Nuts about Needlepoint » sports

Trends in Needlepoint

Janet Perry — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:43:24 +0000

I’ve gone to TNNA’s winter show most years since 1998 and I’ve watched knitting and needlepoint rise and fall. At the height of the knitting fad, it seemed as if needlepoint was almost an afterthought. Right now, I would say they are about even in number of vendors.

This is especially true when you consider the yarn manufacturers who also make needlepoint yarns (these are growing — more tomorrow on this) and other companies selling into both markets who were on the knitting side of the show.

Looking at knitting vs. needlepoint I saw some interesting contrasts that are good for us as stitchers. Needlepoint shops came to buy as well as to look. Although there is always lots of interest in the newest canvases and threads, often you’d see shopowners going through a both and ordering many canvases from the existing line. For us, this means that we aren’t constantly looking for what’s new, but for what’s right. That continues to support our designers to try new things and to keep designing. If anything older than a year is “vintage” and therefore not wanted, there is just too much pressure on the designers and some will stop designing because their stuff is too “old-fashioned.”

When you bring out a new product there is always a risk: Will people like it? Both the designer and the shopowner take this risk because as stitchers we might not like it and won’t buy it. But if both these people have reliable designs people like and continue to buy, the shopowners buy them and the designers have sales without risk and can continue to work.

This is a sign of a healthy industry.

In terms of the designs I saw there are three trends that you’ll see in your shops. All are great because they show that the market for needlepoint is widening. We’ll all get to the point where we can’t have any more pillows (or ornaments or stockings or whatever), but by innovating the use and subject matter for needlepoint, designers increase the things we’ll buy and try.

Professional and collegiate sports was the big new trend. There were belts, key fobs, ornaments, mini socks, brick covers and lots more in a bewildering array of designs from actual logos to clever pieces featuring folks playing the game. Not every team for every sport is there, but you can probably find something for just about any sports fan. This signals a nice change in the market towards pieces that have more masculine appeal.

While Halloween and Christmas remain huge for needlepoint, I saw lots more Thanksgiving and harvest-themed designs. Melissa Shirley has led the way on this. These designs are fun because with them less holiday-specific, they can be used throughout the fall.

The needlepoint handbag trend continues to be huge and at the show I saw, along with lots of extensions to purse lines that have been around for awhile, new shapes and new combinations of leather or straw purses with needlepoint.

Tomorrow I’ll look at new threads (there’s plenty), Friday and Saturday at new canvases and kits, and Sunday at changes in distributors. On Monday I’ll talk about knitting items for needlepoint as well as tools, finishing, and books.

No related posts.

Celebrate Baseball with Needlepoint

Janet Perry — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:05:04 +0000

Originally posted 2010-04-10 06:57:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again “I’m not a baseball fan.” But I’m married to a true “student of the game” & mother to another. The other two kids also like baseball, but not to that extent.

Clearly I am outnumbered here. And when the day Spring Training starts is marked with celebrations, you need to do something to defend yourself. And so I do, I needlepoint.

The rhythms of baseball with it gentle sounds and leisurely pace are conducive to stitching and the best broadcasters make you feel as if you are watching with your friends. and that makes for good backgrounds for stitching. And a background I have come to both appreciate and love.

I should note that this is helped immensely by the marvelous broadcasting crew of the SF Giants from Jon Miller, who has just been elected to the Hall of Fame (you can hear him on ESPN), former players and best friends, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow and Dave Flemming (“The Kid”) who is younger than many players and has a degree in Classics from Stanford. All nuts, all wonderful.

Even if you can’t listen to them, you can listen to baseball and you can celebrate the first week of the season with the marvelous freebie from Rainbow Gallery pictured above & downloadable as a PDF. The design is called “At the Ballpark” and is by Laura J. Perin.

The thing that endears the design to me is that it’s such a great abstraction of the baseball field. Notice the pitcher’s mound in the center, the bases and lighter basepath, and the corners representing the outfield. Don’t you just love it?

Thanks to Althea at Bargello Needlepoint for pointing this out.

Reggie, Reggie!

Janet Perry — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:36:36 +0000

Originally posted 2006-07-10 05:56:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

That’s what people chanted when he was playing. Although I didn’t get to his face yesterday, everything but face and hair are finished. I’ll do those next week.

He’s looking pretty cool isn’t he? You may be wondering about the dark bat. It is sort of a move of despiration. First, I couldn’t find a good Baseball bat color in my stash or when I looked at Needle in a Haystack last week. Second, I noticed watching baseball yesterday that many players use dark bats.

My DH says he remembers green bats from Reggie’s days playing with the A’s, so I made it dark green.

HaViNG FuN WiTH CuSToM NeeDLePoiNT CaNVaSeS – Ideas for Great Projects

Janet Perry — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:02:09 +0000

Here are some more great ideas for your custom canvas.

Little Me Dolls

A favorite little ballerina: Get down on your knees, take a full front shot with her legs slightly apart, arms out slightly, also. Then, have her carefully turn around and take a back shot, with her in the same stance, or have her stand still and you go around to her back. Get as close as you can, without cropping her head or feet. Take one more photo, a closeup of the face, including the hair. A photo without the tutu, is best, as a tutu can easily be added to the finished needlepointed doll.

This can be done with any child, not just a ballerina, how about a t-ball or soccer player? Think about the choice of clothing and how you would want to stitch it, choose good lighting, and don’t worry about any background as that can be removed. I have 2 suggestions for these dolls:

Shelf Sitters: I “remove” the legs and arms. The body/head is one piece and a flat gusset is added by the finisher so that the doll “sits”. The arms are sewn into the side seams and the legs are stitched into the front seam so they dangle from the shelf.
Rag Doll Style. Again, I “remove” the arms and legs, and they are inserted into side and lower seams of the body. (Think Raggedy Ann)

With each of these styles of doll, I place the components on the canvas, allowing plenty of seam allowance for the finisher. Wearing pants or shorts is better than a dress, although, I can work around that also. . . but we need to communicate!

Family Portrait

Children create the most wonderful family portraits. Put onto canvas, stitched and prominently displayed in a beautiful frame, it will become a family heirloom that will be cherished by many generations. Are there “extras” in the drawing that you want removed? No problem!

Silhouette

Send me a side shot(s) and I’ll create a silhouette for you. May I suggest adding a silk flower or piece of jewelry to your finished piece? You can showcase one or more people on your canvas, horizontally or vertically.

Frame it!

How about taking a child’s drawing and making it into a photo frame? I can take various parts of the artwork, move them around and create a frame, unlike no other.

A LiTTLe MoRe FuN! – an ornament

An endless number of items can be placed on canvas to make an ornament: front or side view of a beloved car or truck, and ice or roller skate or a favorite shoe or boot, a favorite toy (from today or yesteryear), a flower (from a treasured person’s garden?) a pet’s face, a ballet slipper, a section from a child’s drawing, or someone’s signature.

These are just a few more of my ideas that can be put to canvas. I would like to create that special custom Canvas for you. too! Please contact your favorite Needlepoint Shop, ask them to contact me, and between the 3 of us, you’ll be stitching on your canvas in no time at all. I can discuss your project with you, but please understand, that I can only work with you through a shop. If you do not have a favorite shop, check out the “SHOPS” section on my website. Any one of them will be able to assist you in contacting me with your project. Still having difficulties? email me at sandy @ sandygrossman-morris . com (leave out spaces) and I’ll help you to locate a shop willing to assist you as I cannot take orders directly from non-shop owners.

Something Worth Repeating: Artwork that is copied at 100% or Digital Photos in JPEG, TIFF or PDF Formats, saved on a CD, DVD, Flash Drive or sent via e-mail work well. Many copy shops (FedEx Kinkos, for instance) will copy your artwork and save it to your own flash drive at no cost. I return all media with the order. You can submit original artwork, also. PLEASE NOTE: I can only take orders from Needle Art Shops, however, I am happy to work with you during the process of creating your Custom Needlepoint Canvas. Be sure to give your contact information to the shop when you discuss the ideas for your order.

While you are on my website, please sign up for my online newsletter! It’s free and you’ll get lots of new and exciting ideas, plus see my newest designs & much more.

From my little Corner of the World,
Sandy

Baseball player

Janet Perry — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 23:36:37 +0000

Yesterday I worked on the baseball palyer for my DH. It’s a Kathy Schenkel nutcracker which I’ve customized to make it his favorite Oakland player, Reggie Jackson.

I’ve added Reggie’s number, 9, and his hair and skin color will be changed. The colors I’ve chosen for the uniform reflect the bright colors used in the 70′s. The belt color is brown and stitch in Padded Gobelin using Rainbow Tweed. The glove is in Serendipity stitch, also in Rainbow Tweed. His shirt is T Stitch in a knitting yarn, Cool Wool, and his pants will be in the same yarn in Nobuko.

Everything else, so far, is basketweave.

A really nice needlepoint to do for someone is to take something like these sports figures and personalizing them to be a specific player, not just a generic one.

Tomorrow I will post a picture of the finished needlecase, which I’m working on today.