Most of the time we stitch by ourselves or in small groups. But nothing is as much fun as attending a seminar or stitching retreat with lots of other stitchers. Not only do you have the fun of learning and stitching, you get inspired by the exhibits and can stock up on wonderful books and stitchy things at the shops.
There are four big events I want to tell you about.
First is the National Academy of Needlearts Assembly, held each Spring in Kansas City. It happened this year March 3-9, but you can read about what was offered and make plans to attend. NAN certifies teachers and so one of the highlights of the assembly is the chance to see outstanding needlework of all kinds.
EGA’s National Seminar is in early September and will be held in San Francisco (my home town) this year. EGA covers more than needlepoint and among the classes I saw stumpwork classes by Jan Nichols and crewel by Phillipa Turnbull.
ANG’s Seminar is in early October this year, in Columbus, Ohio. I always enjoy going to Seminar, not the least because I can marvel at amazing needlepoint in the Exhibit and at the Auction. Both ANG and EGA move the locations of their seminars each year, so that they are convenient for stitchers all over the country.
Then, next January is Callaway Garden’s Stitcher’s Retreat. It’s from the 9-19 at Callway in Georgia. It’s one of the most prestigious needlework events and many great teachers attend. The schedule for the 2011 retreat is now available.
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Learning Needlepoint at a Seminar or Retreat
Mayonnaise is one part of a fast way to soften & smooth hands
It’s there to remind you that soft and smooth hands are essential to good needlework.
If your hands aren’t smooth many threads will catch and some, such a Trebizond or Silk Serica, can become so snagged they are unusable.
Carrying around a small tube of lotion in your project bag is a great way to go, but what if you don’t have some? The solution is as close as your nearest deli or your kitchen. To smooth your hands you need a package of mayo and a packet of sugar. Begin by putting the mayo on your hands and smoothing it around. Sprinkle the sugar in your palms and rub it into the mayo and rub them all over your hands, including around the cuticles where there is usually rough skin.
Now wash your hands with soap and water. The mayonnaise softens the hands, while the granular sugar exfoliates and gets rid of the rough stuff. It’s an outstanding method and really works.
But you may also want to go the tried and true route of using lotion. If you do, be careful. Many lotions leave a residue on your hands that can be transferred to the threads, helping them attract dirt. Just thread has an excellent post on lotions good for stitchers with links to places to buy them.
I’d also shy away from scented creams as well. Often scent can linger on threads and even scent other threads kept with them. I know this from experience I used to shop, from time to time, at an LNS that burned scented candles in the store. Years later the threads still smell if they have been kept in drawers.
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Keeping Hands Soft and Smooth while Stitching
Originally posted 2006-06-19 22:35:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
I wanted to tell you about my most recent stitch guide, a charming needlecase from Whimsy & grace. I’m partway through stitching it and I’m having so much fun.
Whimsy & grace has a whole series of stitcher’s accessories – scissors cases and needlecases. Many of the scissors cases also come in 13 mesh. The accessories are characterized by lots of different patches and each stitch guide has lots of different effects, stitches and threads, so not only are they fun to stitch, they have ideas you can use on other canvases.
I’m so excited about the line, I worked on this yesterday instead of my usual Sunday stitching.
The whole line of scissors cases is on the Whimsy & grace site, http://www.whimsyandgrace.com. The needlecases are similar but rectangular.
Now excuse me, I’m going back to stitching!
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Needlecases
Originally posted 2008-09-13 06:46:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The success of the recent Stitch in Public Day has gotten me thinking about ways to promote needlework.
Here are some ideas, which are easy to do:
- Make sure your guild’s meeting are listed on the events page in your local papers and at your meeting location
- Make an 8.5″x11″ poster, so anyone can print it, and hang it on any community event board you know of, such as in the library
- Does a library, civic building, or school have free exhibit space for non-profits, have your chapter put one together.
- Stitch in Public yourself. I have a friend who does her needlepoint on the ferry on her way to work. She has gotten several other commuters interested in needlepoint.
- Make a bookmark about your meetings and put it in local crafts and needlework shops. Maybe expand this and go to knitting shops, bead stores and other crafts stores.
- Where do your local moms hang out while they wait for their kids, offer a free needlepoint lesson to them in conjunction with the tutoring center or program
- Lead a stitching lesson for a local Girl Scout troop or 4-H club.
- Get involved with demonstrating at your local county or town fair
- Wear and use your needlepoint items daily.
If you’ve have some good ideas, add them to the comments.
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learn lots of textured stitches for needlepoint in this cyberclass
Learning new stitches and making something lovely is a double win for needlepointers. When the canvas is as delightful as this little kimono from
Patt & Lee Designs, that’s even better.
Patt and I are collaborating on a series of three classes for the three kimonos in this series. Each class will focus on a particular technique and will be suitable for both beginning and experienced stitchers. The textured stitch kimono is the first in the series and will begin, via email, April 1, 2010.
The class uses Patt’s canvas, Kreinik metallics and floss. Other thread options will be provided on request. Fourteen different stitches will be taught. Valuable extras in the class include information on stitch selection, stitch variations, and stitch dictionaries.
The cost for this special three-lesson class is $27.50, including the canvas and mailing in the US. It included membership in the Yahoo group set up for the class as well as a written evaluation of your stitching (details on that will be sent upon enrollment).
The size of the class is limited. You can sign up by clicking the PayPal button below. If you would like to take the class, but don’t use PayPal, please contact me. Once payment is received you will get an email with the materials list and will be sent the canvas.
If you are outside the US, please note that in the payment, so we can make arrangements about the additional postage.
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Go here to see the original:
Textured Stitch Cyberclass
Originally posted 2003-10-08 07:14:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
TYPES OF COLOR SCHEMES
Color schemes are so fascinating to me. You can spend a lifetime jiggling with them and still be surprised. Medium and technique change how colors work together and getting comfortable with the different types of color schemes can make your needlepoint sing.
I tend to classify color schemes into four broad groups, all of which have several sub-types.
Monochromatic color schemes are made up of shades of a single color. many traditional Bargello patterns use this scheme. A monochromatic with neutral scheme has shades of one color with the addition of white, black or gray. A traditional toile is am example of this. Neutral color schemes are made up of beiges, browns, whites, black and grays. In many cases a monochromatic color scheme greatly benefits from changes in texture since the color is so controlled.
Complementary color schemes take advantage of the natural complements of each color. Complementary colors are usually found across from each other on the color wheel and include pairs like red-green, yellow-violet, and blue-orange. A complementary scheme can take advantage of different values in the color, such as a paring of pink with dark green (a personal favorite). If the two shades next to one of the complements are used, this is a split complementary scheme. This red would be paired with yellow-green and blue-green. If both parts of the complement are used, making a set of four, this is a double split complement, a scheme which can be a bit hard to handle. A powerful and popular version of complementary schemes are near complements, such a red with blue. Taken just by themselves these colors often vibrate against each other. Tempered with white of black, either make tints or adding white to the scheme, you get classic combinations like red, white and blue or baby blue and pink.
Analogous color schemes use three or more colors next to each other on the color wheel. These schemes are naturally harmonious and don’t have to be confined to the hot or cool colors. Right now I’m working on a autumnal scheme which is using orange, yellow and green. All three colors are united by having yellow in them, making a vibrant look.
Triad schemes use three colors, making a triangle on the color wheel. The triad of primary colors (red, yellow, blue) is one triad. But other kinds of triangles can be formed, creating new places to explore color.
With threads, the stitcher has an almost unlimited palette of colors for developing color schemes. Use your threads to try out some new combinations!
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Read the original:
Types of Color Schemes
black & white canvas in action
As I stitched this little quilt block on Zweigart’s black and white canvas one word kept coming to mind — hard.
This canvas is tweeded. One direction has black threads, the other white. While the individual threads are the same as mono canvas, the woven effect is not and therein lies the problem. As you an see from the picture the white threads are more prominent.
While that is not a bad thing for the finished effect it makes stitching and counting extremely difficult. I felt as if the holes in the canvas “melted” into the white threads. And, although I counted threads and the stitches are correct, much of the time I felt as if my stitches were not true.
Add to this the problem that you can’t put a dark cloth or a light cloth under it to see and you have a canvas not for the faint of heart.
Even so, the finished effect is wonderful, so I would seek out painted canvases thaat use it as the background.
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quilt block coaster
Making the transition from stitching your first needlepoint sampler to doing canvases can be a hard one. The projects should be good-looking, appealing enough that even an experienced stitcher will want to stitch them. They should be small, so that the stitcher ha a sense of accomplishment when it’s done. And they should always increase the stitcher’s needlepoint knowledge.
Why is this important? Think about two different crafts, beading has been very successful at moving beginners to more complex projects, knitting has been less successful at this. With beading, people make that first necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings and makes a bunch more. When ready for the next step there are many websites, more complex beads and lots of tutorials to let you make something lovely that is just a little bit harder but uses material you have used and capitalizes on techniques you already know.
Knitting on the other hand, has a problem and I’m a perfect example of this. Many people learned to knit and made scarves, lots of scarves. Great, I started, I made a project, had a sense of accomplishment, and bought yarn. What now? While there are a limited number of next step projects, they don’t fit my life. The other next steps, don’t appeal. Afghans are too large and vests are too hard. I’m not alone in this and many people never progressed from beginning knitter to knitter.
The coaster pictured above is one of four (in two sets of two) I’ve designed for Art Needlepoint. Each is stitched in perle cotton, so they are easy to do (no plying required. Each showcases different stitches that you will be able to use on other canvases. And the stitch guide is written for beginners, with lots of advice and helpful tips. They come as complete kits with everything you need but the stretcher bars.
The clean style of the quilt blocks and the fun texture of the needlepoint combine to make this a winning combination. Go to Art Needlepoint to buy.
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Quilt Block Coasters with Stitch Guides
