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The Needlework Nutshell—September 1, 2007 Volume 3, Issue 9 September 1, 2007 <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> THE NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL Needlework news, musings, tips, contests, and what’s happening now at FUNK & WEBER DESIGNS <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> Editor: Jen Funk Weber Mail to: mailto:mail@funkandweber.com Web site: http://www.funkandweber.com Your privacy is important to us. Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. *********************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE *********************************************************** 1. Needlework Musings 2. Happy Birthday to Me! 3. Tips and Tricks and Brilliant Ideas 4. What’s New at Funk & Weber Designs 5. Readers Ask 6. Reader Commitments 7. Puzzle Contest 8. Contact/Subscribe/Unsubscribe *********************************************************** 1. NEEDLEWORK MUSINGS *********************************************************** I filled the creative well this month, and new ideas are gushing. Some of these ideas will become future articles here, some will become needlework projects, others will linger in the background until they can gain better brain space. 1. I took a beginning beading class at my favorite Anchorage bead shop, Alaska Bead Company. http://www.alaskabead.com/ We learned how to crimp thread ends and make eye-rings; we discussed the different beading threads and tools; I stabbed myself with pointy pliers and drew blood; we made necklaces and earrings; I discovered a craft-teacher role model. I *loved* that day, and soaked it up. Think this has nothing to do with needlework? Think again! You know about my beloved embroidered bracelets: http://funkandweber.com/fw/bracelets03.html Well, I'm playing with other embroidered jewelry ideas, and that class is helping those ideas evolve. 2. I worked on my latest EGA ICC (Embroiderers' Guild of America Individual Correspondence Course) and have come up with several new stitching classes to develop. I'm doing research now for a paper. As a writer, I'm inclined to call it an article, but this is for class, so it's a paper. Maybe I'll publish it here if it's interesting. Or maybe I can simply do more research for the articles I write here. I want to expand my embroidery horizons, and presumably you do, too, so why not learn something new each month that I can share with you. Hmm. I hope I'll actually develop a couple of my brainstormed classes as I work through the course. Goodness knows when I'll do them if they must be developed in my "free time." Mandy's rolling her eyes. What exactly is "free time" again? 3. I began and am almost finished knitting what will become felt clog slippers for moi. I made Mike a pair for Christmas. I love to knit! Think this has nothing to do with needlework? Technically, it *is* needlework--those pointy sticks are *needles*. Think it has nothing to do with embroidery? Think again! With warm feet this winter, I won't be so desperate to go to bed at night and I'll get more embroidery done. HA! Actually, I'm thinking the felted clogs would be a good ground on which to embroider. 4. I volunteered at the Alaska State Fair. I was not the Superintendent of Handwork and Needlework this year, but I helped in the department. As I wandered around the craft building I was attracted to some decoupage, and got to wondering what it might be like to decoupage needlework. Yeah, yeah...glue and varnish are generally considered enemies of fabric and fiber, but maybe it's time to "think globally" about the craft world, and integrate. If my Mod Podge is still good, I think I'll give it a shot. 5. I have a garden. I work in my garden often. Think this has nothing to do with needlework? Of course you don't--you're smart; you've learned! As I tied twine around posts to create a moose exclosure around the beds, I got to thinking that a person could embroider a fence: "stitch" on wire mesh or lattice with rope. A trellis could be the ground for filet lace. Why shouldn't the garden be pretty? All of these activities fill the creative well: gardening, visiting the Fair, knitting, beading, taking classes. They excite me, teach me, inspire me, and give me new ideas. I have been asked a gajillion times where I get my ideas; the answer is Everywhere. Here is proof. Now you go do it. Fill your creative well. Do something, anything, and see how you can embroider it. *********************************************************** 2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! *********************************************************** September is my birthday month. Wanna give me a present? There's something that I'd really like from you. Please tell someone about us. Tell him or her about a pattern, this newsletter, a class, the Needle and ThREAD: Stitching for Literacy program, our Web site, anything! That, my friends, is a wonderful gift, and I would be most grateful. Thanks! *********************************************************** 3. TIPS AND TRICKS AND BRILLIANT IDEAS *********************************************************** Several people have asked for tips on working with metallic threads. They can be frustrating, can't they? Finicky, demanding fiber divas. Understanding that is the first step to dealing with them. When you sit down to stitch with a metallic fiber, be prepared to be patient, and to cajole it into doing what you ask. Like other divas, there's a reason we put up with their difficult natures: We believe the interest they add to a project is worth the extra effort. The next step to dealing with metallics is to embrace your role as The Boss. You're bigger and smarter than they are; they do what you make them do. So make them do what you want. See if any of these tips make your job as Boss easier: 1. Use shorter lengths of fiber. Being pulled through the fabric contributes to fraying and bunching of individual strands. Shorter lengths are pulled through fewer times. 2. Expect some fraying--more than with other fibers, so more waste. Trim as needed; don't use the frayed bits. Accept it. 3. Threading the needle often begins the fraying. To combat this, use a needle with a larger eye, use a needle threader, or fold the tip of the fiber over to create a loop and put the loop through the eye. 4. Speaking of a larger needle eye, use a larger needle. A larger needle opens a larger hole in the fabric which will reduce rubbing of the fiber as it snakes through the fabric. I used to love the delicate feel of tiny needles in my fingers, but nowadays I use as large a needle as is practical. 5. Dab Fray Check or Fabri-Tac on the fiber ends, or use a thread conditioner (Thread Heaven) to reduce fraying. 6. Fold the fiber about 4 inches from one end to create a loop. Put the loop through the eye, then pull the long and short fiber tails through the loop and tighten. This secures the thread at the base of the needle. The short tail can fray all it wants because you won't stitch with it, and the long tail won't fray as soon as it's secure and you're stitching. But don't think this eliminates all problems. The strands can still bunch, and weird things still happen. 7. Stitch with the stab method rather than the sewing method. Go straight down through the fabric, then come straight up. Don't put the needle point in and out in one movement then pull the thread through. The sewing method creates more wear on the fiber. 8. Try metallic machine embroidery thread instead of hand embroidery thread. It's finer, more supple, and less bunchy. It's a whole different fiber in some ways, but it still sparkles! The final word: If you try the above tips and still find yourself frustrated and miserable, put all your metallics in a box, wrap it up in pretty paper, tie a pretty bow around it, and give it to a stitching friend. There's no law that says you have to use metallics. Remember, the point of stitching is to have fun. Got a tip of your own? Please share! *********************************************************** 4. WHAT’S NEW AT FUNK & WEBER? *********************************************************** Ohmygosh...where to start?! Watch the Needle and ThREAD: Stitching for Literacy Web site and blog for stitch-by-stitch coverage of the 2007 Bookmark Challenge. Participating shops, designers, manufacturers, sponsors, and maybe stitchers will be highlighted and interviewed on the blog. Lots of fun, inspiration, and the inside scoop! I hope you all feel connected to this program. You are, after all, partially responsible. This whole thing came about because on the 1-year anniversary of this newsletter, when I realized we were a sizable group that could have an impact, I suggested we do something good with our needlework. So many of you encouraged me, I had to follow through! I hope you will all round up your bookmark-making materials this month, then stitch-and-read all through October. If you don't have a participating shop nearby, send your bookmarks to one of the shops listed on the Needle and ThREAD blog site, or donate them to your local library. Send me a picture or an email when you do. http://jenfunkweber.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~ Along with Karen at Arctic Needle and members of the Arctic Needleworkers embroidery guild, I am leading two Make-It/Take-It stitching events Anchorage libraries in October. Come learn to stitch and create a bookmark! October 14, 2-4 p.m. Loussac Public Library October 20, 2-4 p.m. Muldoon Branch Library Materials, free to participants, are provided by Arctic Needle, guild members, The Gentle Art http://www.thegentleart.com/ga/home.ASP Norden Crafts http://www.nordencrafts.com/hmpage.html and probably others who I have not yet contacted. I am grateful for the generosity and support of these people and companies. I've created a new design for this program, so come even if you already know how to stitch. We'll put you to work helping someone else, and you'll get the new pattern. It's an ambigram, and I think it's way-cool! ~~~~~~~~~~ Bookmark #3 was finished last night, but this morning I changed my mind and I plan to rip out the border this evening so that I can re-do it. Then it will be done; I'm sure of it! No, honest, this is the last time. Really. ~~~~~~~~~~ No word on the new activity book gig. Not sure if it's going to happen or not. I'm filling my work plate, so I guess I'd better find out, huh? ~~~~~~~~~~ I'm also back to work on the new puzzle pattern. It's the same "new" pattern that I started in February (or sometime) and will remain "new" until it's published and has been for sale for at least 6 months. What can I say? Needlework progress is slow. Uh-huh. I did about a dozen stitches on this in the past month. Doh! ~~~~~~~~~~ I'm awaiting word on dates for a potential 2008 Stitch-N-Safari. Is there enough interest to put a trip together? Please let me know if you might be interested. (Dot and Jane, you're on my list!) Information about these special stitching tours is available on our web site: http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/tour.html *********************************************************** 5. READERS ASK *********************************************************** Please e-mail me with questions for this section. mail@funkandweber.com Delta2 asks if I ever sell my finished needlework. Hmm. Make me an offer! To be honest, I dream of being a commissioned fiber/textile artist, but I'm nowhere near that goal at the moment. That's always in the back of my mind as I take classes and learn new techniques. I have a number of needle art projects I'd like to undertake, but projects I can turn into patterns tend to be a higher priority at this time. Selling finished needlework is tricky. As every needleworker knows, a finished piece generally cannot fetch a price that would compensate one's time, or even the cost of materials in some cases. The same can be said about a lot of crafts. It's about perceived value and what the market will bear. When doo-dads made in China sell for pennies, folks are sometimes reluctant to cough up bigger bucks for doo-dads made here, by the likes of me. Our US standard of living, the price we put on our time and raw materials, kind of prevents us from doing crafts for a living. It's an awkward situation. I was reading about a children's illustrator who can't make ends meet illustrating children's books, so she wanted to try medical illustrating. She learned those jobs were being sent to India, because it is cheaper than paying US rates for illustrators. So US illustrators have priced themselves out of work, which means they can't make a living illustrating in the US. Where does that leave them? What jobs are left to US workers that will pay enough to actually support them? Are there enough of those jobs to go around? But that's a much bigger issue than I or this newsletter aim to tackle. The answer to your question, Delta2, is no, I don't currently sell my finished needlework, but I would not be opposed to doing so. Go ahead, make me an offer! *********************************************************** 6. READER COMMITMENTS *********************************************************** We, the daring and determined, commit ourselves to making progress NOW on projects we wish to complete before the end of the year. This is what I call "throwing our hats over the fence." Once we do that, we have no choice but to go get them; we have to follow through. *Gail* JULY: "Finish THE GREAT OUTDOORS that I got in Alaska 2 summers ago." She's done the border and that's it. AUGUST: She's finished A-G. Whoa! That's great! SEPTEMBER: "This is really working," Gail says. "I'm making progress because you're making me! LOL" Wooooo! Vacation time made August progress slow, but Gail is on the rainbow trout J. You're kicking my butt, Gail. *Rayna* JULY: "Make 8 Christmas ornaments, one for each of my granddaughters." Holy kangaroos! Eight grandchildren and ALL GIRLS?! In the past month since Rayna announced her commitment, she's completed one ornament. But she didn't send me a picture. Yay, Rayna! AUGUST: Done! Gail and I have decided that we hate Rayna. Actually, would you believe that after last month's newsletter, Rayna offered to make ornaments for my nephews and niece? Is there a sweeter, more generous reader out there? I told her that she could do it, but the nephews and niece would never see them: I'd keep them! *Linda* JULY: "Finish SILENT NIGHT. Start and finish a design made from a photo of best friend's cabin in Alaska. Start and finish THE TRAIL HOME." AUGUST: Finished SILENT NIGHT, and purchased fabric for THE TRAIL HOME. Linda had the photo of her friend's cabin made into a chart, but is not sure she wants to tackle the resulting pattern. She's thinking about having someone else re-design it, or maybe blowing up the picture (on a copier, not with dynamite) and charting it herself on graph paper. SEPTEMBER:"THE TRAIL HOME is coming along. I started a snowman project to take a short break from the snow!" HA! I can understand needing a break; there's a ton of snow to stitch in THE TRAIL HOME. I loved it, zoning out, maintaining a steady stitching rhythm for extended periods. The pattern-from-photo project Linda wanted to do isn't working out, and has been knocked off the priority list. The problem is getting a chart she likes and wants to stitch. This is a good subject to discuss: pros, cons, and fixes for computer-generated patterns. I have some experience and thoughts on that topic and will tackle it in a future issue. For the purpose of this challenge, it's no longer on Linda's to-do list. She's replaced it with a Sudberry Orchids chart. Linda's progress is steady. I admire that. *Jen* JULY: I want to finish the new puzzle pattern and make crazy quilted ornaments for my nephews and niece. I've been meaning to make those ornaments for *years!* AUGUST: Well...um...I finished bookmark #2 and I've begun the Roman shades for our house. Does that count? Please? Psst, Rayna! Want to make 3 more ornaments?! SEPTEMBER: I don't suppose the knitted slippers count toward this goal, do they? Well, I got out the pieced fabric. Do you have any idea how many boxes of fabric I had to get out and sort through to find them?! This alone was quite an accomplishment. And the puzzle pattern is on the floor stand. Okay, I failed to get these ornaments done over the summer, but I have until December, right? And even if I fail altogether, Gail, Rayna, and Linda are better off for the challenge, so it will have been worthwhile. And I do have until December. Let's go, team! *********************************************************** 7. PUZZLE CONTEST *********************************************************** Play with me! Solve this puzzle, and be entered to win a free Funk & Weber Designs pattern! Winners will be randomly selected from all correct entries. E-mail your answer, with “PUZZLE CONTEST” in the subject line. The deadline for this month’s puzzle is midnight (Alaska time, of course) September 7, 2007. The winner will be selected on September 8, 2007 (or shortly thereafter), notified by e-mail, and announced on our web site and in the next NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL. To avoid sending e-mail attachments, contest puzzles will be uploaded to our web site. I will provide a link to the puzzle in THE NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL. To the puzzle! http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/nutshell/sum907.pdf ~~~~~~~~~~ August PUZZLE CONTEST WINNER: Ellyn, from New York, NY. Answer: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Rich Beem A special nod to Kunni's mom who was the only person to point out the error in the puzzle. The number in Jack Nicklaus's name was under the wrong space! It didn't prevent a bunch of you from solving the puzzle, though. *********************************************************** 8. CONTACT FUNK & WEBER DESIGNS *********************************************************** SUBSCRIBE: 57410-subscribe@zinester.com UNSUBSCRIBE: 57410-unsubscribe@zinester.com ARCHIVES: http://archives.zinester.com/57410 Jen Funk Weber mail@funkandweber.com http://www.funkandweber.com http://JenFunkWeber.com/ http://6writers1story.blogspot.com/ Copyright 2007, Funk & Weber Designs |
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