Tips, Hints and Fun Info

This is a monthly Tips and other Fun Info feature on my blog.  As I am doing projects I often discover new ways of doing stitches or ways to solve problem situations.  I am going to us this page to record this info so I can retrieve it. I hope it will help others and I welcome your feedback.

March 2011

While taking the Betty Chen Louis class I was reminded the importance of basting evenly when you have a long run.  I had to baste across 106 threads and up 326 threads.  Counting that many threads correctly is a challenge (especially on Congress cloth ).  I basted over/under every 5 threads.  That made counting the long sides much easier.

 

 

February 2011

My most recent project, Galaxy, reminded me that when working on a large project it is often easier to stitch with the design upside down at times.  CHART MUST ALSO BE UPSIDE DOWN

Sometimes a large project get boring when you are out in the middle….with new projects waiting in the wings.  To keep going I look at each area as a completed project.  So I get that good feeling of finishing something many times on a large project.  I do not have may UFO’s.  I know this is against the rules but I really like to finish things.  I have a drawer of finished projects that are in my “stack”.  I have no idea what I will eventually do with them all.  My kids will probably have to decide. It is the “doing”  that I love. (maybe I am adicted to the doing).

November 2010

I mentioned needle blending with my Orchid project,  I thought it would be a good technique to put in this page.Try this with a simple 4 step 2 bargello pattern. That is a stitch over four canvas threads with a move up or down of two canvas threads.

Take four values of floss (or silk), Using six ply follow this:

Row 1: Begin with the lightest or darkest value depending on what color progression you want to   achieve. Use all 6 ply of color 1

Row 2: Use 3 ply of color 1 and 3 ply of color 2

Row 3: Use 6 ply of color 2

Row 4: Use 3 ply of color 2 and 3 ply of color 3

Row 5: Use  6 ply of color 3

Row 6: Use 3 ply of color 3 and 3 ply of color 4

Row 7: Use 6 ply of color 4

You can see how this is developing. 4 original colors results in 7 value changes.  If you use only three original colors you will get 5 value changes and if you use more than 4 original colors you will get more value changes.  This is a technique that I like to use for bargello.

July 2010

Sometimes a direction in a chart will have me scratching my head as to WHY.  I sometimes think that I know a better way.  In my current project, Discovery, Jean Hilton cautions to be sure that when working with Neon Rays that they lay flat on the back as well as on the front.  Lay them on both sides !!!! I decided to do a test to see what the difference would be if I just stitched, laying only on the front or if I layed on both sides.  I should know better than to question Jeans directions.  I makes a big difference.  If the Neon Ray is not smooth on the back it comes forward twisted and is more difficult to get to cover properly on the front.

June 2010

While traveling this summer I have gotten behind with my monthly tips so I will try to catch up.  While working on my Background Sampler I was reminded that a darning stitch pattern should NOT be stopped and started in the middle of a row.  With darning patterns the thread shows underneath the holes as you stitch so if you stop in the middle and start again you leave a hole uncovered……and it is very noticeable.

May 2010

Something that I do almost without thinking is to use the length of my stretcher bars to roughly measure the length of my stitching thread.  I tend to use long lengths which is not the best idea as with some threads the texture and shine of the thread will change as the thread gets pulled through the canvas. Pearl cotten is a good example.  I MUST try to work with shorter lengths to keep the twist and shine even. I try to keep my endings and startings to a minimum……I would like to focus more on the effect on the front not worry about the back

April 2010

While working on Flying Geese I was reminded how to stitch with highlighters to find out why my counting was in error. In the center of the design there is a background area that I first thought was all the same.  When stitching I just could not get the count right on the uphill diagonals.  By taking my highlighters and using a different color for each row I discovered that the design was not the same.  I have done this in the past but had forgotten it since I haven’t used the process in a while.  I use highlighters a lot and I recommend the change of colors for each row to help determine the pattern and the stitch sequence.

March 2010

When using several values of the same color be sure to place all threads of one color back in it’s bag or tied on its card before going on to the next color.  It is SO easy to get the colors mixed us if seversl threads are laying loose on your worktable.  I use several values of the same color when doing bargello.  Not keeping the values separate has caused me a lot of “frog work”

January 2010

It has taken me a while to add to my Tips and Hints.  A very small thing that I do almost without thinking is to keep a sharp needle, size equal to the tapestry needle that I am using on my project, on the magnet on the back of my project.  I use this to end my threads.  My reason for this is that the sharp needle will pierce the threads and make a more secure ending.

February 2010

How easy it is to forget the basics….. When turning your canvas upside down so your stitching area is closer to you be sure to turn the chart upside down.  I forgot to do this in one area of my Hearts Gone Wild project and because it was only tent stitch I did not realize that I was going in the wrong direction until I had many hours invested…..it became a design change