One great way to explore stitches is to make a stitch notebook. It’s also a wonderful way to use scraps of canvas and to keep notes about your stitches. Many people make stitch notebooks, they are samplers for our day.
All you need beyond the canvas and thread is some index cards and divided page protectors (like would be used for photos).
Stitch a sample of the stitch in some of your spare thread (leftover bits of thread from other projects are perfect for this). You should try to work at least three or four repeats of the stitch.
It’s even better if you can work a square inch or so. You can use
any kinds of canvas and threads for these samples, even mono canvas
won’t come unraveled because the samples aren’t handled that much.
On your index card, you will need to note some information
about the stitch. You should always include the name of the stitch, the size and type of canvas and the thread you used in the sample. You should also include information about the stitch. This could be the book and page number where you found it, a copy of the stitch diagram or a diagram you have drawn yourself. Some stitch notebook classes are made so that you can add the stitched sample and your notes right on the page.
Finally add your own comments about the stitch. This might include times when the stitch would work well, noted about this thread/stitch combination, or comments about how you liked working the stitch.
One of my favorite stitch notebooks had the notes on index
cards. I used little gold safety pins to attach the stitched samples to the cards. In each section of the page protectors, the sample was on one side and the card on the other.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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