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February01, 2006 - The Needlework Nutshell-February 1,2006 >> |
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The Needlework Nutshell??”January 1, 2006 Volume 2, Issue 1 January 1, 2006 <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> 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. Tips and Tricks 3. What??™s New at Funk & Weber Designs 4. Readers Ask 5. Contest 6. Contact/Subscribe/Unsubscribe <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> REMINDER: If you??™re interested in taking the Bracelet Basics and Beyond class, January 11-16, now??™s the time to register. See details at http://www.funkandweber.com/class.html <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> *********************************************************** 1. NEEDLEWORK MUSINGS *********************************************************** Happy New Year! Personally, I feel more ???new??? in spring, when the world around me appears new, but I appreciate the opportunity to ???start fresh??? any chance I get, and that??™s how I approach January 1. I like ???new???: the smell of a new book, the deep red sprout of fireweed as it pokes through the earth, the first stitch of a new pattern, and, perhaps best of all, learning or discovering something new. The possibilities that exist at the beginning of a journey seem endless. Anticipation is exhilarating! Currently, I am trying to learn cascading style sheets and XHTML so that I can set up my writing web site in a format that won??™t be obsolete the next time I sneeze. (Wish me luck??”I need it!) Okay, maybe that??™s a bad example. I??™m also completing an independent correspondence course through the Embroiderers' Guild of America, and have dog-eared the 2006 education catalog to mark two classes I want to take this year, if I can squeeze them in. Needlework is my business, but these I do for me. It??™s satisfying to learn something new. It boosts my confidence, gives me courage to keep trying new things??”something a fear of failure prevented me from doing for years??”opens doors to new opportunities, and it just plain makes me happy. No surprises there, really. Educators, psychologists, businesses, and governments have all researched the benefits of learning on kids, adults, the aged, workers, and society. It??™s a gross oversimplification, but I think I can safely say learning is good. We should all be learning. That??™s easy for kids. Getting an education is their full-time job. Then they play sports, and participate in scouts and clubs, where they continue to learn and develop skills. For adults, however, learning something new isn??™t so easy. We have jobs, we have kids to chauffeur, we have parents or grandkids to look after. It can be hard to make time for ourselves, and even harder to muster the energy to do something constructive or challenging with what little personal time we can salvage. Chances are you already carve out time to stitch (sitting in the carpool line, waiting at the doctor??™s office, while others watch TV), and find value in the process as well as the result. Why not add a little learning to your needlework pursuits? Pick up a pattern that uses a technique you don??™t know; check out a library book that explains a new technique; join a group or guild, in person or online; take a class. Discover something new, and revel in the satisfaction, pride, and pure joy of learning! *********************************************************** 2. TIPS AND TRICKS *********************************************************** Anyone here running out of wall space for framed needlework? I don??™t have any actual evidence, besides my own history, to back this up, but I would guess the number 1 way to finish a needlework piece is to frame it. Sometimes it??™s the best possible choice??”I??™m not poo-pooing framing, for goodness sakes! But sometimes I think we do it out of mere habit, or??”dare I say it???”laziness. There are some down sides to framing: Wall space is limited; custom framing is expensive; maybe we want to stitch something that doesn??™t match our d?©cor; we have to invite people over to show off our work and talents, and that might mean (gasp!) cleaning. There are alternatives. This month??™s tip is a list (by no means exhaustive) of ways to finish and use needlework. They may not be exactly ???new,??? but chances are some will be new to you. Explore! Discover! Create! Try finishing and using your needlework in a new way. HOME: Afghan, blanket, towel, tablecloth, potholder, placemat, doily, bread cloth, napkin, napkin ring, mug, sipper cup, clock, magnet, mouse pad, switchplate, coaster, box, ruler, bellpull, quilt, pillow, stand-up figure, tray, wreath, nightlight, pin cushion, tin cover PERSONAL: Bookmark, tote bag, purse, keychain, hat, baby bib, baby booties, needle keeper, needleroll, scissor fob, scissor case, cell phone/eyeglass case, clothing, brooch, bracelet, necklace/pendant HOLIDAY: Ornament, card, tag, stocking, wreath There are some finishing methods used for needlepoint that are not generally used for other embroidery techniques: seat cover, ottoman cover, rug, and one of my personal favorites, belt. Why are these unique to needlepoint? Durability. Two strands of cotton floss stitched on linen fabric can??™t take the wear and tear that canvas and wool can take. To some extent, wool can actually get stronger as it is smashed and rubbed??”it felts! Do you know that the cross stitch is an age-old needlepoint stitch? Yep. You can make cross stitches on canvas with wool. That means we can adapt any cross stitch pattern to canvas and wool, and finish it as a seat cover, rug, or belt. There is a trick to getting the strongest possible cross stitched fabric, though: long arms on the back side. This uses more fiber, and creates a thick piece of work. Below is a link to diagrams for 2 methods of achieving a strong durable cro 77896/111202_strongcross.PDF bsp; http://www.funkandweber.com/pdf/strongcross.PDF Do you have a way to finish needlework that is not listed? A unique idea you want to share? Send me an e-mail. mail@funkandweber.com *********************************************************** 3. WHAT??™S NEW AT FUNK & WEBER DESIGNS *********************************************************** NEW *LET THERE BE NIGHT* STITCHLING TAKING SHAPE! It??™s been over a year since we published the last LET THERE BE NIGHT Stitchling, DEAD OF NIGHT. There are seven in the series and I thought that was a nice number. But we??™ve gotten countless inquiries from shop owners and stitchers asking when the next one is coming out. Well, if all goes well, the answer is April. It??™s taking shape on the fabric at this very moment, and I couldn??™t be more excited! As usual, ideas beget ideas, and another white-on-black design is on the drafting table. And that??™s all I??™m saying! ~~~~~~~~~~ BRACELET BASICS & BEYOND ONLINE CLASS, JAN. 11-16, 2006 It??™s not too late! Learn something new. Register today for our online bracelet class and discover a new use for needlework. Four lessons provided in a private Yahoo! Group will guide you through the process: the decorative griffin stitch, the picot edge stitch, finishing the back side with a herringbone stitch, and stringing the beads and clasp. See our web site for further details and to register. http://www.funkandweber.com ~~~~~~~~~~ WHAT IN THE WORLD IS ON THE COVER OF GAMES MAGAZINE! That??™s not a question; it??™s an exclamation! Our design, WHAT IN THE WORLD?, is the cover puzzle for the February issue of GAMES magazine. You can check it out at books stores and news stands, then stitch your own puzzle and challenge your family and friends! ~~~~~~~~~~ STITCH-N-SAFARI 2006, JUNE 24-JULY 1 Dates for the 2006 Stitch-N-Safari are set! If you??™ve ever dreamed of coming to Alaska, we hope you??™ll consider joining us for this trip. Mike and I both spent a number of years guiding for ALASKA WILDLAND ADVENTURES, and are now proud to offer this special adventure through them. We will visit protected wild places, enjoy spectacular scenery and (we hope) wildlife, then relax and stitch at comfortable wilderness lodges in the evening, while someone else prepares dinner! Visit our web site for further details, the itinerary, and costs, or contact ALASKA WILDLAND ADVENTURES http://www.alaska-wildland.com (1-800-334-8730) for their free brochure. Be sure to ask about the Funk & Weber Designs Stitch-N-Safari. We??™d love to show you our Alaska! *********************************************************** 4. READERS ASK *********************************************************** Please e-mail me with questions for this section. mail@funkandweber.com Trish asked (on behalf of her husband) if we plan to caretake in the Bush anymore. We would love to! Truth is, while I??™m really enjoying running water and electricity, I??™d give them up willingly to live in the Bush. But I would also want to be able to fly back to town to visit family and friends, to have health insurance, to travel occasionally. Those things require money, and we haven??™t figured out how to work that into the Bush life. Who knows what the future holds? Returning to the Bush, to caretake or live, is always a possibility. *********************************************************** 5. PUZZLE CONTEST *********************************************************** Play with me! I??™m a puzzle fan, and have sold over 200 puzzles to children??™s magazines and web sites. My first children??™s book, due out in March 2006 from Sasquatch Books, is??¦you guessed it??”a puzzle book! Specifically, it is an Alaska natural history puzzle book, illustrated with Mike??™s photos. 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) January 7, 2006. The winner will be selected on January 8, 2006, 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 only in THE NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL. The contest is 77896/111201_enter.PDF at large, and all winners will be subscribers. To the puzzle! http://www.funkandweber.com/pdf/enter.PDF ~~~~~~~~~~ DECEMBER PUZZLE CONTEST WINNER: KAREN FROM WOODBRIDGE, VA Thanks to everyone who participated! Answer: Yule log on! C U then! *********************************************************** 6. 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 Copyright 2006, Funk & Weber Designs |
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