Nuts about Needlepoint » finishing

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!

Lee Tote with Removable inserts – Product Review

Janet Perry — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:13:59 +0000

This HUGE tote from Lee Needle Arts came out over the summer and I had to have it. There are several features that make it a great bag, especially if you carry lots of stuff (in fact, it’s with me on this trip).

There are many features that make this bag great, even without any needlepoint.

heavy-duty nylon fabric in several colors
almost 18″ wide and 9″ deep, so if you are using it as a project tote, it will hold larger stretcher bars
three compartments, with the center compartment opening to almost flat
three interior pockets, one zipped, in the center, and one interior zippered pocket in a aside compartment
sturdy nylon web handles (I had tabs added for a shoulder strap)

The lack of a shoulder strap is the only fault I found in this bag. If I saw it at a store I’d buy it in a sec.

Even better than all of this it has an opening for your needlepoint. But it’s not permanent, it’s removable. Instead of the two-sided adhesive being on the bag itself, it’s on a piece of letter,with a dot that makes it easy for the paper cover to be removed.

To finish, you just cut your needlepoint to the size of the leather, remove the paper, center the needlepoint and press down.

The bag comes with two of these.

To add the finished needlepoint to the bag, just insert it into the opening. The margins are generous and the bag is flexible, so this is easy to do.

I have made lots of LNA self-finished items and this is by far the easiest I have done. I’m excited about the possibility that removable inserts will be made available for some of their other products.

I love this bag, go get one for yourself.

P. S. The needelpoint is the finished Adler-inspired Bargello I posted a few weeks ago.

Frames for Maggie Co and Ewe & Eye

Janet Perry — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:52:04 +0000

Deux Bijoux Bijoux makes amazing frames for Maggie Co and Ewe & Eye canvas. They are intricately painted and do a wonderful job of extending the design onto the frame.

There is plenty to see and plenty to love in the gallery of Maggie Co and Ewe & Eye frames.

What’s your Needlepoint Question? – Book Sneak Peek

Janet Perry — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:12:20 +0000

How do I replace a missing needlepoint chairseat?

Can I use a embroidery hoop to stitch needlepoint?

What is the American equivalent of 7 HPI canvas?

These are just three of the questions I’ve been asked recently, mostly through this site’s contact form.

I’m collecting these (and many, many others) into a Needlepoint Question & Answer Book that will come out later this year.

It will certainly be an ebook, PDF, and app ebook, and it may be available as a printed book and on CD as well.

You can help me as well by sending me your best needlepoint question. It can be something you’ve often wondered about, something you don’t know how to do, something you want to find, or anything else related to needlepoint.

Use the contact form, add a comment, or just email me. Be sure to let me know it’s for the book.

If your question is selected as one of the 200 in the book, you will get a free electronic copy (PDF).

IN the case of two or more people sending in the same question, the earliest one wins.

Make your own Needlepoint Key Fob

Janet Perry — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:27:02 +0000

An assortment of ready-made needlepoint key fobs from the E.A. Davis Department Store in Wellesley from post on Let the TIde Pull your Dreams Ashore blog (click to go to post)

Needlepoint Ket Fobs are really cool and while there are great kits including painted canvases out there, you might want to make your own.

Typically the fob hardware is about the width of a belt, but measure it to be sure. You’ll want to trace a rectangle on your canvas about 6″-8″ inches long and two threads more than this width. Here’s a link to a Google Shopping search for key fob hardware.

Once you have stitched your design, here’s how to finish it.

I haven’t done this yet myself. but here’s how you would do it.

Make the key fob needlepoint the correct width for your hardware and block if needed.

Trim canvas to five threads beyond the edges of the needlepoint and turn down the long sides.

Find a grosgrain ribbon or piece of ultrasuede (so it won’t ravel) the width of the stitched needlepoint. Sew it to the back of the fob along the edged, being sure to catch the turned under margins and catching a bit of the back of the stitching.

Fold the stitching into a loop and fit the fob hardware to the unstitched ends. If needed trim those ends so no unstitched canvas will show before attaching the fob hardware.

Framing Needlework Tutorial

Janet Perry — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:36:44 +0000

Originally posted 2010-01-16 07:23:16. Republished by Blog Post PromoterShout out to Laura Perin for telling us about this lovely tutorial on how to frame needlework. It’s not hard to do and if you learn to do it yourself you can take advantage of sales and less expensive frames. The instructions are in three languages, with English being the second. Also spend some time looking at the posts and on the lovely projects she has done and framed. Related posts: Bath Mosaic — Framing and Finishing Mounting Needlework through Lacing Tutorial New Products at On-line Needlework Show Do You Work in Hand? Project for a Needlework Keeper Some Tips & Ideas for Framing Needlepoint Related posts:

Do I Have Time to Finish It Before Christmas?

Janet Perry — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:42:28 +0000

With only about two weeks left before Christmas, no doubt slight panic is setting in as you think about all the things you wanted to make but haven’t finished.

If you are really lucky, those things don’t need to be mailed. iIf you are really, REALLY lucky, they don’t have to be finished either.

But if you are like me, you’re wringing your hands thinking about how you can get things done in time for Christmas.

Since this happens to me every year, I thought i’d help out a bit by doing a round-up of some posts relating to self-finishing, easy finishing ideas, and finishing techniques. Many of these posts point to external websites for information.

Self-finishing

Easy Finishing Ideas

Four Needlepoint Gift Tags has finishing instructions in the linked article
Stitchy Cell Phone Case
Bargello Tin Toppers
Plastic Canvas Pendants
Bottle Bags
Square Pincushion
Tote Bag

Finishing Techniques

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

Janet Perry — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:33:11 +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.

Clippings – Holiday Weekend Edition

Janet Perry — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:43:24 +0000

Considering we went to friends on Thursday, so I didn’t have to cook, and that we didn’t go shopping, I’ve been pooped since Friday afternoon. I’m figuring it’s been all the household chores and organizing my DH and I did all week.

So today I have a clippings post with an assortment of intriguing and useful blog posts I came across over the weekend.

Threadworx Journal was immensely popular in its on-line version. Happily, Threadworx has decided to make each issue of the magazine available in a printed version. You can buy them each here. Each issue is $11.99. They use PayPal for the sales.

Finding ornament patterns that work for boys can be tough. But the Cross Stitch design Kell Smuthwaite of Kincavel Krosses has an adorable whole stitch Little Samurai chart available free on her site. These would make such cute ornaments.

I saw these bottle top ornaments on Craft Gossip (thanks Denise!) and was thinking they were made on soda bottle tops, so they wouldn’t work well for needlepoint. But when I looked at the tutorial, I found they were made from milk or juice bottle tops.

The instructions talk about fabric. But you can easily adapt them to needlepoint by stitching on Congress Cloth or by doing needlepoint on evenweave fabric. I love the look of these little guys. They would make such great little gifts.

Finding great mats for your needlepoint can be a real challenge. Often it’s easier (and more interesting) to find a fabric that sets off the stitching perfectly. But fabric does not a mat make. Thanks to Denise at Craft Gossip I discovered this great tutorial on how to make fabric-covered mats. While she suggests cotton, any light-weight fabric will work.

If you follow my thrifty needlepoint idea of stitching in standard frame sizes, you should be able to find mats with openings that size that fit standard frame sizes. Buy a fat quarter of a great fabric, the mat, and a frame you like and you have the makings of a completely unique gift.

On the BeStitched blog there is the start of a series on beginning and ending threads. This post covers Basketweave.

Many of my friends have stitched Maggie Lane’s Kimono using the little book published that collected more than 90 stitches in one place. And it is stunning indeed. I have the book, but haven’t gotten to it. John Waddell has updated the piece from its restrained ecru colors to a bright and bold collection. He will be offering the class through the Shining Needle Society next year. You can read about it in this post and sign up on the SNS Home Room. This may be enough to get me working on it at last.