A "New Kid" on the block!

A young woman whom I thoroughly enjoyed last year, but with whom I lost contact due to her being busy with grad school and real life - surfaced yesterday in my e-mail, and I was delighted to hear from her and chat and catch up on what she's doing these days. A real live native of Sanibel, Florida - which is where I wish I were right now.

She's a painted canvas designer also, and I had to share this really cute turkey. She also has worked Raymond Crawford's wonderful turkey - which may be seen on her latest blog post. Do go see both of them, as well as her other recent work, at
Barefoot Needlepoint.

Stitches for Edges and Small Borders

It was while painting this new Talavera tile, and deciding it needed a small border to confine and define it, that I remembered a stitch that was among the first decorative stitches I learned in about 1969 - the Knotted Stitch. That is what decided me on painting a three thread border for this piece!

I've used this stitch off and on for many years, as it's a perfect solution for a small outer border for things like 5" square pincusions - and designs such as this one. There are many stitches shown in books, but they seldom explain the uses of some of them that aren't suitable for covering areas of a design. This stitch is one of those - only should be used as a small border of one row.


It's very very simple, and is worked from right to left to avoid warping the canvas badly, and to assure it covers. I didn't take time to work basketweave inside this little border, but when that's done, it covers nicely any "dandruff" of white canvas showing at the edges. I just turn the canvas when the end is reached to start the vertical side, and work, once again, from right to left.

The first sample is worked with DMC Satin Floss - which is rayon, but much easier to handle than the old Rayon floss . This is to show how pretty the stitch is worked in something shiny - rather different!

The second photo is made with DMC overdyed perle cotton - beautiful, it is, and a subtle color scheme for a monogram pillow inset could be taken from it, as the colors are, of course, compatible with the solid color floss and perle cotton.
I like to show the stitch with two different colors on the chart to illustrate the sequence of making the stitch.

The other "small border" stitch I enjoy, and it's totally unattractive used any other way, is the long-armed cross stitch. I use it constantly, and you can see it on several projects - including my napkin rings and bracelets. It's also recommended by many belt finishers, as it makes the edges roll over beautifully and neatly.
















Enough about border stitches now - I have some new DVD's from Neflix and new tea from Tea Embassy which came in the mail today - I'm off for a relaxing evening of stitching - or maybe painting, as I'm way behind.

Bargello: Simple and Simply Beautiful!!!

This picture is from Liz Morrow's blog, and she's announcing that she has the patterns for sale - I'm getting in line to purchase them for myself! She says "for beginners" - but I would love to do them, and play with changing colors for different effects and looks.

Do go see them. (Click here) Sometimes, simplicity is the most effective - and these would be a pleasure to stitch. You could use simple fibers, or go nuts with really jazzy ones. Classic ornaments for any decor!!

The Good Shepherd and a Jeweled Butterfly

It's very rare that I get to see any of my designs stitched, but I had to make a hasty trip to Vikki's house yesterday (most excellent finisher here in Austin) to borrow back a Celtic Cross for which I had discarded the pattern, and to take a picture of this Alms basin pad (collection plate) I designed for Church of the Good Shepherd here in Austin about two years ago.

This is one my son and I chose for his family to donate as a memorial to the child of a good friend and church member.

These things really come to life when the stitching is completed! It's worked in Paternayan persian wool, of course, in basketweave, as durability is a factor. However, I chose Kreinik 002V metallic braid for the halo, as well as silk, to make it stand out against the "ecclesiastical red" background.

This piece has a very sad story that developed while I was designing the series - but I won't deal with that part of it today. It's a beautiful day outside, and time to move on.

While I was chatting with Vikki, I was also looking through the stacks of finishing on her table - she also does finishing for Amy Bunger, so there were some very interesting pieces to see.

Then I spotted one of mine from several years ago (now discontinued) - a "jeweled" butterfly that I had forgotten about. A lady who does exquisite stitching had apparently purchased it from a shop and worked it - and there it was!!! I came home and actually found the pattern, so have it offered on Freebies, Etc. for anyone to do.

Plaid without Paint (for Needlepoint)

For someone who didn't want to paint canvases any more, I'm certainly doing a lot of it. (the fish is my latest madness in the Mexican Talavera line)

Lest anyone think I've gone to join my ancestors, lost interest in pontificating and enlightening via my blogs, lost my mind, or just been too lazy to do any new posts, I 've actually been busier than usual. I've been re-writing two of my books that I did several years ago that I think need refreshing - and also put into E-Book form for sale on the web page (Elegant Whimsies).

The PLAID is one of my favorite "special effects with simple materials," and I've been doing it for personal projects since about 1973, when I first started playing around with developing "fabrics" on needlepoint canvas without having to paint.

Having studied Textiles extensively in college, the weaves are of special interest to me - and the plaid is a very very simple one, as it's an even weave pattern, so is perfectly compatible with the even weave of needlepoint canvas. I won't go into the history of it, as that's in the book - but the earliest examples of it were found in Scotland, and were simple woven grasses which varied in color.

My method is one I call "plaid without paint" - as it needn't be painted onto canvas first. Actually, painting it would be terribly time consuming, as one has to consider that where two colors cross, a second color is created.

The photo shows some simple pieces I stitched freehand with very little pre-planning except to choose colors and make marks on the canvas for size and scale of stripes.

This plaid stitching is very addictive, and I've found myself watching people out shopping and studying the clothing of those wearing plaid - figuring out how I would adapt the pattern to needlepoint. I also find that my eye goes straight to plaid on upholstery in decorating magazines.

There is a brief tutorial on my Freebies blog from about a year ago (link to plaid is on the side bar) when I was demonstrating gingham checks, which is the simplest of all plaids. Basically, as the warp of a fabric is the strength, the VERTICAL stripes should always be worked first - on the warp "bumps." Simple basketweave, skipping the weft threads is used, and this way the canvas doesn't get pulled out of shape. The weft - horizontal stripes - are then worked when the vertifcals are in place.

This is the order in which a fabric is woven - so it only makes sense to work it this way. Also, experience will show you it doesn't distort and warp the canvas. I don't use a frame, and have never had a plaid piece, no matter how large or small, pull out of shape.

The Julia pillow isn't "woven" plaid - but rather the effect of gingham checks made with cotton floss in double leviathan stitches. I just wanted to show one of the many uses of this wonderful thing called plaid.

Also showing some other fun projects. I've especailly enjoyed an old book I found in my grandmother's house of Scottish tartans - mine is the Anderson plaid, which had to be worked for a large chair seat, as it's a rare one with seven colors in it (wouldn't you know it would have to be complicated). I loved the Donaldson plaid, as it's blue and green on white - so stitched it even though I don't know anyone by that name. Also, belts and dog collars are great stitched in plaid!!! All kinds of wonderful things!!

BEADS on a "Jeweled" Bracelet!!

I very much enjoy using the pretty threads and other materials for needlepoint that weren't available to us in the decade of the 70's - and also the imaginative things we can do with them. What I like doing most, however, is creating what I call "special effects with simple materials."

These napkin rings that could be lengthened and made into bracelets were shown a while back on my Freebies - (the pattern for them is there), and were inspired by my daughter's love of emeralds, and also the fact that her husband's birthday is in April - fortunate for her!! I thought jeweled napkin rings would be a festive touch for a birthday dinner.

Anyway, the first picture is showing the DMC cotton floss, worked in a tent stitch with 4 plies, on the WARP threads only, leaving the weft "dips" for inserting the beads. The tiny little diamond chain from which the emeralds are suspended, was placed on the canvas carefully, to make sure there would be only one warp stitch in the configuration of the little diamond shape - and of course the very very small one only has one stitch, which is weft to accomodate one bead. (a sparkling, hexagonal Sundance bead - crystal clear size 14 in the #250Hex)

The next picture shows the beads in place on some of the jewels. I used green beads that aren't "hex," as I didn't want the sparkle on the emeralds. While it's great on the diamonds, it's too much for the green stones.

This effect of nothing more than Petite Very Velvet, Kreinik #12 braid in 002V, and Sundance beads makes a stunning effect, yet is so simple - no fuzzy or glittery threads and no decorative stitches except the long-armed cross stitch I like to use at top and bottom, as it makes the edges fold over nicely - and is pretty in this braid.

I also put little single bead "jewels" suspended from the edges. I used the clear beads with green floss, but am not really happy with the look - so I tried a green bead farther down the row, and it's great! Out come the sharp scissors.



The diamond chain bracelet has a great effect with the two colors, I think. n this one, I'll use the clear hex beads at top and bottom, but will apply them with blue floss on the top, and green on the bottom. This makes sense. The detail of the diamond bracelet is showing where the weft threads were left bare for bead insertion.

When drawing this onto canvas, one would take care to make sure the square cut ones have five WEFT spaces, and four WARP spaces. The diamond shapes have 9 weft, and only 4 warp spaces. If attention is given to these small details, it makes the work easier. All it requires is a little experimenting on scrap canvas.

There's still time, as these are small, to even make jeweled bracelets for holiday parties - or sew them onto the cuffs of an evening jacket - lots of possibilities here. Do experiment - and with other motifs, too, than jewels.

ADDENDUM: I failed to mention that this technique for using beads (the simple way) is explained in detail in Chapter I of my book about using beads with needlepoint. I've divided it into two chapters for the downloadable e-patterns, or it's also offered as a coil bound "workbook." You can see it at Elegant Whimsies - my web store.

Sea Shells and Other Jeweled Things in Needlepoint

A really nice lady, who used to buy from me when I was wholesaling, called me about two weeks ago and asked for five of a seashell I had done for her before - I told her I had discontinued it, implying that I had trashed the pattern.

That didn't work, as she offered to send me a picture - so I agreed, as actually I still had the picture, myself, and then found the file with many many patterns for these shells and fishes and other sea critters, etc. I did during that binge from about 8 years ago.

Anyway, I was looking through the file and finding things I had forgotten about that I might decide to resurrect soon. I had started with antique fish jewelry, and then progressed to one of my avocations - the sea shells. Marine biology holds great fascination for me.

I took liberties here, though, in that I painted them with bright pastels in "Caribbean colors," and in most cases, added "jewels." The scallop shell has a fine sprinkling of pearls, which I stitched on the model I worked with Renaissance shimmer. (Painting this shell is the subject also of a post I just finished on my other blog - Freebies, etc., dealing with paint brushes.)

The pink and yellow scallop shell is actually the exact color of it in "real life." I have a wonderful huge book among my other books on shells, and was delighted to find this one. Of course I also did it in aqua, and added pearls.

The green tree snail is actually very very green, so I kind of ad-libbed with the color and made it look more like a sea shell, as I really like the shape - and added a few pearls.

Where there are sea shells, there might also be parrots - this one was adapted from a piece of jewelry! It was fun to stitch, but I won't paint it commercially - too hard to draw!!

Oh well. Back now to painting Mexican tiles and Talavera crosses. The shells were a refreshing break from "work."

Blending Filament for Special Effects

Blending filament again, and what a great find for a former dilemma! These Talavera pieces couldn't take decorative stitches, but definitely needed something to jazz them up a bit for use as tree ornaments - especially with the bright and lively colors.

This little cross is a smaller version of one I'm showing on Freebies, as an example of how to make the change in size for a simpler project. The description of how I use blending filament for the most effect is on this blog in an earlier post.

Anyway, I have really liked this one, but didn't want to undertake the big one right now, so had to "small it down" to stitch for myself.
I enjoy working on a bare canvas with only the outlines drawn - both because it's like painting with needle and thread, and because I'm too lazy to paint one for myself. It keeps me going to watch the pattern emerge in color!


I've started the outline on this one in Kreinik navy 018HL, size 12 braid (for 18 mesh canvas). It gives a bit of sparkle and shine along with the DMC cotton floss I've chosen.

The floss colors are exactly the colors on the cross, and the blending filament fits right in. I'm calling the navy, white, and orange the "background" on this piece, so won't use any sparkle with it - but the pattern elements definitely need the zing of some random sparkle and shine - hence the blending filament that won't overwhelm it as a shinier thread would.


By not making the background sparklle, the design will show up better. I'm off now to stitch a bit, as the weather turned cooler, and I can enjoy some fine, hot tea. (a new package has arrived from Tea Embassy - one I've gotten rather addicted to is the Rooibos, and my favorite has just a hint of chocolate and mint. It's yummy, and has no caffeine.)

Footnote: These Talavera crosses are available for sale at my Web Store, ELEGANT WHIMSIES - the link is on the side bar.

Creating a Color Scheme

I didn't take time to ask Sharon Boggon (a great fiber artist in Canberra, Australia, if you're not familiar with her) if I could use her photograph of colorful trash bins in New Zealand, so will just let it suffice to tell about a great aid for making a color scheme.

You can see this on her blog PINTANGLE, and also go directly to the site here: KULER Go take a look! I have plans, myself to play with it a bit - fascinating, it is.

I"m showing these zinnias, as this is the kind of thing I look for when planning color shemes of my own - I'll try it on the Kuler thing, I think. What fun!!

Halloween Napkin Rings

Pat Miller at Needleartnut has finished stitching my little Halloween napkin rings - and they look wonderful the way she did them. I asked her to do this, as I hadn't a clue how they should be worked - I'm really really pleased with them, so do go take a look, and then see how she finishes them! WOW!

UPDATE: Pat has finished the napkin rings - they look great, as she did an amazing job on them. They now look like napkin rings!! Just click on the link above, and you can click to enlarge the pictures.

A reminder - these are on my Freebies, Etc. blog, so you can print them out and do your own.

BEADS! The Many Faces for Needlepoint

I love beads incorporated into needlepoint - which is obvious, I think, as I just looked and have about 63 posts on this blog (three years old last September - time flies)

Also have a book on this subject in my "Coloring Book" series, which is available both as a book and as E-Books in two chapters on my web page.(Elegant Whimsies)

In the first photo, (an old one), I used beads on the background by placing one at each intersection of the open work done in ribbon floss - very effective! The second photo is a bracelet and earring I made about two years ago - there are two different patterns, and as I remember, they are shown at Fireside Stitchery already made up (cuff bracelets) On this one, I used beads in my "solid" technique that really isn't solid, but looks that way.


The blue Petite Very Velvett patch has the clear Sundance beads applied with floss the color of the background - gives the effect, I think, of rain drops on a cold winter night in December - or is it ice? (We don't have much ice here.) I love this effect of using the clear beads with colored floss, as it gives a different dimension to the surface texture.
Seed beads also make great cactus spines on a tiny little cactus! The leaves are PVV, and the beads have a finish that doesn't sparkle and glitter - so have a great look for this.

All of these projects are showing on this blog in numerous previous posts - as I started using beads and experimenting with them about ten years ago. A GREAT accessory to jazz up the work when textured stitches won't do - or just for the beauty of the beads.

There seems to be a bit of confusion about the term "seed bead." Seed beads are uniformly shaped, spheroidal (round) beads ranging in size from very very tiny to several MM. These are termed "seed beads" as opposed to "bugle beads" and other types and shapes. I did check this info with the dictionary to make sure of my facts.

I use exclusively the Sundance Beads, as they have an enormous variety of colors and finishes - not just the shiny or sparkly! Also, in the packaging, they are so totally uniform in size that I very rarely have to discard one, as opposed to other brands. I use, for incorporating them into the body of the work, the size #14 on 18 mesh, and #11 on 13 mesh. Other sizes could be used, of course, for different decorative effects.

Incidentally, using beads on needlepoint is the subject of my next article in Needlepoint Now - stitching the Mindy Canvases! ( I need to go finish those beautiful things.)

Bargello by Liz (Her 4-Way FourWay)

If you haven't followed Liz Morrow's new Bargello design - do go see it now finished! I continue to be amazed at her gorgeous and innovative work in this area - The best I've seen in many years!

I believe she intends to sell her patterns, and also maybe teach a cyber-class or two. I'm begging for this one!

Talavera and the Calla Lilies

Having noticed a lot of the Mexican ceramics showing calla lilies lately - especially the Talavera style, I decided to investigate, as this is not a motif used on the traditional Spanish Uriarte, which has been produced in Puebla, since the 16th century.

I had always associated this flower with condolences on greeting cards designed to send to the bereaved, and therefore a bit depressing - but when I moved to Mexico City in the 60's, I was surprised to find that it's a most beloved flower, and used primarily at Easter.

This makes sense, as it's a symbol of re-birth and resurrection. The white version of it is also used at weddings, as it's a symbol of marriage and purity. Here, we use a true lily for this time of year, and call it the "Easter lily." Not a true lily, the Calla lily is indigenous to Africa (I don't remember which part) but traveled to Mexico at some point.

Digging a little further, I discovered some things I didn't know. The Aztecs were a "flowery" civilization, having many of their religious and spiritual activities centered around the use of many many of them. A vast number of their deities also had flowers as their symbols.

Archaeological discoveries have shown the Mayan civilization to have also been a flower culture. The valley of Mexico is, indeed, a most beautiful place with a vast wealth of gorgeous flowering plant life.

I've also always loved the paintings by Diego Rivera in which he used many many calla lilies, painted very simply, flat, and always in white (at least I've never seen anything but white in his work.) I think this is what prompted me to do a little bit of research as to why it's so prominent also in the modern version of Mexican tiles and other ceramic items.

I had held back from adapting these ceramics to needlepoint, as I still had that bit of stigma in my mind about the Calla lily being used at funerals, but now I've done two pieces, and understand the "why" of it, so will continue to do a few more! This one is now on my ebay auction, which is kind of my testing ground to see what others think.

Using Blending Filament: A Pumpkin and a Cross

I first saw blending filament in a shop that was mostly counted X-Stitch in about 1986. At that time, it was known as "Balger Blending Filament" and was used by the cross stitchers to add a bit of sparkle to their work.

I had refused, in the past, to design Christmas ornaments, as Persian wool and cotton floss were all we had for needlepoint, and tree ornaments need glitter and sparkle and shine - or at least one of the above.

Anyway, I had an "aha!" moment, and decided it might do as well for needlepoint with cotton floss - so I used a X-stitch chart of a peach, and since needlepoint on 18 mesh canvas requires 4 plies, and X-stitch this size only 2, it seemed only reasonable to go ahead and double the strand of blending filament along with the floss - and it worked! I had a peach in needlepoint with sparkles!!!

For anyone who hasn't seen my little method of using cotton floss so that the plies stay put and don't go anywhere, I simply open out the entire skein, then put the two ends together and fold it over three times, cutting the loops on the ends. This leaves a rather long thread - even doubled, it seems long, (19") but it doesn't fray, and is sooooo easy to use this way. I simply take off two plies and double them, and thread the loop through the eye of the needle - and then make a slip knot against the eye. Very easy stitching, as everything stays put.

The illustrations are showing the floss including the blending filament, which I cut to the 38" length before doubling the entire strand for threading. Stitching with the needle threaded this way, the plies all stay put and give me no trouble at all!!

I use exclusively the Kreinik filament, as I really like the color range and the look of it, and also the fact that it comes, like the braid, in several different "finishes" - including the Vintage and High Luster. I've never had a problem with it breaking or fraying when I use it this way.

I think some are misunderstanding the purpose of "blending filament," as I hear complaints that it gets lost in the thread plies - but this could possibly be the result of only using the one ply. Also, this filament is not intended to look like a solid metallic, or to show with every stitch, but to BLEND with a fiber, and give the lovely effect of random, occassional sparkle. You can see it here, I think, on the features of the pumpkin.

Pat Miller (Needleartnut) suggested, when I couldn't decide whether to make the features yellow or black, to do a yellow metallic - which made sense, as I wanted to do a black background, and there is supposed to be a candle inside the pumpkin anyway. However, I felt that a solid metallic yellow might be too much, so I dug out a yellow blending filament, and am very pleased with the result. Glowing, subtly sparkly features against the matte Petite Very Velvet of the pumpkin is a great contrast!

On the Talavera cross, the filament also solved the problem of my not wanting a lot of glitter - as I am using the Kreinik navy HL braid for the outlines (and the 032 on the blue at the top), and didn't want a lot more on it. However, it did need something, so the blending filament is on the yellow-green leaves, and will be used also on the flowers at the bottom. It's also in the yellow center of the red flower - so by just using this little bit, the eye travels downward from the top, drawn by the subtle bit of sparkle, and doesn't get distracted by too much in the body of the design.

The pumpkin is a Freebie design on my other blog - so I'll deal with stitching it there.

Silk Ribbon Flowers for October (Marigolds)

I believe "Calendulas" is the correct name for these flowers, but I've always called them "marigolds." By any name - they're awfully pretty.

This is one of the "Crazy for Birthdays" series, stitched for October last year - with the opals included! That one was fun, and I think I have a description of how it was achieved under the label on the side for Birthday Crazy Quilts or something.

Anyway, I studied not only the real thing growing in the flower bed, but looked at a lot of pictures, as that seems to be the most efficient way of replicating the "look" of flowers in silk ribbon.

I used 4mm ribbon for these, as the petals aren't quite as fine as the asters for September - on which I used 2mm ribbon. The little centers are made with French knots and Soy Luster.

Creating with silk ribbon for surface enhancement is almost instant gratification, and one only needs to learn to handle the ribbon - it's qualities and limitations. Just a few basic stitches are all I've found necessary to make flowers that at least resemble what I wanted - and it's great fun to study leaves and flowers, vines, etc. outside, and figure out how to do them in silk ribbon. I even did a series of Texas Wildflowers several years ago! (can't find them now)

Beautiful Bargello: Four "4-way"

Many times it is a matter of colors, thread choices, and arrangement that makes a project come to life as a beautiful decorative home accessory!

Liz Morrow's blog, LIZART, is one of the very very few needlepoint blogs I look at regularly, and this morning, as I was admiring the beauty of the colors and effect of the outlines on this new piece, I realized that it's an extremely simple mitered bargello pattern - quite elementary, and a great one for anyone to begin.

However, the arrangement of the four, in addition to the lovely choices of overdyed threads, etc., makes it one that anybody would enjoy doing.

I was surprised at the simplicity of the design, as Liz is, in my opinion, the best of the Bargello artist/designers these days, having surpassed the Elsa Williams style many of us started with in the 70's - as well as Dorothy Kaestner's Four-Way Bargello, which I found to be fascinating.

Anyway - whether you have or haven't worked Bargello, do go take a look and watch the process as she proceeds. She says she has other color combinations working as well - and I hope this one will be available as a pattern I might try for myself!!

Running Behind

Sorry there have been no posts for a while - I am not able to admit it when I'm ill, and let this one go too far - and then the treatment made me sicker. For the first time in a long time, I've been "laid too low" to function properly, so have done not much of anything but lie around and whine and feel sorry for myself.

This is very difficult for someone with OCD (obssessive/compulsive disorder) for needlepoint design and stitching! Feeling a little bit better today, so have the paints and brushes out, and have taken a few stitches on a small piece. It was my apathy toward stitching that had my children worried.

A New Lighthouse

Just calling attention this morning to a wonderful new lighthouse canvas, complete with fascinating history - from Anne Stradal, The Cape Stitcher.

As always, I look forward to watching her select threads and, of course, the stitching process.

More Outlining (and Mitered Background)

This is a picture I wanted to show as an example of the benefit of outlining a shape against a textured background. It's on this blog under the label stitching, but I couldn't find it's companion, which was a blue flower - beginner pieces I stitched from Happy Heart Designs a long time ago.

I used these to illustrate an article I did in NN on beginner pieces about two years ago or so - and this one shows the benefit of outlining even the shaped elements in the rose, as they now have neat, non-raggedy, defined edges.

Also, against the textured background, it just looks better and was easier to work. The border is made with Long-armed Cross Stitch, which is my favorite for this sort of thing.

The background is mitered, to demonstrate that texture can be used as well as on the flower, if it's kept simple. I like this stitch, but it is very directional, which I didn't want because of the distraction it would be - so it's mitered. Easy to do by just marking the grooves at horizontal and vertical centers to show where to end one section, turn the canvas, and do another. It kind of makes the central pattern motif a definite focus on the canvas!

Notice the beads on the background are orange, which further enhances the directions of the four areas. (I hadn't finished inserting the beads yet when this picture was taken)

These are small, simple things one can do with ease, and not requiring a lot of skill - I really enjoy them, myself, as a break from the tedious, more serious things.

Silk Ribbon Embroidery: Flowers on a New Site

Just cruising around this morning, I found this wonderful/beautiful site via Sharon B's Pintangle! Tutorials in detail on making gorgeous silk ribbon flowers. Do go take a look at Carol Daisy on SILK RIBBON EMBROIDERY.