Nuts about Needlepoint

For a multitude of reasons, I am retiring, In publication since the mid-nineties, Nuts about Needlepoint will only be updated ireegularly. Existing content will conti nue to be available, If you want to see posts, either subscribe to the blog or join the Nuts Facebook group (kinks in sidebar).

Retirement Notice – Nuts about Needlepoint For a multitude of reasons, I am retiring, In publication since the mid-nineties, Nuts about Needlepoint will only be updated ireegularly. Existing content will conti nue to be available, If you want to see posts, either subscribe to the blog or join the Nuts Facebook group (kinks in sidebar). About...

With my computer in the shop and allow recovery,Nuts is on vacation until Feb. 1. In February, I'll be making decisions about this site's future updates. 7

Continued Vacation – Nuts about Needlepoint With my computer in the shop and allow recovery,Nuts is on vacation until Feb. 1. In February, I’ll be making decisions about this site’s future updates. 7 About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her f...

Updated January 7, 2024. Yes, your choice of stitches and threads makes for a unique piece of needlepoint. But by going a step or so further, you can make many needlepoints even more personal. I made a Kathy Schenkel baseball nutcracker for my DH of his favorite team, the Oakland A's that's hanging on the needlepoint tree in my office. But my DH is a serious student of the game (baseball fan to those of us who are not) and so the uniform must be right....

Customizing a Hand-Painted Canvas – Nuts about Needlepoint Updated January 7, 2024. Yes, your choice of stitches and threads makes for a unique piece of needlepoint. But by going a step or so further, you can make many needlepoints even more personal. I made a Kathy Schenkel baseball nutcracker for my DH of his favorite team, the Oakland A’s that’s hang...

Updated January 5, 2024. As beads and embellishments become more popular, stitchers look for ways to store and organize beads, sequins, and other small embellishments. Whatever you pick, look for these features. Clear - A label may not be enough to tell color. Your containers should be clear, not translucent. Small - Many bead containers are too big for the small amount of beads we use....

Ideas for Storing Your Beads – Nuts about Needlepoint Updated January 5, 2024. As beads and embellishments become more popular, stitchers look for ways to store and organize beads, sequins, and other small embellishments. Whatever you pick, look for these features. Clear – A label may not be enough to tell color. Your containers should be clear, not ...

Because of ongoing health problems, I'm taking a blog vacation until January 22. I'd appreciate your prayers for me.

Blog Vacation – Nuts about Needlepoint Because of ongoing health problems, I’m taking a blog vacation until January 22. I’d appreciate your prayers for me. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, exte...

sorry no picture available DebBee's Designs has a delightful sparkly snowman design as a free gift. You'll find lots of great stitches in an ornament-sized design

Winter Snowman Freebie – Nuts about Needlepoint sorry no picture available DebBee’s Designs has a delightful sparkly snowman design as a free gift. You’ll find lots of great stitches in an ornament-sized design About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves fro...

Don't succumb to the temptation to leave scraps of yarn and thread out for birds building nests. Learn why it's bad in this article from Interweave.

Beware of Yarn Scraps for Nest Building – Nuts about Needlepoint Don’t succumb to the temptation to leave scraps of yarn and thread out for birds building nests. Learn why it’s bad in this article from Interweave. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for...

Lots of designers have announced new canvases arriving soon or in the spring. West Village Knit And Needle in NYC has a new exclusive series of five London pubs. They are the Churchill Arms, The Pelican, The Holly Bush, The Spaniard, and The Lamb & Flag. They also have an exclusive series of NYC coasters. Stitch Rock has four new Christmas stamps, all on 13 mesh....

New Year, New Products – Nuts about Needlepoint Lots of designers have announced new canvases arriving soon or in the spring. West Village Knit And Needle in NYC has a new exclusive series of five London pubs. They are the Churchill Arms, The Pelican, The Holly Bush, The Spaniard, and The Lamb & Flag. They also have an exclusive series of NYC coa...

Over on her blog, Jane Wood has interviews with the two Needlepoint Dads. You can also hear an interview with them on Fiber Talk and see all their designs on their site.

Interview with the Needlepoint Dads – Nuts about Needlepoint Over on her blog, Jane Wood has interviews with the two Needlepoint Dads. You can also hear an interview with them on Fiber Talk and see all their designs on their site. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves....

My DH had a very bad cold last week. I've got it this week. And I'm in the midst of the worst days. My nose is stuffed, I cough, and I took a 2.5-hour nap this afternoon. At least I have three lovely needlepoint nativities to enjoy. The only complete one is the tiny Nedledeeva nativity, pictured above. Then there is the almost complete Design Gallery Teeny Tiny nativity below, which is missing a king....

Christmas Cold Blues – Nuts about Needlepoint My DH had a very bad cold last week. I’ve got it this week. And I’m in the midst of the worst days. My nose is stuffed, I cough, and I took a 2.5-hour nap this afternoon. At least I have three lovely needlepoint nativities to enjoy. The only complete one is the tiny Nedledeeva […]

Each year EGA gives out its Golden Needle Award to excellent needlework pieces in several categories. See the 2023 winners and learn about the categories in this post.

EGA's Golden Needle Awards – Nuts about Needlepoint Each year EGA gives out its Golden Needle Award to excellent needlework pieces in several categories. See the 2023 winners and learn about the categories in this post. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves fr...

Merry Christmas! Thanks to the good folks at Chapparal, we have three video visits to needlepoint homes at Christmas. Enjoy your visits to Katherine Roberts, Patricia Sone, and The Curious Cowgirl.

Tours of Needlepoint Homes at Christmas – Nuts about Needlepoint Merry Christmas! Thanks to the good folks at Chapparal, we have three video visits to needlepoint homes at Christmas. Enjoy your visits to Katherine Roberts, Patricia Sone, and The Curious Cowgirl. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teache...

Updated December 24, 2023. Kreinik has a wonderful article on their blog with five tips for stitching with silk threads. It took me a long time after a disastrous experience to try stitching with silk a second time, but, to be quite honest, I vastly prefer silk to cotton for my everyday stitching. You'll discover tips that will help you overcome many of the objections people have to using silk. You'll also learn a little bit about why silk is so beautiful.

Tips for Stitching with Silk – Nuts about Needlepoint Updated December 24, 2023. Kreinik has a wonderful article on their blog with five tips for stitching with silk threads. It took me a long time after a disastrous experience to try stitching with silk a second time, but, to be quite honest, I vastly prefer silk to cotton for my everyday stitching. Y...

Tour a Louisville-area condo with more than 1000 pieces of needlepoint at Christmas time in this article from The Courier Journal.

Needlepoint Eye Candy, Christmas Condo – Nuts about Needlepoint Tour a Louisville-area condo with more than 1000 pieces of needlepoint at Christmas time in this article from The Courier Journal. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techni...

Updated December 22, 2023. Japan Thread is a term for a type of metallic thread that is similar to the metals used in traditional metallic embroidery. Over the past several years Kreinik has greatly increased the number of colors of Japan Thread available and the number of sizes. Kreinik posted an article on their blog about Japan Threads and how to use them…...

What Are Japan Threads? – Nuts about Needlepoint Updated December 22, 2023. Japan Thread is a term for a type of metallic thread that is similar to the metals used in traditional metallic embroidery. Over the past several years Kreinik has greatly increased the number of colors of Japan Thread available and the number of sizes. Kreinik posted an a...

Monday's column discussed awning stripes as a design trend for next year. Today's column will look at the two kinds of awning stripes, even and uneven, and look at some ways to use uneven stripes in needlepoint. Creating Even Stripes It's extremely easy to make an even stripe in needlepoint. Decide on how wide you want the stripe to be, and then mark your canvas into stripes that wide from one side to the other....

Awning Stripe Needlepoint – Nuts about Needlepoint Monday’s column discussed awning stripes as a design trend for next year. Today’s column will look at the two kinds of awning stripes, even and uneven, and look at some ways to use uneven stripes in needlepoint. Creating Even Stripes It’s extremely easy to make an even stripe in needlepoint. D...

Find free patterns for delightful coasters using plastic canvas in this column from Craft Gossip. Each coster is described and a link is provided.

Round-up of Free Plastic Canvas Coaster Designs – Nuts about Needlepoint Find free patterns for delightful coasters using plastic canvas in this column from Craft Gossip. Each coster is described and a link is provided. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her i...

While needlepoint tends to outlast trends, it can be great to incorporate design trends into your needlepoint. Here's a rundown of 2024 trends from various sources. In home decor, the operative word is cozy. Enclosed rooms instead of open floor plans are more popular, as are antiques and vintage finds. New and old needlepoint in a classic style fit perfectly with this....

2024 Trends to Incorporate into Needlepoint – Nuts about Needlepoint While needlepoint tends to outlast trends, it can be great to incorporate design trends into your needlepoint. Here’s a rundown of 2024 trends from various sources. In home decor, the operative word is cozy. Enclosed rooms instead of open floor plans are more popular, as are antiques and vintage f...

Thanks to Ada from Eye Candy we have a bonus chart for this bejeweled tree. It uses two threads, seed beads, and four different sequins. Tou can change the green thread to make the tree more traditional.

Sparkly Tree Freebie – Nuts about Needlepoint Thanks to Ada from Eye Candy we have a bonus chart for this bejeweled tree. It uses two threads, seed beads, and four different sequins. Tou can change the green thread to make the tree more traditional. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs,....

Updated December 15, 20232. In modern needlepoint, often we want to leave our background partially unstitched. This is great, except often the color of the canvas limits us. That's where I was last week. It can happen with any canvas and this technique will work on any design a commercial hand-painted canvas needlepoint or your original design to make a lovely background that can then be stitched lightly....

Sponge Painting for a Needlepoint Design Background – Nuts about Needlepoint Updated December 15, 20232. In modern needlepoint, often we want to leave our background partially unstitched. This is great, except often the color of the canvas limits us. That’s where I was last week. It can happen with any canvas and this technique will work on any design a commercial hand-pai...

Several companies have announced new items that will be appearing in your local shop soon. Fire and Iris has a rustic Christmas tree to go with its rustic wreath. The canvas has only the trunk and branches on it; you'll use their extensive written guide to bring it to life. It also has a video guide. The canvas is available as a kit or with the canvas alone....

Christmas 2024 New Needlepoint Products – Nuts about Needlepoint Several companies have announced new items that will be appearing in your local shop soon. Fire and Iris has a rustic Christmas tree to go with its rustic wreath. The canvas has only the trunk and branches on it; you’ll use their extensive written guide to bring it to life. It also has a video [.....

We can talk about the shininess of metallics all we want. We might even purposefully pick a thread based on how shiny it is. But how often have we done side-by-side comparisons? I know I've wanted to for ages but never got around to it. Happily, the folks at KC Needlepoint have done this for us in a blog post…

Seeing Different Metallics – Nuts about Needlepoint We can talk about the shininess of metallics all we want. We might even purposefully pick a thread based on how shiny it is. But how often have we done side-by-side comparisons? I know I’ve wanted to for ages but never got around to it. Happily, the folks at KC Needlepoint have done this for […]

Starting with a Sudberry trivet I made for my future mother-in-law in 1978, I've been a fan of self-finishing. But right now, I'm frustrated because the size we are told an item is is incorrect. I first noticed this with luggage tags and wallets. The non-needlepoint wallets I used for years included an ID card in the windows. I could use the card as a template and the needlepoint fit every time....

Self-finishing Woes – Nuts about Needlepoint Starting with a Sudberry trivet I made for my future mother-in-law in 1978, I’ve been a fan of self-finishing. But right now, I’m frustrated because the size we are told an item is is incorrect. I first noticed this with luggage tags and wallets. The non-needlepoint wallets I used for years incl...

Updated December 10, 2023. With the many different threads and stitches available to us as needlepointers, it's easy to agree with the saying "This is not your Grandmother's needlepoint!" We've come a long way from the days when endless streams of Continental were done by dignified ladies. This is a very good thing. Having so many threads to choose from, and so many stitches at our disposal makes making lovely needle art easy -- or is it?...

Stitching Order & Focal Points in Needlepoint – Nuts about Needlepoint Updated December 10, 2023. With the many different threads and stitches available to us as needlepointers, it’s easy to agree with the saying “This is not your Grandmother’s needlepoint!” We’ve come a long way from the days when endless streams of Continental were done by dignified ladies....

Savannah magazine has an article on their site highlighting the new popularity of needlepoint.

Not your Mother's Needlepoint – Nuts about Needlepoint Savannah magazine has an article on their site highlighting the new popularity of needlepoint. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and genero...

A while ago, I read about this neat technique by Brenda Hart. You stitch the entire canvas in one stitch, preferably in a single thread. I loved the examples I saw and wanted to try it. But I couldn't find the right canvas in my stash. I couldn't find the right thread if I found a good canvas. Finally, I found a great design with this new round from Jenny Henry....

Trying Brenda's Single Stitch Canvas – Nuts about Needlepoint A while ago, I read about this neat technique by Brenda Hart. You stitch the entire canvas in one stitch, preferably in a single thread. I loved the examples I saw and wanted to try it. But I couldn’t find the right canvas in my stash. I couldn’t find the right thread if I found […]

I'm a bit under the weather. I'll be back on Thursday.

No Post Today – Nuts about Needlepoint I’m a bit under the weather. I’ll be back on Thursday. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer ...

Looking to add tinsel to your Christmas needlepoint? Kreinik's micro-ice chenille easily creates the look of tinsel in metallic colors. I used it on the tree in this KCN round. The realistic finish makes the tree the focal point. Micro-ice Chenille comes in three-meter spools and is available in 15 colors. The size and texture of this thread mean you cannot stitch with it; you must couch it....

Micro-ice Chenille Product Review – Nuts about Needlepoint Looking to add tinsel to your Christmas needlepoint? Kreinik’s micro-ice chenille easily creates the look of tinsel in metallic colors. I used it on the tree in this KCN round. The realistic finish makes the tree the focal point. Micro-ice Chenille comes in three-meter spools and is available in 1...

In this article on Piecework's site, Deanna Hall West discusses Velvet Stitch. It's a looped stitch, like Turkeywork, that has a cross stitch holding the loop. You'll find detailed instructions and diagrams in the article.

Velvet Stitch, Another Way to Do Turkeywork – Nuts about Needlepoint In this article on Piecework’s site, Deanna Hall West discusses Velvet Stitch. It’s a looped stitch, like Turkeywork, that has a cross stitch holding the loop. You’ll find detailed instructions and diagrams in the article. About Janet M PerryJanet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on n...

This lovely Pippin Studio canvas is called Jerusalem. I love it and am stitching it currently (the stitch guide will be available in early 2024 in my Etsy shop). But all those white buildings pose a challenge for the stitcher: How do you make them distinct? There are several approaches you could take. In this article, I'll look at each one, analyze the defects, and show you my solution and why it works....

Creating Definition in Monotone Areas – Nuts about Needlepoint Learntyhe best way to create realistic & interesting designs when you have many elementsthay are the same color.