Nuts about Needlepoint » questions

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.

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.

Painting Light Canvas to Cover It with Dark Threads

Janet Perry — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:07:07 +0000

Originally posted 2007-06-04 08:23:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Marilyn wrote:
Hello:
I wonder if you will be so kind as to help me.
I have a wonderful hand painted needlepoint canvas that I wish to alter a bit by painting over some of the lighter areas. I do not know what kind of paint to use and thought you might send me in the right direction. As you know, stitching over a light area with dark threads sometimes show through and we needle pointers will not settle for less than perfection.

Marilyn –

The proper paint to use when painting a canvas is acrylic paint. While many canvas designers use artist’s quality paint, for your purpose you can use the paint you buy in craft stores from around $1.

You also don’t need to use really great brushes. Canvas is quite rough and eats up brushes. You didn’t say if this was a large area, but if it is, you might think about using a foam brush. These give good results.

You will need to think the paint a little, so that it is the consistency of cream. You also need to use very little paint on the brush, otherwise it clogs the holes. I brush off most of the paint on paper before I work on the canvas.

If your purpose is to color the canvas so that “needlepoint dandruff” doesn’t show through, then pick a color close to or lighter than the color of the thread. It does not have to be a perfect match, it just needs to be in the same color family. The flecks show because the white of the canvas is such a strong contrast to the color of the thread. If the flecks showing through are in the same color family, even if they are lighter than the thread color, your eye will blend them.

While canvas designers strive to get a nice even coat of color, since you are doing this for yourself, you don’t need to be so picky. The color can be uneven, just make sure you have painted everything in the area you want to cover. Be sure there are no clogged holes. If a hole gets clogged, blow the paint out of it BEFORE it dries.

If you want more information about painting, many of the tips from designers, check out the FAQ entry on the ANG site.

Have a Needlepoint Question? Ask Janet

Janet Perry — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:04:29 +0000

Did you know that I have a free question and answer service called Ask Janet? There you can ask about anything except specific stitch suggestions and I’ll answer you, for free, usually within 48 hours.

I love to dig out the answers for you. Along with the more usual questions about canvases and basic needlepoint questions, I’ve helped:

people identify tghe technique on old needlework
identify a thread used in fly tying
helped a novelist with facts for his detective novel

and tons more.

Remember that the service is free. If I can’t help, I’ll try to send you to other resources who can.

Just remember if you have a needlepoint question, Ask Janet.

Replacing the Old Needlepoint on a Footstool

Janet Perry — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:36:35 +0000

Originally posted 2009-11-20 08:03:12. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

I recently got asked about how to replace the covering on a footstool. It isn’t a hard process and this makes for some lovely needlepoint.

Here’s how to do it:

There are three steps to this process, neither particularly hard.

The first step is to measure the footstool. Do you still have the old top? If you do measure the length and width with the top on, so you know how much padding there is. Detailed instructions on how to do this can be found on All about Needlepoint.

Your measurement plus about 1/4″ all around will be the finished size of the stitching. Mark that shape onto your canvas with something like an Extra Fine Sharpie or, better, a Pigma Micron marker. Let dry overnight.

The second step is to stitch the needlepoint. You have tons of options here, but I’d like to suggest three.
1. Repeat the original pattern if you can find it.

2. Do a Bargello pattern, they are easy, can be done in colors to match your decor and are traditional for footstools. I have a book on Bargello, Bargello Revisited, available on Amazon, with over 30 different patterns, many of which will scale for a large piece. There are also more patterns and ideas in my eProject, Maple Leaf Rag and here on the blog. To find those, look at the category Bargello. Be warned though, there are many posts there. You can also check out the list of free Bargello patterns at All about Needlepoint.

3. Find a vintage needlepoint pattern you like. On my blog, I’ve been recharting designs by Anne Orr, who was popular in the 30′s-50′s, so her patterns have a vintage look. You find them under the category vintage needlepoint.

Once you have stitched the needlepoint, block it and use it, as you would fabric, to cover the footstool. You can do this yourself. Instructions to do this with a screw on top are at the end of the same All about Needlepoint article. eHow has detailed instructions for recovering round footstools and on using tacks to do this process. You need to use this method for any footstool where the top is not easily removable.

Vintage Crafts – Bargello Needlepoint with a Hook

Janet Perry — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:03:01 +0000

Originally posted 2009-07-06 15:41:47. Republished by Blog Post PromoterOver the weekend I got a query from Bob who wanted to know if I had heard of a craft he had done in the 70′s. He wrote After many years, I’ve become interested in needlepoint again, but can’t seem to find the type I enjoyed so much. The result looked like bargello, but I believe it used a needle with a hook rather than tapestry needles. Might you know what form of embroidery this is? The results (still have some pillows) were beautiful and not too difficult to do. Thanks in advance for any info you might provide. I don’t remember this, and it’s not latch hooking or rug hooking. I’m hoping one of you do. If you have ideas or resources, leave a comment. Thanks heaps! Related posts: Vintage Four-way Bargello Arts & Crafts Tree – Stitch Guide Sneak Peek Needlepoint Bargello from your Stash Make a Needlepoint Wallet with Bargello in an Afternoon! Twelve Months of Bargello – Small Bargello Projects from Lucinda Gregory Rice Related posts:

Adding Your Signature to Needlepoint

Janet Perry — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:50:35 +0000

Jane recently asked me for ideas for “signing” her needlepoint, as she has not found a good way to do this.

It’s a problem many stitchers face, myself included. I can think of four ways to approach this. The last two approaches are taken from the art world. The pictures throughout are not taken from needlepoint pieces, but from other kinds of art.

Design your own label to put inside or behind the piece

One it to make it as unobtrusive as possible. The best way to do that is to write the information on a piece of cloth and sew it to the BACK of the needlepoint. This would be on the inside of the pillow or behind the needlepoint and the back of the picture. People wouldn’t see it, but the information would be preserved.

If you do want it on the face of the needlepoint, there are two other ideas. The first is also unobtrusive. Use a thread a shade or two darker than your background thread. Make your initials and the year in Tent Stitch. Tent Stitch around it in the background color to make a box and put your background stitch around this little box. It won’t show very much.

Another thing is to do something like the red “chops” or seals you see on Chinese paintings. Once again use your initials and the date, but this time stitch them in red. You might want to play around a bit to find a good-looking design). once stitched, enclose the chop in a thin red border. This does not need to go in the lower right corner as a signature would, but can go wherever it would make sense in the design.

Whistler's butterfly signature

A final way is to develop some kind of symbol and use that as your signature. My favorite painter, Whistler, used a butterfly for most of his career, even for letters. It took many forms, can be found anywhere in the piece and often is almost invisible. A stylized element like this can be a great way to sign your work.

However you chose to do it, signing your work allows others to know whose hard work went into the piece.

My Answers to the Needlepoint Survey

Janet Perry — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:28:30 +0000

I promised I’d answer these today. Don’t forget to add your answers to the original post.

How long have you been doing needlepoint?
>> Almost 40 years, since 1970.
Do you consider yourself a beginning, intermediate, or advanced stitcher?
>> Most likely advanced, although there are many techniques I avoid doing.
Do you do other kinds of needlework?
>> Nope, just needlepoint, although I have done many others in the past.
What kind of needlepoint projects do you do most often?
>> It seems like mostly I stitch models, but when I stitch for myself, I love Bargello, and needlepoint influenced by quilt design.
What is your dream needlepoint project?
>> My dream needlepoint is sort of like my dream car, something I’d love but will never get. It’s a set of Bargello seats for dining room chairs. Not only wouldn’t I have the time or energy to do them, they wouldn’t go with my Oriental dining room. But I’ve wanted some since I was 17.
What kind of features would you like to see on this site?
>> If I can think of them, or you want them, I’ll add them.
What would you like to see less of?
>> Ditto here.
What kind of projects would you like to see on this site?
>> I’m hoping to get some small projects up soon.
What types of thread do you use most often?
>> It goes in spurts, since I’m addicted to all things thread. But right now I am loving Crescent Colors’ Belle Soie and Floss.
What types of designs do you prefer (geometric, floral, holiday, etc.)?
>> geometric, especially those derived from quilts.
What other forms of needlepoint (bargello, petit point, blackwork, etc) do you do?
>> Yes, I’ll do almost anything, except petit point. I can’t use a magnifier because of eye problems and I can’t see the canvas.
What is(are) your favorite needlepoint book?
My favorite stitch dictionary is The Needlepoint Book, I have two copies. My favorite book of all-time is Elsa William’s Bargello. But I’ve made more projects from Needlepoint from Great American Quilts than from any other book.
Who is your favorite needlepoint designer?
I work with lots of designers, and love them all. But I would say that the person who is most like me is Kelly Clark. We may have been born at different times, in different states, but it’s like we were separated at birth.
Who is your favorite needlepoint teacher?
There are too many to name.