Nuts about Needlepoint » geometrics

Laura Perin’s Mini-Mystery Mondays

Janet Perry — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:58:11 +0000

Since November Laura Perin has been sharing with us a simply delightful series of small mystery projects. They are delightful little explorations of color and thread.

The thing I like about them is that each is based on an overdyed thread. That makes them a great way to explore creating a color scheme from these popular threads.

I’m bogged down on the first one (don’t ask) but my [plan is to pick broken skeins of Watercolours from my stash that I wouldn’t normally use and then challenge myself to create a pretty scheme from them using only threads in my stash.

But you should try some yourself. They are great ways to try out Laura’s design and they will give you tastes of some techniques she uses extensively, such as Blackwork on canvas, complex borders, and multi-colored Rhodes Stitches.

Here’s a breakdown, with links, to each of the five (up through last week):

Mini Mystery #1

Mini Mystery #2

Mini Mystery #3

Mini Mystery #4

Mini Mystery #5

Part One

Book of Hours Color Twinchy – Sneak Peek at New Color & Thread Club

Janet Perry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:20:12 +0000

Going from the earth and mineral colors that predominated the palettes of Ancient Egypt and Greece, the High Middle Ages seem to burst in a world of color and light.

I have adored the bright, rich blues of medieval prayer books, or Books of Hours, since I first saw one in a reproduction in High School. A picture from Jean de Berry Book of Hours, it’s the monthly scene for June, is below.

illustration from medieval book of hours

Those colors are the inspiration for this Twinchy. It captures the bright colors with the blue and red, the lightness of the palette with the blue-violet, the slightly yellow white of vellum and parchment, and the gold that is so much a part of illuminated manuscripts.

It’s just one of the twelve color palettes I’ll be exploring in Color through the Ages my exciting new color and thread club beginning March 1, 2012.

Each month you’ll get the charted Twinchy (2″ square needlepoints) and lots of information on the palettes, color, and three threads in a PDF.

There are two subscription option, basic and deluxe. The basic subscription gets the monthly PDF only. The deluxe gets the PDF, canvas for the Twinchy, and samples of three threads.

Basic Package includes the PDFs of each month’s program. It is $7.50 per month. Use the PayPal button below to register.

Deluxe Package includes the PDFs of each month’s program as well as canvas and three thread samples of about 2 yards per month. It is $12.50 per month. Use the PayPal button below to register.

In addition if you make a single payment for either option (using the buttons below or pay via check (contact me for the address) you will receive a10% discount..

Please note that the Deluxe Package prices are for shipment to US addresses only. If you want this option and live outside the US, please contact me. All sales to California are subject to sales tax. If you are in California and choose the subscription, you will be invoiced for the sales tax separately.

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.

Color through the Ages Sneak Peek

Janet Perry — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:30:22 +0000

Many of you have asked to see what the Twinchie projects for Color through the Ages will look like. This year’s needlepoint club is going to go beyond the traditional color schemes to look at color combinations that refer to a specific time, place, or object.

Through charted Twinchies (2″square needlepoint) based on quilt designs, club members will explore color schemes typical not just of ancient times, but of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Twentieth Century, along with others.

Pictured here are two of the completed Twinchies, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. I’ll post a couple more sneaks late this month. Both societies used similar color palettes based on minerals. In these packets you’ll learn about mineral colors, why “dirt” isn’t just one color, why blue is so prized, and more.

In each month’s packet you will get:

Extensive information about color and this color scheme
Information about the quilt block or setting
Charted Twinchie with thread list
Information, including stitching tips for three different threads

The club begins March 1, 2012 and registrations are open now. There are a number of different pricing options, depending on what you want.

Basic Package includes the PDFs of each month’s program. It is $7.50 per month. Use the PayPal button below to register.

In addition if you make a single payment for either option (using the buttons below or pay via check (contact me for the address) you will receive a10% discount..

Come join me on this journey of exploration.

ANG SOTM Update

Janet Perry — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:14:35 +0000

The picture here is of my first patch in the 2012 Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from ANG. I am using all stash threads in my favorite color, Teal. Throughout the year I’ll be sharing my progress with you.

I’m committed to being thrifty in my needlepoint purchases, so I try to use what I have on hand. I love this because it means I need to exercise my creativity and make something my own. I always find inspiration in how using scarce resources can make something beautiful by thinking of my beloved Amish and scrap bag quilts. In these quilts using what is on hand makes quilts of great beauty.

While I don’t aspire to those heights, I do want my needlepoint to be beautiful as well as thrifty.

Starting from the teal threads I pulled from my stash I did some other things to make changes.

Since I didn’t have any opal canvas, I made a unique canvas of my own. Using a natural sponge and Martha Stewart Pearl Craft Paint in Jet Stream, I sponge painted the entire piece of canvas. This will create a textured light teal background that is, easy to do and very interesting.

A teal heart will look odd, so I turned it into a rectangle. But I kept the small heart on the inside and I may even make it the focal point by stitching it in another color. The new shape meant I had to extend lines. It also meant that the shapes near the bottom of the heart were too large, so I added some additional lines. Those spaces will most likely have SOTM‘s from previous years in them.

The first area is stitched. I used Dragonfly Lotus Panda Threads, a hand-dyed and hand-spun silk/wool blend. It isn’t super shiny like Panache, but I love it’s subtle look. The color is Teal Shadow.

Watch for more next month. If you are stitching this project, check out the ANG Yahoo group, they are assembling information about the different thread and color combinations.

Laura Perin’s Mini Mystery #3 – Free Ornament Design

Janet Perry — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:06:52 +0000

I’m afraid I’m woefully behind on doing Laura’s three delightful mini ornaments. I haven’t even finished the first one yet.

But today and last Monday she has posted the instructions and charts for the last and smallest of the ornaments.

Part 1 is here. Part 2 can be found as today’s blog post.

She also has a lovely gallery of finished mystery #2 samplers on her blog.

Quaker-Inspired Ornament Design – Freebie from Kincavel Krosses

Janet Perry — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:30:42 +0000

Kell Smurthwaite of Kincavel Krosses has free designs that are often witty (like her seven deadly sins series I wrote about here) and always just lovely.

I’ve been looking at many Quaker-inspired designs that are good sizes for ornaments because these simple, geometric patterns make great needlepoint. But, at the moment, I don’t want to buy any since I’m trying HARD to use up stash not add to it.

That’s why I simply love Kell’s charming Quaker freebie ornament. You can get the chart here and it is free to make for your personal use,

DIY Needlepoint – Adler-inspired Bargello

Janet Perry — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:01:20 +0000

When I saw these charming Jonathon-Adler needlepointed flask in the December Allure, I know I had to use it as the basis of Bargello. Not only do I love the colors and it’s masculine feel, but I can’t afford the $98 price tag.

So bargello it is, and I’ve put the pattern below (click picture for full-size chart).

On to the colors. Depending on how you’ll be finishing it, go for a single type of thread in these colors: grey, brown, navy, light blue, white, aqua, olive, and yellow. If you like the rose one better, get rid of grey, aqua, and olive, and add taupe, light pink, pink, hot pink, and red. Follow the sequence of colors in the original.

I’m planning mine from wool and putting it into my new Lee’s tote. And, of course, I’m using the pink version using threads from my stash including High Cotton, Vineyard Merino, and three kinds of Ty-Di threads. All of these should wear well. I’m stitching it up right now and it will go into my Lee Needle Arts tote that has a removable area for needlepoint.

If you are looking for more Bargello (and Bargello-ish) inspiration, check out this post on Style Beat (the flask picture came from there).

Join Laura Perin’s Mini Mystery on Mondays

Janet Perry — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:04:41 +0000

Laura Perin is a simple small 4″ square mystery project appearing on her blog on Mondays.

You can pick any colors you want, basing them on a Watercolours shade of your choice.

Today will have the second part of the project, but last week’s post had the Materials List,, information about how the project will work, and the first motif.

I am totally excited about this. I’m going to change it up some, since I’m trying to stitch only from stash. I recently gave away all my #5 perle (I found a huge stash of it when I was cleaning my office) but I have a good bit of Grandeur, so I’m going to figure out what Grandeurs I can find where 2 of them go with a Watercolour and go from there.

My first pass at color choices are pictured here. I’ve changed them because the originals didn’t go well with the color of canvas I’m using.

Let the stitching begin!

Last Day for Early Bird Price on Stash Club

Janet Perry — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:54:17 +0000

Today is the last day to sign up for my stash busting club — the Easiest Needlepoint Club Ever.

The special price of $30 for a whole year of delightful projects designed to help you use your stash of threads ends at midnight Pacific.

The first stash busters project

Each month, beginning tomorrow, you’ll get emailed to you a PDF of a great stash-busting project, usually including finishing instructions, so you can create unique projects such as the two shown here.

Even better, participants will have a chance to order finishing items, threads for backgrounds, and selections of scrap bag threads at special prices.

If you live outside the US, this club is great because all projects are sent to you electronically — no long waits for the mail, no customs hassling, no extra payments for international shipping.

I love using up my stash and I think you will too. Click on the button below to pay with PayPal or a credit card, or contact me (using the link in the masthead above) to arrange for payment via check.

Remember, the price goes up to $45 for the year tomorrow, so don’t delay!