Create Needlepoint!

Holiday Needlepoint

Looking for something fun and fast to needlepoint for the holidays? Tinsel Tangle & HO HO Santa are both on #10 canvas. Most specialty threads work great on #10 canvas if you double strand them. Try a little Christmas in July! For more ideas browse Barbara Bergsten Designs. Barbara Bergsten Designs are sold only through retail shops.

HO HO Santa Threads & Stitches:

Canvas Area	Thread	Stitch
Hat Background	Vineyard Silk #C-007 Holiday	Basketweave Stitch
Hat Polka Dots	Very Velvet V223 Dark Green	Modified Mosaic Stitch
Hat Pom Pom	EdMar Boucle 000 White	Basketweave Stitch
Hat Band	Patent Leather PL1 Black	Mosaic Stitch
Hat Band	Patternayan Persian Wool White	Cushion Stitch
Face	Vineyard Silk #C-130 Blossom	Basketweave Stitch
Cheeks	Vineyard Silk #C-132 Cherry Tree	Basketweave Stitch
Eyes	Patent Leather PL1 Black	Modified Mosaic Stitch
Beard & Mustache	Vineyard Silk #C-104 Evening Haze	Basketweave Stitch
Beard & Mustache	Angora RA01 White	Random Basketweave Stitch
Background	Silk & Ivory 182 Killarney	Basketweave Stitch

BeadPoint Update

Some of the BeadPoint items from the workshop are coming in to be finished. I have some tips! Don’t stitch too tight. You don’t want the beads loose and wobbly, but don’t pull your continental stitch so tight that it pulls your needlepoint canvas out of whack. If you are planning to use your piece as an insert, stitch on row all around with coordinating needlepoint thread. This gives the finisher something to anchor on whilw finishing. If you’ve tried BeadPoint please send me some pictures, I’d love to post them!

Needlepoint Shop Hop

I just got home from a trip to Cape Cod. I did a little Needlepoint Shop Hopping on the way.

Expressions In Needleart, 110 S Main St. Canandaigua, New York 14424 Phone: (585) 394-4870

Stitchin’ Post, 17 Phila St. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Phone: (518) 587-9636

Needlepoint Shop & Knitting, 1573 Fall River Ave. Seekonk, Massachusetts 02771 Phone: (508) 336-8485

The Needleworker, 1 Bridge St. S Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02748 Phone: (508) 999-2477

Town-Ho Needleworks, 1912 Main St. Brewster, Massachusetts 02631 Phone: (508) 896-3000

Needleworks of Cape Cod, 95A Davis Straits Falmouth, Massachusetts 02540 Phone: (508) 495-0203 http://www.needleworksofcapecod.com/

Christine's Osterville Needlepoint 846A Main St. Osterville, Massachusetts 02655 Phone: (508) 428-4455

Henley's Needlepoint & Fibers 44 Main St. Edgartown, Massachusetts 02539 Phone: (508) 627-3959 www.mvhenley.com

It was great to see so many different shops and meet such nice people!

Beach Umbrellas Water

I started a little of the water on the Beach Umbrellas needlepoint canvas. I chose the T-Stitch for the water. The fiber is Vineyard Silk C-087 Brilliant. I doubled the thread because I don’t like too much canvas showing through with the T-Stitch. I might go back and add some beads in the empty canvas to make the water sparkle, but I want to see how busy the umbrellas look first.

Planning a needlepoint canvas

When I’m planning to stitch a new needlepoint canvas I make a color copy of the canvas. Then I write on the copy my ideas for threads and stitches. I put it in a plastic page protector so it doesn’t smear on anything. I don’t always follow my notes but at least I have a starting place.

Beach Umbrellas

I finished painting the needlepoint beach umbrella insert. I’m trying to design sizes that are diverse. This insert will fit the Stirling needlepoint cases, and could be cropped down a little to fit some Lee bags or add borders on each side or a vertical monogram to fit more. It could also be a sunglass case, tray insert, pillow insert or framed. I’m off to Wool & Willow to pick some threads. I had many in my stash but want to look for a sky and water color!

Beach Umbrellas Needlepoint Insert

I’ve started a new series of designs. Beach Umbrellas! A friend of mine had a picture of beach umbrellas and I could see all the potential for colors, threads, and stitches. I usually start out small to see if the stitch painting will work. I’m going to stitch it up to see what fibers and stitches fit the shapes. Soon look for some new Beach Umbrellas needlepoint canvases!

BeadPoint Coin Purse Finished

Here is my BeadPoint (vs. needlepoint) coin purse finished. Everyone that sees it says, “I can’t do that it looks too hard.” BeadPoint is easy! If you can stitch the continental needlepoint stitch you can BeadPoint. I recommend starting with a small project so you have a quick success. It’s a great 2 hour workshop for a Needlepoint Shop.

Needlepoint Fiber Organization

Yesterday I saw a great way to organize needlepoint fibers. She put each type of fiber in a plastic sheet protector and kept them all in wide 3-ring binders. The binders were easy to carry to the needlepoint shop in a tote bag.

Needlepoint to BeadPoint

I designed the set of Staffordshire Cottages while working at a lovely antique shop where I was surrounded by all types of Staffordshire pieces. I stitched Cottage 6 using different needlepoint threads and stitches. I loved the transformation from a simple canvas to embellished needlepoint stand up. Yesterday at the BeadPoint Workshop one of the stitchers picked a pair of the Staffordshire Cottages to beadpoint. She is planning to frame the pair. As a designer it is so exciting to see what wonderful ideas each stitcher brings to the designs I have painted. They certainly take them further than I could ever imagine!