Filed under: Embroidery Guild of America, Overdyed Thread Notebook Class with Gail Stafford, Seminar 2021-Chicago
Five days of classes started yesterday with a 2-day class being taught by Gail Stafford on overdyed threads. It’s a notebook class and we are practicing with different weight threads and stitches to see how the overdyed colors move. My take away is that smaller stitches result in a more subtle color shift than the larger stitches. Got to get to Day 2 class!
Filed under: 2021, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Gay Ann Roger's, Dowager Countess, New Jersey Needle Festival, Other People's Designs
Seven members of the ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter shared a table at NJ Needle Fest today. I missed it the year they, Needleworkers Delight, took over running the event from Susan Hoekstra and moved out of the church in Bedminster (2019) and we all missed it last year due to coronavirus. So, it’s been awhile for me but the location, the Embassy Suites in Berkley, NJ was nice. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks were included. Door prizes (I didn’t win). And, vendors (I just can’t buy anything else with so much waiting for me to stitch). I finished the light purple Oriental stitch filling today. Only the very first part of Step 2. The day flew by!
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2021, Interpreting Color Theory for Needlework with Susan Hoekstra
One of my ANG Virtual Seminar classes is a color theory class presented by Susan Hoekstra.
We went through the theory Susan presented in her booklet during 3 videos. In the meantime, we submitted a painted canvas and answered questions about the focal point and how we wanted to achieve contrast among the various design elements. Then, during the live online meetings, we discussed how to achieve those goals.
I see the horizontal rings first & the large white/very light yellow area seems to me to be the next important area. The rings imply roundness/curved surface but the white/yellow area looks flat even though I know it should be rounded too. They share some of the same part of the shell & should be curved.
Based on the discussion, I started with Vineyard Silk Classic C-184 Butter Pecan for the laid thread and am using 2 strands of Splendor S818 (3 strands) which is a perfect match.
Initially, I was staggering the diagonal couching which wasn’t really giving the rounded effect (see photo “Staggered Couching”). Then, I accidentally lined up two diagonal stitches on the same diagonal line and knew instantly that was giving a better effect (in the same photo, look at the bottom right two stitches).
It’s very possible that Susan meant for the couching to be vertical stitches moving diagonally but I like the extra diagonal effect of making the stitches diagonal as well. I’m really feeling the roundness even in such a small space (see photo “Diagonal Couching”).
I’ve been through my stash and have threads for all areas except for the dark purple 4×4 areas. So, I sent a request to members of my two chapters attending NJ Needlefest tomorrow to find 36-48″ of a DMC #8 or 12 that might work. One possibility has already found. Stitchers are wonderful people!
The American Needlepoint Guild (ANG) is holding their Seminar virtually again this year. Jessica T sent these gifts to all attendees and a lovely letter thanking everyone for attending virtually this year and inviting us to join what surely must be an in-person Seminar to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ANG as an organization. The orange thread drops on the ring came from Barefoot Needleart. Very thoughtful surprise!
My 2 classes are both underway. A notebook class with Susan Hoekstra on color theory and the other with Kurdy Biggs called Secret Window, a 5-panel piece to fit in a specially made wooden frame.
The Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet, is the fourth in the series of Downton Abbey inspired pieces by Gay Ann Rogers.
Another month, another in-person Stitch-in, and another ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter member, Sally, hosted 6 members at her house and 2 members attended via Zoom. Wonderful lunch and so great getting together. Lots of chatting.
I forgot to post my progress on the black ‘stones’ and ‘chains’between the 2 Stitch-ins. Today, I stitched the border using Watercolours 006 Amethyst. There was more brown than I preferred for this piece. So, I cut most of it out!
The border completes Step 1.
Filed under: ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Watering Can with Vicky Witterschein
The ANG New Jersey Needle Artists had the second 2-hour class on Zoom Wednesday night. Vicky Witterschein had us needle felting first because the rest of the stitching went on top of the felt except for the small bee.
I added a third strip of felt along the bottom to see if I could create depth which doesn’t appear to have added much.
We were given a big piece of foam to protect our fingers because it just gets stabbed into place with the needle which has barbs on it to catch the fiber. I didn’t get jabbed once even when I didn’t use the foam because I didn’t put my fingers below the canvas where I was jabbing! Perhaps if the canvas hadn’t been on bars and I was holding the canvas instead of the bars, the foam would be practical.
I love learning a new technique although I don’t think it’ll be anything I have to do again. But, it certainly is not anything I would avoid!
Using clear beading thread, the bee has a large x to hold him in place along with a straight stitch below the head. Everyone was done with the project at the end of the second class which was great!
The ANG Seminar went virtual again this year due to coronavirus. I signed up for Secret Window by Kurdy Biggs.
Isn’t the kit wonderful! I never used Treenway silk threads before. There is Tranquility described as a fine cord, Harmony is a silk floss, and Zen Shin which is 20/2 spun silk (looks like #8 perle). One of my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter members got a kit from Debbie Rowley for her ANG Seminar class and she’s using the same thread line but she also got Serenity.
Isn’t the frame interesting! She gives finishing instructions and makes it sound doable. But, this will take quite some time to finish. So, I don’t have to think about that now.
The Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet, is the fourth in the series of Downton Abbey inspired pieces by Gay Ann Rogers.
I decided to get started on it Saturday for our first ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter in person Stitch-in since coronavirus.
One of the members, Buff, hosted us at her house. There were 6 in person and 3 via Zoom. Great lunch and to see folks in person again. But, we probably need more laptops to engage both groups. One camera can’t see 6 people sitting around a table. So, we’ll keep trying!
The Step 1A center eyelets and couched hexagon were easy to stitch as we talked. I was able to complete the rest of Step 1B after I got home.
It’s been fantastic watching Meg W on Facebook post her progress on Tahitian Treat. But, I was surprised that she was running out of a couple of threads. It’s possible that not specifying the stitch path may be why Neon Rays + NP55 (need 2 cards) and Silk Lame Braid SL110 (need 3 cards) are running short. The instructions do list 2 skeins needed for Watercolours 086 Tahiti. However, a third skein of Watercolours 086 would allow people to be more selective about the portion selected for specific sections and allow for mistakes. Don’t miss Sue Reed’s article (page 22 in the same issue) on “Color Matching Hand-Dyed Threads” discussing in greater detail how to select portions of hand-dyed threads for manipulation.
As I test stitched a few areas, I found an error in Area H charts and an erratum has been placed on the Needle Pointers magazine webpage. Please click HERE for an errata sheet and insert into your issue for future use. You have to be a member of ANG to have access to these instructions. However, even if you are joining ANG now, you will have access to all the magazines go back to and including all the issues since 2017 – 5 years of fantastic articles and projects! You’ll be able to print pages for your own use. There are also all the Stitch of the Month projects free to ANG members going back to 1998.
In the original article, you’ll see that I ran out of Watercolours 232 African Violet and that’s why the center purple square stands out. The second skein was a slightly lighter dye lot. I wasn’t going to rip the inner area out. Because it was used in completely different area, it worked out to be a happy accident. So, if you do run out & the color of the new thread is slightly different, you may be able to use it anyway especially in a geometric design.
This has been a lesson learned for me. I am going to overestimate the amount of thread required especially if nobody pilot stitches my design first. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Filed under: ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Watering Can with Vicky Witterschein
The ANG New Jersey Needle Artists is having Vicky Witterschein teach this needle felting project on Zoom in 2 parts. We had our 2-hour class on Wednesday and got through what Vicky is calling the groundwork.
It’s a very cute, small design at just 2.5″ x 3.5″ and since the main intention is to teach needle felting, it makes sense to start small.
Despite the small design, it requires alot of stuff including 8″ x 9″ bars, instructions, threads (partial skeins placed on cards), beading thread, a charm, Merino wool for felting, 4 different needles, and a piece of foam. Vicky provided a well organized complete kit.
Our next class is in a month. So, I picked out a lovely “Linda” bag to store it all in until then. Doesn’t it coordinate well with the design! Looking forward to next month’s felting lesson with Vicky.
