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.
Last month (October) at the Needlework and Textile Guild of Media, Sally (also in ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter) did a demo of designing and sizing images for a needlepoint belt. It was really engaging and very informative. We learned how to choose and adjust images for different sized projects. Sally’s excellent handout gives step-by-step instructions for calculating image size and placement. On reflection, we realize that this approach will work for translating images into many types of projects, such as knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, and more. Way to go, Sally!
Our take home project based on Sally’s demo was creating our own image on a square of plastic canvas. Since the canvas was 7 count, I didn’t want a complicated design. I had this Penn State cookie (more as a decoration) sitting on a shelf. So, I held it under the canvas and used a blue marker to outline the mountain lion.
It probably could have handled 3 strands because the holes are so large but I used 2 strands and had just enough Silk & Ivory, color 01 natural and color 10 classic navy. It is done in basketweave except for the white ear and blue mouth (straight stitches). It wasn’t hard and definitely looks like the model.
Step 1 is find your design. Shrink or enlarge on a copier to fit your space. I didn’t have to do anything to the size.
Outline the image (don’t use Copic markers on plastic canvas unless you want blue fingers). Rough as it was, Bill knew instantly that this was his alma mater’s Nittany Lion.
Stitch the design. Keep looking at the original since this was not “stitch painted” and adjust as needed.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2008
Last month, my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter has started Circles by Lois Kershner, the ANG 2008 Stitch of the Month.
We are not going in the order Lois did so we have the background to stitch over the long winter months. I am very happy that Lisa, a chapter member, agreed to lead the project. I’ve wanted to do this for awhile. This month we stitched the Smyrna Cross Eyelet Combination that sits inside the Circular Buttonhole. I did use the dark Copic marker underneath but since I didn’t want the canvas to show through, I used Lois’ suggestion to place spokes in a circle first and then the buttonhole stitches. The spokes really helped me keep the buttonhole stitches even going around in a circle. If I were to do it again, I might use a thinner thread for the spokes to allow more of the blue to show through. Petite Frosty Rays provided almost full coverage.
Couched thread appears around that motif. My inclination would have been to stagger the couching threads but Lois suggested letting them radiate in a straight line and I tried it. Lisa staggered with matching thread and that looked good too. I find couching is challenging on a soft thread like DMC #5 Pearl because you want the thread to stay in place but without any indentation in that thread caused by the couching thread.
Besides not liking the couching line on the second upper right spoke, I don’t like the texture or color of the pearl cotton next to the Petite Frosty Rays or the silks. So, I went to my stash. I found 4 possibilities including Alabaster, Gold Rush 14 Variegated, Petite Very Velvet, and ThreadworX. I previewed them and selected ThreadworX. It’s cotton and rayon and has a visible twist like Pearl cotton. Petite Very Velvet was my second choice because I like the texture but it’s not as bright a white as ThreadworX.
This time I used a pencil to make the spokes so I got them where I want them. Freestyle stitching is not easy! Much happier now.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Expressions in NeedleArt, Fiber on a Whim, From Dawn to Dusk by Textured Treasures, General comments, Needlepoint Shops, Threads
Last Saturday I went to Expressions in Needle Art in Canandaigua, NY. Lori has a wonderful collection of threads and yarns for stitchers and knitters. Lots of counted instructions and painted canvases.
First, I got talking with the 5 ladies from Endicott/Endwell, NY who had arrived almost the same time as I did. They were with the EGA B.C. Stitchers chapter. And, they will be stitching my Overdyed Spools in January! That was fun to find out. We exchanged information and I look forward to hearing from them next year.
Then, we got to exploring the store. I found an overdyed cotton thread by Fiber on a Whim. Pretty but I did resist them.
I don’t consider the 2 booklets that I picked up as “Books in My Library” because they are more project oriented. That is especially true for Vienna Hearts by Sue Lentz Needlework (1998/1999). I have a piece of interconnected hearts that I need to redo and write up. These are much larger than mine and I liked the patterns Sue choose.
The other booklet, That’s Not Needlepoint (It’s Inspired Art Created with Your Needle) is by dede Ogden (2011) which are now represented by Fleur de Paris, Inc. It’s not intended to be complete charts or diagrams to finish various painted canvases but to offer suggestions for types of elements found in seascapes. The first canvas discussed is Seahorse Spyglass 18073 and is still available (and so is a stitch guide by Tony Minieri). Other canvases discussed are still available from a variety of sources including Undersea Fish 1373, Glass Aquarium Tropicals Green Fish 18015, Glass Aquarium Tropicals Blue Fish 18034, Undersea Garden 1378, Seahorse Pillow 18056, and Enchanted Mermaid Dream 18050. The Casalgudi stitch is a new one and quite interesting. I’ve read the section several times in the past week to understand it. The center of the Orchid (which I have been putting off because I haven’t found the right stitch) may be why this stitch is calling to me. I’ll give it a try. The Railway Stitch makes a good background stitch. Sue has an interesting Bead Cup Stitch and shows how to expand an overlapping cross stitch to fit fluctuations in the width of seaweed.
The store walls had a bunch of stitched samples. I spotted the Textured Treasures design, From Dusk to Dawn, that we are stitching at ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter. I’m doing a group of three too but it will be a different three designs and in a different colorway than displayed.
In fact, that was the piece I had taken on the road to stitch. The outer boders of straight Gobelin stitches were easy.
I showed my leaf from Catherine Jordan’s class, Nature’s Palette, to members of my Fiber Guild last month and this month they are going to try it.
After I got the correct acrylic paint (do not use acrylic textile paint on anything other than fabric), I painted Magnolia leaves for members of the Needlework and Fiber Guild of Media. Much better.
I am not handing out Catherine’s instructions because they are not an EGA chapter and they don’t need to make it reversible. I am giving them verbal instructions, a pattern I worked up, a pin, needle, gold thread, and a painted leaf.
I’m quite happy with how the leaves turned out! My husband’s favorite is the large one on the top center row.
We meet at the Media Arts Council on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm. So, this month we meet on election night, November 8. Be sure to vote first and join us for something fun. If you use any kind of fiber, then you will find this an interesting mix of artists sharing, learning, and inspiring each other.
Filed under: Books in My Library, Father B's 21st Century Book of Stitches, Needlepoint Books, Sharon G's Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations
These two books are grouped together simply because the author’s name is identified in the title.
Father B’s 21st Century Book of Stitches is by The Reverend Robert E Blackburn, Jr. I have the Sixth Edition from 2000. He passed away in 2000 but I didn’t know that and thought I was meeting him at a class held by Orna Willis at her studio. It turned out to be a different Father B! An excellent stitcher, a fellow Duquesne alumni, and we still keep in touch. What are the odds of two Father B stitchers?
Back to the book. There are 353 stitches some of which Father B created himself. So, many are unique to this book and interesting. He had a needlepoint shop in the basement of his church with threads, canvases, and books. He published articles Needle Pointers, Needlepoint Today (I don’t know that one), and Needlepoint Now. He also designed – many published through Rainbow Gallery and some can still be found online at eBay or Etsy (google Father B needlepoint designs).
The organization of the book is a bit odd. There are chapters but the headings are difficult to find (all uppercase letters as are the stitch names in the same font size). They are as follows: The Outline Stitches-pg 1, The Gobelin Stitches-pg 12, The Slanted Gobelin-pg 47, The Brick Stitches-pg 88, The Hungarian Stitches-pg 115, The Scotch Stitches-pg 135, The Cross Stitches-pg 150, The Star Stitches-pg 203, The Eyelet Stitches-pg 208, Miscellaneous Stitches-pg 239 including what he calls Filler Stitches-pg 268 (mostly open background stitches), The Border Stitches-pg 300, Oriental Diaper Patterns-pg 331, and Miscellaneous Stitches II-pg 344.
Within each chapter, stitches are usually listed alphabetically and the Index at the end has all stitches listed alphabetically. But so many are names that I do not recognize that I have to go through them. I am hoping that by identifying the type of stitches in each chapter that will make it easier to find a stitch type. He talks about each stitch sometimes suggesting a thread type or how many colors to use. Most stitch paths are not numbered but he often discusses how to work the stitch.
I have not seen the new Father B book by Suzanne Howren but Janet Perry reviews it (https://nuts-about-needlepoint.com/a-father-b-sampler-book-review/) and it sounds good.
Sharon G’s Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations (SENSE) was published in 2010 and was intended to be the first in a series but I have not seen more. It is interesting that the organization is totally different from many stitch books. “SENSE” has 3 sections: Stitches with very low texture and minimal pattern, Stitches with medium texture and no diagonal flow, and Stitches with a well-defined diagonal flow.
Sharon G was a painter of needlepoint canvases and probably enjoyed and encouraged the use of lighter coverage so the artist’s paint could shine through. That’s actually one of the reasons why I haven’t done a lot of painted canvases. Why spend that much money for a beautiful canvas just to cover it completely with thread!?! So, I was happy that I had the opportunity to take a class with Sharon G for her canvas, 5 Vases with Curly Bamboo. She suggested some wonderful stitches and threads. I’m also happy that Linda and Beth stitched up the canvas a couple of years ago using other stitch guides. It was great to have the comradery of others stitching the same piece and see the variety of stitches in the 3 approaches. It was the subject of an article in Needle Pointers (Jan/Feb 2021) and all 3 were included during our virtual online exhibit (https://youtu.be/Ley3vbrjE4s). This piece now has center stage in my living room.
Sharon G also has a small paragraph discussing the stitch. I do like non-directional background stitches and just learned that the T-Stitch was named after Tish Holland who was one of two original partners in Sundance Designs. Did you know that T stitch which is worked on the vertical or horizontal intersections will change the texture due to the weave? One will be heavier and one lighter. The vertical intersections are higher and will be a heavier texture and horizontal stitches lie lower and will be slightly less texture.
Both books are small 5.5″ x 8.5″ but Sharon’s only has 68 stitches. I created my own index when I read through the book once before by writing down what stitches were recommended for different types of areas. She has stitches for backgrounds, buildings, Christmas, clothes, faces, feathers, fish, fur, grass, moon, quilt, roof, sky, snow, street, sun, upholstery, and a wall.
JP’s Orchid and Bamboo canvas is the companion piece to JP’s Bird of Paradise canvas that I finished last year.
I got stalled after finishing the Bamboo Panel which used 2 strands of a beige Splendor in a very open stitch (Railway Woven) allowing the shading from the painted canvas to show. I used Interlocking Gobelin for the stalks and random or long/short for the leaves. Same as the companion piece. So, no surprises here.
I am determined to finish this piece in 2022 and getting caught with posting my progress up to now is getting the the piece out of the project bag. The thread I selected initially for the flower, Silk Lame Braid for 13 count was too heavy and I wasn’t getting the angle correct for the stitches suggested in the stitch guide. So, I have regrouped. A little over a week ago, I selected new threads and a stitch – more on that later but hopefully soon!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, From Dawn to Dusk by Textured Treasures
The other piece that my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter is starting is From Dawn to Dusk by Textured Treasures (you can find them on Facebook). The full design is 12 motifs done on 18 count canvas. But, they also sell the instructions in batches of three done on 28-count on Quaker Cloth and four motifs individually (count unknown). I’m working on some sort of linen.
I bought them in batches of three because I have too much to do to commit to the larger design. I’ve selected my own colors – fall colors – my favorite season!
I’ll wait to stitch the centers until the others get to the motifs that I want to stitch. In the meantime, I will stitch the outer areas.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2008
My ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter has started Circles by Lois Kershner, the ANG 2008 Stitch of the Month. It is one of 2 counted projects for the year. We have more members than ever (35 and 18-20 show up in person and on Zoom). So, we (the chapter Board) thought that a couple of projects would be needed to appeal to more members. We have 9 people working on Circles and 10 on the other piece which will be the subject of another post. And 5 people are working on both (yes, I am one of the 5). So, we have 14 people participating in ongoing projects which is quite good. We have a third ready to start in a few months.
It’s great that alternate colorways are shown for Circles. I am using blues although not the ones listed in the Material List for the original colorway. I have a whole pack of threads of Chameleon, Shades of Africa, Two Oceans which consists of 5 skeins from light to dark and each overdyed that I picked it up at Half Moon Handwerks in Camp Hill, PA. They have lovely fabrics and some needlepoint supplies. I thought about using these for another project but I don’t like laying these threads because they are too slippery. They are such pretty colors but I don’t like fighting with the threads. However, ironing them helps some and I will use them for this project and be done with them!
Lois recommends painting some areas of the canvas. I already had 2 blue Copic markers and picked up 2 more darker blues. I tried “stitch painting” the 4-way Bargello pattern but I didn’t get it exactly correct – close enough anyway!
The circular Rhodes would not fit within the 7″ circle based on the template provided. So, I studied the other stitched samples. The Mango Sorbet kept the same size and placed it directly under 4-way Bargello, the Creamy Peach seems to have shifted a few elements, and several did not stitch it at all. I can’t understand how Lois got the larger one to fit with the template she provided. But, no worries! I adjusted it to a smaller circular Rhodes which is 5 wide and not 7 wide on each edge. With this smaller version, you would drop down 12 not 16 from the bottom center edge of the 4-way Bargello to start at the number 1 stitch. That still allows it to be offset which I prefer.
The project and threads fit perfectly in a bag made by Linda from a blue fabric with circles in it! How perfect!?! I’ve got the ANG needle minder with blue in it too.
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
It took about 2 months to get back to finishing the other 2 Bargello ornaments from Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts (an ANG Correspondence Course). It’s available under Distance Learning on ANG ‘s website. Michele’s are all done using only 4 gold threads so they are all color coordinated. Mine are all different colorways for seasonal display. Tedious work but I completed the finishing on them! This time I used a binding stitch.
I had pulled out my Kreinik Custom Corder. It’s loose but ok for the hanger. Since my threads were already cut, they weren’t long enough to go around the whole heart. Step 1 is to interlock the 2 threads. Step 2 is wind. Maybe I didn’t twist enough?
Step 3 is to remove from cord maker, bring both ends together, and allow them to twist together. It was tighter initially but then loosened during that process. Since even 2 lengths weren’t working, I abandoned the cord maker.
There was still a decent gap between the back and front due to a 5 mm soft foam core that I used. So, I went with a “binding” stitch and it took way longer than I am sure a professional finisher would take to do it. Bending the monocanvas back results in a less than desirable rounded shape. But, that stitch covered the gap and turned it back into a smooth heart shape. I prefer stitching over finishing but am happy with these.
