Needlepoint canvas marking question

Definitely do NOT use highlighter pens. The paint which almost all NP designers use is artist grade acrylic, and is permanent when it dries - so it doesn't rub off on your thread/yarn. I have 2 suggestions - one with pen & ink, 1 sewing.

You could use a "Pigma Pen" by Micron. I have them in very fine tips - they are permanent, and you can get them in several colors.

This link shows them - not suggesting to buy them here:

artist supply places have them, and sometimes Michaels or AC Moore.They come in several diameter tips. These won't wash off and shouldn't ruboff, be sure to let them dry. My suggestion is that you just mark the intersections along your color change area.

Alternatively, you could just weave in a piece of sewing thread to demarcate the line of stitching, and leave a long tail so that you can pull it out when it's covered. Personally, that's probably what I would do - but either will be just fine. Lula - any better ideas??

Happy stitchin' ellice

I suggest you go another way -- try making a photocopy of the canvas before you stitch it and mark the photocopy -- then follow along as you do the stitching. You can even enlarge the photocopy to make the canvas threads easier to see.

Katherine in Omaha

Would you need to do that on a color copier or is there enough differentiation in shading for a black & white copy to work? Probably a "duh" question, but I've never even been up close to a handpainted canvas and want to file the info away for future reference.

I think you'd have to do it on a color copier - depending on the canvas. My interpretation of Cindy's original question is that she's working on some of the more finely painted canvas - which have a lot of color graduation - like a painting. I don't know that marking a copy would help - unless you got the size exactly right. But, you could do the tracing paper thing .

Some NP designers do what is called "stitch painting" - in which the canvas thread/intersections are very specifically painted so the stitcher can be precise about what goes where, and it can make the stitching easeier. Personally, I'm not that picky - as it's an art thing, and if someone wants to stitch a little differently than I've painted - that's fine. The key with some of them is being able to stitch a curve, change shapes. There are courses given in how to stitch a painted canvas. Many people think it's just so easy because you're not having to mentally go from a chart - but there's more to it than that. It's up to the stitcher to dream up their interpretation - what textures by virtue of thread/yarn and stitch patterns will fill the space. All that makes the difference between some really magnificently done canvases, and one that is still nice - but perhaps not quite as stunning in realization. And sometimes, just the simplest stitching is best because that's what makes the design work. Whew - sorry about the soap-box. When I work at the LNS - I end up helping folks come up with their own stitch guide. It's some effort. And right now I'm supposed to be writing up a couple of canvas classes for the shop. She's got the XS ones & Punch Needle set, but I'm a slacker.

It's a good question - I'd just kind of do what I can see and "feel" the color changes. Then again, I end up with having several threads with pink tape parking them on top of my canvases - as a regular event.

ellice

I would do it on a color copier. Even without enlarging I've been able to see the individual threads and colors pretty easily. Heck, I've even taken photos and had them enlarged and seen the threads easily. It comes in handy when doing something like cat's whiskers -- I stitch over what's painted in the fur color and then overstitch the whiskers. By having the photocopy, I know where they were originally painted.

Katherine in Omaha

Something I have done, which would help sometimes, is to stitch the middle range colours first. For example, if you have light pink, mid pink and dark pink, I'd stitch all of the mid pink before I stitched any of the other 2, and do the same with all colours where that was possible.

I do know this won't always work.

Rosemary in Melbourne, Australia

Hello I have taught over 50 years and never have I ever recommended painting on the canvas bad move Here is another solution Go to a drafting store and buy paper --- on a grid equal to what you wish to paint ( Like 14 to 18 ) squares per inch it comes in pads all different sizes and paint lightly so you can see through the paper or I used pencil crayons nice substitute you can combine yellows and reds for browns and match with the wool colours as close as you can get

Now if you outline the picture on the grid it will be easy to follow and no mistakes in colour

Hope this helps Pat