Brenda's Needlepoint Studio

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Beaded Bracelet Holiday Russian Spiral - 3/26/23

March 26, 2023--Here I go--deeper into the rabbit hole of beading delight. I ordered some kits on sale from Beads Gone Wild and easily completed this beautiful Holiday Russian Spiral bracelet. The kit had everything--beads, thread, toggle hardware, instructions, needles, etc. I was also able to find additional video instructions on YouTube.

Now I have to discipline myself to finish Stage 2 of ANG's Master Needlepointer Certification program. The last portion required some serious planning, drafting, graphing, etc. That's behind me now and all I need do is stitch it up. It all still requires a lot of counting. Whine, whine....wine, wine.

Holiday Russian Spiral Bracelet--kit by Beads Gone Wild

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Bracelet Beaded Taught by Dinna V - 2/23/23

February 23, 2023--Yesterday I met with a group of serious beaded jewelry makers and am about to fall into a delightful rabbit hole. Our host showed us her gorgeous necklaces and bracelets and found a simple bracelet design for me to copy. She even gave me the supplies to work it up.

The pattern is simple enough--one large bead, then add five seed beads, a small bead, then 5 seed beads. That's basically it. Of course, sewing it together requires a particular technique, but that's for the experts to teach.

Now I really want to make more of everything, especially peyote beaded pieces.

I know making beaded jewelry isn't needlepoint, but it does involve one half of the needlepoint requirement of “any counted or free stitchery worked by hand with a threaded needle on a readily counted ground” (I have a threaded needle in hand to make jewelry). So, I'm good with it and will call it "needlework".

Thank you, Dinna V, for supplying me with the beautiful beads, thread and clasp to work up the bracelet pictured below.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Holiday Ornament Gift Pink - 2/22/23

February 22, 2023--In between some of my needlepoint obligations (working on the ANG Master Needlepointer Certificate and putting together a class on stitching ribbon flowers on canvas), I took a break to stitch up one of Susan Portra's Holiday Ornaments--this one being the pink gift. As with all the other Holiday Ornaments I've stitched, this will get finished into an ornament when the set is all done. I love how pretty the RG Fyre Werks thread (darker shiny pink) looks--almost jewel-like.

Ornament Holiday Gift Pink Completed

Ornament Holiday Gift Pink Completed Side View

Friday, February 3, 2023

Floor Stand Clamp Repaired Again - 2/3/23

February 3, 2023--Exactly eight years ago today, I blogged about the clamp to my K's Creations floor stand having to be repaired (see older post below). Well, it had to be repaired again, but this time I like the new one so much better. For one thing, the top "Tri-knob" is much easier on my hand when tightening or loosening the clamp than the metal "T-knob" I had. Secondly, the top portion of the clamp is now made of wood which, in my opinion, seems to "give" just enough to seriously tighten, but not enough to strip the screw. Lastly, I was given a whole new clamp with an improved bar that attaches to the arm of the floor stand. Easier to attach and feels more secure.

The leather pieces you see are installed by me with glue dots to help hold my stretcher bars in place. I stitch "in the well", so the tacks that I use to mount my canvas unto stretcher bars would cause the bars to slip around in the clamp. This doesn't happen anymore because the tacks "sink" into the leather.

Now, if I need to get this repaired again in another eight years, I hope Brett Schulle of K's will still be able to help me. He has been very responsive and helpful.

Floor Stand Clamp Repair 2/3/15

February 3, 2015--I really do love my floor stand from K's Creations but had a problem with the clamp. Discovered I had totally stripped the clamp's screw and it would no longer hold stretcher bars in place. You can see this in the first picture. Frantically I contacted the fine folks at K's using the contact tab on their web site and Brett Schulle immediately responded, requesting I mail the clamp to him for repair, after which he would mail it back to me.

Clamp with Stripped Screw

So off to the post office to mail the clamp, which by the way, was very easy to remove from the stand's long horizontal arm. And in no time at all, I received the fully repaired clamp in the mail. Easily got it screwed back onto the arm and am in business again, happily stitching.

Newly Repaired Clamp

You may notice there is a piece of leather on the clamp's bottom plate. I put this in place using "glue dots" and find it really helps to hold stretcher bars with less tightening of the screw. This is because I stitch in the well, tacking the canvas unto the back of my stretcher bars. All too often the tacks would slide and slip in the clamp, causing me to overtighten the screw. Now those tacks settle into the soft leather with no slippage. Easy solution and hope it may help someone who may have this problem.

2 comments:

NCPatFebruary 17, 2015 at 9:03 AM
I too stitch in the well, and will go and find a leather patch! Thanks!
ReplyDelete
LindaBFebruary 17, 2015 at 6:49 PM
Great idea! I love my K's stand, too, and am a fellow well stitcher.
ReplyDelete

Friday, January 20, 2023

Bracelet Russian Spiral Beaded - 1/20/23

January 20, 2023--Ever since I learned the Peyote Stitch to make the needle case cover while on the Rhine River Cruise last spring (click here), I've wanted to learn more about making things with beads. At the Rehoboth Beach Needlework Exhibition, I met an award-winning beading artist who got me in touch with a local bead teacher named Donna Baratta who teaches beaded jewelry classes out of the Rehoboth Art League facility.

So yesterday I was finally able to set in motion my plans for beaded jewelry making and I'm a happy camper indeed. Below are photos of my results after 4 hours in class. The bracelet is made with size 8 brown and size 11 gold seed beads. I also discovered there's a bead shop in Laurel, MD, about 2 hours from my home, called Bead Soup that should satisfy my bead lust, so to speak. Stay tuned for more in the months and years ahead.

I highly recommend taking a class with Donna. She's very patient, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about everything beading.

Bracelet Russian Spiral Closed

Bracelet Russian Spiral Closeup of Toggle

Bracelet Russian Spiral Open

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Janet Zickler Casey Santas Stitched to Date - 1/3/23

Click on the photo caption to view more information about each santa.

January 3, 2023--I had the opportunity to stitch a few more Janet Zickler Casey's santas in 2022. Here are the new ones and if you scroll down, you'll see the ones stitched in prior years. Now there are 16 stitched santas in the collection.

To see the santas yet to be stitched, please click on the 2 Pages on the right side of this blog called Planned Projects-Santas by Janet Zickler Casey and In Process Projects.

Santa Snow Cone

Santa Holly Jolly

January 1, 2022--In keeping with my goal of stitching one new and one old Janet Zickler Casey's santas each year, I stitched the below Cashmere and North Wind Santas. This makes 14 santas stitched to date.

Cashmere Santa Completed

North Wind Santa Completed

May 18, 2020--Here's the 12th santa ornament stitched so far--North Wind Santa

North Star Santa Completed

May 12, 2020--the 11th Janet Zickler Casey santa stitched to date called Santa in the Moon.

Santa in the Moon Completed

January 5, 2020--The 10th JZC santa, Heart Santa, is stitched.

Santa Heart

February 11, 2019--The 9th JZC santa is stitched.

Star Spangled Santa

January 9, 2019--Here's the eighth stitched so far to add to the list below.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Santa

November 16, 2018—Recently I counted up the number of santa ornaments designed by Janet Zickler Casey that I’ve stitched over the years. Below are 7 out of 23 total to date. As new ones are completed, I’ll add them to the list. My goal is to stitch two a year (one new, one old) until all are done. Click on the caption for more information about each santa pictured.

Christmas Light Santa

Candy Cane Santa

Beth in ILJanuary 7, 2021 at 5:09 PM
I did not stitch a Santa in 2020. I need to get one on the frame as they are so much fun to stitch!

Saturday, December 31, 2022

2022 Year in Review - 12/31/22

December 31, 2022--Happy, happy New Year!

I managed to complete the stitching on 16 needlepoint projects while doing so much else this year (traveled to Europe on a Rhine River Needlepoint cruise, went to ANG's 50th Anniversary Seminar in Tucson, AZ, got COVID twice even while fully vaccinated, had eye surgery in September, did some miscellaneous traveling around the country, finished Stage 1 and in the process of working on Stage 2 of ANG's Master Needlepointer Certification, etc.). Below are pictures from most recent (December) to oldest (January).

Many have not yet been finished into ornaments, framed, etc.--I'm waiting to stitch all the projects in the collections before working them up into ornaments (e.g., Janet Zickler Casey's santa collection and Susan Portra's holiday ornament collection).

Also included in this list are the projects stitched in prior years that have been finished into pillows, ornaments, etc. in 2022.

Hope you enjoy looking at these pictures and walking down memory lane with me. Click on the photo's caption to see more information about each project.