NutsAboutNeedlepoint

Today we finish up this stitch sampler. Part 1 was on TUesday, Part 2 was yesterday. Today we’ll stitch the last four blocks.

Block 5: Byzantine-Cashmere

byzantine cashmere needlepoint stitch, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This patch uses red Petite Very Velvet (Very Velvet) and Flair. Use single strands of all threads throughout.

This block is similar to Block 3 because the Byzantine rows are separated in order to fill in the open spaces with another stitch, Cashmere. In order to accommodate the rectangular shape of the filling there are different numbers of stitches in the vertical and horizontal legs of Byzantine. The vertical rows have five stitches, while the horizontal rows have four stitches. This is similar to Block 7, Uneven Step Byzantine.

Block 6: Tent Corner Byzantine

byzantine needlepoint stitch with tent corners, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This patch uses Cinnabar Watercolours and metallic ribbon. Use one (two) strands of Watercolours throughout. The structure of this stitch has “corners of Tent Stitch” alternating with small areas, “corners” again, of Byzantine Stitch over three threads. It can be confusing at first because there are no continuous straight lines in the stitch.

Although this stitch’s relationship to Byzantine and Jacquard is not obvious, this is a Byzantine Stitch where in each row every few stitches become offset. In addition, the Tent Stitches fill in spaces created by the offset. This stitch variation was created by Jane Zimmerman.

Tent Corner Byzantine is stitched most easily with two needles. Begin by making the Tent Stitches, heavy lines, in metallic ribbon. Start somewhere along the left edge of the area. Follow these by making the five long stitches right below in Watercolours. Looking at the graph, stitch the next corner of Tent Stitches, followed by the long stitches.

Continue in this way until the first row is completed. Once the first row is done, the other rows fit into it.

Block 7: Uneven Step Byzantine

uneven step byzantine needlepoint stitch, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet. mp. perry

This patch uses Rainbow Tweed. Rainbow Tweed is a four-ply thread which is a blend of several fibers. It comes in both solid and variegated colors, and all the colors have a tweeded look, which is fantastic for adding texture. Use two ply on 18 mesh and three ply on 14 mesh.

The diagram is shown in two colors, making the rows easier to see, although the block is stitched in a single color.

While most variations on Byzantine have the same number of stitches in both steps, this version has four stitches in each vertical step and six stitches in each horizontal step. If you are creating your own version of Uneven Step Byzantine, the difference between the two steps should be at least two stitches, unless the zigzag rows are done to accommodate a rectangular filling as in Block 5..

When doing Uneven Step Byzantine, count each step carefully in the first row. Once the first row is established, follow it for the subsequent rows. The first row can be started anywhere along the left edge of the block.

Block 8: Irregular Byzantine

uneven step byzantine needlepoint stitch, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet mp. perry

This patch uses Expressions and metallic ribbon. The lines of Byzantine go over 1, 2, 3 and 4 threads. All but the widest row are stitched using Expressions. The widest row is stitched using the metallic ribbon. Using the metallic ribbon will make this row look as if it is a solid piece of lame fabric and really shows off the shimmer of the thread. You can use the metallic for any row of this pattern, as long as it is used consistently. There are six stitches in each step.

When using metallic threads and longer stitches, you can create two distinct looks. Braids are round threads and will create a line of stitches where each stitch is distinct. Ribbon will lay flat against the canvas and will create a line where the stitches blend into each other, creating a look which is similar to a solid piece of metal. Because most colors of metallic braid are also available in ribbon, the two threads can be combined in the same piece to get different textures with the same color.

Use single strands of both the metallic ribbon and the Expressions in this block. Begin stitching this block in the upper left corner with the row over a single thread.

The project, along with next’s week’s stocking, is also available as a printed Project pack ($15.00 including US shipping) or as a PDF ($10.00). Contact me to order.

The rest is here:
Byzantine Options – Part 3 – Free Project

Byzantine Options – Part 2 – Free Project

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Yesterday we got the material list, traced the outline and stitched it. Today we will stitch the blocks numbered 1-4 on the outline.

Block 1: Jacquard

jacquard stitch for needlepoint, diagrammed bu needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This patch uses the green Petite Very Velvet (Very Velvet) and the metallic ribbon. This stitch is closely related to Byzantine, but differs from it by having rows of uneven widths. Rows of Byzantine stitches are separated from each other by a single row going over 1 thread, i .e. Tent Stitches. In this block, the Byzantine rows are stitched in the velvet thread, while the rows of Tent Stitch are stitched in the metallic ribbon.

Even when stitched in a single thread, the Tent Stitch rows break up the pattern and make for a more complex pattern. Accenting the Tent Stitch row, adds more complexity. Other ideas you might try include making this row a solid color against an overdyed Byzantine row, Alternating the Byzantine rows in several different threads of the same color, or creating a damask look by reversing the Tent Stitch row and stitching the entire pattern in perle cotton.

Block 2: Two-Color Byzantine

byzantine, stitch, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This patch uses Pebbly Perle and Expressions. Narrow rows of Byzantine pack lots of movement into an area, while using two different threads adds texture. However, when the threads are the same color and similar in texture, as is the case here, the effect is subdued and very interesting. A single strand of Expressions is used here, and 3 (4) strands of Pebbly Perle. On 18 mesh canvas, thinning the Pebbly Perle a bit makes it easier to use for stitching.

Begin stitching this block anywhere along the upper left edge. Stitch a single row in either thread. Once the first row is stitched, stitch the second row in the other thread. Alternate threads as you stitch the rows. This can be done more easily if you use two needles, one for each thread. Between rows, park the thread in the margin of the canvas out of the way.

Block 3: Byzantine-Eyelet

byzantine stitch for needlepoint with eyelets, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This patch uses Waterlilies and Nordic Gold. A delightful aspect of Byzantine is that it can be placed so that open areas are formed between the rows. These can be square (as in this block) or rectangular (as in Block 5). Any stitch which is this shape can be used to fill the open spaces. In this block, they are filled with Square Eyelets stitched using Nordic Gold. Use a single strand of Nordic Gold for the eyelets on both sizes of canvas. If you are finding that the center hole of the eyelet is getting crowded, enlarge the center hole with your needle before beginning each eyelet.

Block 4: Short Step Byzantine (Byzantine #2)

byzantine 2 stitch fror needlepoint, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This patch uses Black Watch Watercolours. Use 1 strand (2 strands). This stitch is diagrammed in two colors in order to make the rows easier to see, although it is stitched in a single color. This version of Byzantine gets its unique look from the wide stitches (over 3 threads) and the extremely short rows (2 stitches).

Begin stitching this block anywhere along the left edge of the stocking, completing one row at a time.

Link:
Byzantine Options – Part 2 – Free Project

Byzantine Options Part 1 – Free Project

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

byzantine options needlepoint stitch sampler sock, designed and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Today through Thursday and next week I’ll be sharing with you two free projects, all available on Nuts. Both are for medium size stockings. While not great if you stuff stockings with presents, these smaller stockings are perfect for Grandma’s house or to be decorations at the holidays. This one uses a traditional holiday color scheme of red, green, and gold; but there is no reason why you couldn’t do it in any color you like, basing it on an overdyed thread.

This design provides you with a world of options while showcasing 11 threads and eight variations of the Byzantine and Jacquard Stitches. A variety of textures as well as several types of multi-colored threads are showcased here.

Several choices are open to you when you stitch this project, which features eight different variations of the Byzantine and Jacquard stitches. A variety of threads can be used, and the stocking can be stitched on 18 or 14 mesh canvas. Throughout the text changes to accommodate 14 mesh canvas are shown in parentheses (). Generally these have to do with thread sizes or number of strands.

Today we’ll cover the materials, tracing the design and outlining. Tomorrow we’ll cover the first four stitches, Thursday we’ll finish up.

Material List

16” x 12” 18 mesh mono needlepoint canvas from Zweigart
Watercolours from The Caron Collection, 1 skein each, in the following colors:
140 Black Watch
164 Cinnabar
1 skein Waterlilies from The Caron Collection, 025 Holiday
1 card Rainbow Tweed from Rainbow Gallery, RT66 Leaf Green (2 cards)
1 skein Expressions from Threadworx, 217 Lipstick
2 spools 1/16” metallic ribbon from Kreinik, 002HL (1/8” ribbon)
1 skein each Petite Very Velvet from Rainbow Galleries
V223 Dark Green
V232 Brite Red (Very Velvet)
1 card Pebbly Perle from Rainbow Galleries, P58 Red
1 card Flair from Rainbow Galleries, F529, Deep Red
2 cards Nordic Gold from Rainbow Galleries, ND1 Pale Gold

Begin by enlarging the stocking outline below, to about 12″ high. If you are doing this on your home copier, you may have to enlarge the pattern in two pieces. If so, tape the pieces together where there is overlap.

Using a permanent non-xylene marker (I like Pigma microns) or a hard lead (4H) drawing pencil, trace the pattern onto the canvas. Be sure to include all interior lines. Although the patches are numbered on the pattern, do not transfer this information to the canvas, it is for reference in the text only.

Begin by stitching all the borders between the patches using the metallic ribbon. This defines each patch. If you like after all stitching is completed, you can further embellish these “seams.”

See the article here:
Byzantine Options Part 1 – Free Project

Learning New Stitches — Getting Out of my Rut

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Sometimes I feel like Daffu Duck in Duck Amuck (a family favorite). You know the part where his head is a daisy and he complains about how he is so put upon.

I stitch and stitch but I find myself going back to the same old favorite stitches. Yes, the needlepoint looks good, but have I been stretching myself enough, when it comes to trying new stitches?

I rely far too much on the same old stitches, especially for backgrounds. I’ve been feeling as if this were the case but it really hit home when I was picking a stitch for the mitten cuff, pictured here. I was thinking about using Diagonal Trellis, a fine stitch but one I use often.

But it isn’t new, so I challenged myself, and I’m going to do this whenever possible, to find a stitch I hadn’t done before. I have dozens of stitch books and plenty of thread, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one.

And I did, this stitch, Scotch Steps, is a Scotch Stitch variation and I found it in the Golden Gate Canvas Workers Background Book.

I’ll keep myself honest by sharing with you, from time to time, the results.

Continue reading here:
Learning New Stitches — Getting Out of my Rut

Stitching Order & Focal Points in Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Design,Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2003-05-28 06:32:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

With the many different threads and stitches available to us as needlepointers, it’s easy to agree with the saying “This is not your Grandmother’s needlepoint!” We’ve come a long way from the days where endless streams of continental were done by dignified ladies. This is a very good thing.

Having so many threads to choose from, and so many stitches at our disposal makes making lovely needle art easy — or is it?

It’s all too easy for a canvas to get overwhelmed by too many textures, colors, threads and stitches, so that the piece loses it’s focus and looks like a mishmash instead of something worth the work you put into it.

There are some great guidelines for making your needlepoint piece work and these will help you pick stitches and threads and will make your finished work worth the effort.

When you get a new canvas and are thinking about how to stitch it, decide which things in the piece will be your focal points. There should be one major focal point and there may be a very few additional focal points. The focal point is the most important area of the design and all the stitching everywhere in the piece needs to support it.

Next chose the threads (and maybe the stitches) for your focal point. These should be threads and stitches which make the focal point come towards the viewer. So for example, if your background is going to be wool, make the focal point silk or pearl. Use a more textured stitch, or a lighter color.

You can pick and chose stitches for your design as you go, adding some texture here, picking a different thread there.

But keep in mind while you work what I call “Mary Shipp’s Rule.” Mary is an amazing stitcher and teacher and one of my mentors. She says that there are three aspects of needlepoint — thread, color and stitches. The line between lovely needleart and confusion is in how many of each of these you use.

In good needleart, one of these should be dominant, another should be “just an accent” and the third should be somewhere in the middle. In fact she uses the proportions 1-3-5 to demonstrate this.

For example, if you are doing a piece in all wool, you could have lots of colors (say a bouquet of flowers) and relatively few stitches (maybe one stitch for the leaves and another for flower center). But you could also have lots of stitches (maybe all the different furs of animals in a Noah’s Ark piece). And in that case your colors would mostly be browns and tans.

But what if you made every flower a different stitch or every animal a fanciful color? You can probably imagine how confused this would look.

When you are planning to stitch a canvas, start with the focal point and then move on as you stitch (which is what I do) or as you plan, keeping in mind Mary’s rule.

And if you start to feel as if you have gone too far — evaluate the piece according to the rule, and make adjustments. Don’t be afraid to rip things out if the piece isn’t working. a piece which you will finish is much better than one which will languish in your stash.

Create your own Stitch Guide Starts June 1

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Classes,Nuts About Needlepoint

Once a year I offer this special class that will show you what others don’t, namely what you need to know to create your own stitch guide. With the techniques you’ll learn in this class, picking the right stitches and threads for your canvases won’t be magic anymore. You’ll know how to do it yourself.

While already-created stitch guides exist for many canvases, they may not be around for the one you want to stitch. You probably think the alternative is to commission a stitch guide, possibly with a cost running into hundreds of dollars. And if you already own the canvas and maybe even the threads even your options for this are limited.

You could summon your bravery and plunge into creating your own guide. But there doesn’t seem to be anyplace to find out how the professionals do it, so you end up frustrated or find yourself putting that canvas back into your stash.

But help is on the way!

It’s time for my very popular Create your own Stitch Guide cyberclass. While each person stitches a canvas differently, there are guidelines, techniques, and tips that will help anyone, at any stitching level, create a lovely finished canvas.

I’ve worked and thought and stitched over decades and developed principles that I want to share with you in this cyberclass.

Participants in the class will not only get the five-lesson cyberclass but a selected group of people will get to have a canvas they submit analyzed for stitch guide possibilities. Another group of students will be able to have one stitched or partially stitched “failure” analyzed for how it could be improved.

There will be plenty of interaction with on-line discussions, weekly chat rooms, surveys, and more. New this year will be a section on stitch guides for the smaller canvas, including some delightful canvases stitched by friends.

In the cyberclass I’ll show you, with stitched and unstitched examples, the things no one tells you about. You’ll learn:

the different ways designs get on canvas and what they mean for stitching
how to pick threads for different areas for realism, fun stitching, and special effects
the different types of stitches and how to pick them so they fit on canvas
why every canvas needs to have some Tent Stitch on it
how to create a balanced canvas

Not only will you learn the things you’ve always wanted to know but that no one would tell you, but you’ll see the guidelines in action, with my successful canvases, my failures, and even my unstitched canvases. As a bonus you’ll see how, with one canvas, my initial plan got changed as I translated it to stitching.

Needlepoint is so wonderful and creative but for too long have people treated the creation of a stitch guide as a secret.

It’s not, you can learn to do it yourself, and I want to teach you how.

Become part of this exciting cyberclass, beginning June 1, 2012 and continuing for five weeks. There will also be a private Yahoo group created as part of the class where we can continue the discussion and share our problems and results.

The cost for the class is only $35, significantly less than your average stitch guide. You can sign up today using the PayPal button below.

Class lessons will be sent via email and discussion and bonus material will be in a private Yahoo group. If you would like to take the class but would prefer to pay by check, please contact me.

This class is only held once a year, and will not be repeated until 2013. The value of this class is enormous to stitchers at every level. With it you will be able to tackle hand-painted canvases with ease and without buying pricey stitch guides.

You can enroll today by clicking on the button above.

Follow this link:
Create your own Stitch Guide Starts June 1

The Needlepoint Art on your Walls

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2007-03-29 22:21:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A little while ago I got an email update from the marketing and forecasting company, Unity Marketing about what people put on their walls.

I stuck many chords with me, as I’m sure it will with you.

“If you want to know about the tastes and interests of the American consumer, you need only look at his or her walls” is the beginning of the article. Your choice of art, including needlepoint, reflects your tastes, you home’s decor, and you passion for needlepoint. Most of the art in my bedroom is needlepoint, and all of it is by one artist. Most of the pieces are small but the one over the bed is quite large.

When we bought the canvas (15 years ago) it was over $300 and the threads doubled that. But, as my husband said at the time “It’s art and you wouldn’t complain about spending that for a painting.”

He’s right. In stitching a piece of needlepoint, even if it is all Tent Stitch, you choose threads. color, and. often, stitches, bringing your vision for the piece and fusing it with that of the designer. If someone writes a stitch guide, the finished piece is a fusion of all three visions.

The article also talks about how it is becoming more important for people to be involved or to create, to some extent, the art on their walls.

As needlepointers, we’ve been way ahead of this trend. Our work is art, it does hang on our walls, and it does reflect our own personalities, or, if it’s a gift, the personalities of the recipient.

So now, the world is giving you permission to stitch, you are participating in adorning your walls with personalized art.

Stitching Mouldings

More:
The Needlepoint Art on your Walls

Art Deco Free Design from Ziva Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

ziva needlepoint free pattern for box using milanese stitch

Stitch this lovely free pattern by Ziva Needlepoint

Isn’t the top of this Sudberry Box just wonderful?

It’s the latest free design from Ziva Needlepoint and it’s called Milanese Moderne.

I love how the neutral colors and geometric shape of the Milanese Stitch combine to make something that evokes Art Moderne (another name for Art Deco) so perfectly.

It’s easy to stitch in Diagonal Milanese. You finish it quickly in a Sudberry box.

The pattern is free to subscribers to Ziva’s newsletter. Go to the linked page to get started today.

See the original post here:
Art Deco Free Design from Ziva Needlepoint

Random Stripe Generator

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2008-05-26 08:15:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

I have been exploring the world of mathematical fiber art through the site The Home of Mathematical Knitting. I’ve thought about doing a math-based needlepoint since college at least when I became fascinated with the sieve in the my math tutorial.

One of the links on the site is to The Random Stripe Generator. Intended for knitters, this little tool lets you specify the colors you want and the width of stripes you want. It returns for you a stripe pattern using the colors and widths you chose. If you don’t like those stripes, hit refresh and you’ll get another one.

The stripe is shown in color and then a pattern is listed showing the color and then how many rows. Your pattern can have up to 100 lines.

Think of how cool this could be to generate backgrounds for your needlepoint, or to stitch in both as horizontal and vertical stripes to make a plaid. Or maybe put a different stitch in every width of stripe for a cool sampler. Or use it to plan random stripes of a piece of clothing in your latest project. Or stripe an animal in bright colors for a child’s room. I could go on and on.

I could go totally nuts with this.

I’m getting ready to start a new project this weekend, so I chose the background colors for it and made a stripe. The foreground of the project is rather on the busy side, so I’m going to pick fewer colors and wider stripes and see what it comes up with.

Just to show you what one looks like, here’s one I did thinking of it as a background for a bunch of shells or for a sea background.

I’ll try to share the results later in the week.

Have a fun Memorial Day!

Excerpt from:
Random Stripe Generator

Victorian Motto Shoppe Hand-dyed Floss – Thread Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

lee needle art needlepoint fan ornament stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry in hand-dyed threads

This eBay seller mostly specializes in charts and frames with an old-fashioned flair, including perforated paper kits, motto charts and Quaker designs. In addition they sell hand-dyed floss and trims.

Recently I bought one of their floss sets, Peony, and used it to stitch this vintage Lee mini-fan.

They are available as sets, usually of four related colors, in 20 yard skeins. They use DMC floss as the base. The color sets are derived from the colors dyed for the company’s kits.

Because the colors are generally limited editions, there is no guarantee you’ll be able to find them again. Sometimes colors are identified on the tags, sometimes not. Although the colors are usually sold in sets, you may also find single skeins from time to time.

In addition to the floss, often there are hand-dyed trims, seam ribbons, and perle cottons.

The green and light pink (white) in the background are this floss, as are the two duller fuchsias of the flowers. The floss was easy to use. AS you can see from the fan pictured here, the colors are subtly varied, which gives a nice effect.

I was able to use them in several different ways in the fan including T Stitch, Four-way Continental, and two different directions of Continental.

The floss is lovely, but I would only use it as an accent thread. Being limited editions and not having color names or numbers, it might be difficult or impossible to find the same or even similar thread if needed.

Great colors, nice thread, but of limited use to needlepointers.

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Victorian Motto Shoppe Hand-dyed Floss – Thread Review

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