Originally posted 2006-02-18 14:51:18. Republished by Blog Post PromoterCarolyn Hedge Baird. 2004. Whimsical and bursting with ideas, Carolyn Hedge Baird has written a book of stitch ideas which covers much more than just Easter Eggs. It contains “ideas for borders and stripes, backgrounds, details, threads, finishing, and displaying your needlepoint eggs!” The book can roughly be divided into four sections; introduction, stitch suggestions, stitch dictionary and additional techniques. Each section is packed with ideas. The introduction is short and includes an introduction (and a great story about the Easter Raccoon (who now lives at my house, I think), an introduction, some thoughts about needlepointing, and a wonderful set of outlines of Easter eggs (for designing your own). The second section is called Easter Needlepoint. It is divided by types of objects (straw hats, bunnies, etc.) and lists stitch and thread suggestions for all parts of the object. Needing to stitch
Monthly Archive:: January 2012
Isn’t this Amaryllis by Piet Mondrian striking? It’s so simple, so modern, but in such bright colors. And it’s the canvas for my next class for Art Needlepoint, starting February 15, 2012. Suitable for beginners, it has a taste of many different techniques including: padding textured stitches outlining pattern darning shadow stitching YOu’ll learn these techniques and more and use three different types of thread with your purchase of the complete kit. My classes for Art Needlepoint are free with the purchase of the kit. Best of all, those purchasing the kit for purposes of this class get a special discount. Learning one or two techniques in a class is unusual, and here you’ll learn several in an email class so you can stitch in your comfy chair, in your PJs, and at your own pace. Remember the class starts February 15, 2012, so order your kit today
Originally posted 2009-08-14 07:08:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Awhile ago a friend asked me about religious cross stitch. This got me thinking about religious needlepoint, more specifically the timeless image of Mary and Jesus, the Madonna and Child. So I went on an internet search for needlepoint Madonnas and found several. Designing Women has a charming small icon-like Madonna. They don’t have a website, but my friend Jane stitched it awhile ago and the link is to her finished one Jane and I have also both stitched Designs by Petei’s Our Lady of Guadelupe. Mine is the picture at the top of this post. The link is to Petei’s page that has it Sundance Designs has many canvases that will work as Madonnas. In their De Grazia line, there are many charming ones. Their are also several Tish canvases that will work as Madonnas. I like this one because
There are several new accessories that debuted at TNNA. Probably the hit of the show was Pischke Pillows. from the makers of the the popular Pischke Pockets. Using ten-mesh canvas with your choice of three designs, the kit comes with the same sturdy fabrics as the totes, grosgrain ribbon, and threads. The pillows are made amazingly easily and the three designs will work in almost any setting, even outdoors. Rainbow Gallery has brought out new acrylic laying tools. Each is a unique design. The laying tool is a BLT with an acrylic handle and removable cover. DMC has a lovely “designer” accessory collection with storage for your project, stitch bows, and a needle holder in a matching print. Krienik has add four new Stitch-A-Pen kits including three hearts designs and a wedding pen. Tuitto showed and interesting line of luggage and cases. They are soft, with tons of pockets, four
Originally posted 2010-08-12 07:09:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter I’m late in getting you the details of new colors in Silk & Ivory and Trio from brown paper packages. As you can see from the picture above, it was worth it. The four colors on the left are four new shades in their wonderful series of “almost whites.” Petal is the palest of the Pink Cocktail family. Glacier is the extremely pale blue, and is lighter than Blue Yonder, another wonderful “almost white.” Posie, is the extremely pale violet is lighter than Phlox, a light-filled pale violet. Pearl, the final color in this group, is the lightest member of what I call the “Luxury Seafood” family of salmon, shrimp, crab, and lobster. This is my favorite color family of these threads and I’m so excited. Why should you be excited about these colors? Just as decorators have a bazillion shades
Sometimes as a stitcher I am frustrated. It seems as if my favorite designer goes away. But, happily, there are companies who pick up these old favorites and continue to make them available. Gail of GailVail is retiring. While the fate of many of her designs is unclear, Needledeeva is picking up her Navajo rug designs. These pieces are stitch painted adaptations of traditional rugs and each has the name of the rug design on it. They come in many sizes, as do the rugs themselves. Stitched in wool, the traditional fiber for rugs, they make great accents. Even better they are MUCH cheaper than even an ornament-sized rug (about $100 at a local museum shop). Painted Pony has added Needle Graphics to their line. Along with adding Squigee to the line, CBK has a great new series of whale and heart shapes filled with different painted fabric-like patterns. Treglown
Originally posted 2009-11-04 07:12:49. Republished by Blog Post PromoterJane of Chilly Hollow has posted an outstanding review and how to on Evertite stretcher bars on her blog. It’s outstanding and you should go read it. First off, she shows you how to assemble them. If you’ve looked at them in the store or if you have some and can’t figure out how to put them together, Jane has the perfect tutorial. I couldn’t do it the first time I tried them. Even now, when I use them I have to remind myself how to do it. Then she has a great review, which I loved. I would only add a few things to think about before you buy them for a project. First, check the unworked margins of your canvas. Evertites are thicker than regular stretcher bars (1″ or so instead of 1/2″), so they don’t work for canvases with
There is always so much more great stuff at TNNA that I can’t cover everything. Here’s more stuff I loved. Tapestry Fair has some lovely geishas that have a great concept. They are seen from the back. The clothing is line drawn, so you can pick your own stitches, colors and threads, but the heads are painted. A cool basis for creativity. There are three single geishas and a piece with six. A Collection of Designs has new mini-socks, snowmen, ornaments and, my favorite, elaborate crosses. Jean Smith had an absolutely amazing large (4 feet square) of a single flower, plus many delightful coasters that are smaller versions of her popular flowers and vegetables. These are great for giving you an assortment of her work. At Elizabeth Turner there was a delightful Noah’s Ark mini-sock, stocking, and mitten, all with plenty of opportunity for embellishments and fancy stitching. They also
Originally posted 2009-07-03 06:09:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter That’s on the cover of Celebrate! The ebook version of the Come Stitch with Me needlepoint sampler from 2008. It has been expanded with additional ideas for using the stitches and information on how to develop a color scheme This cover is from 50 Patchwork Blocks Charted for Needlepoint or Cross Stitch, my other new ebook. You’ll be amazed and delighted by the originality shown by the stitchers in interpreting these classic quilt designs. More books in this series are on the way. You can purchase these book now using the PayPal shopping cart on this page. I’m so excited about them both because they represent an affordable way to buy needlepoint projects as well as great ways to use material you already have on hand. A PayPal shopping cart makes it all easy to purchase. And don’t forget the custom
As always there plenty to love at TNNA. Besides the trends I talked about on Wednesday, two other types of needlepoint are becoming more popular. I was particularly excited by all the creative bookmarks I saw. Whimsy and grace had over 30 in all styles. Each of these came with a coordinating tassel. A new designer, Shivering Sheep had several delightful ones with Southwestern themes. Another designer, MAP Designs, had a whole bunch of canvases of Koeshi dolls, a type of Japanese doll. These dolls have round heads and straight bodies (no arms or legs). MAP’s Koeshis included dogs, cats. people and a bride and groom. They could be finished flat to be bookmarks or be done as stand-ups or easel-backed pieces. Another type of needlepoint that’s becoming more popular is 3-D needlepoint, something that takes us beyond the pillow or ornament. Little Shoppe, a pioneer in 3-D needlepoint has
Originally posted 2010-11-12 07:02:22. Republished by Blog Post PromoterThe Caron Collection has announced five new colors of their metallic, Snow. The new color, pictured above (bottom to top), are Tropical Ocean, Icy Lavender, Storm, Strawberry, and Chocolate. If you like metallics and use large (13 or 14 mesh) canvas, check them out. I find this thread a bit thick for anything but straight stitches and Bargello on 18 mesh. Click to see the color chart for the whole line
New colors, improved products, new threads, and new manufacturers — There is plenty of thread news coming from TNNA. Kreinik has come out with four new colors of metallics, available in #4, #8, and #12. There is one High Lustre, Indigo Blue, kind of like a metallic denim. Adventure Green is the newest vintage metallic, an olive green. Stormy Weather, a dark gray, and Purple Haze, a lovely muted violet, are the remaining new color. There are two new Facets colors: pearl and copper. Gold and silver Facets have also been redone. Threadworx has added new colors to their metallic braids (7 new colors), floss (6 new colors), and the two overdyed silks (10 new colors in each). I’m especially excited about the new silks because there are three lovely browns, a great dark dark gray, three wonderful rusts. and more. If you like the overdyed metallics, you’ll love the
Originally posted 2011-01-16 07:22:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter “Lovely” this small Bargello needlepoint heart is designed in four colorways. Orna’s models are on brightly colored canvas and are perfect for cheering up a gray day. The design is small and simple, featuring Bargello in a heart. Best of all the design is available as a PDF for only $1. You can buy it in Orna’s Etsy shop. You can also get it as a kit or in a set of all four designs. When you get the kit you also get the hoop for a quick finishing job. What a great Valentine!
I’ve gone to TNNA’s winter show most years since 1998 and I’ve watched knitting and needlepoint rise and fall. At the height of the knitting fad, it seemed as if needlepoint was almost an afterthought. Right now, I would say they are about even in number of vendors. This is especially true when you consider the yarn manufacturers who also make needlepoint yarns (these are growing — more tomorrow on this) and other companies selling into both markets who were on the knitting side of the show. Looking at knitting vs. needlepoint I saw some interesting contrasts that are good for us as stitchers. Needlepoint shops came to buy as well as to look. Although there is always lots of interest in the newest canvases and threads, often you’d see shopowners going through a both and ordering many canvases from the existing line. For us, this means that we aren’t
Originally posted 2010-07-09 07:39:41. Republished by Blog Post PromoterTalk about stitchy goodness for inspiration and adaptation, thanks to my DD, who is REALLY good at finding these things, I found a blog called Agence eureka, which is chock fill of great vintage printed material. It’s written in French, but the important thing is the wonderful images. I found things, like this chart from an arithmetic book, that could go straight to needlepoint. There were more pictures from textbooks, illustrated magazines, children’s books and games, and advertisements. There are even tons of vintage alphabets to adapt. Just think how fun it would be to do a version of this snowman in needlepoint. I think I’m in stitching heaven!