Rittenhouse Needlepoint

Upcoming Classes

2012-01-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Stitch of the Week
It's the return of Stitch of the Week! We're now going to be having a Stitch of the Week class again every Saturday morning at 12. Wendy will be teaching a fun new stitch every week. The class fee is $5. We will supply you with a piece of canvas, thread, a needle, and chart. These classes are a lot of fun and a great way to add new stitches to your repertoire. Our next class will be on January 21st. We hope you can come and take part!

Biscornu Pincushion

Our next Embroidery class will be a fun one! We'll be making a Biscornu Pincushion!

A biscornu is an eight-sided pincushion that has become very popular recently. In fact we have one in our Bargello trunk show and the accompanying book by Janet Perry called Bargello Revisited, which we have in stock. "The word biscornu (sometimes written biscournu) is derived from a French adjective, meaning skewed, quirky or irregular." ("Biscournu Basics", 1999, 2009) They are made from two squares sewn together on point. Many are finished with a button in the center. Adorable!

This class is going to be a lot of fun. You'll learn a few stitches, and once you've completed it, our finishers can finish it for you into a pincushion. This class takes place on Saturday, January 28th, from 3:30 – 5:00. The class fee is $20 and includes fabric, thread, needle, instruction, and a beverage. Give us a call if you'd like to sign up for this great class!

Stitch of the Week: Chain Stitch

2012-01-14T11:43:00.004-05:00

The Chain stitch is a surface embroidery technique that transfers well to canvas work. It creates a textured or knitted look which is perfect for clothing, stems and trunks of flowers and trees, reins for horses or reindeer. It's also useful for outlining and for creating a spiral filling.

A note before you start stitching: It is very important when doing the chain stitch that you maintain a loose and even tension so that your results are consistent and visually appealing. Chain stitch is started at the top of the canvas and proceeds straight down.

When you begin stitching, bring the thread to the front of the canvas and hold it down with the left hand, forming a loop before bringing it to the back side of the canvas through the original hole. Do not pull the thread all the way through. There should be a loop on the front side of the canvas. Re-emerge to the front side of the canvas two to three horizontal threads below your original hole. Then bring your needle up and over the working thread, forming another loop on the front side of the canvas before returning to the backside through the same hole. Repeat.

This stitch is very diverse, and has a few great variations that you can try.

One variation is the Long tailed chain. It is an attractive filling stitch that is started at the top left hand corner and is worked diagonally down and to the right. The main element is worked over two horizontal threads. Tie down the stitch over six horizontal threads. The next stitch is dropped down two horizontal threads and one vertical thread to the right.

Another variation is the Detached chain. A half drop space of four vertical canvas threads is left between individual stitches in a row when they are worked horizontally across the canvas and the stitches in the following row fit exactly between those of the previous row (with a drop of one half the length of the stitch).

I hope you enjoy trying this stitch out. If you try it in one of your projects, send us a photo. We would love to see it!

Stitching Every Day

2011-11-30T13:25:00.006-05:00

Lucky Jackson is a self taught artist residing in Peterborough, Ontario. Recently she decided that she was going to fulfill one of her longtime goals: to create something every day! For 365 days she is going to create something and post it on her blog. You can click on the title of this blog to go to her blog and see more of the photos of her finished pieces. Also check out her website for more information about herself.

Her pieces have all been visually exciting and fun to look at. I love seeing the photo of the embroidered and appliqued piece and then reading the caption. Most have a funny little story that really adds to the charm of the pieces!

This lovely piece is called "Joan Love" and represents Joan from Mad Men. It is hand embroidered on vintage fabric with applique. I love the way she combines the different threads and stitches with the fabric choice for the background to create a piece that really represents Joan!

Frequently she has theme weeks, where for each day she'll stitch a piece that has to do with a larger topic. The picture above (one of my favorites!) represents one of the days she illustrated different jobs she had in the past. She named this series "Take this job and shove it week." I loved her story behind this piece and instead of paraphrasing, I'll just share her words: "I worked in a bakery and got to be around the smell of baking bread.... Yum right? The only down side was that my apartment at the time was located above another bakery... there was no escape from the smell though delicious it was . Maybe that's when I started having problems tolerating wheat ;). And no my uniform wasn't as cute as this one."

This last piece is also one of my favorites because it has such a warm feeling. I love the hand-quilted top and the feet sticking out. One of my favorite things about all of her pieces is her composition. She really has a knack for combining different shapes and textures to really make the whole piece look cohesive.

This series and each post I see on her blog inspires me to do more of my personal work every day. I look forward to seeing all of her future pieces and hope that they have inspired you to do a little bit of stitching each day! :)

Piano Benches

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you have a piano and would like a way to make your piano bench stand out, a great thing to do is to have a piano bench made! We have had a number of customers stitch piano bench covers, and have been enthralled with the results!

The most recent piano bench is one that our custom painter specially painted for her. It is a reproduction of the "Heavenly Chorus" panel from Klimt's Beethoven Frieze in Vienna. You can see a section of the original painting above.

Stephanie has come a long ways since last fall, when we had it painted for her, and is about half way done. She sent us an update with a picture of it, and it looks great! You can see the picture above. I'm sure that it will look fabulous once it's been finished into a piano bench!

This spring we had another customer who is a very prolific stitcher have a piano bench finished. She chose to use Bargello for this one. It looked great! I love the colors, and am sure that it looks fabulous next to her piano!

We just got a piano bench in stock. Our painter is very qualified, and has the ability to paint exquisite canvases per your directions. If you are interested in having one painted for you, or perhaps would like to take a look through our catalogs and pick one out, come on in! We'd love to help you! Also feel free to ask about our finishing! We have finishers who can finish your piece into a pre-existing bench, or you can even have a custom bench made! There are so many options for piano benches. It's fun to see all the ways you can make one special and personal!

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

November 26, 2011 is "Small Business Saturday," a day when America comes together to celebrate the Shop Small movement and support small businesses like ours.

To help make the day a huge success, American Express is giving Cardmembers who register their card for the Small Business Saturday a $25 statement credit when they spent $25 or more at businesses like ours.

Don't miss on this opportunity to buy products you love and need for your needlepoint projects, and also get a savings in your credit card statement! Visit their facebook page today to register your card for this great event! We hope to see you on Saturday, November 26th!

Needlepoint Your Special Memories

2011-11-02T12:32:00.008-04:00

As you may know from reading our previous blog entries, we have a fantastic custom painter on staff who can create any needlepoint canvas that you would like. This is a great example of how to take a special memory and memorialize it in needlepoint.

Recently we had a customer by the name of Alison who did just that! Her daughter got married this year, and Alison loved the bouquet so much that she wanted to do a needlepoint pillow of it! From a photo of the bouquet, shown above, our painter was able to create a detailed sketch.

After Alison approved the sketch, our painter converted the sketch to a beautiful painting large enough that once it had been stitched, it would be a lovely pillow.

As you can see from the photo above, Alison stitched this gorgeous pillow up, and is very happy with it! Our finishers were able to put the final touches on this special project, giving it a gusset using the fabulous special fabrics we have on hand from a local high end fabric shop, and incorporating the same colored threads she used in her piece to make a lovely cord for it.

This project was a work of love, and I am sure that Alison's daughter just loves it! If you would like to do a project that is special to you, and would like some ideas, or need help in making it come to life, give us a call at the shop, or email Jia, our lead painter at painting@rittenhouseneedlepoint.com.

Happy stitching!

Focus on: Accentuate

2011-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Accentuate is a gorgeous poly thread that is comprised of 70% polyamide and 30% metallic polyester. It is sold in 50 meter spools, in 148 different colors. This very fine metallic filament is very strong and flexible. You can use it alone or blended with other threads to give your color a little bit of a pop of glitter. You would use this filament in a 2:1 equivalent. If you're using Accentuate alone, you should select simpler stitches. It would be a waste of time to execute a complicated stitch with sparkly metallic threads like Accentuate because the pattern would not be apparent.

Use the Ashley stitch, shown in the photo above, to create a lovely background, a special clothing pattern, or wallpaper. In the example above, Stephen used 12 strands of Accentuate by itself to create the effect of this stitch. It's nice to see how beautiful this thread comes out when you're just using it by itself.

Another stitch that uses this lovely thread is the Framed Reverse Scotch Stitch, which you can see above. This stitch would look lovely in a design with a tablecloth, a pattern on curtains, and rugs. Once again, the thread is not blended with another color, but is placed next to another contrasting color. This little pop of shimmer really makes the yellow pop and gives this stitch added character.

The Raised Maltese Cross, seen above, is another fantastic example of a stitch that this thread really shines in. The combination of the loveliness of this stitch as well as the beautiful colors that Accentuate comes in, would make this an excellent stitch to use with Accentuate to create a patch of flowers or shrubbery.

Try this lovely thread out for yourself. By all means let us know how it works for you, and what you use it for! We love to see everyone's projects!

Stitch of the Week: Rosemary

2011-10-15T14:24:00.006-04:00

This past week we held a Thread Tasting class. In this class, we give you a goodie bag with samples of five to six types of thread that we carry. All of the threads that Stephen chose were beautiful. With each of the threads, Stephen also gave a stitch lesson.

One of my favorite ribbons we carry is Neon Rays Plus. I wrote a blog all about it back in August.

The stitch Stephen used to show how to incorporate this ribbon into your next project was the Rosemary stitch. This is a beautiful stitch that really catches your eye and can make your piece look special.

This stitch is completed in three parts. For the first part, which you can see in the image above, you will use basketweave to complete each square.

Once you have completed a 3 x 3 group of these squares, you will stitch two straight stitches over three intersections, following the guide above.

Finally, once you have finished stitching the straight stitches, you will complete the stitch by doing a small cross stitch in the middle of each cross, as shown above.

As you can see in the stitched sample at the top of this blog, this stitch looks best when using three different colors for each of the parts. A cotton thread, such as DMC or Hylas, or Mandarine Floss, shown in this past blog post, is perfect for the first part where you use the basketweave stitch. Use Neon Rays + for the second step to make the straight stitches (or "petals" as I like to call them) really pop. For the final step, use a complimentary color of the petal.

This stitch would look great as a border, a pattern on clothing, or used as a square in a stitch sampler. As I've mentioned, this stitch would also look great as a little flower patch.

I hope you give this stitch a try, and feel free to send us a picture of how you incorporate it into your piece!

Stitch of the Week: Nobuko

2011-10-01T13:28:00.006-04:00

The Nobuko stitch is a great stitch for creating special effects in your piece. It is a textured stitch that is worked in alternating long and short diagonal stitches, and is worked in rows similar to the Continental Stitch. It can be worked in a single color or multiple colors by row.

To stitch the Nobuko, you will work from right to left. Bring your needle up through the canvas and over one intersection (1-2 in the diagram shown). After that, you will bring your needle up one row under the first (3), and then you will carry the stitch over three intersections (3-4 in the diagram shown). The next stitch will be over one section, and then you will continue in the same way across the row you are stitching. When you are stitching the next row (as you can see in the picture below) you will be working in the opposite direction.

There are a lot of great threads you can use to really emphasize this attractive stitch. Flair is a very pretty ribbon thread that you can use to create snow. Threadworx Overdyed thread is great for stitching sky and water. To create snow, sky or water, you can use Silk and Ivory and Silk and Ivory Stardust. To create fish scales, you can use Perle cotton in either #3 or #5, and you can also use Trebizond.

Focus on: Mandarin Floss

2011-10-01T09:00:00.003-04:00

Mandarin Floss is a beautiful and easy to use 6-strand floss made of 100% Bamboo. Stephen, one of Rittenhouse Needlepoint's owners, says it lays better than cotton because it is softer, yet it is still very strong. For these reasons, it's very similar to silk, but it has the benefit of being less costly! You would use this fantastic thread wherever you would use embroidery floss, strand for strand. Ply up or down to suit your needs, of course. We recommend using four strands of Mandarin Floss for 18 mesh. For 14 mesh, use 6 ply. For 14 count cross stitch fabric, use 2 plies.

Above is an example of this thread stitched up. I chose to use the Milanese stitch, which was very easy to learn. The Mandarin Floss just glided through the canvas and gave me no problems. It didn't snag like cotton sometimes does, and it really is very soft! Another great thing about this thread and also with this stitch is that Mandarin floss has a semi-matte finish, so it doesn't overpower other stitches. So, if you use the Milanese stitch shown here, and blogged about earlier in the week, you won't have to worry that it will look distracting or overpowering.

Some other stitches that Mandarin Floss would look great with are French knots, Moorish, Damask, Byzantine Scotch, and the Fancy stitch.

Come in to the store and check out this fantastic fiber. We carry 120 of the 132 colors in the line, and they're all beautiful!

Stitch of the Week: Milanese

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Milanese is a lovely simple stitch that can really enhance your needlepoint. The Milanese stitch is comprised of triangle shapes arranged in diagonal rows. Depending on the effect you want, you can stitch each row in the same color, or you can do multiple colors. It would also be striking to use an over-dyed thread (like the image above), which would give the canvas another interesting dimension!

This stitch is a great stitch for filling larger shapes and backgrounds because it can be slightly bulky depending on the thread used. You can see in the sample above that it is stitched using Perle cotton. Because this is a thicker fiber, it would be best for a background stitch. This way it won't distract your eye from the focal point in your piece (unless you want this to be the focal point in the piece of course!).

You can use this stitch to create realistic mountains using Pebbly Perle, Perle cotton, or an overdyed thread. It is also great for Southwestern motifs, especially with an overdyed thread that combines the colors in your piece.*

We hope you enjoy using this lovely stitch in your needlepoint! Let us know how it works for you!

* p.40, Stitches For Effect, Suzanne Howren & Beth Robertson, 1996.

Focus on: Gloriana Lorikeet Wool

2011-09-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few months ago we built up our thread selection in the store, and one of the lines that we purchased was Gloriana's Lorikeet wool. It's a beautiful hand-dyed over-dyed 100% Australian wool. It is a great choice for embroidery, crewel, needlepoint, punchneedle and counted-thread. It comes in a skein of five yards, and is plyable to nine strands. One strand can be used on 32 count linen or in any combination of 1 to 9 ply depending on the fabric and use. We recommend using six strands on 13 mesh.

Above are some samples of how this beautiful fiber looks stitched. The bottom right sample is stitched in continental. The bottom left is continental again, but the threads are reversed. You can see how this creates a total different look! The top right sample is stitched in Basketweave, and similar to the bottom row, the left stitched square is stitched in Basketweave again, but this time the thread is reversed. It is really amazing how different the sample looks depending on how you stitch it!

Lorikeet has shades of colors within the rainbow, so you may find between one and five shades in each color range, which is great for shading!

If you're wondering what kind of stitches this thread looks great in, and how you would incorporate it into one of your pieces, I have some suggestions. The Ashley stitch would be really effective on a rug, as would the Irregular Jacquard. The Criss Cross Hungarian stitch in Lorikeet would look great on a beard, so if you're stitching a Christmas stocking, try out this stitch and the appropriate color for Santa's beard! The Dutch stitch, is a fantastic stitch for a stone wall. The Hungarian Stitch is also fabulous for cushions. Also, when you're stitching a person, whether it's santa, or a figure in a landscape or ornament, consider using a complimentary color and trying Turkey Work for hair! That would really make your piece stand out!

I invite you to come into the shop and check out all of the gorgeous colors we have of this thread. We have the full line, so there are a lot to choose from, and will give you lots of opportunities to try it out in whatever piece you're working on!

Stitch of the Week: Fern Stitch

2011-09-21T10:55:00.005-04:00

The Fern stitch is a lovely stitch that can be used in a number of ways. It consists of pairs of overlapping diagonal stitches worked in vertical rows. It has an inter-locked look, and is a medium texture pattern. This stitch can be incorporated as individual or group columns. It is perfect as a border or background.

The advantage of this stitch is that it works up relatively fast and is very versatile. You can use the chart shown as the rule, but also keep in mind that you can vary the length of the arms. The only disadvantages are that it creates a bad backing and is a yarn hog. If you would like to use this stitch on your piece, make sure you have more than enough thread!

When you are stitching this pretty stitch, work from right to left in vertical rows. This means you should work from top to bottom only. Do not attempt to do this stitch from the bottom to the top. When you reach the end of the column, stop and bury your thread. Start your next column back at the top.

Bargello In The Media

2011-09-15T11:51:00.007-04:00

Missoni, a world-renowned designer brand, just created a special limited edition collection for the department store Target. From the headlines we've been seeing this morning, it seems like it was a huge hit! Target's website was so flooded with customers eager to buy Missoni's products that it crashed multiple times, and as is normally only seen on Black Friday, there were long lines, with many stores selling out within a half hour of opening. The picture below is from an article on apartment therapy of the writer's local store shelf 20 minutes after opening. Pretty crazy!

Besides the appeal of having a designer product that didn't cost you an arm and a leg, I think that Missoni's line is really interesting because they incorporate elements of Bargello that have been around for hundreds of years. They are especially interested in the Flame stitch, which you can see in this bedspread they have in the Target line.* Although it's not actually stitched, it incorporates the flame stitch pattern in its design.

Jonathan Adler is also very interested in using traditional needlework. He's used needlepoint in the past for many of his pillows. Now he has an entire line of Bargello themed pillows. The one on the right is from his current line. It's called the Bargello Worth Avenue Pillow.

If you haven't ever heard of Bargello before, Bargello is a type of needlepoint in which you stitch upright flat stitches that are laid in a specific pattern to create geometric patterns. It is usually stitched in wool on canvas because it is very durable. When you're stitching a piece that will be made into a piece of furniture or a rug, durability is definitely important! The chair by Charles Newhaven Interior Designers shown in the photo is done in Bargello. Bargello is a great stitch for pillows, upholstery, and even carpets, but not for clothing unless you're using a patterned fabric that looks like Bargello (Missoni has definitely found a way to do that successfully!).

Bargello designs are very colorful and normally use more than one hue of one color. This will create a very detailed shading effect. As mentioned before, the patterns are normally geometric, but you can use bargello to create stylised flowers or fruits.

Our finisher, Emily, found this great Bargello piece at a thrift store. There were actually two in the set! She picked them up for a steal (a few dollars each!) and finished them into lovely pillows. This heart pattern is really pretty and whimsical but incorporates the traditional Bargello stitching.

If you're interested in learning Bargello, we are developing a Bargello class. Get in touch with us and we'll put you on the wait list and will notify you when all of the details have been solidified!

*picture found on Apartment Therapy.

Stitch of the week: Floral Cross

2011-09-03T15:19:00.003-04:00

The Floral Cross is a lovely stitch. It is a large stitch, so it needs lots of room to develop its pattern. This stitch is hard to compensate, so choose space wisely. This pattern would be excellent when stitching ornate backgrounds, borders, clothing, stocking cuffs, large baskets, and quilts.

It's most effective when worked in three colors/threads, or three values of the same color family. Perle Cotton, Impressions, Silk and Ivory, Rainbow Tweed, and Velvet are great for the four single diagonal stitches. A thinner thread like Perle 8, Rainbow Linen, Kreinik #8 or #4 and Lacquered Jewels would look perfect for the cross stitch. Waterlilies, Vineyard, Splendor, Perle Cotton, Watercolors, and Impressions would also do very well for the remaining straight stitches.

I hope you try this beautiful stitch out in one of your projects! Let us know how it turns out because we love to see your work!

Stitch of the Week: Fancy

2011-08-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Fancy stitch is a stunning decorative stitch that is very effective when using two different threads. It looks especially good when used on waterfalls, rivers, paths, gardens, mountains, patios, porch lattices, victorian gingerbread house trim, wallpaper, borders, and clothing. Consider using an overdyed thread with a complimentary solid in Flair, perle, stranded cotton or silk.

For a dramatic effect, combine a metallic with silk, cotton or wool as shown below.

For a shimmery effect, combine Frosty Rays with Flair as shown below.

Needlework Accessory Kits

2011-08-23T14:53:00.010-04:00

Button and Earring
Cross stitch and Embroidery Kits

We have just released a big selection of kits we developed here in the shop! We were so inspired by some of the cross-stitch, embroidery, and needlepoint accessories we've been seeing lately (which you can see in this past blog entry of ours) that we thought it would be fun to make up kits so that you guys can make your own stitched earrings and pins! I've been working on these kits for the last two months, and they're finally finished and ready to sell on the floor!

We have a good selection of designs in cross stitch and embroidery, and soon we'll have some needlepoint ones featuring special stitches, so no matter what your favorite stitch method is you'll find something fun! Above is a picture of me wearing the pie earrings, which feature two different types of pie! One side
is cherry, and the other is blueberry! There are cherry, pineapple, and strawberry earring kits, and soon there will be an apple earring kit too! For buttons, we have an adorable cupcake kit which you can see to the right. There's also a darling sparrow, bunny, and a banana which you can see below! These are only a few of the delightful designs we have. There are more in the store.

All of the kits include an embroidery or cross stitch
design/pattern, thread, finishing instructions, stitching instructions for beginners, a needle, fabric, earring backs for the earrings, and a pin back for the pins. The cover button maker kit is sold separately, but the great thing is that each button maker kit has at least 4 buttons included, so you could get a few designs, and do them all with only one cover button maker! These kits are really affordable and are a ton of fun to make. It's really satisfying to know that you made something that you'll be able to wear!

I hope you like these and will hopefully come in and try your hand at one of these kits!

Stitch of the Week: Dutch

2011-08-20T14:23:00.004-04:00

This week we're focusing on the Dutch stitch. This stitch can create a really dramatic look on your needlepoint canvas depending on the fibers you choose. It can be worked all in the same color or with a different color or thread for the tie-down.

This stitch would be excellent for baskets, stone walls, shrubbery, mountains, borders, and clothing. I can definitely see this as a pattern on a piece of clothing!

For a really striking look, choose an overdyed thread from lines like Watercolours, Threadworx or Impressions. Select a matching solid color stranded cotton, silk, ribbon or Kreinik for the tie-down. Also think about using two color values of the same or different threads. That would be a nice way to create depth in the piece!

Try this simple but elegant stitch out for yourself! Feel free to show us how it turns out in your piece by posting an image of it in the comments! We'd love to see how you worked with it!

Focus on: Neon Rays +

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few months ago we received a few more lines from Rainbow Gallery. One of them was Neon Rays +. Neon Rays is a fantastic ribbon to use in needlepoint and ribbon embroidery. Neon Rays Plus is just as easy and fun to stitch with and has pretty metallic threads imbued in the ribbon. This gives the ribbon a little more sparkle and would make the piece you're working on pop even more. Neon Rays + works best for straight stitches, as this will really highlight the metallic threads in the ribbon. Some special stitches that will make this thread really shine are the cameo stitch, diagonal cashmere (which you can see demonstrated to the right in Chartreuse Neon Rays +), diagonal mosaic, oblique slav, and the rhodes stitch.

Diagonal Cashmere is an easy stitch that really has a nice finished look. It is a great stitch for clothing. Check out the diagram below to learn how to stitch it in your project.

Focus on: Wool & Hoop

2011-08-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

We just received a large shipment of kits, books, and pins from Texas-based shop Wool and Hoop. Wool and Hoop was founded by Katherine Shaughnessy. She is a formally trained artist who, although her mother taught her crewel embroidery at a young age, started using stitching more often in her art in college. She became more interested in embroidery and was searching for fun cool crewel kits when she decided to start making her own. That's how Wool and Hoop was started.

Wool and Hoop's crewel kits are all really fun and have bright colors and designs that are simple enough for beginners (the kits say they are appropriate for ages 8 and up) to learn with but that seasoned stitchers would also find exciting. And, an added plus is that everything you need is inside the kit. It includes linen fabric, wool thread, needles, a blank greeting card and envelope (for finishing), and complete instructions. There's even a free hoop included! The designs are around 3 x 3 inches each, so they are also a great quick project you can stitch up for a really nice personal gift.

Along with the kits, we received Katherine's first book, titled The New Crewel. It's full of interesting information about crewel as well as ideas for projects. Each design featured in her book includes a list of the fabric, thread, stitches, and finishing ideas for that piece. She also adds helpful little crewel tips after each pattern. We also got transfer fabric so you can transfer either your own designs, or the ones you see in her book, and we also got assorted packs of her designs, ready to be ironed onto your fabric of choice! With so many options, it's easy to see how you could end up with a lot of different projects with only one design!

Below see a picture of Mandy, who is stitching one of the kits up as a sample of what it will look like finished and to experience it herself. She's having a lot of fun, and it looks really fun to do as well! I think these kits will be a lot of fun! Come on in and see what they're all about and to get acquainted with crewel work!

Stitch of the Week: Trellis Couching

2011-08-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Trellis Couching which is also known as Jacobean Couching and Double Cross Trame'. It is a filling stitch which won't completely cover the canvas. This means that you will see some raw canvas. Like the T Stitch, which was covered in our last Stitch of the Week blog, it is best to use this type of stitch on a canvas with a color that matches the threads you are using. If you're using this stitch in an embroidery project, the color of the fabric would be quite important, whereas if you are doing this on a needlepoint project, you would want the piece you were stitching this over to coordinate. This would ensure that your colors wouldn't clash and the project would look great!

The Trellis stitch is great for baskets, clothing, angel wings, bonnets, fans, lattices, curtains, Christmas packages, kimonos and borders.

An idea for a combination of threads for this project would be to use overdyed for the grid, solid perle cotton or stranded cotton or silk for crosses. You could also use two values of the same color. use a lighter color for the grid and darker for the cross to make this stand out. Also try to opposite! This stitch really lends itself for being creative and mixing colors and threads.

Focus on: Sublime Stitching

2011-07-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

We recently received a number of embroidery patterns for our shop by Sublime Stitching. Sublime Stitching was founded by artist Jenny Hart. She is very well known for her personal embroidery work, which has been featured in Vogue, Nylon, Spin, The Face, Juxtapoz, The New York Times Magazine and more! One of her pieces is this fabulous portrait of Edith Piaf. She also has an upcoming exhibition in Paris that focus on her drawings! You can check out images of her drawings at her flickr page. They have a reminiscent style to her embroidered art. I am intrigued by her style and really enjoy her work, whether it's her embroidery or drawings. Also check out her blog for some of her favorite artists and updates on what she's working on!

Some of the fun Embroidery Patterns we have available in the store are shown below. Included in the packs are an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of iron-on transfers. You'll use them to transfer onto whatever item you wish to embroider on, and then use the included innstructions and embroidery lesson (if you're rusty or new to embroidery!) to start your project! The package promises to imprint multiple times, so if you really love the design, you can stitch it more than once!

Come on in to the store when you have a chance and check out these great patterns! There's a lot to choose from, and with all the different threads we have in stock, so many different ways to stitch them!

Stitch of the Week: T Stitch

2011-07-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

The T Stitch is an open stitch that can be used for stitching angel wings, lace, and small details like flower buds, glasses, and eyeglass lenses. It is used for filling in areas where you would like to show the canvas as well as the stitch. It's an excellent stitch for an open background. You should use a color that closely matches the painted background to make sure that the canvas that shows through matches and/or compliments the thread you're using. We used DMC Overdyed Perle cotton on top of a rectangle that had been painted red for the middle example shown above. This really created a lovely effect.

For angel's wings use Snow, Kreinik #12 or #8.

Stitch of the week: Rice Stitch

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Rice stitch is also known as the William and Mary stitch or Crossed Corners.

When using this stitch in one of your projects, you will do a diagonal cross stitch over an even number of canvas intersections, then each corner of the cross stitch is tied down with a diagonal stitch in the same or a different color. This stitch has a variety of appearances depending upon the weight, color, and texture of the yarn employed. It looks great in a background, as a border, a filler or a feature stitch. The advantage of this stitch is it is an attractive stitch with multiple variations. The only disadvantage is that it is a slow stich.
Some variations to make this stitch stand out even more would be to use two colors (cross in one color, tie downs in another color). You could even blow this stitch up, which would make it the "giant rice" stitch. This is achieved by doing a diagonal cross over four canvas intersections. The straight rice stitch is performed by stitching horizontally and vertically rather than diagonally.

Stitch of the week: Norwich Stitch

2011-07-16T15:17:00.008-04:00

The Norwich stitch, also known as the Waffle stitch, is a counted thread stitch where you stitch 3 rows diagonally, stitching over 3 intersections, then 4, then 3, and then stitch the same amount of rows in the opposite direction so the stitches intersect. This stitch fills a square area, but produces a diamond pattern in the center of the stitch. Use solid color threads or overdyed threads for a more dramatic effect. It can either be worked in one color or two. Also, a good thing to keep in mind when considering this stitch for your piece is that it looks stunning with an overdyed thread!

Check out the photo below to see some examples of this lovely stitch using threads like kreinik, perle cotton, and watercolors overdyed cotton. This would be a lovely decorative stitch for an abstract geometric piece. When researching how it has been used, one stitcher said she was going to use it for a tissue box cover. Although there was no photo of the finished project, I can imagine that it came out very well!

Wearable Needlework

2011-07-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Embroidered and stitched accessories and clothing have been around for a long time, but it seems like the trend of using embroidery, cross-stitch and needlepoint to stitch things like buttons, earrings, headbands, barrettes, bags, and more has been coming back. After a recent search on Etsy, I came across a few shops owned by crafters who really caught my eye. The theme was wearable needlework!

The Pin Pals, run by artists Samantha Purdy and Sara Guindon, whose blog you can see here , have a really fun Etsy store. I definitely lost track of time looking at all of their goodies and also perusing their Flickr page, where you can see other projects they've done and also some craft shows they have participated in! One of my favorite products that they sell and show are these great barrettes. They've really found a way to use relatively simple designs and create something really sweet and wearable. I know I would love to wear these! Another great way to incorporate their buttons is shown to the left. The acorn buttons really add a really pretty accent to the dress.

Another crafter I came across is Claudia Dominguez, who runs the store Deep Indigo on Etsy. You can also browse her Flickr page to see other crafts that she has done. I really love these rosebud earrings. They are so dainty, and I love the combination of the delicate embroidered flower and the herringbone fabric. One of the other products she sells in her shop are these charming zippers. They are embroidered around the edge, so that when you sew them, you will be able to see the embroidered details, which would really add a special touch to whatever project you were sewing.

Something probably everyone has seen are embroidered blouses like this one, also from Etsy at the store Purple Deer Vintage. It isn't hard to find embroidered shirts, but if you are confident and ambitious, you could definitely embroider your own shirt. There are many different patterns and motifs in books and online. We definitely have a good selection here at the shop of books with different embroidery templates which you could use as a starter to creating your own.

As a testament to how needlepoint and needlework is becoming more popular, this Baguette Needlepoint Kit can be found on Neiman Marcus' website. It is a Fendi bag that includes the thread, three design cards, needles, and thimbles. Needlepoint purses and clutches are definitely a popular item here at the shop, and this just goes to show that they aren't exclusive to needlepoint shops!

Doodle Stitching

2011-06-28T10:31:00.005-04:00

We just received this fabulous book called Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection by Aimee Ray. It has 400+ easy, adorable and fun embroidery designs illustrated and includes a cd as well as 17 projects to make! One project they feature are these embroidered drink coasters. You can see from the photo that they are really sweet. And, the great thing about them is that they are totally customizable. There is a good selection of drink illustrations in the book, and beyond that, there are so many colors you can choose to do them in that the possibilities are endless.

I decided to stitch one of the motifs, seen below, to see how it came out on fabric, and I am really pleased with the result. Not only was it a cinch to stitch, but it was a pleasure to stitch! Of course, I can't leave out that the design was just so cute! I chose to just stitch the little children for now, but in this family of motifs there were a bunch of other designs, from toad-stools, to gnomes, to flowers and trees, that would really make the whole scene complete.

This book has so many different motifs that would keep you busy and would really help make whatever you were looking to embroider special!

Stitch Painting

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

When looking at a thread painting, you may at first think that you are looking at an actual painting! The aim of thread painting is to create shading effects. This can create a very realistic image. When stitching in this method, you mainly use short and long stitches and stitch in rows to create the softest shading.

We just ordered a few copies of the book A-Z of Thread Painting, edited by Sue Gardner. It is full of information and projects that demonstrate this fun type of needlework. One of the projects that I was particularly impressed by would also be good for someone looking to try out thread painting on a smaller scale. This is the Pear, by Susan O'Conner of Victoria. This project can be completed with stranded cotton on fabric. The only stitches you use are a split stitch, long and short stitch, and back stitch. This book is really great because it gives detailed lists of all the threads and materials you will need and gives step by step instructions, including pictures for each step! I think it would be a great way to get acquainted with thread painting.

Another project that would be great for beginners is this kit, called "The Red Poll." Mary Corbett, of Needle 'n Thread did this piece as an introduction to the style, and I think it came out splendidly! The kit is by designer Tanja Berlin, and as Mary mentioned in a blog about the project, the kit includes thread, fabric, needles, instructions and a color photo of the piece to use as a reference! This piece is really sweet, and it looks like it would be a lot of fun to stitch! Think about being able to accurately represent bird feathers!

In the most recent and final issue of Fiber Arts magazine, there was a great article written by Jamie Chalmers of MrXStitch. Fiber Arts magazine is all about Contemporary Textile Arts and Crafts. The article featured an artist named Cayce Zavaglia. I found her work really inspiring, not just because I love portraiture! This piece, called Carol is hand embroidered using Crewel wool and Acrylic on linen. It is 14 x 38! Check out the detail for an up close image of the stitches. Just amazing! Like the Scarlet Quince piece I featured in our cross-stitch blog, I find that this type of needlework, rather than being intimidating, is more exciting because it is a challenge. When you finish it, you have the satisfaction of knowing you finished something really detailed and also conquered the form! Cayce says in her artist statement "I still consider myself a painter and find it difficult not to refer to these embroidered portraits as 'paintings.' Although the medium employed is crewel embroidery wool, the technique borrows more from the worlds of drawing and painting...Using Wool instead of oils has allowed me to broaden the dialogue between portrait and process as well as propose a new definiteion for the word 'painting'." I think it is interesting when artists look at their art form and other art forms and find a way to combine them to create something new. It will be interesting to see what else Cayce stitches in the future! And, for those of you who have been overwhelmed with a project before, look at this rug, seen in the book Needlepainting A Garden of Stitches by Eszter Haraszty. Amazing! This book was published in 1974 and shows this woman's house and all of the floral inspired thread painted pieces she completed. This piece in particular was quite awe-inspiring, partially because of its size! When looking at it and thinking about all of the small stitches she did, it's definitely a feat worthy of admiration!

Pig Class Done!

2011-06-18T10:58:00.005-04:00

After 12 long months the pig class is done! This past sunday, June 12th, marked the final class, and all of the participants were relieved! Rosebud, as she is called by Whimsy and Grace, the designer, is made up of 33 pieces. There were a total of 12 classes, and 24 hours of class time (not to mention all of the time the students spent stitching at home completing each piece!)

Each class focused on at least one canvas with different body parts on it. For
instance, in class five, they focused on the stomach, which was split into two parts, the right and the left. For threads, they used Kreinik Metallic Braid, Threadworx Overdyed floss, DMC Metallic, Perle cotton, silk serica, petite Very Velvet, DMC Embroidery Floss, Leah's Overdyed floss, Soie d'Alger, and Frost Rays. One of the stitches they used was the Criss Cross Hungarian stitch. This was definitely a class for advanced and adventurous stitchers, but while it was challenging, that was part of the fun. You got to learn many new stitches, how different threads looked stitched up, and how they work.

Stephen was the instructor for this class, and by default was the first one to complete his project. We just sent it to the finisher, and are looking forward to seeing "Ima Hog" stitched up! (as part of the class, you got to rename your pig to suit your own taste, and Ima was Stephen's. :)) I don't think Stephen will be choosing such a large and intense project for a while, but this class was definitely a lot of fun! See the picture below for a photo of the students and Stephen revelling in their last class! So much fun! :)

Bead Embroidery

2011-06-08T11:01:00.011-04:00

Bead Embroidery has been described as painting with beads by more than one artist. Using beads on canvas, or using them to create intricately detailed jewelry designs, is a way to really unleash your creativity and create something really individual. We saw that here at the shop recently when one of our customers took a Lee canvas design and instead of stitching it with thread, she used beads! The result was simply stunning. The tiger's face had so much life, and when customers who initially thought it was stitching looked closer and noticed that it was done entirely in seed beads, they were stunned! The finished piece was sewn into a bag by Colonial Needle and really completed the project. I have always been interested in beading, but this really opened my eyes to using beads in embroidery and needlework projects. I thought it would be great to share some more examples of how you can create really beautiful art with beads.

We recently received a number of books in shop. One of them is this great book called A-Z of Bead Embroidery by Sue Gardner. It is a really great book with lots of fun projects. Each project has a great picture and detailed instructions on how to complete it. This project, called Dragonfly, is a beautiful example of Bead Embroidery. The book has this project on Tulle, but I think this project would also be lovely and maybe a little sturdier on a fabric a little heavier. You could sew this on a canvas and finish it into an ornament, put it on a bag, or practically anything you can think of!

One of the artists I came across is Bev Choy. She is an accomplished bead embroiderer who creates a lot of exquisite jewelry pieces. Her website shows all of her projects, and her blog gives updates on her projects and day to day life. I really enjoy this piece. It is full of organic shapes and beautiful earth colors. You can see how you can use all types of different beads to create a really beautiful piece. Her website has pictures of all of her different projects and pieces she has for sale. They're definitely inspiring! Another piece, found on her blog, is of a mermaid. I really enjoy this piece! It incorporates different beads and beading techniques with other needlework techniques such as applique. The colors of the fabric and the corresponding beads really compliment each other and bring a really nice depth to the piece. It would definitely look lovely hanging on a wall! This piece reminds me of some of the mermaid canvases that we have had in shop and leads me to my next point.

A great thing to keep in mind is that if you find a needlepoint canvas you really love but would like to try out beading instead of using thread to stitch it, it is totally doable! An article on ehow.com details how you can convert a Needlework graph to bead design. This is helpful for people who love to cross-stitch too! With a needlepoint canvas, the process would be made a lot easier because you already have the colors painted out for you. The fun (and challenging!) part is going to your favorite bead store and finding beads that match the colors painted!

Another artist I came across who uses bead embroidery in her art is Jo Wood. She is an accomplished artist who describes her art as "bead paintings." She has been working in the fiber arts for more than 40 years, with beads being her medium of choice for over 10. "Beads have been my [her] medium for over a decade and my [her] passion for them has continued to grow along with my [her] palette of these tiny, shiny orbs. The way light plays in and on the glass creates amazing color possibilities." This piece, entitled "Moose Maple", uses different fibers such as wool and beads. I love the use of color in this piece and how the beads really create a sense of texture and space. Another piece on her website, where you can see photos of her work and read her artist statement, is "One Summer Night." She had been inspired by moths flying around a street lamp on a summer night. I think the combination of different fabrics, textures, and sewing methods really make this piece special. I really love the mood of this piece.

It is really inspiring to see all of the things you can do with needlework. Bead Embroidery is just one of the different types of needlework, and as you can see here, you can create some really beautiful pieces when you use your creativity and imagination. Whether you are using a needlepoint canvas that has been prepainted, or working from an image in your head, or a photo, you can really create some really personal pieces. For myself, just seeing these different artists really inspires me to create something really special! I hope you are as inspired as I am and maybe we'll see you and your projects soon!

Stitch of the Week

2011-06-01T16:11:00.006-04:00

Byzantine Scotch

The Byzantine Scotch stitch is a great stitch for creating special effects in your needlepoint canvas. This is a larger version of the Diagonal Hungarian Ground. It is accomplished by doing the Byzantine stitch with a Scotch stitch in between. The Byzantine stitch is a great stitch for filling in diagonal shapes. When using a stitch like this, it is best to work from the upper right corner of the canvas to the lower left, as you would do basketweave. This helps to avoid snagging the yarn in the row before as you stitch.

This stitch would be great for a stone fireplace or wall, a garden wall, path, or road. The thing to keep in mind is that it can be an overwhelming stitch, so use it carefully for backgrounds.

Some fibers that would work well with this stitch would be Planet Earth Silk, as it is a very smooth thread and you wouldn't have to worry about snags as you are stitching, and it also covers canvas well, which is important when using a long stitch method like this. Also, overdyed threads would be great for creating a gradiated effect, especially if you were using it in a canvas featuring a brick or stone wall. This would really help create a realistic effect, especially since bricks and stones are naturally gradiated.

*some information on this stitch was found in The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen. This book is a must have for dedicated stitchers!

Stitch Painted Canvases

2011-05-21T11:18:00.010-04:00

There are a few different types of needlepoint canvases. There are charted, printed, painted, and stitch painted. A charted canvas gives you a chart with the colors and stitches mapped out. It is similar to cross-stitch in that you are looking at the chart and stitching from that, rather than having a painted canvas in front of you to stitch on. Printed canvases are printed using a machine that prints the image onto the canvas. The difference between a regularly painted canvas and a stitch painted canvas is that when a canvas is stitch painted, each thread intersection is painted so that the stitcher knows exactly where each stitch is going. They know what color will be used, and where. If a canvas is just painted, a stitcher will have to use judgement as to when they are going to change colors. An example would be if you were stitching a portrait of a person. In a painted canvas, the blending is just done straight on the canvas. As the stitcher, you will have to use your judgement about when you're going to switch from one shade to another, and also if you're going to blend fibers to create a more seamless effect. If you like stitching because you like the relaxing effect it has, and don't really want to pay attention to shading and deciding where to put certain stitches, a stitch painted canvas is for you. They are also very helpful for when you are beginning to learn needlepoint because you are already paying enough attention to how to actually stitch the canvas. It is much better to have it all mapped out for you at this stage than to have to handle too much at once. Of course, everybody is different. You may be ambitious and feel like you wouldn't mind this extra challenge. That is fine, and there are a lot of canvases that are just regularly painted.

Today I'm going to discuss some designers that focus primarily on stitch painting. The Caron Collection is one of our most popular designers. They have a lot of wonderful canvases, especially geometric patterns that are great for upholstery and rugs. If you love color and abstract shapes that draw on Middle Eastern and Mexican design aspects, the Caron Collection is for you! This canvas, called Khamseh #1, is a beautiful pattern that is the perfect size for a pillow on your couch. It is very helpful that these canvases are stitch painted because with a geometric canvas like this, it's very important that all the lines and squares match up. If you are ambitious, you can take a note from one of our customers! She found a canvas she liked, and decided to buy four copies of it and stitch them all. Now she is having them all sewn together into a rug! It should be arriving in the store finished in the next couple weeks, and we're all very excited to see how it turned out!

Needle Crossings is another designer that has a lot of beautiful canvases. One canvas, which would be good for a beginner, is this canvas, called "White Cat." It's an adorable ornament! There are a number of other cats they have painted that are equally cute. Because this cat is stitch painted, you won't have to decide where the stitches will go. The effect of the fur is already painted out for you, which is very helpful!

Cooper Oaks and JP Needlepoint are two more designers that make fun, quirky canvases that are also stitch painted. Cooper Oaks has this fun floral canvas called "Garden Bouquet." I like the bright colors and the whimsical design. Besides being stitch painted, this is a great canvas to try out new threads on. You'd really be able to come up with some fabulous effects, especially in the flowers. JP Needlepoint has this fun brick cover that's depicts a Leopard's eyes and pattern! This canvas is a lot of fun, and the great thing is that there aren't a lot of colors, so you can focus on the pattern without getting overwhelmed with many colors at the same time!

Sandra Gilmore is one of my favorites. All of her designs are really beautiful, and there's so much to be interested in in her canvases. The majority of her canvases are perfect for advanced stitchers because there ARE so many different colors and parts to the canvas. Once you've really gotten to understand the techniques behind needlepoint, you'll really be able to handle and have a lot of fun with her canvases. This canvas, called La Cuisine, shows a charming French kitchen. This canvas really benefits from being stitch painted because all of your decisions are made for you. With so many little details, it would be really time consuming to decide where certain stitches go, rather than just following the pattern that's been painted for you. Another fun interior that she's done is called "Stitching Haven." It shows a stitcher's room. This is another charming canvas, and it really captures the feeling of a cozy room where you could really sit down and stitch. Perfect for a dedicated stitcher!

All of these canvases are really fun and really exemplify how stitch painted canvases are really great to stitch. All of these canvases are in stock, so if you're interested in checking out how stitch painted canvases look vs non-stitch painted canvases, come on in and check them out!

Purses

2011-05-14T15:01:00.014-04:00

Needlepoint purses are a lot of fun. They give you the chance to stitch a really fun piece that could potentially incorporate some great stitches, unique fibers, and give you a final product that is really tailored to you! You definitely won't find another person who has the same purse as you!

One fun little project that would be a great introduction to making bags and purses would be this adorable little coin purse. This purse would be an excellent choice as a little purse for a little girl, or if you had one painted by our painter in a more mature pattern, you could use it yourself as a coin purse! When we asked our in house stitcher to stitch one of these as an example, we were all enthralled with the result! As you can see, this pattern is adorable, and the finishing just makes it perfect! Whether you choose to have a chain or not, this tiny little purse is wonderful. We have about seven coin purses design in stock right now, and they each have different patterns. One of them is this bubblegum pink one, which is extra adorable with its little hearts!

Another great option, which would be for a more experienced and adventurous stitcher, would be this lovely vintage inspired purse. It is very pretty! One side, shown here, has this charming blue flower. The other side of the purse has a sweet butterfly! This canvas, from Sew Much Fun, has a stitch guide which you can also purchase, which gives you great ideas on different stitches and threads you can use to really make this purse shine!

If you like clutches, this beautiful floral clutch is a great choice! I think the contrast of the black background, which makes this clutch be a perfect choice for a more formal bag, really makes the saturated pinks, reds, and greens really pop. Here is a picture of a similar pattern in this same style, finished. It really comes out to be a stunning bag when it's all stitched and sewn. Like most other bags, this one would be a fun one to experiment with different fibers to really make it unique. A little sparkly and/or shiny thread would go a long way to make this bag even more stunning!

All of these bags are fun and have differences which make each one special in their own way. Whether you want a little purse for a child, or you want a casual or really fancy bag, you can definitely find one! These help combine your love for purses with needlepoint!

Quick Projects Part Two

2011-05-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

This is the second half of our earlier post about accessories and quick projects. Like I mentioned previously some of my favorite projects are ones that I can use in a day to day basis.

A Kindle Cover is a very good example of a project where you would stitch an insert that can be interchanged depending on your mood! This Kindle cover is a nice neutral color, and depending on your mood, gender or
personal taste, you can really do anything! A great insert that would fit in this book cover would be this geometric print to the right. It is in the BD style by Colonial Needle. If you look through Colonial Needle's canvases on our websites, you can check the item descriptions and double check that a particular insert fits your book cover. This e-book cover is by Lee and also comes in a few other colors.

A pretty little kit that comes almost complete is this coin purse. The design is lovely, and although it does not come with threads, the backing fabric is micro- suede, which makes up for it! Many of the threads we've received in the last couple months would look excellent in this kit. The different lines from Rainbow Gallery that we've received, including Petite Peluce and Neon Rays Plus would look beautiful. The silks also have many different gorgeous colors and would make this coin purse really special. Princely Collections is the designer, and we carry more of these coin purses as well as eye glass cases, scissor cases, and more from them. They are all unique and high quality!

Another great example of a quick project would be an insert for a credit card holder. These credit card holders by Colonial Needle are really nicely constructed, and the coordinating inserts are really great. A great insert, that would be perfect for either male or females, is this golf themed canvas. There aren't that many colors, which makes it a cinch to pick colors for, and would also be a quick stitch. All of the inserts that Lee by Colonial Needle produces are really classy and fit many different
people's tastes. Your likely to find something for anyone!

Of course, like mentioned in the previous post, if you don't find an insert that you absolutely love, you can always have one custom made by our painter! I hope these posts have shown you some of the great smaller projects we have available and have stirred your interest! If you have any questions about any of the products mentioned, don't hesitate to get in touch! We'll be happy to help!

Accessories and Fun Quick Projects

2011-05-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

I think some of the most fun projects are the ones that are the smallest and least time consuming. While completing a big piece gives me satisfaction, I think finishing a little project, which can even be used on a daily basis, is great! We carry a lot of different accessories which you can stitch inserts for, but Colonial Needle's Lee line really has the most variety of styles and types. There's something for everyone!

A great small project that you can use after it's finished is an ID/Luggage tag.
I love that these tags are so colorful, and you can interchange the insert if you want to, depending on your mood, or even where you're going! This bright yellow luggage tag is one of my favorites in the line. You certainly wouldn't ever mistake your suitcase for someone else's again in an airport! Also, it looks so stylish, with the animal skin print and the eye-catching color. A perfect insert for this tag would be this monogrammed canvas, which comes in every letter, so it's perfect for personalizing your own luggage tag! You can see this and the other Monogramed canvases on our website. These luggage tags fit the "BJ" canvases in the Lee line. You can double check whether a canvas will fit or not on our website in the product description. All of the Lee inserts should have an indication of the style and the corresponding bags will also indicate in their description which canvases to use.

Another project that is a lot of fun are the mini leather gift boxes. They all come in fun, bright colors and also correspond with "BJ" canvases. This piece is a project a customer recently brought in to have finished into the gift box. I love it! The color choices are perfect, and the stitches and beads just really add so much dimension and really make this piece extra quirky and fun. This customer chose the red gift box, which goes perfectly with her color scheme, but this lime green box is really eye catching as well. A great choice for an insert would be this Lotus flower print. It has some beautiful vibrant colors, and the bright green of the gift box would really bring them out and highlight them. By using special stitches and fibers, you can really make a canvas pop. For a gift box, I think that's even more impressive and would really leave a lasting impression on anybody you were giving the box to!

A charming little item we just received is this little heart shaped music box by Amanda Lawford. When the box opens, it plays a dainty little song, and would be a lovely gift. A canvas we received that fits this box perfectly is of a pretty little butterfly, also in a heart shape. This would be fun to stitch and would be a perfect canvas to try out some of the new fibers we've
received in the last couple months. We got some beautiful silks and metallic fibers which would really make this butterfly shine in this little box. This would be a special gift for any little girl.

All of these projects are great little projects that would be a fun diversion from a large piece. Of course they're great regardless of their size just because they'll be great pieces for gifts or as decorations and accessories! If you check out our website and can't find an insert that you love, you can always have our painter, Jim, do a custom piece specially for you.

Keep an eye on our blog for future posts about fun smaller projects and inserts!

Crewel

2011-04-30T15:12:00.007-04:00

Crewel work is an ancient form of embroidery, dating back 1000 years. It is a decorative form of surface embroidery which employs a large variety of stitches to bring a design to life. You can do crewel work on fabrics like linen, cotton, and even silk, rayon or velvet, so this form of needlework is very diverse! Crewel is also diverse because depending on what you like to stitch, and your personal style, you can stitch almost anything using crewel embroidery! If you have a basic knowledge of embroidery stitches, you'll find crewel to be quite similar! This is because Crewel uses stitches such as stem, chain, split, satin, couched, and seed stitches as well as french knots. You can use Crewel embroidery to decorate cushions, curtains, clothing, wall hangings, and more! The pillow shown above is a vintage Bucilla Crewel kit.

This Crewel Owl uses wool like Appleton, and looks like so much fun! This pattern reminds me of vintage owl designs. It would look great in a child's room, or if you have a quirky style yourself, as a pillow in your house! The great thing with Crewel is that you can use many different stitches and really determine how you want the finished product to look. With a pattern like this owl, you would be able to really use your creativity and make a really fun piece!
A more traditional option would be something like this floral canvas found at Purlsoho. It resembles a Jacobean design and is very pretty. This would make a great pillow or cushion and I see a lot of room to really make it your own as far as stitches go. Depending on the threads you used, whether it was Appleton, Vineyard Silks, Impressions, or other vibrant threads, the colors would really stand out as well. Beautiful!

Crewel, like all types of needlework, has really come a long way. There are books dedicated to Contemporary Crewel patterns, and if you like more abstract modern patterns, you can definitely use Crewel! This work in progress by the creator of Wooly Fabulous, a great Etsy shop, is beautiful. The color choices are so vibrant, and the shapes are really eye-catching as well.

If you're interested in learning Crewel, you are in luck! We are working on developing a Crewel class and hope to have one set up soon! If you would like to be on a wait list, please don't hesitate to contact us at the shop, and we'll put your name down and will contact you when we have a date set and have more information! This is a really fun type of needlework and really has a lot of room for customization, especially if you like to make projects your own and put your own touch on them!

Thread Tasting

2011-04-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

In the past month we've bought so many new fibers, and since it's been a while since we've had one, we thought it's the perfect time for another thread tasting! If you've never been to one (or even heard of it!) it's similar to a wine tasting, except you don't taste the actually taste the fibers! We'll be giving you a goody bag with samples of each of the fibers, as well as a canvas, upon which we will show you how to use these threads and teach you how they would be best used! As with all of our classes, there will also be beverages and snacks served.

Some of the new fibers we have already received are: River Silks 7mm, Burmilana, Waterlilies, Weeks Dye Works Sample Threads (these are beautiful cotton overdyed pearl threads), Pebbly Perle, Neon Rays Plus, Rainbow Tweed, Trebizond, Accentuate, Petite and Regular sized Peluche!

AND, we have more fibers still to come! These include: Silk Serica, Silk Mori, Gloriana (both overdye ribbon and lorikeet wool)!

The class will feature a good selection of these new fibers, and will be an excellent way to see the shop, all the new fibers, and learn how to use them! The class will be held twice, so if you can't make one date, you'll have another chance! The class will be held Thursday May 19th 5:30 - 7:00 and June 4th 3:00 - 4:30. Reservation and prepayment is required. The class will be $20. If you are interested, don't hesitate to come into the store or call us at 215-563-4566. We'll be happy to help!

Summer Projects

2011-04-16T14:33:00.010-04:00

Despite what the weather has been showing us here in Philadelphia, summer is right around the corner! If your winter projects are finished or just finished (or maybe you're just looking for a new project!), I thought I would compile a selection of canvases that would be perfect for the summer.

A good choice for beginners would be a key fob. We just got a selection of great key fobs that come with a piece of canvas to stitch, a matching ribbon for the backing, and the hardware! Plus, they're so easy to assemble that you could finish them yourself! This watermelon pattern is one of the key fobs available. It's 18m, and is really
sweet. We also got leather keychains, which have a small opening to insert your own design. You can customize it to fit your tastes, so whether you like something like a monogram, or a small design, you can do anything!

A fun idea for an intermediate stitcher would be this canvas, of a lobster dinner picnic! This would be good for an intermediate stitcher because it's stitch painted and on 13m, which is a good size mesh for people still learning. I like the combination of vegetables and pattern that really scream "summer." This canvas would be a lot of fun to stitch and would also look great as a pillow or framed once it's finished.

We have a lot of great canvases, so it was hard to choose one that would be great for a more advanced or adventurous stitcher, but I came up with a few that I think you'll like! This canvas, of a watermelon patch with black birds and a flag is a great folkart themed canvas. I surely love watermelon, and this landscape really reminds me of summer days in the country! Another canvas that would be perfect for a more advanced stitcher would be this harbor scene. I like the warm light that really evokes a "summer" feeling. It makes me want to go to Maine and see the ocean!

A different way to approach a summer project is to start a project for Christmas! This way you know you will definitely have time to finish stitching it and get it finished in time for the actual holiday! There are some really adorable ornaments by Ruth Schmuff that I just love. She has a whole series of "Santa's workshop" themed canvases. We have an ornament for Santa, Mrs. Claus, a cute dancing Elf, and more! Some of these come with stitch guides too, which is very helpful! This Shelly Tribbey ornament of a boy skating is really adorable and would be a great project to work on while you're at the shore or on vacation. Plus, when Christmas comes back around, you'll have an ornament all set to hang!

If you've been wanting to start a large Christmas stocking, this would be the perfect time to start one. We have just received a lot of new fibers, and many of them would look wonderful in a Christmas stocking! They would really bring it life and give it a lot
of originality. This stocking, called Winter Scene by Alice Peterson is just gorgeous. I love classic traditional scenes, especially for Christmas. It's a great stocking that can really age well, so if you intend to stitch it for someone in their teens, they would be able to grow with this stocking and use it for years to come!

One last idea for a summer project is working on a three dimensional project. These projects are great for the summer because if you tend to go away for the weekend often, you can easily bring a piece of the project and work on it in the car or on the beach! We have a lot of great 3D canvases, some of which I've mentioned in a previous post about 3D canvases.
This canvas, called "Mary Mouse" by Sew Much Fun is simply darling, and would be great for travelling because there are multiple pieces, and they're all small enough to be easily manageable on car and weekend trips!

All of these canvases are in stock, but we have many more available in the shop too! If you want to start a summer project, come on in and we can help you find one!

Needlepoint Belt Buckles

2011-04-07T10:06:00.005-04:00

We all know that needlepoint belts are a fun way to spruce up an outfit and really make your ensemble unique. What you may not know is that belt buckles are just as fun! A good thing about choosing a belt buckle as a project is that it is a lot less of a commitment in time than a belt. They're usually not as detailed, so they're good projects for a confident beginner as well! Mandy and I are going to be doing belt buckles that we will be wearing periodically in the store, and personally, I'm excited to get started! With so many options though, it can be a little overwhelming, but that's also the plus of doing a belt buckle. Who says you can't make multiple buckles and wear one for each outfit? If you can't decide which one you'd like to do, they're so economical that you can do more than one and still feel good. :) Another great thing about making a belt buckle is that they're unisex.

We have a wide variety of different patterns, and I think there's one for everybody. We have some great canvases by Unique Designs that are relatively simple to stitch and have eye-catching bright colors that would bring a pop to your outfit. The buckle to the right is a great example of a fun floral piece that would really be eye-catching! We also have a fun leopard print buckle, which you can see below. This one would be a lot of fun to stitch and would be a sharp addition to your wardrobe.

For men, a classic stripe pattern like the one below could be a good choice. The great thing about these canvases is that they are customizable. If you like the pattern but would like slightly different colors, you can modify the canvas to suit your tastes!

Our painter, Jim, has also painted a number of designs and like always can certainly paint you something unique. The owl to the left is a fun choice that he painted, as well as the Cherry Blossom Buckle, which is delicate and beautiful.

Now is a great time to come in and look into picking out a buckle for yourself because we're having a sale on them! When you purchase a pre-painted canvas and buckle, you get 25% off!

I'll keep you posted on how Mandy and I do with ours. Hopefully we'll see you soon, and you can do a fun buckle too!

Basketweave

2011-03-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Basketweave is one of the two most basic needlepoint stitches. We always recommend our beginners to start with the Continental stitch, and Basketweave is the next step. Unlike Continental stitch, which is stitched on a horizontal row, Basketweave is stitched diagonally. Check out the diagram on the right, which shows exactly how to stitch in Basketweave.

Basketweave is a good stitch to use when you are filling in large areas of space. It is a good strong stitch because it creates a woven pattern, hence the name "basketweave", on the back of the canvas, which gives the canvas durability and ensures your canvas will be strong. Although most canvases need to be blocked after stitching is completed because distortion happens with stitching, Basketweave distorts the canvas less than other stitches. This is another plus to using this key stitch. The picture to the left shows what the stitches look like when they are stitched.

If you are interested in learning this stitch and would like to join us in our bi-weekly class. This class happens on saturdays from 4:30-5:30 pm. It costs $5 and includes canvas, thread, instruction, conversation and beverage! The next class on this important stitch is on March 26th. If you would like to learn the Continental stitch, which we recommend as your first stitch, you can come to our weekly free beginners class! These happen every saturday at 10 am sharp and include canvas, thread, and instruction! We hope to see you soon!

Stumpwork

2011-03-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

Stumpwork is a raised style of embroidery where the figures, whether floral, fauna, person, etc. are raised from the piece to create a 3D effect. The figures can be created using an armature, of wire or padding and then fastened to the embroidery. Traditionally stumpwork was found on boxes, cabinets, mirrors, and small bags. It was also popular to decorate book covers with stumpwork, incorporating other elements such as beading, jewels, pearls, and other embroidery forms to create unique covers.

Much of the stumpwork I have seen has been used for decorating flat embroidery. The piece on the right is actually an old kit by DMC, stitched by Elizabeth Braun and shown on her blog Sew in Love. You can check out her blog by following the link. Her work is very pretty and is a great example of stumpwork. The kit is no longer in production, but it shows how you can use special stitches along with stumpwork to create a really nice piece. The fact that this is a DMC kit also shows that it would be easily accessible to stumpwork beginners.

The piece below on the right stitched by Kay Dennis is a perfect example of how you can use molds and create not just puffed pieces but 3D elements, such as an acorn. This piece is just fabulous. I love all the colors and all of the different stitching techniques. The wings are pefect with their delicate stitching, and I love the little mini acorns and leaves. This piece would look great on the wall, framed. In my search for different examples of stumpwork, I've come across a lot of really great embroidered fairies, and they are all technically very good and look like they'd be a lot of fun to stitch. If you check out her website, and see another fairie on the left by her, you'll be able to see that Kay has done a lot of really fun fairies. From the variety it's easy to see that these are easily customizable, and it would be quite easy to make your own.

And, to show you that you can do anything if you have an idea, here's a Stumpwork portrait of Lady Gaga. Follow the link to see the artist's other stitching projects.

We have a Beginners Stumpwork class coming up. It's scheduled for April 16th. The minimum signup is 4 people, and the max is 8. It's $10 and includes linen, fiber, instruction, beverage (we have lots of teas and coffee!), and conversation! To assure your spot in this class, you must RSVP and prepay. Hopefully if any of these projects pique
your interest you'll give us a call or come in to the store and assure your spot in this fun class!

Summer time!

2011-03-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

We can tell by the slightly warmer weather that summer is well on its way. If you were thinking about stitching something for the summer, now is the time to start! There are so many canvases that really exude the warmth and pleasure that summer brings that it's hard to choose just a few, but I thought I'd show you some we have.

Last summer we had a trunk show by Sandra Gilmore for Fleur de Paris. She had a lot of really gorgeous canvases, but her summer ones were breathtaking. They had such vibrant colors and a lot of really great details that it was obvious that these would not only look fabulous when they were stitched but would be a lot of fun to do. The canvas on the right features a villa with a field of lavender in what looks like Tuscany. This canvas is simply gorgeous! It would look gorgeous with silks and wools. I can invision this canvas becoming even more pretty with the addition of different fibers and using blending.

Another designer that does really beautiful landscapes, especially summer scenes, is Alice Peterson. The canvas Beach Cottage, seen to the left, is beautiful. For the more adventurous stitcher, using varigated threads and/or mixing fibers would really create great effects with the sky and water. Watercolors by the Caron Collection, is a great fiber and includes a lot of really beautiful varigated colors. These are made to really highlight the water and sky.

If you're interested in stitching a belt, which can be worn during the summer months, we definitely have a lot of those. Jane Nichols, whose trunk show we just had in store, has a lot of fun belts. This ice cream cone themed belt is so much fun and would really be fun to wear! The only downside would be that whenever you looked at it, you'd crave some ice cream!

For a beginner, the coaster on the right would be a lot of fun to stitch. It's catchy and the colors are a lot of fun.

Summer is a great season to embrace the warm weather, and these canvases really embody the fun spirit that summer brings.

Blackwork

2011-03-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Blackwork embroidery is a traditional form of embroidery. Any black thread can be used, but it's been found that tightly twisted threads have better results than embroidery floss. Blackwork is usually stitched in silk thread on cream or white cotton. Metallics or colored threads can be used as accents.

When beginning to learn blackwork, one technique to start your piece is to put in the outline first. This is not necessary, but it gives you a guideline to work to so you will know where to put your stitched patterns. You can use a back stitch, a running stitch, a whipped stitch, or a running back corner to stitch the outlines. To the right you can see a diagram of these stitches. If you are starting with an outline, you want to use 2 strands of floss for that and use 1 strand for the fill pattern.

Before starting your fill stitches, it's important to take the time to really look at them and understand how they will be stitched. This helps keep the piece from becoming confusing and muddled. This also helps plan where you're going to start the different stitches so you'll be able to know which stitch would be better to do first, second, and so on.

On the left, you can see a chart of a pretty blackwork fill pattern. This would make into a very pretty blackwork pattern. Another possible pattern is shown on the right. Both of these would look beautiful.

A good way to use Blackwork in your stitching is for representing walls/buildings, tile/paving and baskets/weaving. Consider a floral/plant themed motif as a background pattern for designs featuring plants and flowers. The piece below is by DMC and incorporates a modern twist on blackwork. This image was found at The Making Spot. The flowers are really beautiful, and the blackwork really helps capture their delicate beauty.
Also, check out this fun blackwork fish featured at the top. The artist improvised for this piece and created it using patterns of her choice. It's a lot of fun and shows that with a little planning, you can create some really fun pieces!

Some information in this blog was found on the following websites: Needle N Thread, and Needlwork Tips and Techniques. Check them out for additional information about blackwork! If you'd like to take a class on blackwork, we can also schedule a private lesson with one of our instructors. This will give you one on one experience and will help you get started learning to stitch with this fabulous technique!

Paris

2011-03-05T12:32:00.010-05:00

The upcoming Flower Show's theme is Paris. Paris is definitely an inspiring city, and a lot has come out of it. Needlepoint certainly has a lot of Parisian products, including canvases and accessories.

This fall we had a trunk show by Alice Peterson. She has so many great canvases, but her landscapes and village scenes were really impressive and looked like they would be a lot of fun to stitch. A few of them were set in Paris. The canvas on the right is called French Chef, and it's simply adorable! I love the details and the setting in general. It's a really warm canvas, and would be perfect in a kitchen or dining room.

Another set of Parisian themed products we carry that are actually French are sets of scissors by Sajou. The pair of Eiffel Tower Scissors below are of great quality, and the tassel is so charming! These would be a great addition to a personal stash of sewing supplies, but would also be a great gift for a fan of France and Paris.

For the cross-stitcher, we have a bunch of charts by the French company Reflets de Soie. The sampler below is designed by Ann Mitchell. It's so beautiful, and is a great traditional sampler. It is about 8 x 9, and is designed for 40 count cross-stitch fabric.

DMC released a number of little booklets called the "Blibliotheque D.M.C." The one titled Point De Marque has great patterns charted out, ranging from geometric patterns, to fonts, to pictures. This image of a suite of cards is particularly fun and would make a really cute stitched piece.

To stitch, we have the entire line of Soie Dalger 100% silk embroidery floss. This line of french silk has so many fabulous colors that no matter what you were going to stitch, you would be sure to have fabulous dynamic colors.

These are only a few of the French products in our store, but it's not hard to see why the Flower Show would have such a great theme. There's so much to draw on in French culture for all of the arts, whether it's flower arranging, painting, sculpture, writing, OR Needlepoint!

And, in the words of Mr. Bogart, "We'll Always Have Paris."

Flower Show 2011

2011-02-26T16:15:00.008-05:00

The annual Philadelphia Flower Show is coming up soon! It's being held March 6th through the 13th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 12th & Arch. This year's theme is Springtime in Paris. We love flowers, both fresh and needlepointed, and definitely love Paris too! In honor of the flower show and spring being around the corner, I thought I'd show you some great floral needlepoint canvases that we have in stock right now.

There are so many amazing floral needlepoint canvases that it's very difficult to find just one that would be a beautiful addition to your home. The good thing is that there are different types of canvases for beginners, intermediate, and advanced stitchers.

The key to finding a good beginner's canvas is to find one that has a large mesh size, which makes it easier to see where your stitches are going. Colonial Needle recently bought the company Lee. Lee has a lot of really fun canvases, as you may remember if you saw their trunk show in shop in November. They carry a few beautiful flower canvases that are perfect for beginners. The Iris canvas on the left, which is painted on 12 mesh, is a perfect choice for a beginner. It's stitch painted, which makes stitching very easy. You don't have to decide where to begin shading, as each shade is already painted. Also, the canvas is just gorgeous. It would make a very nice pillow once it was stitched and finished. The tulip above is also by Colonial Needle and is also great for beginners.

At the Intermediate level, you'll be able to start doing a little more shading and dealing with smaller mesh sizes, such as 18 mesh. By this point, you'll be able to work with a lot more detail as well, which means your pieces can be much more intricate. This red and white orchid piece would be an excellent choice for an intermediate project. It's still on 13 mesh, but there's quite a bit more detail involved. Orchids are lovely flowers, and this piece would look gorgeous finished.
The Geranium bush by Sandra Gilmore on the left would also be a good intermediate canvas. There's definitely a lot more detail, and you get to start working with shading and patterns. This is done on 18 mesh. Both of these canvases are starting to deal with shading and patterns.

As an advanced stitcher, you should be comfortable with shading and patterns and also with doing lots of detail. The Orange Hibiscus on the right is an
excellent example of a canvas that an advanced stitcher would feel comfortable with. Although it's not stitch painted, you have the opportunity to decide where you want the shading to begin, and also get the opportunity of blending fibers. This would help create seamless shading and make this flower look as realistic stitched as it does painted. This piece is gorgeous, and I think it would look very pretty framed or as a pillow. It's made by HP Designs.

All of these canvases are beautiful, and whether you're a beginner or advanced stitcher, you're sure to find something you would love to stitch. If you have any questions about any of these canvases or would like to come in and see the other canvases we have (we definitely have a lot!) feel free to get in touch! We look forward to seeing you in the store!

Portraits in Needlepoint

2011-02-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've seen a lot of different needlepoint canvases of people. There are some simple portraits, and then there are some very detailed portraits. Certainly doing people in needlepoint would be time consuming, but I think the results are worth the time. They are beautiful canvases.

One of the type of needlepoint portrait that I've seen is a reproduction of a master painting. There are definitely a lot of canvases available of paintings from artists like Vermeer, Picasso,
Matisse, Degas, and Renoir. The work in progress on the right by Robyne Melia looks like it's being copied from a Ingres painting. What's amazing about this person is that they are free-stitching it. She didn't draw in the different colors and where they were going to place them. She is deciding as she goes. It looks like it's going to be very impressive! I'm definitely already impressed, and it's only about 1/3 of the way finished!

The painting below is a painted canvas by Barbara Russell. We love it! Not only is the portrait fabulous, but with all of the fun colors and shapes, you really
could do a lot of different fun stitches and practice using fun fibers as well!

Another technique of using needlepoint for a portrait can be seen in the following canvas. The artist, Megan Morman, uses saturated colors and a pop art kind of feel to paint her subjects. The colors are not usually naturalistic. A lot of her pieces look like snapshots that had the colors modified. I like how detailed she got in her pieces, yet they still keep a very individualistic aspect. The way she has shaded them looks painterly. Like I have mentioned in other posts, needlepoint and needle arts have been around forever, but they are still respected and often used as art forms in contemporary art shown in galleries. Ms. Morman's work has been shown in galleries. You can view it and other pictures of hers on her Flickr page.

There are a lot of artists that people find inspiring. It seems almost natural to want to have a piece of your favorite artist's work on your wall. However, you may not be able to afford to buy an original, or even a print, or maybe you just want to make one of their images your own. The artist below, MeroSmero, really liked the art of Piero Fornasetti and decided to do a needlepoint of one of his images. I like that she took an image that was inspired by a classical portrait, that had then been modified and made humorous, and made it her own by translating it into needlepoint, which is a traditonal art form, much like the painting had originally been. It's kind of funny when you think how art is inpsired by traditional art forms as well as contemporary. If you'd like to see other work she has done, you can visit her page on Flickr.

If you would like to try a portrait for your next project, we certainly have many canvases ready made that have people as their subjects. However Jim, our custom painter, can take one of your photos and make a custom piece just for you! The photo on the right is his version of the famous Obama poster. Whether you want something graphic or something very naturalistic and detailed, he would be able to help you.

Portraits are very personal and can really help show someone's true self. Doing a needlepoint portrait would be a great way to personalize a portrait and make it unique.

Custom Painting

2011-02-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

There are so many different canvases available to needlepointers, but sometimes, you want to create something a little more unique, something catered to your specific interests. Here at Rittenhouse Needlepoint, we have a custom painter for exactly that situation, when you want something a little different, something personal.

Jim, our painter, has been here since we opened and has helped many customers create wonderful needlepoint projects. He graduated from Uarts in 2005 with an Illustration degree. As an already talented artist, he used his education as well as the training he received from a renowned needlepoint painter, to learn how to cater to needlepoint and create exquisite stitch-painted and painted canvases.

One of his most recent projects is for the Academy of Vocal Arts. They are having an auction event spotlighting Argentinian Music, and we are donating a stitched pillow for the auction. The canvas design centers around the Argentinian Tango and references traditional Argentinian musical instruments and colors that reflect the heat and energy that is used for the Tango and Argentinian music in general. This piece will go to Patsy, our stitcher, and will be stitched. After that, our in-house finishers will be finishing it into a gorgeous pillow for the auction. This is the 2nd custom piece we have done for the AVA. Our first was a pillow for the Scarlet Letter, an Opera the AVA hosted this fall. They loved it, and when the auction was held, it sold!

Besides doing custom projects for customers, Jim is also in charge of creating projects specifically for Rittenhouse Needlepoint. He has created wonderful canvases referencing Love Park, the Art Museum, Boat House Row on the Schuylkill River, sports themed canvases for teams such as the Eagles, the Phillies, the Flyers, and more. The wall below shows some of his masters, which are displayed in his office and painting room. It's fun to look at them and see what he's been up to and what kind of canvases you can have created for yourself!

If you would like more information about custom painting, or would like to speak to Jim about a project for yourself, feel free to email him at Jim@rittenhouseneedlepoint.com. As you can see from some of the pieces shown here, he is very talented and is able to create many different projects, from stitch painted canvases to charts for cross stitch.

Classes

2011-02-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here at Rittenhouse Needlepoint, we love to give classes on Needlepoint and stitching. Our most common and frequent classes are: the Free beginner's class every Saturday morning at 10 am, and the $5 Stitch of the Week class, which directly follows the beginner's class, at 11 am every Saturday. We also always offer the option of having a private lesson with one of our teachers on the subject of your choice, whether it is learning to needlepoint, learning new stitches, learning how to use different stitches in a piece you're currently working on, or other types of stitching, such as embroidery, cross-stitch, stump-work, ribbon embroidery, and etc. These classes are all $20 for every half hour.

The Stitch of the week class is a great way to come and learn an entirely new stitch every week for only $5! Not only do you learn a new stitch, but you get to enjoy the friendly atmosphere that comes along with being taught in a small group of needlepoint lovers. :) We always offer tea and/or coffee to our customers to encourage relaxation (although the stitching is enough to relax most anybody by itself!). As you can see to the right, Mindy, our Stitch of the week teacher, is teaching a student a fun new stitch. You get a piece of canvas, thread, a print-out, and instruction and a patient and friendly teacher to teach you what you need to know to master the new stitch.

One of the fun group classes we offered was a class on how to make a Temari ball. It is a traditional Japanese ball that is wrapped with beautiful colored string and given traditionally at New Years. We recently made them for a charity auction and after customers exclaimed that they too would like to make one, we gladly offered a class! As you can see, Wendy, our store manager, taught the class, and the results looked fabulous!

These balls were so easy to get a hang of, and really looked beautiful once they were stitched up. Another great thing about them was that you could use pretty much any fiber. It really didn't work with slippery threads, but cottons, silks, and wools looked great, and for an extra splash of excitement, we added Kreinik to them as well! It was a great way to use up some of the skeins of thread we had in our stashes!

If you're interested in coming in for the beginner's class, stitch of the week, or are interested in learning more about a private class or the classes we have on schedule you can come into the store and we'll be glad to tell you all about them! You can also check out the calendar on our website. You don't need to make an appointment for the beginners and stitch of the week classes, so just as long as you come at exactly 10 (for the beginners class) or 11 (for the s.o.w. class), on saturdays, you'll be able to enjoy the experience too!

Needlework in Contemporary Art

2011-02-14T13:18:00.011-05:00

This weekend I made a trip to NYC and went Gallery hopping in Chelsea. Among the many galleries I visited, I made a point of visiting Jenkins Johnson Gallery. There's a show up called Girls Girls Girls, and it centers around art on just that topic: girls! There were a few pieces in that show that involved needlework, and I thought I would share them with you.

One piece is called "Pink Cloud" and it is by the artist Maggy Rozycki Hiltner. It is 5 x 13 feet and is featured right at the entrance of the gallery. It uses embroidery and hand stitching on found textiles. The subject matter is mostly little girls with lots of pinks and reds. At first glance, it looks very sweet, especially when you note that the little girls are eating ice cream cones and desserts. However, upon a closer inspection, there was a more adult feeling. There were little girls who were biting the little boys, as if they were testing out things they had seen or heard about from adults. This brings to mind the typical way that children learn about sexuality and go from young adults to adults. The following statement from the artist's website sums it up quite well. "I grew up a tomboy. Upon adolescence, I approached my newfound femininity and sexuality with this sporty gusto. Relationships, hairdos, food, sex- everything was a game, a contest, something to push on.
This piece was created to evoke the overwhelmingly sweet smell of icing at a party or perhaps a flower shop on a hot day. Everything seems all right at first, upon closer inspection my girls act out the consequences of overindulgence."

Maggy also has another set of pieces in the show. They are done in latch hook. These are more blatantly humorous than the larger piece. The three rugs center around pixie-like little girls. Each one is in one color, with the girl drawn with white. The juxtaposition of the innocent girls
with the candy-like colors and the "titles" underneath each girl makes you reconsider the meaning behind the pieces. The colors themselves are too bright and harsh to view the girls as really pure, but with a title like "liar" or "princess", you're given a description of these girls' personalities and reconsider who they are.

Maggy's work seems to focus on social commentary and feminine issues. If you check out her website, you can see more of her work, which all incorporates stitching on a large scale. This piece, which is not shown at Jenkins Johnson, but I think is interesting is called "Strawberry Girls."

This exhibition was another example of how stitching and needlework is still very much alive and is being used in many ways, even in art that's shown in galleries in New York City!

Cross-stitch

2011-02-05T14:46:00.015-05:00

Cross stitch is a very popular stitching pastime. It's similar to needlepoint except that the stitches are all "x's." Coming up we have a great class with Mindy, our resident cross-stitcher. This class is for beginners. You'll be stitching an adorable cat and dog. They're simple and very cute, the perfect project for a beginner.

The cross stitch on the right is a very adorable message piece by Penelope Waits. Because it's in one color it would be a very good choice for a beginner, and the added benefit is that it's also very cute! It would finish into a nice framed piece or pillow.

Another example of what a cross-stitched piece could look like is the piece to the left. It incorporates the old-fashioned practice of painted silhouette portraits, except this is a cross-stitch silhouette! Because this is also only one color, it would be another excellent choice for a beginning cross-stitcher. This canvas is from the online store What Delilah Did however if you were interested in creating one of these silhouette portraits for yourself, of yourself or someone you know, our custom painter Jim can create charts, and would be able to use a photo you supply to do one for you!

For those of you who have cross-stitched before and yearn for something a little more detailed, something like the piece to the right (stitched by Becky) would be a great choice. The primitive style of design used in this piece reminds me of samplers, one of the most common cross-stitch pattern types. This piece, as you can see is an excellent small pillow. It would be great as an accent on your couch or mantel. Once again, there are many patterns similar to this available on the market, but ify ou have an idea for one that you would like to create, Jim would be able to create a chart for you and either he or our staff would be able to help you choose colors so that your piece would be the best it can be.

If you really want to challenge yourself, take a look at the piece below. This is a replica of a print called "A Young Hare" by Albrecht Durer. The chart is sold by The Scarlet Quince. As you can see under the magnifying glass, this isn't just a trick of the eye. This is actually cross-stitched! It's amazing how much detail you can get. Using this much detail would be a great way to transform your favorite master painting into a finished cross-stitch.

The beginners cross stitch class is $10 and will be held Saturday, February 19th from 3:30-4:30. The fee will include the materials and instruction. We hope you'll be able to make it and take advantage of this wonderful beginners class!

Ribbon Embroidery Class

2011-01-29T13:22:00.006-05:00

Ribbon embroidery is a beautiful style of stitching that is used to embellish so many things, from a needlepoint or cross stitch canvas to clothing, bags, pillow cases, sheets, etc. I have done ribbon embroidery before to embellish a skirt, but as I was researching for this post and to announce our upcoming class on the subject, I realized just how many different ways you can use ribbon embroidery!

Embroidering clothing is a great way to add some individuality to your wardrobe. This corset, available to purchase at Lara's Corsets and Gowns, which has a lovely floral embroidered motif, is an example of that. It's not a garment that everyone can see, but just the knowledge that you've embroidered something like that is pretty special and gives it a romantic touch.

Custom

embellished bags have been popular for years. Here at Rittenhouse Needlepoint, we sell a lot of canvases for bags and see many coming in for finishing. It's a beautiful way to create your own purse and have something unique in your wardrobe. Back in the 1950s embroid

ered straw bags were very popular. This darling little shown at Nancy's Quilt Shop is a grea example of that. The delicate flowers embroidered around the edges add such a lovely quality to the bag!

Pillows, of course, are one of the most popular choices for

finishing a needlepoint, and it is no surprise that using Ribbon embroidery on a pillow makes a

beautiful piece! This pillow, shown on the artist's Flickr page, is beautiful. The ribbons really create an amazing three dimensional quality that really brings the flowers to life.

We have a beginners Ribbon embroidery class scheduled for March 12th. The price for the class and supplies is TBA. If you are interested in signing up for this class or would like some more information about it, don't hesitate to give us a call at the store or come in!

Valentines Day!

2011-01-27T13:35:00.008-05:00

Valentine's Day is swiftly approaching, and if you were thinking about making something for your sweetie, we have a couple ideas for you!

We recently received some clear heart paperweights which you can insert a stitched needlepoint into. We had Jim, our custom painter, paint a few that would be perfect for your loved one. They're in the theme of heart candies, with phrases like 'Kiss Me' and 'Be Mine.' The set, which includes the canvas and the paperweight is just $40, and since there's only 2 colors, they'll be so quick to stitch up! Also, to make these an even better deal and great idea for a gift that can continue to be modified (the canvases don't have to be applied permanently to the paperweight. You can interchange the canvas as the season or your mood passes), there's no finishing costs! Just stitch and insert the finished canvas into the paperweight, and you're ready to give it as a gift!

Another of our fantastic pieces by Jim is the Love Sign, shown on the right, a Philadelphia monument! This canvas is 13m and 7 x 7. It's $49.95. This finishes up into a fabulous pillow or framed piece. For a smaller simplified version of this, which would finish into a great ornament, framed art, or pillow, we have the smaller love canvases. You can buy one by itself, which just includes the canvas and a needle, for $21 or you can get the kit which includes the canvas, a needle, yarn and a set of directions, all for $28! These would be really quick stitching projects, and as mentioned before, finish into lovely pieces for display.

Another idea, would be one of our customizable flasks. You can buy the flask by itself for $65 and then buy a canvas to fit inside. All of the round canvases by Lee & Colonial Needle which are made for their luggage tags, fit into these fabulous and attractive flasks. If you want to buy everything together, you can buy a kit. The kit includes the flask and the canvas for $69.95. We have 4 kits in stock, with images of a martini glass, the classic burberry plaid, a pink variation of the burberry plaid, and a charming polka dot option. The thread is not included in these kits, although we are always eager to help you choose appropriate threads if you need some suggestions!

If you were thinking that this year would be a great year to give your date a handmade gift, we can definitely help you out! Come in and see what we have. If your Valentine is a needlepointer themselves, you can also give a gift certificate to our store!

We look forward to seeing you in the store!

Joetta Maue

2011-01-22T14:27:00.010-05:00

On my search for interesting contemporary Needlepointers and stitchers, I came across Joetta Maue. She's a young artist based out of Brooklyn who incorporates her love for photography, drawing, and stitching into fascinating and delicate works of art. Although our shop is primarily for needlepoint, I think she's relevant because she's using stitching and thinking about it in a contemporary context. It's always helpful to look at something different to refresh your own creativity, hence featuring her in our blog.

The following is a segment from her arist statement, which you can view by following the link attached to the title of this blog.

"I use my daily life as the main subject of my work with the idea of the work being honest, even painfully so, coming from my desire to be true to my emotions, insecurities, strengths, and intelligence without fear of ridicule or censure from a patriarchal society. By making work that resides within the realm of the everyday, everyday objects, and the female, I am attempting to defy and contest masculine censure. In effect, I reclaim my femininity: the quality of being feminine, without the fear of losing strength or respect. Though the autobiographical drives the work and is necessary for it to exist, ultimately it is transcended, enabling the viewers to have their own independent relationship to the work."

Her statement really helps bring a new light to her work. I think it's interesting to see how young contemporary stitchers are incorporating traditional stitching techniques into their own art to voice their own thoughts and ideas. Her work definitely contains a lot of the emotions and thoughts she says she is trying to achieve, and for that I think her work is successful.

Needlepoint Clocks

2011-01-19T11:43:00.005-05:00

We recently discovered some needlepoint clocks designed by Zecca and are so excited about them that we wanted to share them with you and also let you know about a class we have coming up where you can purchase your own and stitch it!

The one we have in the store, which is shown to the right, has a lot of great stitches that really make the already fun design even more eye-catching!

Zecca also has other designs for clocks, one of which is below. It is called the "Leaf Clock" and is fabulous! The colors are great, and the frame they finished it with gives the best final touch! We have placed an order for it, and it will be in store soon!

Of course, if you are interested in participating in the class, or just would like to do a needlepoint clock yourself, but don't see one that strikes your fancy, you could always have our custom painter make one for you! This would be the perfect way to accent your room using imagery that you love and colors that coordinate with your room's design!

While we don't have a date set up for the class yet, once we have at least 6 participants we'll choose a date and time and notify everyone who has expressed interest. Give us a call, email or come in to the shop and check out the clock we have stitched and on display and learn more about this really fun class!

Needlepoint isn't just for women!

2011-01-15T12:23:00.009-05:00

Needlepoint has always been a past-time most commonly enjoyed by women. However, as Rittenhouse Needlepoint has proved with its owners, this is not the rule. Needlepoint is a very relaxing craft, and men have been discovering this fact.

The most notable example of a male needlepointer would be Rosey Grier, a former football player from the 1970s who later became an Ordained Minister. He took up Needlepoint to have a way to relax, and found that it was very enjoyable! He also noted that over the years, fueled by the demand for more contemporary and exciting canvases, there have been more canvases designed that men would enjoy stitching. He wrote "Men are attracted to the more modern geometrics and bold colors-and the more of us who do it, the greater the demand will be for designs with masculine appeal, and the more designs there'll be. Even now, you're sure to find something that appeals to your own personal mood-be it serious, amused, bold, or nostalgic" (Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men, p. 18, 1973).

As time goes by and more and more different types of people are becoming interested in Needlepoint, there really are many great new designs being created. You really can find a canvas for pretty much any person. Also, as is the case in our shop, you can even have your own canvas designed FOR you! So if you aren't attracted to any canvas you see, you can always have it custom painted!

In December of 2010, there was a newscast on NBC36 in Davidson, North Carolina about a man who is carrying on his family's tradition of needlepointing Christmas stockings for the new children in the family. The man, named Bob Dillard, started needlepointing 5 years ago. He mainly stitches while watching football and other sports on television. "'It's very similar to paint by numbers,' Dillard says. 'It's just relaxing...you have to watch the needle'" (WCNBC, 2010).

To encourage men of all ages to consider needlepoint as a fun, relaxing pasttime I've compiled a selection of canvases and projects that they may find appealing. It wasn't hard! The hard part was only in limiting the amount I show here!

One of the favorite needlepoint projects for the male customers who frequent our shop are belts. We certainly have a wide selection and they appeal to both genders. The belt shown to the right, a Hamburger and French Fry themed belt by Rosalie Peters is particularly fun! I could see giving this to my younger brother, as a gift and as a way to encourage him to try this as a past-time! He certainly enjoys fast food, so it seems like a great way to include his interests in a relaxing past-time!

Another ingenious project for a guy would be a cummerbund! Similar to the belt, this would be something they would be able to enjoy while needlepointing, but then they would be able to use it afterwards! This cummerbund by Elizabeth Turner is stunning. The colors are great for a man, not too out there, and there's a lot of visual interest with the diamond pattern.

As well as the wearable canvases a man could do, there are a lot of accessories that a man may carry around that could be personalized to suit his interests. One such idea would be a flask! We have kits that include a flask and an canvas which you would stitch and then insert into the front. You can also buy the flask separately and then buy a canvas that fits and that you're attracted to. The Lee canvases in the BJ series fit these flasks perfectly! This would also be a great idea for a gift to give your boyfriend or male friend for Valentine's day or his birthday!

With so many options now-a-days, it's easy to see why men are being more attracted to needlepoint. If you are interested in learning, or you know a man who may be interested in getting started with needlepoint, send him in our direction! We'll definitely show him the ropes and get him prepared for beginning this great past-time.

I feel Rosey Grier has hit the nail on the head with his quote:

"One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself to start needlepointing on the right foot, is to find a needlepoint store that's just right for you. It may take a bit of time, but it's worth the effort. The right needlepoint store is just as important as finding exactly the right wine, or your favorite tennis racket, the kind of pipe you want to smoke, or the perfect bowling ball. Once you find it-you're set for life" (Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men, p. 21, 1973). We hope to be that store for you!

Needlepoint in 3D!

2011-01-14T12:40:00.013-05:00

There are so many great things you can do with needlepoint nowadays! Needlepoint has definitely come a long way. We have many canvases but some of the most fun to look at and stitch are 3D. It seems that Needlepoint designers are catching on to the trend because there are so many new designs to choose from. The hard part is choosing just one!

This past spring we had a trunk show of Edie & Ginger canvases. In the trunk show was a particularly adorable pig. Her name is Rosebud the pig. We decided to keep the stitched canvas to show as an example and encourage people to try 3D stitching, and before we knew it we had 8 people sign up for the class! We've developed it into a year long class, and have currently gone through 7 lessons. In a few months the project will be complete, and everyone will begin to bring their finished pigs, all of which are made with different threads to make each even more unique.

In addition to the pig, Edie & Ginger also has a large selection of 3D frogs. They're all fun and colorful!

Wendy, our store manager as well as an experienced stitcher is taking over the class for the month of February, as Stephen, the instructor, is out of town with Russell enjoying a much needed vacation. Wendy says stitching the canvases is fun, and I know from watching Stephen and the other class members stitch during the classes, that each piece is unique and exciting!

Besides the Edie & Ginger trunk show, we've also had a trunk show by Sew Much Fun. They had primarily 3D canvases, which were all very cute and fun! The majority of the students who participated in our 3D class this fall chose a project from that trunk show, and all of them had a lot of fun in the process! To the right is Penelope Poodle. Isn't she sweet!?

They also had fabulous Christmas ornaments, one of which is the girl ornament to the left. In addition to the girl elf, they also had a red headed boy, a mouse, reindeer, santa, a snowman and snow-woman and more! For sheer volume, Sew Much Fun definitely has the most 3D canvases that we've seen in one place! These great canvases will be up on the website shortly, but if you are interested in seeing the rest, don't hesitate to come in to the shop and see them or you can call!

Patti Mann is another designer who has an abundance of great 3D canvases. She has a great assortment of pudgies and 3D animals, including the Pudgie Bunny seen here.

One of our newest and favorite designers is Canvas Candy. They make wonderful ornaments. When you purchase a set, you get a beautiful glass ornament and then a needlepoint canvas of the same subject. For instance, they have done many different types of food, from truffles, to cheesecake, to pizza, to burgers and fries! See the example of how the glass ornaments look next to the needlepointed version! If you don't look closely, you may not be able to tell which one is which!

With all of these choices, you can see why it's so difficult to choose just one!

Frederique Morrel

2011-01-08T15:35:00.007-05:00

We've just found out about Frederique Morrel, a French husband and wife artist team. They find old needlepoints and collage them into amazing sculptures!

My Dear, one of their awe-inspiring pieces, was created using a fiberglass taxidermy mold of a deer, which they embellished with realistic looking body parts, such as hooves, eyes, teeth, antlers, etc. After the form of the deer was complete they collaged specific canvases together on top. The inspiration for this piece was 'mating season,' and all of the canvases were compiled specifically for their romantic or erotic themes. The following photos show their process for putting this piece together. Amazing!

As well as animals, they also do human sculptures.

It's amazing what you can do if you use your imagination. Some people think needlepoint is just for pillows, framed art, or furniture, but these artists show you there's so many different ways you can do something spectacular if you are creative!

And look! Their dog even gets to join in on the fun! :)

Check out their website by clicking on their name on the title of this blog. You can see more examples of their work, and if you really love it, you can even commission a piece of your own! A great way to combine a love for art with your love of needlepoint!

Finishing for the holidays and beyond!

2010-12-04T11:34:00.007-05:00

Over the last 6 months, our finishing department has grown and become even more impressive with the addition of two of our employees, Nicole and Emily. Upcoming graduates of the University of the Arts, they have the artistic sensibility and talent to pull off any project you have in your head!

Another exciting addition to our shop are the hundreds of remnants of high quality designer fabrics we received from a local interior design company. Combined with the impressive talents of our finishers, these beautiful fabrics will make any needlepoint finish spectacularly.

A finished needlepoint that you've spent time lovingly stitching for a loved one would be an excellent gift, and we can take your already fabulous stitched project and finish it into something spectacular!

Don't forget that you can incorporate almost any of the fibers we sell into a custom cording for a pillow, ornament, or any project you require cording for! This will give your piece an even more unique feeling, as you'll be choosing the colors for the cording!

Come in and see our fantastic fabrics, canvases, and fibers today!

New Products and Trunk Shows!

2010-11-10T15:32:00.021-05:00

November News:

* This month we've received two fabulous trunk shows that we think will interest you! They are Lee Bags and Canvases from Colonial Needle, as well as many fabulous canvases from NeedleDeeva.

* We're always receiving new products, but this month we've received great new Clear Project bags in assorted sizes!

* Come in and see the great new products and trunk shows we have in store!

NeedleDeeva (in store until November 29th)

The NeedleDeeva trunk show is a carryover from October, but we loved the canvases so much that we wanted to carry them a little longer, so we have them for November as well! Their line covers all of the major holidays as well as other themes, such as baby signs and canvases, and other children’s canvases as well.

Lee Canvases from Colonial Needle (In store until November 30th)

This is a fabulous trunk show featuring many great canvases, the majority of which coordinate with the many fantastic bags and accessories that also came.

A great little mirror case!

A beautiful red poppy canvas that can be used as an insert for their bag.

One of the beautiful purses that offer windows to put your own finished needlepoint to really make it your own.

Great Idea for Shading

2010-10-15T11:21:00.003-04:00

Ever wonder how to shade using non-strandable threads? Try checkerboard-ing. Stitch every other stitch/intersection in one color and then return with a second color and stitch the open areas. It is a simple concept but powerful too. You can combine checkerboard-ing with thread blending "in the needle" and add a whole new dimension to your shading.

Checkerboard-ing works not just with tent stitch but with other decorative stitches as well (such as brick, alternating tent, etc.) However, it is most effective with smaller stitches because the effect is more subtle.

At first you may not enjoy the look of checkerboard-ing but give it time and distance and it grows on you. It's a great way to develop a color that you can't find, to transition between areas or between DYE LOTS.

Happy stitching!

Stitch of the Week: Plaited Square

2010-09-17T13:11:00.006-04:00

Sherlee Lanz in her book A Pageant of Pattern for Needlepoint has this to say about plaited stitches: "Even when their structures are completely known, one finds a certain unaccountable mystery in them" (p. 254). Less poetically she also calls plaited stitches "dynamic" and "rewarding" and I agree with her. I was surprised while doing research for this Stitch of the Week to discover that the Plaited Square stitch is not listed in the index to many stitch guides. Perhaps it is known by another name. If not, it deserves a wider audience. The stitch is easy, versatile and makes a fine fill stitch.

Like many stitches describing how to execute the Plaited Square is more difficult than actually doing it. The stitch consists of four straight stitches (all of the same length) that alternate in orientation from vertical to horizontal as they proceed in a counter clockwise direction. Each new stitch overlaps the previously completed stitch except for the fourth stitch which ends underneath stitch number one, completing a nice, neat little package.

A variation on the Plaited Square involves orienting the stitch unit diagonally rather than straight up and down (the Plaited Square Diagonal).

How the individual stitch units are arranged creates the versatile nature of this stitch. They can be arranged side by side or one can leave a space between stitch units to be filled in by another row of stitches halfway below the first. Alternately, one can leave space in between the stitches to be filled in with tent stitches or any other appropriately sized decorative stitch that fits.

The stitch can be executed in most types of thread. I used wool to stitch up the examples included here but a plied thread might have been a better choice to show off the stitch detail. I would probably use a thread slightly smaller than normal for the size mesh.

Focus On: Vineyard Merino Wool

2010-06-20T15:46:00.007-04:00

We recently started carrying the entire Vineyard Merino Wool line — all 150 colors! We've only had the wool on the wall for a few days, but customers are already raving about this wool.

Merino Wool comes from a breed of sheep prized for its wool, the finest and softest of any sheep. Vineyard Merino Wool is 100 percent wool, sells in hanks of 30 yards and is best for 13 to 18 mesh counts. Its texture is similar to pearl cotton, yet it retains its softness; strong but not scratchy. It is not strandable, so is very easy to work with -- just cut it and go. Vineyard Merino Wool is ideal for Bargello stitching on 18 mesh because it will cover that smaller mesh well on straight stitches, and its colors and numbers match much of the Vineyard silk.

You can use Vineyard Merino Wool on just about any stitch, but keep in mind that this covers best on 14 and 16 mesh; if you use it on 13 you may want to double it on vertical and horizontal stitches, and it may be too think for small stitches on 18 mesh.

Below are some stitch samples using Vineyard Merino Wool. We also want to point out that this has some nice shades of purple — very rich — that are not always available in other lines of fiber. The stitches used, in order are:

Cashmere: A nice box stitch that is easy to compensate and works well on architectural designs

Double Stitch: Stitched with wool, perfect for fur trim on a coat. It also works well for shrubbery.

Horizontal Parisian: Works well in small areas and easy to compensate. Also good for large animals, bird wings and backgrounds. I used two strands on the sample, as it's on 13 mesh and needs a little more coverage than one strand offers

Diagonal Mosaic: Very versatile, good for backgrounds, sky, water, clothing, fields, angel or butterfly wings.

Kalem (Knitting): Looks like knitting, so great for scarves, sweaters, mittens or any other article of clothing you want to have a knitted look.

Oblique Slav: Wonderful texture for horizontal straight lines, wall or ceiling molding, and decorative bands on clothing. I've stitched it using one strand and two strands so you can see the difference.

Focus On: Alpaca 18

2010-05-30T12:40:00.009-04:00

Alpaca 18 is a great thread to use when you want to achieve a realistic look for animals, hair and beards. It is 100% natural Alpaca, made in Peru from the Alpaca sheep of South America. While primarily used on 18ct mesh, it also works on 13ct mesh if you don't pull too hard and want a light look. Rainbow Gallery produces Alpaca in 19 colors, 12 yards to a card. It is a non-divisible thread, and one single strand is equal to two strands of Patternayan wool.

Alpaca 18 is available in natural animal colors and offers a variety of choice for animals, hair, beards, and other natural effects. It can also be brushed with a Bunka Brush or toothbrush to raise the nap a bit. When stitching with Alpaca 18, it's best to use shorter strands than usual so that it doesn't get worn out from too many passes through the canvas.

Some stitches/effects suggested for Alpaca 18:

Giant Horizontal Interlocking Gobelin (over 4 horizontal, 1 vertical thread) -- use for animal fur (cats, dogs, horses, etc.) see photo top left

Horizontal Interlocking Gobelin -- flat appearance (see photo top left)

Kennan -- animal fur (see photo top right)

Long and Short -- animal fur (see photo middle left)

Horizontal Parisian -- fuzzy animal, elephants, reindeer, horses, dogs, bird wings (see photo bottom right)

Velvet -- fuzzy effect, hair, fur (see photo bottom left)

Stitch of the Week: Medieval Mosaic

2010-05-25T11:17:00.004-04:00

This week's Stitch of the Week is Medieval Mosaic, an excellent stitch to know. Medieval Mosaic works up quickly, makes a lovely background or filling stitch for a large area and is very versatile. Use Medieval Mosaic with overdyed thread for depicting sky, water and beaches. Medieval Mosaic can also be used when stitching up wallpaper, carpets, clothing and rivers.

Medieval Mosaic is stitched in vertical rows. If you want, you may turn your canvas 90 degrees and stitch in horizontal rows (the end result will be the same).

The stitch is a series of Gobelin stitches -- one group is over four canvas threads, the other group is over two canvas threads. Each group consists of four individual stitches. The longer stitches step to the left one canvas thread with each stitch while maintaining the same stitch length. The shorter stitch units step to the right one canvas thread with each stitch unit. The result is a series of forward advancing long Gobelin stitch followed by a series of receding shorter Gobelin stitches. As you may have already guessed in subsequent rows the position of the long and short Gobelin stitches are reversed so that if you started with long stitches in the first row you will start with short stitches in the second row (and vice versa). See diagram for a visual representation of these directions.

Medieval Mosaic is a stitch that shows off flat, ribbon-type threads such as Neon Rays, Ribbon Floss, Flair and Sparkle Rays. It also looks good with stranded threads such as embroidery floss, Splendor or Mandarin Floss. Be sure to use a laying tool for best effect.

Focus On: Impressions

2010-05-15T14:01:00.008-04:00

Impressions is workhorse thread -- it comes in many, many different colors (approximately 230), always looks appropriate and is very versatile. Impressions is manufactured by Caron Collection. It is composed of 50% wool and 50% silk. The combination of silk and wool is a popular one. The silk lends lustre while the wool provides durability. Also, silk and wool reflect light differently giving greater depth of color.

Impressions is a single stranded thread with a tight twist. One strand is equivalent to one strand of Pearl Cotton size 8. On 18 mesh canvas use one strand of Impressions for Basketweave and two strands for upright stitches. For 13 mesh canvas use 2 strands Impressions for Basketweave and three strands for upright stitches. For decorative stitches on either 13 or 18 mesh canvas experiment with one, two or more strands of Impressions to create the look you prefer.

Impressions combines well with other fibers. In the photos here it has been combined with Splendor for Diagonal Mosaic (see photo top left) as well as Cushion stitch. Either of these stitches would make an excellent background. Other stitches for use with Impressions include the Kalem or Knitting stitch which makes for elegant looking knitted garments as well as Giant Interlocking Horizontal Gobelin (at left) which would be perfect for animal fur.

Framed Pavilion (below) makes elegant clothing.

Stitch of the Week: Angelis

2010-05-12T12:47:00.007-04:00

Angelis is a darning pattern -- the first that we have featured as a "Stitch of the Week." Darning patterns are a special breed of stitches. A darning pattern is essentially running stitches done in decorative repeats.

The possibilities for darning patterns are endless. Angelis is a popular darning pattern that works well as a background stitch or as a filling stitch for a large area. The best part of darning stitches is that they are quick to work up.

Because the pattern calls for numerous straight stitches done over five canvas threads, Angelis poses a risk of snagging and should be avoided on pieces where durability is a major consideration.

Stitch of the Week: Arrowhead

2010-05-01T15:13:00.007-04:00

The Arrowhead stitch can be many things to many people. Our version of the Arrowhead stitch is essentially a Milanese stitch where the "empty" spaces are then filled with tent stitch.

For the stitch to be most effective, use two different colors. For a more subtle look, use two colors that are closely related or even two different types of fiber (overdyed + solid).

To stitch the Arrowhead stitch, begin with a regular tent stitch. Do three more diagonal stitches (over two, three and then four canvas intersections), each one beginning immediately underneath the last and each ending in the same row of holes as stitch number 1. The final stitch is a tent stitch which is positioned in the center of the over four stitch. Begin again with the next stitch unit, immediately underneath where the over four stitch began.

Start the pattern once again -- over one, over two, over three, over four, center and over one. When you have completed an entire row (or area), go back and fill in the empty spaces with Continental stitch.

The Arrowhead stitch is recommended for clothing, rugs, quilts, roofs, fish scales and border.

Upcoming Classes

2010-04-30T18:41:00.007-04:00

We've got a lot of interesting classes coming up at Rittenhouse Needlepoint. We have a Shading and Thread Blending class on May 12. If you have not already taken this class I would encourage you to do so. The class is full of easy techniques that will get you thinking about your needlepoint in an entirely new way.

On May 19 we are offering a class on the Long and Short Stitch. This is the first time that we have offered this class. It will focus on learning the basics of the Long and Short stitch and also how to apply it in a realistic manner.

"Dude Up Your Canvas" is a class on making your own tassels that will be taught by our finisher Bianca Lindblad. On Saturday May 29, we have another guest instructor, Robin Bannister. Robin has taught at our store before and on the 29th she will be teaching a class in Embroidery.

Looking ahead to June, we will be offering a new class on stitching with overdyed threads (June 8) as well as a new Bargello class on Christmas ornaments.

Also in June will be our second Thread Tasting. The first thread tasting was so popular we've decided to have another. This time we are hoping to bring in fibers that we do not currently sell in the shop in order to get your opinion on whether or not we should. This is destined to be a popular class --be sure to sign up early!

The full class calendar is available online at: http://www.rittenhouseneedlepoint.com/calendar

Focus On: Crystal Braid

2010-04-30T18:17:00.006-04:00

Crystal Braid is a wonderful thread available from Rainbow Gallery. It comes on cards in 10 yard lengths. The thread is 55% nylon and 45% polyester. It comes in 14 colors and is manufactuired in Japan. We carry the entire line at Rittenhouse Needlepoint.

Crystal Braid is intended for use with 18 mesh canvas. One strand of Crystal Braid is equivalent in size to one strand of #5 pearl cotton. Crystal Braid is also equivalent to Kreinik Braid #12 (tapestry weight) -- both consist of 12 strands of metallic thread braided together.

According to The Thread Thesaurus, Rev. Ed., the great strength of Crystal Braid is its "unique icy pearl look that shimmers" (p. 40). The thread also does not fray easily. It can be used anywhere you would use Kreinik Metallic Braid #12 and it is much easier to handle than Kreinik Braid being softer and more pliable.

Suggested stitches for use with Crystal Braid include Parisian Stripe (clothing -- top left), Chottie's Plaid (background -- middle left) and Hesitation (for both clothing and background -- lower left). I would also consider using Crystal Braid when depicting snow or a starry night.

The range of colors is appealing -- strong in pastels, especially greens.

Consider using Crystal Braid in your next project. You won't be disappointed.

Aviva Trunk Show

2010-04-23T14:58:00.007-04:00

Now at Rittenhouse Needlepoint until May 14 are the designs of local talent Meryl Packman and Aviva. Meryl is located in Cherry Hill, NJ. She has been painting needlepoint canvases for years and we are delighted that she has agreed to share her designs with us.

The show, while small, has some interesting and unusual canvases. There are a number of tooth fairy pillow canvases. A tooth fairy pillow is a great way to do needlepoint for the youngsters in your life. Truly a family heirloom!

Also available are a number of Judaica designs as well as images from the twenties and thirties featuring children at the beach and smart, sassy and newly liberated women.

Stop by the store and take a look. Remember, shop local.

Focus On: Vavoom

2010-04-23T13:37:00.007-04:00

Vavoom is a new thread for us here at Rittenhouse Needlepoint. It comes in five yard skeins and is available in seven colors (white, black, red, tan, light gray, dark gray and pink). The thread is 100% polyester and consists of long hairy filaments attached to a fine, hallow core.

Interestingly, the thread looks quite different on the ring than it does stitched up. Loose, Vavoom appears feathery like a boa but stitched up it looks soft like angora. To fluff up the yarn, brush with a toothbrush or a Bunka brush. This will create the look of a beard. Vavoom can also be used for fluffy areas such as pom-poms and fur trim.

Suggested stitches for use with Vavoom include Gobelin, slanted Gobelin, Giant Brick and Encroaching Gobelin. Complex decorative stitches are wasted on Vavoom since the hairiness of the yarn obscures detail.

Vavoom can be mixed with wool to achieve a mottled animal fur. This would help to achieve a more realistic effect (hair is rarely one solid color).

The manufacturer also suggests that the thread can be curled by used a heated metal knitting needle and rolling the threads like a curler. I'll leave that for you to try!

Stitch of the Week: Paris

2010-04-23T10:16:00.005-04:00

This week's stitch is the Paris stitch -- not to be confused with the Parisian stitch, a totally different animal. The Paris stitch probably ought to be called Tied Double Gobelin or Double & Tie as it is sometimes known.

The stitch is simple enough. It consists of two Gobelin stitches over four horizontal canvas threads. Both stitches are performed in the same row of holes and lie side-by-side. The final part of the stitch consists of a horizontal stitch over the two vertical stitches you have just made but also over two vertical canvas threads. The row of stitches progresses from left to right. Subsequent rows are staggered between the stitches of the previous row.

The Paris stitch has a good backing and is snag-proof (i.e., a good choice for a piece that needs to be hard-wearing). The stitch is most attractive in a single color but can also be executed in two colors for a striped look. Because both of the upright Gobelin stitches are executed in the same row of holes, a finer thread weight is recommended.

Because the stitch is slow to work up, I would use it as a filling stitch for small areas. It is also often suggested that the stitch has a woven basket look. Compensate the stitch with upright Gobelin stitches over two canvas threads (forget the tie down portion).

What I Am Working On

2010-04-19T12:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I continue working on the "STJ" pillow that I shared with you last week. I've actually made some good progress though it is hard to tell in the picture. I have a long way to go. The diamond-shaped areas are a real bear! Just plain slow going. Basketweave is s-l-o-w that is just all there is to it.

I picked up another project this week (so what else is new?). This is a little Christmas tree ornament -- a silly thing really but for whatever reason it spoke to me. I got it from the Patti Mann trunk show. It's an underwater snowman of all things. Mostly I got it because I wanted to use a new fiber that we have from Threadworx. The fiber is called Legacy and it is one of these shaggy all-polyester threads. It looks just like seaweed which is where I intend to use it on the canvas. Also, I plan on doing the background in bargello using Crystal Braid, Flair and Overdyed Embroidery Floss (also from Threadworx). It should be fun.

Still not working on the Christmas stocking or the frog projects. Not sure what happened with these two projects. I was on a role and then presto my desire just left me as quickly as it came. I think if I can ever bring myself to return to these projects then I will pick up enthusiasm for them again but it's hard. So many great things to work on and never enough time. Also, these projects are both on 18 mesh and large in size so I think that has me discouraged as well.

No matter. It's all good. Life is too short to beat myself up over needlepoint.

Birds of a Feather Trunk Show In Store Now

2010-04-17T12:02:00.001-04:00

"Birds of a Feather" began designing and selling hand-painted needlepoint canvas in 1997. According to their Web site: "In the late summer of 2007, Danielle Gann purchased Birds of a Feather. Her long history of needlepointing spans 4 generations, encompassing her own needlepoint shop she previously owned with her twin sister. Additionally, her mother currently owns her own needlepoint line, continuing on in the family tradition."

That's a lot of needlepoint experience and it shows in the well-painted canvases with appealing designs. The canvases have a graphical quality and include bright colors and abstracted elements that makes them both playful and impactful.

I particularly like the large collection of sampler-inspired designs as well as the florals. My favorite is a patriotic themed canvas that you probably have enough time to complete before Independence Day!!

New Vineyard Silk Classic Colors

2010-04-16T10:51:00.006-04:00

Vineyard Silk has come out with twelve new luscious colors bringing their "Classic" line to 210 colors. The new colors strengthen several color families including orange, blue-green and blue-gray.

Vineyard Silk is a single strand silk that we recommend for use with 18 mesh canvas for those individuals who do not care to ply their thread. For more information about Vineyard Silk Classic check out my blog entry earlier this week "Focus On: Vineyard Silk Classic."

Stitch of the Week: Double Cross

2010-04-15T17:33:00.004-04:00

The Double Cross stitch is a beautiful stitch as you can clearly see from the outstanding examples stitched up by intrepid instructor Mindy Bogue. The look of this stitch can vary quite dramatically based on the choice of thread. Use a thinner thread for a more lacey look and heavier threads for fuller coverage.

Begin the stitch by making Giant Cross Stitches across four canvas intersections. Then go back and insert Upright Cross stitches over two canvas threads in each "quadrant" of the Giant Cross Stitches.

Mindy altered the stitch thus creating what the class dubbed the "Mindy Variation" which is, in my humble(?) opinion, even more attractive than the original stitch. In the Mindy Variation, stitch sizes are increased. So, you make Extra Giant Cross Stitches over six canvas intersections and insert Upright Cross stitches over four canvas threads rather than two in each of the four quadrants. Because the Extra Giant Cross Stitch carries over six intersections Mindy felt the need to "tie" it down with an additional Upright Cross stitch where the two legs intersect. She did this in a third color which added further interest and visual appeal.

According to Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson in their wonderful book, More Stitches for Effect, the Double Cross stitch is good for baskets and wicker furniture due to the stitch's woven look. They also recommend using overdyed thread in combination with solid silk/cotton thread for this stitch.

Note: the Mindy Variation has been copyrighted and permission must be obtained (and royalties paid) before using.

Haha, only kidding.

Focus On: Vineyard Silk Classic

2010-04-14T13:15:00.004-04:00

Vineyard Silk Classic is a really luscious thread and one of my all-time favorites. It is 100% silk, imported from China and non-strandable. One strand is equivalent to one strand number five pearl cotton.

In our shop, we recommend Vineyard Silk for use with 18 mesh canvas. It is our "go to" fiber for when we want the look of silk on 18 mesh but without the bother of stranding/plying. The manufacturer as well as other needlepoint shops maintain that it can be used with 13/14 mesh. I think that it does work with diagonal stitches such as tent stitch on 13/14 mesh painted canvas.

Diagonal stitches look particularly lovely with this thread as it reflects light so well. Recommended stitches for use with Vineyard Silk Classic include Basketweave, Diagonal Mosaic (sky, water, background), Nobuko (snow, water), Cashmere (architectural details) and Brick (lawns, bark).

Rittenhouse Needlepoint carries the full line of Vineyard Silk Classic. The thread is sold in 30 yard skeins. There are 210 colors. The line is particularly strong in pinks, greens and blues. The company has recently released several new colors about which I will write soon.

Two of my favorite characteristics of Vineyard Silk Classic are 1) the fact that it does not unravel and 2.) it does no pill. Combined with the lustrous sheen and the durability of silk, I heartily recommend Vineyard Silk Classic.

News from the Store

2010-04-09T09:47:00.006-04:00

We are enjoying cooler weather today which is a nice change of pace from the eighty degree+ weather that we've been having recently-- way too early for those temperatures!

We have two trunk shows currently in residence though one of them is due to head out shortly. The extensive Cooper Oaks Design collection with its lovely floral designs is here until Tuesday, April 14 while the wild and whimsical designs of Ewe & Eye are here a bit longer -- they will be leaving us on April 20.

Also leaving on April 20 is a mini trunk show from Whimsey & Grace. I don't believe that I have mentioned this show before -- it is a collection of napkin ring canvases. I think that napkin rings would make a wonderful needlepoint project. You could even incorporate your initials or monogram. It's an unexpected use for needlepoint for all you "I simply can't do another pillow" people out there (and I know that you are out there because I've heard it from you before!) The collection from Whimsey & Grace also includes round name tags or box inserts for the Lee boxes.

The Web site redesign has been well-received. I will be blogging soon about some of the more advanced features of the web site. We may even hold a free class on how to get the most out of the Web site. You would be surprised at what you can do with it.

Speaking of the Web site, we are in the process of adding Canvas Works Collection online. This is the first time the designs of Canvas Works have been online so we are very excited to be able to offer them to you.

We had a special delivery yesterday at the store. Back from the finisher came two Patti Mann 3-dimensional characters: a sea turtle and a "Pudgie" elephant. These guys are super-cute so be sure to ask to see them next time you are in the store. A special thanks goes to Betty Lou Malmud for having stitched up the sea turtle for us -- gratis!!

Focus On: Hand-Dyed Impressions

2010-04-07T14:13:00.010-04:00

Caron Collection's Impressions is a popular fiber and for good reason. The combination of 50% silk and 50% wool gives it a wonderful "hand" and the array of colors is extensive. The combination of silk and wool gives depth to this thread as each of the two fibers reflect light differently.

What could be better than Impressions? Easy -- Hand-Dyed Impressions. This gorgeous collection of 97 hand-dyed colors shares all the desirable points of Impressions and adds to it subtlety and sophistication of variegated color. The colors of Hand-Dyed Impressions coordinate with the colors in Caron's other lines -- Watercolours (all cotton) and Waterlilies (all silk).

This very versatile thread can be used in embroidery, cross stitch and needlepoint. One strand of Hand-Dyed Impressions is equivalent to one strand of No. 8 Pearl Cotton. On 18 mesh canvas I use one strand however some people prefer the fuller look of two strands. It's a matter of personal preference.

Suggested stitches for use with Impressions Hand-Dyed include Alternating Smyrna Cross (top left) for bushes and treetops using one of the many shades of green. The Kennan stitch (bottom left) makes nice grass. The Woven or Web stitch (middle left) makes terrific fields and Diagonal Fern (top right) stitch plus Hand-Dyed Impressions in some of the smoky grays or browns makes realistic looking mountains. My favorite stitch with this thread is however the French Knot (bottom right). It makes terrific flowers (especially in the lavender hues) and also curly hair using the brown or straw colors.

Stitch of the Week: Moorish

2010-04-06T14:25:00.009-04:00

The Moorish Stitch (top right and left) is essentially the Diagonal Scotch stitch with a row of tent stitches in between. The over 1-2-3-2 pattern is repeated without interruption from the upper left to the lover right. In a different color or thread, a row of continental stitches is then worked on either side of the Diagonal Scotch stitches.

The Moorish stitch makes a fine background or filling stitch. It works up quickly and has good coverage on the reverse side of the canvas. It can be used for representing roofs and fields. The stitch has a definite diagonal feeling to it, a look that might be useful for stitching skies or clothing.

It is important to maintain a consistent tension when stitching the Moorish stitch and I would also encourage you not to pull too strongly as the stitch can pull the canvas out of square. Compensating the Moorish stitch can be tricky. Keep in mind that the long stitches of one row of Diagonal Scotch will match up with the short stitches of the next row of Diagonal Scotch.

Variations on the Moorish stitch include Wide Moorish (middle right and left) in which a Gobelin stitch (2 x 2) is employed between the rows of Diagonal Scotch instead of the Continental stitch. Another option is Giant Moorish (bottom right and left) in which the Diagonal Scotch stitch is expanded to include an "over four" stitch so that the pattern for the row of Diagonal Scotch stitches then becomes over 1-2-3-4-3-2, repeat.

What I am Working On

2010-04-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

I have been working on and off recently on my current needlepoint projects. I got a fair amount accomplished on my travel project when Russell and I went to Tucson for his birthday. This project, which I started in January, is a set of coasters from Susan Roberts that have an Imari-inspired design. Imari, for those of you who don't know, is a Japanese porcelain that was created mostly I believe for European export.

The color scheme of Imari porcelain is normally blue, white and oxblood red which happen to be some of the colors in our apartment. So, I was attracted to this project because of its utility and also because of its portability.

Coasters are a great travel project because you can cut the canvas up into four separate smaller projects. These are great for plane travel and inconspicuous stitching in public. I have completed the third coaster in Tucson and have a good start on the fourth one.

The Imari coaster project is however 18 mesh which means that I have to use magnification when I work on it. So, I have another project that I have been working on that is 13 mesh. This is a project I bought a couple of year's ago (before Rittenhouse Needlepoint).

I realize now that the canvas was intended to be a tallis bag. I however purchased it with the idea of making it into a pillow. I had the shop add my initials to the canvas thinking that I would perhaps do a second with Russell's initials. I started the project -- completing just a small section in the upper right hand corner and then put it away.

A month ago I found it in the closet and decided to start working on it again. It seemed just the right thing at the time -- a good relaxing needlepoint project. I think I was actually trying to avoid working on the more difficult canvases frog and Christmas stocking canvases that I also have going right now (more about them later).

Lastly, I had Alicia, one of our painters, paint me a canvas insert for my stitching bag with the logo of Rittenhouse Needlepoint. I figure that I will bring this to the next trade show in Ohio and I will be the envy of everyone there!

I wasn't sure how far to go with the glitz on the shop's name. I settled on a medium-glitz course with the choice of Caron's Snow. The background will be done in Vineyard Silk.

I think that I will use a subtle stitch for the background. It has to be fairly easy to compensate (because of all the letters) and I don't want it to be too noticeable but at the same time it has to be sophisticated because the intended audience is a tough crowd. Any suggestions?

Stitch of the Week: Diagonal Roumanian

2010-03-31T14:52:00.002-04:00

This week's "Stitch of the Week" is the Diagonal Roumanian. The Diagonal Roumanian is a tied stitch that works up rather slowly but has a good backing. Owing to the denseness of the final product, Diagonal Roumanian is quite durable and snag-proof. The stitch has a wonderful texture and pattern and really could be used just about anywhere on your painted canvas projects.

The stitch appears to be quite simple and indeed it is but it can also be tricky. The tricky part comes from not being able to see the canvas mesh underneath pre-existing stitches. If you count carefully and proceed slowly, you should be all right.

Like most tied stitches, the Diagonal Roumanian lends itself to shading work. Howren and Robertson in More Stitches for Effect suggest: "subtly change color values in the same row by first changing the tie down element then changing the whole stitch as you move along" (p. 40). Diagonal Roumanian also lends itself for use with overdyed threads.

This versatile stitch is excellent for depicting animal fur and woolen clothing. It could also be used for tree trunks, bird nests and fields.

Pearl cotton looks great with this stitch but is a challenge to work with due to the tightness of the end result. If you are using the Diagonal Roumanian for shading work then stranded threads would be your best choice. I would, however, use fewer strands than normal.

Diagonal Roumanian is often suggested for backgrounds but I think that it would be too slow and heavy a look for most backgrounds. In my opinion, the stitch is better suited for use as a design stitch (or supporting character stitch as I like to call them).

Try stripes for an interesting effect.

Trunk Show: Ewe and Eye

2010-03-31T12:19:00.000-04:00

In the shop now until April 20 are the whimsical designs of Ewe and Eye. Ewe and Eye features an extensive collection of Halloween and Christmas designs.

Ewe and Eye has partnered with Maggie Thompson at Maggie & Co and they do a lot of marketing/shows together though I believe that they remain separate companies.

Ewe and Eye has sent us a lot of their newest canvases that includes some great Americana-type designs. There is also an extensive collection of very small but cute holiday canvases that would make great Christmas tree ornaments.

The wild and whimsical designs of Ewe and Eye lend themselves to using different threads and stitches as they tend to have larger areas of color to work with and also avoid the extensive shading techniques of some designers.

The show also includes some great finished pieces that are definitely worth checking out including the crazy framing of Lisa and Jim from Evening Shade,AK.

Now until April 20.

Focus On: Silk Lame Braid 13

2010-03-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

Perfect for 13 mesh canvas, Silk Lame Braid 13 is a lustrous silk blend from Rainbow Gallery. It comes in 44 colors and Rittenhouse Needlepoint carries the full line. The thread is made in the USA and comes in 8 yards lengths on cards.

The thread is truly a braid of silk strands with blending (also known as metallic) filament. It has a wonderful hand and the metallic gives the thread an elegant sparkle.

The braid will separate easily so it is best to use short lengths (maximum 15") and a larger needle than normal to help force the mesh hole open so that there is less abrasion on the thread.

Recommended stitches for use with Silk Lame Braid include the Diagonal Mosaic (for water and skies), Ermine (for a lacy background look) and Kennan (also recommended for water and sky).

Silk Lame Braid comes in a number of different shades of blue so it would be good, as mentioned above, for water (either deep water or tropical) and skys. Also there are a number of pretty pinks and reds that would work for lame fabric clothing and the white could be used for snow.

Silk Lame Braid also comes in size 18 for use with 18 mesh canvas.

Stitch of the Week: Moorish

2010-03-21T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Moorish stitch is essentially the diagonal scotch with tent stitches in between. Moorish offers good coverage and is relatively easy to compensate. This stitch has a pretty texture even when just using one color, but using two colors or two types of threads really takes full advantage of the stitch. Moorish is good for rooftops, sky, mountains, fields, gardens, clothing, and backgrounds.

Here I have used #3 pearl cotton on 18 mesh canvas, dark green for the diagonal scotch and light green for the tent stitch. There are two ways to stitch Moorish: 1. Stitch all the diagonal scotch first, then the tent stitches; 2. Stitch it in order so that you are switching colors and stitches as you go. Play around with it and see which way is easier for you and gives you the look you want. For instance, it may seem easier to stitch all the diagonal scotch areas first, but it could lead to counting mistakes for the row left empty for the tent stitches.

There are also variations of this stitch, Wide Moorish to the left (instead of a tent stitch use a slanted Gobelin over two threads), and Giant Moorish to the right (Scotch stitch is one thread larger than the standard Moorish, with a tent stitch). Make sure you have a large enough stitching area so that you can really see the pattern of these stitches take shape.

New Trunk Shows: Cooper Oaks Design and Patti Mann

2010-03-17T14:56:00.000-04:00

Now in the shop (in addition to the Canvasworks trunk show which will be departing on 3/23) we have trunk shows from Cooper Oaks Design as well as Patti Mann. Cooper Oaks Design began in 1996 and specializes in stitch-painted needlepoint canvases adapted from the artwork of various individuals. Some of the larger artists represented in the current show include Linda Ragno whose French country style exudes the warmth and charm of the South of France as well as the charming beach-inspired, Americana designs of Susan Wallace Barnes. Some of my favorites include the alphabet designs of Warren Kimble and the charming florals of Susan Verble Gantner.

Also in the shop are the fantastically painted designs of Patti Mann. Patti has been in the needlepoint business since 1974! She prides herself on the clarity with which her designs are painted which we all know translates into ease of stitching. Patti's collection also includes needlepoint adaptations of paintings by Mike Savage. Mike's artwork is quite distinctive and features bold brushwork and an expansive color palette (lots of fun to stitch). Patti also specializes in a charming collection of Pudgies. These three dimensional, melon-shaped creatures are about 6" tall when finished. Patti has a number with different themes including Halloween, Easter and Judaica. Some of the other Pudgie designs resemble animals such as a bunny, dog, or even an elephant. But my favorite three-dimensional piece by Patti Mann is of a sea turtle with Asian designs.

Last Weekend for Melissa Shirley Trunk Show

2010-03-12T18:17:00.000-05:00

This is the last weekend for the Melissa Shirley trunk show which is scheduled to return March 16. Melissa Shirley has been designing fine hand-painted needlepoint canvases since 1981. She is a self-taught painter. She lives in California and works with her husband Tom. In addition to selling her own designs, she also sells designs from Linda Carter Holman, John Johannsen, and Mary Lake-Thompson.

Her canvases are artistic, fun, elegant and unusual. The show includes some of her newest designs. Also featured are Christmas stockings, stand-up figures, fruits, florals and gorgeous bird portraits. The show includes a generous smattering of designs by Mary Lake-Thompson (a personal favorite of mine).

Don’t let the rain ruin your weekend – experience the wonderful world of Melissa Shirley at Rittenhouse Needlepoint.

Stitch of the Week: Ermine

2010-03-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

The Ermine stitch is a very versatile with an open look. The stitch is compromised of three straight stitches: one vertical and two diagonal. The two diagonal stitches cross at lower half of the vertical stitch. The stitch may be varied according to the length of the vertical stitch and/or the spacing between individual stitch units.

Begin the stitch with the vertical portion. Go straight up and over six horizontal canvas threads. Begin the first diagonal stitch up one horizontal canvas thread and to the left one vertical canvas thread from where stitch one began. Go up and to the right over three canvas intersections. Return to the backside. The final portion of the stitch begins up one horizontal canvas thread and to the right one vertical canvas thread from where the first stitch began. This time, go up and to the left over three canvas intersections before returning to the back side of the canvas.

Traditionally the spacing between stitch units is six vertical canvas threads either to the right or left (in the same row of holes). Subsequent rows are staggered so that the vertical or middle portion of each unit in the second row encroaches halfway upon the previous row of stitches and also so that each stitch in the second row is located halfway between the stitch units of the previous row. Tip: if your second row of stitches is placed correctly, the tops of the diagonal stitches in row number two will share a hole with the bottom of the diagonal stitches in the previous row of stitches.

The Ermine stitch makes a nice background when it is done in variegated thread. It also looks quite striking when executed in black thread on a bright white background. The stitches make for a handsome decorative border or band. As an individual stitch the Ermine stitch works well for ferns, shrubs, or ivy on walls.

Canvs Works / Traditions Trunk Show

2010-03-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

We are happy to announce the arrival of a trunk show from one of our favorite designers, Dorothy Combs of Canvas Works. Canvas Works features exquisitely painted canvases with designs based on real oriental rugs. Other designs feature geometric patterns and Persian motifs. These are perfect for stitchers who enjoy detail-work and precision.

The colors used in the Canvas Works line are the wonderfully faded colors of the desert and are perfect for subtly overdyed or heathered threads.

Many of the designs are available in multiple sizes for different functions (pillows, floor pillows, coasters, rugs, brick covers, etc.) The Canvas Works rug designs are particularly striking.

Don't write off doing a rug -- believe it or not, stitching a beautifully detailed and carefully painted rug canvas can be more relaxing than stitching a much smaller canvas that has been less precisely painted.

For those who enjoy shading and decision making, Canvas Works also offers a series of shade painted animal portraits with counted work backgrounds featuring elephants. Dorothy and her husband Neil are very accommodating and are quite willing to alter the mesh size, dimensions or colors on any of their designs. Canvas Works designs are perfect for upholstery work.

Also good for upholstery work are the designs of Betty Smith's Traditions. The Traditions line features a series of floral chair seat covers that are classic and very adaptable to individual color schemes. Traditions has a very different design sensibility than Canvas Works. The line features classic florals including many Texas wildflowers.

The designs of Canvas Works and Traditions will be in the shop until March 21st.

Stitch of the Week: Serendipity

2010-02-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

I love the name of this stitch and fortunately it is also a beautiful stitch so that's good (I would hate if it was an ugly stitch -- that would just be a waste of a good name). Anyhow, Serendipity is a small stitch that fits well into small areas and is relatively simple to compensate. The stitch is especially effective in two different colors and/or types of threads.

The stitch is a two-step process. The first step consists of a series of mosaic stitches but instead of having the Mosaic stitches slant up and to the right these mosaic stitches slant up and to the left. A single canvas thread is skipped in-between these "reverse" mosaic stitches.

Once all of the reverse mosaic stitches have been executed, go back and fill in the spaces in between with a series of three stitches (the first stitch is over two intersections, the second is over one canvas intersection and the third is over two canvas intersections). All these fill-in stitches slant up and to the right. See the diagrams provided here.

The Serendipity stitch -- when done in two different colors -- provides an energetic background but the stitch is also useful for depicting clothing, tile floors/walls, paths and packages.

Focus On: Very Velvet

2010-02-25T12:57:00.000-05:00

With this article I am hoping to start a new feature on the blog. It will be sort of a thread-of-the-week article but since we've used the "of-the-week" phrase way too much I though that I would go with something different. The idea is that we will feature a particular fiber and discuss its positives and how it might be used in your stitching. I thought that I would start out with Very Velvet by Rainbow Gallery.

Very Velvet is a popular thread in our shop. We actually sell the Petite variety of this thread as we find that it works well on both 13 mesh painted canvas (meaning it doesn't quite cover the canvas completely but to my mind it covers well enough) and 18 mesh canvas. You can also use the Very Velvet Petite to basketweave on 13 mesh canvas which is not something that you can do with the regular Very Velvet.

One strand of Very Velvet Petite is equivalent to one strand of #5 Pearl Cotton. The thread is 100% nylon and made in Italy. The line consists of 75 colors and Rittenhouse Needlepoint carries the full line. One doesn't necessarily have to worry about dye lots as the colors remain consistent.

Suggested stitches for use with Very Velvet Petite include the Byzantine (clothing), Cashmere (wallpaper, backgrounds), Criss Cross Hungarian (clothing) and Framed Reverse Scotch (Christmas presents, borders). Obviously one would use Very Velvet Petite whenever a velvet texture is desired most likely on clothing (coats, pants) and upholstery/pillows.

If you have not already worked with Very Velvet Petite I would strongly urge you to give it a try. Consider using it on your next Christmas themed canvas as nothing beats it for Santa's clothing!

Edie & Ginger Trunk Show

2010-02-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

From CBK Needleworks we have in the house for the next two weeks a trunk show featuring designs from Edie & Ginger.

Edie & Ginger owned a needlepoint shop outside Philadelphia for many years and their store is fondly remembered by long-time needlepointers in this area. Edie & Ginger are the inventors of the needlepoint frog and the trunk show, not surprisingly, features most of their frog designs.

Also included in the trunk show are numerous Christmas stocking canvases many with whimsical themes including my personal favorite the caroling chorus of mermaids (pictured here)!

I was surprised by a wonderful series of canvases featuring popular fairy tales and children's story book themes. These designs would make a wonderful grouping of pillows for a children's room.

Stitch of the Week: Crow's Foot

2010-02-17T16:10:00.000-05:00

The Crow's Foot stitch consists of three individual stitches radiating from a central hole (the base of the crow's foot). Begin by coming forward and going down three horizontal canvas threads and to the right two vertical canvas threads. To begin the second stitch come forward in the hole two canvas threads to the right of where you came forward to begin the first stitch. Do a vertical stitch straight down over three horizontal canvas threads and into the same hole where stitch number one ended. The third stitch begins by coming forward two canvas threads to the right of where the second stitch began. Come forward and go down three horizontal canvas threads and to the left two vertical canvas threads. This completes the first portion of the Crow's Foot stitch (see diagram).

The second portion of the stitch consists of two additional elements: 1.) the insertion of a straight stitch (over three horizontal canvas threads) between stitch units and 2.). inserting a row of back stitches (over four vertical canvas threads) between rows. This row of backstitches will share the bottom hole of the "in-between units" stitches. Again, see diagram.

According Howren and Robertson in their book More Stitches for Effect, the Crow's Foot stitch "produces wonderful sleighs, fields, grass, shrubbery, gardens, roads and mountains" (p. 36). I would add that the stitch -- when done upside down -- would also make fine bird feathers.

The stitch itself can be done in one, two or three different colors while individual rows of stitches can also be done in different colors.

I would, most likely, use a natural fiber with this stitch -- wool, cotton, etc. I think that the use of a metallic thread would command too much attention and take away from the pattern of the stitch.

New Fibers!

2010-02-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

We've been busy beavers here at Rittenhouse Needlepoint. Last week, we returned one trunk show, received another and added nearly a thousand new items to our inventory! Phew, I'm tired just thinking about it.

The new items include many new offerings from Rainbow Gallery including Panache, Mandarin Floss, Crystal Braid, Silk Lame Braid and Fyre Werks. We've also added some new items from DeDe's Needleworks including the very funky Vavoom and the absolutely gorgeous Lacquered Jewels. I will be writing more about these new fibers in the coming weeks with suggestions for how they might be used in your needlework.

We've also increased our inventory in a number of popular product lines such as Very Velvet, Alpaca 18, Rainbow Cashmere and Fuzzy Stuff. We now offer the full line in all of these threads.

You might wonder how we've managed to get more threads into the shop and the answer is -- two ways: 1.) we've added a new wall and 2.) we've added a new rotating display stand (never mind what I used to say about needlepoint shops being too cluttered with spin racks popping up here there and everywhere!) We want threads, threads and more threads!

Bustin' Out!

2010-02-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

Rittenhouse Needlepoint is expanding. We've taken over additional space from our neighbors and moved our finisher and canvas painters into new quarters. The entrance to the new workrooms is through a newly installed door on the "wool wall". There is a small hallway and two modestly sized rooms with terrific light because of full-length windows that look out onto 18th Street. We expect that there will be a big increase in productivity now that Jim, Bianca and Alicia have there own space.

Bianca is also excited because Rittenhouse Needlepoint has purchased for her a heavy duty, commercial sewing machine (it's a "Juki" -- whatever that means!) Anyhow, we expect she is going to be putting out bags, belts and all manner of finished products in a jiffy. Seriously though, good equipment makes a big difference.

Stop by the shop and we would be happy to give you a tour of the new spaces!

Stitch of the Week: Oblique Slav

2010-02-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

The Oblique Slav seems like it would be a breeze to do but sometimes the easiest stitches can turn out to be more of a challenge than originally anticipated. This was the case with the Oblique Slav. Stitchers attending the "Stitch of the Week" class eventually got the hang of this stitch and I even saw one apply it right away to a project that she was working on -- so the message is persevere!

The Oblique Slav is a satin or straight stitch that goes down two horizontal canvas threads and to the left over four vertical canvas threads. The next stitch begins two canvas threads to the right of where you began the first stitch and again you go down two horizontal canvas threads and to the left four vertical canvas threads. The row of stitches begins at the left and proceeds toward the right. When you reach the end of the row and you want to return in the other direction, drop down two horizontal canvas threads beneath where you began the last stitch of the previous row. Come forward in this hole and go up two horizontal canvas threads and to the right four vertical canvas threads.

To summarize: when you are working a row of Oblique Slav stitches from left to right, you will begin your stitches at the top of each stitch (and go down two and to the left four) whereas when you are working a row of stitches from right to left you will begin your stitches at the bottom (and go up two and to the right four). This will provide the maximum amount of thread coverage on the backside of the canvas which will help to compensate for the fact that the Oblique Slav is not a stitch with good backing.

The Oblique Slav is a great stitch for imitating crown molding or decorative trim on clothing. Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson in their wonderful book, Stitches for Effect, recommend using ribbon-type threads for this stitch such as Neon Rays and Shimmer Blend RibbonFloss. Be sure to use a laying tool when working with ribbon-type threads in order to prevent unsightly twisting. Howren and Robertson also suggest using stranded cotton or silk thread (at Rittenhouse Needlepoint these include Embroidery Floss, Splendor or Mandarin Floss).

A most attractive variation on this stitch is two work it diagonally in stripes with different colored threads. Do the first stitch up two horizontal canvas threads and to the right four vertical canvas threads. Begin the second stitch two horizontal canvas threads below and two vertical canvas threads to the left of where you began stitch number one. This "down 2 and to the left 2, then up two and to the right four" procedure is repeated until you reach the bottom of the available space where you will end your thread. Start the next row at the top with a new color.

When the area is completed, fill in the empty spaces at the edge with tent stitches. In general, it is always a good idea to leave compensation for last -- that way you are less likely to get confused especially when you first start working the stitch. Also, be sure not to pull too tightly as this stitch tends to pull the canvas out of shape.

CBK Trunk Show

2010-01-22T16:04:00.001-05:00

CBK Needlepoint Collections from Massachusetts is our latest trunk show. CBK represents a number of different designers including Keep Your Pants On which has, not surprisingly, a large collection of belt canvases. These belts have a range of themes -- sports teams are well represented but so are hobbies and activities.

My favorites are some of the more unusual/whimsical including a great hedgehog design and another one with bow ties.

Also offered for sale at Rittenhouse Needlepoint for a limited time only are the classic canvases of Bettieray Designs. This collection includes traditional florals, charming children's designs, chair seats/bell pulls, affordable Christmas stockings and some great canvases featuring birds including my favorite bird -- the hummingbird. Other featured design themes include frogs, roosters and shells.

Stop by the store today to see these lines before they leave February 6.

Rittenhouse Needlepoint

Upcoming Classes

Stitch of the Week: Chain Stitch

Stitching Every Day

Piano Benches

Small Business Saturday

Needlepoint Your Special Memories

Focus on: Accentuate

Stitch of the Week: Rosemary

Stitch of the Week: Nobuko

Focus on: Mandarin Floss

Stitch of the Week: Milanese

Focus on: Gloriana Lorikeet Wool

Stitch of the Week: Fern Stitch

Bargello In The Media

Stitch of the week: Floral Cross

Stitch of the Week: Fancy

Needlework Accessory Kits

Stitch of the Week: Dutch

Focus on: Neon Rays +

Focus on: Wool & Hoop

Stitch of the Week: Trellis Couching

Focus on: Sublime Stitching

Stitch of the Week: T Stitch

Stitch of the week: Rice Stitch

Stitch of the week: Norwich Stitch

Wearable Needlework

Doodle Stitching

Stitch Painting

Pig Class *Done!*

Bead Embroidery

Stitch of the Week

Stitch Painted Canvases

Purses

Quick Projects Part Two

Accessories and Fun Quick Projects

Crewel

Thread Tasting

Summer Projects

Needlepoint Belt Buckles

Basketweave

Stumpwork

Summer time!

Blackwork

Paris

Flower Show 2011

Portraits in Needlepoint

Custom Painting

Classes

Needlework in Contemporary Art

Cross-stitch

Ribbon Embroidery Class

Valentines Day!

Joetta Maue

Needlepoint Clocks

Needlepoint isn't just for women!

Needlepoint in 3D!

Frederique Morrel

Finishing for the holidays and beyond!

New Products and Trunk Shows!

Great Idea for Shading

Stitch of the Week: Plaited Square

Focus On: Vineyard Merino Wool

Focus On: Alpaca 18

Stitch of the Week: Medieval Mosaic

Focus On: Impressions

Stitch of the Week: Angelis

Stitch of the Week: Arrowhead

Upcoming Classes

Focus On: Crystal Braid

Aviva Trunk Show

Focus On: Vavoom

Stitch of the Week: Paris

What I Am Working On

Birds of a Feather Trunk Show In Store Now

New Vineyard Silk Classic Colors

Stitch of the Week: Double Cross

Focus On: Vineyard Silk Classic

News from the Store

Focus On: Hand-Dyed Impressions

Pig Class Done!