I made several attempts to eyeball the placement of the 6 points of the star before I realized that I must have missed something in her directions. Back I went to Mary Corbet’s Needle ‘n Thread article on Stitch Play for Stars and Snowflakes (http://www.needlenthread.com/2012/07/stitch-play-petals-spokes-spacing.html
Am I glad I did. There is a website that graphs these points out based on your specifications (http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/polar/). Very helpful! Looking much better now! I have it plotted out on graph paper if anyone is interested. Happy Holidays!
What can you do with these supplies?
All I used were those 2 glues (one for fabric and another for metal), two paper clips, 2 earring hooks, and one 40″ thread of Vineyard Silk Shimmer (S-515, Toffee) to make these earrings:
I cannot take credit for the idea! One of the women from work shared the link with me (http://evie-s.com/news/2011/02/10/art-from-everyday-objects-paperclips-string/. Great way to use up your stash & make something unique, not expensive – just in time for holiday gift giving! They turned out nice.
I do know a lot of readers. It is just that these suede bookmarks were $30 and so they need to go to someone special! Normally, I would not have purchased them but my husband hit at the casino right before visiting Nimble Needle, shared his winnings with me, & so I splurged!! These are Anne Brinkley Ultrasuede Self Finishing Needlepoint Canvas Bookmarks.
Well, I know Bill gets the Shamrock and I am keeping the Fuchsia! And, I think 2 are going to my previous boss and my current boss – I will let them pick from the 4 remaining. That leaves 2 of these lovely bookmarks looking for a home! I am thinking of my shuffleboard partner who is a member of a book club and our friend in the Poconos.
They are well made & I used FABRI-TAC, a permanent adhesive, around the edges to finish them that I purchased a while ago at the recommendation from Rittenhouse Needlepoint’s finisher. That was one reason why I got the bookmarks – no further cost to finish them.
I did these using basketweave/tent stitch. And, got 4 done over the long ‘Sandy’ stormy weekend. They did work up quickly. Here are the threads I used:
Windmill: Splendor, Designer Collection, Delft Blue, SC6 card contains S800, S860, S868, S1001, S1143, S858
The CyberPointers Chapter of ANG, of which I am a member, came up with an idea to make houses stitched by members of the various Special Interest Groups. I belong to the Hilton SIG. Luckily, the project stalled & I finally had time to stitch the house I had designed when the project was first announced. So, I’d like to welcome you to The Helen Ashland House, composed of stitches from Needlepoint Stitches by Jean Hilton.
Supplies:
18-count canvas, ecru; 10 x 10 stretcher bars; #22 and #24 tapestry needles
| Thread/Color | Location | Stitch | Page Number* |
| ThreadworX – 11212 | Outline of house and door | Half Cross | 36 |
| Watercolours – 218 Ash | Body of house | Ashland Stitch | 36 |
| Wildflowers – 118 Opal | Space between outline of house | Smyrna | 36 |
| Wildflowers – 118 Opal | Area around large upstairs window | Smyrna | 36 |
| Wildflowers – 118 Opal | Windows in door | Small Jessica | 9 |
| Wildflowers – 118 Opal | Inner circle of upstairs window | Small Jessica | 9 |
| Wildflowers – 118 Opal | Door | Elongated Smyrna | 45 |
| Wildflowers – 118 Opal | Lunette, the half-moon space above door | Sprat’s Head, Flat Top | 55 |
| Vineyard Silk Shimmer – S-537 | Outer circle of upstairs window | Large Jessica | 9 |
| Watercolours – 251 Sunflower Seed | Trees | Offset Scotch | 38 |
| Watercolours – 228 Honeydew | Grass turf (bottom layer) | Tent Stitch | |
| ThreadworX – 10471 | Grass blades (top layer) | Wrapped Coils | 33 |
| Flair – F502 | White sheer window curtains | Straight Stitch | |
| River Silks 4 mm Ribbon – 237 Brown | Brown window drapes | Oval Jessica, 1 around only* | 9 |
| Pebbly Perle – P061 | Blue sky | Helen’s Lace | 22 |
| Watercolours – 256 Barely Blue | White clouds | Helen’s Lace | 22 |
* From Needlepoint Stitches by Jean Hilton; Some were modified to fit the available space.
** More familiarly known as the Crescent Stitch from Stimulating Stitches by Jean Hilton (page 9).
The 2 predominant stitches are Helen’s Lace for the cloudy sky & the Ashland Stitch for the body of the house. That Ashland stitch is tricky especially because I was using an overdyed thread & didn’t want it to get streaky. I would probably do the sky again in a more thread-blended fashion. But, I like the movement the pattern gives to the clouds.
Hopefully, everyone is safe, stays safe, and has something fun to stitch as we weather out Hurricane Sandy. I am working on the bookmarks for Christmas gifts. Who is going to get which one? Another stash project!
Filed under: Uncategorized
You may recall that a previous blog was about the process of pilot stitching for ANG (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/pilot-stitcher/). Well, I finished that blog by saying, “My hats off to the folks who match people & courses – it must be quite a challenge!!” Little did I know that person was Christine, or know that she’d ask me to take on her role of Correspondence Course Chairman (CCC) one year later while at seminar in Philly, or that the role involved matching select courses with pilot stitchers. And, I must say that being CCC is a bit more involved than I’d expected. But, I decided to take it on because I’d gotten so much out of the 3 correspondence courses that I’d taken shortly after joining ANG (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/my-first-ang-correspondence-course-first-steps-with-nanette-costa/ and https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/understanding-design-by-mary-shipp/ and https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/understanding-color-by-mary-shipp/). This year’s Seminar was certainly a whirlwind of activity!
So, I am certainly glad that I have had the experience to pilot a course now that I will be more involved…
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Filed under: Vintage Markers
More finds from mom’s attic. These are 12 permanent, waterproof markers but Eberhard Faber Inc., Crestwood, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Advertised to be used on needlepoint and crewel canvas. And, the set sold for $12. Amazing but the are not bone dry. They moved most of the operations from NYC area to Pennsylvania around 1956 and the Newark, NJ facility closed by 1963. They have been bought several times and are now part of the Paper Mate brand.
Interesting directions. I’m not sure applying one over top of the next would get such a great color.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012
We had an interesting visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art thanks to the docent that escorted us around to see various tapestries, rugs, and a few samplers. She demonstrated with a wooden loom about warf, weft, and how threads are tied on. Rugs can have 90-250 threads tied per inch. And, I thought making french knots were tedious! I also found out Persian rugs made for kings would be huge – half of one rug (28 feet by 56 feet) was on display. And, there would be two rugs along each long side that would be used exclusively by servants as they ran up and down them – thus, were called runners.
Then, we went to the Fabric Workshop and Museum where we were taken upstairs to the workroom. They brought out several examples of past projects – very interesting. The one I was quite taken with was a knitted suit made from multicolored monofilaments (http://www.fabricworkshopandmuseum.org/Exhibitions/ExhibitionDetail.aspx?ExhibitionId=3f7286f4-1702-475e-9ee1-ace1abfc1b51). The form-fitting knitted suit had to be cut along the side to remove the sculpture that had been used to knit around. Then, it was sewed up again and suspended to represent his feeling of dislocation from his homeland.
The gift shop had excellent hand-made examples of their silk screening which had also been demonstrated in the work area (without the actual paint). I got a set of napkins designed by Italo Scanga (who has exhibited at the museum) and are pictured here:
The ANG CyberPointers Chapter is holding a meeting and September’s topic is “What types of wearable art interest each of you?” What types of wearable art have you tried or would like to try? I love pins and earrings. I did do a Mill Hill beaded pin for a friend but I don’t have a picture of it. I have several kits & a couple are done but I don’t know that I can readily find them.
So, I will just share these pins that I found at flea markets. I have no idea who designed or created them but I wanted to share them. And, I skimmed The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum that I bought at Ruth Kern Books at seminar. I think it’ll take some more reading (especially about the lighting) and practice but what doesn’t? I just love the umbrella and matching purse pin!
I’m quite sure that the top one in the photo below is not hand stitched but I liked the pattern. The one on the bottom right is under a plastic protector and has petit point.
I am very pleased to say that this won a 2nd place ribbon in the Original Design category. I didn’t ask for a critique for this piece but every entry is given a numerical report (no charge beyond your entry fee). I got 24 out of 25 for design characteristics, 23 of 25 for color, 19 of 20 for workmanship/technique, 19 of 20 for suitability, and 10 of 10 for finishing. I am particularly thrilled with the finishing score. I did it myself. It is lined with a pretty red print. And, I sewed the lining into the edging which was something I had not done on my first scissors sheath band sampler from our chapter project (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/category/ang-main-line-stitchers-chapter/scissors-sheath-band-sampler/). The red heart-shaped scissors was a great find as was the display stand (intended for a doll).
Here’s my artist statement for ‘Celebrate Love’.
With ANG’s 40th Anniversary Coming to Philadelphia in 2012, I decided to donate something unique to the auction. However, I fell in love with the scissor sheath & wanted it as my commemorative remembrance of the Seminar. So, I donated something else that I designed. Then, I decided to enter this scissor sheath in the Original Category after realizing that it qualified for “Small Masterpiece” AND “President’s Choice Award”!
And, what inspired this piece? The love of Philadelphia, ANG, and needlepoint! Obviously, the design had to include the ANG logo, 40, and 2012. Every day I walk through LOVE Park (& see the LOVE sculpture) on my way to work in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. And, nothing says Philadelphia more than the Liberty Bell. So, with what little space I had left, I managed to fit in the American Flag and a few stars.
Welcome greetings are sent out to all ANG members as you join me ‘Today’ in Philadelphia to celebrate our love of needlepoint from all of the ‘Yesterdays’ and as we look forward to all of the ‘Tomorrows’.
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