Filed under: ANG Delaware's Seashore Chapter, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Threads
I was very appreciative of being invited to join the ANG Delaware Seashore chapter to lead my Chapter Project Book piece called Overdyed Spools. These ladies didn’t “need” me as they are very accomplished stitchers. Before getting started on Spools, I shared a lesson on overdyed threads that I prepared back in 2013 for my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter. It included some information from June McKnight’s book about how colors of overdyed threads can get clumpy (left photo), stitching randomly eliminates that best (center photo), and tweeding or stitching by reversing the thread can help unless as with this double brick stitch the colors fall together (blue in the center of right photo). Her book, Shading and Thread Blending Techniques for Needlepoint, has lots more information on the subject.
I also brought stitched pieces using all overdyed threads that I selected for a Kathy Rees piece called Spirit of Jean; https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/category/ang-correspondence-courses/spirit-of-jean-by-kathy-rees/ which demonstrated how I manipulated overdyed threads to have the color repeat in the same places along the Smyrna border, within the Amadeus stitches, and triangular waffles.
My Purple Mountains Majesty (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/category/melitas-designs/purple-mountains-majesty/) used a single overdyed thread with 3 colors which I stitched in a particular stitch pattern to get the color to fall where I wanted it to.
And, my newest and as yet unrevealed design using a combination of overdyed and solid threads where I manipulated the overdyed threads by cutting them specifically to fall in certain areas. That’ll be going to Seminar in Houston!
Then, we had fun looking for the repeating color pattern of various skeins of Watercolors. Even within several different dye lots of Lilac there were variations. So, several women’s skeins were particularly difficult to find the pattern. And, one we gave up on & we swapped it out for an extra skein.
There are differences in the Spools as originally stitched and Spools restitched. I widened Areas A & C. Therefore, the spools themselves are smaller in the restitched version (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/category/melitas-designs/spools/). I did find an error in Diagram 2 of Overdyed Spools.
Their Cheer Community Center (20520 Sandhill Rd, Georgetown, DE) has a nice little cafeteria (great tuna fish). Good lighting in the room – no steps to go up or down. They meet the first Monday of the month from 10 am – 2 pm. Visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Delawares-Seashore-Chapter-of-the-American-Needlepoint-Guild-ANG-209178456136131/) or you can email them at delawaresseashorechapter@needlepoint.org . It was another fun time visiting my seashore neighbors!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Patchwork of Peace, Threads
Entice is not my favorite thread mainly because it frays badly. I will only use it once per row. In the 10th block from the right, I was using it for the bottom large oblong x but found it was too bulky. So, I thinned the thread down by pulling out 2 rayon strands and 1 polyester strand leaving 3 rayon and 3 polyester strands. I’ve also removed strands from Silk Lame Braid for 18 count which is a combination of silk, rayon, and metalized polyester and is a thread that I much prefer to use. Silk Lame Braid Petite is a similar combination but different percentages, thinner, and also just as nice of a thread to use.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#11), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Elegance E820
2 – Planet Earth 6 Ply Silk 1005 (2 strands)
3 – Bella Lusso 764 and Kreinik #8 Braid 061
4 – Pepper Pot Silk 018 (1 ply) and Kreinik #8 Braid 061
5 – Pepper Pot Silk 017 (2 plys) and Needlepoint Inc Silk 503 (3 strands)
6 – Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1009 and Kreinik #8 Braid 5505
7 – Needlepoint Inc Silk 502 (2 strands) and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP08
8 – Elegance E820
9 – Au Ver A Soie 100/3 499 (2 strands) and Soie d’ Alger 4624 (2 strands)
10 – Entice E239 and Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1005
11 – Bella Lusso 764
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Patchwork of Peace, Threads
It’s great to use reds and having no issues working with fewer thread options than I had with white. They fit in half of the Bohicket Bag.
I didn’t like the white showing through too much and there are a few stitch patterns open enough to want to color the canvas. Luckily, I had a perfect red Copic sketch marker (R29 Lipstick Red). So, I am going to cover just those blocks that wouldn’t be fully covered by stitches being very careful with the fine tip end not to touch the adjacent threads. The outer edge will be covered by a gold border but I have to be way more careful when I use the marker on the inner rows of the canvas.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#11), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Bella Lusso 764 and Planet Earth 6 Ply Silk 1009 (2 strands)
2 – Au Ver A Soie 100/3 SMS499 (2 strands) and Splendor S1005 (2 strands)
3 – Kreinik #8 Braid 5505 and Planet Earth 6 Ply Silk 1009 (2 strands)
4 – Pepper Pot Silk 017 (1 ply) and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP08
5 – Needlepoint Inc Silk 502 (2 strands)
6 – Entice E239 and Splendor S820 (2 strands)
7 – Elegance E820 and Planet Earth 6 Ply Silk 1005 (2 strands)
8 – Pepper Pot Silk 018 (2 plys) and Kreinik #8 Braid 061
9 – Bella Lusso 764 and Planet Earth 6 Ply Silk 1005 (2 strands)
10 – Pepper Pot Silk 017 (1 ply) and Kreinik #8 Braid 003V
11 – Soie d’ Alger 4624 (2 strands) and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 499 (2 strands)
Back in October 2018, I stitched these hearts and shortly thereafter, I was asked by Needle Pointers if they could publish directions for Crescent Journey. But, I hadn’t written them up yet and I was/am working on alternate colorways. Instead, I suggested the heart design instructions that I’d written up for my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter members as we worked to support the Greater Kansas City Needlepoint Guild (GKCNG) Chapter’s Hearts for Hospice project.
Now, those instructions have been published and are in the article, Caring Hearts, in Needle Pointer’s Jan/Feb 2019, Volume 47, No. 1. As it turned out they were publishing an article about GKCNG’s efforts. So, this made a nice companion article. Coincidentally, Barbara Richardson has a lovely heart design published in Needlepoint Now Jan/Feb 2019, Volume XXI, No. 1. So, there are plenty of options to stitch. I do hope that others can stitch a heart and support GKCNG’s cause. Any questions about their project can be sent to Sue at HeartsForHospiceGKCNG@gmail.com
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Threads, Threads and Beads
Two new threads for me are Vineyard Jewels and Colonial Persian.
I learned about them from a Rittenhouse Needlepoint’s newsletter:
- Vineyard Jewels is Wiltex’s new line of metallic thread. The 100% polyester thread comes on 8yd cards. The colors are as bright as Vineyard silk but think metallic braid. The thread size is between a Kreinik #8 and #12 so one strand would be good on 18 count (but also lighter coverage on 14 count) canvas. We currently have the entire line available so make sure to add some “Jewels” to your stash!
- If you haven’t tried using 100% wool thread because you think the colors aren’t vibrant enough, I have two words for you — “Colonial Persian”. This is not your mother’s wool thread. We now carry the entire 258 colors in the line and they are gorgeous! The virgin wool combined with the experience and talent of the dyer equals colors that really pop! Each card is 8 yards but since it’s 3-ply you’re really getting 24 yards if you stitch on 18 mesh canvas. So check out this new line for belts or bags where its strength and durability will be especially useful!
I also read more about them on Janet Perry’s Nut About Needlepoint blog:
- https://nuts-about-needlepoint.com/vineyard-jewels-thread-review/
- https://nuts-about-needlepoint.com/colonial-persian-yarn-thread-review/
I picked up a skein of each at Rittenhouse to test them for myself and to share results with my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for either. The Vineyard Jewels doesn’t feel or lay as nicely as Kreinik. The thread size is closer to #12 or slightly larger. Coverage wasn’t that great even on the diagonal. And, Colonial Persian wears and is too “hairy” for me although would be good for certain projects where that effect is desirable. Coverage with one strand (of the 3-plys) on the diagonal is good but not vertically. And, using 2 plys vertically would be too bulky for 18 count.
Join us tomorrow Monday, March 11 at 7 PM in the conference room at Starbucks in Wayne (218 Lancaster Ave).
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Patchwork of Peace, Threads
The white rows are completed! There are 24 threads used in the 90 different blocks.
Looking at the blocks up close allows you to see the different textures. But, from afar, you can only see the change in color from very white to white to ecru.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Elegance E800 and Soie Perlee SPS694
2 – Bella Lusso 001 and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
3 – Gloriana 261 (2 strands) and Gloriana 0057 (2 strands)
4 – Impressions 100 and DMC Floche Blanc (2 strands)
5 – Pashmina 000 (2 strands)
6 – Subtlety Y899 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
7 – DMC Floche Blanc and Sparkle Braid SK06
8 – DMC Perle #8 Ecru, DMC Perle #12 Ecru, and Burmilana 3845
9 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands) and Impressions 118
10 – Soie Perlee SPS694
11 – Au Ver A Soie 100/3 Blanc (2 strands), Elegance E800, and Kreinik #4 Braid 032C
12 – Designer’s Dream D02 (2 strands) and Pashmina 261 (2 strands)
13 – DMC Perle #8 B5200, DMC Floche Blanc, and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
14 – Burmilana 3845 (2 strands) and Gloriana 261 (2 strands)
15 – Wildflowers 100 and DMC Floche Blanc (2 strands)
16 – Elegance E800 and Gloriana 261 (2 strands)
17 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
18 – Kreinik #8 Braid 102, Subtlety Y899, and Wildflowers 000
19 – Wildflowers 100 and DMC Floche Blanc
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Threads, Threads and Beads
When I saw Karen at Nimble Needle had a Silk Luster Leaf Exercise Kit at the 2018 New Jersey Needle Festival, I didn’t know why I needed it but now I do. This works right in with a thread project that I started in October for my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter.
Access Commodities has an instructional booklet on their website to go with the kit. The kit contains Trebizond TRA734, Soie d’Alger 2125, Soie de Paris SDP2125, Soie Gobelins SGS2125, Au Ver A Soie 100/3 SMS325, and Soie Perlee SPS325. Threads are all green. First, I made the outline using my “Purple Pen” with disappearing ink. I had carefully cut out the stem and the veins from a paper copy and used it like a stencil. That looked good. So, I used my ZIG Fabricolor green marker that I got in a previous class. Easy! The threads are green and I’ll be sure to cover the lines anyway.
Both the slipperier the thread and the more strands needed (3 or 4) for proper coverage made it harder to lay the threads. Working with Soie d’ Alger was the easiest. I’ll probably finish the leaf on a long wrapped wire and place in a bowl of artificial flowers.
Join us Monday, February 11 at 7 PM in the conference room at Starbucks in Wayne (218 Lancaster Ave). I’ll be sharing 2 new threads.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Patchwork of Peace, Threads
The part I like best about stitching this piece is having so many small areas to stitch which allows me to experiment with different thread combinations within a single square and I’m getting to stitch patterns I’ve never stitched before.
So far, my two favorite combinations are the first square on the right in the bottom row I just finished (Grounding):
and third row from the top fourth square in from the right (Escalator):
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Soie Perlee SPS694 and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 Blanc
2 – DMC Perle #8 B5200, Treasure Braid Petite PB10 (2 strands), and Wildflowers 000
3 – Designer’s Dream D02 and Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
4 – Wildflowers 118 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
5 – Soie Perlee SPS694 and Pashmina 261
6 – Elegance E800 and Sparkle Braid SK06
7 – Wildflowers 000
8 – Wildflowers 100 and DMC Floche Blanc
9 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
10 – Pashmina 261 and Kreinik #8 Braid 102
11 – Bella Lusso 001
12 – Wildflowers 000 and DMC Perle #12 B5200
13 – Gloriana 261, Elegance E800, and Sparkle Braid SK06
14 – DMC Perle #8 B5200
15 – Wildflowers 118 and Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
16 – Subtlety Y899
17 – Designer’s Dream D02 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
18 – Burmilana 3845 and Bella Lusso 001
19 – DMC Floche Blanc
I finished my 12″ square design from the class with Kathy Rees (it goes to the framer, then to exhibit at Seminar, then it’ll get posted on my blog). There are still enough threads to stitch another small design. But, it’s not enough threads to warrent storage in my Bohicket Road bag. So, I moved my white/ecru threads into it. Fantastic bag! And, it made organizing fun.
Row 10 white stitched:
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Crescent Journey, General comments, Melita's Designs, Organization
I finally recovered from a month long viral head cold to visit people this past weekend. We made up for lost time. I took multiple pieces to our monthly ANG Stitch-In Time sessions (please join us at Starbucks on Lancaster Ave in Wayne, PA on the 4th Saturday 10-2 through April). We had another great turnout. From there Bill & I headed to Delaware for a birthday party where I shared my needlepoint exploits (one is also a stitcher) and on Sunday got together with Linda, my stitching buddy.
Linda and I exchanged gifts belatedly. I am fortunate to be the recipient of her first attempts at new patterns. You’d never guess that by looking at anything I’ve gotten so far. And, these 2 project bags are no exception. The bags have beautifully coordinating colors, a zipper closure, a see through plastic front, and a handle! The backs are quilted. Stunning.
I just put one of my current projects, another colorway of Crescent Journey. The threads fit perfectly in the small bag. This colorway looks fantastic in these bags! Thanks again Linda. This is also the project that Linda is proofreading my instructions as she stitches a third colorway.
Hate to admit it but I stitched some adjacent to the previous row again. At least this time, it was only a partial of the first block. I wrote a note on row 10 instructions to skip a row to remind me when I pick it up again.
Even though there were more blocks in this row, it seemed to stitch up quicker.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Elegance E800 and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 (2 strands)
2 – Gloriana 261 (2 strands) and Burmillana 3845
3 – Designer’s Dream 002 and DMC #12 Ecru
4 – Wildflowers 000 and Pashmina 261
5 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands) and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
6 – DMC #8 B5200, DMC #12 B5200, and DMC Floche Blanc
7 – Wildflowers 118 and DMC #12 Ecru
8 – Pashmina 000, DMC Floche Blanc, and Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
9 – Wildflowers 100 and Kreinik #4 032C
10 – Wildflowers 000
11 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands) and Designer’s Dream D02
12 – Bella Lusso 001 and DMC Floche Blanc
13 – Wildflowers 000
14 – Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100 and Pashmina 000
15 – Elegance E800 and Wildflowers 118
16 – DMC #8 B5200 and Au Ver A Soie Blanc
17 – Burmilana 3845 and Subtlety Y899
18 – Bella Lusso 001
19 – DMC Floche Blanc and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 