kits Archive

Originally posted 2008-08-19 07:41:32. Republished by Blog Post PromoterI got my summer ctalogue from Ehrman recently and they are introducing a new idea — border kits. There are five kits in the collection, Rajasthan, Acanthus, Venetian, Roman and Boxes. Each has the border printed on canvas with the central section left blank so you can add fabric of your choice. I really like the small center and patchwork quilt look of Boxes and could see it with a bold initial in the center. It’s a big enough pillow to maker a floor cushion and in 8 mesh canvas will be fast to stitch. You can also needlepoint a center of your own design. Wool for the border only is included with the kit

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Originally posted 2010-03-09 07:15:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Making the transition from stitching your first needlepoint sampler to doing canvases can be a hard one. The projects should be good-looking, appealing enough that even an experienced stitcher will want to stitch them. They should be small, so that the stitcher has a sense of accomplishment when it’s done. And they should always increase the stitcher’s needlepoint knowledge. Why is this important? Think about two different crafts, beading has been very successful at moving beginners to more complex projects, knitting has been less successful at this. With beading, people make that first necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings and makes a bunch more. When ready for the next step there are many websites, more complex beads and lots of tutorials to let you make something lovely that is just a little bit harder but uses material you have used and

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Originally posted 2010-03-30 08:41:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter William Morris had a famous saying about not having anything in your life that you did not know to be useful or thought was beautiful. I have also long thought that there is plenty of room in life for the useful things to be beautiful as well. That’s why I want to point out to you several great ways to add beauty (in the form of needlepoint to your life. First off, and pictured above is this lovely laser-cut alder wood heart pictured here, available on Etsy. One thing I love about this is that the wood is so lovely, it becomes the background to the needlepoint. I learned about it from Denise over at Craft Gossip. But there are so many other wonderful products that have punched grids to embellish with your stitching. AMH Designs has several stupendous items with

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Originally posted 2009-08-28 07:39:50. Republished by Blog Post PromoterI’ve come across some delightful new needlepoint products for you to look for at your local shop. Here’s a round-up of some of them. Painted Canvas CBK Needlepoint Collections has added a new artist, Designs by Karen. These designs feature animals against light backgrounds on 18 mesh. Lucinda Gregory Rice is doing custom portraits of your pet in hand-painted canvas. The size of the design is 12″ x 16″. She is also doing a series of monthly Bargello ornament leaflets, printed on cardstock and three-hole punched. Raymond Crawford has a charming set of destinations canvases. They are 9″ x 3″ and spell out the place with reminders of what makes it great. Projects & Kits River Silks has a stunning new Kit to Go featuring a pansies design by Leigh Richardson (Designs by Leigh). The kit has everything you need to stitch

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Do you live in San Francisco’s East or North Bay, Solano County, or Sacramento? Have you been wanting to learn needlepoint but couldn’t find a warm, inviting place to learn without all the stuffiness of the “needlepoint police?” Sandy Grossman-Morris and I have teamed up to create this exclusive needlepoint class for beginners, starting March 2, 2013. The design is the adorable ice cream cone seen here, created exclusively for the class. The class kit is included in the fee and has everything you need to stitch the canvas: computer-printed canvas all threads stretcher bars tacks needle Even if you have never tried needlepoint before you’ll learn everything you need to know, including 2 kinds of Tent Stitches and five decorative stitches. You’ll have a chance to use four kinds of threads and you’ll get samples of many more. The class is three lessons, one month apart. They will be

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Originally posted 2010-06-16 07:35:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Finishing Items I am just crazy about this chic self-finishing clutch from Timeless Totes. This is their first self-finished item. It comes in four colors (red, burgundy, blue and black). Lee’s Needle Arts has added leather Kindle covers to their self-finishing line. There are also new photo boxes and albums. I’m excited about the albums, because, although sometimes you can find albums that have openings deep enough to hold needlepoint, most of the time the albums you find won’t work Threads Crescent Colors has added new shades to both their perle cottons and silks. Valdani has added pure silk perle to their line-up of threads. This is great because silk perle is a wonderful thread to use. Rainbow Gallery has new colors in Very Velvet, Silk Lamé, Fuzzy Stuff, and Wispers, along with new colors in some other threads. They have

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Ehrman Tapestry is having their spring sale right now. With a strong group of designers and a wide range of styles there is plenty of choices. Ehrman’s kits are exclusive to them and many of their most popular designers including Kaffe Fassett, Candace Bahouth, and David Merry have needlepoint kits in the sale. Ehrman has also reissued several older kits for a limited amount of time as part of the sale. Check out their site

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Today I’m delighted to welcome Heather Gray of Modern Needleworks as our guest for a designer profile. Heather’s kit and work are shown throughout the interview and are available at her Etsy shop. What inspired you to start needlepointing? I started to cross stitch as soon as I was old enough to hold a needle. I transitioned to needlepoint in my early twenties. (I’m 39… at least for another month). I have always been inspired my grandmother. She could do/make anything… sewing, quilting, crochet, applique… you name it. She kept me a lot when I was young and I learned so much from her. She never used a pattern, or if she did use a pattern it was one she developed or made. She was an artist long before what she was doing was considered art. She is now 95 and is still making things! I live across the street

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Originally posted 2008-10-02 07:08:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Su at TangleCrafts has done it again with a witty (there’s no other word for it) four-way Bargello design, Bobbin Along. Don’t you just love it! Su has a great explanation of her thinking about this piece, but I wanted to point out a couple of things. I love the way she handles the spools of thread, they look so realistic. The wooden tops and bottoms are a perfect color. I also really like the way the Whipped Backstitch thread, snakes around the piece. It provides a real focal point for the design. The Bargello becomes a wonderfully complex background for it. The kit for this is now available, as is the one for Marble Waves. Great stuff!

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If you missed the chance to take my popular Planning the Perfect Needlepoint Canvas class in November when it was offered, you can now take the class as a Needlepoint Independent Study. This class gives you the insights and tools you need to: recognize your stitching level (it’s more than the stitches you know) recognize the complexity of a canvas pick the perfect canvas for you plan threads and stitches to get the results you want Whether this is your first canvas or your 500th, whether it’s a kit from the craft store or a hand-painted canvas, you’ll learn so much in this class that your needlepoint will be energized and improved — all without needing to commit to stitching a class project. Sign up for this Needlepoint Independent Study Course on this page today and improve your stitching

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Get a jump on fashionable dressing for Spring. Orna’s needlepoint jewelry graced several outfits on runway collection for spring 2013 from Donna Karan and others. The picture here is just one of the outfits accessorized with here necklaces, brooches, and bracelets. There’s lots more on Orna’s recent blog post. The folks watching the show may think the pieces will be out about the same time as the clothes, but we know a secret. You can buy kits for these same pieces in Orna’s Etsy shop right now. Make them and have them ready to wear for spring

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This lovely bracelet is one of Orna’s new wearble needlepoint kits, available in her Etsy shop. There are bracelets, brooches, and earrings, some in several color schemes and the prices are great. The kits include instructions, canvas, threads, embellishments and everything you need to finish the item. Best of all, they are very affordable. As Orna notes in her description, “The price is perfect for a stocking stuffer as is, or as a beautiful piece of jewelry that you make for a friend or for yourself.” You still have time to make one for holiday giving

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Originally posted 2009-01-16 18:03:00. Republished by Blog Post PromoterBeing affordable means different things to different people. I, for one, walk around with relative prices of things in my head. If gas is over $1.50 a gallon I think about where I drive, over $3.00 and I turn my car off in the drive-thru line. Recently I was doing some research about needlepoint and what people searched for on the Internet. One common search was for “affordable needlepoint.” To me affordability has a price, it’s $25. If a canvas or a kit is under that and I like it, most of the time I will buy it, even on impulse. Over that and I think about it. An Elizabeth Bradley kit is expensive, but is it affordable when you factor in the cost of the wool? I don’t know. But I’d love to hear you opinion, what makes needlepoint affordable to

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With traditional-looking needlepoint so hot on the haute couture runways for fall, can the well-appointed doll be far behind? No. That queen of miniature needlepoint, Janet Granger has introduced a line of miniature needlepoint bags. The designs, pictured here, are on 30 or 45 mesh silk gauze. They cover a wide range of styles.They are in 1/12 scale (1 inch = 1 foot) and include both day and evening bags. If they look like those high fashion outfits, it isn’t coincidental, both draw on the rich tradition of needlepoint. The kits contain the gauze, Anchor floss, the charted design, beads, and complete finishing instructions. When complete, these non-opening bags measure about 7/8 inch. The picture show the front of each bag, but the backs also have designs, but they are less elaborate. They are under Ten British pounds (about $16 US). She also has a special bundle price for all

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That’s the name of a new series of needlepoint classes I’m doing with Art Needlepoint. These projects are small, so they can be finished quickly. They will feature great stitches and plenty of ideas and techniques you can use in your other needlepoint projects. This first class features this delightful cat by Sophie Harding. In the two-lesson email class you’ll learn stitches to make realistic fur, ideas for selecting and stitching a complex multi-color background, and hw to add delicate but realistic detail. You’ll love the result. As always the class is free with the purchase of the kit. Don’t delay because the class starts September 15. Hop on over to Art Needlepoint to order

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