For the Traditional Needlepointer

Beverly R. sent me a note about this post on the style blog Mrs. Blandings which describes a lady who needlepoints rugs a' la Mrs. George Bush Sr.
http://mrsblandings.blogspot.com/2009/04/gros-point.html

The blog led me to this website which reproduces the Seasons magazine article referred to. Note, clicking on images enlarges them and the text to readable size. (At least it did for me--this might depend on the computer software you have.)
http://www.seasonsmagazinedigital.com/seasonsmagazine/2009spring/?folio=64

I've also got a great lesson from Judy Harper on how to create letters for your Christmas stocking. What is more traditional that stitching holiday stockings for friends and family?
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/2009/04/names-on-stockings-how-to-tutorial.html

If you read Needlepoint Now magazine you will have seen an article about a lady who takes old needlepoint pieces and makes them into wonderful pillows. You can read the article online at her blog (click on the magazine cover photo) and see photos of her latest pieces. There's are links to the Boutique where you can buy a remade piece of your own, or at least enjoy the lovely finishing, as well.
http://cest-chouette.blogspot.com/

Continuing my theme of traditional needlepoint, here is a link to a museum in Holland with lots of photos of old needlepoint and other types of stitching. You don't need to read Dutch to enjoy the photos.
http://m-silkwork.blogspot.com/2009/04/embroidery-at-rijksmuseum.html

Finally, silk wrapped purl may be available again as a thread after centuries. You can read a bit about it here on the blog of the lady who is reporting on the reproduction of the Plimoth Plantation embroidered jacket. I've seen the new Gilt Sylke Twist which reproduction sampler and embroiderers are drooling over. This is another thread in our tool kit which will be fun (although probably expensive) and a doorway into our stitching ancestors' lives.
http://thistle-threads.com.mytempweb.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/silk-purl-another-ripple/

Many thanks to Beverly R. who started me down this path of looking for links for those of us who appreciate traditional needlepoint! Wish I could have thanked you in person but your Replay function on the Yahoo 360 message system is turned off.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Interview with Ruth Dilts (Plus Stash Enhancement)

It has been an action-packed week for me when it comes to interviews. When I took a vacation day last week and hit all the shops, I had a companion egging me on--Ruth Dilts. You probably know Ruth from her Needlepoint 101 and Needlepoint 202 books which explain how one stitches a painted canvas. These are great beginner books, full of tips scattered throughout each example. She diagrams a lot of useful embellishment stitches for painted canvases and tells you what threads she used and why as well. Great little books!

I have met Ruth off and on throughout my time in Virginia as she lives close to the shops I frequent and teaches at several of them. She also occasionally demonstrates needlepoint during the Woodlawn Plantation and the Loudoun County Sampler Guild exhibits. I've always enjoyed talking with her and managed finally to arrange a time to hang out with her and have lunch. We had a blast! I meet Ruth at Waste Knot since it was most convenient for me and some of her stitching is on display there.

I arrived before Ruth and got in some shopping. I picked out a peach Silk Lame (SL29) and a pale apricot Petite Sparkle Rays (PS76) to pair with similar shades of Baroque Silk for my next painted canvas project. I also bought a tube of #11 Sundance beads in peach 580 in case beads look better with my Baroque Silk than the Petite Sparkle Braid. (I am planning ahead for what I plan to stitch when the pet guardian angels are done, you see.) I also picked up two colors in Lorikeet, which is the 9 ply wool from Gloriana. I bought the lovely Lacquered Gold to pair with my Gloriana silk floss Old Gold, and a skein of Lorikeet Elizabethean Green Dark because it looks like dark forests in the shade. And I bought a skein of Burmilana in dark violet #3943 just because it was pretty and I like Burmilana. This is where I picked up the Stitch & Zip coin purse for my niece, by the way. Once I had everything I needed, I browsed the Mindy trunk show, enjoying a rare chance to see a lot of her work at once, including new designs which aren't on her website yet. More about that tomorrow.

Then Ruth arrived and we had a lovely visit. Ruth showed me her work on display. I've admired Lee's Wisteria Kimono for years. Ruth and Joan Lohr both stitched this piece for a class they just taught together. (Joan's version is in the background of this shot. Can you tell Ruth blended shades of silk for the green background of her kimono and Joan didn't?) I have to say the wisteria blossoms done in ribbon are magnificent! I'm going to have to try ribbon stitch on needlepoint. It's not really that hard. Can you see the Woodlawn ribbon Ruth won for this piece lying at its feet?

The frowning witch in the cat's eye glasses next to the kimono is one Ruth stitched years ago that she says people love. It's a Melissa Shirley witch named Lucy Lastic. Lucy has bats flying in the background and a purple fringed skirt and black boots. (I told Ruth I had a skirt like that in the late 1960s but it was brown. I had cat's eye glasses, too, but my hair was never orange and rust red. LOL) If Ruth teaches this design again she'll have to adjust the threads since the French overdyed wool that made the witch's bullion curls is no longer manufactured, but there are quite a few new threads she can use to substitute for a similar effect. Lucy's a charmer, regardless of her hair style!

Ruth has been busy stitching several large Leigh designs. Sadly, I was not able to see the Carnavale mask "Rossana" or the pink Las Vegas Showgirl "Bergere" but Ruth told me about them. There's a stitch guide for Rossana now but the pink feather stitches on the show girl proved impossible to explain in a stitch guide. The photo of Rossana is from the stitch guide cover. Isn't she magnificent? I wish I'd seen her at Woodlawn but she was hiding in a dark corner and I missed her.

By the way, the dog cushion in the background near the cute Mile High Princess Halloween angel is also a Woodlawn award winner. It is one of the Paper Russell dogs distributed by DJ Designs. I especially like how the unrealistic purple and blue shadows add to the atmosphere. This piece was stitched by someone who'd just lost their own dog and it has additional meaning for her because of what she lost. The stitching is really good on this piece. It deserves its ribbon.

There are a series of dogs from the same designer for sale at Waste Knot. I know they had the Dachshund, Golden Retriever and the German Shepherd with the soulful eyes in the shop. There were others but I'm not sure which ones now. Perhaps the White Lab and the Maltese?
http://www.designsdj.com/paperrussells.html

It was a lot of fun looking at everything with Ruth. Especially interesting was the stitch guide from Aristeia for Melissa Shirley's Stitching Bird . I took a photo of an inside page of the guide for you to see. Instead of the normal diagrams in stitch guides, Aristeia's diagrams resemble hand drawings in colored pencil. I thought the diagrams were clear and easy to follow. Ruth tells me they do all their stitch guides this way, whether they are for Melissa Shirley or guides they write at their shop for customers. The stitch guide I saw is described in the first link below, followed by the store website if you are curious about their work.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/galcol/index.cgi?index=1234372601_10330&col=123

http://www.aristeianeedlepoint.com/

At this point we packed up the traveling circus and drove to Needlewoman East, hoping to see the Leigh Showgirl. Sadly the shop owner was away (her father is ill) so we missed out. I consoled myself with a hug from the former owner, Sue Jennings, who was filling in behind the counter. (Sue wouldn't let me take another picture of her, much to the chagrin of her fan club!) Then I treated myself to two cards of sale Splendor silk ribbon in ivory and in purple, a spool of Kreinik's 329 which I need for the Tony Minieri Glittering Kimono piece, a spool of my favorite Trebizond silk perle color--Scarlet 4017, and just for fun, a skein of Caron's Wildflowers in 196 Sable because the nice lady helping me said it makes magnificent tree bark. I know I have trees and tree bark in my stitching future so I bought it. Then Ruth and I took a break for lunch, which is when we really got to talk.

Ruth's dad was in the textile business, which I find fascinating as the gene for design and pattern obviously was there. She teaches all over the U.S. and designs counted thread pieces, as well as writing books. You can do a little exploration on her website. I am particularly fond of her Birthday Gem balls. Ruth is the person who introduced me to Mill Hill's Magnifica beads, which have an extra sparkle and depth of color not in their regular line of beads. Until I saw her Birthday Gem balls in person, I didn't know how great these beads are mixed with silks in NP.
http://www.ruthdiltsdesign.com/index.html

Ruth's latest charted design is called Mystic. It's an Art Deco piece, inspired by a piece of stained glass seen in an antiques shop in Mystic, CT. I saw it at Woodlawn last year where it won an award. It's lovely but in silver and black and gold, it didn't speak to me. Until now when I saw it in greens! A friend stitched it for Ruth in different colors and it was made up into a tote bag. Isn't it lovely? Ruth held it for me to photograph (that's her pretty quilted jacket in the photo) in two different shots. I am enamoured with this design now! Ruth is about half way through designing another Art Deco-inspired piece. She revealed one hint to me--it will be on bright yellow NP canvas using the Splendor #5 silk perle and Gloriana silk floss in the photograph. Ruth is still working out the design so she doesn't know what other threads or colors would be present but she wanted a lively Art Deco design to complement the cool elegance of Mystic. This is still in the planning stages although she has her basic design already. I can't wait!

Sadly, Ruth and I had to part eventually. I made my last stop at Scarlet Thread on the way home where I saw Mystic and Ruth's Birthday Gem balls on display as she is teaching there soon. Silly me, I was too tired to think to photograph them for you! But you know I was having too much fun with Ellice and Donna and all the goodies the shop has to offer to remember. I picked up two threads just because (Sparkle Braid in SK33 pinks and blues and Silk N Colors in the lovely blue shades of Japanese Sea) and a little box of SJ Designs beads which are a pretty gray blue. I also bought mauve Magnifica beads (#10026) and a card of the little square magnets I like because they are both very strong and small. Then I had a great deal of fun looking at finished counted thread pieces on display with Ellice and at Gilt Sylke Twist with Donna. Isn't it too bad we can't do something like this every day? But then I'd be broke and it wouldn't be such a special memory.

Thank you for all the fun and the lovely pieces, Ruth. Blog readers especially love seeing your beautiful stitching! It just wish they'd all be there with us, fondling thread and talking about needlepoint in all its many interesting forms.

If I mentioned anything that caught your fancy, here are the websites for all the shops I visited in the order I visited them. Just call them up and say Jane & Ruth sent you!

Waste Knot's website
http://www.wasteknotneedlepoint.com/

Needlewoman East's website.
http://www.theneedlewomaneast.com/Welcome.html

Scarlet Thread's website.
http://www.scarletthread.com/

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Interview with Judie of Thistle Needleworks

I love talking to other stitchers, to designers, and of course to shop owners. I managed to talk Judie of Thistle Needleworks in Glastonbury, Connecticut into an interview. Judie graciously sent me photos to make into a slide show for blog readers. Here is Judie speaking below, answering my questions and talking about her shop and the pieces she and her staff have stitched.

"A few shots of the shop are attached (that's Julia at the register, not me) as well as pix of three commercially available painted canvases for which I have written stitch guides -- 2 from Anne Brinkley and 1 from Cooper Oaks. (The Hummingbird piece has two areas - one wing and the bud - worked on 18-mesh canvas and then appliqued to the 13-mesh painted canvas. I don't think that shows very well in the photo. All three pieces have a variety of threads and stitches, but I would like to think that they do not show because they just enhance the designs but do not change them.)"

Judie, the photos are wonderful! I had a lot of fun looking at them last night. Now I have questions about the stitched pieces and then about the shop itself. I think you are right that the individual stitches don't show up much because they are not intended to call attention to themselves, but it is hard to take good photos of stitching that shows much detail. What threads did you use?

"The two flower pieces are all done with Gumnut Yarns -- Blossoms, Daisies, Stars, Buds, Poppies, and Tulips. Mr. Wonderful uses Watercolours from The Caron Collection and Gold Rush 14 and Cordonnet from Rainbow Gallery in addition to Gumnut Yarns."

What did you use for the ermine on Mr. Wonderful's robe?

"Gumnut Yarns' Daisies 990 and 999."

Why did you choose these pieces for a stitch guide?

"All three were designed to be used at trade shows at classes co-sponsored by Anne Brinkley or Cooper Oaks and Custom House of NeedleArts, the importer of Gumnut Yarns."

Are these things that just spoke to you or are your customers big fans of Anne Brinkley, for example?

"In the case of the flowers, I chose the designs, but Mr. Wonderful was chosen by the designer for the class and stitch guide."

Is your original website (link below) more geared toward counted thread stitchers?
http://www.thistleneedleworks.com/

"Yes, indeed it is........... We acquired the Alex-Paras web site a little over a year ago when Alex-Paras NeedleArts, the brick and mortar shop in FL, closed. The former owner was a longtime friend and customer of Thistle Needleworks before she moved to FL and later opened her shop there. She has now moved back to CT and is on the staff of Thistle Needleworks."

(If you haven't browsed the AP website to see their painted canvases, here is the link for a good long browse.)
http://store.apneedlearts.com/

You were the first shop I know of to offer counted thread monthly clubs and there still aren't many folks who cater to this breed of stitcher. Do you have anything special planned for them for 2009-10?

"Not on the calendar at this time, but things may change...................."

How did you happen to open a needlework store anyway?

"Before I opened Thistle Needleworks in 1983, I was a partner with two other ladies in The Needlework Studio. We were primarily a teaching studio -- I was the counted thread person, Anne was the canvas person, and Rosemary was the surface embroidery teacher -- and we sold merchandise only to support our classes. It was a concept whose time had not yet come and we closed after only one year. But that whet my appetite and so I opened Thistle Needleworks later that year."

Do you do a lot of mail order?

"Yes, we do. We ship multiple packages daily to stitchers all over the US and the rest of the world."

What are folks looking for when they either email you or find their way to your shop?

"Just about everything for the threaded needle -- fabrics and/or canvases, threads, tools, accessories, etc., etc., etc."

Is there a thread you carry no one else does, or a designer that everyone wants?

"We have no exclusives on threads -- I do not know if any shop does. We have a few exclusive cross-stitch kits and are now working with a designer to create an exclusive charted canvas work pattern or kit."

Thanks for the photographs. If you have another one of perhaps several completed pieces from your customers I'd love to add them to the slide show.

http://store.apneedlearts.com/christmas.html -- " there are two stockings there -- Harrison [top of the page] was partially stitched by a customer and completed by staff after she took ill and could not do so. The bear [Blue Snow Bear for Hannah at link below] was stitched by another customer."
http://store.apneedlearts.com/snowbear.html

I'd love to have more eye candy.

"Funny that you should use that term -- Eye Candy is the name of a needlepoint company and we have a number of her pieces on our web site."

Judie went on to describe some of the other photos she sent me:

"The fish is a Leigh design and was stitched by staffer Linda Prout after a class we piloted with Deborah Forney on Or Nue. It was stitched with Balger braids and Caron Impressions.

"Scottish Santa is a Petei canvas which I stitched using a variety of threads and stitches.

"Snowman Ornament is a charted canvas design from Kick Back & Stitch which I stitched and donated to the region's ANG auction tree a number of years ago.

I stitched both the Egmont Key Light ornament and the Vermillion Light, which was later made into a standing weighted figure. Both are from ABS Designs. Don't remember what threads were used on the Egmont Key but I do know that the Vermillion Light was stitched entirely with Sampler Threads since it was a gift for my old friends that own The Gentle Art.

"How could I forget him????????? The first Thistle Needleworks exclusive................

http://store.apneedlearts.com/bewithtave.html

"And this toy poodle -- a Leigh canvas -- stitched by Martha Piontkowski, the same gal who stitched the blue snow bear stocking from Tapestry Tent, and stitched as a gift to Julia because they share a love of poodles. Lilly belongs to Julia, who is one of our framers and is shown at the register in one of the shop photos, and comes to work with Julia twice a week -- have attached another picture of the two of them hard at work in the classroom. [Lilly the poodle is on the right side of the third shop photo in her dog bed.]

"I forgot to mention that in the photo of the outside, that window on the right is in the classroom (which is used as the framing workroom when classes are not being held).

"Every year I give each of our four children and each of our three DIL's a stitched ornament. These are the seven Kathy Schenkel ones I did a few years back -- had lots of fun with stitches and textures and threads."

And I've had a lot of fun talking to you, Judie, seeing photos of Thistle Needleworks and enjoying the stitching you and your staff have done there. Thank you very much for allowing Blog and its readers to visit with you today!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Stitch & Zip! UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY BY LARRI

UPDATE: I got an email from Larri yesterday with information about the stitch & zip projects she's worked. It was so interesting that I talked her into letting me post it here. So, let me introduce Larri, who wrote:

"Don't know if you've ever stitched any of these before....if you haven't thought I'd let you know my experiences.

Have done several....they were great little projects for my to take when I'm with my Mom at the nursing home, when I take her for dr. appointments, etc. Don't have to think and they're easy to carry.

First one was a glass case and used the threads that came with it, included some metallics and even though the instructions say not to stripped the floss, I did anyway. No difference that I could see stripping vs. not stripping. Used the metallic threads it came with and they got caught on everything in my purse and hated having to work with 6 plies without a laying tool.

Have stitched a makeup case with Silk and Ivory instead of the floss and that didn't work out well because the thread has pilled from rubbing other things in my purse.

Last one I did I used perle cotton and that one has been great. No problem with it at all. Has held up beautifully.

Larri quotes what Jane said--'Tips--unfold the edges of the NP canvas before you start to stitch so you don't have to stitch through two layers. If you squint you can see the raw edge of the canvas sticking up in the photo. This is turned under when you finish stitching. I'll tack it down when I finish the background stitching to keep it neat.'

I have stitched through both layers as it prevents the canvas from fraying.

Have used all 3 in my purse for years...one holds my makeup...one holds change and misc. receipts and one is for my sunglasses. I didn't line the inside and have had no problems with anything catching on the inside.

Love the look of silk but have been reluctant to try that because of losing the sheen with it rubbing against other things. Will be interested to know how that holds up.

Just thought you might want to know my experience."

Thanks, Larri! I'm happy to add your thoughts to help out folks who are considering a stitch & zip project.

ORIGINAL POSTING:

Last night the Basketweave Marathon continued, but I wasn't working on the background for Holi the "Tudor" Dog pet guardian angel. Instead, I was working the background on a coin purse-sized Stitch & Zip project. I noticed one of my nieces was working on a small interlock canvas of a unicorn at Thanksgiving, so for her birthday I bought the coin purse design above. The kit came with a needle, some DMC floss in the colors needed, and instructions. The coin purse front can be unzipped most of the way from the back so you can stitch it, then you re-zip it together and use. It's on 14 count interlock canvas and isn't particularly well painted but that only matters when it comes to the white rectangles in the border and I'm stitching those. I plan to stitch the black background and the white rectangles, then send along some Kreinik metallic and Trebizond silk instead of the DMC floss so she can stitch the hearts herself in a nice thread without having to worry about the plies. The white rectangles are Kreinik's 032 pearl white color using 1/16 inch ribbon and the black basketweave is done with three plies of black Broder wool.

What I like about this project is that it will be a practical gift my niece can use and with the pretty design and silk and metallic threads, I hope she'll find it attractive enough to want to try another project later, perhaps a larger Stitch & Zip or even a small Lee coin purse design with a tiny 18 count canvas to insert.

What I don't like is the stiff feel of the interlock canvas itself, the sloppy silk screened design (my white squares are various sizes and the count between squares is off in places), and the fact that it is hard to stitch around the edge where the canvas meets the zipper.

Tips--unfold the edges of the NP canvas before you start to stitch so you don't have to stitch through two layers. If you squint you can see the raw edge of the canvas sticking up in the photo. This is turned under when you finish stitching. I'll tack it down when I finish the background stitching to keep it neat.

When this is finished the back side of the needlepoint will be in contact with whatever goes into the coin purse so you do have to be careful with loose ends on the rear side that might snag or pull out with use. If I were stitching this for myself, I'd probably cover the back side with a piece of fabric, just to be neat and prevent snags.

Most of the smaller and cheaper Stitch & Zip kits are from Alice Peterson.
http://www.everythingneedlepoint.com/index.php?cPath=14&osCsid=7d4648a6eba45e571f1b3c0270919309

http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Stitch_n_Zip/StitchAndZip.html

Sophia has some beautiful and high quality stitch and zip purses as well, but they are too sophisticated for a pre-teen to carry and too expensive for a beginner's project.
http://elainemagninneedlepoint.stores.yahoo.net/pursesbysophia.html

Now it's back to the Basketweave Marathon for me!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Vacation Day Was Fun!

I had a blast hitting all the shops and hanging out with stitchers. I don't have time to report on what I saw/did/bought today but I'll post about it as soon as I can get my photographs together. For now, you'll just have to stare longingly at the photo I took in Scarlet Thread's hallway of --left to right-- an award winning Orna Willis piece, Donna and Ellice. Donna you may know from her Needleworker Not in Paradise blog. Both ladies are counted thread lovers and I'll tell you more about Ellice another time....
http://majtravaux.blogspot.com/

Can you sense an interview coming? LOL

Thanks for letting me take your picture, ladies. I just hope everyone can tell what a lovely time we were having....

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow