series

Leigh Designs’ new series to be introduced at this weekend’s TNNA show is called Shogun. They are 12″ x 16″ on Sandstone 18 mesh mono.

There is a picture of one in the newest Needlepoint Now.

A stitched model of Yoritomo will be on display at the show.

You’ll be able to see them all soon on the Leigh site.

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New Series from Leigh Designs

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.

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Harvest PotPourri – LAS Mini-sock

An Intro to the Many Creative Uses for Vinyl Lettering

in Craft Shopping

You need unique ways to decorate your life and vinyl lettering is the answer. Follow my series to learn all the ways Vinyl lettering can enhance your next project.

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An Intro to the Many Creative Uses for Vinyl Lettering

New Canvases from Melissa Shirley & Jelly Bean Stock

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Halloween,Nuts About Needlepoint

Two designers of hand-painted canvas needlepoint have pages up with their newest designs.

I’m particularly delighted with the new Melissa Shirley designs because the have such an integrated (and lovely fall palette. There is a series of Christmas crackers in gold and white that I wouldn’t just get out for Christmas, along with another series of Halloween crackers. For Debbie Mumm lovers, there is a trick or treat series from her in several sizes that includes a fantastic Halloween house.

In the style of her many Victorian and Edwardian figures, there is a Series of Fairy Tale Witches. And adding to her whimsical flowers there are some canvases in great Halloween colors.

She has also added many canvases to her Seaside series, including three new starfish. But what I like best in this series is the fish. The colors are just what you would find in old color plates in books. There are some shells in this color palette as well.

From Jelly Bean Stock there is an eclectic mix, arranged by month of release. There are several different tallit bags in different colors, all with a lovely restrained classes style. They also have several dog canvases, often with witty sayings or poses. I’m also very fond of the two baskets of pansies canvases, each in different colors (but I love pansies).

There is also plenty for the Halloween lover from trick or treat canvases, to a couple with a Bela Lugosi-style vampire.

Whatever your taste, you are sure to find something fun here.

More:
New Canvases from Melissa Shirley & Jelly Bean Stock

Pat Thode Santa Last in Series

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Many of you collect the limited edition Santas done each year by Pat Thode of Heartstrings for The Artist’s Collection.

These include a painted canvas and detailed stitch guide along with embellishments.

The 20 year run of these Santas is coming to an end this year with her new canvas “And to All a Goodnight.” It’s pictured here.

They also made some of the older pieces in the series available for a short time, so, while the period to order is over, you might find some in your local shop.

Go here to see the original:
Pat Thode Santa Last in Series

Finishing Up at TNNA

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Some bits & bobs to end our coverage of the Summer Needlework Market and entice you to add to your stash.

Treglown Designs has introduced four new Charley Harper canvases. Some of them.

There are a couple of new designers out. Colors of Praise is designed by Marie Barber and has a wide variety of canvases, including two series of alphabets with decorative backgrounds. Kelly Clark is distributing canvases based on the artwork of Dan DiPaolo who has a delightfully whimsical style.

I’ve written about Leigh’s Fash-inserts and Leigh has teamed up with Colonial Needle to sell the bag/insert combination. Some of the canvases will only be available through Colonial Needle (Lee Needle Arts). Two of the ones available only from them are the butterflies and the lilies.

Leigh has all the new designs pictured on her site. I love them because they have all of Leigh’s wonderful detail and style, but they are small. They’d be great choices for a first Leigh canvas.

I wrote about the Staccato line earlier in the show, but what I didn’t tell you is that this series of designs is also available as coasters. Leigh’s coasters are big 6″ square, so they can also be framed with mats as pictures. Personally, I’d do this; they’re too lovely to put drinks on.

I also mentioned Maggie Co’s bar-themed canvases. In that same great Deco style, there are also some city scenes and coffee drink canvases. She also has some delightful mini buckets and a whole slew of great canvases adapted from the art of Rennie Britenbucher, that I just love. She also has great dressed up roosters, penguins and cats.

Continued here:
Finishing Up at TNNA

Needlepoint Market News – June 2011 (Part 1)

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Leigh Designs has two exciting bits of news. First off they have doubled their line of exciting Fash-inserts for the Lee nylon & Italian leather bags. That means there are now 10 designs in this series. Remember with these inserts you can switch them out as you like.

Leigh also has a great new series of canvases, Staccato. They are bright and bold contemporary florals with black interlocking rings on a white background. There are eight 12″ square designs in the series.

Associated Talents is adding a bunch of new small items in their trademark colorful style. These include a bunch of new micro mini socks, some great Halloween ‘candy corn’ (I’d love to see these finished), five fantastic Halloween characters with wide colorful borders, acorns, and, my favorite, a set of Advent skirt panels.

Rainbow Gallery doesn’t have any new threads, but is adding new colors to several of their most popular lines. There are 20 new colors of Silk Lame (for 13 mesh) and 17 of Silk Lame Braid (for18 mesh). PLease note that not all of these are the same colors. There is also a new color of Rainbow Linen, five new colors of Neon Rays + and one new Neon Rays. In addition there are six new Shaded Very Velvet colors, available in both sizes. They include some great colors: sands, oranges, pinks, and periwinkles.

I’m most excited about their new glow-in-the-dark Neon Rays +. It looks white under regular light. I’ve got a Halloween canvas this will be perfect for and so I can’t wait to try it.

Eye Candy has several new painted canvases out. New to needlepoint are the Humbug pincushions (the Halloween one is delightful). This shape is popular in the cross stitch world, according the Ada, the designer, but she has adapted it to needlepoint. It’s big enough do you could stuff it with shot and make it s frsmeweight.

The rest is here:
Needlepoint Market News – June 2011 (Part 1)

New & Wonderful Needlepoint Ornaments from Leigh Designs

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-06-19 05:44:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

I am just crazy in love with the new Swedish Dynasty ornaments from Leigh Designs.
They are so much fun!

I wrote about them last month, but I took a look at the whole group and I just had to show them to you.

They all are done on dark green canvas, so you don’t have to stitch the background. Their shapes make for generous ornaments. Each one in the series is named for a king or queen of Sweden.

What really delights me about them is the way Leigh has really captured the look of Swedish folk art. There are some which are lovely florals (Bernadotte and Wilhamena), a great paisley (Johan), two based on Swedish Dala animals (Sigvard and Kajsa), two multiple animals (Gustaf and Lennart), and several others.

They should be arriving in stores soon, so look out for them.

Read the original:
New & Wonderful Needlepoint Ornaments from Leigh Designs

Needle Artworks – Website Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2002-12-07 22:22:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A crying need on the Internet has been for a place where outstanding needlework teachers could showcase their work and make it easy for us as stitchers to find those glamorous projects like the ones we do at Seminar. When Needle Artworks opened in 1998, it was (and still is) an answer to a prayer. Many outstanding teachers like Carole Lake, Jane Zimmerman and Ann Strite-Kurz have pages on the site, showing off their lovely designs.

The books and charts available can be sorted by technique, or by author and you can print off and order direct from the author. Since many of these designs are not distributed widely, this is a wonderful resource for stitchers. Sometimes I just like to go there and feast on the wonderful designs.

Since one of the founders (and the designer) of the site, Jennifer Ashley Taylor, is a whiz at photographing needlework, the pictures are always superb. If Jennifer’s name isn’t familiar to you, her work is. She does most of the photography for Needlepoint Now.

If you look at a designer’s page, you see a text listing (by techniques) of all designs available. Clicking on a particular design gives you a detail page with a picture, description and information about ground, technique, level, price and ordering information. A detailed materials list and an index of other designs by this teacher is also included. Besides this wealth of information, I just love the way the page comes up so quickly.

If you search by technique, the page includes thumbnail pictures of all designs using the technique. Clicking on one of these gives you the same detail page.

This only begins to delve into the riches of this site. While designers and techniques are listed on the left side of the home page, many resources for stitchers are listed on the right. Many designers on the site have cyberclasses and they are listed with pictures and detailed information (with starting dates) on the site. A listing at the top (with teachers’ names) links to the more detailed information further down the page. There are also details on cyberclass scholarships.

On a day to day basis, my favorite part of the site is the Thread Inventory System. Form this page, you will find listed a huge number of different threads. Most of them are links which go to pages which list one or more threads with color number and name. Permission is given on every page to print the off and there is a box by each thread where you can note your own inventory or needs. And at the top of each color chart, you’ll find a brief description of the thread.

Shay Pendray has been a participant in the site since the beginning and an important part of the site is devoted to her TV show, Needle Arts Studio. You can find a detailed listing for each series of programs with information about each programs and project and how to order the kits. Video tapes of the programs can also be ordered here.

The home page for the series tells you how you can ask your local Public TV station to carry the series and a listing of current schedules for the show. Shops participate in the site as well, so you can use them to order materials for your projects. A program for threadaholics showcasing different fibers and stitchers is available (Stitch & Fiber)There is also biographical information on the designers and teachers, information about proficiency levels, listing of guilds, and links to other resources.

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See the original post:
Needle Artworks – Website Review

Background Stitches vol.1 – book review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

The Small Book Series Needlepoint, by Jane D. Zimmerman, (self-published) 2010, ISBN:0-9646219-6-7, $19.95.

There are so many good things to say about this little book, it’s hard to know where to begin. First off, it’s small (the size of a folded over piece of paper), so it’s easy to stick in your project pack. Second each page is given over to a single stitch, so the photos and diagrams are large and easy to read. Finally, the diagrams make it easy for even beginners to learn the 40+ stitches in the book with numbering and arrows on the diagrams.

Jane is immensely knowledgeable about needlepoint and this shows through in both her selection of stitches and in the notes about each stitch. Every stitch gets at least one paragraph, often two, with information about the stitch, its history, and some ideas for variations. With so many stitch dictionaries having either too much or too little information, this teacher on your shoulder approach is just perfect.

The photos of every stitch are large and clear. They are in black and white, but big enough so you can get a good idea of how the stitch will work as a background. Just looking through the book I got so many great ideas for backgrounds, I’m totally jazzed.

The is the first of what will be an exciting series of books. Books on background stitches (2 volumes), layered fillings (3 volumes), bands and borders (3 volumes), and composite patterns (2 volumes) are planned. Further books in the series will include Canvas Bead Embellishment, Florentine Patterns, Shading and Darning Patterns.

To learn more about the series and her other ventures, visit Jane’s site.

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Excerpt from:
Background Stitches vol.1 – book review

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