pillows Archive

Originally posted 2010-01-17 07:41:17. Republished by Blog Post PromoterFinishing needlepoint pillows (or making any pillows for that matter) should be a simple task. It meets my admittedly low bar for sewing — all straight seams, no zippers. But all too often they don’t turn out well. My friend Kristin at Craft Leftovers has been working on redecorating her apartment with many projects she’s doing herself. She recently turned to the question of pillows and has a fantastic post about stuffing pillows so they won’t be lumpy. Read it and take her hard-won advice

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Originally posted 2011-02-28 07:17:17. Republished by Blog Post PromoterHave you ever seen those “tuckable” pillows where you just tuck in the cross stitch and wished that they came in another fabric or were tought enough for needlepoint? I know I have. One easy way to solve this problem is to make your own tuck pillow. Denise from Craft Gossip found this tutorial for making them. She points to the blog All about Me, which has links to PDF instructions of three different shapes: Diamond, Square, and Rectangle. To have it work with needlepoint, you need to make only one modification and add one step. First be sure to pick a heavier fabric than the light cottons shown in the directions. Needlepoint is a heavy, thick fabric, much heavier than cross stitch and requires a heavier fabric. Look for heavy weight clothing fabrics, heavy silks, and home decorating fabric. Here’s the

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Originally posted 2010-09-12 07:36:38. Republished by Blog Post PromoterUnless you sew or are an interior designer or are related to one, the jargon of pillows might seem like Greek to you. In one way this can be nice, you can get pleasantly surprised by the things your finisher creates. But then again, you can be unpleasantly surprised as well. Let’s say you had been thinking about a box pillow, like the picture above. The needlepoint is prettily on top, and around the edges there are sides, separating the front from the back, like a box. Instead you get a knife-edge pillow, where the front and back meet without any sides. This isn’t a problem, both are fine ways to finish pillows, but you wanted one and got the other. To get started, visit Real Simple’s site for a good overview of basic pillow types, with clear pictures. Knowing how to

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Originally posted 2010-07-18 07:25:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Althea at Bargello Needlepoint has a new book out, Flawless Bargello Throw Pillows. It gives you step-by-step instructions, including planning worksheets, for making pillows covered in Bargello. You’ll even learn how to finish them easily. The book is in ebook format and is on special through July for $19.99. You can order it here

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Originally posted 2010-06-12 07:43:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter One of the biggest challenges in needlepoint is the question of what do do with the finished stitching. While the stitching is the joy, sometimes it’s discouraging to look at the huge pile of needlepoint left stitched but waiting to be turned into something and loved. Maybe we should call it “The Island of Unloved Needlepoint.” Birthday plaids and tartans are so much fun, it’s a shame not to make one just because you don’t know what to do with it. Some of my recent commissions give an idea of some of the wonderful things you can do with a stitched plaid. The boxtop above uses a birthday plaid as the background for a simple monogram. The colors chosen match the room where it will live. Birthday plaids can be done in any colors and are great for this purpose. You

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Sandy Higgins, self-published, ISBN 978-0-9663617-1-1, $25 I loved the earlier edition of this book and with the new, expanded, edition, there is even more to love. Sandy is a great finisher and has often taught her techniques at national seminars. In this book she gives you step-by-step instructions for finishing pillows, ornaments, stockings, and lots of other commonly found pieces. You won’t find explanations for really complex pieces, such as purses, but with this book, a sewing machine, some basic sewing knowledge, and some patience, you’ll be able to finish the vast majority of needlepoint you stitch. In her introduction Sandy says “Good finishing starts before you begin your project. Careful pre-planning, a good set of instructions, a little practice, and a lot of patience will save you frustration and tears.” Sandy supplies the detailed and wonderful instructions, you supply the rest. The foundation of finishing is properly blocked needlepoint

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One of my favorite gifts to give is to put a great piece of needlepoint into a self-finishing bag, accessory or ornament. It is so easy to do and is a great gift. That’s why I was so delighted when Robin King over at Needlepoint Study Hall put together this awesome tutorial on exactly how to do it. The finished item is a Stirling tote, but the process is the same for any item that uses sticky film for inserting the needlepoint. With these great pictures and insrtructions you can do the finishing yourself, even if you have been afraid to try in the past

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If you want to add sparkle to your metallic canvas, but want an even more subtle look, you can back your needlepoint with something sparkly (fabric or paper). This will give you some glitz, but it s behind the needlepoint, so it will enhance whats there without being obvious. The most important thing to decide is how you will be finishing the needlepoint. If you don’t know, use fabric. If it will be finished as a picture, boxtop, or something hard, you can use paper. Look for a fabric or paper that has the same metallic as your canvas. Papers will be in the scrapbook section of most craft stores. You will want sheer metallic fabrics such as organza. Buy enough to cover then entire back of the canvas. You are probably wondering why I specified sheer metallic fabrics. The easiest way to keep this kind of fabric smooth behind

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According to this recent article in The Chicago Tribune, needlepoint, particularly pillows, is a new decorating trend. And I couldn’t be happier. Anyone who has been to my house knows that there are three things you can count on, besides good food — colorful walls, eclectic decorating, and needlepoint. While I’m not sure colorful walls are staging a big comeback, two hallmarks of the new decorating trends are eclectic style and needlepoint. Take that modern chair and mix it up with a very traditional needlepoint pillow. Or, do as I have done in my living room, pictured above. This very traditional wing chairs has a needlepoint pillow on it. But it’s needlepoint with a difference. Instead of the traditional florals you might expect, the pillow is bright, modern, and geometric. Some have been designed by me, some by others. But what’s key is the mixture of styles. Look around, how

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I have often looked at stitched pieces of vintage needlepoint for sale at places like eBay and etsy and wished it could find a good home. I always feel as if someone should snap it up, add a great back and turn it into a lovely pillow. An Austin Texas shop, August Morgan, is doing just that. They take vintage pieces of needlework (including crewel and bargello) and turn them into pillows. Backs, and sometimes fabric borders, are added and each pillow is stuffed with down. They are superb bits of vintage style, especially if you like mod colors and bold designs. The pillows pictured are typical of what they have to offer. Best of all you can browse and buy these great pillows on-line. Heck it’s almost like having a stitching and sewing grandmother of your own in your computer!

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Although August is a month when most of us are consumed with vacations, staving off the heat, and getting the kids back to school or off to college, there are plenty of new needlepoint products out there. Painted & Charted Canvas DebBee’s Designs has added Turquiose and Kunzite (pale pink) to her Glitz & Glamor series. These projects are monochromatic in glorious shades inspired by gems. The charted projects use a variety of threads and stitches. If you have ever wanted to try Or Nue (patterned couching over metallic), Brenda Kocher has a small beginner’s project available. The Or Nue butterfly is a perfect way to learn this technique with a small, stash-busting charted project. dede Ogden has added a wonderful tropical blossom to her flowers series dede also has some great new bags available. And (stash alert) Canvases Be Gone has a huge selection of dede’s designs that are

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