Nuts about Needlepoint » tips

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.

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.

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.

Tracing Paper to Trace Canvas?

Janet Perry — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:57:29 +0000

The simple answer is NO, not ever, never.

I got this question recently from a reader.

This is the right way to transfer a design to canvas:

No you do not use tracing paper, the material in it will rub off and discolor your threads.

Here’s what you do:

Trace the outlines of your design on the paper with black marker so it is easy to see through the canvas.
Place the canvas on top of the design. If it’s hard to see, tape the design, then the canvas to a window or light box.
Using a permanent marker made for making on fabric (I like Pigma Microns from Sakura myself & they are widely available). trace the lines of the canvas.
Let sit overnight to dry completely before stitching.

YOu can see the steps used to do this in this illustrated tutorial.

I did lots of testing of potential canvas markers and wrote this post about them. I have used other markers and any marker can have the formula for the ink change and no longer be suitable for needlepoint. It’s good to test from time to time.

A final note: Never use anything to mark on canvas that isn’t waterproof, made for fabric, or tested. Always let dry overnight because many things become waterproof only after they dry completely.

Make Yourself a Portable ORT Box

Janet Perry — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:58:03 +0000

Originally posted 2009-06-27 06:31:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If you often stitch away from home, finding places to put your ORTs (end of threads) is always a problem.

What you need is something small and something which either fits in your project bag or folds flat. Or something you were going to throw out anyhow.

At my ANG chapter meetings, I often use the Starbucks cup I carry in. Once I’m done drinking the tea, it’s there and I’m throwing it out at the end of the meeting.

But what do you do if you don’t have something like that — throw the ends on the floor?

Here are some ideas for portable ORT containers:

cardboard gift card boxes – they fold flat and are pretty
small gift paper bags – I bought a tiny one with ribbon handles, probably made for a gift card this week
those clear plastic containers (pictured above)
a plastic salt or pepper shaker – I used one of these at Maker Faire
a collapsable origami box
AAA battery storage case
acrylic bead storage jar

In every case, the item is small or can be stores flat, is unbreakable and is easy to empty.

What could be better than that?

Clippings – Holiday Weekend Edition

Janet Perry — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:43:24 +0000

Considering we went to friends on Thursday, so I didn’t have to cook, and that we didn’t go shopping, I’ve been pooped since Friday afternoon. I’m figuring it’s been all the household chores and organizing my DH and I did all week.

So today I have a clippings post with an assortment of intriguing and useful blog posts I came across over the weekend.

Threadworx Journal was immensely popular in its on-line version. Happily, Threadworx has decided to make each issue of the magazine available in a printed version. You can buy them each here. Each issue is $11.99. They use PayPal for the sales.

Finding ornament patterns that work for boys can be tough. But the Cross Stitch design Kell Smuthwaite of Kincavel Krosses has an adorable whole stitch Little Samurai chart available free on her site. These would make such cute ornaments.

I saw these bottle top ornaments on Craft Gossip (thanks Denise!) and was thinking they were made on soda bottle tops, so they wouldn’t work well for needlepoint. But when I looked at the tutorial, I found they were made from milk or juice bottle tops.

The instructions talk about fabric. But you can easily adapt them to needlepoint by stitching on Congress Cloth or by doing needlepoint on evenweave fabric. I love the look of these little guys. They would make such great little gifts.

Finding great mats for your needlepoint can be a real challenge. Often it’s easier (and more interesting) to find a fabric that sets off the stitching perfectly. But fabric does not a mat make. Thanks to Denise at Craft Gossip I discovered this great tutorial on how to make fabric-covered mats. While she suggests cotton, any light-weight fabric will work.

If you follow my thrifty needlepoint idea of stitching in standard frame sizes, you should be able to find mats with openings that size that fit standard frame sizes. Buy a fat quarter of a great fabric, the mat, and a frame you like and you have the makings of a completely unique gift.

On the BeStitched blog there is the start of a series on beginning and ending threads. This post covers Basketweave.

Many of my friends have stitched Maggie Lane’s Kimono using the little book published that collected more than 90 stitches in one place. And it is stunning indeed. I have the book, but haven’t gotten to it. John Waddell has updated the piece from its restrained ecru colors to a bright and bold collection. He will be offering the class through the Shining Needle Society next year. You can read about it in this post and sign up on the SNS Home Room. This may be enough to get me working on it at last.

Thanksgiving Eye Candy

Janet Perry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:02:20 +0000

I had something else planned for today, but when I saw these absolutely adorable Thanksgiving pieces stitched by Maelyse Webb from Rebecca Wood Canvases I just had to share them with you.

Thanks to the folks at Needlepoint Study Hall you can see every piece in the set up close.

I just love all the clever detail. As someone who goes for non-stress Thanksgivings (I went for them long before they became popular) I’ve never gotten into Thanksgiving pieces, but these are cute enough to make me change my mind.

There are some good lessons to take away from these, even if Thanksgiving isn’t your thing.

When making a set, pick a consistent thread and stitch (or stitches) for common elements such as background, borders, and ground. This makes them look like a set that is supposed to go together.
Use the same thread for the same thing throughout. The Indians and pilgrims could be used separately as sets because they use the same threads. More integration that also saves you money.
Don’t be afraid to add embellishments, fabric, and fancy threads. They can add a lot even when there is only a little bit.

To my US readers: Happy Thanksgiving! To everyone else: Happy Fourth Thursday in November!

Colorfastness in Threads

Janet Perry — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:11:36 +0000

Originally posted 2010-06-06 07:16:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Are the threads you use colorfast?

There is a dark side to all those wonderful threads we love so much. It’s that they are not colorfast.

Colorfastness refers to the ability of a thread to keep its color when wet. Threads that are not colorfast bleed onto the thread and fabric around them. If this has happened to you, you won’t be likely to forget it.

The problem has many sources. A major one is that many of the more colorfast dyes can no longer be used, due to environmental regulations. Another is that darker colors need to absorb more dye in order to be dark and may not have had all the excess dye removed. A third is that (and this is true in knitting yarn and fabric as well) hand-dyed thread tends to be less colorfast.

Kathy from Needle Delights has an excellent article about colorfastness and some ideas about removing bleeding. It’s meant for cross stitchers, but many of the ideas also apply to needlepoint.