The Art Needlepoint Co.
Needlepoint Canvases, Needlepoint Kits, Needlepoint Rugs, Artists on Needlepoint, Flowers, Paul Brent Collection, Old Masters, and much more!
Stitching with Silk Threads: A Primer
Monday, August 15, 2011
Silk threads have a lot of great qualities. It is one of the strongest fibers. It is easy to clean. It reflects light beautifully. And it is easy to use!
This Silk Primer refers to threads which are 100% silk, rather than the threads which are a combination of fibers, such as silk and wool for example.
Here are a few things you may want to keep in mind when using silk threads.
- Your hands should be clean and as smooth as possible. Very dry skin and ragged edges around your cuticle can snag the fiber as you stitch.To remedy this, try some hand lotion before stitching.
- When you use a stretcher bar with silk threads you may want to lightly sand the edges of your stretcher bars or wrap them with either artists canvas tape. or bias tape. However, if you put the stretcher bars on the edge of the canvas (the plain border area) rather than on the stitching area, you will not snag the threads.
- The needle you use with silk threads is also important. The eye should be smooth, and large enough so that the thread glides through, but not so large as to distort the canvas you are working on. A number 20 needle is a good size for many counts.
- Cut the threads either a maximum of 18 inches or from the tip of your middle finger to your elbow. A longer thread can knot up a little easier and may become fuzzy with repeated pull through - however, a good quality silk should never become fuzzy or split.
- There are two type of silk threads. One is divisible, such as Needlepoint Inc. silk threads, and silk threads which do not need to be divided, such as Vineyard Silk threads. If you are using a silk that needs to be divided it allows you more control over color placement and allows you to blend colors through the needle per stitch. When using a divisible fiber be sure to separate the plys to the appropriate density (number of plys) before you begin your stitch.
- A two step or stab motion is better with silk threads than a hand sewing in and out motion.
- Silk threads can untwist as you stitch. If this occurs you can turn the canvas upside down and let the needle hang freely. This will reset the thread and be ready to stitch with again.You can also roll the thread between two fingers (the thumb and forefinger is often the easier) after a few stitches, but a good quality silk when stitched with the dab motion/stitch should not cause you any twisting or splitting. Some recommend a laying tool, but using a laying tool is not for
everyone. Using the right needle, a good quality fiber and the right
motion works!
- Do not wet the silk threads to clean or to untwist. The dyes can bleed. We will discuss cleaning and blocking a canvas with silk threads in a future post.
- Some suggestions on when to use silk versus cotton or wool will be in a future post.
If you have never stitched with silk threads, now is the time! With so many beautiful fibers available, and thousands of colors, your canvases will be stunning and you will be very pleased with the result.
The Late Edo Period
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Hiroshige stands without equal in the ability to evoke the poetry of daily life amide the Japanese Landscape.
By the River above is a terrific example of his sense of color, composition and light and one of his many hundreds of paintings and woodblocks which include everyday Japanese activities.
On the 
Rapids is one of the more familiar of his many works of the ocean and the Japanese coastline.
Some of his work has been adapted to needlepoint canvas. It is best translated with silk threads for the more complicated imagery.
But there are others, such as the Bird below which are terrific for beginners who would like a sophisticated project without all the fuss!
Starting Up
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Hi, I took a needlepoint class when I was in my 20's, now I am in my
60's. In cleaning out my Mother-in-law's home we found knitting yarn, crewel embroidery and needlepoint kits. I picked up a needlepoint pillow
canvas that had been started by Mother and
now I work on it every chance I get.
So, how does one restart a hobby
such as needlepoint?
I love your web site, and your canvases.
I am
particularly entranced with the Irish Wolfhound canvas, as I live with
and show IW's. I am looking forward to the class
on fur and feather stitches to help me on the IW canvas.
Sincerely,Nancy
Nasca Needlepoint Rug
Monday, August 01, 2011
In Pre-Columbian traditions, nature and culture were one. Their heritage is rich with intense symbols and identification with the animal world. This pattern represents the sea and the fish and killer whales which were a part of everyday life in the Andean culture when they fished for food. Or is this an allegory describing the struggle between rival chiefdoms or regions?
This Nasca textile portrays an ocean teeming with marine warriors and will create an extraordinary piece for a wall or as an area rug.
Needlepoint Techniques
Saturday, July 30, 2011
In addition to our
series of free online shading classes this summer, we will be offering
many technique classes this fall and winter, and we would love your
input! What would you like to learn how to do or improve on?
Would you like to create Feathery Stitches?
Catch the movement in water (think waves)
or the reflection of light in water?
Do Great scales - (think Dragon or Crocodile)
or furry animal fur?
Do curves or uneven areas
We'll be showcasing these techniques and whatever else you wish to learn or improve on in the coming weeks and months on our blog All Things Needlepoint and on Facebook .
We would love to hear from you!
Give us your thoughts and we can create a tutorial just for you!
Sir Lawrence
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema was one of the most successful artists of the 19th century.
He was internationally
famous and so immensely popular that scarcely a middle-class Victorian
drawing room was without at least one print of Alma-Tadema's painting.
A master of Victorian painting, this English artist preferred scenes from Greek and Roman life, each with a serene beauty and a nostalgic appearance.
Greek Woman is a classic representation of his talent and style:
. 
Build A Rug
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Years ago the choice for fabrics one could do needlework on were limited in type and size. Most were narrow strips, which would be sewn together to create needlepoint bed covers and needlepoint rugs.
Our Build a Rug series is based on this principle. However, you now have a choice of widths so you can customize the pattern and size of your finished rug. Our Build A Rug Series is similar to how a quilt is put together - one block at a time; resembling the patchwork rugs that are very popular today which are made from pieces of old rugs sewn together to make a new overall pattern.
Build A Rug can be four 12" square canvases going across and three 12" square canvases for the length, resulting in a 3' x 4' Rug. You can add squares together or mix square s with rectangles.
We have many choices of colors and styles. There are Navajo based rugs, Art Deco based rugs, Chinese, Modern, Arts and Crafts...in lots of colorways and patterns.
We can help you size your overall rug with a variety of coordinating canvases and teach you how to put it together when all the canvases are stitched.
To Be Continued....
Cezanne, Picasso, Toklas and Needlepoint
Thursday, June 23, 2011
"Beside the fireplace, beneath Cézanne’s portrait of his wife and
Picasso’s portrait of Gertrude, are two small wood-and-tapestry chairs,
one facing forward, one turned to the side. On the back of the chair on
the right, under Gertrude, is a suggestion of the corner of a picture
frame. The left chair, below Madame Cézanne, bears the image of a hand.
Whose hand?
Several hands made these chairs. First, whoever made the frames, in
Louis XV style, maybe in the 19th century; then Alice Toklas, who worked
the covers in petit point around 1930; and, in between, Pablo Picasso.
Gertrude Stein, playing Alice, told this story in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas:
That lovely little painting [a 1918 depiction of a guitar, on view in The Steins Collect]
he copied for me many years later on tapestry canvas and I embroidered
it and that was the beginning of my tapestrying. I did not think it
possible to ask him to draw me something to work but when I told
Gertrude Stein she said, alright, I’ll manage. And so one day when he
was at the house she said, Pablo, Alice wants to make a tapestry of that
little picture and I said I would trace it for her. He looked at her
with kindly contempt, if it is done by anybody, he said, it will be done
by me. Well, said Gertrude Stein, producing a piece of tapestry canvas,
go to it, and he did. And I have been making tapestry of his drawings
ever since and they are very successful and go marvellously with old
chairs. I have done two small Louis fifteenth chairs in this way. He is
kind enough now to make me drawings on my canvas and to color them for
me."
To read the entire article go to: http://blog.sfmoma.org/2011/06/alice-toklas-juliet-clark/#.TgOpykME7d4.gmail
SFMOMA Open Space 6/20/2011
Redoute and Needlepoint
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Pierre - Joseph Redoute (1759-1840) was one of the most famous flower painters of all time. He was the official painter for the Musee National D' Histoire Naturelle and also did work for Marie Antoinette and Empress Josephine.
A glorious full range of flowers to choose from for needlepoint. Each looks breathtaking when stitched with silk threads.
If you cannot find the particular flower you are looking for it is more than likely we can design a canvas for you.
Quote of the Week
Monday, May 23, 2011
Needlework defines our history, establishes our traditions, and will be an important part of our future.
– Shay Pendray
Stitching with Silk Threads: A Primer
Monday, August 15, 2011
Silk threads have a lot of great qualities. It is one of the strongest fibers. It is easy to clean. It reflects light beautifully. And it is easy to use!
This Silk Primer refers to threads which are 100% silk, rather than the threads which are a combination of fibers, such as silk and wool for example.
Here are a few things you may want to keep in mind when using silk threads.
If you have never stitched with silk threads, now is the time! With so many beautiful fibers available, and thousands of colors, your canvases will be stunning and you will be very pleased with the result.
This Silk Primer refers to threads which are 100% silk, rather than the threads which are a combination of fibers, such as silk and wool for example.
Here are a few things you may want to keep in mind when using silk threads.
- Your hands should be clean and as smooth as possible. Very dry skin and ragged edges around your cuticle can snag the fiber as you stitch.To remedy this, try some hand lotion before stitching.
- When you use a stretcher bar with silk threads you may want to lightly sand the edges of your stretcher bars or wrap them with either artists canvas tape. or bias tape. However, if you put the stretcher bars on the edge of the canvas (the plain border area) rather than on the stitching area, you will not snag the threads.
- The needle you use with silk threads is also important. The eye should be smooth, and large enough so that the thread glides through, but not so large as to distort the canvas you are working on. A number 20 needle is a good size for many counts.
- Cut the threads either a maximum of 18 inches or from the tip of your middle finger to your elbow. A longer thread can knot up a little easier and may become fuzzy with repeated pull through - however, a good quality silk should never become fuzzy or split.
- There are two type of silk threads. One is divisible, such as Needlepoint Inc. silk threads, and silk threads which do not need to be divided, such as Vineyard Silk threads. If you are using a silk that needs to be divided it allows you more control over color placement and allows you to blend colors through the needle per stitch. When using a divisible fiber be sure to separate the plys to the appropriate density (number of plys) before you begin your stitch.
- A two step or stab motion is better with silk threads than a hand sewing in and out motion.
- Silk threads can untwist as you stitch. If this occurs you can turn the canvas upside down and let the needle hang freely. This will reset the thread and be ready to stitch with again.You can also roll the thread between two fingers (the thumb and forefinger is often the easier) after a few stitches, but a good quality silk when stitched with the dab motion/stitch should not cause you any twisting or splitting. Some recommend a laying tool, but using a laying tool is not for everyone. Using the right needle, a good quality fiber and the right motion works!
- Do not wet the silk threads to clean or to untwist. The dyes can bleed. We will discuss cleaning and blocking a canvas with silk threads in a future post.
- Some suggestions on when to use silk versus cotton or wool will be in a future post.
If you have never stitched with silk threads, now is the time! With so many beautiful fibers available, and thousands of colors, your canvases will be stunning and you will be very pleased with the result.
The Late Edo Period
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Hiroshige stands without equal in the ability to evoke the poetry of daily life amide the Japanese Landscape.
By the River above is a terrific example of his sense of color, composition and light and one of his many hundreds of paintings and woodblocks which include everyday Japanese activities.
On theRapids is one of the more familiar of his many works of the ocean and the Japanese coastline.
Some of his work has been adapted to needlepoint canvas. It is best translated with silk threads for the more complicated imagery.
But there are others, such as the Bird below which are terrific for beginners who would like a sophisticated project without all the fuss!
By the River above is a terrific example of his sense of color, composition and light and one of his many hundreds of paintings and woodblocks which include everyday Japanese activities.
On the
Rapids is one of the more familiar of his many works of the ocean and the Japanese coastline.Some of his work has been adapted to needlepoint canvas. It is best translated with silk threads for the more complicated imagery.
But there are others, such as the Bird below which are terrific for beginners who would like a sophisticated project without all the fuss!
Starting Up
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Hi, I took a needlepoint class when I was in my 20's, now I am in my
60's. In cleaning out my Mother-in-law's home we found knitting yarn, crewel embroidery and needlepoint kits. I picked up a needlepoint pillow
canvas that had been started by Mother and
now I work on it every chance I get.
So, how does one restart a hobby such as needlepoint?
I love your web site, and your canvases.
I am particularly entranced with the Irish Wolfhound canvas, as I live with and show IW's. I am looking forward to the class on fur and feather stitches to help me on the IW canvas.
Sincerely,Nancy
So, how does one restart a hobby such as needlepoint?
I love your web site, and your canvases.
I am particularly entranced with the Irish Wolfhound canvas, as I live with and show IW's. I am looking forward to the class on fur and feather stitches to help me on the IW canvas.
Sincerely,Nancy
Nasca Needlepoint Rug
Monday, August 01, 2011
In Pre-Columbian traditions, nature and culture were one. Their heritage is rich with intense symbols and identification with the animal world. This pattern represents the sea and the fish and killer whales which were a part of everyday life in the Andean culture when they fished for food. Or is this an allegory describing the struggle between rival chiefdoms or regions?
This Nasca textile portrays an ocean teeming with marine warriors and will create an extraordinary piece for a wall or as an area rug.
This Nasca textile portrays an ocean teeming with marine warriors and will create an extraordinary piece for a wall or as an area rug.
Needlepoint Techniques
Saturday, July 30, 2011
In addition to our series of free online shading classes this summer, we will be offering many technique classes this fall and winter, and we would love your input! What would you like to learn how to do or improve on?
Would you like to create Feathery Stitches?
Catch the movement in water (think waves)
or the reflection of light in water?
Do Great scales - (think Dragon or Crocodile)
or furry animal fur?
Do curves or uneven areas
Catch the movement in water (think waves)
or the reflection of light in water?
Do Great scales - (think Dragon or Crocodile)
or furry animal fur?
Do curves or uneven areas
We'll be showcasing these techniques and whatever else you wish to learn or improve on in the coming weeks and months on our blog All Things Needlepoint and on Facebook .
We would love to hear from you!
Give us your thoughts and we can create a tutorial just for you!
Sir Lawrence
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema was one of the most successful artists of the 19th century.
He was internationally famous and so immensely popular that scarcely a middle-class Victorian drawing room was without at least one print of Alma-Tadema's painting.
A master of Victorian painting, this English artist preferred scenes from Greek and Roman life, each with a serene beauty and a nostalgic appearance.
Greek Woman is a classic representation of his talent and style:
.
He was internationally famous and so immensely popular that scarcely a middle-class Victorian drawing room was without at least one print of Alma-Tadema's painting.
A master of Victorian painting, this English artist preferred scenes from Greek and Roman life, each with a serene beauty and a nostalgic appearance.
Greek Woman is a classic representation of his talent and style:
.
Build A Rug
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Years ago the choice for fabrics one could do needlework on were limited in type and size. Most were narrow strips, which would be sewn together to create needlepoint bed covers and needlepoint rugs.
Our Build a Rug series is based on this principle. However, you now have a choice of widths so you can customize the pattern and size of your finished rug. Our Build A Rug Series is similar to how a quilt is put together - one block at a time; resembling the patchwork rugs that are very popular today which are made from pieces of old rugs sewn together to make a new overall pattern.
Build A Rug can be four 12" square canvases going across and three 12" square canvases for the length, resulting in a 3' x 4' Rug. You can add squares together or mix square s with rectangles.
We have many choices of colors and styles. There are Navajo based rugs, Art Deco based rugs, Chinese, Modern, Arts and Crafts...in lots of colorways and patterns.
We can help you size your overall rug with a variety of coordinating canvases and teach you how to put it together when all the canvases are stitched.
To Be Continued....
Our Build a Rug series is based on this principle. However, you now have a choice of widths so you can customize the pattern and size of your finished rug. Our Build A Rug Series is similar to how a quilt is put together - one block at a time; resembling the patchwork rugs that are very popular today which are made from pieces of old rugs sewn together to make a new overall pattern.
Build A Rug can be four 12" square canvases going across and three 12" square canvases for the length, resulting in a 3' x 4' Rug. You can add squares together or mix square s with rectangles.
We have many choices of colors and styles. There are Navajo based rugs, Art Deco based rugs, Chinese, Modern, Arts and Crafts...in lots of colorways and patterns.
We can help you size your overall rug with a variety of coordinating canvases and teach you how to put it together when all the canvases are stitched.
To Be Continued....
Cezanne, Picasso, Toklas and Needlepoint
Thursday, June 23, 2011
"Beside the fireplace, beneath Cézanne’s portrait of his wife and Picasso’s portrait of Gertrude, are two small wood-and-tapestry chairs, one facing forward, one turned to the side. On the back of the chair on the right, under Gertrude, is a suggestion of the corner of a picture frame. The left chair, below Madame Cézanne, bears the image of a hand. Whose hand? Several hands made these chairs. First, whoever made the frames, in Louis XV style, maybe in the 19th century; then Alice Toklas, who worked the covers in petit point around 1930; and, in between, Pablo Picasso. Gertrude Stein, playing Alice, told this story in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas:
That lovely little painting [a 1918 depiction of a guitar, on view in The Steins Collect] he copied for me many years later on tapestry canvas and I embroidered it and that was the beginning of my tapestrying. I did not think it possible to ask him to draw me something to work but when I told Gertrude Stein she said, alright, I’ll manage. And so one day when he was at the house she said, Pablo, Alice wants to make a tapestry of that little picture and I said I would trace it for her. He looked at her with kindly contempt, if it is done by anybody, he said, it will be done by me. Well, said Gertrude Stein, producing a piece of tapestry canvas, go to it, and he did. And I have been making tapestry of his drawings ever since and they are very successful and go marvellously with old chairs. I have done two small Louis fifteenth chairs in this way. He is kind enough now to make me drawings on my canvas and to color them for me."
To read the entire article go to: http://blog.sfmoma.org/2011/06/alice-toklas-juliet-clark/#.TgOpykME7d4.gmail
SFMOMA Open Space 6/20/2011
Redoute and Needlepoint
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Pierre - Joseph Redoute (1759-1840) was one of the most famous flower painters of all time. He was the official painter for the Musee National D' Histoire Naturelle and also did work for Marie Antoinette and Empress Josephine.
A glorious full range of flowers to choose from for needlepoint. Each looks breathtaking when stitched with silk threads.
If you cannot find the particular flower you are looking for it is more than likely we can design a canvas for you.
A glorious full range of flowers to choose from for needlepoint. Each looks breathtaking when stitched with silk threads.
If you cannot find the particular flower you are looking for it is more than likely we can design a canvas for you.
Quote of the Week
Monday, May 23, 2011
Needlework defines our history, establishes our traditions, and will be an important part of our future.
– Shay Pendray
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