charted needlepoint

Cashmere stitch needlepoint based on Native American rug pattern, designed and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

My husband thinks I’m sort of weird because I love fashion magazines. One big reason I love them is that they often give me ideas for needlepoint.
One great thing is that you can use color combinations that they showcase to put together interesting combinations for needlepoint.

Sometimes you are lucky and the magazine spells out a combination for you. For example, the combination of nude, light pink, minty green, and coral in Style Watch inspired the Twinchy freebie pictured here. It’d entirely made up of Cashmere stitches, charted below. (Instead of a complete chart, use the picture of the finished needlepoint to stitch it.)

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

A stunning malachite-grren sequined evening gown inspired me to stitch a malachite clutch in all metallics.

When looking to fashion for color inspiration there are three types of things that can inspire.

You can take you inspiration from an individual outfit. If you see an outfit that combines a bright yellow blouse with navy blue pants, look at the neutrals paired with it to create the start of a great piece.

You can take inspiration from the colors in a print. The prints do lots of the work for you. They always have a background color, which becomes your background. The figures in the print determine the other colors. You’ll get the best success from using these colors in similar proportions. You can do this by writing down the colors and then ranking them from most to least used. Note also where there are big gaps. (A future post will demonstrate how to do this).

You can also take inspiration from a color spread, as I did here. The spread took these colors and showed current clothes and accessories in this palette. Coral was most predominate, then light pink (some almost white), green came next appearing in one piece and as a print’s background. Nude was used the least, although both the light pinks and lightest corals were almost nudes.

While I love and often use the combination of deep coral and bright turquoise, this combination made me think about these colors in another way. The threads I used included three shades of Aurora silk perle (coral), Gentle Arts floss in porcelin (center pink), Kreink #12 in an unlabeled color (green), Elegance E844 and Neon Rays N40 (nudes), and a mix of Gentle Arts Cotton Candy and Crescent Colors Spun Sugar (outside pink).

And it’s all thanks to the fashion magazine.

The rest is here:
Taking Color Cues from Fashion

Color through the Ages Sneak Peek

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

needlepoint twinchie (2 inch square) using colors of ancient egypt, designed and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m.perry

Many of you have asked to see what the Twinchie projects for Color through the Ages will look like. This year’s needlepoint club is going to go beyond the traditional color schemes to look at color combinations that refer to a specific time, place, or object.

Through charted Twinchies (2″square needlepoint) based on quilt designs, club members will explore color schemes typical not just of ancient times, but of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Twentieth Century, along with others.

colors of ancient greece needlepoint twinchie designed and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Pictured here are two of the completed Twinchies, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. I’ll post a couple more sneaks late this month. Both societies used similar color palettes based on minerals. In these packets you’ll learn about mineral colors, why “dirt” isn’t just one color, why blue is so prized, and more.

In each month’s packet you will get:

Extensive information about color and this color scheme
Information about the quilt block or setting
Charted Twinchie with thread list
Information, including stitching tips for three different threads

The club begins March 1, 2012 and registrations are open now. There are a number of different pricing options, depending on what you want.

Basic Package includes the PDFs of each month’s program. It is $7.50 per month. Use the PayPal button below to register.

Basic Subscription

Deluxe Package includes the PDFs of each month’s program as well as canvas and three thread samples of about 2 yards per month. It is $12.50 per month. Use the PayPal button below to register.

Deluxe Subscription

In addition if you make a single payment for either option (using the buttons below or pay via check (contact me for the address) you will receive a10% discount..

Annual Basic

Annual Deluxe

Please note that the Deluxe Package prices are for shipment to US addresses only. If you want this option and live outside the US, please contact me. All sales to California are subject to sales tax. If you are in California and choose the subscription, you will be invoiced for the sales tax separately.

Come join me on this journey of exploration.

Follow this link:
Color through the Ages Sneak Peek

Shop for Threads, Kits, and Projects at Orna’s Clearance

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Jewelry,Nuts About Needlepoint

Orna Willis has just opened a Clearance section in her on-line shop. There you wikll find project packs, some rare or discontinued,kits, a few painted canvases, and lots of stunning thread packs such as the one pictured here.

Free Christmas Ornament Patterns on this Site

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Merry Christmas!

I love CHristmas ornaments and stitch them all the time. Some of that love has been reflected in the projects I’ve done for this site.

In case you are like me and want to start a new stitching project (although I’m most likely cooking not stitching), you might want to make one of these delightful little projects.

Besides these stand-alone projects, check out last year’s Learn-a-Stitch Mini-sock series, and the many Twinchy posts, there are lots more ornament ideas there.

Inventory Reduction Sale at The Scarlet Thread

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Have a Christmas bonus to spend?
Looking for some last minute presents?
Just need a break from all that wrapping, cooking, and decorating and want to treat yourself?

Head on over to The Scarlet Thread and take a look t the almost 140 items they have in their inventory reduction sale.

There is a ton of charted needlepoint including lots of ornaments as well as bigger pieces. And you’ll find lots of projects from your favorite designers including DebBee’s Designs, Laura Perin, and Needle Delights.

And if charted needlepoint isn’t your preference, there are scissors, lights, and other tools as well.

And, being on-line, you can shop in your PJ’s.

Check it out

Read the original here:
Inventory Reduction Sale at The Scarlet Thread

Poinsettia Quilt Block Ornament – Free Design

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

poinsettia needlepoint ornament designed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This bold;y graphic ornament is loosely based on a quilt block. Using all straight stitches and surrounded by a border of Straight Gobelins and Continental, this is a quick to finish project for the holidays.

I stitched mine on 18 mesh canvas using Kreinik 1/16″ ribbon (gold), Planet Earth wool (white), Gumnuts wool (green), and two of the new High Cotton colors (reds).

I made some changes from the chart. It’s charted for red, green, and gold. I took the green triangles in the center of each side and made them dark red. This gives the blossom some depth.

poinsettia ornament needlepoint chart designed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

click for full-size chart

The border has one round of Straight Gobelin over three (remember to miter the corners), followed by a single row of Continental in green.

Read the original post:
Poinsettia Quilt Block Ornament – Free Design

New Needlepoint Products Coming Down the Pike

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

While December is not a big month for product announcements, there are plenty of new things out there.

Threads

Hyla’s High Cotton has announced 21 new colors that will ship after TNNA next month. Included in them are a great set of hot pinks, a family of Christmas reds as well as some other great colors. I’m using the red for my Adler Bargello and it’s lovely.

Sullivan’s has some neat packs of their threads. They have 12 colors in each in 15 yard skeins. The thing I love best is that these are good combinations and they have clever names such as Fruit Fun and Floral Fest. They have also brought out project cards that will hold up to 20 colors.

Canvases & Charts

Kelly Clark has added some Christmas pieces to her Dan DiPaolo collection. Kelly also has a new monthly series that will start in March called Tremendous Trees, offered through shops. She also has some new peppermint sticks.

Brenda E. Kocher’s new Tootsiebulbbles design, Rachel’s Ribbons could be made into an unusual birth sampler or embellished with a charm.

Melissa Prince has a great collection of “everyday” purses that come with handles. There are some lovely geometric and other designs. They also have simple backs, great for showing off fancy stitches.

DebBee’s Designs has just come out with Rice Pudding, a design composed only of Rice Stitches. It’s easy enough for beginners, but it’s great style will attract many others.

Lee Needle Art has introduced some exquisite Judaic designs by Rebecca Shore. These include Tallis Bags as well as coordinated sets of yamulkes, tfillins (Torah scroll boxes), attorahs, and tallis bags in three designs. Thwey are quite fetching.

JulieMar has great custom snowman that can be personalized in one of seven sweater colors and a school or team name.

Accessories

The Elizabeth Turner Collection has added some rhinestone-studded pieces to their magnetized needle buddies collection. These look like those great small pins from the 60′s.

Nordic Needle has a clever table top gadget for holding eight threaded needles. Called the Bird Nest Needle Rest it has a silhouette of a bird standing up from the clear ring with rare earth magnets to hold your needles.

One of the cleverest things I’ve seen in awhile is the graph gripper pattern holder from FA Edmunds. This two way clip holds your pattern and attaches to the top of your frame.

Read the original here:
New Needlepoint Products Coming Down the Pike

Harvest PotPourri – LAS Mini-sock

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

needlepoint stitch sampler mini-sock, learn a stitch, designed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Whenever I see this mini-sock it makes me think of the brilliant yellow color of the Gingko trees in autumn. The Watercolours shade I used is Woodland and I emphasized the yellow.

Other threads used include: Grandeur, Very Velvet, Holographic Fyrewerks, Panache, and Sprinkes.

I used yet another outline (I wish I had kept it), but you can use either of the ones we have used before (here and here).

Area 1: This area is stitched in Triple Rice. It’s a large Rice STitch, made in Holographic Fryewerks, that is crossed three times, in kind of a Scotch using Very Velvet. Using two highly contrasting threads for this stitch really highlights its construction.

triple rice stitch for needlepoint, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Area 2: This area is stitched in a simple laidwork pattern, Taggert. This kind of stitch really highlights a lovely thread. Begin by making long stitches the length of the area in every hole. Once this is done you are ready to make the diagonal stitches (I used Grandeur) that cross the area. Make one in every eighth hole in both diagonal directions. Once this is done make an Upright Cross at each intersection to tie everything down.

taggert laidwork stitch for needlepoint, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Please note that the diagram does not how the laid stitches (first step) for clarity.

Area 3: This area has a stitch we’ve used before, Jacquard, but here the structure is highlighted by using two threads. I love this stitch because of it’s texture.
janquard stitch for needlepoint, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Area 4: The straight stitch in this area is Tamalpais. It has rounded shapes separated by connected diamonds. It’s a fast and easy stitch to do.

tamalpais stitch oval and diamond straight stitch for needlepoint, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Area 5: This stitch, Salinia, is a kind of check, although it doesn’t look like it. Begin by making a pattern of Smyrna Crosses in a check.

Once you have completed them, put five straight stitches in the open areas (two of these stitches will be in the same holes as the open sides of the crosses.

But, here’s the kicker, switch the direction of these stitches in every row, vertical in one row, horizontal in the next.

straight stitch check for needlepoint, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

I hope you have enjoyed this series. I’m going to be doing another LAS series, this time of stars starting in the Spring of 2012. Sometime early next year this series will be available as an ebook.

Read the original here:
Harvest PotPourri – LAS Mini-sock

Needlepoint Quilt Block Gift Tags – New Free Pattern

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

needlepoint twinchie patchwork quilt block gift tags, free needlepoint project by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

Get these free gift tag patterns at My 365 magazine's site.

These four almost Twinchie (34 stitches square) quilt blocks are really quick to stitch and can be finished quickly to make simple ornaments or gift tags.

They are stitched in colors to compliment the overdyed canvas colors, but any scrap of mono canvas will do.

I just love the bright bold look.

The patterns for the quartet are free and can be found in My 365‘s holiday issue, out today. The beautiful magazine is on-line and free.

As a part of the issue, I’m participating in a giveaway of my books. Visit the site to learn how to enter.

BTW to turn any of these into a true Twinchie, just add a one row “binding” in Continental as a border.

Link:
Needlepoint Quilt Block Gift Tags – New Free Pattern

DIY Needlepoint – Adler-inspired Bargello

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in accessories,Nuts About Needlepoint

When I saw these charming Jonathon-Adler needlepointed flask in the December Allure, I know I had to use it as the basis of Bargello. Not only do I love the colors and it’s masculine feel, but I can’t afford the $98 price tag.

So bargello it is, and I’ve put the pattern below (click picture for full-size chart).

On to the colors. Depending on how you’ll be finishing it, go for a single type of thread in these colors: grey, brown, navy, light blue, white, aqua, olive, and yellow. If you like the rose one better, get rid of grey, aqua, and olive, and add taupe, light pink, pink, hot pink, and red. Follow the sequence of colors in the original.

I’m planning mine from wool and putting it into my new Lee’s tote. And, of course, I’m using the pink version using threads from my stash including High Cotton, Vineyard Merino, and three kinds of Ty-Di threads. All of these should wear well. I’m stitching it up right now and it will go into my Lee Needle Arts tote that has a removable area for needlepoint.

If you are looking for more Bargello (and Bargello-ish) inspiration, check out this post on Style Beat (the flask picture came from there).

Read the original:
DIY Needlepoint – Adler-inspired Bargello

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