Needlepoint Tips and Techniques

4th of July March - part 1

2012-02-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

This Little Martha is marching in the 4th of July parade. I gave her a crocheted hat and textured dress for the occasion.

Firecrackers from Kelly Clark

2012-02-04T16:10:00.000-05:00

I'm having a blast stitching these firecrackers from Kelly Clark. I'm going to add Swarovski sew-on rhinestones to the red section. I've stitched over the outer edges of the circles--this way I can tell where to sew the rhinestones without having any canvas show.

Clip on Peacock from Labors of Love

2012-01-25T18:13:00.002-05:00

I have a special love for this peacock ornament - there are several peacocks on our island and they even have their own Peacock Crossing sign.

I got very close to the birds one Sunday and realized that this canvas was missing the feathers from the head. I used small gauge wire and crystal bicone beads, forming the "feathers" and then stitching them to one side of the bird. Too much fun! I knew there was a reason I took all those jewelry making classes--and bought all the tools.

Peacock crossing!

Corn snake & skull witch hat

2012-01-18T07:35:00.001-05:00

I've almost finished the Kelly Clark witches' hat series. I used the stitch guide as a jumping off point and then went my way.

I experimented with the 2 small skulls on the brim, beading them primarily with clear size 14 beads and Kreinik #4 glow in the dark braid. The effect was okay, but not great.

Effect I loved from the guide: French knots stitched with Boucle'. This would be great for trees, shrubs, moss, hair and more.

Effect I hated: French knots stitched with Boucle'. Lots and lots of knots and bad words, oh my!

Purse finishing

2012-01-14T14:23:00.000-05:00

This colorful purse and canvas by LEE were put together by our customer Pat Collins.

Pat had a terrific idea for finishing. The bag is canvas, but she wanted it to have a more rigid side. She purchased an acid-free self-adhesive mounting board slightly larger than the canvas. We attached the canvas to the board and then inserted the canvas and board into the purse opening. The result is a canvas side that will not bend or fold.

Good thinking and so easy.

October Heritage Ornament from Kelly Clark

2012-01-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

Here's number 10 in Kelly Clark's heritage ornament series. I replaced the beads with Swarowski crystals for more bling.

I've enjoyed this respite from creating my own stitch guides, but I am itching to see what's new at market and see where the artists' visions can take my needle. Tune in next week for news from Phoenix!

Another Creepy finished!

2012-01-02T18:03:00.000-05:00

I'm starting the New Year in a rush--stitching Mehitabel the Witch from NeedleDeeva in less than 2 days. And I took plenty of time off for football and food!

I didn't have Lorikeet in Bright Orange on hand, but I did have it in Narcissus Dark, an overdye. The result makes me smile--it's a reminder of my youngest daughter's latest (beautiful) hair coloring effect, called Ombre'.

Many stitchers hate using Lorikeet because it can be hard to separate the 9 strands of wool. The trick is to start separating about 3/4 to 1" from the end, teasing the strands apart. Then it's a simple matter of pulling each strand from the end. Really!

Now, what about the name Mehitabel? It is a Hebrew name meaning "God rejoices", but it is most well known as the name of a fictional cat. Author Don Marquis started writing newspaper articles "ghost written" by a cockroach named Archy whose best friend is a cat named Mehitabel. (Thank you Google.)

Happy New Year and Happy Stitching to All!

May heritage ornament by Kelly Clark

2012-01-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is the May Heritage ornament from Kelly Clark--it's for my husband and self-proclaimed web lackey Chris. I'm trying to decide what to have monogrammed on the back to make it really special. At the rate I am finishing these, I'm going to need another tree next year.

Happy New Year!

March heritage ornament by Kelly Clark

2011-12-24T07:38:00.001-05:00

I'm stitching these gorgeous ornaments by Kelly Clark at a rapid clip. I love the stitch guides, but I have added my own twist to them. Instead of using beads, I am adding Swarowski crystals in the appropriate gemstone color to each canvas. Bling!

Happy Holidays!

The Spider Queen

2011-12-18T07:25:00.000-05:00

After my latest stocking was finished, I said I was working on lots of ornaments. The Spider Queen was a Sunday afternoon project (I didn't say they were all Christmas). Again, what's not to love about this series with stitch guides by Robin King?

Robin was so good about incorporating many threads in each piece and also making sure that these threads get used on multiple Creeps.

My favorite stitch is the Elliot Stitch. Done in two shades of lavender, it gives a feminine touch that belies the fierce look of this black widow.

2011-12-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law's stocking is finally finished. As my sister said, it has been a loooooong labor of love. This poor Santa has mostly languished in the closet, waiting for me to love him.

Because this is a Tapestry Tent canvas, most of the work was done in basketweave, French knots and lots of beads.

My favorite part is the cuff background--it's a mini scallop shape from one of Brenda Hart's books. I brought home a skein of Vineyard Silk and Silk & Ivory to see which would work best for this vertical stitch on 18 count canvas. Surprisingly the Vineyard Silk fit the bill perfectly.

I've since been rewarding myself by stitching ornament after ornament, looking forward to special new canvases at market.

New clip on peacock from Labors of Love

2011-11-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

Just a little something pretty to stitch as a reward for FINALLY finishing brother-in-law's stocking....

I love the way the blue breast feathers turned out. I used the Diagonal Romanian stitch, combining YLI Shimmer Blend Ribbon Floss and the Painter's Thread version of the ribbon floss. A little Painter's Thread goes a long way.

Creepy Frank finished

2011-11-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

Look who just came off the rack ... er ... stretcher bars--Frankenstein from the Creeps series by Needledeeva.

My favorite things--Robin King's wonderful choice of composite stitches and the great way his sweater looks. He's dressed perfectly for this fall weather.

Spooky times with Brenda Hart at the Bristly Thistle

2011-10-30T14:16:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful 3 days with Brenda in October. Strangely enough, there were more than a few Halloween canvases in the store!

Brenda will be visiting us next March 16-18 2012.

Creepy Devil

2011-10-15T16:14:00.000-04:00

What a handsome devil we have here. This is the latest release of "the Creeps" from Needle Deeva, with stitch guide by Robin King.

I only made one change--I stitched the stars in glow-in-the-dark Kreinik. "The Creeps" are addictive!

Third Witch Hat

2011-10-10T13:09:00.001-04:00

My new ghost magnet is celebrating the finish of my 3rd Kelly Clark witch hat. I am using the stitch guide that is available for the hats, with a few twists of my own.

For the background, I used 2 strands of Splendor and 2 strands of Accentuate for a brick stitch on the hat and skip tent on the brim. My favorite thing: using beading thread from The Collection to couch the Kreinik Hot Wire and braid. Whether I pierced the couched thread or looped over it, you can't see the couching stitches.

Tip: Place the crystals for the spider bodies (I used hot fix Swarovski crystals) before you bead the legs. (Do as I say, not as I did.)

Creepy Hooty Owl finished

2011-10-03T10:27:00.001-04:00

My Hooty Owl canvas is finished and will be back soon to hang on my Halloween tree.

Hooty and Robin King (and NeedleDeeva, of course) were featured in the most recent issue of Needlepoint Now. You may have noticed that the current canvases differ in color from the one Robin stitched. It's not uncommon for production canvases to vary from the pre-production canvases, causing bits (or more) of havoc for the stitch guide author.

I chose to follow the colors Robin used, especially for the background. This meant that I had to use a full coverage stitch--basketweave. I used Silk Lame' and needed a card plus part of another--so make sure you buy 2 10 yard skeins or cards if you decide to change the canvas background color.

I can't wait for the next "Creep" to arrive!

Kelly Clark Pumpkin Hat

2011-09-25T12:21:00.000-04:00

I've been indulging myself by stitching both of the recently released "Creeps" from NeedleDeeva and the 6 witches' hats by Kelly Clark.

I had reached the last step in the stitch guide for the Pumpkin hat by Kelly and I felt I was all thumbs. No matter what I tried, I couldn't combine 7mm ribbon, ruching and beads in a way that made me happy. Many bad words were used. In desperation, I drove OTB (Over the Bridge) to the nearest Michael's for an easier embellishment solution. I searched the ribbon section, almost giving up, when I spotted 2 possibilities: a 3/8" black gimp and a 5/8" black gimp with black velveteen ribbon running through it. Not having had the foresight to bring the canvas, I bought both of them. I ended up using them both--the narrower gimp on the hat brim and the wider gimp under the pumpkin...ghoulish couture realized.

While in Michael's I also gathered what I would need to make a black feather wreath like the one Robin King is shown holding in the latest issue of Needlepoint Now. Having put a Styrofoam wreath form, black spray paint, 6 black feather boas, extra bags of black feathers and silk ribbon for the hanger in my cart, I did some mental arithmetic. Adding in the time spent not stitching, I decided I should look for a ready-made wreath. To hedge my bets, I bought 2 boas (I can always wear them in the shop in October) and some extra black feathers in case the purchased wreath is skimpy. When I arrived home, I went straight to the computer and found the perfect wreath. From JoAnn Fabrics, it is 19" in diameter and 50-% off I can't wait to decorate for the howlidays.

Creeps from Needle Deeva

2011-09-20T13:04:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, the first canvas in "The Creeps" series by Needle Deeva has arrived. I saw all the finished models at the Columbus market, fell in love and will (selfishly) be stitching the complete set for myself. I had intended to show this as a new canvas in progress, in my stitching rotation, but I had so much fun I finished it in no time at all. The extremely talented Robin King wrote the stitch guides that come with each canvas. Her guides are always very clearly written and illustrated and I always learn something new--a new thread, a new stitch or a combination of the two. My favorites from the Pumpkin were the two composite stitches. The best part about this 9 month club is that you can pick and choose your canvases without signing up for all of them. And of course, you can always go "back in time" if you change your mind and pick up an already released canvas.

Kelly Clark witch hats

2011-09-05T15:42:00.000-04:00

We have Kelly Clark's trunk show in the shop and I am treating myself to the six witches' hats and the stitch guide created for them.I have started with the Pumpkin hat, adding a few of my touches to the piece. I am adding the large flat beads to the hat brim, as suggested in the guide. Because the stitch is a full coverage stitch, I am leaving the center stitch open to allow me to place the beads properly.I had a great time looking for beads and such on the Fusion Beads website (www.fusionbeads.com). They lured me in with a 20% off weekend sale and I stocked up on all things that glitter, especially in Halloween and Christmas colors. And the stash just continues to grow....

Mile High Kitty

2011-08-30T14:27:00.000-04:00

I'm working on 3 large projects and I needed a quick, fun piece to fit in my "scheduled" stitching. This pretty witch and cat kept me entertained.

The sky is one strand of Impressions in the Irish stitch with Swarovski hot fix crystals for the stars. (That's not a red crystal, its a clear one caught in the sunlight.)

I used the Neon Rays + white glow in the dark thread for the ghosts and Kreinik glow in the dark for the green in the cat's eyes.

The witch's hair is Petite Fluffy Fleece, couched down with one strand of Splendor.

I love the witch's necklace. I used a product that is new to me--the clear beading thread from The Collection. I have always used Prisms and Sundance beading thread, but I'm open to anything that makes beading easier. The Collection thread was easy to thread through the needle eye and easy to knot. It behaved very well and I will definitely use it again (and again).

I ran the thread (doubled through the needle, knotted and anchored) through Sundance size 11 real metal beads. Once I had the right number of beads for the necklace I sank the needle at the other end of the necklace. I then came back up and tied down/anchored the necklace every few beads. Finally, I came up a third time and ran the needle and thread through the center of the entire string of beads. Voila! Bling!

Noah's snow leopards

2011-08-24T11:46:00.001-04:00

These leopards are the first pair I have chosen to stitch from the series of 12 Noah's animals by Kelly Clark

These are large animals painted in a small design area on 18 mesh canvas. The spots reminded me of a pointillist painting. To keep the two animals separate from each other, I tweaked the colors of the leopard on the left, trying to use a slightly different palette. Another trick I used was to choose the most distinctive colors on each coat, stitching one color at a time until the most difficult to see color was the only one left.

Since stitching these, I have completed the peacocks and I am now stitching the giraffes. I have found it very helpful to Google photos of the animals I stitch to look for distinctive details.

Haunted House by DC Designs

2011-08-02T16:36:00.001-04:00

I had to stitch something just for me, something with a stitch guide, something on 13 mesh--I have been stranding and laying too much silk on 18 mesh canvas. I went to my June market class stash and pulled out "Haunted House", canvas by DC designs, stitch guide by Cynthia Thomas. Perfect!

Derek of DC Designs (he is Amanda Lawford's son) started his needlepoint canvas career with the mission of bringing fun, affordable canvases to market. He has truly succeeded.

Cynthia Thomas is an expert at creating stitch guides and a wonderful teacher. It was a delight to just let her guide my needle.

Since a stitch guide is a guide, I wanted to try some "new" threads and to substitute anything else for stranded silk.

I used the new glow-in-the-dark Neon Rays + for the skulls and bones. I found it to be very flat on 13 mesh and in retrospect, would have used it for the moon with a basketweave stitch. I love that the thread is very white and sparkly and does glow in the dark.

I stitched the moon with Brown Paper Packages' Stardust in white. Skeined, it looked very thin to me, but it was very fat on 13 mesh. I would use it for the skulls and bones, if I were stitching this piece again. This is another thread whose brightness and sparkle I appreciate.

In my attempt to take a vacation from stranded silk, I substituted Planet Earth Silk and Neon Rays for a couple of the silks. I'm not a fan of Lorikeet, so I went with Gloriana silk floss for the grass, still staying in the Gloriana family.

For the icing on the cake, I added Swarovski hot fix crystals for the skulls' eyes. JAB makes wonderful skull buttons in XL that look great if you stitch over the painted skulls. Just be aware that the buttons are somewhat fragile--be careful sewing them on and don't use them on an item that will receive abuse (think pillow fights).

I'm not sure what I will be stitching next, but I feel as though I have had a very relaxing and fun break.

Noah's Peacocks from Kelly Clark

2011-07-10T17:24:00.000-04:00

I spent my Sunday afternoon working on my second pair of animals for Kelly Clark's Ark, Noah's Peacocks. (I had to do something while I watched the Cubs lose to the Pirates.)

As I usually do, I started by Googling photos of peacocks and peahens to see what effect I needed to create. Since the animals are small pieces, I can go all out on the main characters.

Most of my time was spent beading, using four different colors of Sundance beads. I am working on a beading class, so I tried a few different threads and techniques to stitch the beads.

For the threads, I tried Splendor in lime green to intensify the color of the lime green beads, one strand doubled through a beading needle. I also used YLI invisible thread, also doubled through a beading needle. For other pieces, I have used Sundance beading thread. The net: they all have their place. Using a silk thread (or a colored beading thread) allows you to manipulate the color of the beads you are using. (From what I have read and heard in classes, silk is preferred over cotton floss.) The advantage of a clear beading thread is that it can be used for all colors of beads, obviating the need for a different color thread for each bead. Some say the nylon threads stretch over time, but I have not experienced that. However, if I were stitching a piece that would get a lot of use, like a purse, I would use beading thread, like that offered by Sundance. I love using beading thread when I can because it is so easy to use (nylon thread can drive you nuts).

On the peacocks, I used the "lasso" technique, I went through some beads twice, and I went through some beads only once. I have come to agree with the experts at Sundance that the "lasso" technique is seldom required. Its purpose is to keep the eye of the bead from showing and further secure a bead. However, even if I went through a bead only once, if I used a tight tension and adjusted the bead angle with my needle, the beads stayed in the proper position. Also according to the Sundance experts, if you are concerned about truly anchoring a bead, going through it twice is more effective than using the "lasso" technique. I also stitched some of the tail "eyes" by anchoring the first bead, a middle bead and an end bead by going through them twice; the rest were only stitched to the canvas with one pass-through. Basically, you should use the technique that makes you most comfortable with the end results.

If you are truly worried about losing a bead from a finished piece, you should stitch under the bead with the appropriate colored thread before beading. I'm not that paranoid...yet.

My new Cockatiel - from Labors of Love

2011-07-04T12:20:00.000-04:00

This beauty from Labors of Love is just another fun canvas in an addictive series. They stitch up in a flash and are so gorgeous on a tree.

For this one, I added one strand of Fuzzy Stuff to Silk Lame', using a long and short stitch for the top feathers.

The top two wing sections are stitched in Nobuko, again with Silk Lame'. the lower wings are done with a Random Satin stitch.

For the lower body, I used the Fern stitch.

My next project--stitching all the Kelly Clark Ark animals, starting with the cheetahs.

I'll be watching the Cubs game this afternoon while I stitch away.

Happy 4th to all!

Columbus 2011 day 2

2011-06-12T16:26:00.004-04:00

Some of my favorite canvases so far
* A 3D crow by Melissa Shirley on 13 count canvas; he comes with a hat and a monocle.
* Also from Melissa, gorgeous orchid purses and fanciful startfish
* From Kelly Clark, 6 witch’s hats that are so wonderful, you want them all. They come with a stitch guide, too.

* Dede Ogden has painted two views from a sitting room. My favorite is a view of the Eifel Tower through the window of a pied-à-terre. It reminds me of trips to Paris when we rented an apartment instead of staying in a hotel. The second view is from an elegant New York apartment with a fabulous view of Manhattan.
* Labors of Love has new clip on birds to add to our collections, all of them colorful and fun.

I started the day with a fun class taught by Cynthia Thomas. The canvas was a Halloween House by DC. I’ve had a couple of customers stitch the canvas and I wanted to see what Cynthia could do with it. She taught us a technique borrowed from gold work for two of the lollipops that I can’t wait to try on other canvases. Her stitch guide and instructions were, as always, top notch.

Tips from Cynthia:
* When working with Planet Earth Opal or Vineyard Silk Shimmer, use a larger needle to keep the metallic from coming up short at the end.
* Cynthia demonstrated how to separate Lorikeet, a 9 strand overdyed wool that gives many of us fits. She started by teasing the ends of the thread apart—you can see that it separates into bundles of three. The best way to pull the strands loose is to hang a weight (like the one from Puffin Co) from the end. The real key, though, is patience.

New threads—at least for me
* Rainbow Gallery has introduced 17 new colors for Silk Lame’ for 18 count and new colors for Neon Rays +. The very coolest new Neon Rays + is a white sparkly ribbon that glows in the dark.
* YLI has an organic cotton ribbon floss that comes in the 26 Painter’s Thread colors. I love the texture—a little primitive—and can see ruching it for great effect.

Landscape Stitches Book

2011-05-23T17:17:00.001-04:00

We just received the new book from Little Shoppe Canvas Company, "Landscape". This is the first of a series of books to be published, each based on effects for a specific category. "Landscape" includes stitches for clouds, flowers, grass, mountains, sand, shrubbery, sky, snow, soil, stone, trees and water.

I saw a rough draft of the book at market and placed an order on the spot. Now that it is finished, I love it even more and here's why:

the categories for natural scenery stitches are all things we stitch often
the book is small and lightweight, but packed with ideas each category includes a great variety of stitches, many of which are not in other books that recommend an effect each of the stitches is numbered and shaded for multiple layers
each category includes important factors to consider when stitching for that landscape effect
stitch hints are provided for each category to optimize stitch and thread choices
each chapter begins with a stitching example that shows how to create a specific effect using a combination of threads and stitch.

This book is a welcome addition to my personal library of needlepoint books. We have them in stock now.

The Ark Monkey House

2011-05-15T16:28:00.000-04:00

Hooray! Except for the part where I ran out of my silk floss, the Monkey House from the Ark is complete.

I love the stitch I used for the red walls--I found it in Jane Zimmerman's "Canvas Embroidery" Volume One. The inspiration stitch is a "variation of basic Scotch alternated with elongated Cashmere". I reduced the row height by one stitch, used 3 strands of silk and the result looks like wood shingles. The best part is that I only had to rip out one previous stitch to replace it with what I think is the perfect one.

Back to the rooftops of the Ark!

The Ark part 5

2011-04-24T17:07:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the Dodgers play the Cubs at Wrigley Field, stitching away at the main roof. (Da Cubs are losing.) Next, to mix things up, I'll finish the turtles and snakes on the main deck.

I am stitching the teal roof line in two long rows of continental. In several 3-D classes I have taken from Ruth Dilts and Joan Lohr, I learned a very important tip. Keep your finisher happy--stitching corners that will be bent by splitting the stitches at the corner. Stitching the teal areas in basketweave would make bending the canvas more difficult. Hopefully, the continental rows will allow for a clean, crisp edge.

Ark part 4

2011-04-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

The great thing about working on the Ark is that if you can't think of the perfect stitch for an area, you can stitch something else while your brain works on the problem. The other great thing is that 6 of us are stitching this together and we are bouncing ideas off each other. The solution for the diamond area kept eluding me. I tried stitching a Rhodes the same size as the nearby black rectangles in the pale green. Boring! A fellow stitcher suggested a black beaded rectangle in the center. Since I was going to bead the painted rectangles, this turned out to be the perfect answer.

Ark races - second leg

2011-04-12T16:59:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how clearly you can see this, but I have tried two different threads for the same stitch. One of them will be ripped out.... One side is Trebizond in the perfect colors, but I don't like the loft or the sheen. One could argue that the roof of the Ark is wet and therefore shiny, but I want a somewhat more rustic finish. I switched to 2 strands of Soy Luster which I love. The strands lay perfectly flat, the color works and the roof doesn't overwhelm the windows.

Now back to the Ark race!

Ark races

2011-04-03T17:43:00.000-04:00

I'm having so much fun with this canvas because there are so many different pieces to work on--I can't get bored!

For the main deck of the Ark, I've used an overdyed thread and a random width, random length Cashmere stitch.

The snakes are a simple padded satin with the top layer a Gloriana silk floss.

I will admit to obsessing over the turtles. I started with the idea of beading them in their entirety, but I would like to finish this piece with my sanity (mostly) intact. I did bead the black lines and then the obsessing began. I tried a Kreinik #12 for the gold section of the turtle on right, but felt that it was too flat. I left the basketweave with that thread on the two sides of the turtle. For the center, I cross-stitched each thread for a higher profile.

For the turtle on the left, I bumped up to a Kreinik #16 and simple basketweave. The result: 6 of one, 1/2 a dozen of another. Maybe the next time I have turtles to stitch, I will bead them. Maybe. But only if Brenda Hart makes me.

Noah's Ark

2011-03-09T11:49:00.000-05:00

At the end of Brenda Hart's whirlwind set of classes, I started Noah's Ark, beginning with the two largest pieces, the main ark itself. So far, I'm working primarily in silk, using 2 to 4 ply. For the squares, I'm choosing a stitch for each block color. I've been happily scouring Brenda's books for ideas for all of the ark.

I'm still in the honeymoon stage with this big project, with ambitious plans to bead a couple of fun areas. And I've already decided to have a Plexiglas box built to house the finished Ark. Alas for my poor brother-in-law's stocking....

A smaller project

2011-02-14T16:17:00.000-05:00

I have (mostly) finished the Easter March and its stitch guide. I have moved on to my 3D turkey, but I was itching for a new small project.

I raided the ACOD trunk show for this shoe canvas and tried the new Painter's Thread for the main part of the shoe. I bought a designer ring of the Painter's Threads at market. I had no idea what they were or how they could be used, but they were too beautiful to pass up.

The thread is YLI Shimmer Blend Ribbon that has been hand dyed. Each of the 25 colors is named for a famous painter, therefore Painter's Threads.

I loved the thread--it will work on 13 or 18 mesh, can be finger-laid and is beautifully shaded. Use the thread and you can ignore shading! I'm going to try it next for tassels.

For the rest of the shoe, I used Coronet Braid for the gold areas, ruched and couched Neon Rays + for the green and used Petite Frosty Rays and the blanket stitch for the purple. Now all that's left is a bit of background and French knots for the jewel. (I did consider ordering a flat back semi-precious cabochon, but luckily my web connection was too slow. Then again, maybe I will....

Easter March part 3

2011-01-23T16:32:00.002-05:00

Stitching the little girl in the Easter March brought back fond memories of dressing our girls for Easter Sunday and the Easter egg hunt that always followed. For myself as a child and for our girls, egg hunts continued into the high school and college years, where fooling the eye and the brain became a diabolical game.

This little girl's hat is stitched in two sizes of the Double Nobuko. I tried appliqueing River Silk for the ribbon, but no matter how subtle my efforts to attach the ribbon, the result was not good. I used the same ribbon in an Outline Stitch for the final result.

Her hair was stitched with 2-3 strands of Lorikeet using a long bullion needle and the Bullion Knot.

I didn't care for the way the dress was painted mostly white, so I took the richest pink and stitched the dress with two strands of one of my favorite threads, Floche.

This happy little blonde is even able to ignore her little brother, who is kicking up the back of her skirt.

Easter March part 2

2011-01-21T08:16:00.000-05:00

I'm finishing up the Easter March--this is a photo of the flowering shrub at the lower right of the canvas.

In each 4 x 4 flower I tried: 1) 4 size 14 beads, 2) 2 x 2 Cross Stitches, 3) 2 x 2 Upright Crosses and 4) Smyrna crosses (not shown).

The beads would have driven my class nuts and I don't think the effort was at all worth the effect

The Cross Stitches would have overwhelmed the shrubbery; the Smyrna crosses were even more overwhelming.

The winner was Upright Crosses. Another option would have been a single size 11 bead placed in the center hole.

Time to write the stitch guide!

Christmas March Epilogue

2011-01-16T16:42:00.001-05:00

Earlier I tried to add the final touch to the Christmas March by using hot fix Swarowski crystals for the stars. Trying to get those small (2mm) critters to work with the recommended tip did not work at all. The crystals kept getting jammed into the tip and the round end of the hot tip left a circular dent in the threads. After more than a few choice words, I gave up and added beads as the final idea in my stitch guide.

And yet I couldn’t bring myself to bead the stars on my canvas. After some time, I decided to try the crystals one more time.

The solution was to use the spatula-shaped tip and the index finger from my left hand. After heating the tip, I used my small tip tweezers to place the tiny crystal in place. With the hot tip pressing down on the crystal from the top, I used my left index finger to push up from below. This kept the tip from leaving an imprint because my finger made the crystal the highest point on the canvas. I held the hot tip down until I felt the heat on my skin. Another hint: once the glue has started to melt, pick up the tip to make sure placement is perfect. If not, use the tweezers to move it to the right spot and then press down until you can feel the heat.

And the stars sparkled in the night sky….

Non-Tacky Solutions for Holding Beads

2011-01-14T08:39:00.000-05:00

Alice Borge gave this tip for holding your beads while you stitch with them. Start with a 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Buy their hotel blanket and cut it into a rectangular shape. Pour your beads onto one side and bead away. When you are ready to take a break, just roll up the rectangle like a jewelry roll and tie with a ribbon or thread. No sticky beads!

To make Tacky Bob Just Plain Bob, cover one side of the inside with paper. If you want to make it special, choose a scrapbook paper to coordinate with the exterior design. I don’t know if the hotel blanket material will work because I haven’t seen/bought it yet, but take a fabric that will hold beads (not felt) and cut it to fit the other side of Tacky Bob. The sticky side will hold the fabric and the fabric will hold the beads.

Bead-utiful! (sorry, youngest daughter has begun family punning competitions...)

Bird and Worm canvas by Zecca

2011-01-11T11:51:00.000-05:00

I so love taking classes from Robin King—her models are inspiring, her stitch guides are as close to perfect as humanly possible and she is just plain delightful to be with. The beauty of her stitch guides is that even if it is 2 in the morning, you have such precise photos and directions that it’s like having Robin right there explain.

When I first saw the class canvas, I gave a little start because the canvas was so small compared to my mental image from the class promotion photo. It didn’t take long to realize that Robin had packed that little whimsical canvas with lots and lots of fun stitches and threads. The result is a doable project in bright cheery colors and enough different stitch and thread combinations that the project will stitch up like magic.

Easter is coming!

2010-12-25T11:18:00.001-05:00

It's a beautiful, sunny, warm day on the island. With nothing to do but cook and stitch without guilt, it's a perfect day.

I'm working on the leader of the Easter March, the Easter Bunny. I'm using Silk & Ivory and an encroaching Gobelin over 4 for his fur. I tried Silk & Ivory for his arm to bring it to the forefront, and ordered Trio for his body. The Trio was not nearly as white as the Silk & Ivory, so I ended up not using the Trio. The fatter thread has been just fine for the areas that are stitched in Basketweave and I can sculpt the fur to add dimension.

If I had been thinking ahead, I would have stitched his body first and fluffed it up with my nap brush. Now I am using a combination of the nap brush and Judy's Boo Boo Stick to bring up the nap. A credit card or store loyalty card is perfect for protecting the areas stitched around his body from the brushes.

My next fix will be to redo the lower part of the basket--it needs to come out from the canvas. Since my first attempt is never going to rip out, I'll be working over it. Now, back to "work".

Christmas March completed!

2010-12-15T08:29:00.006-05:00

My Christmas March is finished, except for the stars and the extra rows outside the design.

Here are a few things that changed in the process of teaching the class.

1. Kreinik drastically changed the color of the #8 braid I was using. Luckily, my class was able to trade with each other so no one had to rip out any stitches.
2, After seeing how much my polar bear picked fibers and fur out of thin air when stitched with Petite Very Velvet in white, a couple of stitchers switched to Vineyard Silk for the bear. Much better. Note to dogs: stop shedding.
3. For the wheels, one of the stitchers left the blocks until last. This allowed her to anchor a thread in the center of the wheel, letting it hang free on the front of the canvas. She used the thread to show the right direction for the random long and short stitches, rotating it as she stitched. Much easier than trying to imagine the proper direction.
4. I had originally stitched the base as a modified rice done entirely in Burmilana. To beef it up a bit, we added Kreinik #16 for the underlying cross stitches. That also left a bit of sparkle at the corners and center of each block. Will I go back and back stitch mine to make it better? What are the odds?
5. One of the stitchers went to four ply for the sky, instead of my 3 ply because she is having the canvas made into a pillow.

Keep stitching and stay warm.

Needlepoint Decorating

2010-12-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

I played hooky from the shop yesterday and a wonderful time touring 4 homes in our historic district. They were all beautifully decorated for the holiday season, but one house in particular stood out for me and my fellow needlepoint addicts.

The owner of the home had stitched quite a collection of needlepoint ornaments and she displayed them in imaginative ways. Ornaments were hung from cabinet knobs, door handles and hung on the side of lampshades. I’ve also seen wreaths and garlands that were adorned with needlepoint ornaments. Whether you have a huge collection of needlepoint ornaments that more than fill a tree or you have just begun your collection, you can spread holiday cheer throughout your home.

Happy Holidays, Michele

Christmas March part 5

2010-11-25T12:37:00.000-05:00

For the background I used a Wave Variation from Brenda Hart, starting with the dark sky area. For the lower area I chose a Diagonal Hungarian stitch, again from SuZy's Lite Stitches. I loved the effect when I started on the left side of the canvas, but as I spent literally hours using my Dazor to adapt the stitch to the other lighter areas I came to the realization that it was the right stitch in the wrong place. I ended up using the Wave Variation throughout the background.

This project is almost finished...soon I can move on to another wonderful canvas - the Easter March!

Christmas March part 4

2010-11-25T12:35:00.001-05:00

The moon is one of the last items I stitched. I needed Santa's stitches to help anchor the Kreinik #8. I used an open stitch called the Four Way Continental D from SuZy's Lite Stitches. I tried filling in the open spaces with Accentuate and decided that the open version was much better.

Happy Thanskgiving!

Christmas March part 3

2010-11-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

I toyed with the idea of stitching the bear entirely in cut turkey work, but with so much else going on (and not wanting to spark a rebellion in the class) I kept it simple. He is stitched mostly in Petite Very Velvet using basketweave. The hat has style, though. It is stitched in the Diagonal Knitting stitch with satin-stitched tassels. French knots separate the tassels from the ties and there is fur (faux, of course) trim to add warmth and elegance. You could also add a bead in place of the French knots for a more dressy effect.

Christmas March part 2

2010-10-11T17:32:00.001-04:00

Last Friday at our reception for Sharon G, one of my customers said “Michele, doesn’t your Christmas March class start in two weeks?” Yikes! Nothing like a little time crunch to focus the mind.

So, on Sunday, with plenty of sports to watch on television, I buckled down and stitched the Christmas tree. I started with the beads, breaking “the rule” about stitching beads last. I wanted to place them when I could still where the artist had painted them and I didn’t want to refer back to a photocopy for placement. I used a combination of Mill Hill iridescent beads and Sundance size 14 beads, attaching them with my favorite beading thread, Prisms.

Taking two different skeins of Boucle’, one overdyed and one solid, I stitched the tree needles using a satin stitch. I cut the overdye into two parts, giving me one length of light green and one of medium green. I had thought about stitching the lighter areas as though they were snow-covered, but I didn’t like the idea of the snow from the tree blending into my snowgirl. I decided that the effect that I wanted was of a moonlit tree.

The ornaments were originally stitched as Smyrna crosses with Kreinik #12, but I thought they got lost in the foliage. I then stitched over the Smyrna crosses with YLI Ribbon Floss in the Shimmer Blend version and they popped right out. The star was stitched with the same Ribbon Floss—I stitched two vertical lines slanting inward and topped them with two horizontal lines to make the star shape.

And now, back to work—the next Giants playoff game starts at 7:30.

Let the Christmas March begin!

2010-09-30T15:41:00.001-04:00

It seems like weeks since I had a chance to sit and stitch. I told a customer that I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, only my tornado dropped me on an Island named Amelia, in a small mountain of packing boxes.

A couple of nights ago I finally set up my stitching nest in the living room. I have a comfy spot in front of the television with my System 4 stand and my Dazor lamp.

I picked up the Christmas March again and did some touch up work on Santa's coat. I then worked on his candy cane staff. The first step was to stitch a chain stitch with perle cotton #3 "inside the lines". Step 2 involved satin stitching the cane with a very light cream Flair. In step 3 I used a red and a green Petite Frosty Rays for the candy cane stripes. The colors I chose were more muted than the traditional bright red, white and green. I managed to loosen up a little and stitch the stripes in a less than precise fashion. This Santa has a hand-crafted candy cane to go with his patchwork and patched coat.

My boss is letting me go early today, so I'm going to sneak in some more stitch time....

Halloween Cat needlepoint project

2010-08-25T07:02:00.000-04:00

I've been stymied by the Christmas March, so I worked on a couple of my Petei Nativity figures and this cute little Halloween cat. She fits on top of a hinged china box by Julia's Needleworks. There's a little bat painted on the inside of the china box. This was super quick and easy. I used Vineyard Silk and a Jacquard stitch for the background, Fuzzy Stuff and the random long and short stitch for the cat, and Petite Very Velvet for the bat.

Santa Martini needlepoint by CBK

2010-07-27T15:04:00.000-04:00

This is one of the canvases from the 4 classes I took at the Columbus market. Nothing quite like coming back from a trip with four more UFOs (UnFinished Objects).

The class, taught by the delightful SuZy Murphy, was called "Santa in a Martini Glass". The canvas was provided by CBK Needlepoint.

This was a breeze to stitch and will look great finished as a stand-up for our bar.

Since stitch guides are just that, guides, I made a couple of changes to SuZy's stitch guide.

SuZy stitched her glass with Water 'n Ice from Rainbow Gallery, which gave the glass a frosted effect. I decided to stay with the bright holiday colors and stitched my glass with Petite Frosty Rays to match the painted canvas. The base of the glass is painted a bright royal blue. Although I have seen martini glasses that are painted exactly that way, I had to agree with SuZy that no matter what thread you pull in blue, the base just screams "look at me first...and second...and third."

The second change I made was to use a darning stitch from Brenda Hart's book "Stitches for the Millennium". Appropriately enough, it's a martini glass pattern. I chose to stitch Lemon Drops instead o Appletiniis in honor of my stitching friend Linda B.

"Mine" needlepoint design by Sandra Gilmore

2010-07-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

After finishing two Christmas stockings in record time, I decided to get into the Halloween spirit.

"Mine" by Sandra Gilmore of Once in a Blue Moon designed this very cute canvas that had been languishing in my stash for a couple of years. I had started the Jacquard stitch for the sky and then left it as a UFO (UnFinished Object) for over a year. I was inspired to pick it up again when we had the Patty Paints trunk show in Florida. I purchased two of her sparkly pumpkins with the idea of having 3 coordinating pillows made.

I had intended to leave the tent stitches in between the Jacquard blank, but I don't know how exposed canvas holds together over time. I first tried a Kreinik #16 for the tent stitches, but the color was wrong and the braid too fat. I had a Neon Rays that was a good color, but the thought of stitching that much with the slippery devil of a ribbon took all the fun out of that section of canvas. I settled on Treasure Braid, taking two stitches over the exposed star areas. I liked the richer shade and its lower profile. I haven't decided whether or not to add star buttons or to leave it as is.

The cat's eyes (and the pumpkin's) are Kreinik glow-in-the-dark braid with 005HL for the black slits. Her nose and gray outline are tent stitched with Very Velvet. I love the stitch I used for the cat's fur. I found it on a blog "Melita Stitches 4 Fun." It is shown, with permission by David McCaskill, in her blog about her sunflower canvas. I had toyed with the idea of using a different stitch for each section of the cat, but I love the overall pattern I got from using just this one stitch with black Silk & Ivory.

The pumpkin was not painted with a glittery finish, so I used Gold Rush 14 to tie it to the sparkly canvases by Patty Paints. I used the Nobuko stitch for the main body, but I didn't love stitching it (the Gold Rush was hard to pull through) and I think I could have chosen something that would look better. However, these camvases are just for fun and I could hear my friend Linda using her favorite line when I want to rip something out--"What are you NUTS???"

Next up: the purple polka dot pumpkin.

Evelyn's stocking finished!

2010-07-13T10:18:00.004-04:00

Evelyn's stocking just came back from the finisher and it looks great!

Here are some of the stitches I used:

Jump through loop is the fur on Santa's coat.

Woven stitch for the stocking hanging on the mantel.

The mantel and surround are stitched with Spring using the Basket Weave on Top stitch:

Evelyn's stocking part 4

2010-07-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

The nutcracker is tent stitched with cross stitches for the buttons and an elongated Smyrna cross for the belt buckle. His beard and hair are French knots on a stalk.

The garland is stitched entirely in French knots using Tone on Tone Vineyard Silk in Landscape. The berries are also French knots using a red #16 Kreinik braid.

I was taught a long time ago that white-white stocking tops usually draw your eye first, a bad thing when the stocking should be the focus. I used Natural Silk & Ivory and the Nobuko stitch for the cuff. The name and the area around it are basketweave. Trying to carry a specialty stitch with its compensating stitches into small areas results in a mess, so the area around “Evelyn” is just plain basketweave.

Next week - stitches I used on this project.

Now on to the new project--I’m thinking Halloween.

Evelyn's stocking part 3

2010-06-29T11:05:00.001-04:00

Santa’s suit is the largest single design area on the canvas. I took a lesson learned from a Pat Thode/Heartstrings Santa—use the same thread, but different stitches for each section of clothing. I used Vineyard Silk Shimmer in Lollipop, with a bit of burgundy Silk Lame’ for the sleeve and pant lines. The sleeve is stitched in Diagonal Scotch, the main coat in Hungarian and the pants in Corduroy. The red hat area was stitched in Corduroy, with a change in direction for the end of the hat.

The fur trim will be masses of Jump through the Loop Turkey work. I couldn’t think of anything else that fits as well, so I broke my rule again, using a time-consuming stitch for effect. Jump through the Loop was the perfect Turkey work variation: 1) it stands up straight rather than leaning in one direction and 2) I can remember how to do it without having to drag out a book every time I try to stitch it. Unlike traditional Turkey work, you start at the top. The loops will be cut and shaped when the stocking comes back from the finisher.

The stocking, hung by the chimney with care, has a pug-nosed Teddy bear stitched in Perle cotton French knots. The fur is a chenille I picked up somewhere, couched down. It will get a little trimming before going to the finisher. The main stocking was stitched with Planet Earth silk. This is the first time I had used this thread and I really liked it. It is very similar to Vineyard Silk, but its thickness is closer to Silk & Ivory. The stitch was a woven stitch.

Evelyn's stocking part 2

2010-06-22T21:06:00.001-04:00

The tall blue package behind the wagon took no time at all and I love the look. The box is wrapped in Reverse Scotch using two shades of Petite Frosty Rays. The ribbon and bow are satin stitched using Sparkle Rays.

The little red wagon was stitched using Shimmer Blend Ribbon Floss. My trusty Thread Zapper worked its magic again—using it to “cut” the thread keeps the metallic from shredding out as I stitched. The tire is Very Velvet and the wheel is two Jessicas with a Smyrna cross in the center. The outer Jessica was stitched with Kreinik #12 Red Pepper. The inner Jessica was stitched with Flair, as was the Smyrna cross at the center. I used to be terrified of Jessicas until I stitched several on a Susan Roberts mini house. Just take a deep breath and try it!

I wanted the logs in the fireplace to look a little birch-like. I used two strands of Burmilana and the upright Gobelin. Just enough of the canvas shows through to give the logs some texture.

I looked at the fireplace long and hard, trying to figure out how to give it some life. The black interior came easily—framed Cashmere using black and gray silk. The gray walls were next—Diagonal Mosaic using 3 strands of Burmilana. The wood mantel and surround took the longest time to figure out. I found a brown Spring in my stash and started by basketweaving the smaller areas. I stitched the dark brown lines with Medici and an encroaching Gobelin line. I’m sure the stitch I used has a name, but it escapes me.

"Columbus Heart” class with Robin King

2010-06-13T14:51:00.001-04:00

As I’ve said before, I started needlepoint as a “full coverage” gal. Every intersection had to be stitched and with lots of thread. I’ve slowly evolved and Sharon G pushed me into the next stage (but that’s another blog) the other day.

Robin started this terrific class by having us stitch the heart background with just 2 ply of Splendor. 2 ply! And it worked.

This canvas and Robin’s stitch guide have a lot to offer. You stitch with a varied selection of threads, ribbons and beads. I was introduced to YLI Line Clear Beading Thread and I think I might be changing my beading thread from Prism. I love clear beading thread because it’s practically invisible, strong, thin and it works for all bead colors. Prism can stretch, however, and the YLI thread does not appear to. However, it is so clear and thin that it vanishes before your eyes and it is tricky to knot.

Robin included a lot of surface embroidery stitches, taking me back to my childhood and learning crewel embroidery. The Beaded Pattern Couching she introduced us to was a hit with everyone (she referenced a recent issue of Needlepoint Now and a Brenda Hart piece as her inspiration). She also used the Crescent Stitch in more than one area. I’m not afraid of many stitches, but this one has always intimidated me (other people may fear Random Long and Short, among others). I suspect that by the time I have this piece finished I will be a master of the Crescent Stitch.

One part of the class that I really enjoyed was Robin sharing her “doodle canvas” as I call it. You could see the various stitches she tried until she found her “Eureka!” stitch. It gave me hope as one who is learning to write stitch guides. Even the best sometimes have to try a stitch that may not work. It was also informative to see how the same stitch could look completely different when worked in a different thread or thread combination.

This piece will definitely be a class piece at my store this September.

Friday’s TNNA Class

2010-06-11T17:43:00.003-04:00

My teacher was SuZy Murphy (the famous needlepoint author) and she is so much fun! The canvas she used is called “Santa in a Martini Glass” by CBK and the threads were donated by Rainbow Gallery. I would recommend this guide and canvas for an advanced beginner level class.

We worked with a couple of difficult threads (they unravel), Flair and Water N Ice. I whipped out my trusty Thread Zapper and shared its wonderful cutting/melting effects with the class. I loved everyone's reaction--"Wow". And, being a candidate for Teacher’s Pet, I promised Suzy she could have mine after my class on Sunday.

Tomorrow morning at 8am (groan) I am taking a class from Robin King, needlepointer extraordinaire and producer of Amy Bunger's DVDs.

Evelyn's Stocking part 1

2010-06-09T17:11:00.004-04:00

I still can’t believe I have stitched (almost) two stockings in such a short time. The process has definitely gotten me going, upping my productivity—and recharging my creative batteries.

Like Grant’s stocking, Evelyn’s is from Susan Roberts and is on 13 mesh. There is enough detail and whimsy to keep a stitcher’s interest and to allow for fun stitches.

I started in the toe of the stocking where most of the toys and presents are. Here are some of my favorite things….

The purple package to the right was dressed up with the addition of purple vertical stripes in metallic. The trees are Sprat’s heads, another stitch name I just love (sprat n.
1. A small marine food fish (Clupea sprattus) of northeast Atlantic waters that is eaten fresh or smoked and is often canned in oil as a sardine. Also called brisling.
2. Any of various other similar fishes, such as a young herring.)

The elephant with the clown on his back was such fun. Nothing fancy here but the clown’s collar, Petite Sparkle Rays that was ruched (another great-sounding word) and couched down.

The rolling Santa toy has a beard and mustache done in random long and short stitches. The tree is also random long and short, using the same overdyed Vineyard Silk in the garland border.

The lion and his cage remind me of antique toys. The roof filigree is done in French knots, reversing the direction for each side. The thread was Sprinkles (cut with my Thread Zapper). The wheels were satin stitched using just 2 ply of Splendor, breaking the wheels up into sectors. I got the idea to lighten up my thread from a canvas stitched by Brenda Hart. She used just 2 ply on 18 count for her piece; forgetting for a moment that I was working on 13, I followed her lead. I was surprised at the result. The center of the wheels are Smyrna crosses using the same Sparkle Rays I used for the bars (to be continued).

Grant's stocking is finished!

2010-06-05T07:30:00.010-04:00

Grant’s stocking is finished and on its way to Grant. This was great fun to stitch. The simple design lent itself to lots of different stitches and threads.

Evelyn's stocking is off to the finishers next, so stay tuned for that final result.

Petei Nativity Scene

2010-05-21T15:53:00.004-04:00

I'm almost finished with Evelyn's stocking; in between sessions with that canvas, I worked on this little one by Petei.

A few years ago we had Petei's trunk show in our Michigan store and I bought the entire Nativity set for my stash. I had seen it finished at a market in Dallas, stitched with stitch guides by John Waddell. Of course, I had to have those, too.

I have started with Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, figuring the Wise Men, shepherds and various critters can show up later.

I made a few of changes to John's stitch guide involving my choice of threads. For the sky, I used a thread that didn't exist when the guides were written--Vineyard Silk Shimmer in Night. It covered the 18 mesh white canvas beautifully and was much easier to use than the Gold Rush 14 called for. I substituted Vineyard Silk for Madeira silk because I didn't have Madeira and I didn't want to have to strip and ply a thread. I know that a lot of the same threads are called for in the entire set and I am trying to keep this easy and quick.

John called for the Serendipity stitch, one I can't believe I had never tried before. I found the easiest way to stitch it was to start with the Mosaic stitch as if I were stitching a Framed Mosaic. I then added the second set of stitches. This is definitely going to be one of my "go to"All in all, I know I am going to have fun following John's stitch guides as I work on this collection.

Grant's stocking part 5

2010-05-13T01:20:00.005-04:00

There was a lot of basketweave involved in the little design areas, but both bears were done in French knots and the cardinal was stitched in Perle cotton for the dark outlines and red Fuzzy Stuff for the random long and short stitches on the body and wings.

Although I chose this canvas for the mesh, the size and the simplicity of the design, I really enjoyed stitching it. Instead of the year + (okay, years +) I take contemplating, ripping out and re-stitching my usual 18 count Tapestry Tent stockings, I finished this stocking in 7 weeks. (And I didn’t stitch in the store, just for an hour or two at night. Alright, I did finish the sky with 4 hours of basketweaving while watching the Masters.) I love this Santa’s sweet face, the doll pointing the horizon out to the horse, the bear looking down at the doll, which is in turn looking at the cardinal, and the calm face of the reindeer. I know this stocking will have a happy home and will be part of many wonderful Christmas memories.

Time to start Miss Evelyn’s stocking….

Grant's stocking part 4

2010-05-05T13:49:00.005-04:00

The reindeer was stitched in Encroaching Gobelin using a combination of Silk ‘n Cream, Vineyard Silk and Silk & Ivory, matching the colors painted. I then used a Bunka brush to make her furry and blend the stitches. The next step involved trimming the fuzz with my Turkey tufting scissors to make the surface even. Her ruff is Angora and the Encroaching Gobelin stitch. Angora won’t stand up to a Bunka brush (I’ve tested it myself), so I used a soft toothbrush to bring up the fur.

The reindeer’s basket was stitched in Perle cotton #5 using the Cross Stitch with Beads stitch found in Suzy Murphy’s latest book “Suzy’s Mini Stitches”. I used the darker brown for the long horizontal cross stitches and replaced the beads with small upright crosses in light brown. I thought about stitching an open topped-basket with a wire rim, but thought again of wanting a stocking that a child wouldn’t have to use with care.

Grant's stocking part 3

2010-04-28T13:07:00.007-04:00

The trees are two strands of Vineyard Silk in a Horizontal Brick stitch for the large dark green tree. The snow on that tree was stitched with Silk Lamé Braid for 13 count canvas. The background trees were also stitched in the horizontal brick stitch using one or two strands of Vineyard Silk as needed to cover.

Santa’s bag was also stitched with two strands of light tan Vineyard Silk and one strand of Very Velvet for the dark brown. The stitch was the Burden stitch, a quick and easy basket stitch.

Grant's stocking part 2

2010-04-21T15:27:00.006-04:00

The border was great fun—I used my new favorite thread, Silk Lamé for the squares. The Lamé for 18 count covered beautifully on 13 mesh—the Lamé for 13 count would have been too heavy. I had the thought that most of my Christmas stockings have been stitched for adults or near adults and involved complicated stitches and things that might come loose with heavy use. With this stocking I was careful to anchor everything very well and to use stitches that could stand use and abuse for many years. The boxes are a tied mosaic stitch—the longest center stitch is cross-stitched with one short stitch. I continued the same stitch in Silk & Ivory for a more subtle continuation, stitching a rectangular area around the name in basketweave.

Grant's stocking

2010-04-15T16:18:00.013-04:00

I’m at the very end of this project, obsessing as I usually do.

I have one doll’s eye to add (didn’t like the first blue), I would like to beef up the reindeer antlers (3 tries, 3 failures), the reindeer needs lips (but I don’t think the green they are painted is too appealing), and I found a missed stitch on a package bow (and brought the wrong thread to the store). After these little items are cleared up, I’ll add a quick two rows to the outside edges so that I don’t lose any of the painted area and it will go off to the finisher.

The sky was also basketweave in Silk & Ivory to give a quiet place for the eyes to rest. (to be continued...)

Christmas stocking #15 for Grant‏

2010-03-07T08:45:00.009-05:00

With stocking #14 still on the back burner (I might be over my angst by summer), I decided to start stocking #15 and a little later, stocking #16 for Grant’s cousin Evelyn.

My criteria: I wanted 13 mesh, a design that would use a lot from my stash and would lend itself to decorative stitches. I also wanted to get away from the monster-sized stockings that have become the norm. These two will fit with the knitted or sewn stockings the kids’ parents have.

This canvas from the Susan Roberts trunk show fit the bill. It is going to be fun and won’t take years and a lot of ground tooth enamel.

The tip… I love Silk Lame’ Braid and I ordered all the colors for 18 count canvas. I found the perfect color for my quilted coat lining and I wasn’t willing to wait for an order for 13 count thread. I first tried doubling the braid using the mosaic stitch, but it was way too fat. I finger-laid one strand and it covered beautifully.

Now it’s time to channel one of my favorite stitchers, Miss Y, and get this stitched in record time.

Three French Hens

2010-02-16T15:16:00.003-05:00

Three French Hens is my latest canvas in this series. I finished him just before I started Kat Z Witch, a model for an upcoming class (photos to come).

Here are a few of my favorite things:

Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton floss in two different colors for the greenery. I used the satin stitch for both, although the style varied.
Size 11 beads for the holly berries. There’s no real rule about what size beads to use; I’ve used Little Charmers beads on some projects. They are a sort of “bead soup” with beads in various sizes, shapes and finishes in a single color way—lots of fun.
Coronet Braid 8 and the fly stitch for the epaulets.
Combining Petite Very Velvet and red Snow for the coat.
My very favorite thing—Santa’s shoes. I used Patent Leather following the Slanted Stitch Pattern from “A Background Stitch Reference Book” by the Golden Gate Canvas Workers Chapter of the ANG. The trick was to stitch every other stitch to allow the Patent Leather to lie flat. Voila! Gucci loafers for Santa.

Tip: I stitched the red velvet first, then stitched the fur trim in French knots using white Petite Very Velvet. The result was a pink-tinged fur trim—the white velvet picked up red lint as I stitched. Next time I will stitch the white first and then the colored velvet, using a soft toothbrush to remove the white lint. I’ve decided to leave the pink in—this Santa is very self-confidant and can carry off a little pink. (Besides, nestled in the tree branches, I’m the only one besides all of you who will know.)

Having FUN with Needlepoint

2010-01-04T13:32:00.006-05:00

This past week a customer and her daughter bought the Pirate backdrop and all the small characters to stitch for their little ones. I have another customer who has stitched many ornaments for her three year old grandson who can decorate his very own tree without worrying about breaking anything. What I love is that these pieces will be touched and played with and will be a part of childhood memories--so much of what we stitch is not to be touched.

Happy New Year and have FUN stitching!

My newest project

2009-12-11T15:28:00.005-05:00

I felt such a relief when I finished my sister’s Tapestry Tent Christmas stocking. When it came back from my finisher I was so inspired that I went back to work on her husband’s stocking, also by Tapestry Tent. I counted the maximum number of days until the December finishing deadline and even tried to psych myself out by stitching my initials and the year 2009 in an inconspicuous place. When even I realized that I was exceptionally crabby each night as I stitched (mostly basketweave due to the level of detail in the painting) I ripped out “09” Next year, Dennis.

I had been casting around, trying to find an inspiring piece when I realized I had one in my stash. I had kept an elephant canvas from a summer trunk show. Part of a large scale nativity set, I thought I would finish it as a pillow. It will look lovely with my Tap Tent 3 monkeys and my Trubey palm trees pillows, completing my exotic family room theme…when I finish stitching them. (Did I mention that I am not a serial stitcher or that I have HOW MANY unfinished/not begun canvases?) I put the elephant on stretcher bars and moved it from room to room just so that I could look at it. Wait a minute I thought, I’m off the hook for that %^&** Christmas stocking (all my stockings have a cursing phase towards the end). I immediately started pulling threads and planning stitches.

I started with the blanket, ultimately ending up with the Checkerboard Cross in overdyed Kreinik and Sprinkles for the turquoise section. For the purple section, I used the Cross Stitch with

Beads from “Suzy’s Mini Stitches”, substituting Sprinkles cross stitches for the beads because the beads stood out too much from the surface. The oblong cross stitches are done in Burmilana. Still to come—lots of tassels and hot fix Swarovski crystals—and basketweave. The irony is that I had burned out on Santa on the motorcycle because there was so much basketweave to do. As I found myself stitching the elephant’s headpiece in basketweave, looking at more basketweave to come, I realized I was stitching another Tapestry Tent canvas. Even better—I’m going to stitch the entire nativity set. Oh well, at least driving myself crazy is a short trip.

Needlepoint monogram on canvas tote

2009-10-28T16:15:00.011-04:00

I stitched this 6” x 6" 14 mesh Barbara Bergsten canvas during a couple of television shows—HGTV, of course. I love this as a teaching piece because each stitch is stitch-painted so that once you put the first color in a square, the pattern is easy to see and follow. I used Vineyard Silk as recommended in the stitch guide and it covered very well. I have said in the past that I thought VS was too skimpy on 13 mesh, but it is perfect on 14 mesh. I will use this design for a class in our Florida store in November.

I was going to use this to tote Morgan & Gracie’s leashes and such around, but it’s way too nice. I guess they’ll just have to wait for something else to come along to replace their grocery bag.

Kelly Clark Needlepoint Project

2009-10-16T19:26:00.013-04:00

Since finishing the Halloween March pillow, I’ve been fiddling with little projects, trying to find my next big exciting project.

One of the canvases I have stitched lately is the 1st in Kelly Clark’s 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. The baseball playoffs were on, and I needed (mentally) a fairly easy canvas. Kelly’s designs do much of the work, although you can glitz them up like crazy. My few special effects:

The outside border is Petite Very Velvet using a simple cross stitch over 2 X 2. It gives a very cool raised border

The inside border is done in Neon Rays and a very bright green Trebizond using the oblong cross stitch. I love the modern punch of color the green Trebizond adds.

That green is also used on the tips and edges of the tree leaves.
The pears are satin stitched with padding to within an inch of their lives using YLI Shimmer Blend Ribbon.

The partridge is done in random long and short stitch with a combination of Petite Peluche, Fuzzy Stuff and Wisper.

Only 11 more to go!

King Arthur continued

2009-10-07T16:16:00.006-04:00

The base is a very subtle stitch I found in one of Brenda Hart’s books. It’s a lantern stitch turned sideways. I worked the lanterns in Flair and the background in 8 ply of Splendor.

I made up the sword handle stitch (who knows, though, someone may have invented it first). It’s a variation on the Fern Stitch with the center of the Snowflake stitch, surrounded by tent. The tent direction was reversed in the upper left and lower right quadrants. I used the Fern stitch again, this time with Fyre Werks for the light gray areas of the blade.

The gold medallions hanging from the twisted cord (Kreinik #16 and Perle Cotton 5) are an Octagonal Rhodes in 2 shades of Shimmer Blend Ribbon. After I made my twisted cord, I unraveled one end and carried each thread to the back and anchored it. I couched the cording down and unraveled the other end, again taking the tails to the back and anchoring them. It was time consuming and nerve-wracking, but gluing the tails under the cording is wrong on many counts.

As we all know, one is the loneliest number, two starts a collection and three or more means you are a collector. Time to choose my second large nutcracker!

King Arthur large Nutcracker

2009-09-16T15:08:00.007-04:00

Yes, I’ve been away from my blog for a while. This Michigan winter was so long (snow from November to April) that I stitched more canvases than ever. Now they are coming back from the finishers and I have time to write a bit before the Florida snowbirds start coming in droves.

I love the JB nutcrackers because their faces are usually fierce, just like the Steinbach nutcrackers I collect. King Arthur was finished quickly, not only because he is on 13 mesh, but because the canvas lent itself to large stitches. The large stitches were a real treat, since I am usually poring through my books looking for very small stitches for 18 mesh canvases.

The King’s crown was stitched in Kreinik gold braid #16. I broke the points and the base into individual sections, combining whatever stitches fit the area. The base is made of two rows top and bottom of Smyrna crosses alternating with the Mosaic stitch. The five rows in between were stitched with the Crossed Rice Stitch from June McKnight’s book of border stitches. I glued the rhinestones in place and anchored them with Jessica stitches.

His hair, mustache and beard were stitched with Silk & Ivory. His hair is done in Encroaching Gobelin over 4 and his mustache is the Stem/Outline stitch. For the beard, I stitched Plaited Gobelin, illustrated in “The Needlepoint Book” by Jo Christensen.

His cape, cuffs and coat border are stitched in white and black Angora in Giant Brick. I still haven’t decided whether to brush the fur with a soft toothbrush. And yes, Ruth Dilts and Joan Lohr were right (and why wouldn’t they be)—you can’t use a nap brush on Angora—it shreds it.

The center section of gold was done in reverse Mosaic with a full Mosaic centered down the middle and the sides ½ Mosaic stitch.

The main body of the coat is a 3-part stitch. The main stitch is a Mosaic in Silk & Ivory. The second part of the stitch was done in Patina, 2 stitches framing each side of the Mosaic, leaving a blank intersection. The third part is a cross-stitch done in Kreinik #12. The sleeves are stitched in alternating rows of vertical slanted Gobelin over 2 in Silk & Ivory and vertical tent in Kreinik #12.

Lollipop back - more on crystals

2009-07-17T15:23:00.012-04:00

When I got my lollipop back from the finisher, I was really pleased with the results. (Click on photo for more detail.)

First, the finisher had used a pink Lucite stick for the lollipop--smaller in diameter than the painted one that came with it, something I liked very much. Also, the pink went really well with the Swarovski crystals I used for “bling”. Since the Lucite comes in varying lengths (up to 3 feet) and in 3 different colors, it opens up all kinds of options. Longer lengths will allow for finished pieces of varying height, and I can just imagined how wonderful a needlepoint star would be for a little fairy princess.

Second, I loved my crystals. I used SS.20 rose pink ones for the dots on the canvas. I have learned a few more tips about working with hot fix applicators. Although the crystals are firmly affixed on the finished piece, I found that you have to apply them after the nearby stitching is complete or the leverage from trying to fit stitches under and around them will pop them off. Also, the directions that come with the applicator result in burned fingers, at least for me. Instead of trying to place a crystal in the right sized tip and then flipping it to attach the crystals, I found that placing them on the canvas or stitches and then applying the hot tip to the crystal gave the perfect result, even allowing me to move the crystal slightly for perfect placement. After counting to 10, the crystal is fixed in place.

It looks like I might have to stitch the entire set of lollipops—and then there are the hearts for Valentine’s, the stars for the 4^th and the….

What I learned in needlepoint school

2009-06-14T18:45:00.004-04:00

Once again I had the pleasure of taking classes from Joan Lohr and Ruth Dilts, who I refer to as “The Rainbow Girls” because of their connection with Rainbow Gallery. No matter how old you are or how many classes you have taken, there’s always something to learn.

Starting and stopping threads could be a class in itself. In the Valentine House class (canvas provided by Susan Roberts, threads provided by Rainbow Gallery) we used pin knots under Rhodes hearts and away knots with tails long enough that the knot can be cut, the tail threaded in a needle and then woven under the just-stitched area. This keeps dark threads from showing through under lighter adjacent areas, especially if the neighboring area is stitched with a light coverage stitch.

Thread ideas included using Very Velvet or the petite version as the under layer for a padded stitch. It will give good height and grips really well. A favorite combination for a night sky uses Petite Treasure Braid and Impressions in combination. I loved the use of Fyre Werks Soft Sheen FT53 (espresso) for the chocolate kisses—you could almost taste the Hershey’s milk chocolate.

From the Hearts and Clouds class (canvas by Alice Peterson, threads by Rainbow Gallery) I was reminded to go up a needle size when using Flair or Frosty Rays—the needle paves the way for the thread and the canvas will go back where it belongs after the stitch is done.

I had never thought about which direction to stitch with threads like Arctic Rays, Fuzzy Stuff and the like, but it makes total sense to come up in a full hole and go down in an empty hole. This fluffs up the thread and maximizes the effect. Afterwards, tease the threads with the eye of the needle or a soft toothbrush to make things very fuzzy. I was surprised to hear Joan recommend against using a bunka brush on Angora, preferring a soft toothbrush to bring up the nap. I am working on a large nutcracker, King Richard, and I have used Angora for his ermine cape and cuff trim. Since I am a stubborn sort, I will be stitching in the margins and comparing the effect of a nap brush vs. a toothbrush.

Here’s a great idea for finishing a nursery canvas if no pillow or wall hanging is needed. Set the stitched canvas in a glass-topped tray or have your framer make one for you. This can rest on top of nursery furniture and hold powder, wipes and other baby paraphernalia.

Finally, I was reminded that you can change the colors of baby/children canvases to suit either a boy or girl if you love the design and it doesn’t have an appropriate combination. So as long as you can get full coverage from the thread and the stitch combination, you can make any design work for you.

Happy stitching!

Personalized needlepoint canvases

2009-05-28T19:12:00.001-04:00

Before I start almost all of my projects, I make a color copy of the canvas. If the canvas is too large for my desktop copier, I take it to a professional copy shop. The copy is useful for making notes about threads and stitches used and for placement of embellishments when the stitching is finished.

In this case. I am painting out the candy canes. I intend to attach JAB candy cane buttons when the piece is finally stitched, having stitched over the original images.

I use Liquitex Acrylic Artist Color paints because they are very true to color and dry well. They can be mixed to create custom colors and thinned with water for the appropriate coverage. I use either a straw to blow the excess paint out of the holes in the canvas, or an aerosol duster.

Painting out images you do not want or intend to cover with an embellishment is just another way to make a canvas your very own.

Halloween March needlepoint back from finisher

2009-04-29T11:56:00.012-04:00

The Halloween March canvas is on order and headed to the Bristly Thistle.

Here’s my finished pillow—I had so much fun stitching it and our pillow finisher did an incredible job matching the fabric and trim to make the canvas truly outstanding.

Grand Hotel needlepoint complete

2009-04-18T19:37:00.007-04:00

And here it is finished! Check out the personalized lid - this can be added to any Limoges box. If you can see it, I found a small American flag that fits perfectly on the design.

This canvas from Julia's Needleworks is available only at the Bristly Thistle.

Halloween needlepoint finishing

2009-04-11T12:14:00.001-04:00

These spooky Halloween ornaments were a gift from a stitching friend / fiend. I love the charms that the finisher added at the top—can you see the dancing skeleton at the top of the black candy cane? The Arctic Rays used for the cording adds a further frightening touch.

Grand Hotel needlepoint finished!

2009-04-04T16:38:00.001-04:00

This week brought over 6” of snow to Good Hart. Putting the final touches on this canvas kept me from losing my sanity. It will be May before the trillium appear and the lilacs bloom, but I could imagine the beauty of Michigan summer while I stitched.

The detail on the Grand Hotel is such that most of the building was stitched in basketweave. I used Splendor for the gray areas. In classes this January I learned that I have been using too many ply of Splendor on 18 mesh canvas. I went down to three strands for all the gray areas except the small windows, where I used two strands. And yes, you do have to use a laying tool when you use more than one strand—it was especially important for full coverage with two strands. The flowers around the hotel were done in tent and French knots using Grandeur, Perle cotton #5, Burmilana (for the perfect mauve) and Pure and Simple. The horse bodies were stitched in interlocking Gobelin. I added manes to the horses’ necks.

The sky is stitched using one strand of Impressions in a darning stitch. When you stitch darning stitches, it’s very important to anchor your thread at the beginning and the end of each row. The last thing you want is for the threads to come loose after the piece is finished. For the clouds, I first tried stitching the blue outline with Trebizond, planning to fill in with more Trebizond. I didn’t like the heavy look and ripped out all the outlines using my favorite curved scissors with the very sharp points. I then satin-stitched the clouds using white Flair. Much better.

The grass is one of my favorite sections--I turned the Parisian stitch on its side and used Boucle’ for the thread. It gave a different texture and depth to the “front” of the canvas.

The top of the Limoges box is stitched with a basketweave background and overdyed silk for the leaves. For the lilac blooms I played around with Splendor silk ribbon, using lazy daisy and padded satin with beaded centers. I will be stitching another one of these canvases and I am going to try French knots and variegated silk ribbon for the petals.

This canvas is a gift and will be embroidered inside to really personalize it.

With thoughts of Spring….Michele

Darning stitch

Cowgirl needlepoint finished

2009-03-25T12:31:00.005-04:00

I am so pleased with the finishing on my girls’ 2009 Christmas ornaments. The difficult corners were stitched perfectly and I love the embroidery on the back. Each ornament has the recipient’s name and the year on the back. Now it’s time to start my 2010 ornaments!

Kelly Clark needlepoint project

2009-03-07T15:53:00.003-05:00

This wonderful canvas by Kelly Clark is one that I kept for myself from last summer’s trunk show. I had a lot of fun stitching it.

My favorite stitch was the Woven Trame’ for the main body of the basket. The trame’ thread was 2 ply of a dark brown Pebbly Perle cotton; the woven stitches were done with 2 ply of a light camel Burmilana. You could also make the basket 3-D by using a wire framework.

At the very end, I played with what I have said is my new favorite thing—hot fix Swarovski crystals. I stitched the sky using 4-way continental stitch and #12 Kreinik braid, which meant that I couldn’t use Kreinik for French knots because you would see the carry thread from the front. I’m burned out on beading at the moment, so I used 2mm hot fix rhinestones in the color Crystal. Here’s what I learned.

1)You need to have a steady hand and accurate placement to cover the spot. The 2mm crystals cover 1 mesh of the canvas, and being just a little bit off will leave the spot uncovered. I went back and covered the white spots for the stars which meant that I had to reheat the crystal to set it firmly in place.

2)To pick the crystals up, I poured them into a small shallow white china bowl. I flipped them so that the crystal side was up, the hot fix side down. I then used the heated applicator with the appropriate head to pick up a crystal. The crystals can get stuck sideways or stick to the side of the applicator, so make sure that the crystal is in with the flat side out before you set it in place. I had the best luck when I picked it up gently, rather than pressing firmly. Since this was my first time to set this size crystal, I ruined a few, so I threw out all the remnants to make sure I didn’t end up using a spent one later.

3)Despite the claims I have heard, I did experience some melting of the black Kreinik thread around the crystal, but it was not obvious, finally stopped pressing so firmly into the canvas. (I did not experience melting or discoloration when I set 4mm crystals on silk.) If the crystal did not set completely, I used the edge of the heated element to heat the crystal (you can also use a craft iron to set the crystals). I had good success when I added a crystal to an area that was stitched over completely with Kreinik.

Stay tuned for more hot fix flashes.

Needlepoint Peasant Dress

2009-02-28T08:12:00.003-05:00

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!

Pay attention in needlepoint class

2009-02-21T11:38:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of taking an all day class at market taught by Amy Bunger. With a class filled with a noted needlepoint author, nationally known teachers and shop owners, she moved at great speed. My head was spinning when we broke up after the morning session.

One of the many tips that Amy gave related to the green and black band on this Pretty Peasant Dress canvas. Although I heard it, it didn’t register again until I stitched the band at home. The red scissors on the right show the wrong way to work a satin stitch around the black squares. The stainless steel scissors on the left show the right way to work the stitch.

On the right you can see that I stitched across the corners of the squares, thus clipping or rounding the corners. The right way to stitch around the squares is to end the satin stitch in the corner of the square and begin another one in the corner of the square, splitting what would be a long stitch into 2 or 3 sections.

And now it’s time for me to go back and rip out a few stitches….

"Noel" part 4

2009-02-14T07:46:00.000-05:00

Finally, the cuff, where I really hated the stocking. This was the last section I worked on. I tried a number of different background stitches in the outside margins, but they either let too much of the white canvas show or they drew attention away from the main design. I settled on Basketweave (boring) in a paler blue from the same family as the sky colors. I loved the lettering, but when I stitched it with Kreinik, it faded away. I then stitched over it with the Ribbon Floss I used for the sleigh. This was a little better, but the lettering still faded away, especially at night. In frustration, I picked up the #4 Kreinik I used to couch the braided trim and outlined each letter…and now I am back in love with the stocking.I have one last step to complete. I have decided that I want my stockings to be passed on through the family, so I have stopped putting names on the cuff. Instead I will stitch a name or monogram tag that coordinates with the stocking. I started with my own stocking—that way no one has to name the cat or dog Michele. (Heaven knows there won’t be any grandchildren named for me!)

My favorite words of advice from Brenda Hart are that you need to step back and admire your work as you stitch. As stitchers it is so easy to “get into the weeds” and focus too much on individual stitches, ignoring the overall effect. When I get tired of stitching a Christmas stocking I prop it up in the evening light and I can see how it will look hanging on the mantel. “Noel” definitely glows and shows all the effects I was hoping for.

My next Christmas stocking is for my brother-in-law. He has a Harley Davidson “Fat Boy”, so his Tapestry Tent stocking features Santa on a bright red motorcycle. I love this stocking…for now!

"Noel" part 3

2009-02-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

The background is done in Alicia’s lace using 2 strands of Accentuate doubled through the needle for a total of 4 strands. I was able to match the blues perfectly using two shades of Accentuate. For the finishing touch, I beaded all the snowflakes and gold stars using Prisms doubled through my needle. I love Prisms for beading because it doesn’t bleed, it is finer than beading thread, very strong and you don’t have to change thread when the bead color changes.

The fur on Santa’s robe and hat is stitched in a random long and short using one strand of Wisper. I kept building layers until I was happy with the result. I still haven’t decided whether or not to brush it with a nap brush. Santa’s beard and hair are stitched using 2 strands of Floche in a twisted stem stitch. (This is beautifully illustrated in the book “Knots, Fur and Turkey Work”.)

"Noel" part 2

2009-01-31T12:08:00.000-05:00

The sleigh gave me fits. I started with Kreinik braid, trying the outline stem stitch. It didn’t work. I then tried couching a braided trim from Access Commodities, starting with the scroll shape at the bottom of the stocking cuff. I decided the effect was too dark and strong for the entire sleigh, but I kept the scroll in place. I like it and I am sticking with my resolution to refrain from ripping stitches out until I am absolutely certain they don’t work. I finally tried basketweave using 2 shades of Neon Rays and one gold Shimmer Blend ribbon floss. The sleigh glows but doesn’t overwhelm the piece.

I then alternated between stitching the teddy bear in French knots using 2 strands of Burmilana and stitching the tree in random long and shorts stitches using one strand of two different Wildflowers colors. I have found that using one strand of a thread like Wildflowers or Wisper and building layers results in a much finer effect than doubling the thread. It’s hard not to want to rush, but if you compare the two results (layering one strand vs. stitching with multiple strands) you’ll go for the slower approach. Besides, if you are stitching an heirloom, you might as well do it right. The star is a button I picked up on one of my many searches for embellishments and the ornaments are from a Little Charmers bead set that matched the painted colors perfectly. Little Charmers come in about 15 different colorways, often with different size beads mixed in.

"Noel" stocking is finished!

2009-01-26T14:40:00.007-05:00

I have finally finished “Noel” for my sister, only one month later than advertised. (We won’t even consider the purchase/start date for this Tapestry Tent stocking.) I always have a love/hate relationship with my Christmas stockings. I love them for the first 60% and then I get bored or frustrated because I can see in my mind’s eye what the finished stocking will look like and I want to move on to the next fun project. I am finally back in love with this one.

I began with Santa’s robe; the painting was so detailed that I decided to stitch it in basketweave using Petite Very Velvet and Kreinik braid in #8 and #12. The bag is also done in basketweave using Soie Crystal silk and Kreinik blending filament. The filament shredded at every opportunity which is why I now use Accentuate filament. Accentuate is stronger, does not shred or break and comes in a ton of colors. The green corners on the bag are Smyrna crosses done in green Kreinik #12.

The pony is also stitched using Petite Very Velvet. His mane is stitched in random satin stitches. The boots are stitched in basketweave with Petite Very Velvet and Kreinik braid for the buckle.

Hat on the Cat Needlepoint

2009-01-16T10:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I had a great time--I took two classes from nationally known teacher Cynthia Thomas. My favorite stitch is the one for the green hat; it's a Star Octagon variation. By removing the center stitches from the Star Octagon and replacing them with a bead set in the resulting hole, Cynthia created a new stitch. She suggested looking at stitch books in a whole new way--look for a part of the stitch to remove and replace with a bead or beads. I can't wait to get home and use this idea for some of my "in the works" canvases.

Stay tuned--today I have an all day class with Amy Bunger.

Happy stitching!

Good Hart Needlepoint

2009-01-06T20:15:00.010-05:00

Having found that I need the carrot and stick approach to finishing large stockings, this is yet another carrot for hours of basketweave.

A few of my favorite things….

I added the “Good heart” because we live in Good Hart Michigan. The heart is a Rhodes heart.

For the snow, which was painted with a multiple of blues and greens mixed with white, I used a long stitch variation with Snow and an overdyed Kreinik that matched the painted colors. I stitched with two needles, one threaded with Snow and the other with the Kreinik. A magnet set kept the unused needle and thread parked away from the action.

The tree was done with a long and short stitch using Boucle’ for the greens (also used for the holly bough trim) and Fuzzy Stuff for the snow.

For the smoke from the chimney, I unraveled Flair and couched it down. It was great fun to unravel the Flair—it was a bit of revenge for its tendency to do that on its own.

Still stitching the cuff on the stocking in basketweave…and now working on two Halloween candy canes that my good friend Linda gave me for Christmas. You’ll see them next!

Needlepoint Lettering

2008-12-17T15:29:00.006-05:00

You can’t quite see the lettering on the stocking because I haven’t stitched it yet, but I thought I would offer some tips for painting names.

Some people have luck printing a name from their computer and painting it on the canvas, but too often that results in an effect like a stamped canvas. After all the money and time you invest in a canvas, the only way to have the lettering turn out right is hard work, but worth it.

First decide how large you want the lettering to be. I find it helpful to cut out a blank piece of paper the approximate size I need and placing it where the lettering will be. Next, find an alphabet that matches the design of the canvas. I have a library of cross stitch alphabets (even one in German and one in French) and I flip through looking for the right fit. Look for a compatible design and one that either fits perfectly or can easily be sized up or down.

Now you graph the letters onto graph paper. (I like 13 x 13 graphs, but that means more math when you are painting on 18.). Cut the letters out and place them on another piece of graph paper to adjust the spacing between letters. It’s very seldom that you will use the same spacing between letters. Tape the letters in place to hold them steady

When you are happy with the look and size of the lettering, mark the vertical center of the design area with a straight pin in the canvas. Find the center of the graphed lettering and decide where the bottom of the lettering will be. Starting from the center and the bottom line, count until you reach the first intersection to be painted. Everything else will play off of that start as you paint each intersection in the lettering. Have a small paintbrush and acrylic paint that matches your canvas handy in case you make a mistake and need to “erase” it.

I use a textile marker or acrylic paint for my lettering. (NEVER EVER USE PENCIL OR PEN OR A SHARPIE!) I like to use gray because you can stitch over it with almost any color. It’s a good idea to paint the lettering before you start stitching. You can leave the color choice for thread until you have stitched enough of the canvas to have an idea of what will work. Or if all this sounds like too much math, your favorite needlepoint store can paint lettering for you, even matching previously stitched stockings.

Santa and Sleigh Needlepoint Stocking

2008-12-07T16:26:00.008-05:00

This is a Tapestry Tent stocking I bought 5 years ago for my sister. Luckily, she doesn't know how long it is taking! I will finish it by the end of the year.

Needlepoint Cowgirl Boots

2008-11-15T17:22:00.010-05:00

Having just finished a large Halloween canvas, I wanted to work on a small and quick project. I raided my stash of pre-store ownership canvases and found these two Cowgirl boots. I had a blast stitching them—I finished them in 3 nights in front of the television (HGTV, the DIY Network, the Food Network and NCIS). These canvases will be my girls’ ornaments for 2009—I’m from Texas and they have cuzzins there.

The blue boot has stars of glow-in-the-dark Kreinik because it’s fun and it was the perfect turquoise match. I stitched the blue boot top in the Parisian stripe using Ultra Shimmer. The leaves are stitched using the Nobuko stitch (one of my go-to stitches) and Fiesta (only because I had a card of it on hand…ick). The black part of the boot is criss-cross Hungarian using Petite Very Velvet and Kreinik #12 in black. I was going for the effect of an exotic leather. Real boots are made with all sorts of interesting textured leathers, including ostrich. The toe is a Byzantine variation stitched with overdyed Kreinik. The tab is a Rhodes stitch done with Petite Sparkle Rays.

The red boot features a lot of basketweave dressed up with Coronet Braid, Kreinik braids and Renaissance threads. The red top is stitched with Snow using alternate vertical rows of Gobelin over 2 and over 1. For the bottom of the boot, I ignored the shading and stitched the Diagonal Hungarian ground using 2 different shades of Trebizond silk Perle. I experimented with Herringbone Gone Wrong for the tab, trying for a plaited suede effect, but after several tries, I went back to the tried and true Rhodes.

Chris commented that I put a lot of glitter on these canvases, but I think if they are going on the Christmas tree, they should sparkle. These are now available on our website.

It's Done!

2008-11-11T17:48:00.009-05:00

Using graph paper, I worked out a variation on the Cashmere stitch for the foundation. I altered the orientation of the stitch slightly for the orange and brown squares (okay, this may be too subtle to matter, but I liked it). The squares stitched up like a dream—2 ply of Impressions stitched using a laying tool.

The moon is stitched using 2 colors of Flair and a giant brick stitch. I carried that stitch throughout the background sky. For the 3 areas of clouds that stretch over the moon, I switched from Flair to a cotton floss in an exact matching blue and used 2 ply of the floss. I almost threaded Kreinik glow in the dark braid through the center of the yellow Flair for a custom Frosty Rays, but decided that the few minutes of enjoyment I would get from the effect when I turn out the lights didn’t justify the bad language that would accompany the process. But hey, don’t let me hold you back!

The remainder of the sky is stitched in 1 ply of cotton floss in a duskier blue and 1 ply of Splendor in a dull gray. Because this is similar to a darning stitch (you would see any additional threads from the back,), I was careful to begin and end the threads in nearby solid areas. Also, I made sure I anchored the threads well—since this will be a pillow, I don’t want any threads to get caught and pull free. I toyed with the idea of leaving the sky unstitched because the painting is so eerie and beautiful, but in the end, I couldn’t do it.

The fence was stitched using Wildflowers, an overdyed cotton from the Caron Collection (life’s too short for shading) and Grandeur for the dark brown areas. I chose 2 ply of Wildflowers and used the appropriate sections of color to match the weathered wood. The bats are stitched with Petite Very Velvet, making sure not to allow any loose threads from starting and stopping, as these would show through to the front. The tree branches are stitched in stem/outline stitch using Perle Cotton #5. I have to admit I was a snob about Perle Cotton, but I have come to appreciate its uses.

The leaves were stitched in combinations of Soy Luster, Weeks overdyed floss, and Splendor. I was careful about starting and stopping these areas, too. I played around with different free-form stitches. Some worked better than others, but I think each needlepoint project is a learning piece. (And my good friend Linda has pounded the phrase “What, are you nuts???” into my head when I say I am going to rip something out. Life is too short for negative work and I have learned to leave a stitch in and think about it before I take it out.

The spider web is a silver Kreinik #12 braid couched down with one ply pulled from a length of the same Braid. Using a portion of the same thread to couch means that they will match exactly and you don’t have to buy a matching filament. I thought about using a #8 braid, but I decided that I wanted the spider to stand out a little more. The spider is stitched using bullion knots for the legs and a drizzle stitch (couched down) for the body, using the black Perle Cotton.

Have fun stitching!

The Big Witch

2008-11-11T17:35:00.006-05:00

This witch is the star attraction—she’s just a bit creepy because she seems to be the only one who is not quite human.

Her dress was stitched in the Mosaic stitch using 3 colors of Burmilana. The original painted canvas has touches of blue here and there. Rather than try to stitch those areas exactly, I blended a blue and brown tweed Burmilana with a brown Burmilana and alternated it with Mosaic squares of just the brown color. I used a darker brown Burmilana for the dark folds of the dress. For the patches, I appliquéd felt over the canvas.

Her socks gave me a chance to try the Diagonal Knitting Stitch. I like having her wear her fancy boots with rough wool socks

The witch’s hat was great fun—I loved watching the plaid unfold. Using 2 shades of Splendor, I stitched the plaid stitch over 3 for the brim and over 2 for the top. The hat was painted with pretty serious shading, and I think life is too short for complicated shading!

The broom was stitched in random long and short using Alpaca 18 and Rainbow’s flax thread. I used a larger needle than usual for 18 mesh to keep the canvas from distorting.

The staff is a very cool stitch called Raised Stem Stitch Band. It involves looping Grandeur over a horizontal framework of threads from top to bottom. Each vertical woven row is pushed tightly to the side to allow the staff to have a higher profile. This is diagrammed on page 58 of Even More Stitches for Effect.

Little Ghost

2008-11-11T17:31:00.004-05:00

This little guy is pretty simple. I stitched the eyes using 3 ply of Splendor to allow them to recede. The patches are, again, felt appliquéd over the canvas.

I played with the shape of the right shoe a little bit—the sheet and shoe outlines didn’t work for me. The shoes (I’m thinking Converse sneakers—can you tell I love shoes?) are stitched in Velour and Petite Very Velvet. I use white Petite Very Velvet often, but it does shed white ‘dust’ so I try to stitch that area first. Otherwise I use a very soft toothbrush to brush the debris away.

I had to stitch this Goblin in the Encroaching Gobelin stitch; the play on words was too hard to avoid.

Young Frankenstein

2008-11-09T19:07:00.004-05:00

We call our two computer terminals at the store Frank (for Frankenstein) and Igor, so I definitely have a soft spot for this guy. The mask hair is made of bullion knots using 4 ply of Splendor; the mask bolts are the same orange Kreinik used for Dracula’s bag stitced with cross stitches. The boy’s hair is stitched with Rainbow Tweed in an Interlocking Gobelin over 4 stitches.

I wanted to give the coat a quilted effect (we always want our children to stay warm on Halloween night). I used 3 shades of Splendor and a Staggered Cashmere stitch. His pants are stitced using the Corduroy stitch, appropriately enough—he is a well-dressed little monster. His trick or treat bag is stitched with a background of the Mosaic stitch. The cat is stitched with black Fuzzy Stuff with glowing orange eyes. I used my curved scissors to trim the Fuzzy Stuff and allow his eyes to show. (I think this cat and the “real” one are exchanging glances).

For young Frank’s feet, I used Petite Very Velvet for his shoes (I think they are Birkenstocks) and 3 strands of Splendor for his socks. My favorite scissors are my curved tip scissors. Not just for trimming turkey work, they let you get close the canvas for trimming threads without as much of a risk of damaging the canvas as straight scissors.

Dashing Count Dracula

2008-11-08T13:42:00.003-05:00

Dashing Count Dracula stitched up in no time—I think he has a crush on the little witch.

The turned-up collar is stitched with Neon Rays in an Upright Slanted Gobelin over 2 rows. I think it makes the underside of the collar look quilted. I didn’t like the way the trick or treat bag, pants leg and open spaces looked, so I squared up the sides of the bag. I used one of the ‘new” solid Kreinik colors for the orange on the bag.

I stitched the cape with Petite Frosty Rays 821 using the Damask Stitch. The glitter in the thread and the angle of the stitch give the cape the proper sense of movement. When stitching with any thread like Flair, Frosty Rays and the like, use shorter lengths, cut the end at an angle (this cuts down on unraveling) and use a laying tool.

The finishing touch for Count Dracula’s cape is a Rhodes stitch in Shimmer Blend Ribbon for the clasp.

Cute little witch with red hair

2008-11-01T17:01:00.000-04:00

I actually started stitching this character first. I think she is so cute—and I love that she is the only character looking at the full moon.

Her hat is composed of upright crosses in Kreinik #12 braid. The band is also Kreinik #12 braid in 2 colors—the purple stripes are basketweave and the orange ones are long upright crosses to give the band more depth.

Petite Peluche in two colors using a random long and short stitch creates her hair. The vest is simply Petite Very Velvet in a basketweave stitch with gold braid buttons in the cross stitch.

Her skirt is one of my favorite parts of the piece. I stitched the highlights with Kreinik light lavender using the tent stitch. Then, using a Kreinik braid appropriately called “Brocade”, I stitched the skirt in a diagonal cashmere stitch, reversing the slant for the other side. The picture doesn’t do it justice—the effect is truly the look of a glistening brocade. (I had originally tried the diagonal cashmere stitch on Dracula’s cape, but the angle of the stitch did not match the angle of the cape.)

For the entire piece, I referred to the 3 volumes in the “Stitches for Effect” series, books I consider essential to my needlepoint library.

My tools included stretcher bars and Japanese tacks, my floor stand, a Dazor magnifying light, laying tool and the Bugz Eye.

Tip: when thread ends come to the surface with the thread you are using, take a needle threaded with Kreinik braid and go through that hole from front to back. The Kreinik catches the loose thread and magically pulls it to the back side.

Blonde Pumpkin

2008-10-21T13:57:00.000-04:00

This little blonde pumpkin is a cutie.

Her hat and costume were stitched with Wildflowers and Splendor using the Brick stitch. The stem and vine are a combination of bullion knots and couched cording. For her pigtail, I used Medici—I pulled long threads through to the front and braided them. The bow is a Neon Rays Rhodes variation.

Her treat bag is stitched in Patina, a thread I used to hate—now I just mildly dislike it. I started stitching with it and it bunched up and generally misbehaved. I remembered that I sell a tool in the store for straightening kinky threads. Since I was at home (45 minutes from the store), I used my fingers and pulled the thread really tight and straight with even tension. Voila! The thread straightened out and laid evenly. The pumpkin was just the right size—at the end of the session my fingers really hurt. I might need to add that tool to my kit.

For the fishnet stockings, I first stitched with 2 strands of Splendor and took it out because it was too thick. The end result is one strand of Splendor stitched in Alicia’s lace.

I love the attention to detail in this canvas—the left shoe is the only one with a buckle, the pumpkin has a wonderful grin and is looking up. I find something new to love every time I stitch this piece.

About the canvas. This canvas is painted by Liz Dillon who has a new distributor. The distributor is currently filling Tapestry Tent back orders and will then begin filling new orders. The net—it will take a while to get Liz’ canvases, but they are worth waiting for.

Welcome to my new blog!

2008-09-20T15:50:00.001-04:00

This blog is about my current needlepoint projects. I will be sharing stitching techniques and ideas you can use for your projects.

This is my current canvas called Halloween March.