free projects

These plastic canvas robots are from Crafty Pod (http://www.craftypod.com)

My friend Diane over at Crafty Pod made these completely amazing robots from plastic canvas.

Her post details the project and many more pictures of them.

I am completely in awe of the wonderful and fresh things Diana does with plastic canvas. In fact there are several posts on this blog pointing to free projects she has made available using this ground, including:

See more here:
Cool Plastic Canvas Alert

ANG SOTM Update

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

ang 2012 stitch of the month, january, stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

The picture here is of my first patch in the 2012 Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from ANG. I am using all stash threads in my favorite color, Teal. Throughout the year I’ll be sharing my progress with you.

I’m committed to being thrifty in my needlepoint purchases, so I try to use what I have on hand. I love this because it means I need to exercise my creativity and make something my own. I always find inspiration in how using scarce resources can make something beautiful by thinking of my beloved Amish and scrap bag quilts. In these quilts using what is on hand makes quilts of great beauty.

While I don’t aspire to those heights, I do want my needlepoint to be beautiful as well as thrifty.

Starting from the teal threads I pulled from my stash I did some other things to make changes.

Since I didn’t have any opal canvas, I made a unique canvas of my own. Using a natural sponge and Martha Stewart Pearl Craft Paint in Jet Stream, I sponge painted the entire piece of canvas. This will create a textured light teal background that is, easy to do and very interesting.

A teal heart will look odd, so I turned it into a rectangle. But I kept the small heart on the inside and I may even make it the focal point by stitching it in another color. The new shape meant I had to extend lines. It also meant that the shapes near the bottom of the heart were too large, so I added some additional lines. Those spaces will most likely have SOTM‘s from previous years in them.

The first area is stitched. I used Dragonfly Lotus Panda Threads, a hand-dyed and hand-spun silk/wool blend. It isn’t super shiny like Panache, but I love it’s subtle look. The color is Teal Shadow.

Watch for more next month. If you are stitching this project, check out the ANG Yahoo group, they are assembling information about the different thread and color combinations.

Read the original:
ANG SOTM Update

2012 SOTM Colors – Reveal your Teal

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

teal needlepoint threads

Teal is, in clothing, a universally flattering color. In my family where we got from golden to ashy to ruddy to olive, it’s the only color we can all wear successfully.

It is also just about my favorite color and currently I am on a serious teal buying spree, getting a leather tote, tops, dresses, and just about anything else I can get me hands on.

But all this is besides the point. I’m going to make the ANG 2012 Stitch of the Month (anyone can follow and it’s free, check it out). The piece will be done in shades of one color in a variety of threads.

I want to use different color and I want to use all stash threads. I also didn’t want to use a color that is strongly associated with a cause, since I don’t know what the result will be (it’s a mystery project).

So I picked teal because I love it.

These are just the first threads I’ve pulled for the project. They include some metallic, Grandeur and Pebbly Perle, Waterlilies, a vareigated knitting yarn, Vineyard Merino, Silk & Ivory, Dragonfly Lotus Threads, and Planet Earth wool. I haven’t gone through all the drawers yet, so I know I will be adding more threads.

It’s way overkill but this gives me plenty for picking and choosing. I’m thinking I’m going to buy some teal paint and sponge paint white canvas for the background. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

BTW, teal also happens to be the color of our local hockey team, the Sharks, who used Reveal your Teal as a slogan one season.

Continue reading here:
2012 SOTM Colors – Reveal your Teal

Stitch your Stash around the World – Almost Done!

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-03-17 06:20:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

stitch your stash around the world needlepoint by barbara bergsten, stitched by janet m perry

I’m hoping by tomorrow morning I’ll be finished with this piece. But I wanted to share a completed corner.

If you remember, I made my center too big and so I had to add two more rows in the corners. Since I didn’t want to repeat stitches, I chose new ones. The aqua is Triple Diagonal Brick and the pale coral **.

Then I added corners in the two aquas with each block four Scotch Stitches.

The border sides are two rows of Diagonal Gobelin in two of the corals. I had planned to do the two darkest shades, but I don’t have enough of the middle shade. As a result I’m using the lightest and darkest shades.

Then I’m finishing with two rows of Continental in medium coral and charcoal.

The whole thing will be inset into a pillow and will go into my bedroom which is coral. My original plan was to use these colors extensively in the new house, but our downstairs is done in much more vintagey colors of soft bluish green, true green, and buttery yellow, so these colors REALLY won’t go. But my bedroom is coral faces both East and West and has a nice corner for reading with bookshelves (soon), a chair and a chaise, a vintage table and a Spanish style lamp. This will be a perfect addition.

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.

Laura Perin’s Mini Mystery #3 – Free Ornament Design

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

I’m afraid I’m woefully behind on doing Laura’s three delightful mini ornaments. I haven’t even finished the first one yet.

But today and last Monday she has posted the instructions and charts for the last and smallest of the ornaments.

Part 1 is here. Part 2 can be found as today’s blog post.

She also has a lovely gallery of finished mystery #2 samplers on her blog.

Continue reading here:
Laura Perin’s Mini Mystery #3 – Free Ornament Design

Quaker-Inspired Ornament Design – Freebie from Kincavel Krosses

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Kell Smurthwaite of Kincavel Krosses has free designs that are often witty (like her seven deadly sins series I wrote about here) and always just lovely.

I’ve been looking at many Quaker-inspired designs that are good sizes for ornaments because these simple, geometric patterns make great needlepoint. But, at the moment, I don’t want to buy any since I’m trying HARD to use up stash not add to it.

That’s why I simply love Kell’s charming Quaker freebie ornament. You can get the chart here and it is free to make for your personal use,

View original post here:
Quaker-Inspired Ornament Design – Freebie from Kincavel Krosses

Charming Ornament or Picture from Northern Pine

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Linda Lachance’s designs from Northern Pine are a delightful blend of Bargello and canvas stitches that are unique in charted canvas.

I also love the way she uses colored canvas as an asset in her pieces.

In the current issue of The Caron Collection’s on-line magazine, find directions for the delightful little piece pictured above. It has many of the characteristic elements of Linda’s designs: Hilton stitches, colored canvas, and clever use of Bargello.

You can also read their profile of Linda. If you want to see more Northern Pine Designs, including another free project, visit their site.

More here:
Charming Ornament or Picture from Northern Pine

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

Happy Holidays from Kreinik

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Kreinik has added new free projects for the holidays to their website.

There are eight days of Hanukkah projects, with four needlepoint porjects currently, and four CRoss Stitch projects coming next week.

Throughout the month, they will be adding 25 free Christmas projects using a variety of techniques and Kreinik products. The link takes you to a calender that has thumbnails of them all.

Tomorrow a new free ornament pattern by me, I’m charting it today.

Read the original here:
Happy Holidays from Kreinik

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