New App from Ruth Schmuff - 6/6/2016

June 6, 2016--Just purchased the latest app from Ruth Schmuff called "iStitches Vol Four".  I love having these little books with me at all times, on both my iPhone and iPad.  In fact, I probably would purchase every needlepoint book out there if it were made available as an app, or at a minimum, a Kindle book.   My Favorite Apps and Tools Page has been updated to add this new guide.  

HanDBase Applets Now Available FREE 3/24/15

March 24, 2015--I have now made available, for FREE, to owners of DDH Software's HanDBase app, the databases or “applets” that I developed to manage my thread inventory, needlepoint projects, etc.

To use these databases, you must first own DDH Software’s HanDBase app.   I have written about these databases in prior blogs (see below for links to these posts) and have since received many requests to make them available. So here they are and if you’re interested, go to the DDH Software Gallery page.

Scroll down to Keyword Search and type in the word "needlepoint".  You will then see the six applets and their download links.  The databases are:

Needlepoint Beads Inventory

Needlepoint Color Tool

Needlepoint Projects

Needlepoint Sources

Needlepoint Thread Brands

Needlepoint Threads Inventory

Once downloaded and saved to your HanDBase Database File, you can open each applet and begin entering your own data.

My blog postings titled HanDBase Projects and HanDBase Threads Inventory will have lots of information on how I use these databases:

Please feel free to ask questions and have fun personalizing these databases with your own records.

PS  I have no financial interest in DDH Software--am just a very satisfied customer.

NeedleTravel App 1/6/15

January 6, 2015--Have added a new app to my page on the right titled "Favorite Apps and Tools".   I just learned about this app called NeedleTravel while reading FaceBook's Needlepoint Nation posts .  It's a free app (iPhone only) published by Syntress, LLC and just recently updated on November 3, 2014.

NeedleTravel App Photo

It's a great tool when looking for needlework shops which carry items for needlepoint, cross stitch, embroidery, quilting, yarn, etc.  You can also get the full address and telephone number of a shop as well as directions from your "current location".  Cool.

I only hope the designers keep the app current since shops come and go with an alarming frequency.

HanDBase Projects Database

August 5, 2013--Earlier I wrote about my Threads Inventory and Thread Brands databases in the HanDBase app I use.  Today I'll illustrate how I've set up my Projects database, shown in the screen capture below

There is a lot of information in this database covering:

• Project Name
• Status (Planned, In Process, Completed, Finished, On Hold)
• Finished As (framed picture, pillow, ornament, etc.)
• Canvas Type
• Finished Size
• Date Started
• Date Completed (when stitching is done)
• Date Finished (when made into something)
• Source
• Instructor
• Class Type
• Notes
• Cost
• Picture (directory location)
• Gifted To
• Date Given

I am able to see all of this information on both my PC and iPhone.  The pictures, stored on my iPhone, show up there, but not on my PC.  I believe DDH Software is working on this.   However, I have wonderful files on my PC where I keep pictures of my projects (synced with my phone), scanned instruction manuals, etc.

My favorite sort is by Status....I love seeing all the projects I have finished.  The "Completed" sort shows me what canvases need to be finished (sewn into ornaments, framed, etc.).  My "On Hold" sort is my own personal Hall of Shame.  These are items I've lost interest in or didn't like the instructions (too vague), etc., and will most likely not be completed.  But I am an optimist and may get some of them done one day.  It's also nice to have a record of when a project was given as a gift, to whom and on what date.

I often use the Notes field to track when I've registered and paid for an online course, when it will begin and end, etc.

Below is the form used to enter a new project into the database:

Many of the fields above have "pop up" lists from which to make choices.  For example, when I click on the arrow to the left of Status, the below list pops up:

This is so much easier than typing in the status of each project, especially when changing the status, e.g., from Planned to In Process, then to Completed, etc. 

Pop Up Lists are a real convenience, but they are limited (to 100 entries, I believe).  So if I have a field that will have a lot of possibilities, I must establish a new database and have the field "point" to it, then from that database, select the record I want. 

A perfect example of this is my Instructor field.  Right now I have the names of my favorite instructors in a "Pop Up List", but will soon have too many and will have to establish a separate database called "Instructors".  When that's done, I'll then have the ability to add information about each instructor, such as their email addresses, needlepoint shops with whom they are associated, etc.

That's all of it.  I hope this encourages you to track your needlepoint "assets", be it in an Access type database such as HanDBase, in Excel, on Google's Drive, or Apple's iWork, etc.   

When I start a new project, it's such a pleasure to get it listed in my database, then to add the threads to my inventory....it really is a form of "play".

HanDBase Threads Inventory Database

July 22, 2013--I mentioned in an earlier blog that my favorite app is HanDBase Database Manager.  It has enabled me to inventory all of my threads, books and projects (with pictures).  Data can be entered on my PC or on my iPhone, then the two can be synced.  I chose this software because I couldn't find anything in the "app" market that would allow for the storage of a high volume of data or give me the flexibility to add or subtract fields I wanted in each record.

Today I'll talk about my threads inventory.  Below is a screen capture of the Threads Inventory Database as it appears on my PC.  I am able to see this same information on my iPhone.  The inventory can be sorted by any field, such as thread name/type, color number, project, etc. (sorting can be done on my PC or on my iPhone).  The picture below shows the database sorted by Project, the first being Anasazi Dream.  You can see a list of threads used in this project, showing the thread name/type, color number, color name (if available), project in which it was used, color wheel number, HEX number, dye lot, notes, when purchased, from what source, and cost.  When I sort this database by Name/Type, I'm able to see what I have in my stash--useful when buying threads for a new project, or making substitution decisions.  It's also helpful to see what project a thread was used for--I can easily refer to the project to see how it covered the canvas, what stitches were used, etc.

The field labeled "Name/Type" in the above example only shows the brand name of the thread and whether or not it's a floss, perle, and its size.  For more information about the thread, such as its fiber content, ply/strands, washability, gauge, etc., I have another database for that called Thread Brands. The screen capture below shows the setup.   Most of the information is taken from the package or card around which the thread is wrapped.

Now, when I have a new thread to add to my Threads Inventory Database, I fill in the information on the entry form below:

However, instead of typing in the thread name/type, all I need do is hit the little arrow to the left of the field name (using Name/Type as an example) and up pops the Thread Brands database.  Then I scroll down to the thread I'm looking for.  If my new thread is a Kreinik Braid #4, I would scroll down to that thread brand and hit enter.  This is a huge convenience when you have a project that's using many colors of the same type of thread, such as DMC floss.  Of course, if I'm adding a new thread brand to my inventory that I've never used before, I must first add it to my Thread Brands Database.

The other fields which point to separate databases are Project, Color Wheel and Source.  I'll discuss the Project Database in another blog.  

The Color Wheel Database is a list of color ranges as used by Joen Wolfrom's Color Tool.  I find this very helpful when looking for threads I own in a particular color range, for example, blue-green (color card 06 in the Color Tool).

The Source Database shows how the thread was acquired--whether or not it was included in a kit, purchased from a store, part of my stash, etc.  This field doesn't have a separate database, but has something called a "pop up list" where you can pick from a number of items such as where the thread was purchased, if it was included in a kit, etc.


If you have read this far into the blog, kudos!  I know there's a lot of information here, but hopefully it will be helpful if you decide to set up your own inventory using a database type of app.  Please note that I am not a computer/software guru and had never used Access type software before.  This was all new to me.    However, DDH Software has some great tutorials and lots of examples of how their customers use HanDBase, and it was from there I began to formulate how I would set up my databases.

If you have any questions, please add them to the comment section and I will respond ASAP.

Favorite Apps

June 29, 2013--I've added a new section on the right called Favorite Apps.  It's wonderful having access to stitches on my iPhone.

My favorite is an Access type app called HanDBase.  I use it to inventory my threads, projects, books, beads, etc.  In future posts, I'll give details about each database and how they are set up.  I chose this type of app so that I could have as much or as little detail I wanted in each database.  Also, I can enter data on my iPhone or on my PC and sync the two.  It's great to have my thread inventory with me when shopping.   Yes, it did take some time to set up, but it was worth it.  Now, when I start a new project, I get to "play" with my new threads by entering each one in the database.  To me it's all part of the fun of doing needlepoint.