Dear stitching friends,
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The online Needlework Show is coming up in April! The show will be open from
April 19-24, so mark your calendars! Anyone can browse, but this is a
wholesale show, so only registered retailers can buy. Registration is free
until April 16. Retailers, why not have a show day in your shop and let your
customers help you shop? There are door prizes, a fun scavenger hunt, and lots
of fabulous needlework designs!
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Preparation is 90% of the Job
When the man at Home Depot told us that, we really didn't want to hear it! You
know, moving furniture, spreading drop cloths, masking trim, etc. before you
start slapping the paint on! But many of our correspondents agree, blending
your colors before you start to stitch saves tons of time! Then, when you need
a blended color, it's right there ready for you.
One system we've heard about is to blend a whole skein length! Wind your
colors onto bobbins. Then pull one strand from a color you need to blend, and
wind the entire length of that strand onto a "scratch" bobbin. (This unwinds
and bunches up the other 5 strands - you will have to wind that back onto
its bobbin.) Then do the same with the second color, using a second "scratch"
bobbin. Then merge the 2 individual strands onto a card marked for the blend.
Obviously, using a bobbin winder is important to this technique! You may need
a little more floss if you do it this way, but you would not have to replenish
your blends very often, which is a good thing.
Others just do one length of 2 strands at a time, but get all the blends ready
before starting to stitch. There are intermediate systems as well, such as
cutting a length of 6-strand floss of both colors, blending one strand of each
color, and then keeping the rest of the cut floss (2 lengths of 5 strands) with
the blended strands, so they're handy when you need to blend more. Remember,
if you are going to cut the floss before blending, always cut the floss to a
standard length (whatever you like), since colors are used in many different combinations.
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Robyn Enz, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, suggested the lovely portrait of Madame X
by John Singer Sargent, and received a complimentary large-print copy of
the pattern. You may
be surprised to hear that this seemingly innocuous portrait created quite a
scandal in its day -- but Sargent originally painted her with one strap fallen
from her shoulder, which, combined with the pose, was way too suggestive for 1884.
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| New patterns! Click any picture for a closer look. |
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Lady with Unicorn:
Sense of Taste |
The Great Trees, Mariposa Grove, California
Albert Bierstadt
| Madame X
John Singer Sargent |
The Creation of Adam (detail without background)
Michelangelo Buonarroti
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This newsletter is a service to our members. To change your
membership status,
click here.
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Copyright © 2006 Scarlet Quince, LLC. All rights reserved.
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