Nuts about Needlepoint » quilts

Needlepoint Ebooks Premiere!

Janet Perry — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:32:29 +0000

Originally posted 2009-07-03 06:09:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

That’s on the cover of Celebrate! The ebook version of the Come Stitch with Me needlepoint sampler from 2008. It has been expanded with additional ideas for using the stitches and information on how to develop a color scheme

This cover is from 50 Patchwork Blocks Charted for Needlepoint or Cross Stitch, my other new ebook. You’ll be amazed and delighted by the originality shown by the stitchers in interpreting these classic quilt designs. More books in this series are on the way.

You can purchase these book now using the PayPal shopping cart on this page. I’m so excited about them both because they represent an affordable way to buy needlepoint projects as well as great ways to use material you already have on hand.

A PayPal shopping cart makes it all easy to purchase.

And don’t forget the custom stitch guide service and the new quick stitch help service for when you want help with just an area.

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.

Taking Color Cues from Fashion

Janet Perry — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:54:24 +0000

My husband thinks I’m sort of weird because I love fashion magazines. One big reason I love them is that they often give me ideas for needlepoint.
One great thing is that you can use color combinations that they showcase to put together interesting combinations for needlepoint.

Sometimes you are lucky and the magazine spells out a combination for you. For example, the combination of nude, light pink, minty green, and coral in Style Watch inspired the Twinchy freebie pictured here. It’d entirely made up of Cashmere stitches, charted below. (Instead of a complete chart, use the picture of the finished needlepoint to stitch it.)

A stunning malachite-grren sequined evening gown inspired me to stitch a malachite clutch in all metallics.

When looking to fashion for color inspiration there are three types of things that can inspire.

You can take you inspiration from an individual outfit. If you see an outfit that combines a bright yellow blouse with navy blue pants, look at the neutrals paired with it to create the start of a great piece.

You can take inspiration from the colors in a print. The prints do lots of the work for you. They always have a background color, which becomes your background. The figures in the print determine the other colors. You’ll get the best success from using these colors in similar proportions. You can do this by writing down the colors and then ranking them from most to least used. Note also where there are big gaps. (A future post will demonstrate how to do this).

You can also take inspiration from a color spread, as I did here. The spread took these colors and showed current clothes and accessories in this palette. Coral was most predominate, then light pink (some almost white), green came next appearing in one piece and as a print’s background. Nude was used the least, although both the light pinks and lightest corals were almost nudes.

While I love and often use the combination of deep coral and bright turquoise, this combination made me think about these colors in another way. The threads I used included three shades of Aurora silk perle (coral), Gentle Arts floss in porcelin (center pink), Kreink #12 in an unlabeled color (green), Elegance E844 and Neon Rays N40 (nudes), and a mix of Gentle Arts Cotton Candy and Crescent Colors Spun Sugar (outside pink).

And it’s all thanks to the fashion magazine.

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.

Stitch your Stash around the World – Almost Done!

Janet Perry — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:34:53 +0000

Originally posted 2009-03-17 06:20:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

I’m hoping by tomorrow morning I’ll be finished with this piece. But I wanted to share a completed corner.

If you remember, I made my center too big and so I had to add two more rows in the corners. Since I didn’t want to repeat stitches, I chose new ones. The aqua is Triple Diagonal Brick and the pale coral **.

Then I added corners in the two aquas with each block four Scotch Stitches.

The border sides are two rows of Diagonal Gobelin in two of the corals. I had planned to do the two darkest shades, but I don’t have enough of the middle shade. As a result I’m using the lightest and darkest shades.

Then I’m finishing with two rows of Continental in medium coral and charcoal.

The whole thing will be inset into a pillow and will go into my bedroom which is coral. My original plan was to use these colors extensively in the new house, but our downstairs is done in much more vintagey colors of soft bluish green, true green, and buttery yellow, so these colors REALLY won’t go. But my bedroom is coral faces both East and West and has a nice corner for reading with bookshelves (soon), a chair and a chaise, a vintage table and a Spanish style lamp. This will be a perfect addition.

CyberPointers Ornament Finished!

Janet Perry — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:40:54 +0000

Originally posted 2009-03-22 06:41:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Isn’t this ornament so much fun?

I’m showing it to you as a sneak peel of my contribution to the CyberPointers upcoming ebook of classic quilt patterns rendered for needlepoint.

The book will be available over the summer and, from what I’ve seen of the other contributions, it’s going to be great.

If you’re a member of CyberPointers you still have time to stitch one of the ornaments as part of our ANG Seminar Auction contribution. There’s also some time left for anyone to contribute an ornament to the book.

I had so much fun and I like it so much I wish I didn’t have so much to do, I’d make another one.

Poinsettia Quilt Block Ornament – Free Design

Janet Perry — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:13:50 +0000

This bold;y graphic ornament is loosely based on a quilt block. Using all straight stitches and surrounded by a border of Straight Gobelins and Continental, this is a quick to finish project for the holidays.

I stitched mine on 18 mesh canvas using Kreinik 1/16″ ribbon (gold), Planet Earth wool (white), Gumnuts wool (green), and two of the new High Cotton colors (reds).

I made some changes from the chart. It’s charted for red, green, and gold. I took the green triangles in the center of each side and made them dark red. This gives the blossom some depth.

click for full-size chart

The border has one round of Straight Gobelin over three (remember to miter the corners), followed by a single row of Continental in green.

Harvest PotPourri – LAS Mini-sock

Janet Perry — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:33:32 +0000

Whenever I see this mini-sock it makes me think of the brilliant yellow color of the Gingko trees in autumn. The Watercolours shade I used is Woodland and I emphasized the yellow.

Other threads used include: Grandeur, Very Velvet, Holographic Fyrewerks, Panache, and Sprinkes.

I used yet another outline (I wish I had kept it), but you can use either of the ones we have used before (here and here).

Area 1: This area is stitched in Triple Rice. It’s a large Rice STitch, made in Holographic Fryewerks, that is crossed three times, in kind of a Scotch using Very Velvet. Using two highly contrasting threads for this stitch really highlights its construction.

Area 2: This area is stitched in a simple laidwork pattern, Taggert. This kind of stitch really highlights a lovely thread. Begin by making long stitches the length of the area in every hole. Once this is done you are ready to make the diagonal stitches (I used Grandeur) that cross the area. Make one in every eighth hole in both diagonal directions. Once this is done make an Upright Cross at each intersection to tie everything down.

Please note that the diagram does not how the laid stitches (first step) for clarity.

Area 3: This area has a stitch we’ve used before, Jacquard, but here the structure is highlighted by using two threads. I love this stitch because of it’s texture.

Area 4: The straight stitch in this area is Tamalpais. It has rounded shapes separated by connected diamonds. It’s a fast and easy stitch to do.

Area 5: This stitch, Salinia, is a kind of check, although it doesn’t look like it. Begin by making a pattern of Smyrna Crosses in a check.

Once you have completed them, put five straight stitches in the open areas (two of these stitches will be in the same holes as the open sides of the crosses.

But, here’s the kicker, switch the direction of these stitches in every row, vertical in one row, horizontal in the next.

I hope you have enjoyed this series. I’m going to be doing another LAS series, this time of stars starting in the Spring of 2012. Sometime early next year this series will be available as an ebook.

Four Needlepoint Gift Tags – Free Pattern

Janet Perry — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:51:07 +0000

Get these free gift tag patterns at My 365 magazine's site.

These four almost Twinchie (34 stitches square) quilt blocks are really quick to stitch and can be finished quickly to make simple ornaments or gift tags.

They are stitched in colors to compliment the overdyed canvas colors, but any scrap of mono canvas will do.

I just love the bright bold look.

The patterns for the quartet are free and can be found in My 365‘s holiday issue, out today. The beautiful magazine is on-line and free.

As a part of the issue, I’m participating in a giveaway of my books. Visit the site to learn how to enter.

BTW to turn any of these into a true Twinchie, just add a one row “binding” in Continental as a border.

UPDATE: I was told the issue was posting today (it isn’t up as of about 9:30 Pacific), but I would check back daily until it’s up. As of late Friday evening (12/2), the holiday issue is up.

Needlepoint Quilt Block Gift Tags – New Free Pattern