square-holes

Like the ladies over at BeStitched, I love to outline areas that need some definition using either Whipped Backstitch (thin lines) or Whipped Chainstitch (thick lines). While they aren’t hard to do, they aren’t really common in needlepoint.

BeStitched has put together a video on how to do these two most useful stitches.

Original post:
Outlining Demonstration

Shake your Tail Feathers

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

needlepoint blue macaw designed by kathy schenkel and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m perry
Recently I stitched this delightful Blue Macaw from Kathy Schenkel’s Pirates of the Caribbean series (there is also a Red Macaw I’m doing next).

One thing about Macaws (and many other birds) is that they have long tails. When you are doing a piece as small as this, it can be a real challenge to find stitches that give that feeling of length.

diagonal gobelin stripe stitch, diagrammed by needlepoint expert janet m perry

Using Diagonal Gobelin, above, is just perfect. You can also alternate the direction of the stitches as I did. The long lines of unbroken stitches give you that feeling of length. You can adjust the width to fit the width of your piece. And it creates a nice contrast to the smaller and more busy stitch patterns and colors of the rest of the bird.

Another great possibility if you have a bit more room is Needlepoint Fern Stitch.

Link:
Shake your Tail Feathers

The Best Laid Plans . . .

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

A little more than a week ago, I planned out how I was going to stitch this canvas. I planned to do the letters, rope, and antennae in whipped backstitch. The lobster was going to be in Offset Mosaic. The signal flags would be in various stitches. The background would be in T Stitch and I left the water till later.

I planned on using mostly cotton threads, with the lobster in Grandeur and the letters in metallic.

Then I shopped my stash to pull threads. Instead of Grandeur I found this amazing “boiled lobster” color of Pebbly Perle. But I did keep the Offset Mosaic.

I couldn’t find four Pebbly Perles to match the signal flags, so I went and looked at Impressions, thinking I’d mix the fibers. But I did have all the colors in Impressions, by using a dark gray instead of black, so I went with them. But I could still keep the stitches I had planned.

Next I went to pick out the metallic. I found this great blue-gray. But in the same drawer I found a lovely “almost white” pale blue metallic and decided it would be perfect to add sparkle to the background. So instead of light coverage, I have much more complete coverage in my chosen stitch, T Stitch.

At the same time I decided that I wanted the antennae and eyes to be different from the rope, so I picked a metallic for them.

While I stitched the lobster I thought about the antennae and decided I just didn’t want the fuss of whipped backstitch, so I did them in tent and reverse tent.

Thinking about the letters, I decided whipped backstitch wasn’t thick enough and whipped chain would be too thick. So I’m stitching them in a mixture of tent and reverse tent.

The rope will be whipped chain though, in Impressions. And the water will be an overdyed Gloriana silk.

This illustrates something important to remember whenever you plan something out or buy a stitch guide — it isn’t Holy Writ. Change it when it suits you.
Change it if you don’t like a thread.
Change it if you hate doing a stitch.
Change it if you feel like it or want to do something different.

Nothing is harmed and you’ll like your stitching better if it’s what you want when you stitch it, not what you planned — no matter how good the plan was.

A quick note, shortly after the mini-sock is finished, it will be available as a free stitch guide. I’ll announce it here.

Continue reading here:
The Best Laid Plans . . .

Three Easy Ways to Outline

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

needlepoint fall maple leaf stitched from outline by janet perry

This little fall leaf shows off a number of easy needlepoint techniques. The outline of the leaf was taken from a coloring book page and traced onto canvas. It was then filled with an alternating stitch using two threads.

The background, done in two colors of Watercolours, is mitered. This pulls your eye to the focal point, the leaf. (Click the links to learn how to do these techniques.)

But when I had finished the background I felt as if the different areas didn’t pop enough. So I added a stem, outlined the leaf and then outlined the diamond inset.

All three of these outlines are whipped, or wrapped, stitches. They give wonderful definition to any needlepoint area you want to define.

Wrapping a stitch is a simple process. After you make a line of stitches, you bring the needle out from the canvas under the first stitch, allowing it to emerge one one side of the stitch (the first side). Then bring your needle over the first stitch and under the next stitch, allowing the needle to emerge on the first side of the second stitch.

Continue wrapping in this way until the entire line of stitches or the entire outline is wrapped. But do not allow your needle to go back into the canvas until the line is wrapped.

What does whipping do?

It smooths out the stitch so that lines can be curved.
It hides the joints between stitches so the line looks solid.
It tightens the stitches, making them smaller and standing them up a bit from the canvas.
By being a solid, curved line, it smooths out the abrupt changes that happen in the outline of the needlepoint.

Besides all this, by using a different color of thread for the wrap, this stitch can become a decorative accent as well. You see this in the diamond outline.

I have found this to be a very useful technique. I used Whipped Backstitch (below top) when I want a thin outline. You can see it around the leaf. I use Whipped Double Backstitch (below middle) when I want a slightly thicker, but still delicate outline (not one leaf). Finally, I use Whipped Chain when I want a bold outline (stem on model).

whipped double backstitch diagram

whipped chain stitch diagram

Continued here:
Three Easy Ways to Outline

Stitching Curves – a Guest Post

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

from Needlepoint for Fun & used with permission

Brenda Stimpson of Needlepoint for Fun has written another wonderful and useful blog post, this one giving us three great ways to stitch curves. While I usually use number 3 (wrapping),k all of these work really well.

Thanks again to Brenda for letting me republish this.

I am really enjoying working on my current needlepoint project because it is bringing up lots of needlepoint stitching “issues” that I can share with you. For example, this design has a lot of curves in it and it struck me while I was stitching it, that like throwing a curve ball, stitching a curve can be quite tricky!

This got me thinking (don’t worry, it feels as though it won’t be for much longer), that there are three good ways to stitch a needlepoint curve. Actually, there’s probably more, but I usually use one of these three methods:

1. The Zig-Zag Approach (pictured at top of post)
This is the one most of us use, I am sure. It’s where you use a tent stitch to follow the curved line as closely as you can, in a step-wise or zig-zag fashion.
This is the approach I used with this design, but now I wish I hadn’t because I think one of the other methods would have looked better on this canvas.
Let’s face it, needlepoint is for squares! No, I don’t mean nerds (although I will happily confess to being a needlepoint nerd), what I mean is that needlepoint tent stitches work best on square shapes and straight lines. Throw in a curve and it is harder to navigate this curve with a tent stitch.
The zig-zag approach is a perfectly acceptable way of stitching a curve, and it creates a strong-looking line, but it is not a very smooth curve.

from Needlepoint for Fun & used with permission

2. Back The Stitch Up!
A needlepoint backstitch is a great way to stitch a curve. You use a long stitch over two or more stitch intersections to follow the arc of the curve. You can see in this photo (where I have used white thread on a green curve so you can see the stitches), that I have used stitches of varying lengths and directions to hug the curve. You can find directions on our website for how to do a needlepoint backstitch. It can be done as surface embroidery (stitched on in a finer thread after the canvas is completed), or you can do what I have done here and stitch it directly onto the canvas. See how much smoother the arc of the curve is?

But wait, there’s more…

From Needlepoint for Fun & used with permission

3. Wrap It Up!
If you decide to use a backstitch to define your curve, you can get a thicker, smoother, more defined line by wrapping the stitches. This is called a Wrapped Backstitch. What you do is, when you have placed the last backstitch on the curve, you go back and wrap the thread around each stitch. So, you bring the needle up at the start of the last backstitch you placed and then you slide the needle under this last stitch, working from the outside of the curve toward the inside. The needle stays on top of the canvas and just slides under the stitches. You can see in this photo how I am sliding the needle under the stitch.
Wrapping the backstitch forms a thick, ridged curve, and I think this is what I should have done with the design I am working on as it gives the curve a nice curvy shape! You can imagine that when all the other tent stitches come in around it that this curve will be standing out nicely.

This photo above the description shows what backstitch and wrapped backstitch look like side by side as this curve has only been half wrapped.

Maybe you will consider using one of these techniques next time you’re thrown a curve!

Read the original here:
Stitching Curves – a Guest Post

Round Shapes from Square Holes

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-01-15 18:21:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Orna Willis needlepoint stitch jessica how to cover

An enduring needlepoint problem is circles. While there are ways to make large ones, as seen in this post from Judy Harper and this article from ANG’s site, small circles defeat many stitchers.

Jean Hilton developed a wonderful stitch for making circles called Jessica and now Orna Willis has helped us conquer them with a new How to on her site. This simple how to clearly shows the stitch.

To change sizes, change the number of stitches on each side which will also change the length of the stitches.

The circle is formed by the way the stitches cross each other and twist around.

From this you get pretty raised circles.

Read this article:
Round Shapes from Square Holes

Siren Song

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2007-08-16 16:30:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Off the stretcher bars and straight to this sneak peek. This curvacious mermaid is from Happy Heart Designs. I love some of the coll effects I got. The hair is done with two colors of Rainbow Tweed blended together, with Whipped Backstitch defining the locks.

The glittery tail is stitched with YLI new Super Shimmer Ribbon Floss.

The stitch guide is available from Happy Heart.

Round Pegs in Square Holes

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2007-03-23 06:07:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Every time I need to make a curved line on a needlepoint canvas, this is how I feel.

And of course, since needlepoint canvas is a grid, it’s a very appropriate feeling.

But recently I’ve solved the problem with two easy stitched which make lovely curved lines which stand up prettily from the canvas.

I use Whipped Backstitch.

Backstitch is fine enough that you can follow a curve, and whipping the stitch (wrapping it) does several things. It turns the choppy Backstitch line into a smooth on. It creates curves instead of bumps. Finally it tightens the stitch making it stand up some from the canvas.

Do you want to make the line thicker — Make a two lines of Backstitch and whip them.

It’s simple to do. Begin by making a line of Backstitch. All stitches should go over at least two threads. The result will be a bumpy line with the stitches clearly defined. It doesn’t look nice at all.

That’s correct.

The second step is to wrap the line of stitches. I usually use the same thread, although if you want the wrapping to show up, you can use a different thread.

Begin at one end of the line. Bring your needle up just to one side of the first stitch. Without re-entering the canvas bring the needle over the stitch to the other side and then back under the stitch to the first side of the second stitch. This wraps the stitch.

Continue in the way, wrapping each stitch. Bring the needle back into the canvas only at the end of the line. It creates the prettiest seamless line.

It’s also great for adding veins to leaves, outlines, or for turning a bumpy circle of another stitch into a smooth curve

I love doing it because every time I make this stitch it’s a tiny little surprise of loveliness. I was thinking about it yesterday because I’m working on the stitch guide for this canvas from Happy Heart. I’m also stitching the model. The stems of the tulips (and the letters) are in Whipped Backstitch. As I was stitching, I was so happy as I finished each stem, they are so very pretty.

Keep watching, when I get a bit further along I’ll post a picture of the canvas.

Follow this link:
Round Pegs in Square Holes

Needlepoint Web Round-up

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

twisted cord from embroidery floss from Feeling Stitchy

Over the past week or so, I’ve come across a bunch of useful and interesting posts, products and bits of news. I thought I’d share them all with you in a potpourri post. The picture is from a how-to video about making twisted cord, from the blog Feeling Stitchy. Twisted Cord is one of those things, like making Jello, that is really simple but which utterly defeats me, maybe now I can learn.

DMC’s blog has a post on the history of needlework. Since the company has been around for over 200 years and published one of the standard books embroidery (still in print), they know whereof they speak. Along with a history of needlework in general, there is an engaging history of the company.

If you are a cross stitcher and were jealous of the needlepoint slant of Threadworx Journal, rejoice. There is a cross stitch version now available. The first issue just came out this week.

Ann Strite-Kurz has a new book out in June, A Potpurri of Pattern Encore. It’s available at a special pre-publication price and can be autographed. I have A Potpourri of Pattern and will post about it later this week. According to the page about the new book, it”is a collection of previously unpublished patterns from her newest designs as well as from earlier projects. All patterns are featured in full color as enlarged details and as part of a total design or doodle sampler. All of the examples are original arrangements in Ann’s unique style and there are clear step-by-step sequence charts for each composite pattern.” Included in the book are backgrounds, borders, bands, composite stitches, and more.

I also saw some lovely new hand-painted canvases. Ann Wheat Pace has some inserts for the new Stirling accessories. Jane Nichols has a great series of fun Adirondack chairs, including some with flowers, a St. Patrick’s Day Chair and, my favorite a cat with bird houses.

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The rest is here:
Needlepoint Web Round-up

Symmetry and the Needlepoint Line Problem

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

needlepoint charley harper four-leaf clover

There is a problem (opportunity if you’re a glass half full person) lurking in the heart of every piece of needlepoint. It catches new stitchers and old, it can make a modern edgy piece look “needlepointy” and dull. And it cannot be avoided.

Tent Stitches, the basic needlepoint stitch, are asymetrical. They have a direction, like little arrows. If you have done cross stitch in the past, it doesn’t have this problem (cross stitches are squares). The as=symmetry of needlepoint sneaks up and surprises many stitchers. You can’t get a curve to look even, a line that slants the wrong way becomes a dotted line.

Older needlepoint that was done entirely in Tent Stitch didn’t worry about this problem, so modern needlepoint that has the problem tends to look dated; today we go for a more realistic line and more elaborate stitches.

This problem drives me mad, because I like symmetry in my needlepoint.And I’ve found several ways to solve it, two of which you can see in the four-leaf clover above. The first method, seen on the leaves, is to change the slant of the stitch. If the slant of the line matches the slant of the stitch, the line will be solid. If they are opposite, the line will look dotted. I changed the slant at each of the black lines, making the white line of the clover solid all around. The black line meant that the two slants didn’t meet, but I have done that as well; your eye tends not to see the change if you either use a soft thread or make the center stitch a cross stitch, or both.

I further reinforced the symmetry of the white lines by having all the other stitches above and below it slant the same way. This made the whole clover nicely reflective.

The other method is to use Whipped Stitches to make curved lines. Whipping is the process of wrapping an existing line of stitches with the same or another thread. Begin by making the line. To do thin whipped lines, use Backstitch. Two adjacent lines of backstitch make a slightly thicker line and chain stitch, used here, makes a bold line.

Wrap the stitch by beginning at one end of the line, going over the first stitch and under the second, repeating this over-under process until the line ids wrapped. Magically the line curves and looks smooth.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about textured stitches and stitch direction.

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See the original post here:
Symmetry and the Needlepoint Line Problem

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