Festival of Needles

This is something I haven't participated in, myself, but looking at PINTANGLE this morning, I saw that Sharon B. has a great post on it, and includes a link to a Stitchin' Fingers site by Carole Anne about it that she recommends highly. Do go see!

Another Site for Great Images and Color!

Before I get excited again and can't remember the name of the artist and the quilt - this is Laura Wasilowski of Illinois at the Houston Quilt Show, where she says she was a "woman packing iron." The quilt is named "Pressing Matters."

I found the site by total accident, and have spent several hours over a few days looking at things - there is a blog as well as a delightful web page.

This is an art quilt technique in which the fabric patches are cut and then fused onto a background, rather than sewn as they usually are. Then stitching embellishments follow.

Laura's graphics are delightful and colorful, and the text had me LOL in several places - especially the part about the Chicago School of Fusing. Her style ranges from whimsical to rather sophisticated and abstract.

Be sure to click on all of the "departments" on the front page of the web page - the "stitch-u-structions" is equally delightful and informative. It has a ten commandments for art quilters, which tells me we need one for needlepointers as well. (right now, I don't remember if this is on the blog or somewhere on the web page.)

The second picture is one of her large quilts from the "Housing Department." Equally wonderful are the Produce Section and Landscapes and Nature.

I won't attempt to show any more, as I could go on for several more pages about this wonderful version of needlework, which is a new one to me. Oh where have I been??

This lady dyes her own fabrics, I forgot to mention, and has them for sale, as well as threads. Anyway, do go see her web page at Art Fabrik and enjoy it. See also her blog, as there is a link to it on the web page.

Awesome Numbers!

I don't usually do this, but had to this time - I rarely look at my neo-counter any more, but started it about 2 1/2 years ago, as I remember. It was one of the first ones I found, in addition to what we called the "red dot map."

For some reason, (probably creative avoidance) I looked at it a little while ago, and saw the numbers at 55550. What an awesome number!! I remember when I installed that one too - another great new "gadget." It was glorious fun watching the international flags pop up one by one, and comparing them also with friends who were doing the same. Just thought it was worth a mention.

Maybe I was thinking about the brand new blog now going on - a shop owner in Vero Beach, Fla. has just begun one, and I was thinking back to how much fun it was in the beginning to watch those visible stat counters. Now most of us have them that are "behind the scenes."

Anyway, now that Mary Agnes has figured out how to post pictures, which she did a lot quicker than I did in the beginning, do go visit her blog Needle Nicely. This is a rug by Lee that she has showing now, and I'm sure there will be lots more to see once she's up and running with this thing and her store!

Choosing Colors! Kristina again

If you haven't looked this week, be sure to go to Kristina Klarin's new blog and see her photos and color "smears." I really like this new format of hers (formerly Kris' Color Stripes), as she shows with her paint blotches the colors in proportion to their importance in the photograph - which is a lot more help than just equal sized stripes, or in our case, just pulling out skeins of threads.

This is a wonderful way to put together a color scheme for a project in needlepoint - or anything else. Be sure to click on "color files" on the left side to see the swatches alone.

The Nutcracker Suite and Other Fine Things!

Self indulgence is a good thing sometimes, and as I have had to make yet another change of address this week, I have been wallowing in self pity and decided to cruise the internet and place a few orders. Even a good move can be traumatic (this one was), as now I can't find anything and feel kind of disconnected.

I cannot find the little bag of the current needlepoint project, along with my thread clippers and needles - major stress!! It was to be for a new blog post. I have also not found the box containing my paints and brushes - withdrawal going on here. However, I have been looking at my favorite blogs again, and will direct you to wonderful things.

First, the contents of my mail box today. Quite a mood elevator, as it all arrived at the same time!! The soap is from Seventh Sojourn. (The link is under "good stuff" on my side bar as "Wonderful Soap") Here you can see Almond Kiss and Luxurious Lavendar.

There also was an "Angel" with a wonderful scent, but my daughter saw it and snagged it before I could make a picture. These soaps are not only delightful in scent, but are soooo good for the skin, and keep my hands from turning needles black.

The tea is Winter Dreams from Tea Embassy - also on the side bar under Good Stuff. It's a delicious loose tea I enjoy in the evening while I read. The Netflix is a movie I've never seen - don't know how I missed it, but expect it to be good - The Notebook.

Next, if you haven't already been watching, do go to The Cape Stitcher and see the development of the wonderful Nutcracker Suite ornaments Anne Stradal is stitching. Hers are different from what one usually sees "out there," as they are based on her years of experience with both attending from early childhood and dancing this great ballet - and passing along the Christmas tradition to her sons (now grown.) The text is as delightful as the characters! This one is "Coffe."

Allie Aller is now beginning a "house portrait" that she loves doing, and is just now almost ready to begin the embellishment - well worth watching at Allie's in Stitches. If you click to enlarge on her site, you can see how small it is compared to the other objects shown - the threads, etc.

Another blog I look at daily is Lisa Daria's "one painting per day." Her work is amazing and quite happy looking - it makes me smile.


The colors in this one are fabulous - one could certainly develop a grand color scheme from it for needlepoint! I may entertain myself tomorrow by trying to pull threads from my stash to match.

Sharon B. (PINTANGLE) is moving along with her Wednesday project, but it's already Thursday in Australia, so you'll have to scroll down a bit - the embroidery is gorgeous on this and worth checking each week. I look at her blog daily, as there is always something of inspiration and interest there.

Now I'm off to make some tea, watch a movie, and relax - tomorrow should be a fine day for energy to return, as we are finally getting a cold front in Austin tonight. I'm tired of heat and humidity!

Art in Stitchery

When I first started this post this morning (Wednesday in Austin) it was still Wednesday "downunder," and Sharon B. (PINTANGLE) had made a wonderful second edition post to her original one for "Work in Progress Wednesday," showing her progress on this beautiful thing.

I just checked on it, and now it's Thursday there, and she has posted yet another one of interest - lots of links to great things we all enjoy.

Anyway, the picture is showing the progress on the piece she showed last Wednesday, which gave also the inspiration and how she adapted it to a lovely piece of surface embellishment type embroidery. This is worth studying, and it even makes me want to give it a try.!

Beautiful Surface Embellishment

This is a blog cruise to really enjoy, as Allison Aller (whose beautiful first book is ready to be "out" in February) just returned from the Houston Quilt Show with pictures of the art quilting represented there. (not all crazy quilt - lots of what I call "art quilts")

Allie's blog is one of the very first I found after I was given a computer and shown how to turn it on and off by two of my sons, (one of whom, my James, installed my internet and showed me how to do e-mail) and has been the mainstay of inspiration for my adaptations of art crazy quilt to needlepoint.

She also guided me, after we became fast friends on the internet, on how to "do" a blog, and made a gorgeous block for me to use in my very first article in Needlepoint Now - which was May/June three years ago.

The second picture is of a quilt named "Legendary Ladies and Fabulous Fans" by Barbara Warner. There is some genuinely beautiful art in this show, and Allie has several posts, and I think more to come.

The Quilt show has quite a variety of styles!! It's worth a look - and do give yourself plenty of time! I have found a tremendous amount of visual inspiration and methods for embellishing the surface of needlepoint in these CQ blogs.

I am not a quilter, although I have loved over the years putting traditional patchwork onto canvas for needlepoint, and now am mesmerized by the embellished CQ. I'm eagerly awaiting February and Allie's book - it's total Eye Candy as well as fine instruction! See her at Allie's in Stitches.

Images and Inspiration (eye candy)

It is a fact that images implant in our minds and can strongly influence us in this work of designing and stitching painted canvas. It's a kind of subliminal suggestion that sometimes we aren't aware of - and this includes choosing color schemes and threads.

This is one of the reasons I cruise among blogs in the morning that are beautifully presented and have nothing to do with needlepoint.

The images will stay with me, although I'm unaware of it later. I was looking through the new Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog yesterday, and realized what a strong influence the jewelry has been on some of my small pieces - such as napkin rings and birthday crazy quilts.

Sometimes I pick up a piece I designed a few years ago, and wonder why I was so clever that day - and what was I thinking?? I probably couldn't do it again.

Anyway, I have found yet another blog with the little "painting a day" theme - just small, 6" x 6" paintings that are enchanting to look at, and have the five elements of design (line, shape, texture, mass, and color) in good order.

These paintings are the work of artist Lisa Daria, and the blog, as she presents them, is delightful! This is the sort of thing that, although I'm unaware of it at the time, will creep into my mind when I'm choosing threads and colors for a project. These pictures show a wonderful use of main color, secondary color, and accents! (with other touches too).

Have you ever thought about how decorating magazines subtly influence us in setting new trends for color and furniture? I know that sometimes at first I don't like it at all, but bit by bit it gets familiar and feels good. The same happens in the fashion world!

Next is the blog of Lin Moon at PURPLE FAN.In the post showing today, she is presenting some quilts from the Long Beach quilt show of the summer.

This first one is by Pam Berry - and I love not only the colors, but the texture and composition.

Next is a quilt featuring hibiscus, and if you click to enlarge it when you go to her blog, you will see some exquisite stitching on the flower - it gave me some ideas for needlepoint flower treatment!

Lin Moon also designs and stitches highly embellished and very imaginative crazy quilt art bras for the annual calendar that is sold for raising funds for breast cancer research - and she participates in the TAST activity presented by PINTANGLE. I really enjoy seeing what she does with the weekly stitches - a very talented lady, and worth a daily visit!

Evolutions in Stitching: Choosing a Painted Canvas

I'm still thinking about "beginners" in stitching on the painted canvas, and only recently am understanding why it's scary. People have been made to feel that they have to cover every tiny little space with decorative stitches - which isn't true, and usually only creates a lot of unsightly "goop."

There has been an evolution of my own thinking and stitching since the beginning of my designing and marketing the painted canvas so long ago (1969).

In the beginning, the challenge for a designer was to provide a beautifully drawn and painted canvas that was easy to stitch - and for the stitcher, it was to manage to work a lovely, smooth surface with no bumps or unseemly ridges.

Different people enjoyed different activities, so chose their canvases accordingly. Also, we tried to create a good balance between pattern and background, so one could switch back and forth to make it more relaxing and interesting.

I remember that my sister detested areas of basketweave background and enjoyed the tedious outlining. I didn't like outlining (still don't) so we switched and helped each other.

I'm showing this dodo bird again (still don't have a picture of the finished pillow with the tail feathers) that I did at my son's request about 14 years ago - adapted from a card from the Museum of Natural History). I did not enjoy that huge expanse of basketweave background, but would never have used texture there, as it would compete with the elements of the pattern. My challenge in painting and then stitching this one was the small things - like the shadows under it's feet, and the wing feathers. Also the gorgeous tail feathers!!

Anyway, after all of those years of stitching, I still feel that I'm a bit of a newcomer to stitching and enhancing the painted canvas as it's done these days. I think the beautiful and fun novelty threads have helped this along, as we didn't have them in the 70's and ;80's.

When I came back to needlepoint after a break of about 15 years, this was going on, so I decided I needed to experiment and learn some decorative stitches - which was fun.

I bought two or three books, and set out to explore to see what stitches actually looked like, and what effect different kinds of threads had..

However, my canvas style is just not for these stitches, so I started doing the crazy quilt format so as not to waste time, effort, and material - and also it was a lot of fun learning the embellishment of embroidery on top.

I have now decided that I am a beginner at actually doing this on a painted canvas, and need to start. Since I already have a formidable collection of favorite stitches, all I lack is a suitable canvas.

I could find absolutely nothing for starting out, as the ones I looked at were too busy already to accomodate much more texture, and I'm weary of looking at the same old same old stuff that is beginning to all look just alike - so I went cruising the internet and ebay.

To my astonishment, there are some really really fine painted canvas designers there that we never see just shopping at the LNS.

This first one is from Blue Dogwood Designs, (not on ebay) and I discovered it from an ad in Needlepoint Now. The designer has done beginner pieces, among many others, and taught classes at Needlepointer in Everett, Wa.

I love this tree, and the layered tissue paper effect it has - where the colors change at the overlaps. It's very simple, but I see a lot of possibility in the thread choices and stitches! I'll probably have to order this one and stitch it!

The next one is from her "travel" section on the web page - do go take a look! Beautifully drawn and painted, and they move me to want to try my hand at some decorative stitches to enhance.

The next one I found on ebay, and am enchanted with her work, as it's quite different from the "norm" and perfectly charming. They are from Needlepoint Art by Cheryl, and are also stitch painted and lovely. I'm not inspired so much to use decorative stitches as to enhance with different kinds of threads!!

















The first picture is a "Dala Horse" - which I had never heard of, so had to go on a "Google" hunt. It's a Swedish thing - a national treasure of hand carved, painted horses, and I strongly encourage you to learn the history and otherwise investigate. I love leaning new things, myself.

















The cottage is so appealing that I have already looked into my stash to see what I would use to make it sparkle! These are not really for decorative, textured stitches, but a joy for the colors and the different fun threads one could use.
The little bird is one of several, and is another "must have" for me, I think. It's hard not to show more, but this is enough, and you can click on the links to go browse!

Last is an amazing artist/designer I found on ebay - Nenah, who has a web page, Nenah's Needle. This lady is an animal lover with a great, whimsical side in her canvases - utterly delightful and well done work. I kept going back to look, which means I would most likely really enjoy stitching her things.

!You can see the versatility, as well as the whimsy.














That's enough for now - I'm tired. Hopefully, after this next move I have to make, I can purchase some of these for myself and blog stitch one. I did get permission from each of these ladies to show their work, as per good blog etiquette.

ADDENDUM: Nenah is an animal lover, (obviously) and contributes a percentage of her sales to a wonderful shelter. Also, her Halloween things are superb - full of imagination and personality (not necessarily for beginners).

A New Silk Ribbon Rose (from Downunder)

While cruising around on my morning "visits," I went to PINTANGLE as always, and found directions to a delightful tutorial from Queensland. This blog has been on my "list" for some time, but I haven't gone there daily, so would have missed it.

Shirley, of Shirleys Twisted Threads is a delightful and talented lady, whose text I enjoy as much as her projects and pictures. This new kind of silk ribbon rose is her own invention, and she offers it as a tribute to Sharon Boggon, who has inspired us and taught so many of us so much.

I will have to go to Sharon's stitch dictionary and brush up a bit on my stitches, as this one involves a sort of "twisted chain stitch" that I don't remember how to do right now. It's actually simple, but I'm rusty at some of this. I especially enjoy doing surface embellishment on top of stitched needlepoint, and silk ribbon embroidery is almost "instant gratification."

Anyway, you can get the traveling directions to the tutorial by going to Pintangle, or go directly to STITCHIN' FINGERS to see it. It's delightful, and well worth the time.

Good Stuff!!

Another beautiful blog I'd like to share. As I always say, the images that imbed themselves in our brains are important, and this blog is one of my very favorites just for looking and browsing and wishing I could buy more. It's on my morning cruise list every day.

This incredibly talented young woman lives here in Austin, and I'm hoping to visit the gallery soon that carries her paintings - the larger ones. They are also shown in more galleries out of state - the list is on her blog.

Carol Marine has been doing a "painting a day" for several years, and then has them for sale on Etsy. There you can also see some of her larger ones! Anyway, this is certainly worth a look. The composition is great on these small works, as are the colors and brushwork - and some of the subject matter is quite whimsical.

The next subject is Anne Stradal's new Halloween piece - poker playing ghosties. These are as funny as her "ghostly trio" last year. I won't spoil the surprise by showing a picture here, but do be sure to visit her at The Cape Stitcher and watch the stitching when it's in progress.

Great Classes for Stitches and Silk Ribbon!

Sharon B's wonderful blog PINTANGLE is one of my first stops in the morning while having coffee and cruising for art and inspiration on the internet (and great instruction).

She is now announcing her upcoming cyber classes on Joggles.com - a "Personal Library of Stitches," and also "Introduction to Silk Ribbon Embroidery." These classes are extremely reasonably priced! Do go investigate, and enjoy her blog if you haven't already discovered it.




















I didn't have time this year to join her "challenge" - which was TAST, short for Take A Stitch Tuesday, but I never miss studying it each week. The pictured technique is clear and easy to understand, and the stitches have been useful in many cases for the surface enhancement I enjoy doing with my needlepoint.

BTW, while you're looking at Pintangle, do click on the classes, and also see Joggles.com. If you aren't already familiar with it, it has the most fascinating online classes I've seen. I could spend the next few years doing taking classes in all kinds of wonderful fiber arts!

While you are looking at beautiful things, and in a learning mode, next visit the Florence Griswold Museum, where a fabulous exhibit will show from October 2, 2010 until January 30, 2011, in Lyme Connecticut - "With Needle and Brush: Schoolgirl Embroidery From the Connecticut River Valley." This exhibit deals with the "understanding of the traditions of needlework" and an insight into the schooling of young ladies before public education. The needlework examples are beautiful and amazing!

A Very Beautiful and Inspiring Blog

I say often that I enjoy looking at the blogs of designers and "doers" of other textile and graphic arts for imprinting great images into my head. This thing of "cross pollination" sometimes brings up the most amazing things that I wish I had found several years ago - just by clicking at random on someone's blog list.

I found this amazingly, stunningly beautiful blog about a week ago, and can't seem to stay away from it. I will also say that her blog list is dangerous unless you have many many hours to entertain yourself looking at incredible work and lots of what we call "eye candy."

This first picture is from her needlepoint gallery, as she also puts her graphic and watercolour designs onto canvas. The second picture is the "sketch" she used to create the needlepoint canvas.

I chatted with Cathy briefly when I e-mailed for permission to "klep" pictures from her and show her on my blog, and wasn't really surprised when she said she's totally self educated in this art thing.

A true artist, born with the "gift" usually is impaired when the wrong art teacher takes over. I've seen this happen too often with very gifted children when the art teacher informs them that trees aren't blue. The spontaneity goes away, and true creativity is stifled. Just learning how to use an art medium is enough - then spontaneity of design and execution takes over in a most delightful way.

Actually, the same principle should be applied to needlepoint stitching inspiration. It's best to learn stitches - how they look, how to execute them, and which types of fibers show them to their best advantage for the intended purpose. THEN decide for yourself how to use them and where on a painted canvas for best effect.

There are blogs "out there" that have dreadful stitching showing, and it's so easy to get these images in the mind before you realize it, and have your own stitching creativity stifled or distorted!

Anyway - so much for why I love cruising gorgeous and inspirational blogs, and why I justify the time. (Actually, I'll use any excuse for doing this). Be sure to visit Cathy's blog at One Pink Goose. There is also a web page with galleries of her work in different media. Really really fine things. The spiral needlepoint is from an older post - go to her achives and click on April, 2008, to see this and more!!

Also, either click on "Faraway Hills" on the side bar, or go HERE to look at more of Cathy's amazing artwork. If I were remotely into plagiarism, this is where I would land and get images - they are wonderful to look at. The little picture is from Gallery 5.

A History of Beads!!

I have no picture to show with this, as I didn't take time to ask permission - but this is a "must see."!! In the new, current issue of CQ Magazine Online, (which I enjoy, as I get great ideas for surface embellishment on needlepoint here, as well as just wonderful eye candy in the art crazy quilt genre), there is a fabulous article on the History of Beads.

This is from a museum in a suburb of Phoenix- very very interesting. Just go to the link for the magazine, click on "current issue" -and then scroll down to just below the big beautiful picture, and you'll see the link.

While you're visiting the CQ's, do look at Allison Aller's article on "Composite Flowers." It's fascinating - almost makes me want to take up crazy quilting, which I just might do some day instead of adapting it to needlepoint. There is a lot of freedom here, that I think I might enjoy - with Allison's tutelage, of course.

Beautiful Threads!! (and the Ornament Continues)

First - good news! I remember while working on the Coral Reef ornaments, and using threads from the stash I had bought from Sharon B. of Pin Tangle, that I was hoping she would soon show more of her gorgeous hand dyed threads on the ArtFire store - and now she has.

I waited, of course, until I had bought what I wanted (I used restraint) before calling attention to it, as I saw it on her blog post yesterday. For anyone who doesn't follow this blog - it is delightful, informative, and inspirational for any of the fiber arts.

I'm especially enjoying the packages of threads as they are, as it's like having a stash of exotic and;/or useful and beautiful threads to choose from for my needlepoint projects that aren't like most of what's available in the shops. Also, there are built in color schemes in some of them. Do go take a look at Pin Tangle, and click on the link to Sharons Artfire store.

Next, the ornament: I had to take the big bright button off after all, as it was even more obnoxious after two days of not looking at it than it was when hid it from myself. I simply substituted a simple "woven" grid with #8 Holographic braid (Kreinik, of course). Then made a bit more progress on other parts. It's almost finished - and I'll do this as ideas occur for the last few small areas.

It's amazing how bright/white the YLI Ribbon floss (or any thread) looks when worked with long stitches, so the light strikes more surface. The background, the light being broken up by basketweave stitches, looks darker and duller, but what I needed to best display the look of the Memory Thread and metallic. I started a new one yesterday - another of my "traditional ornament shapes."

I decided it would be a good idea to make it red, but using the needle blending, starting with DMC floss #321. However, the stitch I'm using - my version of T-stitch - is letting some background show through, so I'm in process of ripping out and using a different stitch.

Basketweave would be too flat and dull looking for the surface. I could have painted the canvas red first, but was too lazy to do so. More on this another time, unless I decide to abort the mission and do something else.

Inspiration in Nature! A Beautiful Blog

I've been looking at Carol-Anne Conway's blog regularly for quite some time, (Threads Across the Web) although I don't do embroidery. - It's great to have these images of beautiful and well-executed work in my head. I look at more of the diverse fiber arts than I do needlepoint, as being a designer, I find so much visual stimulation in those - and learn a lot, even though I do a different sort of work.

Incidentally, Carol-Anne has posted a picture of the beautiful Japanese embroidery she's just finished - cords and a tassel. Go see it here.


This morning, as I was "cruising" blogs, I decided to look at another of hers she has listed on her profile: Wilbur's World. These are some of the most beautiful photographs I've seen in a while - and I went way back a year or two (and there are more) and thoroughly enjoyed myself - and realized I've been smiling! She presents them in a very charming way.


Do go look at this if you haven't seen it before - a great way to start or finish the day! As a designer, I look at nature for inspiration, as the colors and forms not only imprint in my brainwires, but I feel a joy in looking at it from all angles in all seasons. (even underwater)

DMC History of Needlework and Threads!!

I haven't taken time this morning to find a beautiful picture to show with this, but one really should not miss the post Emma Broidery has made on her blog about the in depth history of needlepoint and X-stitch, as well as the total history of the DMC corporation. Well done, entertaining, and fascinating! Do go see her blog here.

A New Year - A New Project!!

Anne Stradal has begun a new design series of clocks - I really look forward to this one, as she will include the well researched history of each, just as she does with her charming lighthouses.

The very first one may be seen now - so go check it out, and watch it emerge as she stitches it on her blog - The Cape Stitcher.

The Beauty of the Fiber Arts

I felt I needed to share this beautiful work with any of you who haven't discovered Allison Aller's blog (Allie's in Stitches - click on it here to see).

She tells the reason for doing this particular landscape, as she does all of her landscape quilts - and they are, indeed, works of art. This one causes me to really "FEEL" the atmosphere in the picture, as well as to appreciate the fine needlework and talent involved in it's creation.

Allison A. and Sharon B. (Pintangle) were the creators of the very first blogs I ever saw - over three years ago before I started mine. I stumbled upon them while looking for old crazy quilts, and was amazed at the "new look" in CQ - traditional but yet far beyond in the colors, materials, and arrangements.

This led to my experimenting with adapting CQ to needlepoint, which is what I wanted to do in the first place, but these were soooo much better than the Victorian kind I was looking for. Allison was, at that time, working on her Crazy for Flowers, which won a national award! Beautiful thing, it was.

Anyway, we became acquainted via the internet, and she has been a wonderful mentor, as well as being a very supportive friend in my triumphs and tragedies over the last three years or so. It was she who supplied me with a block to show in my very first article in Needlepoint Now - I believe it was the May/June issue in 2007.

I have just recently gotten this out of storage, and am hoping to get it to the framer soon. It's a beautiful thing up close - exquisite in it's small details of seam embellishment and surface enhancement.

Designing needlework is, indeed, an art form, which is why I enjoy the images and inspiration I get from cruising the blogs of the fiber artists over the planet. Each piece is an original creation, which is as it should be!

I look forward to starting the translation of this block (the second photo - not the Sun and Moon quote) into needlepont soon - that which I call "inspiration, adaptation, and just plain plagiarism" - but Allie gives me permission, as I always ask first.

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!!