All caught up with the current mystery project we are doing at my ANG Keystone Garden Chapter this year.
It is a lot of Plaited Upright Cross (Blue ribbons). And, compensating is always tough. So, I was glad the triangles around the center diamond were easy.
But, I recognize that this is a Tony Minieri design. I have seen it in NeedlePointers. But, I won’t spoil the surprise and say what issue, name the design, or stitch ahead of the chapter.
There are 18 drawers from IKEA with solid color thteads and 6 Like-It drawers from The Container Store on top with various overdyed threads for a total of 24. I still had to have a drawer for EdMar threads for Brazilian Embroidery and threads for 13/14 count canvas in the basement. And, more than likely, the white drawer is too full. So, I am contemplating what to do.
I put 2 hanging magazine holders on the left with velcro to hold thread cards.
Let’s hope this works for awhile. I did find a thread I needed for a project!
I had a great day yesterday with Linda. We looked through the threads I had & found a variety of threads that I must have inherited from others stash. The most interesting was some Belding Corticelli twisted silk on old wooden spools. Since Linda sews she had heard about the threads & knew that it is a strong thread used for making buttonholes. Mary Corbet wrote a great article on the history of the thread. What I have was produced in the U.S. between 1925 and 1932. You can still find some on eBay. I will hold on to this for finishing when I bind edges. I received an interesting note based on experience from a reader: “Be very careful if you use them. The wooden spools leach acids into the silk and not only weaken them but change the colors as well.” So, I think I’ll get rid of them – why take a chance.
Linda is also an amazing sewer and she made this wonderful Catch All Caddy for my retirement. It is just what I needed for my stitching tools and fits perfectly in the living room coffee table. I love the colors and pockets. Inside are cute Stitch Happy items and a cute golf piece that I can stitch for Bill. There is also a bag of spool stockings for contolling threads. What a fantastic, practical gift!
We spent a good amount of time walking around The Container Store and found drawes, drawer dividers, and a couple of bins. Great store. We even had time to organize some of the drawers.
Thanks to Linda for her valuable input, suggestions, and especially the caddy.
All cabinets are done! No major glitches. Didn’t use the feet because I gained just enough space for 2 drawers that will fit on top of each cabinet. Heading to The Container Store tomorrow.
I’ve been sorting threads into color families for several hours on a daily basis and may be not even half done. I didn’t expect it to take this long. Within each major color like red or blue, there are so many color families (10 & more).
In about an hour & a half, I put the IKEA Helmer drawer unit together without swearing or bleeding! Not many screws (only for the feet and handles). Mostly, I just bent metal. Seems very sturdy too. Another day, I will put the other two together. That will give me 18 drawers for my threads.
Each drawer maximizes the available inside space compared to other units I looked at. And, there is a handle instead of an opening which could let dust in. Also, there are small gaps on each side where the drawers were bent allowing the threads to breath. I am putting the 3 cabinets side by side under a counter. But, if I need to expand, they could stack. I would just have to find somewhere else to put them. The overall dimensions are width 11″, depth 16&3/4, height 27″ (with 1″ casters); inside, each drawer measures 9″, 15″, and 3&1/4″. I should be able to use inside dividers or maybe a tray to help keep things neat. That will probably depend on what threads I have in my stash now.
I am going to arrange by color and decided to follow the DMC floss color chart. I sent more time rearranging the flosses than putting the cabinet together. But, I can see color families now which will help me with figuring out color combinations. My stitching buddy, Linda, has graciously agreed to help me sort through all my other threads! Isn’t she wonderful!
Before and after . . .
Some members of my ANG Keystone Garden Chapter wanted to stitch this for a project this year. So, I wrote up the directions and made up diagrams that they could follow. I am restitching it to see if I can improve it.
Instead of using a blue Copic marker and clear Water n’ Ice for the water in the river, I switched to the blue Water ‘n Ice (WT2).
And, instead of Splendor and Pebbly Perle for the crescents, I am using Shades of Africa Two Oceans, Au Ver a Soie, hand-dyed by Chameleon Threads. The packet has 5 wonderful shades of blue that blend smoothly. I stitched the water first with the crescents placed on top. The darker crescents are on the bottom this time and they are a little smaller this time. I made sure the threads are not showing through this time by using away knots for each crescent.
Also, the overall design shape will be rectangular instead of square.
IN 2015, I took Janet Perry’s cyber class about learning to create your own stitch guide. I submitted a picture of a design which she chose for one of the class discussions. It’s Swirling Leaves (DH3825) an Elements canvas by Dream House Ventures Inc.
She suggested stitching the background first so that the focal points are on top of the rest of the stitching. However, she suggested an open Tent Stitch pattern. I didn’t realize until now that I didn’t do it correctly. It isn’t open. No wonder it took so long to stitch. Now, I will just have to stitch Alternating Continental to get the non-directional pattern that she intended. I won’t rip all that out – it just won’t be open. I’m using Elegance. Good thing I bought enough! Near the bottom left corner inside the swirl you can see where I started going the other direction.
It was tough getting the hang of the heart-shaped background pattern but it was a good choice. I matched the color of the thread to the canvas. So, it fades in the background and doesn’t conflict with the patterns in the large heart.
Filed under: Uncategorized
We added some of Color C this month. I selected copper as my neutral color. The stitch is a simple but interestingly placed straight double cross.
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 
Filed under: General comments, Needles
I got through my needle stash and found, along with many needles of unknown brands, that I have mostly John James, EdMar, and Bohin. I also know that I can stitch every project with a fresh needle for the next 50 projects!
Now, they are stored in the EdMar tubes of which I had extra when I combined like needles with like. And, crewel (pointed) needles have their own tubes too. Howerver, without enough tubes, I used wool felt or plastic holders. Marilyn O shared with me that wool felt should be used for storing needles, and not the craft felt. The wool wicks any moisture away from the needle, while the craft felt will tend to hold moisture and the needles will rust. The ultrasuede I was going to use would be ok (I tested it by wetting the fabric and leaving a needle in it and no rust formed) but I had enough of the felt and containers.
I had the help of Michele Roberts’ article from NeedlePointers July 2007, “Let’s Get to the Point”, to help tell what size a needle was by length. And, it reviewed the styles of needles and how to pick the right size for the project. I read lots of back issues with timeless articles of Needle Pointers magazines recently. I wish I could keep all the back issues but space is limited. I’m so happy the magazine is available digitally now as well. I can always refer back.
All the needles are organized by style and size in a floss organizer. I’ll use all of these eventually but thanks to Ginny, my favorite needle is from EdMar. They slide so smoothly through the canvas. What’s your favorite?