You are here: Home / Archives for NutsAboutNeedlepoint

My Learning Goals

June 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

When I try many new things in needlepoint I tend to fail, miserably. I’ve tried to learn to paint canvas twice, once from dede Ogden, and failed both times. I made a strong effort to conquer Hilton Stitches, only to discover that they aren’t to my taste.

And the there is the whole charted needlepoint thing — I can’t count and so charted pieces are always new horizons in creative interpretation.

At the moment though I have three creative goals on my mind.

  • I want to get good at creating stitch diagrams. I do well enough with my cobbled together tools but I’d like them to look better.
  • I want to learn to be more creative. I think I can do this, but I need to set aside time for it.
  • I want to explore new ways to get designs on canvas and creating non-stitched backgrounds. I have slews of tools, pens, tutorials, and ideas but I need to hunker down and do it.

I just have to get to work on these things. THere is an idea that you can learn anything in 20 hours. But, as my friend Sherry says, “Who has 20 hours?”

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post My Learning Goals appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

Read the original:
My Learning Goals

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Portable Needlepoint

June 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

School’s out, vacation and pool time is here, but you want to needlepoint. All your projects are big, too big to stash easily in your beach bag, tote, or carry on. What’s a stitcher to do?

There are two keys to portable needlepoint — size and sturdiness.

Pick Sturdy Threads

Let’s talk sturdiness first. You need projects that have single-strand colorfast threads. You don’t want to ply in the wind at the beach or on a crowded plane. You don’t want a drop of water to destroy your piece.

Look to Miniaturize your Tools

Smaller is better when traveling. That means find smaller and slimmer versions of your tools.

Do you like a laying tool? Look for shorter ones. I’ve seen short BLTs, short wooden laying tools, and short metal ones with fat acrylic handles.

Do you normally use 4″ scissors? Look for inexpensive 3″ ones. I use titanium ones with colorful plastic handles. They are perfect for portable needlepoint and I keep one with each current project.

Do you like needleminders? Try the small flat OPI clips or smaller flatter minders. It sounds like a silly thing, but a big magnet takes up real estate you may not be able to spare.

Instead of putting a tin of needles in your case, add a needle or two to your minder, or buy a smaller flat needlecase. There are several companies that make these.

Finally make sure that everything you need will fit into a project bag. These should be waterproof and zip closed. This is not the place for mesh bags if you will be near water.

One last tip, keep your bag closed unless you are actually pulling out a thread. Nothing is worse than the bag tipping out all your thread and tools inside a plane or car. If you can’t recover stuff easily, you are stuck not stitching.

Pick the Right Project

Your project should be one that doesn’t require lots of pages to consider. If you need stitch directions use ones in books you have on your phone or iPod. Or use smaller size guides; there are many of these out now.

If on stretcher bars your project needs to be small enough to fit comfortably into your project bag with the zipper closed. My favorite small bags will fit bars 5″ high and 7″ long. That gives me a maximum canvas size. Since I like ornaments, many of these will fit nicely in this bag. It’s also a good size for my mini quilt portraits.

Painted canvas is nice because the canvas tells you what to do. Bargello is nice because once the first line is stitched the canvas also tells you what to do. Single sheet charts are also good because you can fold them up and have them inside your project bag if the sides are clear.

If you want to be able to finish your project completely during your trip, look to items that have the finishing with them. Stitch & Zip kits are a great option here, as are bookmarks from The Princely Collection. If you do this be sure to include sewing thread and the correct needle.

Plan ahead for Perfect Vacation Stitching

If you follow these guidelines and tips you’ll have projects that will suit your for stitching anywhere.

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post Portable Needlepoint appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

Read more:
Portable Needlepoint

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My Favorite Canvas Mesh

June 12, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

mono needlepoint canvas

16-mesh mono is my favorite canvas

Today’s Craft in June post is supposed to be about our favorite medium. Since that’s needlepoint for me (no duh), I thought I’d talk about canvas.

One big thing that has changed about needlepoint is our perception of what’s “normal” in canvas. Throughout the 70′s and into the 80′s 10 and 12 mesh was thought of as normal. 18 mesh was considered petitepoint. Honest to God, you can look it up.

By the mid 80′s this was changing and 18 mesh became common, then it became the normal canvas mesh.

What does this mean to you as a stitcher. When larger meshes were most popular needlepoint was done mainly with Persian wool. This wool had uneven plies so a single strand would not work on 18 mesh.

Along with the popularity of 18 mesh came an explosion of threads made to work on this mesh.

Today 13 mesh is becoming more popular. I think that’s a combination of many threads working on it with it being easier to see.

I’ll work on pretty much anything up to 20 mesh (I can’t see smaller mesh), but my favorite mesh of canvas is 16 mesh. I like that it’s almost 18 mesh but easier to see. Being between 14 and 18 mesh, just about any thread works on it.

Unhappily, few canvas designers use this mesh. You’ll need to do counted canvas projects or design your own pieces, but try it — you’ll love it.

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post My Favorite Canvas Mesh appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

Link:
My Favorite Canvas Mesh

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Make An Adler-Inspired Sunglass Case

June 12, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Make Your Own Needlepoint Eyeglass Case

Make Your Own Needlepoint Eyeglass Case

Instead of buying one of these cases, why not make your own?

Begin by getting a Stitch & Zip glasses case with a blank front. That way you can finish it yourself quickly.

Next do a Google image search for sunglasses outline. I did that and found lots of cool shapes. Find one you are seeing from the front and save it to your computer.

Before tracing it onto the canvas, you may need to enlarge it. Once it’s the right size, upzip the case and put the outline under the bare canvas. Using a Pigma Micron pen trace the glasses frame onto the canvas. When you do this don’t forget to trace the inside of the frame so you have a place for the lens.

Using Tent Stitch and your choice of threads (the original is in wool) but I’d do a mix of threads myself, stitch the glasses.

Once the glasses are stitched stitch the background. You could do it in a single color, in horizontal rows of Continental in an overdye, or in stripes of two colors.

Once stitched, whipstitch the backing, zip, and you’re ready to go.

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post Make An Adler-Inspired Sunglass Case appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

More here:
Make An Adler-Inspired Sunglass Case

Filed Under: accessories, Design, Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Really Expensive Needlepoint

June 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

I’m not a one for spending huge amounts on my stitching. Partly it’s that I like small projects. But partly it’s that I’m inherently cheap.

But I did splurge, and hugely, once. It started because my bedroom had high ceilings and nothing hanging on the wall. I’m of the opinion that you can’t have enough art.

I was at Needlepoint Inc and saw a stunning canvas of pomegranates in a wide border by Mika Partridge (many of her canvases are distributed by Julia’s Needleworks these days). I was over $300 in the early 90′s. I got a picture of it and showed it to my husband.

I told him the price and said the threads would cost almost as much.

I love what he said. He told me that we would pay that much for a painting and that this was art, not just needlepoint. So it was worth it.

I bought it, he picked it up and I stitched it.

In our current house it sits in the living room and I can see it from my desk. And yes it is art and art is worth it.

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post The Really Expensive Needlepoint appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

See the article here:
The Really Expensive Needlepoint

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Let’s Talk Needlepoint Belts

June 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

needlepoint_belts_5brassbuckle_calftabs_tmb

You might think that needlepoint belts are the ultimate preppy accessory, but they can be so much more. Before we get into looking at how to make a needlepoint belt, let’s think about ways you can use them:

  • turn them into a purse, camera or guitar strap
  • cut them up and use them to make a purse or sandals
  • let them decorate the top of a purse
  • finish them to be trim on a basket
  • make them the edge of a tray

There’s lots of things you can do with these long skinny canvases.

Needlepoint belts are usually about 1.25 inches wide or 21 threads on 18-mesh canvas. That’s the finished length. When stitching you need to add a row of binding stitch, or overlapping cross, on each side. Don’t be tempted to just make Tent Stitch. The overlapping layers of biding stitch help because the edges get the most wear. Here’s a video on how to do this stitch.

You may be wondering something about how long to make your belt. M’s Canvas House has an excellent page of information on this.

Now you’re probably wondering about threads and stitches. Most belts use Tent Stitch because it wears so well. If your belt will be worn avoid stitches that cover more than three threads intersections or that are layered; these will wear poorly or snag. If your belt will be used less heavily, as basket trim for example, you can use any stitch.

Belts that will be worn need threads that stand up to wear. The best choices for this are wool and pearl cotton. Avoid stranded threads because they can snag. Blends can wear unevenly and avoid any thread that pills for you. These threads will junk up the belt quickly.

When I’ve stitched belts I have found the narrow canvas hard to hold. Because the canvas is so long, only scroll frames will work. I have learned from experience to be careful. Do not stitch near the rolled ends, You can easily stitch several layers together.

You know you want to stitch a belt, but you want it to be more personal than the canvases out there. It’s time to consider making a custom belt. If you want a belt in a tartan or plaid you can use my tartan charting service and I’ll create a plaid that will look perfect on this narrow size. You can also create a belt by using initials or motifs or both placed at regular intervals around the belt.

Just be sure the motifs are no more than 19 stitches high and that you stitch them so the margins are even on both sides. There are many alphabets charted for free on the Internet, check out my Pinterest board for many. Needlepaint has created a free directory of many motifs.

If you are looking for specific designs, poke around the Internet, recently I’ve been finding more and more small charted designs for everything from Yoda to sushi.

What belt tips, charts & stories can you share with us?

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post Let’s Talk Needlepoint Belts appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

See the article here:
Let’s Talk Needlepoint Belts

Filed Under: accessories, Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Customer Service Costs Nothing

June 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Grey Threads for embroidery

Todays request is to have a rant. I’m bothered by what is happening to needlepoint because of a lack of openness and customer service in so many of our shops.

From anecdotal evidence I’ve seen:

Shops charging to tape the edges of canvases for a customer, which gives them FREE ADVERTISING just because only the threads were bought there. I have a newsflash for you threads don’t have your shop’s name on them, the tape does. Get over that it wasn’t bought there, Take the advertising.

Shops not ordering a thread wanted by an existing customer even though the customer has contacted the manufacturer to be sure the thread is there and checking that there is no minimum. And the customer said she’d be willing to pay for the shipping. Talk about low-hanging fruit. This is a sale on a silver platter. If you are a shop don’t EVER pass up sales like this. In fact, do them first. In hard economic times every sale is important — why pass up an easy one? That customer might be lost forever.

Shops not answering emails when people want to buy things. A well-known shop has ignored two emails from me about getting a canvas the designer is holding for me in addition to some other items. Another easy sale. Even a “thanks for asking” we’re checking on it at least let’s me know they saw it.

Shops scaring off people who want to learn needlepoint by making things complicated, insisting on expensive threads or making someone feel second class because they don’t do Basketweave, or are afraid of silk, or like plastic canvas. Can you really afford to turn off that stitcher? Shouldn’t you meet them where they are and move them forward?

Shops that charge an arm & a leg for stitch guides or classes. I know of one shop that prices guides by a percentage of the canvas price. But what if it’s a rug? Rugs are very expensive because of the size. But the stitch choices are narrower because it’s a rug. The shop wanted over $1000 for the guide! Should your pricing structure as a shop be so narrow? Is your business so robust that you could turn down the rug canvas and thread sale because your stitch guide was expensive?

What we do, design, or sell is NOT ESSENTIAL. It is something every one of our customers chooses to buy with the money leftover from essentials.

In addition our customer base is aging. We need new stitchers. The young woman doing plastic canvas because it’s fast, cheap, and she saw the project on a hip craft blog may turn into a life long customer.

Can you afford to turn down the sale? Can you afford to alienate the customer? Can you afford to be a snob?

I thought not.

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post Good Customer Service Costs Nothing appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

Continued here:
Good Customer Service Costs Nothing

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 2013 New Needlepoint Products

June 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

folk art chicken needlepoint from quail run

With a big TNNA Market later this month, many companies are releasing new products that are perfect for needlepointers.

Canvases & Charts

Quail Run has delightful primative red chicken, pictured here, that comes with a stitch guide featuring great stitches and lots of texture. In addition they have a 12″ square magnolia pillow on 13 mesh.

Machelle Somerville’s canvases, distributed by Fleur de Paris, are very popular. Her new design is a whimsical, colorful tree that has a mid-centiry modern color scheme. Also distributed by Fleur is Sandra Gilmore’s magnificent London window canvas. One of my favorite things about it is the needlepoint pillow covered sofa.

I love JulieMar’s five canvas Geometric Letter Box. Available in 13 or 18 mesh, the group can be used together to create a box or used separately. They come with stitch guides. JulieMar also has a delightful series of puppies in bags that can be finished as stand-ups.

Leigh Designs has added a new Femme Fatale, Lil, to the line. Jean Smith also had new canvases including a series of tropical gardens with a more abstract style. She has not neglected more traditional canvases as well, I especially like the cosmos beatuties with several flowers in different colors.

Silver Needle has added three new canvases adapted from the designs of Hadley Pottery. The snowman, Santa, and Christmas tree are in the traditional Hadley color palette. Susan Roberts has a set for a child’s director’s chair of planes, trains, boats, and cars.

Kelly Clark has introduced several new Halloweenies characters. She also has nine new Christmas pears. Squigee Designs has a new series of adorable Kewpie Dolls. Needledeeva has a series of 56 new Halloween canvases. Among them are Halloween Hi Fashion Shoes. These high heels feature seasonal motifs and colors.

j. child has a charming 6×17 canvas of goldfish in a fish tank. They also have a lovely dogwood branch full of blossoms. It’s is available in several sizes: 12″ pillow, brick cover, eyeglass case, 4″ insert, bookmark, and 5×7 pillow.

In addition to her lovely birdhouse series, Melissa Prince Designs has a series of six carousel horses, many designed to honor holidays. Dream House Ventures has created several canvases based on motifs from Turkish and Bedouin carpets.

Elizabeth Turner has a great ornament for lovers of horses or horse racing. It’s a horse’s head framed by a horseshoe. The company also has a pirate-themed tooth fairy pillow — with the treasure chest as the pocket! There is also a first Christmas ornament that looks as if it’s from a vintage kid’s book.

Brenda Kocher has a new charted design in a muted patriotic palette called Majors & Masters. Handbleesings gas a great chart plus charm called Cubistic Color Wheel. DebBee’s Designs’ new project is Garden of Silken Delights, featuring Treenway Silks.

Other Products

Puffin & Company is launching three new styles. There’s a dragonfly sitter and a sunflower needle minder. Also new is Sarah’s Choice quilt block as a needle nanny. They were introduced at the Quilt Market last month, so look for them in your local shops.

Hug Me Products has added a small snap try to their line. It’s available in every fabric. They also have a new bag shape, the CarryAll, available in three sizes. They also have a new zipped rectangular tool case.

Painter’s Thread has introduced a new thread. Rayon Gimp is a cotton cord wrapped with rayon. It’s a soft but flexible cord and is available in all colors. Gentle Art has three new floss colors: Country Redwood, Silver Fern, and Mediterranean Sea.

Nordic Needle has a charming jeweled flower needle minder that comes in three colors. Michelle Ink Designs has a new line of needleminders create from precious metal clay.

Sulky has some intriguing new products. They are making a spray-on temporary adhesive that you can use to stick drawings onto canvas to make tracing easier. Fabri-Solvy is a water-soluable sheet you run through on your printer. It’s sticky so it attaches to you canvas and then dissolves when wet. THey als haver new iron-on transfer pens. Watch for upcoming reviews of these products.

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post June 2013 New Needlepoint Products appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

Read this article:
June 2013 New Needlepoint Products

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint, tools Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My Favorite Crafters – My Needlepoint Guild Chapter

June 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

For so many of use we tend to stitch alone. Even if we stitch while we are with our families, we’re usually the only ones doing handwork.

That’s why having a guild chapter or stitching group is so wonderful. Everyone there shares the same love — a love of stitching. We all understand the successes, joys, and difficulties. We all help each other. Best of all, we support each other.

I’ve been a member of the WineCountry Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild for more than 15 years. Many of our members have been there much longer. Once a month we meet on a Saturday for our meetings. We may have a project, we may have a talk, we may even have a stitch-in. But whenever we meet two essential things happen. First we have Ta-Da!. It’s a time where people bring in their stitched projects, We put them on a table for everyone to see. Each is held up and the stitcher describes the project. I love this because I get so inspired by my friends’ lovely work.

The other thing we do is work on projects during the business part of the meeting. Everyone walks around and sees what others are doing and comments.

That sense of community is fantastic, but there is more. We all share or problems and ideas with each other. And we share ideas and solutions. Maybe someone has a suggestion for making this thread easier to use, or has learned a great technique in a class, or has stitched that canvas.

We share and we learn together. And that’s why they are my favorite crafters.

BTW — If you live in the North Bay, East Bay, Wine Country, Solano County, or Sacramento, let me know –we’d love to have you join us!

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post My Favorite Crafters – My Needlepoint Guild Chapter appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

View post:
My Favorite Crafters – My Needlepoint Guild Chapter

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Amybear Needlepoint to Close at End of 2013

June 9, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Spectrum is one of the great designs fro Amybear

Spectrum is one of the great designs fro Amybear

Many stitchers love the creative charted needlepoint designs of Amy Wolfson.

At the end of 2013 she will be closing her needlepoint design business to focus on other things.

Many of her designs, such as Romance and Rhapsody have been popular among needlepointers. She also has great projects to make 3-D needlepoint animals and to design your own original pieces.

You can order her projects through her website.

In the past I’ve written several posts on Amy & her products. These include:

Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: 5
License Summary:

The post Amybear Needlepoint to Close at End of 2013 appeared first on Nuts about Needlepoint.

Go here to read the rest:
Amybear Needlepoint to Close at End of 2013

Filed Under: Nuts About Needlepoint Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»