Please be as specific as possible as to colors and styles. If you have a contemporary or formal home, you don’t want a pillow with a lot of cutesy “stuff”. If you have children and/or pets, a delicate fabric won’t survive the normal wear and tear if the pillow is to be in a family room. If a certain color, even in a small accent capacity, really grates on your senses, let your finisher know.

Remember, a finisher is not a mind reader. You may have spent several months or even years stitching your masterpiece. You’ve spent a considerable amount of money on the canvas, the charts, the threads - you want it to be finished to show off your work to the best advantage. The more information you can give this person to whom you are entrusting your work, the better the job she will do for you, and the happier you will be with the final result.

*****

Here’s a little bit about Leigh’s background, she writes “I was a store owner in So Calif in the 80’s, I’ve been a member of EGA and ANG since the early 90’s, have stitched all my life, and taught for the past 30 years. I started finishing my own pieces for my store, customers saw my work and wanted me to do their finishing. So, I’ve been finishing for over 20 years. For the last four years, I have done some of the finishing for the ANG auctions at seminar.”

Leigh can be reached via email at leighstitcher @ hotmail . com (remember to remove the spaces).

I Meant to Do My Work Yesterday

This post’s title is adapted from the title of a poem by Richard Le Gallienne, which is completely charming and about stopping to look around. I’ve loved it since I first read it.

Would that my excuse was so nice. But, as usual, I procrastinated, and then got left with too many steps and too little time.

My PLAN was to put together the back end for delivering the ebooks. I had picked out a download service, knew it was supported and was ready to go. But to work with PayPal I had to be verified.

No problem, I’ll do that. But to confirm the verification will take 2-3 business days.

OK, go to Plan B, manually send people books for a day or two, then switch to downloading.

No can do. It turns out that if I do that, I will have to build everything, then delete everything, rebuild it the right way, test it. and then make it live.

So I think I’ll trust things happen quickly and bring the ebooks out a day or so late.

Now it’s on to the other three critical things which have deadlines tomorrow. At least one of them is somewhat fast, one is something I’ve researched in the past and the last one been occupying many brain cycles this past week.

But I sure would like fewer complications, maybe I’ll go stitch some.

Great Finishing Idea — Log Cabin Pillows

Log cabin quilts are based on a central block, usually small, but it doesn’t have to be, with strips of fabric, increasing in length, swirling around it. Why not use a small piece of needlepoint as that central block.

We love to stitch smaller items and this way, if you have a fabric stash as well, you can choose your other fabrics from them.

Whip Up has a great post about making a Log Cabin pillow. The instructions are detailed and easy to modify for needlepoint.

The foundation block which inspires the piece isn’t a bit of fabric, it’s the needlepoint. Follow her instructions for picking fabrics, cutting the strips, and assembling the blocks.

I’d only add one thing, many fabrics are lighter than the needlepoint. If this is the case for you, stiffen them with iron-on interfacing before you cut the strips.

If you’re handy with a sewing machine, this is a great finish.

Preview of Bargello Needlepoint Ornaments

Althea has posted the previews of the next three free Bargello Christmas ornaments. There is a tree, a snowman, and an overall candle pattern.

Remember the downloads of these patterns will be available for one week only. The tree will be up starting tomorrow.