Saturday, February 28, 2009

Needlepoint Peasant Dress

I just finished the canvas featured in a class taught by Amy Bunger at Market. Her stitch guide introduced me to some new threads and accessories and I thought I would share my thoughts with you.

There were three products from Gloriana—a 13mm silk ribbon, Lorikeet and Princess Perle Petite. The ribbon was used to make the rose at the top of the dress. 13mm ribbon is hard to find and this ribbon is hand-dyed. I liked the effect of the ribbon worked with the colonial running rose stitch. The ribbon was very thin, but I think it has to be for a use like this. Lorikeet is a 9 strand overdyed wool thread; Amy used two strands for the woven stitch she called for. I liked the thread—it didn’t shred or pill, and you can clearly use any number of strands from the thread. The Princess Perle Petite gave me fits—it reminded me of Patina in its slipperiness and was difficult to work with. I would substitute Trebizond or Grandeur for the Princess Perle Petite.

I used Silk Lame’ Braid from Rainbow in two colors. This is a silk, rayon and polyester braid with sparkle that works on 16 to 18 ct canvases and on 13 to 16 ct canvas if you are using a long stitch. I liked this thread—it didn’t shred or split and was easy to handle. The range of colors is good and it’s fun to use something relatively new.

Vineyard Silk in two colors was called for in the stitch guide. This silk is beautifully and evenly dyed; it doesn’t shred or pill. One strand (as is) provides full coverage on 18 ct canvas--the manufacturer says that it can be used color-on-color on 13 or 14 ct canvas, but I didn’t think it covered well enough. I loved stitching with it so much that I am adding the entire classic color line to my store.

My absolute favorite new products were the 4mm hot set Swarovski crystals and the electric tool to set them. The 4mm crystals cover 4 stitches in a box shape. After setting the crystals, I tried like mad to pull them off—no chance. This is my new favorite thing—I’m going to try smaller crystals for the stars on my current Tapestry Tent Christmas stocking. And of course, I’m adding them to my store. They are super-easy to apply and the effect is wonderful. You just need to make sure that you are covering all the threads with the crystal before you let it hot set. The applicator heats to a cotton setting and it doesn’t melt or burn the adjacent threads. What a great way to add bling to canvases!

2 comments:

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

Thanks for the report, Michele. I was really curious about the hot fix crystals and how they work. It's nice to know they are a great addition for just the right Bling.

Lorikeet is one of my favorites. There is no other wool just like it and you can use 1-2 plies on congress cloth without any trouble. I loved that since I like to use small count ground fabrics and was lacking a wool that worked well there.

You might try Princess Perle in short lengths. It has a lot of shine and I do like it, although it is slippery as an eel. But the beauty is worth it for me.

Thanks again for the report. I love reading about what you have discovered!

Jane, waving from Chilly Hollow

Anonymous said...

thank you for all the details on your projects, appreciate seeing what others are doing..