Bristly Thistle Needlepoint News

I was so enthused that Julia’s Needleworks now represents the JB line that I stitched this roll-up nutcracker “Partridge in a Pear Tree” in record time. I will be making stitch guides for the entire series of the 12 days of Christmas. And then there are the large standup Santas in my stash…I see Swarovski crystals in my future. (Click on this picture to see the detail.) (posted by Michele)

Well it’s one week later and we are in controlled chaos in the store. Our new store has fresh white painted walls, parquet wood floors and lots of natural light for matching colors. Upstairs we have a classroom area, stitching area and a photography area for our web pictures. We are still in boxes and finding canvases is sometimes challenging, but we are all excited with our new space. We installed slat wall on one wall of the store which allowed us to take threads out of baskets and boxes. It makes it seem as though we increased our thread inventory by 25%–now we can see even more possibilities when we pull threads for a canvas. See the inside pictures on our website! (posted by Michele)

I love this Goodnight Moon canvas. I have such fond memories of reading that book to our daughters and I think it would be a perfect gift (perhaps with the book) for a new baby or a young child.

You can see more new items from Silver Needle and other designers on our website. (posted by Michele)

As a reward for stitching class models, I let myself work on a couple of small projects for myself at the end of the day.

I pulled this Heart canvas from my before-store stash. I worked the red and pink areas in basketweave using Petite Very Velvet and Trebizond. While stitching with the Trebizond, I found that longer lengths tended to shred at the end, so I began using 12-14” lengths. Because I hate ripping out, I needed to save the areas that were obviously worn. I took a 12” length of Trebizond and split it into thirds. I threaded one strand on my needle and went over the distressed areas. For perfectionists, this won’t work, but I don’t think anyone will get into the tree to scrutinize this ornament that closely.

I had never really appreciated Kreinik’s Japan gold braid until I stitched this canvas. I had intended to bead all of the gold areas and then came to my senses. I found the gold braid stitch in June McKnight’s book “Needlepoint Borders”. The stitch is a large cross with reversing mosaic ties done with #12 braid. I then couched the braid horizontally above and below the border using a strand of the Japan gold itself to attach it. The bottom of the center medallion is a fern variation. For the swirly lines, I again couched #12 Kreinik Japan gold braid. The floral motifs were going to be gold-plated beads, but I found they stood out from the canvas too much. I had tried the lazy daisy stitch with #12, but it was too bulky. Finally, I took #8 Japan gold braid and stitched lazy daisies with French knots in the centers. They look like gold peas in gold pods.

I’ve always wanted to take the time to learn goldwork. Until I can find that time, I think this “faux goldwork” is something I will use again.

Yesterday I started my buying by going down every aisle of the cavernous Long Beach convention center. The booth that drew me back first was DJ Designs. I bought a number of canvases, including several in the series inspired by Zapotec tapestries. The chair in the photo was in the booth—it was beautifully stitched and beaded and quite striking. You can see more new canvases on our website.

There are more canvases from DJ Designs on our website too. (posted by Michele)

I am stitching this canvas for our local Humane Society’s annual auction. Now if only our dog could read…. See more canine related canvases our web site. Cats too! (posted by Michele)

This canvas portrays many of the things that make Michigan unique. Think Cherry Festivals, golf, sailing, water skiing, morel mushroom hunting, snow skiing and sightseeing. And don’t forget that Henry Ford kicked off the American automobile industry in Michigan.

Not a Michigander? This artist paints many cities and states in this series, such as Hilton Head, Illinois, Virginia, Wyoming and Boston. Email us with your request.
(posted by Michele)

This canvas is so much fun to stitch! I’ve completed the hat body, the shirt, the apron bib, the bucket and the leaves. I have stitched the basketweave that lies under the sunflower petals. Next: complete the border and the bunny’s face. You might notice that the stitches used for the shirt and the metal bucket are very similar, but the effects produced by using different threads make them look completely different.

This project is going quickly because the stitch guide keeps you from getting bored!

I just finished the very best needlepoint class I have ever had at a TNNA conference! The artist (Denise DeRusha) calls the canvas “Sunny Bunny”, and the class guide teaches dimensional stitches. I can’t wait to finish the model because I will be teaching “Sunny Bunny” in May at The Bristly Thistle. Stay tuned for photos of the finished model and the class dates.