The Needle Bug, a great shop in Montgomery, Alabama, posted great instructions on how to use Thread Heaven on their blog earlier this week. If you’re like me and using this little product is baffling check it out. There is also a link on the page to buy it
Monthly Archive:: November 2010
Often the lazy way out seems like the best way to go with needlepoint. But, all too often, lazy when combined with solid-colored threads makes for boring results. Combine lazy with overdyed threads and you can get ugly results. In thinking about this problem, I developed a method that need only a little more work to give fantastic results. I first used this technique to mimic the look of Opal glass with its “clouds” of color. But I have found it to be so useful for many things. It’s great to do forests or fields in the distance. To give you the look of old paper, or to make food look more realistic. Here’s how to clump step-by-step. Begin with a hand-dyed or over-dyed thread. Before you start to stitch, look at it so you have a feeling about how the color changes. Now, begin to stitch. Make and irregular
Originally posted 2007-11-16 15:46:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter This is the final coaster in a set for Raymond Crawford. Not only are these coasters tons of fun, they will also give you lots and lots of new stitches. There are four coasters in the set, two in warm colors, two in cool ones. Each one has a different shape for a theme. This one is circles. There are stripes, squares and rectangles, and geodes. I use similar threads but different stitches throughout. Many of these stitches are fun new variations on familiar stitches. Others will give you good ideas which you can apply to other canvases. This coaster is a case in point. Each color in the circles uses a different method to stitch the circle. Some are simple stitches, others take advantage of unusual threads, still others use Jean Hilton stitches or outlinging techniques. I’m so excited about
With their smooth tops and unlimited variety of styles, shank buttons can add a great touch to needlepoint, as you can see with this plate on a vintage dede canvas. Butt it can be hard to figure out how to attach them because they do not have convenient holes on the face. A shank button is any button that is sewn through a loop or hole on the back of the button. Some shank buttons have loops. Others have thicker metal or plastic shanks. The picture (from About.com) shows both types. Find your button before you begin to stitch. The best way to do this is to have your canvas with you. Place the button on the canvas to be sure it will fit. Begin by enlarging a hole in the center of where the button will go. Depending on the size of the shank, this can be small or
Besides the sky in my lighthouse, there is another interesting thing about this design. Except for the metallics and the black, the entire canvas was stitched using hadn-dyed and overdyed threads. Many stitchers avoid using these threads for painted canvas, but I have come to prefer them. They have the advantage of combining shades so that the shading work is done for me when I pick the thread and stitch. But they have the disadvantage of being loud, often combining more than one color (for the sky this was good,but for the lighthouse it would be bad). Effective choice of thread color, stitch, and technique are key to making this work. Begin by looking for your thread. Most of the time you will want colors that are shades of the same color. These can be very close (like the threads for the brick) or more varied (like the threads for
Originally posted 2006-06-12 07:25:45. Republished by Blog Post PromoterYesterday was Sunday and I was low on energy so I spent most of the day working on my interpretation of this Susan Roberts quilt design. As I’ve said in the past, I see the design in Amish colors, so the diamonds which are left are going to be stitched in the Amish spectrum, which doesn’t include oranges, yellows, or white. I’ve used Felicity’s Garden, Spring II and heather ribbon floss for most of the diamonds. Now I’m adding in diamonds using threads from my scrap bag. This livens up the design overall and adds some intersting textures. Most of these threads are knitting yarns which provides it’s own kind of fun, since many need to be plied or are rather thick or textury for needlepoint canvas. I have to say working on it is like eating peanuts, you can’t stop at
Yesterday I pointed out Mary Corbet’s wonderful video on using a laying tool. But that just one of the wealth of outstanding how-to-videos on her site. On the video index page, you can see a still from each one and play the You Tube directly from there. She also has a great listing of her tips & techniques as well. While Mary embroiderers on fabric, her methods can easily be adapted to needlepoint. And , if you are stitching a needlepoint belt, this little video from The Point of It All shows you are great tip for holding a belt canvas
A laying tool, no matter your preference, can be one of the most useful tools for needlepoint. With it you can make your stitches perfectly smooth, you can keep ribbons from twisting and really improve the look of your needlepoint. But, for many stitchers, it’s hard to figure out how to use one unless you actually see it being done. Mary Corbet’s outstanding blog, Needle n’Thread has a video tutorial to help you. There are many kinds of laying tool, broken into two categories: metal and non-metal. Which you prefer is entirely up to your own habits. Here are a few of the more common ones. A wooden laying tool, mine is pictured above, is a rather blunt length of wood. Often made from exotic woods and turned prettily, they come in several lengths. Their points are not as sharp as metallic laying tools, which suits me, clumsy as I
Originally posted 2009-09-11 07:36:08. Republished by Blog Post PromoterOne of the things I love best about embroidery is that it is done in so many cultures and is so adaptable to many uses. Recently, I was looking through my books of charts and found Dover books of charted folk embroidery from Hungary, Baroque Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland. Usually done on cloth in Cross Stitch, it is easy to adapt to counted needlepoint. In fact, next week starts an occasional series of projects based on these designs with little project using several borders in non-traditional color scheme. But there is so much more to explore. I want to alert you to a wonderful resource of charted designs from Palestine, available on-line. These are all traditional patterns and each is labeled so you know what it symbolizes. They make for easy stitching. Many of the designs are similar to ones seen in
Originally posted 2008-02-26 07:41:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter I thought you all might want to see another section of Happy Heart’s lovely poinsettia wreath, my current model and stitch guide. I’m working on the background now, and put in several of the pine branches yesterday. I’ve been working hard on the second ornament which will be done tonight. I’ve got to say, then end result is magnificent. This wreath is large — 16″ in diameter — and will make a wonderful addition to your decorations. All the stitching is easy and the guide has lots of tips for making it even easier. I hope you like it as much as I do
A key to making lovely needlepoint is how you combine colors and how you use threads to enhance your design. Just as a painter picks the perfect paint to get a particular shade of blue, stitchers want to pick the perfect thread in both color and texture. That’s why my needlepoint club will explore both these topics. Each month you will get a charted ornament (several of them are pictured in this article) based on a particular color scheme. In addition five threads, often the ones used in my model, will be featured. Each month you’ll be able to explore a different type of color scheme with a quilt block charted for needlepoint. Six color schemes will be explored: Neutral, monochromatic, complementary, analogous, split complementary, and near complementary. You’ll learn about these color schemes, how to construct one of your own, and get ideas for additional schemes of each type.
Recently I learned about a really cool tool for collecting and displaying “boards” of information from all over the Web. Still in beta, Pinterest is a cool way to display pictures with notes about what you find. I’m creating a set of needlepoint boards. I’m thinking of: needlepoint gallery needlepoint tutorials needlepoint inspiration color inspiration needlepoint shops Here’s where you can help me out. If you have something to go on one of these boards, please contact me letting me know where I can find it and a little bit about what it is. One note, while I welcome things that are in places like your Flickr albums, they will be picked up and on display publicly in the Pinterest album. I’m not sure how the links will work, so please let me know if you want any restrictions on viewing. I’m hoping this will become an amazing resource and
Originally posted 2007-02-06 07:00:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Here are the stitched pendants for FAS-stitch. I’m sending the bigger one off to be finished today. They were a ton of fun to make and I finished both with time to spare during the SuperBowl. If you are looking for some fantastic needlepoint, especially for an elegant gift — this is the thing. Once it comes back I’m giving it to my DD who will be wearing it at her hostess job
Originally posted 2006-05-25 17:38:12. Republished by Blog Post PromoterI was visiting a friend yesterday and was borrowing some white thread from her for a small nautilus shell by Julie Pishke. She lent me some of a great old thread which hasn’t been around for awhile. Ooska. If you ever come across any buy it, especially if you like 14 mesh canvas. You most likely will find it on eBay, estate sales, or thrift shops. Ooska is a rayon pearl from Scandinavia. Because it’s rayon it has some shine, because it’s a pearl it is MUCH easier to use than stranded rayons. But unlike #3 pearl cotton, the “pearliness” (I can’t think of another word for the texture) is not so obvious or as hard. I’m using it in conjunction with Silk & Ivory, Spring II and some silk pearl. Cool stuff, I’ll post a picture over the weekend once I