Our World Stitching Contest

Renee at Gone Stitching emailed me this week to alert me to an original design challenge contest her shop is co-sponsoring with Planet Earth Fibers.  They are asking stitchers to come up with original designs based on the theme "Our World" using at least five Planet Earth Fibers threads (and as many other brands as you please).  The $25 entry fee (plus shipping) brings you a canvas in your choice of thread count, with the standard design area marked out, and the five Planet Earth Fiber threads you list in your contest application. You design and stitch something and return it by early next fall and the entries will be judged in several categories.

The winners will take home Planet Earth Fiber selections, a Gone Stitching original painted canvas, or both.  Details are on the Gone Stitching website and there is a link to photos of the various Planet Earth fibers you can choose from for your kit.   While you are there, browse the revamped website to see what all Renee and Michelle have been up to, and don't forget their weekly radio show.
http://www.gonestitching.net/index.php/our-world-stitching-contest-kit.html

Good luck stitching, everyone!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Comparing Beading Techniques

You may remember that I used a single ply of DMC cotton floss from the strand of six to attach the beads on the tap pants canvas.  I stitched beads in place like they were tent stitches, going through each bead twice with my single thread.

For the bra, I tried another technique. This time I cut a much longer single ply of DMC cotton floss and doubled it in my beading needle. Then I took a tent stitch through my bead.  I came up a second time in the original "up" hole and then put my needle down in the original "down" hole.  I pulled the thread down but not all the way.  I left about two inches on top of the canvas so I could carefully separate the two strands.  Holding them apart with one hand and with a finger from that hand on the bead, I carefully pulled the thread down snug.  This is called a lasso technique or a loop.  You essentially tie the thread down and then put in a second stitch that has one leg of thread on each side of the bead.  This makes a little framework around the bead.  Beads are very wiggly things and you do want to secure them as much as possible.

When I looked at the two pieces, the tap pants have a few beads out of position.  I'm not sure if that is because I stitched the tap pants first and hadn't realized it was best to work from the bottom of the design up on the diagonal yet, or if the way I secured the beads was better.  It certainly took me longer to attached the beads on the bra but they do seem a little more secure.

I think it is worth it to experiment on your own with these two ways of adding beads.  If I ever totally bead another large section of a painted canvas, I will probably use the loop technique, but it s very slow.  Whatever technique you do, remember to snug the beads down tightly.  We are used to have a somewhat looser tension in making tent stitches but when you are attaching beads, you have to pull tight so that there is no slack in the threads.  Slack in the threads means the beads will wander.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow