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A Difficult Needlepoint Problem
Nuts about Needlepoint | November 10th 2009 by Janet Perry
It is a lovely canvas. Someone has givewn it to you, or you’ve found it at an unbelievable price. There’s only one problem. It’s partially stitched, but hasn’t got the threads with it. A reader wrote to me recently with this p read more
Whipped Backstitch Tutorial
Nuts about Needlepoint | November 9th 2009 by Janet Perry
Whipped Backstitch is one of my favorite stitches. It’s easy to do and it makes smooth rounded shapes. Not many stitches in needlepoint can do that. You can use it to outline round shapes (like the bubbles in Wicked, above). But where it real read more
Needlepoint Boxes
Nuts about Needlepoint | November 5th 2009 by Janet Perry
One thing which has always intrigued me is the idea of making boxes out of needlepoint. I find the idea of using needlepoint for the sides of the box completely intriguing. There are several painted canvas designers who do too. Kathy Schenkel makes read more
Extraordinary vintage Patricia Smith Moon Bags
I Love All Purse | November 4th 2009 by kanjana
Patricia is a renowned artist. Patricia designed the artwork on the lacquered panels herself. Her business, Moon Bags Inc, Milwaukee, WI was in business from the late 1970's through 1997. All the lacquered flap Moon Bags have a Velcro strip so the pa read more
Great Source for Free Needlepoint Charts
Nuts about Needlepoint | November 2nd 2009 by Janet Perry
One of my regular blog stops is my friend Denise Felton’s Needlework News blog at Craft Gossip. I always find such cool things on her site, and not just needlepoint. One of the things Denise does best is her round-ups of free charts. She does read more
Amazing Needlepointer – Raymond Dockstader
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 31st 2009 by Janet Perry
He died in earlier this year, but Raymond Dockstader was a phenominal needlepointer whose work graced many needlework exhibits at Woodlawn Plantation in the DC area. I became more aware of his work through a recent blog post. His specialty was 3 inch read more
Beginner Needlepoint Project Book Out this Weekend!
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 28th 2009 by Janet Perry
One of the harder things I’ve done in needlepoint is advance from doing Tent Stitch to feeling confident in making different stitches, using different threads, and trying new color combinations. That’s why I’ve designed this new se read more
Vintage Needlepoint – Anne Orr Maple Leaf
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 26th 2009 by Janet Perry
This is a simple maple leaf from Anne Orr. Isn’t it great? It’s so simple that it could be a beginning project if you wanted to try counted needlepoint. I’m also thinking it would be great for other techniques using charts like bea read more
Gold Leafing on Canvas – Try a New Technique
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 23rd 2009 by Janet Perry
Thanks to ANG and Judy Souliotis for providing an article from the archives of their magazine. The article goes through how to do gold leafing on needlepoint canvas. I’ve used metallic markers and stencils to color canvas in the past, and ther read more
Delicious Cupcake
Happy Threads | October 20th 2009 by Charlie
Spring buds Wednesday 21 October 2009 In this beautiful part of the world we are experiencing all the wonders of a new spring. The spring buds are everywhere in my front garden as are the birds nesting. It is a great time of the year. Today’ read more
Time Flies
Happy Threads | October 18th 2009 by Charlie
Little Blue Bird Monday 19 October 2009 Over the weekend I stitched the little blue bird cross stitch chart I gave you last week as a needlepoint. I stitched it on plastic canvas and found it to provide a much better result. It is now on my fri read more
How to finish off the little owl needlepoint bookmark
Happy Threads | October 18th 2009 by Charlie
Green and White flowers Sunday 18 October 2009 It’s Sunday afternoon and we have just had the most lovely Sunday lunch with some really wonderful friends of ours. We had salad, crusty roasted potatoes, meat cooked on the BBQ, some red wine an read more
Random Needlepoint Background
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 15th 2009 by Janet Perry
Sometimes the background really is the focal point of the needlepoint as it was in this vintage canvas from Beau Geste I made several years ago. But how do you make it really special? This technique is adapted from a knitting technique from Philosoph read more
Simple Trick for Stitching Needlepoint
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 13th 2009 by Janet Perry
When faced with a stitch such as Four-way Continental (diagram above), I don’t do well. Call me a dummy, but keeping on track with this stitch has been close to an impossibility in needlepoint for me. And the problem is that so many canvases h read more
New Needlepoint Projects – October 2009
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 6th 2009 by Janet Perry
With the On-line Needlework Show opening tomorrow, there will be another post with more great needlepoint on Thursday, but I wanted to share with you the many wonderful new threads, projects, finishing items, and canvases I’ve come across latel read more
Don’t Forget my Customized Stitch Guide Service
Nuts about Needlepoint | October 3rd 2009 by Janet Perry
Do you have a canvas that confuses you, that you don’t know how to stitch? Or is it just an area that keeps you from finishing that piece you love? Helping you find the perfect stitch and thread for your canvas is both my passion and my special read more
Blocking or stretching the little owl bookmark
Happy Threads | October 3rd 2009 by Charlie
Red Sweet Pea Saturday 3 October 2009 What a lovely afternoon it is here. The sun is shining and there is not a puff of wind. It is peaceful in the garden except for the sound of the neighbors next door who are building an extension. Every so oft read more
Bargello Kits in Jeweled Tones
Bargello Needlepoint | October 2nd 2009 by Althea DeBrule
One doesn’t often come across painted or stamped Bargello designs on canvas. In many cases these designs are charted to be used with blank canvas and your choice of threads. However, the other day I came across these two Bargello Kits in Jeweled To read more
Plastic Canvas Gift to Make for Knitters
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 30th 2009 by Janet Perry
I am of the opinion that it is never too early to be making Christmas gifts. I am also of the opinion that no one appreciates a handmade gift as much as someone who also makes things. So finding something you can make (and finish) that uses your stas read more
Make a Quick Bracelet from Stash Threads & Plastic Canvas
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 27th 2009 by Janet Perry
Looking for a fast project that’s suitable for kids, makes something cool and uses materials in your stash? Look no further than these wrist wraps, a free pattern from Coats & Clark. Using plastic canvas with stitching modeled on friendsh read more
On the Road Again — Shop Memories While Traveling
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 26th 2009 by Janet Perry
One of the happiest things I know about traveling is visiting needlepoint stores. Today I want to salute a few stores that I visited for the wonderful things I found there. – In Ann Arbor, on a business trip, I saw Watercolours for the first t read more
FREE Bargello Needlepoint Pattern: Garland Twist
Bargello Needlepoint | September 23rd 2009 by Althea DeBrule
This great Bargello needlepoint ornament was designed by Sue Kerndt, (one of my favorite teachers and designers). Designed for Needlepoint Now Magazine, Garland Twist was designed as a beginner's project to introduce some fundamental canvas technique read more
Lee’s Needle Arts
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 16th 2009 by Janet Perry
For all of us who love the Lee canvases and leather products a new owner has been announced. The new owner is Colonial Needle. Unless you also knit, you might not be familiar with their name. Along with making wonderfull rosewood knitting needles, th read more
Blunt Advice
Beadedbear's Nonsense and Complete Waste of Time | September 15th 2009 by Sig
Today’s question comes from Tracy in NJ.“I have read that having a blunt needle makes beading easier. Is it true that a blunt needle is less likely pierce the thread and weaken it? What do you think? Should I snip off the ends of my needles?”My read more
Marking Pens & Needlepoint – Naming Names
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 15th 2009 by Janet Perry
To learn the complete results of my testing of pens, get the current issue of Needlepoint Now at your local LNS. I tested three types of pens by marking them on canvas, wetting them, rubbing the wet canvas, blotting it and then repeating the whole pr read more
The Pine Needle — My First LNS
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 12th 2009 by Janet Perry
Isn’t that name just too cute? It was my first needlepoint shop and I started going there in 1980. The shop was in Wexford, PA (Pine Township), right next to Wexford Antiques. Looking like a little 40’s cottage on the outside, it had 4 read more
Tutorial: Wheat sheaf stitch
CraftGossip.com Craft Blog Network | September 9th 2009 by Shellie Wilson
The stitch of the week at Rittenhouse Needlepoint is wheat sheaf. Blog owner Stephen Janick says, Since it does resemble a wheat sheaf, it is a useful stitch for a canvas with fields or countryside. It might also be useful on a Thanksgiving… read more
Free chart: Asian Maple
CraftGossip.com Craft Blog Network | September 9th 2009 by Shellie Wilson
This sumptuous fall needlepoint pattern is free for your personal use from Cheryl Fall, needlepoint editor at About.com. Cheryl says, Celebrate Autumn by stitching this branch of Asian Maple leaves in full color using continental stitch on 14-count c read more
FREE Needlepoint Pattern: Friendship Bracelet or Wrist Wrap
Bargello Needlepoint | September 7th 2009 by Althea DeBrule
These colorful needlepoint bracelets made with 14-mesh canvas are easy and fun. Great for clubs, schools, and craft fairs and bazaars, you'll want to stitch several to keep and share with friends. Designed by Judi Kauffman for Coats & Clark, eac read more
How to Use Leftover Yarn or Thread to Make a Tassel
Nuts about Needlepoint | September 5th 2009 by Janet Perry
Over at the Craft Magazine blog, there is a wonderful illustrated tutorial on how to make a simple tassel using leftover yarn. Tassels are lots of fun to make using a scrap of cardboard, leftover thread (at least 2 yards), and scissors. They make a w read more

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