On Point

Spring into Needlepoint

susanbattle@tpoia.com (Susan Battle) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:14:00 +0000

It's nearly 70 degrees in Washington today and we are loving the Spring weather! Now is the time to "spring" into needlepoint! Stitch florals, stitch summer-y shoes, stitch anything spring!

I just got this canvas with peonies from Sandra Gilmore of Once in a Blue Moon. Isn't it charming? The colors are glorious. Stitching on a Sandra Gilmore canvas is wonderful...every stitch is beautifully and precisely painted. Check out more of her canvases by clicking here.

The snow is melting; the flowering are budding...life is good!

Happy stitching,
Susan

Coolest Thread Separator!

susanbattle@tpoia.com (Susan Battle) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:10:00 +0000

When I was at the needlepoint market in California, I discovered this fabulous new stitching tool! Picture this scenario: you are working with Trio on 18 mesh canvas. You need to separate the yarn into 1 ply sections. You carefully try to pull off a section...you end up with a huge knotted mess that you have to cut off and throw away. Frustration builds! Instead of hurling the canvas across the room and shouting naughty words, use the Thread Separator from the Puffin Company. Simply cut a length of fiber and attach one end to the clamp. Rest the whole piece on a table and grab the other end of the thread. As you pull off the desired ply, let the piece dangle from the edge of the table. Voila, your threads are separated! It's miraculous! I don't know how I was plying without this little gadget. Click here to go to their website and see a video demonstration.

The separator comes in a variety of styles and costs $15. Email me and I'll send you one. It's a lifesaver! (And makes it more fun to stitch on 18 mesh canvas.)

As always, Happy Stitching,
Susan

Compensation Techniques

susanbattle@tpoia.com (Susan Battle) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:21:00 +0000

All of my friends are having babies so I am busy making Baby Sleeping signs! I am working on this one (above) for my friend, Betsy, who is having a little girl.

It's hard to see in a small picture but I had to stitch basketweave in the central white area. I tried doing a different stitch but the compensation was just too awkward. Compensation is what happens when you can only do part of a decorative stitch because you "run into" another color. When you compensate, you do as much of the stitch as you can in the confined space. Take Nobuko for example (diagram above).

The pattern calls for one regular stitch and then one stitch that crosses over 3 intersections of mesh. If I was doing Nobuko in the central white area of the Baby Is Sleeping canvas, I would have to compensate often. For instance, I would run into the blue letters and only be able to cross over 2 intersections at some points.

For this reason, I decided it would take more time to compensate Nobuko than just stitch basketweave. Some stitches are easy to compensate (Diagonal Mosaic for instance) and others are much harder. Until you are really comfortable with decorative stitches, only use them in big areas that need little compensation.

Have fun with these stitches...they can be really fun and they certainly enhance a canvas!

Now, I'm on to my next baby project for my friend, Katya!

Caribbean Stitching

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:46:00 +0000

Ah, stitching in paradise! I was just in the beautiful Dominican Republic, enjoying a wonderful vacation. While I was lounging on the beach, sipping a coconut drink, I worked on a fun new canvas by Lund Enterprises. These margarita glasses are going to be made into flip flops. I'll post a picture of the completed pair of shoes soon.

I used lime green Flair from Rainbow Gallery for the margaritas and Balger from Kreinik for the lime wedges and the salt. For stitches, I did a Smyrna Cross for the salt so it's raised like actual salt. Diagonal Mosaic worked really well for the background.

As I finish stitching this canvas, I am reminded of the warm Caribbean sun and that helps make all the snow in DC tolerable...

SIlver Needle Trunk Show

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:02:00 +0000

The Point of It All is hosting a trunk show from the Silver Needle! It will be at the shop through Saturday, December 27th. Here's their website: Silver Needle

Adorable Beatrix Potter canvases--Peter Rabbit is darling! There is also Paddington Bear, Good Night Moon, and other storybook characters. The Adirondack collection is charming. Come in and check it out!

New Canvases Galore!

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:32:00 +0000

I'm back and ready to blog! I've just returned from the needlework market in Long Beach, Californina....so many canvases, so little time to stitch! I bought more than 400 canvases. New pieces have already begun to arrive and UPS delivers more every day! I'll post more pictures soon. Here are pictures of some of my favorite canvases :

Cell Phone Case

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Check out this case for my cell phone! I took a small canvas and traced a slightly larger outline of my phone and then stitched away. You could also use an eyeglass case canvas. The result is a beautiful and easy to spot protective case for my phone. Yet another stylish needlepoint accessory!

(The "SK" stands for my maiden name--Susan Kenney--and the initials have long been my nickname.)

Happy stitching! Susan

The Point of It All Renovation

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:07:00 +0000

So we renovated the shop last week to make is a lot more user friendly. We moved some things around and updated some areas to make it so more than one person can walk down the hallway at once! We also moved the canvas display leaves so that customers can actually look through them comfortably. Hopefully these changes will make the customers much happier to spend their afternoons with us and be able to review their canvases and fibers in peace.

Check out this hokey video that my husband, Chris, made about the renovation:

DJ Designs Trunk Show & Exclusive Canvas

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:31:00 +0000

I am excited to announce the arrival of the DJ Designs trunk show! Check out the canvases on Dale's website. The trunk show will be at The Point of It All through Saturday, March 21st.

Other news from The Point of It All and DJ Designs: Dale and I collaborated on a special "Christmas in Washington, DC" needlepoint stocking! Doesn't it look great! So many of the DC landmarks are represented...this is an heirloom in the making!

The canvas is 14" by 22.5" and is painted on 18 mesh. The price is $324. Pre-order today!

I look forward to hearing your feedback on this stocking! Happy stitching, Susan

Oops Sale!

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:02:00 +0000

We've all done it: bought a canvas, stashed it away, and Oops! never quite gotten to it. It's okay to change your mind! Here's how you can clear out your closet AND support a worthy cause:

1. Donate your unwanted, unstitched, good-condition canvases to the shop between today and the end of February.*
2. We will divide the canvases into five price categories: $ 10, $25, $50, $75, $100.
3. Come in and SHOP between February 2nd and 28th.
4. ALL proceeds from canvases will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.

* Just ask me if you have questions about whether or not a canvas is eligible for the Oops! Sale. Canvases purchased elsewhere are still eligible. Canvases may not be redeemed for cash; donations only.

But I love to read...

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:45:00 +0000

My mother loves to read even more than she enjoys needlepointing...outrageous, I know! She often bemoans the fact that she can't turn out finished needlepoint as quickly as she likes because she is always reading. I happen to love to stitch more than I like to read--good thing since I own a needlepoint shop, right?! But I was disappointed how much mindless television I was watching. The solution for both of us...books on tape! I download books to my iPod from Audible.com or the iTunes store. Now I can listen to books and needlepoint at the same time! Feel free to suggest books you've particularly enjoyed.

AMH Designs has created kits for needlepoint iPod cases, too. Now you can be fully decked out!

Other Needlepoint Blogs We Like:

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:33:00 +0000

It's always fun to read other needlepoint blogs! Here are several we particularly like. If you regularly read others, by all means, SHARE!

Janet Perry writes a very well-known blog called Nuts about Needlepoint. She covers a wide range of needlepoint-related topics. From stitch instructions to answers to pesky fiber issues, Janet has an interesting take! She is the author of two books on needlepoint: Needlepoint Trade Secrets and Bargello Revisited.

Gail Hendrix's blog, Squiggeeland, is a special blend of needlepoint and homage to her adorable dogs, Squiggee and Miss Bubbles. Gail is a marvelous needlepoint artist--anything you can dream, she can paint!

Carrie Wolf showcases non-traditional needlepoint ideas. I love her pin cushions and 3D butterflies. Check out her blog !

Barbara Bergsten of Barbara Bergsten Designs has a great blog called Create Needlepoint. Barbara illustrates many different stitches and she shares our sentiment that needlepoint is not only decorative, but also artistic, fun, & functional.

Happy Halloween!

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:26:00 +0000

From the shop yesterday:


From On Point, The Point of It All Blog

Pop Art Crabs

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Check out these marvelous Pop Art crabs from The Point of It All Designs! The whole piece is stitched in Splendor (strandable silk from Rainbow Gallery). I did the crabs in basketweave and each of the backgrounds in a special stitch. The top left and bottom right is the willow stitch, while the top right square and the bottom left is diamond pavilion (also called pavilion diamond). The center square is horizontal parisian in two colors. I essentially made up the stitches in the middle left and middle right squares: sort of a modified slanted gobelin with a one stitch wide column of metallic thread. Lastly, the top and bottom middle squares are stripes in basketweave. Each column is 6 stitches wide.

Wow, I'm now exhausted just from typing all that--I can hardly believe I stitched it too! It really looks great and I am super pleased with the framing. A driftwood effect with royal blue edging.

The canvas would certainly look great if I had stitched it all in basketweave but I think the special stitches really enhance it. It's subtle and not overwhelming. I find that if you do a few, carefully-selected decorative stitches the end product looks interesting but not gimmicky. My advice here: less IS sometimes more. Of course that NEVER applies to one's canvas collection!

Video: How to Needlepoint

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:10:00 +0000

I recently filmed some instructional videos for the website Monkey See. The producers asked me to demonstrate how to needlepoint. The videos--which can be viewed here and soon from The Point of It All website--covers everything from supplies to threading the needle to actually doing the continental stitch. Take a look if you need a refresher course! I plan to shoot more videos on special stitches--please write in with your ideas for what stitches I should show first. You can share these videos with friends by clicking the "share" button at the bottom left-hand corner of the video. You can email the video to friends or share it on a social networking site.

Fabulous Finishing: Tooth Pillow

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:28:00 +0000

Isn't this the sweetest tooth fairy pillow?! Customer Lisa Glickstein stitched this precious piece from Melissa Shirley. The little heart is actually a separate canvas that is made into a pocket for the tooth (and later the moola)! We set the canvas into pink moire, added a twist in perle cotton, and finished the outermost edge with a fat, shirred piping. A perfect accessory for any little girl's room!

Finishing: Give Us Your Opinion!

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:17:00 +0000

Raymond Crawford, who designs sophisticated and unusual (in a good way!) Christmas canvases just sent me this little canvas because I absolutely love his line. As you can see, I've already started stitching it. Regina, who teaches advanced stitches for The Point of It All, suggested I use basketweave rather than a decorative stitch--she thought it would get too complicated with all the compensation around "Joy." Good news for me: I can zip through this quick canvas in a night.

Now for the finishing...I was thinking of adding trim and fanciful embellishments and making a pin to wear at Christmas time. Of course, a tree ornament is also a possibility. Or what about a kissing ball? Give me your opinion...but post a comment soon; I'll finish this canvas in no time!

Not your grandmother's needlepoint

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:02:00 +0000

Needlepoint does not have to be old, stuffy florals...not to say that there aren't some really great florals out there! I love how hip needlepointing can be. Check out my leopard print satchel with vibrant red leather trim. The canvas is from L'Esprit de France.

I get compliments every time I carry it!

Or what about cuff bracelets? So much fun and a DIFFERENT use for needlepoint! Clara Wells Needlepoint has adorable canvases like the two examples below. Melissa Shirley Designs also has some nice canvases.

How about watch bands? L'Esprit de France has cornered the market on fun watch bands. I even made a masculine one for Chris that we'll picture later.

Thinking Outside the Canvas

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:04:00 +0000

Some stitchers feel that they must stick with the colors exactly as the artist painted. To that I say, Color Outside the Lines and Live a Little! Take a look at these pillows. The canvas is from Birds of a Feather. Customer Angela Levy stitched the one on the top and I stitched the one on the bottom. Neither one of us stuck to the original colors...we both made changes so the pillows work with our homes. I urge you to view the painted colors as a guide, not a mandate.

For those who left comments on our last post -- I know these are pillows and I am promising some finishing ideas other than pillows, but these projects illustrate an equally important point. There is much more to needlepoint than pillows and "stitching by numbers."

FYI, we are having a Birds of a Feather trunk show at the shop through Saturday, September 27th. All canvases are 10% off!

About the On Point blog

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:39:00 +0000

Welcome to On Point--the blog for The Point of It All, Washington, DC's premier needlepoint shop! So, why am I writing a blog on needlepoint? Well, I often hear the same questions again and again and a blog is the perfect forum for addressing them. Upcoming posts include: my background, hip ideas for 21st century needlepoint, staff projects, examples of our finishing, lickety-split background stitches and much, much more! I plan to post at least once a week and sometimes more often. If you have a burning question, by all means email me! I look forward to the discussions, Susan

Susan's Latest Projects

chrisbattle@gmail.com (Chris Battle) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Don't worry--not all the blog posts will be about me! Nonetheless, bear with me for one more. Many customers ask what I'm working on, so here are some photos.

This adorable canvas is by Maggie Co. I love dogs and rubber duckies, so I couldn't resist this piece! I had a lot of fun with different stitches. The purple background is Criss Cross Hungarian in Appleton wool and Balger. The yellow border is Diagonal Mosaic, also stitched in Appleton. The black and white tile floor is Mosaic, stitched in Silk & Ivory. I've already had the piece framed so it was hard to take a clear picture. Take my word for it--it looks great!

I've recently stitched several belts for Chris as well as some of our friends. One thing I love about belt canvases is how many different finished pieces you can create: dog collars, flip flops & purse toppers to name a few. (More on that in coming posts.) Our chocolate Labrador, Buster Battle, has quite a wardrobe of ollars!