We Need Needlework Posts

Donna . . . are there required stitches in your sampler, or can you pick and choose? Sounds like fun.

There's really little that can be done about the advertisements. You should see what crackpots do to my forums and galleries. This never used to be a problem.

Dianne

D> Too much cr*p showing up here. Some of you may be able to block all

Hey, nothing like starting small - a table runner? Good for you.

Have you decided how large it's going to be? The colors looked very homey - having seen the choosing process.

OK - more needlework. So, I'm finishing the design on my first crewel piece to teach. Fortunately, it's just beginning crewel. It's a little bag - sweet bag, sachet - whatever. My boss decided that I have to use this "morning glory" picture she took as a jumping off point (though I will say that both Donna & I thought a traditional flower would've been easier). That said, I've done it with one full looking into the bloom MG on the front, and the vine running around the bag, so there will be a smaller bloom in profile and a leaf on the back. I'm happy to take some advice from those who do crewel more frequently than I.

The main flower - I'm having done standard outline, then long and short stitch - 3 shades, and a lovely white for the center rays. The big heart shapped leaves - one I'm doing with a border of satin stitch, but the interior as a laid filling - a simple lattice with some seed stitches or knots. The other leaves - a small one in fly stitch, and then more long/short. I don't want to overwhelm them. We'll also do some chaing stitch on a stem. The flower in profile, I thought of doing a buttonhole border - since it won't be too huge - at the top, and then just outline the rest with again something simple.

Thoughts? I want to have them get prectice with the basics - stem, long & short, chain stitch, split-stitch, a simple laid filling, and I thought the buttonhole would be a nice more "oomphy" sittch, along with the fly stitch. Or am I being too ambitious? The design isn't huge - 4" X 6" on a 10 X 12 piece of twill (the heavy stuff that Crewelwork Co. uses. Doing it with Appleton Crewel wool, and supplying 6" hardwick wooden hoops to use. I'm pre-finishing the top so there is a channel sewn in to thread a ribbon through. To finish, after stitching, they'll just have to fold and sew the bottom and one side.

The class is 2 hours, and these are all at least moderately experienced Xsers. And I will supply doodle cloths to practice. I don't think this is too ambitious, but maybe. I'm teaching it Sat afternoon at the local retail assoc bi-annual "getaway" in Gettysburg. So, after the class, I'll be around, to answer questions, as we all are stitching pretty non-stop .

So, comments? Suggestions?

Ellice (yes, I've done crewel before starting when I was 6 - but not so often as an adult)

Ah, so your shop is the one doing the Gettysburg thing! I was just at Catherine Strickler's house yesterday (aka Indigo Rose) and she was in the midst of prepping kits for Gettysburg.

How about instead of the laid work for one or more of the leaves, doing a Fishbone stitch leaf instead? That would give your students one more "meaty" stitch to add to their repertoire and is a bit more interesting to do. Just a thought.

Nyssa, who is trying to contribute to the "more stitching posts" movement At River's End

Okay. I'm proud to be responsible for 9 new addicts to hardanger and ccs! I came to this very small town, Bethulie, in September, and looked for fellow stitchers. When I went to a fund-raising group meeting, it was suggested that I take my work to showpeople, and from that came our little group.

They loved the bit of hardanger I'd done, and although only one, who had done ccs, believed she could also do it, I got them to try a pincushion with a little hardanger and a ccs motif, and now they're branching out to more hardanger, and more ccs! Our worst problem is the cost of materials, but we've had help from Melissa, and are managing to keep going. We'll have some fabric from Joanne in Australia before too long, so we're very lucky. We're mostly pensioners, in a country which has to import all even weaves and most threads, so it's an expensive hobby, and we really appreciate the help we're getting.

We meet every week, and have a really happy and productive time.

Joyce in RSA.

LOL - I'm taking Catherine's class. Looking forward to it, as I've never met her. I'd love to show her the Blackwork piece which Donna has just done

- of Catherine's - but in very bright, gorgeous colors. And with 2 strands instead of 1 - different look, really, really lovely. She's one of my favorite designers, so I have several of her things in the quee...

The getaway (totebags for participants in my car as we speak) is sponsored by "MANRA" - which is the association of retailers in the mid-Atlantic - covers knitting and stitching. Our LNS owner is the new secretary, and my friend, the framer-LNS owner (where I used to work) is another officer, and been the organizer for this event. This is a litle smaller than the last one - only about 75 folks. But, it'll be great fun. Doug Kreinik is running a fun thing Friday night - tools and tips. Then he's got a class as does Catherine, and Ruth Dilts. The various shops are teaching "mini-classes." So, people got one of the national classes, and a couple of mini-classes. DH is also going - he's our official "bouncer" . There's a boutique as well, and the locals from G'burg will be allowed in to the boutique - not the stitching rooms. Stitching room is set up in the big ballroom - with big, comfy, executive leather swivel rockers, tables and good light. Plus, refreshments - in the ballroom area!

Fishbone is one of my favorites. I'm only doing the laid filling on one of the large leaves. I just don't want to be overwhelming for a beginner class. IME, some folks that have always worked counted aren't so comfy in the more "freestyle" environment of crewel - even with the design on the fabric. These leaves are very wide - not like long curvy Jacobeans - which would've been my preference. But, I like your idea, and as my stitching marathon progresses, I may do that on a smaller leaf.

And did so well! Now I have to go back downstairs to my crewel, finish up a bit, then go to the shop. Where I'm hopeing to stitch allllll day, with some interruptions for customers.

Ellice

Which is why I have all my YahooGroups set up to automatically moderate new members.

I'd do more of it if I could find something that appeals to me.

Well, that's always an issue. We had some really interesting pieces from Crewel & Unusual designs, but it's been impossible to get another order from her - been trying for over 6 months - to no avail. If you don't like Jacobean- you could look at the Carolyn Barani "Tapis Tree" things - they're pretty interesting, and work up well. Also, Custom House has less expensive kits that range from Jacobean, or traditional, to some more informal -kind of kitchen art for lack of a better description (not being demeaning). Also, Tanya Berlin has some really lovely things on her site.

There are some gorgeous tradtional pieces around, but if that's not to your liking, the readily available designs are a bit more limited.

ellice

Yes, I know. I look and look and look. Sometimes, you can find something on ebay, but even then, a lot of it is Wysocki or birch trees.

I've been wanting to stitch something that's not counted or needlepoint - preferably surface/freestyle or crewel - and of course, there's nothing out there except primitive and traditional. Sigh. How many flower pictures does one need?

Linda who is going off to troll the internet for a picture that grabs her. . . .

Carolyn

"Karen C in California"

This is my book review day, apparently. Have a look at Katherine Shaughnessy's book The New Crewel

is actually pretty retro IMO--has that Scandinavian modern feel about it, but I think it is lovely. Most of the designs are one-two colours, giving lots of scope for using them to make projects that work for you without lots of complicated conversions.I scored 4 pieces of very retro looking linen (very fancy tea towels)--corally pink, avocado green, chocolate brown, all nicely aged--and will use her designs on themDawne

If you get a chance, ask Catherine to tell you about the surprise she made for me a few years ago involving a hockey stick and 30 small stuffed bears. Be sure your bouncer DH is around for the explanation. lol

And maybe your DH can work on her DH to get him interested in hockey, if it is even possible. I've been trying for years with no luck!

Sounds like you've got a good handle on the design. And yes, it's hard to go back and forth between counted and uncounted techniques if you're more used to one than the other. Luckily I did crewel and freeform for years before getting into counted, so it was less of a jump.

If you've got any of those totebags to spare, I'd be more than happy to take one off your hands. I'm Queen of the Totebags and can always find a use for another one.

Now go stitch!

Nyssa, who (wearing her Avs t-shirt) should take her own advice and get back to work At River's End

And that's the problem. If I could get something comparable to a MLI angel or a Silver Lining floral, I'd be doing crewel (which doesn't require constant counting). But 95% of what I see is Jacobean, which I don't like at all.

I know there are plenty of florals out there and I don't think it would be too difficult to pick the flowers you want from a pattern and trace them on linen.

Take a look at some of the Elsa Williams kits:

maybe the .old Erika Wilson stuff There were lots of florals there. Lucille

Have you seen Tanja Berlin's shadow work kits? Keep scrolling. I love her forest scenes.

Dianne

You might want to have a possible alternative available for the long and short stitch. Some people swear by it and others swear at it - never do get the hang of it. For filling stitches in otherwise open spaces, don't forget to use random cross stitches here and there. Some xs ers do not know that it can be used this way. xs is also good for tying laid word, in addition to rice stitch and french knots.

Olwyn Mary (going home to N.O. tomorrow, frantically packing.}

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Donna in Virginia

I've just been lucky enough to have had 2 days with CA Wells in Perth. This year we did the Sailor's Valentine & the Cottage Etui. I struggled with the Sailor's Valentine and am still struggling as it goes together, but loved every minute of the Cottage Etui. With all the pre-stitching done I felt quite virtuous, and in the 2 days of class we got one side of the Valentine mounted, and a scissor fob and pin cushion completed on the cottage. I am determined to get the projects finished before it all fades from my mind.

It is a real treat to have an international tutor visit Perth as so few tutors - Australian or International seem to have the will to travel here.......

Some time ago another post included a link to "the needlework show" - a trade show coming up soon, and I have been browsing my way through the vendors. Thank you for this wonderful link, but my visa card may not be so full of thanks as I embark on a one woman effort to turn around the US economy (and take full advantage of the current excellent exchange rate)

On another matter entirely the price of petrol in Perth is hovering about AU$1.70 per litre for premium unleaded, which equates to approx US$6.85 per US gallon.

Have you looked at the book "The New Crewel" - might be a good source.

C

It has size parameters. There are a few design elements that must be included. I think I'm up to the challenge.

Donna in Virginia