using needlepoint Archive

Imagine a needlepoint canvas with no sizing. One that stretches slightly. One that can drape like fabric. And one that can be washed and dried. That canvas does exist. It’s called garment canvas and is distributed by Kreinik. It only comes in 18 mesh and can be ordered on this page. Garment canvas is a 100% polyester interlock canvas. It’s designed so that you can make items such as collars, cuffs, and other pieces that need to drape, move, and be washed. You can’t do these things with regular needlepoint canvas with any ease. According to Kreinik’s site, the canvas requires minimal blocking and can be painted. It is 60″ wide. That makes it long enough for longer belts, although if I was using it, I would be sure to ask my finisher to add an extra layer or two of interfacing to make it stiffer. I used garment canvas

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In a lovely post earlier this week on Asmara there were 14 stunning rooms that featured needlepoint rugs. This is just one of them. Now making a huge needlepoint rug may not be in the cards for you (although you might rethink it after seeing these rugs). But we still can learn many lessons that we can use in creating needlepoint. Here are some ideas: Let’s say you wanted to make a pillow for your living room couch. To make it easy, let’s make it Bargello so it can be any colors you want. While these rooms create their color palettes from the rug, you can also work in reverse. Take your cue from the colors in the room and use those to make a great palette. Notice how in some rooms the main color of the rug is an accent color in the room. That’s a great idea for

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Today I’m spending the day decorating our main tree with my daughter (she got home last night and asked that we wait). The stockings are hung, the garlands and mini-socks are up, the small trees are up, and a box of ornaments has been sent to my youngest who is spending Christmas at her home Back East. The picture here is last year’s tree but if you are like me, you have more ornaments than tree, so you need to look for other places to put them. Here’s some ideas: Do you have a collection of needlepoint that are stand-ups? Use a shelf, the top of a low bookshelf, or the top of a cabinet to display them. My small collection of needlepoint Christmas trees joins some bottle brush trees on our bar this year. Do you have a pretty bowl or metal bucket? Nestle some needlepoint among pine cones

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In my blog reading recently, I found this lovely testament to needlepoint by Marni Jameson, a syndicated home design columnist. Near the end of the article she has some wonderful guidelines for using needlepoint in your home: For every high-tech gadget in your home, have a low-tech one. Not too old-fashioned. Be a patron. Evaluate quality. Weave a history. Appreciate humanity. Read and enjoy the whole article here

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This year why not think outside the box a bit for your Christmas decorations? As you can see from this wonderful post about Christmas color schemesfrom Sensational Color for Your Home with all its lavish photos (one is above, you don’t need to be tied to a traditional scheme of red and green or white and gold. Two of the top five schemes are monochromatic — red or blue. Another is just two colors – white and silver. The other two are jewel-tone and a somewhat changed modern palette of red, lime, turquoise, and other brights. So how do you apply this to needlepoint? First off consider using one of these schemes as the basis for any new pieces you’ll be making for display this Christmas. Christmas decorating colors don’t change quickly, it’s more that they get tweaked, so something in any of these colors can be used for years.

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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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