Carol’s Counted Canvaswork has this simply delightful free pattern for a Christmas Star. It’s tiny 1.5″ square, so it will be really quick to stitch up.
And you can stitch it in so many different colors.
What a delightful little piece.
See her post for the charts and instructions.
Related posts:
View post:
Christmas Star Freebie
As you probably know, I love Christmas ornaments and among my favorites are vintage ones made from wood.
Doreen at Art Needlepoint scored some lovely ones last year and has reproduced them on needlepoint canvas. One of the three that feature children, Angel of Love, is pictured here.
These three ornaments are the focus of my upcoming free class with Art Needlepoint, beginning Oct 1. These charming designs really come to life with stitches and threads.
I just love the result.
In the class, not only will you make these three great ornaments, you’ll also learn wonderful stitches and techniques you can apply to other canvases, including:
The class is complementary with the purchase of the class kit. To sign up, visit the kit page at Art Needlepoint.
Related posts:
Read more here:
Christmas Ornaments Class
It used to be that if you wanted white in Kreinik metallics you used 032. That color, while white, has lots of translucent threads in it, so it tends to be rather sparkly and has flecks of other colors.
A better, more clear white is 100 or, even better, 100HL. 100 is more sparkly than 100HL which has served me well as a flat white until now.
Earlier this year Kreinik introduced 5760. It is even whiter than 100. It still has some metallic flash, but is a very pure white.
In the kimono pictured here 5760 is used for all the white except for half the stitches in the flower center. The remaining stitches there use 032. The difference is subtle, but there. 5760 is a very bright white with a solid look. It attracts attention. 032 is more subtle and more translucent, probably because it picks up some of the surrounding color.
Nimble Needle in a recent post shows you 032 and 5760 side-by-side so you can see the difference in whites.
If you have been looking for the perfect thread for snow, here it is.
Related posts:
Link:
White in Metallics
Most people think the only way to create shaded needlepoint is to use stranded threads and a technique called needleblending.
But this just isn’t true.
You can create beautifully shaded needlepoint with any thread, using this innovative technique of single strand shading.
Ombre, the fiber art piece pictured above has tons of subtle shading between the colors. This piece, on a 14 mesh canvas from Art Needlepoint is the focus of my free class beginning Sept 1.
The piece is stitched using Anchor Tapestry wool. All you need to do to join the class is buy the kit.
Please note: If you are looking for the final Japanese pattern post, it is going to be delayed. Bingley, one of the kittens, fell off a dresser during the night on Sunday, landed wrong and broke his hip. Monday evening and yesterday we’ve been dealing with that, so I’m kind of behind. He’s going to require surgery and is current;y in a puppy crate (so he won’t try to climb) in my studio.
Related posts:
Read more:
Learn How to Shade with ANY Thread
Originally posted 2007-11-15 15:15:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
We wanted so real contrast in extures between the two witches. This was achieved, as you can see, by picking radically different textures for the threads.
The white witch is stitched in Fyre Werks, a very sparkly thread. The wicked witch is stitched using Petite Very Velvet, about as matte a thread a you can get.
I think the combination is very effective.
Velour threads of any kind are so fun to use for needlepoint. They are matte, but not lifeless. The other thing I love about them is the way many stitches “disappear” when stitched with this thread.
The first time I used one, it was for a background. I was on an extended business trip and needed something to stitch. I picked a set of fruit coasters and wanted them to look as if they were on cloth. The shopowner sold me a velour.
I couldn’t believe the result, the background, done in Basketweave, looks just like fabric.
The black Very Velvet here has the same effect. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but it’s stitched in Woven Plait, a stitch with a strong texture, although small.
With this thread you get only a slight and unrecognizable texture. I’m so excited I can’t wait to stitch!
Related posts:
Original post:
Wicked? – Sneak Peek
I am envious and anxious to stitch my own all at once!
Isn’t this stumpwork sampler that my friend Kelly Clark is stitching amazing?
As you can read in her first blog post about the project, Kelly was reading about stumpwork techniques and noticed all the books had pieces stitched in free embroidery on linen.
She thought, “Why can’t you do this on canvas?”
It’s something I’ve thought often, especially about Jane Nichols lovely stumpwork bugs, but haven’t done a blessed thing about.
But Kelly did and the results are lovely. Go over to her post and take a good look at the sampler. Not only is there the wonderful rooster, but there are examples of so many different types of stumpwork, from silk ribbon embroidery to thread-covered wire.
I hope when she’s done she turns this into either a stitch guide or a cyberclass!
Related posts:
Originally posted here:
Kelly’s Stumpwork Sampler
Originally posted 2006-04-21 07:49:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
I was able to get some more of the mask done, but I’m most excited about the work I got done on the Stitch Maps for Needledeeva’s small Halloween figures (http://www.needledeeva.com). They are just too adorable, little kids in Halloween costumes. The batch I’m working on are the 0460 series and I just finished the draft of the books on the Bitchy Witchies ( 0417, 0421, 0423, 0424, and 0426-0428).
This morning I am working on the guide for Pumpkin Boy and he will be great. I’m just about done with Frank and I think Kool Kat is next. They all have lots of texture, different threads and stitches, even though the designs are small.
The other thing on my agenda this morning is to clean off my desk, which has piles of books on it. Ialso have a meeting this morning and need to be looking at designes for the next step in my EGA Master Craftsman in Color. It requires the same design done three different ways showing different kinds of contrast, so I need to find a suitable design to play with.
Related posts:
Link:
Halloween & Mask
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.
Related posts:
Go here to see the original:
Pat Thode Santa Last in Series
Ashley Bradley has added a line of cat mini-socks to her line of dog mini-socks. So here’s another addition to the many cat ornament canvas and stitched cat ornaments in my collection.
Squigee has some delightful new canvases including a T shirt with a charm that says “When pigs fly”. There are several other witty pieces as well. If you like black poodles, and I do, she has an adorable black poodle roll-up, named Omar.
Among other designs, Patt & Lee has a lovely stitch-painted Christmas Tree with presents under it (a Stitch Guide is also available).
Brenda Kocher has two new designs, an offset Log Cabin sampler featuring lots of Hilton stitches called Lavender Logs, and a new Bargello design called Bodacious Bargello.
Melissa Shirley, as always, has tons of new things. These include several additions to the sky blue, yellow, an white Texas hearts (my favorite is the armadillos), a charming procession of the animals to Noah’s Ark.
Geishas seem to be a big deal this summer, with new ones from Lani, Melissa Shirley, and others.
Lani also has some really elaborate bracelets and some lovely masks in different color. Rebecca Wood has a new series of banners, showing off fondant cakes for each month.
Kreinik has doubled the number of Hot Wire colors, bringing it to 18. They have also added for new Rainforest colors to Japan #7, and brought out Easter Grass in 1/16″ width. They are also expanding their selection of boxed kits, adding 28 count silk gauze, and bringing out new embellishments.
Coming in early July, Crescent Colours will be introducing hand-dyed chenille, rick-rack, and cotton lace. Such interesting ideas for embellishment.
Related posts:
Original post:
New Summer Needlepoint Products
I am so excited about the classes I’ll be teaching for Art Needlepoint over the summer. Each class will focus on a specific technique. They are offered exclusively through Art Needlepoint.
Best of all, the class is free with the purchase of the canvas and kit.
The first class, pictured here, is a basic shading class. It uses this charming Art Nouveau Iris and Needlepoint, Inc silks to teach needleblending, a technique for shading using stranded threads. It begins June 11.
Starting June 15 is Stitching the Impressionists with Shadow Stitching using a lovely watercolor of waterlilies by John LaFarge. The combination of this technique with the changing colors and textures of Impressionism will make for dynamic needlepoint.
Learning how to do effective shading with single strand threads is the topic of the class beginning July 1. It uses a contemporary shaded circle design and wool threads. This technique will free you to do shading on any canvas with any thread.
The lovely Flowers by contemporary artist Virginia Kelly will be combined with textured stitches and special effects in a class beginning July 15. In this class you’ll learn lots that you’ll be able to use on other projects while creating a lovely project that will make a great pillow or picture.
You sign up for any of these classes by clicking on the link and purchasing the kit.
The last class, Shading the Face, will begin August 1 and will use a lovely portrait of a girl by a Brazilian artist. You can read about the painting and the class in a blog post from Art Needlepoint. Please let them know if you are interested in this class.
All the classes are conducted over the Internet with lessons emailed to you, private discussion groups, and scheduled chats.
Hope you’ll join me!
Related posts:
See the original post:
Summer Classes from Art Needlepoint
