product-review

Being laid up with a cold last week and having lots of new threads to play with, I did a whole bunch of stitching. That means this week,tomorrow through Friday and next week, Tuesday through Friday, I’ll be reviewing these threads.

My thread reviews are more than just descriptions of the threads. I use the threads in my own stitching and let you know, and see, just how the behave.

Some of the threads we’ll review include a mohair from The Thread Gatherers, new silks from Gloriana and Planet Earth, a new fiber from Dream House, and a great post from Barbara Elmore on a new thread from Sundance.

I’m so excited to share these with you.

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Threads Days at Nuts about Needlepoint

On Older Canvas

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2007-01-22 17:39:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

My Sunday stitching project at the moment is an older canvas and Iâ€™m stitching it in hand. Working on it yesterday got me thinking about canvas.

High-quality canvas, like Zweigart mono, is made from 100% cotton. The stiffness of a new needlepoint canvas comes from sizing added to the canvas once it is woven. Sizing also makes canvas hard on threads because the stiff sizing wears out the thread more quickly than the smooth fabric alone.

Sizing is removed from canvas is several ways. If you thoroughly wet the canvas, you notice itâ€™s a bit sticky — thatâ€™s the sizing. Wet it and wring it out a couple more times and the sizing is removed.

As you stitch the canvas, your needle moves the canvas back and forth – this will eventually break down the sizing. Folding the canvas also does this along the fold.

Finally the sizing disappears as the canvas gets old.

In my case, the canvas was folded (and I know better) and it is three years old. So itâ€™s very soft. Iâ€™m still crumpling it up in hand, so I donâ€™t mind too much, but if you have an old canvas and want stiffness, your only solution is to stretch it on a frame. Stretching and the tension it brings will put stiffness back into the canvas. I would go further and say just use Evertite bars because you will need to adjust the tension more often with an older canvas.

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On Older Canvas

Lee Tote with Removable inserts – Product Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in accessories,Nuts About Needlepoint

Lee Needle Arts tote bag with removable inserts, bargello designed and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This HUGE tote from Lee Needle Arts came out over the summer and I had to have it. There are several features that make it a great bag, especially if you carry lots of stuff (in fact, it’s with me on this trip).

There are many features that make this bag great, even without any needlepoint.

heavy-duty nylon fabric in several colors
almost 18″ wide and 9″ deep, so if you are using it as a project tote, it will hold larger stretcher bars
three compartments, with the center compartment opening to almost flat
three interior pockets, one zipped, in the center, and one interior zippered pocket in a aside compartment
sturdy nylon web handles (I had tabs added for a shoulder strap)

The lack of a shoulder strap is the only fault I found in this bag. If I saw it at a store I’d buy it in a sec.

Even better than all of this it has an opening for your needlepoint. But it’s not permanent, it’s removable. Instead of the two-sided adhesive being on the bag itself, it’s on a piece of letter,with a dot that makes it easy for the paper cover to be removed.

To finish, you just cut your needlepoint to the size of the leather, remove the paper, center the needlepoint and press down.

The bag comes with two of these.

To add the finished needlepoint to the bag, just insert it into the opening. The margins are generous and the bag is flexible, so this is easy to do.

I have made lots of LNA self-finished items and this is by far the easiest I have done. I’m excited about the possibility that removable inserts will be made available for some of their other products.

I love this bag, go get one for yourself.

P. S. The needelpoint is the finished Adler-inspired Bargello I posted a few weeks ago.

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Lee Tote with Removable inserts – Product Review

Upcoming Products from Kreinik

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

With the Winter Needlework Market happening in a couple of weeks, designers and thread manufacturers are giving sneak peeks at the new products that will be appearing at the show.

Today we’ll look at what Kreinik is introducing for stitchers

Their lovely bead-like Facets and Petite Facets are getting two new colors: copper and pearl. Think about using the pearl for a necklace.

New Stitch-a-pen Kits will be introduced.

There will be new metallic colors, although how many is uncertain.

I am so excited about the dyed silk gauze. I’ve done this myself and it makes for glorious backgrounds. I’m not sure which sizes of gauze will be available this way, but I can’t wait.

Finally, Signature Series Assortments will be available in most silks & metallics. They are 4-packs with the top-selling colors in each color family.

Originally posted here:
Upcoming Products from Kreinik

Pocket Stitch Books from Needlepoint, Inc and Threadworx – Product Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Recently I got two little stitch books that cover basic stitches and that are just the right size to pop into your project bag or purse. Needlepoint Inc’s book is called Simply Stitches and Thread Candy Studio’s book is called Simple Stitches. Both books are small and cover a variety of stitches, suitable for beginning stitchers.

Thread Candy Studio’s Simple Stitches has volume 1 on the cover. It begins with a section on thread use information that is organized by mesh size for 18 and 14 mesh canvas, 28 or 32 count linen over 2, and 7 + 10 count canvas. There is also a little box that has some general guidelines for choosing threads. While most of this information is correct, some of it, especially the suggestions for linen are only appropriate for cross stitch but this is never noted. The next page has an explanation of different types and sizes of needles. This is followed by a few pages of stitching tips, including specific tips for left-handers.

The stitches in this book are in alphabetical order by name with large numbered diagrams. Many stitches have two versions, one for right- and one for left-handers. By careful if you are learning a stitch to use the correct diagram. Each stitch has the stitch family listed, stitch tips, and, for many stitches suggestions for effects or threads.

All the stitches are listed in the index.

Needlepoint Inc’s Simply Stitches is designed to be a quick reference book of frequently used needlepoint stitches. It has no text, just one stitch per page with large clear diagrams. They are also in alphabetical order but a Table of Stitches at the front of the book allows you go directly to the stitch you want.

The stitches cover many beginning stitches as well as some unusual and more advanced stitches.

I prefer Needlepoint Inc’s approach to this kind of book, it has the information I need but in a compact format that will continue to be useful whether I am just learning to stitch or need an easy reference to carry with me.

But both are great little tools for any stitcher.

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Pocket Stitch Books from Needlepoint, Inc and Threadworx – Product Review

Stitch Journal from Thread Candy Studio – Product Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Thread Candy Studio debuted a purse-sized stitch journal last month. Each page is about 5�4 making it small enough to carry around. That’s its strength, but also one of its weaknesses. For those with large handwriting many of the pages and lines are too small to record information.

The book attempts to be a place to hold lots of useful information for stitchers of all kinds. The first section is project notes with a lined page and a table page for about 12 projects. The table has columns for stitch, effect thread, and thread size. A dozen stitches can be recorded. This is plenty for most small to medium projects.

After this there is a wish list section with pages divided into need and wish list. Having this in the same place as other inventories and plans makes it easy to keep track of what’s needed. At the end of this section there are sever pages without labels that can be ised for additional notes or lists.

Following this is a thread section where you can inventory your threads. The first several pages have marked columns for thread name, color, size, need/have. The vast majority of pages have unmarked columns. While this is very useful, I can’t really see anyone but those with the smallest stashes using this for inventory, there just aren’t enough pages.

The next section, design, has pages printed with grids, so stitches can be recorded. These are big enough to sketch a stitch but not enough for a pattern of any size.

The final section is for your project diary with two pages for each project, including a blank lined page and an open area marked “notes” which looks like a good space for a picture.

While there is lots packed into this little book, my main complaint is that the size limits its usefulness. While some people will find the small pages difficult to write on, but the desire to include everything and the small size mean that it can only hold a limited amount of stuff.

But at under $8, you can probably afford multiples. The book comes with three choices of cover color and can be ordered directly from Thread Candy Studio.

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Stitch Journal from Thread Candy Studio – Product Review

Sweet from Orna Willis – Product Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

The second in Orna’s delightful series of Gatherings (group kits for needlepoint parties) is Sweet, a kit that allows six people to create delightful needlepoint stitch books.

I can’t think of a better way to introduce a small group of girls to needlepoint than with this colorful project. It’s easy, fairly quick to stitch, and easily made into a custom book for each participant.

The kit has two instruction pamphlets, one covering the stitch samples, the other the book assembly, six pieces of canvas, four skeins of multi-colored perle cotton, a needle, stretcher bars, and even scissors to cut the thread. In addition to this stitchy goodness are all the materials you need to create an accordion book of the samples and charts.

Everything comes packed beautifully in one box.

It only took me about an hour to stitch the samples and another hour to make the book.

I only have a couple of complaints. The first is that the regular size stretcher bars seemed cumbersome for such small pieces of canvas, I’d switch to minis myself. The second is that I would spend a little more time on prepping the canvas in the first pamphlet. But if the group leader knows even a little bit about needlepoint; this is easy to add.

The resulting book is a charming little piece. And it can open a wonderful world of needlepoint to ant teen or tween.

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Sweet from Orna Willis – Product Review

Stitch Notebook – Product Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-07-28 07:00:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Little Shoppe Canvas Company has come up with a charming notebook to keep track of your project ideas. Unlike many other stitch diaries, this isn’t for the finished piece, but gives you a place to record your ideas for a work in progress or to be stitched.
Two pages are given to each project. The left page has lines for the project name and date, a listing of threads, and some notes. The right page has four areas of grid in two sizes for diagramming stitches. This is a feature not often seen in stitch notebooks and a useful tool. One thing I like to do with new stitches is draw them the way I would stitch them. This feature lets me do that easily.
Great product, available at your local shop.

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Stitch Notebook – Product Review

Emily Peacock Tapestry

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-04-10 06:13:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

emily peacock needlepoint kit of stars and cornfield

Do you like charted needlepoint? Are you looking for something fresh and fun?

Haul yourself over to Emily Peacock’s Etsy store to find her needlepoint kits and charts. My favorite is pictured above. Her designs have gotten lots of buzz on the Internet this week, and I can see why.

This British designer’s style encompasses primitive, folk art designs, typography, and tattoo art in bright colors. I think her work is charming.

Her designs are available in three formats, color charts (Appleton numbers listed but DMC can be provided), small needlepoint kits (on 10 mesh), and large needlepoint kits (on 7 mesh). The kits are done in cross stitch (just like an Elizabeth Bradley kit) and include Appleton crewel wool.

Check them out, they are delihgtful

Lace in Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Jewelry,Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2008-11-15 07:43:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If, like me, you’re a fan of Judy Harper’s delightful needlepoint designs you will already know that she is a wizard at adapting other kinds of fiber arts and materials to needlepoint.

Her current post on her FREEBIES, Etc. blog looks at turning lace into needlepoint.

She shows us several different interpretations of lace and explains how to make them. The top one is dramatic on black canvas and stitched in three colors. Happily for us when she shows us how to do it, the design is easy to see on white canvas.

It’s designed to be a border design, perhaps for a bracelet, following the instructions in this post of hers.

I really love the second piece an unstitched mini-sock with an elaborate lace top in gold. The final example shows you how to use lace as a border by turning a corner. Her suggestion to use white pearl cotton in this design would make a border which looks like crocheted lace.

Props to Judy for giving us this exciting idea in needlepoint!

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Lace in Needlepoint

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