"Noel" part 2

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.