Nuts about Needlepoint » about needlepoint

How Do I Find a Neutral Gray Thread?

Janet Perry — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:09:58 +0000

Grays can be a real problem in threads. You think you have found the perfect one, you get it home and UGH, it looks horrible with your other threads.

This is because there are three types of grays, warm, cool, and neutral. Warm grays have gray plus a bit of a warm color. Cool grays have gray with a bit of a cool color. Neutral grays are just mixtures of black and white.

If you pick a grey for an all-cool color piece and it’s a warm grey, you get that UGH feeling. A neutral, or even better, a cool gray will look great.

But often it’s hard to tell.

Here’s what to do at a shop or when shopping your stash.

Take a skein of red thread and with a skein of blue thread. Put one next to a possible gray thread. Then do the same wit the other thread. If it is a neutral gray, it will look warm next to the blue thread and cool next to the red thread.

If it doesn’t do both, it isn’t a neutral gray.

I get home from Phoenix late tonight or early tomorrow, so my TNNA reports will start on Wednesday.

Changing Colors on a Canvas

Janet Perry — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:57:15 +0000

Depending on what you want to change on the canvas, there are different ways to go about this.

There are some general rules to remember when changing colors:
1. If you are changing from one color to another (i.e. green to red for example) you will have the best results if you keep the colors the same in value.
2. If you are changing values (i.e. going from blonde to dark brown hair), you should color the canvas to something closer to the shade BEFORE you start to stitch. This will make any needlepoint dandruff blend into the stitching instead of sticking out.
3. Check the new colors you have chosen to be sure they work with the remaining colors by lining the colors up together. Sometimes changing one color means you will have to adjust or change other colors as well.

Skin & hair – If you are changing these areas, you should just be able to change them without changing other areas. But you might want to color the canvas first.

Geometrics – Since these don’t refer to anything in real life, you may find that changing one color affects the other colors. So if you changed green to red, you may find that you also need to change the yellow-green and the pink already in the piece in order to keep the overall piece in balance.

Not getting a balanced color scheme is probably the biggest problem when changing colors. If it is something realistic, look at real life objects the new color and make appropriate changes. For example, if you are stitching roses and change your red roses to yellow ones, you might need to change the leaf color. Many of my red roses have dark true green leaves, but my yellow ones have mid-range slightly yellowed green leaves.

In geometric or abstract designs, you need to be aware of the color scheme of the original and start by using that as the basis for your change. If the original is red and green and you change the red to violet, you probably need to change the green to yellow as well.

If you change the saturation of the colors (brightness) you must keep the value the same. If you go from greyed to bright, look for bright shades of the same color in the same value.

In geometrics, it’s critical to check the threads.

And always, when changing colors, you should be willing to make adjustments as you stitch.

What’s your Needlepoint Question? – Book Sneak Peek

Janet Perry — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:12:20 +0000

How do I replace a missing needlepoint chairseat?

Can I use a embroidery hoop to stitch needlepoint?

What is the American equivalent of 7 HPI canvas?

These are just three of the questions I’ve been asked recently, mostly through this site’s contact form.

I’m collecting these (and many, many others) into a Needlepoint Question & Answer Book that will come out later this year.

It will certainly be an ebook, PDF, and app ebook, and it may be available as a printed book and on CD as well.

You can help me as well by sending me your best needlepoint question. It can be something you’ve often wondered about, something you don’t know how to do, something you want to find, or anything else related to needlepoint.

Use the contact form, add a comment, or just email me. Be sure to let me know it’s for the book.

If your question is selected as one of the 200 in the book, you will get a free electronic copy (PDF).

IN the case of two or more people sending in the same question, the earliest one wins.

Deciphering Thread Tags

Janet Perry — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:27:03 +0000

Originally posted 2005-07-15 08:34:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Don’t throw out those thread tags!

You may not think so but there is lots of information there.
And if you run out of thread, or want do use it again, you’ll be glad
you have that information.

The information which may, or may not be included on the tag is:

Thread type name/size
Color number
Fiber content
Dye Lot
Dyer

Each of these is important and can help improve your stitching. Depending on your habits, the habits of your shop, or the habits of the designer, the thread color might be referred to by the name or number or both. Some thread manufacturers give names to their
colors, some don’t. Because of this variety it’s good to have access to both the number and the name whenever possible. Then follow the habits of your store and your stitching friends when you talk about thread.

Thread type name/size: Most threads have names and some also have sizes. For example Pearl cottons come in several sizes: 3 (the largest), 5, 8, and 12. Many experienced stitchers can tell the size of a thread by looking, but I can’t. It helps me to know the size of the thread.

Also most threads have names for the particular thread. The Thread Gatherer may make the same color in Silk n’ Colors, Flax n’ Colors, Sheep’s Silk, Shepherd’s Silk, and a few sizes of Silk Ribbon. Each is identified by the type on the tag. while people who use lots of different threads can usually tell the thread by looking, knowing the type helps when looking for another color of your favorite thread.

Color number: In general, companies will put the color number someplace on the thread tag, most often this number appears right before the color name. For example brown paper packages has a color Caviar. The tag for this says “40-caviar” — giving you the color number.

Actually most do have numbers but sometimes it is hidden. Caron used to “hide” the color numbers (they no longer do this) and here is an example of how to decode the numbers which appear.

Take a random skein of Watercolours. The one I picked up was
Periwinkle (162).

On the line below the color number it says “dyelot: MA162131″

MA is the initials of the dyer. This is good to know because the different dyers have different “hands” and two skeins from different dyelots but the same dyer might look more alike than two from different dyers.
162 is the color number
131 is the dyelot

Another place to find these often is on the order slips or on the companies’ web pages. Although you might not think of the color number, and shop owners don’t put threads this way, it’s good information to know.

Fiber content: Knowing the fiber(s) used in a thread can help you make decisions about other threads. If you are allergic to wool, then a thread with a content of “100% wool” is not for you. If you really liked that “50% merino wool/50% China silk” thread, then you might want to look for another thread from a different manufacturer with this content.

Dye Lot: Sometimes, as in the Caron Collection threads, this information is hidden in the number. Sometimes it is listed separately. But it’s very important when choosing threads to match dyelots.

A teacher once told me “Dyeing was an art. It’s only when you need to make the exact same color again that it becomes a science.” This is very true. The results of the dye can vary because of: the color of the base thread, the water, the weather, the amount of dye in the dyebath, the person dyeing it, the time left in, and probably the amount of cosmic rays at just that moment.

In other words — it is not exact, ever.

So knowing that this skein of thread and that skein of thread were dyed in the same pot (bath) at the same time, makes it easier for you to get a match. One pot with one chunk of thread in it constitutes a dye lot.

Whenever possible you should buy all your packages of a particular color of thread from the same dye lot for the same project. Some companies are pretty consistent from dye lot to dye lot, but always compare. Other companies are not. I have even had the experience where two packages of thread, from the same dye lot, were different colors and couldn’t be mixed. That was lots of ripping out.

Checking dye lots when available can same lots of trouble in stitching.

Dyer: Some companies, like Caron, identify they dyer of the threads. This can be helpful to know, especially in hand-dyed threads, because different people will dye their threads differently. Getting batches from different dye lots, but the same dyer might match better than different dye lots by different dyers.

For many manufacturers this information is not included in the tag.

Now I bet you are thinking “I never knew there was so much information on a tag!” I didn’t either until I learned how to decipher them. Now I never throw out a tag or I transfer the information to a hang tag for storage of the thread. it’s made me a more careful stitcher.

What Mesh Is It?

Janet Perry — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:47:57 +0000

A reader wrote in after inheriting some unfinished needlepoint from her grandmother. She’s wondering how to find the mesh, so she can finish it up.

It’s reasonably easy, find a tape measure of something clear that has a square inch marked on it. Somewhere away from any edges count the number of threads in one inch. That tells you the mesh size.

Alternately, do the same thing but on a stitched area and count the stitches.

This is only an approximation in the case of older needlepoint because often it’s in sizes we don’t see anymore.

There are a couple of tools that will do this without counting for some mesh. The Mesh Minder (pictured above) has areas marked out with grids for 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 18 mesh. Place it over the unstitched canvas and see what matches. It also has a nice little chart printed on it showing how much Persian wool needed to stitch an inch.

There is also a stitch/thread ruler that allows you to measure and see how many threads are in a distance. You would find the scale where your canvas threads hit most closely and that’s your mesh.

Stitch Journal from Thread Candy Studio – Product Review

Janet Perry — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:26:41 +0000

Thread Candy Studio debuted a purse-sized stitch journal last month. Each page is about 5×4 making it small enough to carry around. That’s its strength, but also one of its weaknesses. For those with large handwriting many of the pages and lines are too small to record information.

The book attempts to be a place to hold lots of useful information for stitchers of all kinds. The first section is project notes with a lined page and a table page for about 12 projects. The table has columns for stitch, effect thread, and thread size. A dozen stitches can be recorded. This is plenty for most small to medium projects.

After this there is a wish list section with pages divided into need and wish list. Having this in the same place as other inventories and plans makes it easy to keep track of what’s needed. At the end of this section there are sever pages without labels that can be ised for additional notes or lists.

Following this is a thread section where you can inventory your threads. The first several pages have marked columns for thread name, color, size, need/have. The vast majority of pages have unmarked columns. While this is very useful, I can’t really see anyone but those with the smallest stashes using this for inventory, there just aren’t enough pages.

The next section, design, has pages printed with grids, so stitches can be recorded. These are big enough to sketch a stitch but not enough for a pattern of any size.

The final section is for your project diary with two pages for each project, including a blank lined page and an open area marked “notes” which looks like a good space for a picture.

While there is lots packed into this little book, my main complaint is that the size limits its usefulness. While some people will find the small pages difficult to write on, but the desire to include everything and the small size mean that it can only hold a limited amount of stuff.

But at under $8, you can probably afford multiples. The book comes with three choices of cover color and can be ordered directly from Thread Candy Studio.

Organizing WIPs, UFOs, and Unstitched Canvases

Janet Perry — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:22:55 +0000

Originally posted 2009-03-18 06:39:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A major contributor to messy stashes are our piles of unfnished and unstitched projects, I know it is for me.

Once a year, at least, you should go through the piles of this stuff and organize them. It’s kind of like a treasure hunt. Yesterday was that day for me, occasioned by finding the two underbed boxes of stuff I had stored over the summer.

Begin by sorting stuff into four piles:

unstitched canvases
projects you are actively working on (WIPs)
started projects you aren’t working on (UFOs)
projects you don’t want to do anymore

I sorted my unstitched canvases into large and small (small is by far the biggest. The large ones went back into one of the storage bins. The smalls got organized by subject and put into a straew tote bag whixh ia easily accessible for when I want to start a new project.

My WIPs are stored in zippered project bags in open baskets under some of the thread stash. These projects are one stretcher bars. Some of them, like the CyberPointers President’s Challenge are long term, some, like Maple Leaf Rag, are almost done. I’m hoping that new projects won’t get added to this pile until an old project is done.

The UFOs are more problematic as I don’t want to waste stretcher bars, thumbtacks, and zippered bags on things I won’t be stitching for awhile. So I use plastic bags for storage and put threads and canvas into the underbed unit.

The stuff you don’t want anymore and what to do with it will be the subject of next week’s article.

Now instead of two underbed units, I have one. I’ve reduced the number of WIPs to ones I can handle and have the small pieces I love somewhere where I can get them fast.

All in all not a bad day’s work.

Cut Rate Crafts — Web Site Review

Janet Perry — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:50:13 +0000

Originally posted 2010-10-21 06:57:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A new web site, Cut Rate Crafts, has discounted supplies for needlework and other crafts. Their home page promises discounts of 15-30% on their products. They also have free shipping on orders over $100.

While it’s not fantastic for needlepoint, it does have some good products. Their best selection is in stretcher bars where they have both mini and regular bars in sizes from 5 to 18 inches. I can’t tell the brand from the picture, but at least some of them are from brands I’ve seen in shops. Another great resource is the many types of scroll frames and scroll bars available. It can be hard to find these parts in shops, so this is a great resource. They also have a small but nice selection of lap frames.

There selection of organizing products is also good, with the biggest assortment of floss away bags I’ve ever seen. They also have small unmarked zipper bags in three sizes at fantastic prices (about half what I last paid in a craft store) and other organizing supplies.

As far as other supplies and materials for needlepoint go, the selection really falls away. They have a few colors of Kreinik Tapestry Braid (more of #8 and blending filament), floss mostly on cones, perle cotton and DMC wool as well as some threads assortments from Prism (find it in craft stores) and Valdani. There are no needles between ones for large mesh plastic canvas and #24 tapestry needles and their selection of canvas is either Interlock or waste canvas.

In addition they have a small, but nice selection of scissors and a far wider range of popularly-priced kits than you’ll find in any shop.

Their interface could use some work, most of the images on the upper level pages are missing and the initial Needle Arts screen is too long to be easy to use (they should add some anchor text to minimize scrolling). They could make their navigation easier to use.

I liked that they should the retail price along with their discounted price, so that comparison shopping is easy. But I didn’t like that manufacturers information was not available for many products. for “brand names” like Kreinik, DMC, or Charles Craft the name is either in the category or in the item description, but I am unsure who makes many of the sizes of stretcher bars. On the item pages there is a tab for an overview so this information could easily be added. For items in other areas, they seemed to use a generic company “elevator speech” for the overview. Perhaps as they grow, they will provide more helpful and item-specific information.

I haven’t bought anything there yet, so I can’t speak for their service, but it looks like a good resource.

Don’t expect to find things here you might not find in a chain craft store, but for convenience and price, they are a great resource.

What Color Should that Stitch Be?

Janet Perry — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:49:00 +0000

Originally posted 2007-08-08 06:22:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

You know that sinking feeling, the intersection on the hand-painted canvas is more than one color. You don’t know how to decide what color to stitch.

I call deciding this making an “executive decision” in needlepoint. I thought about what the process was for deciding and came up with some guidelines. Although beginners struggle with this issue, it can come up in just about any canvas which is not completely stitch-painted.

If one color covers more of the intersection than the other, stitch it in that color.

If it’s pretty much half and half, then you could do either. To help you choose, you can see if any of these apply:

1. Is it colored in both foreground and background colors? Choose the foreground color.

2. Is it the only intersection which has that color (no intersections with that color around it)? Choose the isolated color because it’s supposed to be a dot of that color.

3. Is it colored a light color and a dark color? Darker colors recede, so picking the darker color will probably make the two areas look more balanced.

4. I one color part of a line? Follow the line on the canvas to see how it will look if this intersection is stitched in that color. I’ve had it happen sometimes when stitching the color of the line instead of the other color made the line look bad.

Sometimes you choose wrong, everyone does. If this happens, don’t be afraid to pull the stitch out and use the other color.

Studio Inspiration

Janet Perry — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:56:57 +0000

Originally posted 2009-03-11 06:13:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Trying to figure out how to combine the practical (finding space for all the stuff) with the beautiful is always a hard problem. It’s way too easy to create messes, especially when your craft has lots of stuff involved (did I hear you say orts?). But taking time to have colors you love of the wall, lovely and inspiring things to look is important too, almost as important as having a practical space.

One of my favorites blogs, Modish, has had a running feature showing off great spaces where people make things (I want to go live here). The picture at the start of the article is on of my favorites from this series. She also has a Flickr pool showing off more great spaces. Many of these spaces are not neat or organized but look like the everyday places where people create. I just love looking at them.

Another great blog, Whip Up, also has posts about studios, although they are not organized into a particular category.

Your stitching space should reflect you and should be a source of inspiration as well as a functional space. A recent post in the series on Handmade Spaces showed the wonderful collections of people who made things. I’m so delighted by these collections and the way people show them off.

I’ve put some of my boxes of thread on the hutch over my desk, but I have also included there a glass jar with a big cork top which has some wonderful rayon thread, Ooska, which is no longer made and my button jar. Also on my desk I have Kaleidoscope (pictured above) a wildly colored patchwork Beanie Baby, just because his brightness makes me smile.

Would you like to see your stitching space featured here? Throughout March in honor of National Craft Month, I’ll be featuring stitching spaces and studios. If you’d like to be featured, email me at napaneedlepoint [at] gmail [dot] com. Remember, your pictures don’t need to be fancy, we can all be inspired by each other’s spaces.