Sundance Beads

Today I have beads for you to drool over.  A friend managed to get samples of the newest beads from Sundance Designs at the trade show this summer and sent me some.

Yesterday I laid my loot out on the dining room table and took a photograph so you could see some of the newest styles and packaging of their beads as well as relative sizes.  On the right side are what is called Color Inspiration Collections.  These are sets of beads (they appear to be size 11 although I did not open the packaging to compare the beads with those I know are size 11) in coordinated colors.  This is perfect for folks who want a few beads for a project in several colors but don't want to buy full tubes from Sundance.  The Chili Peppers set looks to be perfect for Christmas or for red and yellow flowers on a canvas, while the Shell set would have looked great on my Cameo Ornament if I hadn't already put silver beads on it.  I think these will be a big hit since a selection of small amounts of beads in seven coordinating colors is something a lot of folks can use.

The left side shows tubes of beads arranged by size and turned so you can see the colors.  Color Inspiration Collections aren't the extent of the new things at Sundance this year.  They have a new bead style called drop beads.  Drop beads are slightly oval beads with their hole up at the top, not at the center.  I drew a shape next to the drop bead tubes so you could get an idea of what these beads are like.  These are large beads, perfect for a 13 count canvas where you want a droplet shape in the background or to highlight something on the design.  They would also make very pretty trim. (You know how I like to bead the edges of my ornaments!)  The colors I was sent include very pretty white pearls, an iridescent reddish purple, a two-toned blue and green bead, and a tube of beads that vary in shade from turquoise to copper to gold, but all with copper undertones.  I understand the pearl beads are new.

My selection includes two tubes of size 8 beads, one sparkling clear with silver lining and one of clear iridescent finish beads.  These beads are highly faceted and shine like the dickens in light.  These are perfect to scatter over the background of a 13 count canvas.  They are pretty large, probably too large for solid beading, but for a few beads here and there to indicate dewdrops or rain, they would be lovely.

My single tube of size 11 beads (perfect for 18 count canvas holes) is a very pretty sea green.  These beads are rounded, not faceted, and have a bit of depth to the color, probably because they are glass.  Sundance offers not only a large range of bead colors and sizes, the styles of beads differ.  You can get beads with their holes lined in silver or unlined, round beads, faceted beads, pearl beads, frosted beads, etc.  Something for every canvas, in fact.

The last two tubes are size 14 beads.  Size 14s (sometimes you'll see the size written 14/0) also work on 18 count canvas, particularly if you need a smaller bead to cluster or to solidly bead an area.  One tube is silver in color and the other is pewter.  These are new beads and non-tarnish.  They are very pretty and dainty.

If you are curious about Sundance's beads, you can browse their website.  They distribute needlepoint canvases and also have a great little booklet about stitching with beads.  Just click on Catalogue and then choose the right drop down menu items to see what you are interested in.
http://www.sundancedesignsonline.com/

Meanwhile I'm going to go stare at the pretty beads some more!

Many thanks to Sundance for giving my friend extra samples for me to review here for you.

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

WARNING: Copyright Thieves Active on Ebay

Tuesday's email was enlivened by a note from a friend about an eBay seller (apparently a Chinese company) selling copies of Peter Ashe, Danji and Leigh needlepoint canvases.  This is the seller in question in the link below.  The designs that I saw yesterday that were clear knockoffs are gone.  I imagine eBay is pretty proactive when they get complaints about copyright violation and the pieces in question are quickly pulled.
http://stores.ebay.com/18thcenturytapestriesdotcom

This isn't the first time I've seen cheap knockoffs of painted designs and it won't be the last.  If you look the seller up, they have mostly positive feedback.  But if I'd been quick enough to post this and you could have looked at the enlarged versions of the canvases in question, you would have seen how crudely they were painted.  The bottom line is, buyer beware.  Study the photographs and the descriptions very carefully and if you are at all uneasy for any reason, don't bid no matter how great the deal seems.

After all, I think copying of charts is partly responsible for the demise of Teresa Wentzler's cross stitch company which closed this week.
http://www.twdesignworks.com/xs.html

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

Cameo Ornament: Assembly Required

Just a week after I started stitching this Gay Ann Rogers design, I have completed and cut out all three pieces, put the front flap on the front of the ornament (it lifts up to remove the cameo if required), and have made my tassels and cording to hang the ornament.  All that remains is to put it together.

Here's a photo of the flap before I cut it out and attached the cameo button.  If you have a piece of jewelry to remove, the ornament is pretty enough to hang on its own until you put the broach back.

I hope to have it finished by tomorrow.

I did want to mention a few things about the silk ribbon roses and French knots that decorate this piece.  The instructions say to do all the roses first, then all the French knots, and I discovered this makes a lot of sense.  It is easier to do all the roses and then add French knots at the end.  Your needle doesn't snag as much.  You still need to be careful, however.  There's a lot packed into a small space.

In making silk ribbon embroidery roses, you start with a star shape, and then weave the ribbon over and under the star's legs.  Like this-
http://www.embroidery-methods.com/ribbon-rose.html

Things that helped me make nice roses is to always start with a star that has an odd number of legs (3, 5, or 7 are typical for small, medium or large roses) and make sure that the legs are all the same length.  You don't want to have a longer leg peeking out when you have completely covered all the others.

I like to wind the center tightly and then wind slightly less tightly as the rose grows.  Note that the ribbon can and should twist as you wind.  That makes the "petals" fold back a bit to reveal the center.

If you discover a ribbon sticks up more than it should, don't unwind the rose.  A tiny stitch will pull it back down into position and if you are careful, will be invisible.

Use a sharp needle with a big eye, like a crewel needle, whenever possible.  I stuck with my John James #24 gold tapestry needle for my ribbon roses but a sharp needle would have pierced the ribbon on the back side easier when I accidentally sewed through some of the ribbon on the back.

French knots in ribbon are stitched the same way they are with any thread.  They look like tiny rose buds, too!

This is a very pretty project.  I am almost tempted to stitch it again in gold and red on black 18 count canvas to have a place to display a gorgeous costume jewelry ruby broach that belonged to my cousin.

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

Squiggles, Ribbon Roses and French Knots

The Cameo Ornament is finally starting to assume the final shape.  I've added squiggles for the vines and started the ribbon roses and clusters of French knots that decorate the front.  And I added the date and more squiggles on the back side.

As I work, I am wondering whether it would look nice to add a few crystal beads on the piece.  I may do that as I anticipate my mother will hang this in her living room and the extra sparkle will help a small ornament (the diamond shapes are roughly 4 inches high) stand out among everything else.

I think I can finish the ribbon roses tonight.  After that, I need to add some straight lines for "leaves" and decide about the beads.

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

Evertites: A Review UPDATED

As I wait for the silk ribbon I need to finish up my mother's Cameo Ornament present, I have started my next project.  Since I splurged on Evertite stretcher bars last summer at the Xmas in July sale at my LNS, I thought I would take photos as I put them together to use on the New Project so you could see what the big deal is about these expensive stretcher bars that are all the rage these days.

The first photo shows my two sets of 14 inch Evertites.  Like all stretcher bars, you buy two sets for a project.  One pair is the length of the top and bottom of your canvas; one pair is the length of the side dimensions of your project.  Like regular stretcher bars, the two sets slot together at the ends.  But this is where the similarities end.  In the photo one pair has been opened and laid down on top of the instructions that come with every pair.

See the large nut visible through the slot at the corner?  See the tiny black hole in the stretcher bar itself above the slot?  These gadgets are where Evertites differ from regular stretcher bars--they enable you to tighten the canvas after it has been on stretcher bars a while and is getting slack.  You use the tool with the yellow handle visible on top of the instructions in the background.  (Note that this is just a 3/32" hex key wrench.  If you have a well-stocked tool box you don't need to buy the Evertite version.  But I like the handle and not having to borrow my husband's tools, so I indulged in my own hex key.)  In this photo the teeth of the stretcher bars are not pushed into position fully--I wanted you to be able to see the hardware that faces inside the bars.

The third photo shows my Evertites slotting together at the ends.  Unlike regular stretcher bars, the little teeth don't interlock close together.  You just push them as close as you can, making sure the tiny hole faces out and the screw is inside. Hopefully you can enlarge the photo and see the correct position of the hole and the screw in each side.  The instructions will help you however.

This photo also shows one of the nice additional features of the Evertites.  Each side is marked with a line in the exact center to help you line up a design for counted thread.  The ends of each side also have the size stamped on them.  You can see "14" clearly in the second photo from the top.  You'll never wonder what size you have again.

Once the bars are together correctly (Always check your instructions to make sure!) you attach your canvas.  However, you DO NOT attach the canvas at the corner.  The last photo shows my canvas properly attached.  The corners are loose because they must be to tighten the canvas.  I'm sorry the close up photo is blurry but if you squint you'll see that the teeth of the Evertites don't slot totally closed like regular stretcher bars do.  You can also see the tiny black hole where the hex key wrench is inserted to tighten/loosen the canvas.  If the canvas corner was tacked down,  you might tear it if you tightened it a lot.

So, are Evertites worth the money?  Yes and no.  For a big project that will be on stretcher bars a while,  buying Evertites will mean you can easily tighten a canvas before working it and loosen it before putting it away over the Christmas holidays.  If you like a drum tight canvas for stitching, Evertites will do this without the trouble of using a laced slate frame.

However, they cost a great deal more than regular stretcher bars.   So for me Evertites are an indulgence.  I pick them up on sale at my LNS when I have a very special project.  However, stitchers whose opinion I trust say that their stitching using Evertites is better than their stitching when they don't use them.  So these are a Buy if you have the money or really need to be able to easily tighten or loosen your canvas on stretcher bars.  They are heavier than normal stretcher bars.  My floor stand holds them easier but if you hold your stretcher bars in your hand, the weight might make them uncomfortable after a while.

Bottom line: I love these but the weight doesn't bother me.  I can't afford them for every project but for large projects with specialty stitches, they are a Godsend.

Want more photos of Evertites?  Stitcher's Paradise has great images on their site and also carries many sizes.  Evan Burroughs will custom craft a size for you, if the standard ones are not what you need.  Ask your shop to get in touch with him as he only works wholesale. He'll be able to give your shop a cost and time frame for anything out of the ordinary.  If you are interested, email me at chilly hollowat hotmaildot com and I'll send you Evan's contact information.  Remember, you have to work through a shop to buy.  If you don't have a local shop, Needle Nook of La Jolla will act for you and probably Stitcher's Paradise will as well.
http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Tools/EvertitesS.html

UPDATE:  Janet Perry has mentioned a few other things to consider before you splurge on Evertites on her blog.  Here's the link.  Thanks, Janet!  And don't forget to read the commentts below this blog entry.  Several folks made interesting comments on how/where to work with Evertites.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/evertite-bars

UPDATE #2:  I forgot to mention how to take Evertites apart once your project is over.  You simply loosen each end by inserting the hex key in the black dots and unscrewing.  Then they will come apart like regular stretcher bars.  Note that Amanda says if you try to take the Evertites apart after extending them very far, you may ruin them. The screw can catch on the wood of its right angle pair and be pulled right out.  So do remember to return each screw to the retracted position before you disassemble the Evertites after stitching!


UPDATE #3:  Here is the Evertite website.
evertitestitchery.com

UPDATE #4:  Evertites come in several thicknesses now.  Here's which sizes work together and which don't.
https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2017/10/mixing-evertite-sizes.html

UPDATE #5:  If you ever split the little interlocking fingers, Evan suggests gluing them back together with Titebond (and formulation), clamp them together, and leave them several days to dry. 

UPDATE #6:  As Melita notes, any 3/32 inch hex key will work to replace the tool that comes with Evertites.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2023/09/14/hex-key-a-needlepoint-tool-for-evertite-stretcher-bars/

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