Art with My Needle ~ Week 16
I realise that everyone is very busy with preparations for Christmas and the holiday season ahead. In order not to cause much distraction today, I will go back to the very beginning of my creative journey with some basic stitch samplers we had to produce, proving that we knew how to work each stitch.
And for a closer look:
Oops! That was the back of the work…. Well at some point the question was asked what the back of the work was like. I am a dull person…. I tie up all my ends! 
So you want to see the front close up? Well, OK then!
My favourite in the above sample is Velvet or Astrakhan Stitch.
When looking for the book with stitch diagrams, I found this one:
I know that the logo will mean something and bring back very fond memories for one of my readers. It was published by J & P Coats Ltd., Paisley Scotland. It was long before the dates of Barcodes and ISBN numbers. I was bequeathed it when Elly was about five years old by an elderly Gentleman with a great love for needlepoint.
Hails said,
December 9, 2009 at 7:10 am
You’re inspiring me to take up needlepoint! If I can find any simple little starter kits over here I might give it a go. Last winter was knitting, I need something new! It looks very therapeutic and impressive.
Grannymar said,
December 9, 2009 at 9:33 am
Hails,
Draw a coloured picture on graph paper. Use your school books for ideas.
Then each square on the graph paper corresponds to the + on the canvas or even weave fabric.
NB. Start in the middle of the design and work outward.
NNB. Work all the stitches in the same direction. The stitches look like an X if you work the / first, then it must always be the first part of the stitch. When the row has say 10 stitches work them ////////// and then work back along the line. That way the work is even front or back.
Magpie11 said,
December 9, 2009 at 1:19 pm
We have a copy of a similar (if not the same) booklet somewhere. I had to teach some needle work every year…the product was always supposed to be a simple (?) appliqued Wall hanging designed on the theme of School and Me. Huh! If I had a tenner for every paint palette and brushes stitched… well being me we interpreted the idea very liberally! Often dropping School… we also had to use Computers to “design” the things!
I had help from Lady M who worked with the children and improved their work no end. We then mounted their work stretched over card and the onto coloured card… I, of course, was reprimanded by the women who were my colleagues for going off prescribed curriculum and was patted on the back by the Head who gave them a rollicking for being jealous… I just put hamners on the back to display tham and said , “They hang! What are you moaning about?”
Point is we photo copied the booklet and told the colleagues that they could now use some of the more adventurous stitches that my classes used.
Grannymar said,
December 9, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Some of those old books were wonderful. The man who gave it to me was a headmaster of a Primary school. His two great loves besides school, were needlework and collecting china ware.
Judy Harper said,
December 10, 2009 at 3:11 am
I didn’t realize J & P Coats is from Scotland! The first time I did needlepoint is when I went to Hobby Lobby, do you have one there, and bought a pillowcase kit. I was surprised how easy the hand needlepoint stitches were. Being ambidextrous, actually, I was supposed to be left handed but my teachers wouldn’t allow it, knitting drives me up the wall, but needlepoint is relaxing, and the finished product really looked good. I gave them as a wedding present to my nephew and niece-in-law.
bikehikebabe said,
December 10, 2009 at 4:31 am
Magpie 11, I was sure you were a man. Maybe a woman since men don’t usually do needle work.
I don’t, but my sewing machine from Sweden does lots of fancy stitches. I never use them, because my machine gets screwed up if I do. The only one I’d use anyway would be zigzag. I don’t use it to keep the machine happy.
Grannymar said,
December 10, 2009 at 10:58 am
Judy H _ we have several Craft shops but I never heard of Hobby Lobby. J & P Coats originated from Paisley in Scotland. needlework is very soothing and relaxing.
BHB - Magpie is indeed a man. A very talented one!
wisewebwoman said,
December 10, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I have one old embroidery book too, GM, it belonged to my mother. I must dig it out and see when/where published, it is hardcover (cloth), green.
Astrakhan! I hadn’t heard that in years!
XO
WWW
Grannymar said,
December 10, 2009 at 1:58 pm
WWW, those old books were wonderful. They may not have had fancy covers or gloss pictures but the content was simple with clear instructions. As I wrote that stitch name yesterday, all I could think of was Astrakhan Fur!
bikehikebabe said,
December 10, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I said above that I didn’t do hand needle work. BUT I was reminded today when I used a hot-pad I’d made from the front of a son’s shirt. 30 years ago I did emboirdery like on shirts. It was popular then.
Grannymar said,
December 10, 2009 at 8:21 pm
BHB, I thought you must have tried embroidery at some stage.