We tried to stop it, but Wednesday showed up anyway, so Vonna and Gary made the most of it by talking about needlework. A huge thanks to Kim Young and the team at Sassy Jacks for sponsoring the show. This week we talk about Gary’s trip to Sassy Jacks to attend a workshop presented by Nicola Parkman of Hands Across the Sea Samplers, Vonna’s vitamin shots, and her wild outing sitting in a hotel room stitching with two of her friends. We also talk a bit about the upcoming Queen’s Sampler project. Don’t forget the 20% discount at Modern Folk Embroidery through June. Use the coupon code Fibertalk. Sunday’s guest: Patricia Goodson.–Gary
Listen to the podcast:
The podcast is also available on FlossTube.
Here are some links:
- Sassy Jacks Stitchery website
- Summer House Stitche Works with Beth Seal
- Sassy Jacks September Soiree Stitch Retreat
- The Twisted Stitcher website
- Vonna’s Finishing Service page
- The Twisted Stitcher on YouTube
- Daylight Halo Magnifier Lamp at The Attic
I hope you enjoy this show. I’m always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.
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Gary: I was always taught that as long as you are consistent with your cross stitches it does not matter which way you cross—just make sure it is consistent throughout the piece. Also, Eileen Bennet would make a wonderful guest. She wrote and published a resource “Note Book of Sampler Stitches” in the 1990’s, her website “Sampler House” may still be active. She is teaching at Christmas in Williamsburg, VA this December. Any resource for the frames you and Vonna were discussing: Rollaframe, Elon/Alon lap, table frame?? Great Podcast!!
I’m almost through the top half of the Queen Sampler and I stitch on a Millennium frame. I, too, am worried on how I will finish the whitework section without my precious frame! Linda Vinson stitched hers in hand, top to bottom. I am afraid if I stitched it bottom up, the whitework might suffer from being pulled tight. Remember it will be a much looser piece if fabric once done. I have not added my Queens crown yet, it will be last, so that I don’t crush it. When rolling specialty stitches up (in the ditch),I always pad well with Warm and Natural batting layers and haven’t had any issues. I intend to switch to my fanny frame hoop, if needed. God knows I cannot stitch in hand!!! If I screw up the whitework, I figure the color portion is still a beautiful sampler 😊
Thanks for the thoughts. You’re the third one who has suggested that doing the whitework first would probably not be wise. I’m going to start working on a new plan of attack. I refuse to stitch in hand! Thanks for listening and your help. Gary
Gary, will you explain what stitch in a ditch means, please?
It’s how you mount your grownd cloth on stretchers bars, Q Snaps, scroll frames, or whatever other device you use. Instead of putting the cloth on top of the framing/stretching device, you mount it or scroll it so it’s on the bottom. This uses the framing device to provide some protection to the stitching, keeps your hands from resting on the ground cloth when you stitch, and makes it easier to finish off threads when you’re near the edges of the design. I always stitch in the ditch or well on scroll frames, but not always on Q Snaps or stretcher bars. There is no right or wrong. It’s simply personal preference. The reason I do it on scroll frames is those tend to be long-term projects and I want to keep the ground cloth as clean and protected as possible throughout the duration.
Hope that makes sense and thanks for listening,
Gary
Thank you, Mr. Parr. This helps tremendously.
Always happy to help. Ask questions anytime.
Gary
So interesting today, to listen to Gary’s report on what must have been a wonderful class with Nicola – I’m looking forward to the videos! I have pretty much all my supplies for “The Queen” – waiting on frame bits and pieces from Needle Needs – – – – .
I know that you must have discussed this previously and I must have missed it, but Gary, when I received both charts myself I sat and read through them, just to get a flavour of what we’ll be doing – – and I had already decided to stitch in the ditch and start at the bottom – I think the idea of using some warm and natural batting to pad the whitework area will a) help keep it clean and b) help to keep it in shape. This sort of sticky issue is one reason why I like the Needle Needs frames – although frames are such a personal thing!
When I read from the top down – – the gold embellishments (hair etc) will get squished if rolled, likewise the detached buttonhole – – the beads, even, I think, the grapes in row 4. I’m also planning to add in some goldwork bits and pieces – no point doing all of these classes in metalwork and not putting it to good use – and I don’t want that to get squished either.
So, I’m going to read through everything again just to put my mind to rest – but I think I’m having a bottom up plan for The Queen!
How did I not reply to this? The general advice from those who experienced is that the fabric will be too delicate after the whitework is done to be under considerable stress. I’ve been traveling a bunch lately so haven’t been able to sit down and study it, but I’m not sure starting with the whitework and putting it under stress for a long period is the best plan. Going to have to develop a Plan B for those of us who do not want to stitch in hand. Thanks for listening.
Gary
Lol! I can just imagine Gary and Vonna in class at the same time! Everyone will be laughing so hard no stitching will get done!
I’ll be there to learn. There will be a short period of disruption until Vonna gets removed from the room. Then education will resume. 😉
Gary