Nuts about Needlepoint » kits

Threads & Shading Class Starts February 15

Janet Perry — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:11:34 +0000

Isn’t this Amaryllis by Piet Mondrian striking?

It’s so simple, so modern, but in such bright colors.

And it’s the canvas for my next class for Art Needlepoint, starting February 15, 2012. Suitable for beginners, it has a taste of many different techniques including:

padding
textured stitches
outlining
pattern darning
shadow stitching

YOu’ll learn these techniques and more and use three different types of thread with your purchase of the complete kit. My classes for Art Needlepoint are free with the purchase of the kit.

Best of all, those purchasing the kit for purposes of this class get a special discount.

Learning one or two techniques in a class is unusual, and here you’ll learn several in an email class so you can stitch in your comfy chair, in your PJs, and at your own pace.

Remember the class starts February 15, 2012, so order your kit today.

More New from TNNA

Janet Perry — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:51:10 +0000

There are several new accessories that debuted at TNNA. Probably the hit of the show was Pischke Pillows. from the makers of the the popular Pischke Pockets. Using ten-mesh canvas with your choice of three designs, the kit comes with the same sturdy fabrics as the totes, grosgrain ribbon, and threads. The pillows are made amazingly easily and the three designs will work in almost any setting, even outdoors.

Rainbow Gallery has brought out new acrylic laying tools. Each is a unique design. The laying tool is a BLT with an acrylic handle and removable cover.

DMC has a lovely “designer” accessory collection with storage for your project, stitch bows, and a needle holder in a matching print.

Krienik has add four new Stitch-A-Pen kits including three hearts designs and a wedding pen.

Tuitto showed and interesting line of luggage and cases. They are soft, with tons of pockets, four wheels, and a PVC frame on either side. They use an ergonomic design and were very popular among shopowners. They come in up to 12 colors (depending on the piece).

Lee Needle Arts has an iPad case. They have also expanded the bags that can use the removable inserts. Bags with BR and now, I think, BG inserts can use the removable inserts. Anne Brinkley has brought back those lovely porcelain and crystal boxes. I have some of them I stitched ages ago and I’m excited about being able to get more.

Do you have tons of thread hanging around? Is lots of it in uncut skeins? Then you’l love Clover’s new Basket Frames. Available in two sizes in three shapes, they are cardboard frames that make your basket sturdy. Wrap your thread or ribbon around the frame. Then you can add embellishments if you like. These are great because they are much easier to do than traditional baskets and because they allow you to use soft threads and ribbons to make a great basket.

BagSmith has decorated wooden tubes that contain six needles. Several types of needles and design styles are available.

Two great new books are coming out. June McKnight’s new book is called Bling, Glitz, and Glamour for Needlepoint. It’s dedicated to embellishments and, from the models, it looks great. Sharon G’s second book will be out in the spring. It’s dedicated to borders and has over 20.

New ( and Inexpensive) Design from Orna Willis

Janet Perry — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:43:25 +0000

Originally posted 2011-01-16 07:22:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

“Lovely” this small Bargello needlepoint heart is designed in four colorways.

Orna’s models are on brightly colored canvas and are perfect for cheering up a gray day. The design is small and simple, featuring Bargello in a heart.

Best of all the design is available as a PDF for only $1.

You can buy it in Orna’s Etsy shop.

You can also get it as a kit or in a set of all four designs. When you get the kit you also get the hoop for a quick finishing job.

What a great Valentine!

Anna Maria Horner Makes Needlepoint Kits

Janet Perry — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:49:03 +0000

One of several new needlepoint kits designed by Anna Maria Horner

Anna Maria Horner has branched out into needlepoint kits. They are created in conjunction with Anchor UK and will be available later this year (no firm date or price yet).

If you are not familiar with her work, she is a multi=talented designer in needlework, sewing, and other crafts.

Horner plans to sell them in her shop.

Pictured is just one of four pieces she show off in a recent post on her blog.

Marble Waves – New Colors & Kit

Janet Perry — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:47:58 +0000

Originally posted 2008-09-17 06:47:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Su has a second post on Marble Waves up. It’s in a lovely soft colorway of green and eggplant. It also has a tiered border which sets off the piece nicely. This combination of colors will soon be available as kits from Su.

I was working on doing my own Marble Waves, but gave it up last night in total frustration. I don’t read charts very well (an eye problem makes it hard to count), I’m in a state of total exhaustion from getting the house ready (it went on the market yesterday, you can see it here) an I had had an immensely frustrating day, pretty much from start to finish. So when my corners wouldn’t match and I realized it was going to be a parallelogram instead of a square, I gave up.

But I love it so much I’m going to stitch it again and do it right this time.

Upcoming Products from Kreinik

Janet Perry — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:09:52 +0000

With the Winter Needlework Market happening in a couple of weeks, designers and thread manufacturers are giving sneak peeks at the new products that will be appearing at the show. Today we’ll look at what Kreinik is introducing for stitchers Their lovely bead-like Facets and Petite Facets are getting two new colors: copper and pearl. Think about using the pearl for a necklace. New Stitch-a-pen Kits will be introduced. There will be new metallic colors, although how many is uncertain. I am so excited about the dyed silk gauze. I’ve done this myself and it makes for glorious backgrounds. I’m not sure which sizes of gauze will be available this way, but I can’t wait. Finally, Signature Series Assortments will be available in most silks & metallics. They are 4-packs with the top-selling colors in each color family. Related posts: New Products from Kreinik Kreinik’s Holographic Threads – Product Review New Summer Needlepoint Products Thread News from Kreinik Candy Metallics from Kreinik – Thread Review Related posts:

Shop for Threads, Kits, and Projects at Orna’s Clearance

Janet Perry — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Orna Willis has just opened a Clearance section in her on-line shop. There you wikll find project packs, some rare or discontinued,kits, a few painted canvases, and lots of stunning thread packs such as the one pictured here.

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.

Sweet from Orna Willis – Product Review

Janet Perry — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:36:51 +0000

The second in Orna’s delightful series of Gatherings (group kits for needlepoint parties) is Sweet, a kit that allows six people to create delightful needlepoint stitch books.

I can’t think of a better way to introduce a small group of girls to needlepoint than with this colorful project. It’s easy, fairly quick to stitch, and easily made into a custom book for each participant.

The kit has two instruction pamphlets, one covering the stitch samples, the other the book assembly, six pieces of canvas, four skeins of multi-colored perle cotton, a needle, stretcher bars, and even scissors to cut the thread. In addition to this stitchy goodness are all the materials you need to create an accordion book of the samples and charts.

Everything comes packed beautifully in one box.

It only took me about an hour to stitch the samples and another hour to make the book.

I only have a couple of complaints. The first is that the regular size stretcher bars seemed cumbersome for such small pieces of canvas, I’d switch to minis myself. The second is that I would spend a little more time on prepping the canvas in the first pamphlet. But if the group leader knows even a little bit about needlepoint; this is easy to add.

The resulting book is a charming little piece. And it can open a wonderful world of needlepoint to ant teen or tween.

Plenty of Sales Right this Instant

Janet Perry — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:56:41 +0000

Still looking for stitchy goodness on sale?

Here are three sales to take advantage of right now.

Fireside Stitchery (one of my favorite shops) is having a 20% off sale through tomorrow. They have an amazing selection of threads, books, charted canvas, painted canvas, and tons more. Many things don’t often go on sale, so this is a great chance to stock up. They also have free shipping on orders over $35.

Ehrman Tapestry is also having a sale on over 80 of their kits. The link takes you to the full list. There is tons there, too many to list, but there are many Candace Bahouth kits (including several colors of her Klimt series), some Kaffe Fasset kits, most of the wonderful Seven Days of Creation series, and lots more. I have promised myself to finish at least one of the Ehrman kits before I buy more or I’d have my credit card out this instant.

Nordic Needle also has a sale (through the end of the month) on selected items from their catalog. There are some great gadgets and tools, some wonderful charted canvas, and selected colors of blank canvas.