great-source

Here are three more designs in Star’s series of small Berlinwork designs.

Cornucopia
Lion
Parrot (my favorite)

Last week we had part 1, next week part 3, then the frame to finish it up in style the followiong week.

See the article here:
Berlinwork-inspired Cushion – Free Design (Part 2 of 4)

Cross Stitch Charts for Needlepoint?

Originally posted 2009-05-21 07:17:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

This week I got a question about converting cross stitch charts to needlepoint. This is an easy process if you are careful about the charts you pick. It can also be economical, allowing you to use charts from your stash and less expensive floss.

It’s also the method you use to stitch from the charts in needlepoint books, both old and new. Knowing this broadens your options for stitching more of these designs. This article will cover three topics: charts, thread, and stitching. Those interested in making charted needlepoint from books will find the last topic most helpful.

Charts

When you look for Cross Stitch charts, look for ones which have two things: whole stitch only and minimal backstitching. These will be the easiest to convert to needlepoint.

Because of the structure of needlepoint and canvas, you cannot make precise partial stitches on needlepoint canvas. Therefore by looking for charts which have no quarter, half or three-quarter stitches you will save yourself lots of trouble.

think pink graph for cross stitch or needlepoint

This means that the chart should look like the one above with symbols filling the entire square. Sometimes, but not always, the chart has partial stitches listed on the color key.

A chart with partial symbols looks like this. You can see how some of the squares are only partially filled. These would be made with partial Cross Stitches. These soften lines in Cross Stitch but aren’t done in needlepoint.

Another common feature in Cross Stitch charts is Backstitching. Often this is used to outline or to create details in the design. Backstitch is hard to do in needlepoint. You don’t need it to outline in most cases, so that kind of backstitching can be ignored.

plastic canvas needlepoint gingerbread house

If backstitching provides details, as is the case with this gingerbread house, you stitch the backstitching over the Tent Stitch base. This way you preserve the fine details of this kind of backstitching.

Thread
Cross Stitch uses considerably thinner thread than needlepoint. If you think about it, this makes sense. In Cross Stitch. you are embellishing a fabric. In needlepoint, you are making a fabric. A Cross Stitch has two layers in it. A Tent Stitch has only one.

If your chart has strand recommendations, don’t use them, you’ll need to follow this table for number of strands of silk or floss:

12 mesh: 8 strands
14 mesh: 6 strands
18 mesh: 4 strands
24 mesh (Congress Cloth): 2-3 strands

Remember always to strip, ply, and recombine your threads before using them.

Stitching

In needlepoint canvas (pictured above) the threads are bigger than the holes and stitches are made from hole to hole over intersections or threads.

In Cross Stitch fabric (pictured above) the threads are bigger than the holes and you stitch over the threads from hole to hole. When I did Cross Stitch, I always thought of the fabric as a huge piece of graph paper and my stitches as coloring those holes.

And Cross Stitch charts and similar charts for needlepoint all use this convention. Each square on the graph represents a stitch.

A stitch is a stitch and still goes over one thread. It’s just that the threads are thinner and the holes bigger in needlepoint.

When you stitch needlepoint from a chart, make each graphed square a Tent Stitch, going over one intersection of thread.

This needlepoint was stitched from a vintage needlepoint chart in my files. The chart could have been done in either needlepoint or cross stitch.

Once you are comfortable with stitching from charts, you’ll find a whole new world of great designs out there waiting for you!

Read the original post:
Cross Stitch Charts for Needlepoint?

Make these Birds your Own!

in Design,Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-01-18 06:46:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

outline of a bird to make in needlepoint

Don’t you just love this bird template? They are such great shapes and they make such a wonderful starting point for creative needlepoint.

You can go directly to the post to download them as a PNG or PDF.

I keep thinking about cool things to do with them. You could do them as bargello or stitch samplers, you could make a realistic bird. You could add embellishments.

To put them on needlepoint canvas, follow the instructions on All about Needlepoint and stitch away!

The designs are from tricia-rennea’s blog and she did them originally to be cut out of paper. I learned about them from Sister Denise at Craft Gossip.

See more here:
Make these Birds your Own!

A Source for Needlepoint Deals

Originally posted 2008-11-07 19:57:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

I have to say I’m somewhat of an Overstock.com addict. I love all the deals and scout it often for interesting stuff. You may know it as a place to look for clothes, or gifts, or maybe even furniture and renovation supplies.

But did you know it has a HUGE crafts section? I have looked at it before, but looking at a magazine last week about paper crafts reminded me of the fact. So today I went an explored further.

If you go to the Needlework section under crafts, one of the choices is cross stitch & needlework. Click on that. I found several daylight lamps, floor, table and lap stands, a few needlepoint kits, and a cord winder. I also found scroll bars of different sizes and some organizers. The selection changes all the time, as do the prices. The discounts I saw this time ranged from 0% to almost 30%.

In addition, there a lots of cross stitch and punchneedle kits as well as plenty of kits for needlecrafts which are harder to find including felt and stamped cross stitch.

If you like other crafts than needlepoint, go back up to the Crafts heading and check out their supplies for many other crafts as well. In some of these areas, there are some great tool which can be used for needlepoint.

I also found some great storage pieces in Art & School Supplies including handy caddy clear plastic storage in several colors. I also found a great rolling storage cart with lots of drawers designed for scrapbookers, but great for holding small canvases.

Enabling isn’t so bad when you can turn people on to good deals.

Read the original:
A Source for Needlepoint Deals

Great Free Alphabets on the Web

Originally posted 2006-11-10 22:16:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

These days I seem to be thinking about alphabets alot. There are some fantastic resources on the Web for creating your own charted words, creating an alphabet, or just great charts.

Here’s a round-up of my favorites:

How to Chart your own Alphabet (http://www.lysator.liu.se/~offe/kors/tutorial/alphabet.html) This page has been around for a long time, but it gives the best instructions I’ve seen on how to chart your own alphabet.

Celtic Cross Stitch (http://www.celticxstitch.ie/cgi-bin/stitches.cgi) has a free on-line chart generator which will take any word and produce a chart in a lovely Celtic alphabet. The charts of fort personal use only.

Carnie’s Creations (http://www.freepatternsonline.com/xscharts/alphabets.htm) has over 40 alphabets, mostly small and simple, available on-line. There is even a Greek upper case alphabet for sorority and fraternity initials.

Tink Boord-Dill’s Americana (http://www.tinkbd.com/Americana.htm) – My friend Tink has this lovely 18 stitch alphabet for free on her site. It’s a superb example of what’s available in her alphabet and monogram books. It’s also a great alphabet for needlepoint.

Caption Generator (http://www.crosstitch.com/fontform.html) – free version cross stitch only. Enter a phrase and get a Backstitch chart, centered or not. There is a paid version with more options.

Times New Roman (http://www.yarntree.com/036alpht.htm) A 14-stitch tall version of this elegant typeface. Both upper and lower case letters.

Subversive Cross Stitch Alphabets (http://subversivecrossstitch.com/howto/alphabet.htm) Three free alphabets from this creator of unconventional cross stitch kits.

French Alphabet (http://francine-broderies.com/Alphabet.html?lang=en) A lovely vintage embellished alphabet (like on old linens) for needlepoint or cross stitch. There are also several alphabets for free embroidery on the site.

Medieval Alphabet (http://www.dragonbear.com/uncial.html) two medieval alphabets in two chart formats.

Read the original post:
Great Free Alphabets on the Web

Thinking Outside the Box – Adapting a Chart to Needlepoint

rose cross stitch chart from Cross Me Not

Often I’m frustrated and a little jealous. As a needlepointer there are so many charts out there for cross stitchers. They’re free and often quite beautiful. But also, alas, often not adaptable to needlepoint.

Take heart! This isn’t always the case. If you know what makes a good chart to adapt, you’ll find lots of inspiration for free on the Web.

Most importantly, look for charts that have whole stitches only. The partial stitches that make curves in cross stitch can’t be done on needlepoint canvas. Also look for charts that have a minimum of backstitching, especially for important design elements. While you can Backstitch on needlepoint canvas, it’s hard to adapt and many charts like this won’t work well.

The best charts to adapt are those that have large blocks of color. These, once outlines or counted, can be done in a textured stitch.

This free rose chart from Cross Me Not is a perfect example of this. Stitch the outlines of the petal and leaf, then the darkest part of the rose, all in Tent Stitch.

Then, using an hand-dyed or overdyed thread in a lovely rose color, find a textured stitch (there’s lots under Stitch Dictionary in this blog) and stitch the rest of the petals. Pick another stitch and a matte thread for the leaves.

There’s plenty of inspiration for the needlepointer in the dozens of free cross stitch charts on the Internet. My favorite place to find them is Denise’s Needlework column on Craft Gossip.

Originally posted here:
Thinking Outside the Box – Adapting a Chart to Needlepoint

Charming Free Folks Art Animal Charts

lion sampler by Aliola

Thanks and a tip of the hat to Denise at Craft Gossip for alerting me to these charming animals samplers from Aliola. There are links to the entire collection.

I just love the folk art, almost primative style of them. I can see them done as a set in a rough thread, maybe Pebbly Perle, linen, or Wildflowers and used as the basis to decorate a nursery or child’s room.

Aliola’s blog is in Russian, as are the names of the animals on the charts. but this just adds to their charm.

Read the original post:
Charming Free Folks Art Animal Charts

Charming Free Patterns from Two Sites

be stitched heart sampler

Don’t you just love this hearts sampler? Even though it is intended for Cross Stitch, can’t you just see it on open canvas? I can and keep picturing it in several colors of Kreinik metallics. If you didn’t want to stitch the whole thing, why not make one block on perforated paper and put it on a card as a homemade Valentine for next year. Or make it in cream and gold for a wedding card.

The designer is Be Stitched and the designer is Erynne. She is offering her designs free for non-commercial purposes (i.e. you can’t republish or sell).

Currently there are six patterns, all wonderful, available. A big thank you to Denise at Craft Gossip for pointing Be Stitched out.

color wheel needlepoint pillow from happy threads

Happy Threads design

Click on over to Australia’s Happy Threads needlepoint site for this charming needlepoint color wheel design. I love the bright colors and the rectangular shape is so useful. I’m thinking three of them in a row would be a great bookmark (maybe for Funk & Weber’s Bookmark Challenge?). You can also find instructions for finishing a bookmark at Happy Threads.

While you are there, be sure to check out her wonderful collection of free charts. If you like something print it out. Charlie has announced that each year she will remove many of the previous year’s chart and repackage the best of them into a book for sale in her shop.

It is so nice to find such great free needlepoint design.

Read the original post:
Charming Free Patterns from Two Sites

Freebie Alert – New Needlepoint Designs

Over the weekend Denise at Craft Gossip published a post of free needlepoint designs. You know I’m crazy about her round-ups of free projects, which she publishes often.

Usually needlepoint charts are listed among the other charts, so this is a rare opportunity to indulge in the wonderful talent and generosity out there.

There are also lots of whole stitch cross stitch charts (which can be stitched as is in needlepoint). I’m particularly fond of the mosaic motif in the previous post. But there are tons of great ideas in that post (A is for Apple, that great rooster) and in the Valentine’s motifs, she’s been posting all week.

If you’re in need of a little pick-me-up, especially in light of the recent snow storm, take a look and give yourself a present. In fact, I’m going off to print a bunch of my favorites right now.