When I joined ANG Central Jersey Chapter (CJC) in Colonia, NJ, I was really surprised that new members get a painted canvas for a name tag, and it was designed exclusively for the chapter by Lee’s Needlearts. Very pretty (design area is 5″x3″).
The instructions were included, but I stitched it up differently.
I decided to start it this past Friday for the Saturday chapter meeting that turned into an all Zoom meeting/Stitch-in due to our winter weather that hit over the weekend. After 715 days of less than one inch of snow, the Philadelphia area made up for lost time. It was our second snowfall this month. Snow days are great stitch days! We stayed in all weekend, and I had hoped this piece would be done over the weekend. No such luck. My stitch selections did not work up quickly, and that’s OK! I love how it turned out.
My stash came through for this canvas.
I used tent stitch with 2 strands of Wildflowers 6042 for the outer purple grid lines and 2 strands of Impressions 6040 for the center rectangle. The Impressions is slightly heavier than Wildflowers, helping the name tag area to increase in prominence.
I did basketweave with 2 strands of DMC Floche Blanc for the white stripes.
For the green stripes, I stitched the fern stitch with 2 strands of Splendor S1058. I always worked towards the small dark green square.
For the purple stripes, I stitched a pattern from the ANG Lone Star Chapter’s Grab -n- Go Stitches (pg 87) with 2 strands of Splendor S812. I always worked towards the light green stripe.
Each little (3 x 3) square turned into 3 steps thanks to a Jessica variation a pattern I saw in Grab -n- Go Stitches (pg 3): first, I worked a Jessica with 2 x 1 stitches all the way around with 2 strands of Bijoux MMT #452 Green Agate (not pictured in the thread photo as it was a late addition); next, I added small cross stitches over 1 at the north, south, east, and west sides with 1 strand of DMC Floche white (they look like little hearts to me); lastly, I placed a cross stitch over 1 in the center with 2 strands of the same green Bijoux. It’s a cute little motif to add some interest to the background, and I love using Bijoux!
It always surprises me when a skein looks like one color as a skein and then looks differently when stitched. The green au ver a soie, soie d’alger 2136 looks significantly darker than the green 2126 as a skein but not when stitched for the leaves. Oh well!
Using Silk Lame Braid for 18 count, allowed the small cross stitch over 1 and oblong cross stitch over 2×1 to be slightly raised for the center of the right 3 flowers. For the larger flower, I made a small diamond Jessica and then placed a cross stitch on top for a significant raised center. But, after I added the petals, it looks like an upright cross stitch. Oh well again!
The blue-violet flowers were formed by straight stitches using 4 strands of Splendor S1086, 2 strands each of Splendor S1086 and S882, and 4 strands of Splendor S882 for the dark, medium, and light petals, respectively.
My name was cross stitched using 2 strands of Planet Earth 6-ply Silk Eclipse 1101 (a dark gray). The background around my name was done in Alternating Continental (as recommended in the stitch guide) with Kreinik #4 Braid (as recommended) 5760 Marshmallow (a little whiter than 032 Pearl as recommended in order to match the white Floche stripes). It is a great stitch for this area because it covers the open hole from the traveling thread below the canvas. The Kreinik added some sparkle to the name area which helps draw attention to that area. Seeing your name is the goal!
Filed under: ANG Central Jersey Chapter, Name Tag Lee Canvas, Sashiko Mini Sampler Hemp Leaf
I joined the ANG Central Jersey Chapter (CJC) today. Since I had been there 4 times this year for a variety of reasons, I decided that I might as well officially join the chapter. It’s about an hour and 20 minute drive. So, I won’t be there every month but maybe quarterly. We’ll see. Nice group of about a dozen women that meet in a church in Colonia, NJ from 10-3. They stitch, hold the meeting around 11:30 or 12, have lunch, and keep stiching. On a Saturday, traffic is not too bad. So, if there is good weather and no other plans, I can join them periodically.
New members get a gift bag! The painted canvas is for a beaded name tag designed exclusively for the chapter by Lee’s Needlearts. Instructions are included. But, nobody wore name tags and 2 women told me they never stitched it. Very pretty design.
The purple card case was made for their chapter’s anniversary last year and these are extras. Since they were made by Sharon B and Sue C, that makes it that much more special. Ironic that there are 3 slots. I now belong to 3 ANG chapters and 1 EGA chapter. Only 2 of the 4 chapters have business cards. But, I have my own personal ones. So, 3 slots are perfect!
And, the Sashiko Mini Sampler Kit by Miniature Rhino is of a Hemp Leaf (Asanoha). It comes with white thread and 2 sizes of Sashiko needles by Olympus. I didn’t have these needles! But, I didn’t get instructions. I believe that Jacqui C contributed the kit. So, if I can’t figure out what to do with this, I can ask Jacqui.
The fob is color coordinated with everything ever so nicely! Well done, CJC.
It’s interesting to see how different chapters function. No one is the same!
Another framed piece that I forgot to post. The ANG Central Jersey Chapter (CJC) hosted the Autumn 3-Ways Workshop with Toni Gerdes in the fall of 2022 although we had to do it remotely in winter of 2023 because of Toni’s flight cancellation.
Those of you who know the piece will know the piece is framed upside down but I didn’t notice that until I got home and my husband and I decided we like it that way! Finished by Frames Plus in Feasterville, PA.
On Friday, Kristen and I made a road trip to Edwardian Needle and joined the large turnout who shop, stitch, and gab all afternoon. Very nice time – the whole weekend was great. Kristen is easy to travel with. My purchases will be the subject of a couple of upcoming posts.
On Saturday, we joined the ANG Central Jersey Chapter (CJC) for their meeting/Stitch-in. They are getting started on Crescent Journey and I displayed them as a group again. It’s fun to discus how different each design turned out because of the differences in colors and values. I saw the start of 4 of the 5 colorways and a fifth that incorporates blue instead of black with neutrals.
The chapter will also be stitching my Festive Fireworks published in the July/Aug 2017 issue of Needle Pointers. So I took that along again for them to see and talked about the project briefly.
Since CJC hosted the Autumn 3-Ways Workshop with Toni Gerdes, I took it along for my Saturday stitching project. Before I left for the weekend, I had stitched the veins and stems on the leaves. And I almost finished the 5th border, another padded long-armed cross stitch (that was also the stitch for the first border) during the Stitch-in. I did get that done Saturday night and the beads went onto the 3rd border on Sunday after I got home. The beads are Delica Beads Size 15. According to the instructions, it looked like they were intended to be stitched horizontally between the motifs but I stitched them vertically because the beads are tubular and fit in the space so much better in that orientation. And, my compensation in the corner did not leave room for a bead but that’s ok.
The ANG Central Jersey Chapter (CJC) hosted the Autumn 3-Ways Workshop with Toni Gerdes.
I stitched the shading on the middle leaf one day when all was quiet and still could not get the stitch pattern to work for me. I thought I had it right but alas, no! So, it is my variation of Toni’s Oblique Cross Stitch variation. The shading is as Toni suggested. It moves from dark on the outer edges to lighter in the center.
The fourth border, a multi-trip Herringbone, was stitched with 5 colors. I placed the first trip on the canvas at home the night before the Saturday Stitch-in with the Stitchers of Grace at the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hatfield, PA (a couple of weeks ago). This was the second time I joined them for their annual spring event. A nice group of stitchers. I stitched almost 2 trips in a couple of hours.
The last trips were finished during the following weekend’s Stitch-in with my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter and later during some March Madness basketball games. This border was like a game with 2 overtimes! It took over a dozen trips – around and around. When I was almost halfway done, I wasn’t thrilled (or maybe just not excited about going around that many more times). Then, once I passed the halfway point, it really started to pop. It’s now my favorite border!
One border, one leaf, and beads left to go.
The ANG Central Jersey Chapter (CJC) had to change the Autumn 3-Ways Workshop with Toni Gerdes to an online class and I picked up the kit on November 19. It teaches fabric applique and needle felting. I love the matching needle minder.
Well, I didn’t want to ruin my iron again. So, I took everything with me to my November Main Line Stitchers chapter Stitch-in. I had the leaf outline cut out, the leaf window, and felt cut ready to go. The fusible web went on the felt (pressed not ironed onto place on the canvas) and then on the fabric (pressed onto the felt). Linda assisted me in the process and the applique turned out great and the iron is fine. Thanks Linda for your help and to Toni for easy to follow instructions.
The buttonhole stitches were easy enough! The stems and veins go in after the 3 leaves are done.
The needle felting leaf could have been done next or later. So, I worked on the stitched leaf instead. Got part of that leaf done and then needed something easy to stitch and worked on the borders for several stitching occasions away from home.
The class notes and 2 videos that were sent out in advance of our first Zoom class which is Thursday Feb 9 at 7 pm have been watched and read. While I would have enjoyed seeing Toni in person, her instructions are excellent and I am enjoying the piece.
Filed under: ANG Central Jersey Chapter, Autumn 3-Ways with Toni Gerdes, Ginkgo Leaves, Other People's Designs
Since the CJC-sponsored Autumn 3-Ways class with Toni Gerdes was cancelled due to Toni’s plane cancellation last month, I visited the chapter at their November meeting to pick up the kit. Since class had already been postponed a year due to covid, it will be on 2 or 3 Zoom sessions for questions. Toni’s directions are good and we’ll be getting lecture notes too. It would have been nice to have a 2-day in person class but this will work out fine.
Toni’s kit has a line drawn canvas, 2 needle felting needles, foam, felt, lovely fall colored threads, teeny tiny beads (Delica Suze 15). I don’t recall ever using Sparkle! Braid or Soy Luster and know I haven’t used Painters Threads. I love trying out new threads. Oh boy, Fusible Web is included! I hope my iron survives this. We had over a dozen different fabrics to choose from. All were lovely but I selected the original used in Toni’s design. Considering this design has been out at least since 2014 (copyright date), it’s amazing that she still has swatches of the original fabric. I love the needleminder she included which is the same as the design! So cool.
The chapter will be stitching Festive Fireworks from the July 2017 issue of Needle Pointers magazine (https://melitastitches4fun.com/?s=Festive&submit=Search) in June/July 2023. So, I took my framed piece to show them. At least one person discussed changing the colors to a Mardi Gras theme. Sounds intriguing.
I also took the 5 colorways of Crescent Journey, the 2023 ANG Stitch of the Month. The materials list and guidance for selecting threads will have to wait until January (probably the 3rd due to the holiday). They and I will be visiting ANG PA’s Keystone Garden in December and NJNA in January. Thanks so much to Linda, Lisa, and Kristen for allowing me to hold onto their stitched pieces for a local tour! They were a big hit and I discussed the lessons learned about looking at values as much as colors. The Neutral seemed to be the most popular. Beach at Night got alot of discussion because it looks so lacy but stitching on black was a concern.
While many of the CJC members worked on their month’s project, I basketweaved the background of Ginkgo Leaves, a Lee canvas. I will probably stitch on this again at my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter Stitch-in on Saturday.
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Filed under: ANG Central Jersey Chapter, General comments, Name Tag Lee Canvas, Tools
I decided to add a blue “mat” by stitching 3 rows of tent stitch using the same dark blue Impressions 6040 used to frame the name.
I cut 4 tabs on each side, folded them back, steamed the canvas, added a piece of magazine board, placed a piece of double stick fusible web on the canvas (about 1/2″ smaller than the canvas), placed a piece of blue Ultrasuede on top and pressed it into place with my iron. I used my ironing cloth to protect the Ultrasuede since I had and still have no idea if applying an iron with or without steam to Ultrasuede is a good idea or not! It is sufficiently stiff and not too thick. I had left about 1/2″ around the edge so I could glue the edges to the white canvas tabs on the back. Glue could not reach the front because of the magazine board. If it did, it would only be on the blue “mat.”
I should have attached the pinback to the Ultrasuede first but my curved needles allowed me to attach it relatively easily. The pinback measures 1.5″ end to end but the center part is 1″.
Have I mentioned that I don’t like necklaces? Well, I don’t! So, I’ve come up with a way to display these.
I started using my Smasta in 2022 as a travel tool kit. Here is the inside. Note the pointed metal arch at the top.
Here is the outside. Note the clear plastic oval. It has 2 magnets that are paired with the pointed metal arch on the inside (originally purchased at Barnes and Noble to hold glasses, but I never used it for that). It was in my travel tote as an extra needle minder if needed at a class.
By placing it where it is now, I can use it to display my name tags as I stitch! My Brandywine Chapter name tag already had a pinback. So, I knew this would work.
I added one to the back of my Main Line Stitchers Chapter name tag just in time for our Saturday Stitch-in tomorrow.
And, the newest name tag . . .
All 3 look great with the blue Smasta!
I believe I got this name tag holder at an EGA Mid-Atlantic Regional meeting. It holds all 3 name tags! The newest one just fit in the center zipper pocket.
That leaves New Jersey Needle Artists as the odd man out. I do have instructions for theirs. Maybe someday.