stitch

June McKnight, self-published, 2012

I’m of two minds about this book. While I think the information and ideas in the book are wonderful and amazingly creative. And I love the way it gathers so much useful information in one place. There are some small improvements that could be made to make it one of the most useful needlepoint books I’ve seen.

The book combines in one, project-bag-sized book information about so many kinds of embellishments. A fantastic opening chapter is called “Beading 101.” Along with learning about June’s inspiration for and development of the book, she has a fantastic glossary of different kinds of beads and embellishments that is the best I’ve ever seen. In this chapter she also has useful tips on how to test beads for colorfastness, shading with beads, and tons more.

There are chapters on beads, bugle beads, crystals, pearls, rhinestones, sequins, and a final chapter of embellishments inspired by the gowns worn by First Ladies at Inaugural Balls that use a variety of embellishments.

Each of these chapters has different stitches or specialty effects (check out the bugle bead candelabra), taking two pages each. On the left page is the name of the stitch, a close-up picture, and a list of what threads and embellishments are used in the sample. On the right page is the name, a large diagram, done in several colors, and some stitching notes.

I love the way that so many of the stitches and effects take common stitches such as Pavilion, Scotch, or Cashmere and add beads in inventive ways. Or add other embellishments you may not have thought of. For example, you may know that seed beads can be put between the units of criss-cross hungarian, but what if you lengthened the units, put more space between them and used sequins. Attached with beads, it makes for a bold, modern look. That’s just one of the many great ideas in this book.

But there are some problems. The book would be improved as well by a table of contents. This would make it easy to find different kind of effects. I’m planning on making mine easier to use by adding tabs, but with a table of contents I wouldn’t need to. The index in the back of the book breaks stuff down this way, but the back is not the first place people look for this, the front is.

The fancy display font used in the stitching notes makes them hard to read. I’m glad that Beading 101 and the introductions to each chapter weren’t in this font; they would be impossible to read. Even so, I found looking at the notes to be tiring. June’s readers would be much better served if she had used her text font for the notes.

The most difficult problems revolve around the pictures of the examples. When there is good distinction in color between the thread and the embellishment, it’s easy to see how they interact. But, often enough, the stitched examples use colors that are the same or too close, making it difficult to see the effect. If this was stitching on a canvas, that would be great, but these are supposed to teach me something, to give me an idea of how this would work. But if I can’t see how the thread and embellishment interact, why bother?

But most importantly, the pictures are badly inconsistent. I know, from frustrating experience, that taking extreme close-up shots of needlepoint that clearly show the stitches is difficult, but there are at least three different types of pictures here. Some, the smallest number, have clear stitching and canvas mesh. These are wonderful. The majority have clear stitching but out-of-focus bare canvas. It’s a legitimate choice for this kind of photo, even if it is not the more usual choice. But far too many of the pictures have both the canvas and the stitching out-of-focus. That’s bad. Sometimes it is so bad, I can’t even tell what the stitch is supposed to look like. This is a big flaw in the book, especially if I’m paging through looking for a stitch to use.

Bling is a good and useful book, one much needed in the needlepoint world, I just wish it was better.

Please note: A copy of this book was furnished to me for purposes of review. I was not compensated in any other way.

Read the rest here:
Bling –book review

Quick Stitch Reference & More Quick Stitch Reference – Books Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

While there are several small stitch reference books out there, they generally fall into two categories. Some are designed for beginning stitchers. The other type includes only diagrams, but no explanations.

Into this world come these two books. I got mine from Thistle Needleworks, but your shop may have their own branded copies of them. They are small (3�5), spiral-bound books that cover 48 stitches each.

Printed on thick paper, one page is given to each stitch. At the front of the book is a one page index of all the stitches.

Each stitch has a large clear diagram (usually not numbered) that may include some stitch variations. Next to the diagram is what makes these books a real treasure. They have explanatory notes. These might include an explanation of the stitch, notes of how to make it, suggestions for changes, thread suggestions, and, quite often suggestions on how to use it.

Opening the book at random, I found Mayan (a new stitch to me). Reading, I learned that it’s a fast stitch for backgrounds that should be made in vertical rows. There were also suggestions for the color of thread that should be used and an idea for how to modify it to make a border.

Ideas such as these burst from the pages of the book. It’s as if Julie Sackett (the author) was right next to you making stitch suggestions.

Another great thing about the books is that they aren’t just stitches for beginning stitchers, while all the basic are covered, you’ll also find more challenging stitches, such as Staggered Cross (this one always defeats me), as well as more advanced techniques such as laidwork.

Each book ends with several pages of grids for you to chart your own stitches. Inside the back cover of Quick Stitch Reference is a guide to needle sizes. In the same place in More Quick Stitch Reference is a helpful set of tips for backgrounds and laid fillings.

In spite of some charts having compensating stitches that are hard to distinguish from the main stitch, these two books are real winners.

The rest is here:
Quick Stitch Reference & More Quick Stitch Reference – Books Review

Duchess Silk Perle – Thread Review

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

nelsons victory needlepoint quilt block featuring glorian duchess pele and red barn yarns wool, designed and stitched by needlepoint expert janet m.perry

This original quilt block design shows off Glorian's Duchess Perle in Corduroy & Rhodes Stitches

While I could be accused of never seeing a thread I didn’t like (although this is untrue), there are few threads I’ve used that I like as much as Gloriana’s Duchess Silk.

You can see the testament to this throughout this review.I have used this thread in every canvas but one that did not come kitted with threads since I came home from Phoenix.

Sized about the same as Silk & Ivory or Vineyard Silk, I’d call it a fat Perle #5. It’s very lofty, so it can compress enough for Tent Stitch on 18 mesh for many stitchers. In the quilt block project pictured above, you can see how the pink Tent Stitches compress and are lower than the longer Diagonal Gobelins in the same patches.

camellia kimono needlepoint by lee needle arts, stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This Lee Needle Arts kimono is a showcase for many threads, including Gloriana Duchess Perle

But it’s wonderful for longer stitches and for knots (center of flowers in the kimono). You can see how the size of the knots affects the color. The left flower has single wrap knots. They are tight (compressed thread) and quite small. The right flower has two-wrap knots. They are a bit looser, more fluffy and show a greater variation in color.

Gloriana’s other perles, Princess Perle and Princess Perle Petite, are more shiny and have a much tighter twist than Duchess does. This gives interesting effects when you combine them. I think it could be cool to do base stitching in Duchess with overstitching in Princess.

painted-stitches needlepoint canvas, stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This vintage painted stitches canvas uses Gloriana Duchess Silk for the Jacquard and Linenfold Stitches

The colors I have seem to fall into three groups. Solid, such as the red and ecru used on the painted stitches tree above. Very softly shaded, such as the pink in the quilt block. The variation here can be seen easily in the skein, but is quite subtle when the stitch is done in vertical or horizontal rows. It is, however, too much for diagonal rows.

petei needlepoint mini-sock showing rabbits, stitched by needlepoint expert janet m. perry

This Petei mini-sock uses Duchess Perle for the bunnies.

The final group, semi-solids, can be seen in the brown bunnies on the Petei mini-sock above. With two sizes of bunnies you can see how the variation works. The changes are obvious on the larger bunny and show how these kind of threads must be used with correctly done Continental as the Tent Stitch.

Like many silk threads, Duchess Perle has directional light. This means that the color changes, depending on the direction of the stitch. Not only does the color change but, looking at the quilt square sitting next to me, so does the amount of sheen. The reverse stitches are both darker and more matte than the regular stitches. This is not true of the violet wool next to it.

This characteristic is one that you can exploit easily to bring depth to your needlepoint. It will give additional depth to four-way Bargello. You can make items in the background recede slightly by stitching them in reverse stitches. Finally, a stitch going in both directions, such as Criss-cross Hungarian, will be more interesting because it will have even more texture.

There are many stitchers who are afraid that silk is hard to use. If so, try Duchess Perle. It is a single-ply thread, so there is no stripping and laying. It’s lofty size makes it highly adaptable. Finally it stitches like a dream.

I can’t wait to get back to the next project which, of course, uses it again.

The rest is here:
Duchess Silk Perle – Thread Review

Exploring the Painted Stitch Canvas

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

painted stitches tree needlepoint, stitched by needlepoint expert janet m perry, vintage canvas by kris

I was so excited when I found the vintage canvas on eBay awhile ago. I like it because the stitches are already painted on, much as the wonderful designs of Barbara Bergsten are.

This type of needlepoint has the pattern of the stitch already there on the canvas, you pick your threads and follow along.

In the bottom left corner, you can see a patch I’ve already stitched, in Jacquard. The green line was painted on the canvas, I stitched that first and then filled in the cream.

The patch above will be Framed Scotch, I’m stitching the Scotch Stitches now and the white lines that frame the squares will be in Continental.

For some of the patches here, the stitch to use is quite clear, for others I’ll need to make some choices.

But if you are a beginner, or just want to expand your repertoire of stitches, look at Barbara’s great designs. She’s endlessly inventive and her painted stitches are just perfect and a joy to stitch.

With Painted Stitch canvases and a good stitch dictionary, you’ll learn tons of new stitches quickly.

P.S. In future posts, you’ll see this piece again because I’m using it to test three new threads.

Excerpt from:
Exploring the Painted Stitch Canvas

Stitch your Stash Winners

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

The winners of the recent Stitch your Stash Challenge are:

1st place — Judy Furie

2nd place — Debbie Thomas

3rd place — Jenni

4th place — K Blodgett

5th place — Lee Seroka

Congratulations to the winners and everyone else who participated. Everyone who refgistered for the challenge is getting a prize.

Follow this link:
Stitch your Stash Winners

What Color Should that Stitch Be?

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2007-08-08 06:22:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

You know that sinking feeling, the intersection on the hand-painted canvas is more than one color. You don’t know how to decide what color to stitch.

I call deciding this making an “executive decision” in needlepoint. I thought about what the process was for deciding and came up with some guidelines. Although beginners struggle with this issue, it can come up in just about any canvas which is not completely stitch-painted.

If one color covers more of the intersection than the other, stitch it in that color.

If it’s pretty much half and half, then you could do either. To help you choose, you can see if any of these apply:

1. Is it colored in both foreground and background colors? Choose the foreground color.

2. Is it the only intersection which has that color (no intersections with that color around it)? Choose the isolated color because it’s supposed to be a dot of that color.

3. Is it colored a light color and a dark color? Darker colors recede, so picking the darker color will probably make the two areas look more balanced.

4. I one color part of a line? Follow the line on the canvas to see how it will look if this intersection is stitched in that color. I’ve had it happen sometimes when stitching the color of the line instead of the other color made the line look bad.

Sometimes you choose wrong, everyone does. If this happens, don’t be afraid to pull the stitch out and use the other color.

Continue reading here:
What Color Should that Stitch Be?

Make a Whimsy & grace Style Star – Free Project

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

If you get Needlepoint Now you saw the delightful article and stitch guide for the lovely stars from Whimsy & grace. I just love the way you can make them in two sizes, in gold or silver, and in so many different patterns.

You can take her approach of metallic plus white to make your own lovely star.

Materials List

9″ square 18 mesh mono canvas
white stranded or ribbon-style thread, 1 package
metallic threads in your choice of colors in two sizes:

ribbon
#12

Step-by-step instructions

Using your permanent marker trace this star outline onto your canvas.
Starting in about the center of the star, begin to make Magyar Cross. This is a compound stitch of metallic and white diamonds, so it is made in steps.
Make the large Upright Crosses, below, using the #12 metallic.
Now make the Straight Stitches that tie the Cross down using the metallic ribbon, below.
The metallic part of the star is now complete. Fill in the open areas with Pavilion stitched using your white thread. A diagram of the completed stitch is below.
The finished size of the star outline is 6.5″ so this would be a great topper for a small tree. Make the outline smaller, about 4-5″ for a great ornament, or bigger for a larger tree topper. If you make it larger, I’d use a bigger mesh canvas.

I’m thinking of making it as a 10″ star to be our new tree topper, though not for this year.

See original here:
Make a Whimsy & grace Style Star – Free Project

Designing Needlepoint

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Design,Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2009-04-03 17:04:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Barbara Bergsten is a delightful needlepoint designer. Her canvases are fresh, bright, and really fun to stitch.

But don’t you always wonder how a hand painted needlepoint canvas design is created? Not the mechanical process of applying paint to canvas, but how a design is developed. I know I do.

Wonder no more! Barbara has created a lovely blog post about the process.

See the original post here:
Designing Needlepoint

Making a Stitch Notebook

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Originally posted 2003-04-21 07:11:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

One great way to explore stitches is to make a stitch notebook. It’s also a wonderful way to use scraps of canvas and to keep notes about your stitches. Many people make stitch notebooks, they are samplers for our day.

All you need beyond the canvas and thread is some index cards and divided page protectors (like would be used for photos).

Stitch a sample of the stitch in some of your spare thread (leftover bits of thread from other projects are perfect for this). You should try to work at least three or four repeats of the stitch.

It’s even better if you can work a square inch or so. You can use
any kinds of canvas and threads for these samples, even mono canvas
won’t come unraveled because the samples aren’t handled that much.

On your index card, you will need to note some information
about the stitch. You should always include the name of the stitch, the size and type of canvas and the thread you used in the sample. You should also include information about the stitch. This could be the book and page number where you found it, a copy of the stitch diagram or a diagram you have drawn yourself. Some stitch notebook classes are made so that you can add the stitched sample and your notes right on the page.

Finally add your own comments about the stitch. This might include times when the stitch would work well, noted about this thread/stitch combination, or comments about how you liked working the stitch.

One of my favorite stitch notebooks had the notes on index
cards. I used little gold safety pins to attach the stitched samples to the cards. In each section of the page protectors, the sample was on one side and the card on the other.

Spiffing Up One-Thread Lines

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

ideas for creating one stitch lines from needlepoint expert janet m. perry

one stitch line samples

I’ve noticed recently that an awful lot of canvases have one-thread wide lines in them. Not that this is a recent development, but just that I finally noticed it.

Yes, you can do Tent Stitch and, very often, that’s the right thing to do. But sometimes you want to “kick it up a notch,” as the saying goes.

I’ve developed several stitches that I often use to make those single-thread lines stand out. The picture above shows some and in this post, I describe them and a couple of others.

Oblique Continental & Reverse Oblique Continental

oblique continental

These stitches take the basic Tent Stitch and elongate it, so instead of “over 1 and up 1″ it becomes “over 2 and up 1.” I like it because it becomes an almost ropey look. I also like that it seems to stand up a bit more than Tent. This stitch, in either slant, it the one I use most often when I want a different type of line.

Dashes & Dots

dashes & dots

Another way to change a one-stitch line is to add Cross Stitches over a single thread. This could be as simple as alternating between the two stitches. Or you could make a more decorative pattern as I did here, with longer lines of Tent (dashes) separated by one Cross (dots)

Four-way Continental

single line four-way continental

Four-way Continental when done in a single line creates a slight wavy look. I think it’a great for a line that is going to stick out from the surrounding design, like a snowman’s pipe stem or a perch on a birdhouse.

Single-line Wavy Gobelin

wavy gobelin stitch

You might think of this as a form of elongated Four-way Continental. Oblique stitches alternate in slants. I think the finished look is far more wavy than Four-way Continental and that it is quite an unusual look.

Whipped Backstitch

whipped backstitch

I love this stitch because it creates a thin, seamless line. It also is a great solution if you need to outline something, or make a single curved line. This stitch will stand up from the canvas slightly. Also be aware that this stitch is thinner than the other stitches here, so be sure to stitch underneath the line where you will put this stitch.

Whipped Chain Stitch

whipped chain stitch

If you want a bolder but still seamless line, you can’t do better than Whipped Chain Stitch. Like Whipped Backstitch, it is seamless and works around curves. But it is thicker (it will cover a line well) and it stands out even more. Whipped Chain Stitch is a great solution for lines that you really want to have stand out.

Read this article:
Spiffing Up One-Thread Lines

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