scissors-case

Originally posted 2006-09-24 06:04:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Here’s the latest stitcher’s accessory from Whimsy & grace, the Roses Are Red Needle Case. As you can see I’m just about done with it, only about and hour left of stitching. Then it will be on to the matching scissors case.

Whimsy & grace needlecase & needlepoint stitch guide

I want to point out the patch which has the smaller hearts on the right side. It isn’t obvious in the picture, but it has great texture. The hearts are stitched in Dotted Swiss, which is Basketweave with some cross stitches. In a thread which has directional light, like this silk, the cross stitches catch the light differently and make a pretty pattern.

The background is T Stitch, also stitched in silk, but with only two strands of Splendor.

I was watching a football game while I was stitching it yesterday, so I wasn’t paying attention. But when it was done I was so surprised at how the difference in heights and coverage really enhanced the design.

Lots of people look at small spaces and think “I’ll have to stitch it in Basketweave, nothing else will work.” But that isn’t true, by changing the weight of thread and doubling the coverage (cross stitches) in some places, and thinning the coverage (fewer threads, open stitches) you can get more texture even if the space is quite small.

Lots of the stitch guides I’ve done recently for both whimsy & grace and Needledeeva use these ideas to create charming needlepoint.

Now off to finish that needle case!

See original here:
Roses Are Red Needlecase

Free Pattern – Seize the Day

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

I love this free design of Star’s in so many ways. The saying, “Seize the day” in Latin, is one it is always good to remember. I love the look of the lettering and the cracked marble. The leaves on the lower left are Acanthus leaves.

Although Star explains in her post why she put them there. I also like them here because they remind me of the abundance of God’s grace and of creation. Here’s why. I used to live in a house with Acanthus planted all along the driveway. In northern California they grow very well. Being big and flashy they were a nice driveway plant. But they also attracted snails, seemingly billions of them. Now snails are also really common in Northern California and the bane of many gardeners.

But here I had my own personal snail traps. Except for the holes in the leaves, and with leaves that big who cares, it was such a perfect combination. I had lovely plants to look at, the snails had food, and we all were happy with God and His World.

So seize the day and do this needlepoint!

Read more from the original source:
Free Pattern – Seize the Day

Free Pattern Alert – Interesting Cross Stitch to Adapt

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Denise over at Craft Gossip is the most wonderful source of alerts for free patterns for all kinds of needlework. Over the weekend she posted lots of great free cross stitch patterns. There were three I want to single out for you to give you some ideas of new things to look for when looking for needlepoint.

I was really struck by the peacefulness of the seascape pictured above from French site, Les grilles de Thiarlou. Just using whole stitches and a variety of colors, you get a real sense of movement in the sea. That’s an idea you could bring to other needlepoint easily. Think how cool a background or sky could be if you used a similar method.

Mondrian-inspired design from Cross Me Not

Piet Mondrian’s graphic design is so iconic, it’s inspired all kinds of things. But it’s also an amazing basis for a cool needlepoint. Those large areas of bright colors are a perfect place to try new stitches. This pattern is from Cross Me Not. It’s small, but stitch the black lines and then fill in the blocks with different stitches.

You could also use the outline as the basis for trying different color schemes. While this wouldn’t be like Mondrian’s paintings, the simplicity of the design would be a simply wonderful way to try different colors combinations.

Cat from Blog di Gloria

Last we have this little cat in silhouette from Blog di Gloria. Silhouettes are popular subjects for free cross stitches charts and are also often found in filet crochet charts. The make wonderful needlepoint, both when stitched in color on white canvas or in white on colored canvas. I like to keep the background on these unstitched and then add color or glitz by using bright or metallic paper or fabric behind the canvas. That gives the background some depth and adds another color.

See the original post here:
Free Pattern Alert – Interesting Cross Stitch to Adapt

Plan Ahead – Free Needlepoint Design

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Besides the fact that this could be the motto for my life, there is great wit in this glasses case design from Star. It’s also how I always fear my lettering will turn out

Not needing another glasses case (my glasses are a flakey size and need a weird case, I’m thinking about making it and framing it to put above my desk.

Go here to read the rest:
Plan Ahead – Free Needlepoint Design

Roses Are Red Scissors Case

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2006-10-14 06:02:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Here’s the most recent of the Whimsy & grace stitcher’s accessories, Roses Are Red Scissors case.

Whimsy & grace scissors case & needlepoint stitch guide

Don’t you just love it!There are lots of fun stitches here, so not only is the case delightful in itself, you’ll get lots of ideas about new stitches to use on other canvases. In fact, two of them, the small balloon and the offset tied scotch (the brightest red patches on either piece), I like so much I’m using them in other canvases I’m stitching. Another, Diagonal Willow (violet patch without initial) is one of the most flexible stitches I know. Made up of short and long diagonal stitches, the rows interlock in a way which creates oblique lines. This makes it a fantstic accent or background stitch, especially when you want something which isn’t strongly diagonal. It also makes a fantastic wide border. I’m using it for the border on the Sunday Stitching Quilt pillow (which I’ll update Monday).

Now today onto the next Scissors Case & new Bargello model!

The rest is here:
Roses Are Red Scissors Case

Old Glory Scissors Case

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2006-11-14 17:33:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

This has been sich a fun project. One big reason is that there are so many unusual (and easy) techniques packed into this tiny space.

It’s one of a series from Whimsy & grace (http://www.whimsyandgrace.com/scissorcases.htm). I have stitch guides available for many of the scissors cases and the matching needlecases.

The guide for this one is out and available now, I’m working on the model. I just love the classic red-white, and blue color scheme.

This guide is fun because it uses lots of cool techniques you can apply to other canvases. The background of the patch with the wavy lines is just one color of Watercolours, stitched in vertical lines. You get this great hand-dyed fabric effect, with no work.

The wavy lines are stitched in Whipped Backstitch, making a absolutely solid, curved line.

The little stars are stitched with Eyelet Stars over the basketweave. This stitch makes a little five-pointed star.

This was so much fun to stitch I raced through it.

Social Bookmarking

View original post here:
Old Glory Scissors Case

Needlecases

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

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!

Social Bookmarking

See the rest here:
Needlecases