How to Make a Tassel: The Movie

Many folks have seen fat, elaborate tassels created for pillow trims, but think this is a bit too dimensional to use on a canvas that might have a tassel painted as part of a design.

Needlepoint.com has worked out a neat way to create a smaller tassel that is worked into the canvas just like any other stitch.  This is perfect for the tassel on the tip of Santa's stocking cap, for a tiny graduate mortar board tassel, for anything that needs a tassel but not a really prominent one.  
https://needlepoint.com/blogs/needlepoint-know-how/how-to-attach-a-tassel

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 1, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Pharoah's Fan Finished

Last time we talked I had chosen the beads to use on Pharaoh's feather fan.  But I had not finished stitching the head and shaft of the fan before adding the beads.  I could have just tent stitched the whole thing except for the spaces where I wanted to put beads, but I thought given that all the beads I'm using are round and some are really large for the space, that I might do little boxes around most of the places where the beads go to help corral them into position.  Beads are very wiggly things, especially round beads like the smaller ones I'm using from Sundance's Color Inspiration Collections.

So I got out my size 8 Kreinik gold and went to work.  First I did a little ladder shape — going up the shaft.  I was able to do the straight stitches going vertical as I went around the arched area so it looked natural.



Then I did back stitches with my Kreinik gold to make the sides of the little boxes.  I ended up with this.  At the bottom of the head of the fan I added a few tent stitches to cover spots that were not even.  Hopefully you can see where I am am going—I have empty spaces to settle my beads!

Boxes Done

I attached the beads in sections, doing the beads around the outside of the gold head first, then adding the rest of the head except for the two spots where I planned to use larger Gemstone beads.  Finally I worked down the shaft adding beads there.  I had to go through each bead 2-3 times to get them roughly where they belonged, using clear beading thread from Gutermann's. 

This is what I use.  It is actually nylon machine thread that I buy from Joann's Fabrics.  It comes in clear and brown.  
https://www.joann.com/gutermann-invisible-thread-273-yards/prd37982.html#start=1

I used the clear.  This is a thinner version of the clear beading thread you buy from companies like The Collection.  I like it better than the fatter version but it does knot itself.  However, a friend gave me a great tip—run a length through a flat iron and it straightens right out.  I never would have thought to do this myself for fear the flat iron would melt the nylon thread, but she turns her flat iron on low.  My flat iron—the cheapest one I could find at Walmart— doesn't have temperature control but I ran it over the thread as fast as possible and it straightened out fine with no melting.  It was also very well behaved after that!  Thanks, Sheena!

This is getting long so next time I'll show the finished fan and we'll talk about the final piece.

By the way, I have listed all the postings about this design on the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides blog so you can easily follow along as I blog stitch this.

https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2020/08/pharoahs-fan-finished.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 15, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

New DMC Inventory Sheets to Buy and Download

Stitch Palettes has a new inventory sheet download available called "Thread Inventory Color Chart."
https://stitchpalettes.com/downloads/thread-inventory-color-chart/

The inventory sheets are for DMC's cotton floss, as well as other thread lines they carry.  Each sheet has the printed color, color number, color name, a long space for a real thread sample you can attach, and a column for the number of skeins you have in your stash.  You can read more about it here in Colour Complements' review.
https://colourcomplements.com/2020/07/thread-inventory-colour-chart-stitch-palettes.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 31, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Two Monograms from Abigail Cecile

Abigail Cecile now has two e-pattern monogram charts. Each pattern has three variations.
https://www.abigailcecile.com/collections/e-pattern?mc_cid=77a2cab8e0&mc_eid=491e343c64

These are a fun small project for gifts or ornaments for your own decorative needs.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 31, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Stitching Despite Eye Problems

Sundance's Barbara Elmore has been having eye problems and this is impacting her stitching.  She's still stitching, though, and wrote an essay she posted to Facebook about how she's getting around the problem that is both interesting and inspirational.  With her permission, I'm reposting it here along with the photos of her current piece to show what she means by color contrasts.

Now, here's Barbara!

"Learning to stitch with vision difficulties:

1.  Accept that you need to learn new ways to do things, and figure them out by trial and error.

2.  Be patient with yourself, but do not give up on quality or consistency of work.

3.  Have good light.  If nothing else..this is crucial. I  recently had my Dazor on/off switch replaced after a lot of effort to find a new one.  Dazor Company would replace it, but the cost to ship the lamp part to them was exorbitant.  Instead, I took the thing apart, saw a name brand on the switch, and found one like it on eBay for $19.00!  You know I snatched it right up!  And then, a friend's husband kindly put it back together for me.

The next issue I had was that the new bulb I had purchases was too warm. Meaning..visually too warm.  I needed brighter "Daylight" lighting, so this time, Amazon came to my rescue, and with overnight shipping!  Back in business with a daylight bulb!  YAY!

4.  I am struggling because my thread color is very close to the painted color I am stitching over, so my progress is very slow.  I guess this circles back to 'patience.'  

Someone asked me why I didn't fill in all the background on this piece first, before stitching all the embellishment type flowers.  Normally, I would have, but this painted canvas was so detailed, and the designs were not created with colors that contracts very much, except for the white and reds.

I did fill in first along the bottom part of the canvas, and then, it became difficult for me to see the wispy painted leaves and stems.  So, now, after all that fun of creating the flowers with ribbons and beads, I am, once again tackling the basketweave/tent stitched background.  And I guess this is where I circle back to 'having good light,' and 'learning to do things in new ways.'

Were I to start this background from scratch, I would stitch it in all colors the contrasted more with the painted background color.  Perhaps I would even choose a light teal instead of the 'colonial blue.' When one's eyes have trouble distinguishing color values, one has to learn new ways.

This project has inspired me to stitch my next piece with radical color changes from what the painted canvas may dictate.  What is that expression…?  Necessity is the mother of invention!  Why not!"

As Barbara says, why not?  Don't give up your stitching, folks.  Maybe your eyesight is no longer 20-20 but your brain will find ways around that.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 19, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.