My particular favorite markers are made by Sakura. Their brand of Pigma Micron pens use acid-free archival ink, which is permanent and waterproof. I also like the Identi-pen series by the same company, which is also advertised to be permanent and waterproof. The Identi-pen does not indicate that it has archival ink, so my suspicion is that there may be some ph issues there that might damage thread or canvas given time. I am not sure what brand you are using, but first check to be sure that it lists being waterproof. There are many pens out there that are permanent but NOT waterproof…Sharpie Brand for one. Great pens, but not for your needlework.

If your product says that it is permanent AND waterproof and you are still having problems, then it could be the surface on which you are working. It could also be something else that is actually dissolving or smearing….like the sizing in the canvas, which might carry the waterproof ink with it. Another possibility is that there is something preventing the ink from being absorbed by the canvas so that the pigment is literally sitting on top and not actually coloring the canvas. No matter what is making the color run and/or smear, QUIT USING IT. It doesn't matter if it works well for someone else if it doesn't work for you. Leave it alone.

 You might try using a hard lead, fine point pencil instead. Acrylic paints are another possibility, but they also need to be tested. Environmentally sound as they may be, the colors may not be waterproof and permanent.

Full Question:

I noticed that in the KC Nativity Home Study you used midnight blue beading thread for some of the stars in the background and gold beading thread on others.  On our own projects (without study guide), how does one determine if it is better to match the beading thread to the thread behind the bead or to the bead itself?

Answer:

 When selecting a beading thread, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

First and foremost would be, what strength do I need to attach the bead for long life. If you are stiching with round seed beads onto canvas, as in the piece mentioned above, you should use a nylon beading thread for strength and durability. Always remember to stretch the nylon beading thread before stitching. Nylon has stretch, but doesn't have any memory. So once your stretch it, it will not retract or stretch further. If you are attaching bugle beads, crystals, or faceted glass beads, you may consider using Fireline (a thin monofilament like fishing line), or even beading wire, to prevent the sharp edges of the beads from cutting through the stringing material.

The second question you should ask is what color thread to use. It might seem like the beading thread is a minor issue, but it can make a huge difference to the design. Match the beading thread to the background color behind the bead if you want it to disappear, giving the bead a smaller presence. 
 

 

Match the beading thread to the bead if you want a larger impact of the bead color. If your beads are transparent or translucent, you can change the color of the bead by changing the color of the thread used to attach it. The color of the thread showing "through" the bead will mix or blend with the bead color, altering it to a different intensity or different hue.

As with most design choices, each design area will present different issues, but the general advice above can apply to most decisions.

 

Alicia's Lace and T Stitch are the "same" like Basketweave and Continental are the "same." The pattern of canvas intersections which are covered on the surface of the canvas are the same in both stitches. The travel thread on the backside of the canvas is the difference. T Stitch is worked in horizontal or vertical rows/columns like working every other stitch of Continental in a row. The stitches are short oval, or pearl-like, stitches with a heavier coverage on the backside with the wrapping of the travel thread. Alicia's Lace is worked in a darning pattern diagonally in one direction and then fill in diagonally in the opposite direction. The stitches will be longer in appearance and will lay flat against the canvas, not quite as raised as the T Stitches. The coverage on the back will be no more than on the front because, when working a Darning Pattern, your needle weaves up and down through the canvas like a fish swims through water.

Complete Question: 

I stitch paint canvases and take enhancement classes at the LNS to get ideas for stitch & thread selections.  As much as I enjoy the classes, I would like to get more confident with my own decisions and learn how to develop my own stitch guides.  As a professional who is known for creative and beautiful stitch guides, do you have any suggestions or guidelines to get me started down that creative road?

Answer:

The approach that I take when choosing stitches and threads is to ask myself "What would that look like in real life?" If I am stitching a cat I ask…"What is the texture of the fur?" and "Is he moving, purring, hissing, other?" The fur question can lead me in the direction of thread type or stitch. The movement question is more for stitch selection only. If the cat is jumping, I might select a stitch that suggests the direction and length of the jump. If the cat is lying down and purring, I might select a stitch that ungulates up and down to mimic that smooth rhythmic sound. If the cat's back is arched and he is hissing, I might select a stitch that has sharp points up and down to give a more violent motion. Successful stitch and thread selection amounts to effectively telling a story with texture and pattern, or lack thereof. Use your imagination (or the imagination of others) to suggest more about the picture you are viewing.

 

This is a simplistic explanation of a difficult job. An important lesson to learn is how to "read" and adjust stitches and threads. You must build an arsenal of knowledge of stitches and threads. Learn to recognize stitches in all of their variations….reverse the slant, elongate the pattern repeat, lighten up with the thread, brick it, add a laid foundation, reverse or add additional color variations. Every stitch has many different variations when you change the variables. Guide writing looks easy on the surface. I have people all the time who ask me to just make a few suggestions on stitches without realizing that it takes loads of time and study to select stitches correctly. Once you have started making a study of it, you will find that you can't turn your creative mind "off" when making selections. It gets easier with time, but it takes many years of practice and learning.

 

Complete Question: My question that I’m hoping you can give some guidance is this. Now that  I’m retired, I have more time to needlepoint-YEA!! But I’m having trouble with my right hand becoming sore and even painful if I stitch too long, and even trouble with my elbow and arm. I have found a set of DVD’s that are actually exercises for the hand (from handhealth.com), and I’m starting to use them in hopes they will help. But I would love to know if you or other stitchers have any ideas for relief or prevention. Thank you so much!!

Answer: I definitely FEEL YOUR PAIN! There are many medical/physical reasons that can cause pain in your hands, elbows and shoulders when stitching…or afterwards. I can’t begin to diagnose your problem, but I can share that those of us who stitch regularly share the same problems. I don’t think that you can rid yourself from all discomfort, but there are a few things that you can do that will help.

onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2011/10/16/hand-and-wrist-exercises-for-bloggers/ 

1. Stretch -- Stretch the muscles in your hands, arms and shoulders before you start to stitch, and occasionally interrupt your stitching to repeat the stretching to keep a good blood supple going to all muscles involved. Flex and push your fingers against each other, raise your arms over your head and then swing them as far behind your back as you can, pull your hands up and then down as far as they will go stretching your wrists….all movement is good but do it slowly and hold it at the “stretch” point to get the most benefit.

  

 

createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2011/04/needlepoint-yoga.html

3. Reposition -- I have a bad habit of holding my shoulder at the same angle with my laying tool ALL OF THE TIME. This makes for a very painful issue. Be aware of how you hold your hand, arm, wrist and shoulder…..move them occasionally to avoid this problem

4. Drink -- Keep a glass of water next to you and sip frequently. Not only will this help prevent water retention, it will also get you up and moving more often to visit the restroom.

5. Snacks -- If you like to snack between stitches, select no salt, no fat, no suga r snacks. Eat healthy foods like celery or carrots….again, they help to avoid the water retention, and they also leave no residue on your fingers to harm your stitching (watch out for fresh cut carrots as they might leave a tiny bit of “orange” to rub off on your thread).

6. Use it or lose it -- Stitch every day if possible. You don’t have to stitch very long, but if you thread up your needle and work a little each day, it seems to help. If I go for days without stitching and then sit down to a stitch marathon, I have more difficulty with pain. I must admit that the concentration on the stitching helps me ignore the pain, but WOW, do I ever feel it when I put the needle down.

7. Consult your doctor -- Next time you are in for a physical, describe the issues you are having and see if your doctor has some suggestions. You might want to explain that “not stitching” is not an option or your Psychiatrist will be getting a new vacation home out of your fees.

Hope that these few suggestions help. I guess retirement brings new dilemmas along with the more relaxed schedule.

 

Full Question: What can I do to eliminate the musty smell from some of my stored unstitched canvases?? I live near the beach and when I moved, I discovered that some of my many canvases had developed a moldy, musty aroma- I certainly don’t want to stitch on a canvas that has mold in it. And, why do only some of the canvases have this smell and not all of them- they were all stored in the same closet.

Answer: If those canvases are unstitched, you are in good shape. I would suggest your first line of defense is fresh air and sunshine. Place the canvases, design side down, on a clean surface outside in the fresh air and sunshine. The more air that is circulating through the canvas, the better, so choose a surface that "breathes," like a mesh laundry drying rack. I can remember in years past that we used to get canvases from smokers, and this is how we removed the smoke smell permanently….Mother Nature knows her stuff.

If the canvases do in fact have mold or mildew growing in or on them, I would seek the advice of someone more in the know on preserving textiles. You need to remember that self-help books on how to remove problems in textiles are usually dealing with something that can be repeatedly cleaned….needlepoint doesn't fall into that category easily. I asked four people and got four answers, and I do not have the knowledge to advise your further than the above answer. I know that bleach kills mold and mildew and that it breaks down naturally in a couple of days into harmless components. But I don't know what it would do to your stitching after the canvas was covered with beautiful work….. If any of the pieces are small and reasonably expendable, you may wish to experiment with that one canvas before tackling the larger more precious designs.

Why do some canvases have the smell and others don't? My guess is that it is the same reason that some people catch the flu and others don't….the smelly canvases were the unlucky ones to "catch the bug." 

 

Complete Question:

What can you do to keep your thread from twisting when stitching? I have been working on the MS Thanksgiving House roof and I keep twisting those 3 strands of Burmilana. It's so slow to straighten it up before going to the next stitch and I keep thinking there is something I can do with my technique.

Answer:

Nine times out of ten, twisted threads are caused by the action taken with your needle while stitching. Every time you pull your needle through the canvas you are probably twisting the needle when you turn to enter the canvas for the next stitch. When you are working with more than one strand, this not only twists the individual strands, but it can almost braid the multiple strands together making it necessary to remove the needle and unbraid as well as untwist the strands.

Watch your fingers and needle when you stitch and observe what you are doing. When you pull the needle up through the canvas, watch the eye of the needle. You want to take an action that is more flipping the needle over to dive back down through the canvas rather than turning it. If you can see through the eye of the needle on the way up, changing direction, and on the way back down, you are not twisting your needle. You won't be able to watch what you do on the backside of the canvas, but be aware of what your hands are doing and see if you can break the bad habit of turning the needle with each turn.

    

 

I feel that Basketweave is the best choice for belt backgrounds, especially if the belt is painted on #13 or #14 mesh canvas. The small compact nature of the Tent Stitch pattern (Basketweave or Continental) will last longer and snag less than longer stitches.

That being said, there are different patterns that will also work, even though they have a higher risk of snagging and wearing. Try not to select a pattern with stitches longer than 2 canvas threads or 2 canvas intersections. Woven Stitch is a possibility that would not look feminine. Serendipity, Mosaic, Diagonal Mosaic and small Cashmere patterns are also possibilities. If your design elements are small, be careful that the background stitch is not more interesting than the subject matter…..sort of defeats the purpose.

Complete Question:  This is a tent stitch question. When stitching a shaded item – in this case, Santa’s hat, with two different shades of red – is it better to treat the small shaded spots separate and apart from the rest of the cap, or try to basketweave the whole cap, starting and stopping the two colors as the stitches cover the complete cap?  The hat itself is not very large, and the shaded areas are small, e.g., hardly large enough to get a basketweave pattern going, but exceeding a single horizontal or vertical line.  This comes up all the time and vexes me every time it does. I’d love some advice. Many thanks!

Answer: In most situations I work the shaded area (darkest color intensity) first, treating it as a separate area of design and then fill in with the main color. I find it very hard to see the different color intensities if I work more than one color intensity at the same time. If I have 3 or more different color intensities to work in an area, I might work the lightest and then the darkest, leaving the medium intensity to fill in last. If you find that you "mis-stitched" a color, you can always work a quick fix using 1-2 strands of the correct color to stitch over (on top of) the incorrect color to help blend or smooth the shading.

If you are coming from a lint point of view, I would work the white first and then the black because "salt & pepper" is generally thought of as being more attractive than "gray.

That being said, you need to look a little deeper. If the light-colored thread is a short staple-fiber thread (meaning that it sheds more) and the dark thread is a long staple-fiber thread (meaning that it sheds less, or in some cases not at all), work the long staple-fiber thread first, no matter what the color difference.

There are more considerations involved than just lint in most of these decisions. If you are going to work a white or cream background on a stocking and all of the other colors are darker, I do not believe that it is feasible to work ALL of the background first. You are talking about a project that will take a long time to finish and will get plenty of wear and tear along the way, not to mention soil possibilities on the background if it is completed first. You may want to work the stocking or other large piece in stages….work some of the light background, fill in the design, then work more light background. Another consideration is to study the stitch selection as well as the design depth….some areas may need to be worked before others for design layering.

 

You say tomāto, I say tomăto. Ha, ha, ha, I just couldn't help saying that. It's all about which laying tool gives you the best result and fits your hand.

I personally use a metal Best Laying Tool or Tekobari for 90% of my stitching needs. I have also recently started using my Henry the VII Stiletto as it has a very sharp precise tip and it makes me feel very special just to handle it. I'm a sucker for phenomenal workmanship, and these wooden tools (laying tool, stiletto, and seam ripper) are WOW impressive. I use these tools for laying all stranded threads and yarns when I am using more than one strand….that is most of the time for me. However, when I pick up a ribbon-like thread (Neon Rays, Flair, Fyre Werks, Wonder Ribbon, Silk Ribbon, Easter Grass or Kreinik Ribbon) I reach for a glass tool (my personal favorites are glass-art laying tools by Michael Ernst) or a wooden laying tool with a smooth less-sharp pointed end.

Many people use the Trolley Needle with fabulous results and the convenience of not having to "hold" it. I don't seem to be able to manage it well, so it isn't one of my "go to" tools. However, I have personally watched Tony Minieri (and others) work incredibly smooth stitches with a Trolley Needle.

My advice would be to have someone demonstrate for you how to hold and use the different laying tools and then try them to see how they "fit" your hand and your needs. My hands are small, and my fingers are short, so the tool that works well for me might not be the best choice for a person with large hands or long fingers. You need to be able to balance a laying tool in the cradle of your curled fingers. If the laying tool is too long or too heavy, you will need to grip it to keep it from sliding out of your hand. This will create hand fatigue in a fairly short period of time.

The decision is multi-layered…style, size, use, and looks. Thank heavens for choices!!!

 

Recently I received a phone call that was rather startling. In a recent “not so wise” Wednesday Wisdom I answered the question “Why is it hard to find Au Ver a Soie stranded silk in needlepoint shops?” What I thought was a description of a shop owner’s decision process may have accidently indicated a negative thought about a product line. If one person misunderstood my answer, I assume others may have as well. So I would like to take this Wednesday Wisdom to set the record straight.

Au Ver a Soie stranded silk is a color-rich, time-tested, wonderful product. I do in fact carry two threads from the AVAS product line, Soie Perlee and Soie de Paris….also excellent products. I would love to be able to have the stranded silk hanging on my walls at this moment….PARTIALLY because they are harder to find….but mostly because of the color range, beautiful sheen and lovely packaging.

I am embarrassed that my earlier comment may have led people to believe that I felt that AVAS stranded silk was inferior in any way to other brands….that is DEFINITELY not the case. Access Commodities, the company which imports AVAS products, not only services their customers well, but also takes the extra step of educating their clientele on the physical properties of their products, as well as on technique of use and sales ideas, making them a huge asset to any shop who carries their threads, tools, books, metal, attachments or accessories. 

Full Question: 

How does one best estimate how much thread is needed for a particular area of a canvas? I live HOURS away from a needlepoint store, and use my stash to fill in, especially those small areas where I might have something squirreled away. I know this depends upon the stitch used and the canvas count - is there a resource that does a good job of helping a stitcher figure this out?

Answer:

There are many factors which come into play on figuring coverage. Tension is one issue, conservation is another. Do you pull tightly or lightly? Do you use every last tidbit fraction of an inch of your thread, or do you like to let the cat play with the last 4 inches of each strand? Stitch pattern is another consideration and hard to know always at the beginning of your needlepoint project.

A good “rule of thumb” is to allow 1¼ yards of thread to work one square inch of Basketweave. Basketweave is a thread hog so using that stitch to figure your thread is pretty safe.

 

 Now you have to put on your thinking cap a little bit to know how many strands you are going to use and how many strands makes up the thread you are selecting. If you are using 4 strands of Splendor and Splendor has 12 strands and there are 8 yards on a card of Splendor, how many square inches coverage will you get? 12 strands divided by 4 strands = 3 put ups of 4 strands each. 3 put ups of 4 strands times 8 yards means that you have 24 yards of working length. 24 yards divided by 1.25 yards = 19.2 square inches approximate coverage per card of Splendor in Basketweave. That is a tiny bit bigger than an area about 6 inches wide by 3 inches tall (18 sq. inches).

When I pull a card, reel, or skein of thread out of my stash, my biggest problem is not knowing how many yards I have left.

Now that you know how, do you want a job?

 

I have found that I quite frequently go about things in a backwards manner. My pea-brain cannot wrap around getting an equal distance away from the design on all four sides and the exact number of canvas threads to accommodate the stitch repeat on ALL FOUR SIDES before I start stitching unless the border is a pattern repeat of two. Having said that, I will tell you how I plan my borders. The method isn’t perfect, but it works for me and involves very little math.

My first step is to decide how much “background” area I want around my design area and mark the outer center mark on each side. Usually the safest bet on “marking” this spot is to work basting stitches with a neutral-colored thread. Continue to baste to the corners from each center creating your inner background outline. You don’t want to waste any more stitching time than you have to on basting, so make the basting stitches long, like an inch, but take care not to get off track. Double-check that your basting lines follow the same canvas thread along each side BEFORE you start stitching your border. Your border will be worked outside of these basting lines. The basting stitches will be pulled out later so don’t catch them in your border stitches. Decide on how wide you want your border and start digging through your books, looking for corner and/or border stitches that will give you the correct width (Shapes of Needlepoint III, Amy’s Cookbook Chapter 24, Julia Snyder’s book…..etc…..).

 

 

Start from one corner and work toward the centers horizontally and vertically without stitching all the way to the center on either side. Start the next corner and work away from the corner in both directions, again toward the center of each side, but not all the way to the center. Work the last two corners the same way. You now have a border with spaces missing in the center of each side. Check to see how many canvas threads it takes to make a pattern repeat in your border pattern. One possible stitch is the Rice Stitch which has a pattern repeat of 4 canvas threads. Count the remaining canvas threads of the border to see if it is divisible by the number that you need….16 canvas threads remaining and you are good to go on the Rice Stitch. If the count does not come out perfectly, you need to design a stitch pattern to fit in the very center of the border that is a companion to the border stitch. This could be a wide space left for a date or initials, a skewed version of the same stitch, an Eyelet to join the two pieces of border, Satin Stitch, or another stitch that will look attractive for a center join. The opposing side of the border will have the exact same count, so you will repeat the same stitch pattern or idea. The opposite sides of the border will probably have a different count from the first, so you will repeat the same process of counting and designing.

A design element change in the center of each side of the border and repeated on the opposite side looks like a purposeful plan. A change in the design at any other point in a border looks like an error. 

 

Composite Stitches are just that, a composition of different stitches mixed up together to make another stitch pattern. Some of them can be very simple, but some can be very complex and hard to follow. To simplify the complex Composite Stitch you must break it down into the different stitches and work them as steps. Use a copy machine to enlarge your diagram and make several copies. Use colored pencils to color code each recognizable stitch in the pattern, and then figure out which step would be the easiest to work first, second, and so on. If the copy of the complete stitch pattern is too confusing, use graph paper and chart out each “layer” of the stitches using your colored pencils.

Look for clues that will help you decide the order in which to work the different steps. Obviously if one stitch overlaps another stitch you need to work the one on the bottom first, but you also want to look for spots where a straight stitch might cover the holes of a slanted stitch which would be a warning to work the slanted stitch first while you can still find the correct holes in the canvas. Also select a starting stitch that will be easy to count and will lay out or line up the spaces for the following steps.

 

More than likely your needle has lost its coating and the inner metal is being deposited onto your threads.

Needles are not the same material all the way through, and some metals react with some body chemistry to oxidize and deteriorate. The wear and tear on the needle in the eye from the thread will remove the coating as well. I'm no scientist, nor do I have more than a layman's knowledge of needles, but I do see the streaks and know that most of them are coming from the needle and not your hands or thread (unless you get them consistantly).

Treat yourself to new needles with each new canvas purchase. When you open a skein of light-colored thread, get out a new needle to use. Any time a streak appears, rip out the offending stitches and start a new thread with a new needle. If you live in an area close to salt water, or you love to eat tons of tomatoes and oranges (more acidic) in the summer, you may consider purchasing needles with a different coating rather than the more common nickel-plated needles. The gold-plated needles are popular with some people, but I find that the surface rubs off just as quickly for me as the nickel plating does.

I looked at the Kreinik website and found the following information about a needle I have ordered in the past for customers with streaking problems. The durable Kreinik tapestry needle will become your favorite for stitching with metallic threads. Unique eye allows metallics to glide seamlessly through your fabric, and it's special coating resists tarnishing. Two needles per vial. Available in size #20, #22, #24 & #26 Tapestry needles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a hard time keeping up with my needles, so I just use tons of the regular kind, changing them often rather than trying to keep up with a "special" needle. Some of my needle magnets look like little land mines more than a parking space for a couple of needles. I have specific brands that I enjoy using, but I see no difference in the coating.

 

Full Question:

Of all the silk threads on the market, the one I most like but have the most trouble finding is good old Au Ver A Soie (Soie D'Alger).  I know there are online stores that can get it, but do you know why so few brick-and-mortar stores carry it?  Its online retail price is not out of line with other brands.  And it's not the only available silk thread that has to come from overseas.  Does it have particular characteristics that designers or shop owners tend to avoid?    

Most of the newer brands have far fewer colors, and because I've worked with it for many years, I find it easier to manage.  I wish I could see it in more stores when I travel.

Answer:

Most thread stock decisions in brick and mortar stores are customer and finance driven, but in this case I believe it was lack of exposure that killed the popularity of this thread. I can't speak for all shops, but I can explain the pathway of choice that I took for my shop.

 

Ooooh, this calls for one of my favorite little books, The Needle Index:

This handy-dandy, clever, little fund raiser for Valley Quail Chapter EGA is perfect for used or leftover needles of all types, shapes, and sizes.

Each type of needle has its own page and is listed alphabetically….Beading, Chenille, Tapestry, etc... On the left side of the page is a great image of the needle in assorted sizes, so you can place a needle next to the image and compare for sizing. The right side of the page has a flap of felt for holding your needles. Once they are sized you can slip the needle through the felt from largest to smallest, or in any order you wish. Under the flap of felt is a thread chart to guide you to the correct needle size to use with size or number of strands.

Incredible tool to have $13.00 price

Another great tool to have is the package of Needle ID Cards:

 

 

 

This package of sturdy plastic cards is packed with great info and fits nicely into any tool pouch or box. One side of the card had a written description of the needle type (e.g. Tapestry, Chenille, Betweens, Crewel, Milliners, and Sharps) along with some historical information about needles. Along the edges of this "info side" you will find measuring help….¼ʺ increments along the top and 10mm increments along the bottom. That can come in handy for way more than just sizing up your needles! The flip side of each card shows "actual size" pictures of the needles for quick comparison sizing of loose needles. The cards are color coded by type (Dark Blue is Tapestry) so you can easily grab the card you need.

Needle ID Card package $10.00

Don't wait until you are finished with your project to study what you are doing. One of the best things you can do to improve your work should be done before you even start stitching. Make sure that your canvas is always mounted properly (square and taut) on stretcher bars. This will give you the best stitching, but also aid you in seeing missed stitches and mistakes in the stitch pattern. The simplest of errors is a missed stitch. I see missed stitches all the time while I am working other areas. I try to discipline myself to stop right then and correct the missing stitch or tear out and redo the errors. I will forget where they are if I wait. Use a frame stand to hold your stretcher bars, freeing your hands to work with your tools. Improvement of your stitching should be an on-going goal. Your tension on every stitch should be uniform…not too tight, not too loose. Your pathway of stitching should be consistent, and changing directions or rows within a stitch pattern should be addressed so that pathway rules are maintained. Learn to use the proper tools for the best results. Every type and size of needle and laying tool has a different purpose to aid you in better stitching…..take classes, read books, study DVDs, ask questions. When your needlework is finished, but before you remove it from your frame, look carefully, hold the canvas up to the light and look for irregular pinpricks of light, then lower and study each area. Search under a magnifier, but also admire from a distance of 5 feet, sometimes abnormalities in pattern will show more clearly from a distance. Have a stitching buddy look carefully, or ask a needlework shop person for a "look see" on your piece before sending off to the finisher. Never ask a non-stitcher for this help because they have no idea what they are looking for, so don't waste their time - save them for "is my slip showing?” Every canvas I stitch is a learning piece. I use my own canvases to demonstrate to my students what not to do. Many times I don’t know the question to ask a teacher or fellow stitcher to correct or improve my work because I haven’t learned enough to know what is wrong. I do usually recognize the error of my ways when I stumble across the answer in a class, book, or other learning situation. Unfortunately the knowledge is usually gained after the needlework has been finished. I realize that I have not given you a spot-on answer to your question, rather the vague advice of “study and learn.” If you have a specific problem with your needlework in the future, please send it along. If I don’t know the answer, maybe I can find someone who does.

 

Once again I am getting help from the organized women who work in my shop. We feel that this answer needs to come from more than one source, especially since my stitching time is coming out of my “work hours,” and most people have to rely on “leisure time” to complete their projects.

Amy’s Answer:

My projects would quickly get out of hand if I did not organize and prioritize them. I plan my week in sections of time allotted to: actively working in the shop (ordering, bookwork, pulling threads, waiting on customers); writing (newsletters, Wednesday Wisdom, book reports, and stitch guides); mechanics of typing and graphics; and stitching. Laundry, cooking, shopping, doctor visits, and other errands are shoved into my “leisure time” slots.

I am a morning person and at my most creative in the early morning hours. When I plan my stitching time, I try to plan my creative processes for early in the day. If I choose threads and stitches when my mind is fresh, I am less likely to have to tear out stitching later. Once I have a stitch pattern and thread worked out on my canvas, I can stitch on it at any time of the day….the stitch technique is not as taxing to my brain as the creative end of the decision.

If I am working an involved project like the Thanksgiving House, I try to find long stretches of stitching time rather than short spurts. If I only have a short period of time, I take up too much of it sorting my thread bags and arranging my thoughts around the project. If I have a short period of time to work, I like to have a less complicated design to pick up, perhaps one of the Perfume Bottles or a Bird Ornament.

I will let you in on a secret….. if stitching is your hobby and not your business, finishing isn't necessarily the goal; it's all about the journey. The journey starts with the first day of class or the day you purchased that wonderful addition to your collection of soul-soothing treasures of canvas, thread, and tools. The journey continues every time you visit with that project. Finishing is just a fringe benefit and isn't totally necessary for the joy that your needlepoint brings.                 

More Answers:

Read the following helpful suggestions from others:

1. Prioritize your projects – gifts, decoration, for fun, learning piece.
2. Rotation – work 10 hours on one piece and then move to the next project. Work 10 hours on it and then move to the third, and so on.
3. Always keep one project in your car for the unexpected delay when you have time to take a few stitches (car pool, DMV, trains, etc).
4. For a project with a lot of background, thread up 5 – 10 needles each night before going to bed. Those must be stitched the next day before working on anything else.
5. Getting through an area you don’t like on a piece or stitching a difficult area – force yourself! You’ll find that once you get through it, it really wasn’t that bad.
6. Put ALL other projects away/out of sight. Nothing is more distracting, and tempting, than seeing another canvas across the room calling your name.
7. Treat yourself to a new canvas after completing 3 or 5 or whatever number of projects you choose.

This was a tough decision but after much deliberation I believe that my recommendation would be:

1. The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen

This book offers good information on a variety of stitches from simple to more complex. There is a black and white photograph of most stitches. There is a pathway numbering system in place, and most stitches will also show turning a row. I don't agree totally with all of the information in the book, but I do whole-heartedly recommend it for a reasonably priced excellent source of stitches.

 

2. Back to Basics Level 1 Bad Habits Broken Here byTony Minieri

This is presented in a 3-part DVD series. It isn't a book, but it has an incredible amount of information on the basics of needlepoint. The jewels of technique taught on these three DVDs will steer any level stitcher toward better results. There are lessons on pathway, compensation, tools and much more.

  

 

3. This is where I hit the wall with questions…do you want big stitches, little stitches, composite stitches, Bargello stitches, suggestions for where to use them, pathways numbered, etc.  I am assuming that you want me to suggest a book which is still in print. If I had to jump out there on a limb, I guess I would suggest the 3-part series by Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson

Stitches for Effect, More Stitches for Effect, and Even More Stitches for Effect by Suzanne Howren & Beth Robertson

These three books contain an amazing amount of information, including information about threads, pathway, and where to use particular stitches. Each book includes a Stitch Index for finding stitches by name, an Effect Index for finding stitches for areas in which you wish to use them, and a General Index for thread names, suppliers and terms.

I realize that I cheated and actually recommended 7 different items, but it is pretty hard to recommend one book or DVD in a series without listing the others as well. Once you have built a library with good basics, like those listed above, you can begin to scout out the books that broaden your horizons and pinpoint more specific needs. There are hundreds of books to choose from, and they all have strengths and weaknesses….something to be learned in each and every one of them. When shopping for a book, take the time to browse through and see if you are familiar with most of the stitches represented. If you are, then you probably have all of those stitches in other books on your shelves. Pass that up for a book that looks less familiar to you.

 

COMPLETE QUESTION: 

Going back to the "Glass vs. NO Glass" issue, a subsidiary question is if glass is being used for a framed piece or tray, what kind of glass should be used? I'm hearing several different terms (such as regular glass, museum quality glass, archival glass, non-glare glass), but these are confusing and never quite clearly described. I know that non-glare glass can give off fumes that could be harmful to needlepoint, but nothing more. Also, you indicated that glass used for finishing a needlepoint tray should be completely sealed. How should that be done so that the sealant and/or sealing process keeps the needlepoint safe?

ANSWER:

Amazingly enough, glass also has acid in it, and although the level of acid in regular glass is very low, it shouldn't be touching needlework at all. Regular glass will not prevent fading unless treated to prevent Ultra Violet light from passing through. Non-glare glass will soften the lines, which is good for wrinkly faces but not so good for a masterpiece of detail. The further away one may be from the object, the more blurry it will appear behind non-glare glass.

Regular Glass is low $ but gives no UV protection. Conservation Glass or Archival Glass is more $$ but gives UV protection in the form of a coating and is also acid free. Museum Quality glass is the big $$$ and probably isn't needed unless you believe that people will sell tickets to see your needlework in the year 2300. This is the kind of glass used to cover the Declaration of Independence. Wait until you are famous, then let someone else foot the bill for the fancy glass.

If you need/want to use glass of any kind over finished needlework, the biggest concern is to prevent the glass from "touching" the needlework anywhere. Use acid-free mat board, liners, or sealed spacers around the edges of the needlework to raise the glass away from the surface of the stitching.

If you wish to make a tray with needlework, seal the glass inside of the frame by turning the picture frame upside down and placing the cleaned glass in the rabbet (cut out) of the frame. Use a clear, waterproof silicon sealer with a nozzle end to run a line of sealer around the cut edge of the glass. Use a cotton swab or popsicle stick to smooth and spread the silicon, filling the void between the glass and the frame. Take care not to get any of the silicon on the "visible" part of the glass. Test the seal by pouring some water into the tray. Obviously you don't want to see any drips on the front side of the frame, but you also need to look for tiny bubbles around the inside of the frame. If you see evidence of the leaking, mark the area on the back side of the frame and then pour out the water. Completely dry the frame and glass before sealing the area that is leaking. Once you have a complete seal, insert a spacer around the edge of the frame to form an airspace between the glass and the needlework.

When I want a tray made, I take my needlework to a reputable framer and ask them to do all the hard work. Always mention your concerns and desires to the framer….words like acid-free if possible, waterproof seal, and NOTHING touches the needlework. Talk to the framer. In most cases, if they understand what you want, they will be able to do a better job than you can.

Even the simplest of stitches can sometimes be difficult to compensate. The easiest trick is a blank card or piece of paper used to cover the part of the diagram that you will be  unable to stitch.

I keep a 3 x 5 index card, or a gummed address label still on its protective paper, 

in my stitching tool bag. These address labels come in handy for loads of little needlepoint jobs. Carefully place the paper over the section of the stitch diagram that corresponds to the area you need to compensate. The uncovered part of the diagram will show you where to sink your needle to maintain the angle of the stitches. Sometimes you may need to pierce a canvas thread to stay true to the rest of the pattern. In the case of woven stitches, it will show you who's on top and the order in which you need to make the stitches, which can sometimes change from the original stitch pattern. In the case of chained stitches, it can and usually does, change the stitch, breaking the components apart. 

There are several enemies that can visit your needlework when you are not looking. There are visible pests, such as moths and carpet beetles. Moths mostly eat wool fibers but carpet beetles will eat anything, including man-made fibers. Mold can grow in moist environments and is difficult to kill without using bleach. Some fungus spores can cause dry rot. Sunlight and even artificial light can cause fading. Acid from a variety of sources can cause discoloration and disintegration of the stitching threads and/or ground fabric. The life of your needlework is filled with a land mine of hazards.

 

Examples of Bug Damage

The needlework which hangs in your house or graces your sofa in the form of a pillow is seen every day. If a stray thread or stain were to appear you would know right away, but those items stored for seasonal use might sit for 11 months before anyone discovered the damage developing. When you pack your needlework for storage, study it carefully and pay attention to the storage materials. Look for foreign objects….spills, stains, bug carcasses (clue to unseen activity), dust (could be eggs or cocoons), moisture, or broken threads. You need to deal with any of these issues BEFORE storing the needlework to prevent further damage. Nothing goes away because you close the door on it.

 

Cardboard boxes for storage are a true disaster. The cardboard prevents nothing from getting to your needlework and actually attracts some bugs to investigate because the cardboard is also a desirable edible substance for them. Most cardboard objects carry a very high amount of acid that can easily transfer to your needlework anywhere it touches. Even if you wrap the needlework in acid-free tissue paper, the acid will be absorbed into the tissue and then into the needlework. Placing your treasures in a plastic bag or sealing them in a plastic box are not great choices. The plastic prevents bugs and moisture from getting in, but introduces acid wherever the plastic touches your needlework. The totally sealed environment does not allow the fibers to breathe, eventually making them brittle and more fragile.

A nice storage system for ornaments, stockings, banners, and runners is an archival presentation box. There are two sizes readily available to needlework shops from Access Commodities. The small box  is appropriate for smaller objects such as ornaments and small hangings. The large box  is better for stockings, banners, and runners. These larger items may need to be folded before storing in the boxes. Use acid free (buffered) tissue paper (also available from Access Commodities) rolled or crumpled to pad inside the folds to prevent sharp creases forming. Fold with the needlework outside and finishing fabric on the inside of the fold if at all possible. These archival boxes are acid free, prevent excessive moisture bug pests and they breathe so that the natural fibers used in your needlework maintain elasticity and do not become brittle. 

small box (14" x 11" x 2")

large box (18" x 14" x 2")

archival paper (10 piece package)

Click on an Above Image to be taken to the Product Page

 

The barbed wire and electric fence aren’t working?

 

 

Easy answer, when you are standing next to someone wishing to “look” with their fingers, simply explain that the stitching is delicate and to please refrain from touching. A more obvious approach might be to move the piece farther away as you are explaining the importance of “no touching.”  Be understanding of the itchy fingers. Needlepoint, being a textile, screams to be touched. Explanation is usually all that is needed to keep the touching at bay.

 

 

If you are entering your work in an exhibit or competition that does not offer protection of “needlepoint bouncers” or ropes and distancing devices, then enter at your own risk. There is no way to control what people will do when you are not watching.

 

 

I wouldn’t recommend making Raised Spiders with either of these threads. The whole idea behind the Raised Spider is to get a high 3-D button and both Fyre Werks and Neon Rays have a tendency to compress and lay flat so they don’t give the high loft that is needed. You would be better served to change to metallic braids (Kreinik Braid) instead of metallic ribbons (Fyre Werks) or Flair instead of Neon Rays. The braid will pack in nicely while still giving you the metallic shine. The nylon knitted tube of Flair will be more forgiving in appearance if it twists and gives a much higher loft when woven around the spoke stitches.

Sometimes color matching or thread matching with a design concept requires the use of Fyre Werks or Neon Rays.  In this case, a Woven Spider would be the better choice because it is easier to manage “laying” the ribbon-like threads so that they don’t twist as much when they are tightened into the weaving. Raised, Ribbed, and Woven Spider Stitches are diagrammed in Chapter 7 “Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave” of Amy’s Cookbook for Stitchers.

 

You can get more comprehensive video information about the different types of Spider Weaving Stitches from DVD #8 Spiders and More. 

May 23th:

May 16th:

May 9th:

May 2nd:

April 25th:

Amy's Answer:

 

 

Holy smokes did you ask the WRONG person about organization! I do save my leftover metallic threads, beads, and beading thread, but most of my leftovers are shared or tossed into the cylindrical file (trash can). Karen has organized and saved loads of my leftovers in the classroom to use for demos and student needs, but if it were left up to me I would pitch them. When I stitch a project, I am working it for a Home Study or stitch guide. I always start with new skeins/card/reels to give me a “current” dye lot. The new skeins also help me keep track of exactly how much thread was used in that project. I save the metallic threads because, quite frequently, I only need a small amount; same with beads and beading thread.

 

This question needs a little input from people more organized than I. The next few Wednesday Wisdom segments will include thread organization suggestions from Candy & Peggy, Eileen & Karen, Judy & Jill. 

 

    

Bummer!

Plan ahead when you can for this possibility. When you are stitching a canvas, you might try working the largest areas first, leaving smaller areas using the same thread to fill in later. That way you might get lucky and be stitching a different area when you run into the dye lot issue. If that doesn’t happen and you are just stuck with the problem, then DO NOT STITCH TO THE END OF YOUR THREAD SUPPLY!!! First of all, you won’t have to unstitch to have old dye lot  blend with the new dye lot. Even if you are lucky enough to get the same dye lot, I would recommend blending or mixing strands of the old thread with strands of the new thread for the connecting rows of stitching. If possible, mix the new thread in gradually, adding more and more of the new and less and less of the old in the needle as you progress.

 

 

If you are using a single strand of thread and cannot mix in the new dye lot, you can try “spotting” the new thread in. Use the old dye lot to work spotty coverage where you are running out. Use the new dye lot to fill in the spotty coverage and then continue with all of the new. This will only be successful if the dye lots are close and some colors work better than others at blending.

 

This is a problem that we have all faced at one time or another. Be creative, but also watch your supply. Study the amount of thread you start a project with, and save tags or wrappers to keep up with how far they go. If you have not covered half of the area needed but you have used more than half of the thread, go buy more immediately from the same source if possible.

 

Figuring amounts of thread is not an exact science and every person, project, thread, and stitch use thread at different rates. The people who help in your shop of choice are working with an “average” amount and are not always privy to important information, like how long you cut off your tails, your personal tension, what stitch you are going to use, or whether your new puppy likes to steal a skein or two, so take “ownership” of this responsibility and keep track of your thread.

 

    

Variegated thread is usually varying degrees of intensity of the same hue dyed onto natural or bleached-base thread.

 

 

I was wondering when rayon was going to hit the question parade. Rayon has loads of personality; some good and some bad. We love the sheen that rayon hands us on a silver platter but we hate the "diva" attitude that rayon ladles out. Here are a few tips to handle the slippery, shiny, snaggy stuff.

 

NEON RAYS -- Precut your working lengths,  iron them to remove the kinks, then store them in a bag which is not squeezed flat or fold them into a hankie or tissue paper.  If you store them in plastic bags, be aware that rayon almost manufactures static electricity and plastic exacerbates this problem. RibbonFloss packaging prevents the kinks and does not need ironing but is just as slippery as the Neon Rays.

TIP! A travel-sized hair straightening iron is a great tool to use for pressing your Neon Rays and is light and small enough to keep in your stitching tote. It needs to be dedicated to thread only, don't use it on your hair too as the hair products aren't needlepoint-friendly.

 

  

 

MARLITT or DMC SATIN FLOSS -- If you use these in multiple strands, try to steer toward even numbers so that you can "double the thread in your needle."  If the thread is doubled it will prevent one strand loosening while the others tighten (separating), which creates tiny loops on the surface of the canvas and ruins the flat appearance of the stitches.

 

    

 

   

 

ALL RAYON THREADS -- Best advice for all slippery threads is to hold them at the eye of the needle, not the shank of the needle. During the action of pulling the needle through the canvas (up or down) the thread is usually left alone to do as it pleases in the stitching process. If you grip the needle at the eye, you are trapping the thread so that it can't shift or slide. Move the needle frequently on the thread. Rayon is sensitive and frays at the friction of the needles eye. You may waste a little thread at the end but better than stitching the fuzzy parts into your piece. Don't let your rayon threads skitter across the canvas surface while you are stitching. They will snag on the canvas, other stitches, beads, sequins, rough edges, etc…. Use a blunt laying tool to prevent self-inflicted snags. Glass is my favorite for this but your finger, a size 13 Tapestry Needle, or Trolley Needle will work nicely. Wooden tools also work well with rayon but check how sharp the tip is and whether there might be some rough spots on the handle as well.

    

 

FLOATING -- My best guess is that the rayon thread has gathered static electricity. I do not care to moisten my rayon in most circumstances, but stitching with rayon during the Winter in Chicago taught me to hold the rayon gathered in my palm and breath on it through my mouth. The moisture from my breath was just enough to calm down the "Einstein hair" that I was trying to thread into my needle.

 

 

When this happens the biggest problem is the heart attack you have when you realize what you have done. Don't panic, calm down, walk away until your hands stop shaking.

If you cut through a few threads, the easiest fix is to reweave them with a canvas mesh that you unravel from the edge of the canvas. Thread up the unraveled canvas mesh into a tapestry needle of appropriate size.  Follow the over/under pattern of the original canvas to weave through the damaged area for about ½ʺ leaving the tails of the repair mesh on the backside of the canvas. Stitch over the repair mesh and the original damaged mesh as if they were one mesh of canvas; do not separate them.

 

If the cut in the canvas is long or there is a missing area of canvas to be repaired (doggie snack or cigarette burn repair) cut a piece of canvas (same mesh size) a little larger than the repair sight and baste it to the backside of the canvas using a single strand of sewing thread to match the canvas color. Make sure the meshes of the repair canvas line up with the original canvas meshes. Stitch through both canvases where they overlap and over the single thickness of the repair canvas in the missing canvas area. If the missing area of canvas was painted, paint the repair canvas to match the missing area. 

 

If you were planning an open stitch pattern in the repair area…..rethink your plan and select a stitch that will cover completely.

 

This is a question that needs to be addressed by the individual finisher. Always talk to your framer about issues like this before walking out the door expecting the frame job to look exactly as you had envisioned. The average frame molding cut out (called the rabbet, the inner lip of a frame in which the framing materials are held) is approximately ¼ʺ wide and varies in depth to accommodate multiple layers or thick subject matter. The framer cuts a piece of mounting board slightly smaller than the measurement of the frame inside the rabbet. After mounting the needlework, it is dropped into the opening. Now, if your needlework is PERFECTLY straight, the mounting is EXACTLY even, the board and frame are IN TOTAL SYNC, and the canvas wrap measurement is PRECISELY the thickness of the allowance space, all will be well. If any of those factors are off by a hair, then raw canvas will show around the edges of the frame opening or design stitching will be covered on the edges. Matting a project can help, but you still have to take into consideration that the needlepoint needs to be perfectly straight, and it rarely is, even if you use stretcher bars and it has been blocked. One of the reasons why we love our needlework so much is:  it is NOT an exact science … no two pieces are the same.

 

 If you are planning on framing a project, I recommend stitching a very small amount around the outside edges of the project in a color to continue the look of the edges of the design area. You want less than ¼ʺ of width so that it will not lay on the folded edge. The color must continue the edges "look" so that you don't still have a jarring color change for the sliver that "might" show around the frame opening. The stitch and threads chosen need to be less interesting than the design area - - Gobelin or Basketweave work well.

 

 

The above advice applies to FRAMING only, not to 3-D finishing. There are different problems to contend with when sewing needlepoint together. ASK THE FINISHER, not the needlepoint teacher!!! Some finishers want a row of Continental around the edges and some don't. In some cases, extra bulk around the edges can make it impossible for the needlework finishers to do their job correctly.

My preference is to leave glass off of framed needlework, because glass visually flattens the piece even if it isn't actually touching the stitching, which is a major no-no. All the lovely texture you worked so hard to achieve is no longer easily experienced by the viewer. Another good reason for leaving glass out of the frame is if you use glass you can no longer enter your piece for competition. Glass is an immediate disqualification in most competitive exhibitions for needlework of any kind. 

 

I am asked quite frequently about keeping needlepoint clean if it isn't covered by glass. Needlework is typically not affected by dust, temperature, and moisture changes experienced in your home. To rid your less textured needlepoint of dust, just occasionally give it a swat with a dish towel.  Use a hankie if the dish towel seems like overkill. I swat framed pieces (sturdy stitching only) about once every 5-10 months. An option for more delicate stitching is to use compressed air. So as not to displace stitches with the high pressure, don't get too close to the piece. You only want enough pressure to blow off the loose dust. Maybe even just a puff from your own breath would be enough for a light dusting.

 

Temperature changes have more of an affect on framing materials than on your stitching, but you might find that framed items loosen in the summer and tighten in the winter with the change of temperature and humidity. This is usually not a problem except esthetically and would not be helped by glass anyway.  You might think that  a humid climate or an area which has all sorts of little insects would constitute the need for glass, but glass on a framed piece seems to actually create a little hot house for the humidity to grow mold and the bugs to munch away.  Trust my experience on this one, bugs can get into any framed piece and are then protected from any pest control treatments used in your house.

 

 

 

Having said "no glass" I will say there are circumstances when glass is needed. Anyone who has cleaned a kitchen after frying food understands some airborne messes would not do your needlework any good, so cover it with glass in the kitchen.  Another obvious case to plead in favor of glass is mounting needlepoint into a tray. Hello, you have to have glass in a tray. The glass needs to be completely sealed around the edge (where the glass touches the tray) to prevent possible damage to your needlework from condensation or spills.

 

 

 

All needlepoint canvas is even weave. That means there are the same number of strands woven in a linear inch horizontally as there are woven vertically. Canvas is sized by mesh sizes, or thread count per inch. Sizes vary from 7 threads per inch to 24 threads per inch.   The larger the mesh size of the canvas the smaller your stitches will be.