Tuesday Tips - Choosing your fabric

The type of fabric you choose can really do wonders for the project you are working on. It can change the texture and add to (or detract from) the artistic style. The weave style, color, and fibers all add to the perfect piece of cross stitch or embroidery fabric.

Weave Style
Most beginner projects are done on even weave fabric called Aida. This fabric comes with nice, neat squares that make it very convenient to match up with the graph lines of your chart. It helps makes basic cross stitches evenly spaced and symmetrical. However, you can see the fabric more clearly in your background.

For more detailed projects, you might want something a little more sophisticated. This may call for a smaller weave fabric like linen or, one of my favorites, Jobelan. Having a smaller weave fabric keeps the background of the design smooth and fresh-looking. Also, creating partial stitches is easier with a smaller weave because you don’t have to try to poke your needle through a mass of fabric – the hole already exists. However, you must be more careful of the tension of your stitches to keep them neat and even.

Uneven weave linen can be more difficult to stitch on because the thread rows are not the same. Distortion of your project may occur. I have not had the opportunity to work on such fabric, so I can’t give a personal account. (Quite frankly, it scares me a little!)

Color
There are so many colors available in fabric choices. Of course, there is the standard white and antique white, but you can work on red, blue, black, pink, or virtually any other color of the rainbow. Your choice may depend on many factors:

1. the color of the room where you will put the final product
2. your choice of complimentary or contrasting color of the design
3. whatever scraps of fabric you have in your inventory

To add to your choices, you not only have solid colors, but hand dyed fabrics as well. These can come in opalescent and other marbled colors that really add texture to your finished piece. A hand dyed blue may be a great look as a cloudy sky on a landscape piece. Here is an example of Silkweaver’s Expressions “Blue Fusion” on Lugana.

Pre-printed fabrics are also available that have a small screen-print design, like hearts, gingham, or stripes.

My tip on color revolves around darkness: dark colors are much more difficult to stitch on so make sure you have plenty of light. It also helps to have something light-colored behind your fabric, on your lap or other work surface, so that you can more easily see the holes.

Fibers
Popular Aida fabrics are created with cotton fibers. Plain, easy to wash, and durable. But there are others: metallic, silk, rayon, perforated paper, and waste canvas.

The softer rayon/cotton blends have a nice sheen to them and are very easy to handle. Many also do not wrinkle easily. Linen and a new piece of Aida can be a bit stiff until you’ve worked with it a while. Metallic is usually a cotton fabric with a few strands of metallic thread woven through to create a look that shimmers. You have to see this style in person, pictures don’t do it justice.

Perforated paper is exactly that: thick paper with holes in it. This is often used to create ornaments or bookmarks because of its durability. It comes in either a plain sheet or pre-cut designs like hearts or doilies. Go to the Kreinik Tokens and Trifles website to see more examples.

Waste canvas is used as a guide for stitching on a piece of fabric that is not made for cross stitch, like a shirt or table linen. You stitch the canvas on top of the shirt just as you would any other project. Upon completion, you simply wet the fabric and gently pull out the waste canvas from the under the stitches, leaving your image untouched.

So, as you can see, it’s not just the pattern that makes your work stand out. The fabric is the foundation of your masterpiece.

Friday Fun Finds - Think Spring!

I don’t know about you but I think I’ve had enough snow to last me quite a while! So this week I am “Thinking Spring!” with my Etsy finds.

For Valentines Day, there was a chalkboard placemat. For Spring, we have chalkboard pots by Chalk Notes. These 5” pots hold your pretty spring buds and have a little space where you can write a quick note! They come in five different colors: pink, purple, yellow, green, and cream.

Now that it’s getting warmer (or supposed to be!), we need to think about getting outside to play. And who doesn’t like bubbles? As a musician, I just love this Treble Clef Bubble Wand by Purple Bus Studios. It is almost 8” long and made of copper wire and colored glass beads of your choice. My kitties would love to chase the bubbles this creates!

And after having all that fun outdoors, you’ll probably have some pictures to display. So put them in one of these “Cool Spools” by Iris Blue Artworks. Made from vintage sewing spools, the curled wire is just flexible enough to hold your pictures, notes, or whatever else you can think of. These come in lots of fun colors and designs, so of course I choose the kitty design. :-)

All pictures were used with permission from Etsy sellers.

Thursday Threads - Basic Tools of the Trade

My first Thursday Threads article is going to focus on the basic “tools of the trade” for cross stitch and embroidery. Future articles may go into more details, so I’ll just touch on them here. They are very similar items between the two crafts. In a nutshell, the items are: needles, thread, fabric, a hoop, and scissors.

Fabric
The most popular cross stitch fabric is called Aida. It is an even weave fabric with pre-defined squares that correspond to your pattern. It comes in many counts (squares per inch): 11, 14, 16, 18.

Another popular favorite is linen. This can come in even weave and uneven weave (or natural linen). Linen usually comes in much higher counts, making it necessary to stitch “over 2:” 25, 28, and 32 counts are popular.

One of my favorites is an even weave fabric called Jobelan. The threads are very well defined and make for a wonderfully smooth background on my larger pieces.

Most fabric comes in many colors, including hand dyed that can have a mottled color look. This adds an interesting look and texture to your pieces.

Needles
The needle used for embroidery and cross stitch is called a tapestry needle and is a little different than your typical sewing needle. For one, it is not as sharp. The tip is blunt because the sharpness is unnecessary due to the nature of the fabric used. As discussed, most cross stitch fabric already has holes in it to align your stitches so the sharp point is usually not warranted.

Also, tapestry needles can be shorter to allow you to work up to those last 2 inches of thread, causing less waste.

And finally, the eye of the needle is larger to allow for multiple strands. Most cross stitching is done with 2 or 3 strands of thread, so this larger eye makes threading the needle much easier.

Typical tapestry needle sizes are 22, 24, 26, or 28. Size 24 is most popular, while size 28 is shorter than the others. They can come in platinum and gold plated as well, for added durability and reducing the likelihood of tarnishing from use.

Thread
Embroidery thread (also called floss) comes in a skein (for knitters, this is similar to a hank) or bundle, with each thread consisting of six strands. Since most stitching is not done with all six strands, you must be able to separate the thread into the appropriate number to use.

DMC, Anchor, and J&P Coats are popular embroidery floss manufacturers. DMC probably has the widest color selection and is found in most stores. There are also variations on thread type (silk, rayon, metallic, pearl), but the 100% cotton threads are your most popular.

My biggest tip on threads is to not mix manufacturers within a stitched piece as the texture may vary from one to another!

Hoops
In order to maintain an even texture and weave, you need to be able to keep your fabric taught. Stitching by holding the fabric in your hand will create a lumpy look because the tension between each stitch is different. Putting your fabric in an embroidery hoop creates a flat surface to work on.

Hoops also come in many sizes and styles. It is recommended to work with a hoop that fits the size of the piece you are working on. The most popular hoop is a round wooden hoop. I use this style the most. I’ve had the same hoop for so many years, it has worn to a nice smooth finish! However, extended use may cause cramping in your hands. Which brings me to another style…

… called a Q-snap. This type is made from plastic tubing and creates a square frame. It is larger than the wooden hoop, making it easier to hold especially if you have any arthritis or other muscular issues in your hands and arms. I have had an issue with this style when working on darker fabric: the white plastic may leave marks that are difficult to wash out.

For either of these hand-held hoops, you should always remove the hoop when you are not stitching to reduce hoop marks and crushing of the threads.

If you are working on a large piece, a giant hoop may not be practical. For these projects, you may want to invest in a frame, either lap size or free standing. These come with scroll bars so you can move your fabric easily without wrinkling it as you stitch from one area to another. I’ve not had much success with these myself, but I hear they are great to use on big pieces. I must not have bought a good one like this…

Scissors

It may seem obvious, but scissors are also a necessity for your stitching. But they should be small sharp scissors, not the ones out of the kitchen drawer. Most embroidery scissors are 4” or 5” long. Keeping them sharp allows more precise snipping of the thread on the back of your fabric.

A tip to keep from losing them between the seat cushions: tie a long piece of ribbon to them to hang around your neck or just have as an extension. Much easier to find!

(This is pretty fancy!)


 
 
 
Note: all of my suggestions are available on ABC Stitch Therapy.

Etsy shop update - new listings!

Boy, I can get so much stitching done when I don't have to go to my day job!  While I've been snowbound this week by 30 inches of the white stuff, I have finished and listed the following 3 projects and posted them in my shop.

8" x 10" framed Old Irish Blessing
This popular blessing was inspired by a gift I received from an old friend as a housewarming present.  It has become one of my favorite sayings as the words bring comfort to my heart.

Bookmark  - "Is it getting good?"

This is another one of my vinyl weave bookmarks, featuring a cute brown puppy.  He is anxiously awaiting the exciting climax of the story you are reading.

Magnet - "Call your mother, she worries."

Good advice for all those busy, young people out there.  Just give them a gentle reminder to call home now and then.

Friday Fun Finds - Valentines for You!

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I thought I’d do a search on Etsy of fun V-Day stuff. There are hundreds of items to chose from, so here’s just a sampling…

First up, is a chalkboard placemat by Custom Kid’s Shop. It is geared towards keeping kids busy at mealtime, but why can’t you leave a (not so) subtle hint for your sweetie about dinner plans?

Next, it’s time for a game. Tiny Mishap’s sells a set of 2 or 3 Valentine’s Bingo cards. Play with your single friends or just check them off as the week goes by. Get your daubers out!

And finally, something to snuggle up with. These pillows from Sofa Garden make it quite clear what is on your mind this Valentine’s Day.  They look pretty comfy even without a special someone!

So make sure you have a little fun this Hallmark Holiday!

Tuesday Tips - Patterns, Patterns Everywhere!

There are so many cross stitch patterns (a.k.a. charts), kits, and designs out there. How do you choose?

What to stitch may be the most difficult question. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you want to create something for yourself or a friend?
2. Do you want to create a picture or other home décor item?
3. For the image, do you want natural scenery, animals, people, or words?
4. How big do you want the item to be?

Once you get an idea of what you want to stitch, determine your experience level. For beginners, there are many kits available. I like kits because they come with just about everything you need to start stitching – chart, needle, thread, and fabric. The only thing you need to own is an embroidery hoop and scissors. You might even find some that come with a hoop you can use for stitching as well as finishing.

Usually beginner projects come as small ornaments since it is easier to do a small project when you are just starting out. Lots of good examples can be found here at 123stitch.com.

There are also weekend kits, designed to be completed in a weekend. These are a little more detailed. You can find all sorts of kits at WeekendKits.com.

Then there are the more advanced charts and kits. Dimensions Gold kits are some of my favorite kits. Some have metallic threads and beads for accents. The thread sorter cards are also a real timesaver, after you finish sorting that is! Putting in a little extra organizational time before you start stitching will really pay in the end. Most colors are pretty straight forward, but make sure you have good lighting when sorting. “Light gold” and “light yellow-orange” may look very similar but serve very different purposes in your pattern!

Now that you have your pattern, how do you read it?

Charts are printed to look like graph paper. Each square contains a symbol that represents a specific thread color. Some graphs are also color-coded, making it easier to read. There is a key included that shows the symbol, color (and number), and number of strands to stitch with. If you are using your own thread, then you are probably using DMC or Anchor brand embroidery floss. Each of these threads are identified with a number. For example, black in DMC is 310 but in Anchor it is 403, so make sure you are using the right brand indicated in the pattern or you could get some interesting color combinations!

If you are using Aida fabric, the most common cross stitch fabric, each square corresponds to a square on your chart. For higher count fabrics where you are “stitching over 2,” a square in the chart is essentially 4 tiny squares in your fabric. (We’ll get to the tougher stuff like this at a later date.)

So there you have it. A few tips on getting started choosing a pattern and what the chart looks like.

Time to Get Organized!

So now that we are well into 2010, I decided it’s time to get this blog organized. It started off as a way to showcase some of the neat things I see on Etsy but then morphed into something more personal. Now that I’ve reconsidered things, I think I’m going to try a more methodical approach: an actual craft blog. What a concept!

My hope is to post more regularly about topics that interest cross-stitchers (in particular) and other crafty-types. There will be some “how to’s,” some product reviews, some Etsy items that strike my fancy, and the occasional update on what project I’m working on. Here’s the general outline:

• Tuesday Tips: stitching tips and “how to’s"
• Thursday Threads: reviews and tips on stitching supplies, fabrics, and threads
• Friday Fun Finds: Etsy items, products, and other stuff I find on the web I want to share with you

I know you can go to many different blogs and websites and find similar topics, but maybe my experiences will give you another view on cross-stitching and needlecrafts. Please feel free to comment anytime or share your own tips relevant to the topic!