Hand Dyed Threads and a Fabulous Blog

Another great blog I mention fairly often, and look at daily, is Sharon B's PINTANGLE - listed on my side bar. She has been showing stitches and combinations on her great project - the Band Sampler, and today's post is one I really must try on needlepoint canvas.

These are stitches I've used for many years, but she has a really fine combination put together, as well as the effect of the overdyed threads which are framing the smaller squares. (I also rather like the effect of the sequin with bead) As for use of something like this, I enjoy making frames, or making monograms or quotes for pillows, and this would be a fine one to use.

Incidentally, my favorite book of alphabets and letters is one stocked by Colleen at The Needle Works here in Austin: Minuscules & Majuscules by Valerie Lejeune, published by Mango Pratique. It's totally in French, but the charts, etc. are wonderful and easy to read. I seldom use any other book for choosing "fonts" for my needlepoint. (Visit The Needle Works here)

The hand dyed threads in Sharon's Artfire Store are fabulous in color and quality, and I am weak when shopping there - no restraint or self discipline - and I like using them for surface enhancement and embellishment and for other "special effects." Total eye candy just to look at them. They have no dyelots, so one must be careful of the use.

The latest is her "Twisties" - and I had to order several. Granted, they are only 1 and 2 meter (app. 1 1/10 yds.) lengths, but the embellishment possibilities huge.


Although these threads are shipped from Canberra, Australia, the shipping charge is minimal - much less than most of the companies I order from in this country (even here in Austin), and the service is fast and efficient!!

A Few Days Off??

I am always amused/annoyed when people exclaim over my state of self employment: " You only have to work when you want to. How wonderful!" Well it doesn't work that way. I have no paid vacations, no paid days off, deadlines to meet, and other responsibilities whether I want to or not - and there are many many days that I would fire myself permanently if I could find a suitable replacement. About ten days ago, I decided to re-do one of my "create your own" type design patterns, and put it into e-pattern form for my web page. I spent four days in front of the computer doing text and layout - and got a bit carried away, producing a monster of 26 pages. Consequently, my back "went out" and I was laid low on the heating pad for two days. Then of course, I had to catch up on work that had been waiting. Finally done, three days ago I decided to take a two or three day break and just rest myself, watch trash on T.V., read, and stitch - basically enjoying myself with no pressure. Strangely, every time I do this, I seem to produce a volume of work - and actually enjoy it! Maybe I need a serious new way of looking at this design business thing. Anyway - what I have done now is to expand on two ornaments I did a while back (stitched) in my "jeweled chains" series and draw some new ones for Valentine's and Easter. This, of course, called for some serious stash diving after I had spent time re-organizing the bags and drawers. Had to dump it all out again and dig for treasure!!

These two mini-stockings are a little bit bigger than the one I have already shown on a previous post finished.
I don't know if I'll ever have time to stitch these things, but I envision all of them in various ways with different kinds of threads and metallics - beads, etc. The enjoyment of this design - the "chains" is that different fibers give them different looks. I have quite a few threads (understatement) from the distant past when I first started playing around with "jewels" - first on Faberge' crosses and eggs, and later on jeweled sea shells.

Next - an update on what I had intended to do on my "days off" - just stitch and finish the new Crazy Quilt ornament and an older "rollie," which I haven't yet picked up. Maybe tomorrow - as I just received a huuuuge package of gorgeous silk ribbon from River Silks, which I'm anxious to try. Self employment is good after all - I do have these options at times. The new "jeweled chains" pieces will eventually end up somewhere on my web page as "e-patterns" - the kind you download, print out, and draw for yourself onto canvas, dump out your own stash, and choose your own colors! However, this is another of my options - I will not destroy my poor back again by sitting here longer than I should - will exercise self discipline and a bit of good sense. (maybe)

More Buried Treasure

Cleaning up a bit and going through boxes yesterday, I found more! This is an ornament that was done when I had started exploring bargello again several years ago - and also making ornaments with threads in my stash. This one began as just a simple sketch of a shape - and then laying the canvas over the inked drawing. After stitch counting with the drawing pen on one side, I duplicated it on the other to make the entire outline symmetric. Notice also that the outline is worked with tent stitch to eliminate messy places where the upright and other textured areas end.



I did mark the vertical centers, top and bottom, of the ornament on canvas as a point of departure for the design stitching - then just kind of "took off" stitching. The bottom part is worked with Rainbow Gallery Flair, which I really enjoy for this sort of thing. These are easy to create, as you might just mark bands across the shape and see what you can come up with as far as color and stitches. With beautiful fibers, it's not hard to make something wonderful and colorful. Actually, there isn't much bargello on this one - I got diverted!

This poor thing has been put away for a very long time - dates back to some of my first experiments with beads. It's a bit lumpy, etc. I think I probably abandoned it when I realized I should have marked the center top and bottom, and made the diagonal stitches go in different directions - making a 45 degree angle "V". If I can find the beads I was using, I may go ahead and finish it, as it is colorful!!! Again, I used the Flair for the checkerboard effect - and, of course, Kreinik metallic gold.

A New Rollie - the Mermaid!

In haste this morning, as I have work to do and errands to run. Gail Hendrix just sent me this picture of her new design - and I love it! It's also another great excuse to go "stash-diving" in the boxes in the closet - and hopefully I will find that I need to go shopping for another thread or bead or two. This canvas is an example of what a beautifully drawn and painted needlepoint canvas looks like, besides the exquisite color. One never has to guess where to make a stitch!

A Wealth of Stash!

Back in the "olden days" of stitching on painted needlepoint canvas, we only had Persian wool, and it was usually sold by either the strand, oz., or sometimes a little hank of ten strands - so there was seldom much leftover to "stash."

Now, with the enormous number of novelty fibers available to us, we seem to accumulate a lot of leftovers, as sometimes one must purchase a whole skein of thread just to stitch one square inch of design. I actually have one large plastic bag labeled "sparkly green stuff," and another, "sparkly red stuff." Then there is "shiny white stuff" and of course BEADS! Most of this is left over from my "jeweled" cross phase, as well as Christmas ornaments. At the present time, I am grateful to have already this supply of threads to choose from for my latest madness, the charted "laces and trims," which are sparkling and jeweled when made into tree ornaments.

Anyway, a plentiful stash is, indeed, as Sharon B. suggests, wealth - as it provides a certain security and convenience, as well as a source of inspiration for new designs. It's also a great challenge to see if I can work with what I already have, rather than buying more. Also - don't forget the "eye candy effect"!! It's good for the spirit.

I have begun recently a new series of small CQ designs in needlepoint, so have dumped out my leftovers, as well as some recent impulse purchases, to see what is available. Amazing combinations can fall together by doing this!. A well stocked stash is, indeed, full of possibilities for special effects in contrasts in texture and color. A useful thing, I think, with a feeling of luxury as well.

Tweeting, Chirping and Humming!

At the present time I am rummaging through my rather formidable stash of threads, beads, metallics, silk ribbons, and all kinds of hoarded-for-years goodies, exploring the possibilities for yet another design project to keep myself entertained. A stash is a good thing, as I find over periods of time, that color schemes are easily put together from groupings I accumulated during different "phases" - and it's a great challenge to see if I can create something attractive and meaningful without going shopping. Of course shopping is good, and I never leave behind anything I see in a store that appeals to me in some way - that might come in handy at some later period of design development.

Also, at the present time, I have a NN deadline pushing - so need to get my mind clear and on that. Meanwhile, if you haven't already done so, please go look at Gail Hendrix's gorgeous feathered critters - which I would rather be stitching instead of my own!! See them here at "Squiggeeland"