Why I Like Scroll Bars

Like most of you, when I start a project one of the first things I consider (after pulling threads and picking out the canvas color, of course) is whether to mount the canvas on scroll bars or stretcher bars. There are quite a few things to consider.

How big is the project? For small to medium projects, I like to use scroll bars. Although, small and medium projects can be easier to stitch on stretcher bars than a larger piece... For a really big canvas - painted OR counted - I waffle between scrolls and stretchers. Mostly I prefer scroll bars, because I can get closer to the work, which I REALLY like. Other times, I prefer to tack the big canvas to stretcher bars so I can see the whole design while I'm working on it...which becomes crucial if you're balancing colors and threads thruout the design.
What type of ground is it - mono canvas, Congress Cloth, or linen? I find that mono canvas is pretty darn tough and holds up well on scroll bars or stretcher bars - much better than rolling it up in your hand, that's for sure! Congress Cloth, while a bit stiff, can be easily creased if folded, so putting it on bars keeps the canvas flat and crisp. (I usually iron my piece of Congress Cloth before attaching to bars and stitching, so it starts out flat and crisp). And with linen, which I think is a pretty tough fabric as well, you may be an "in-hand" stitcher (which links you with a long tradition of stitchers stretching back thru time) or you may be a scroll bar stitcher. I have enjoyed cross-stitching in-hand, but I prefer putting my linens and other fabrics on scroll bars before I start stitching.
Will there be only flat stitches, or lots of raised, complex stitches? If you're going to be stitching lots of fancy stitches, or ones with long loose stitches, stretcher bars will be much easier on your canvas/work. That being said, I must admit that most all of my quilt designs (that use longish diagonal satin stitches) have been worked on scroll bars, and I haven't had any problems with the long threads being "rolled" on scroll bars. (On the other hand, I don't keep my quilt designs on the scroll bars very long; I usually complete the project in a few weeks or so.)
Other things to consider are:
What types of threads are you using - cottons or silks, rayons, metallic or wool?
Is it a travel project (one you'll carry around to stitch-ins or guild meetings, packing it in and out of your car)?
How quickly will you be working on it - finishing it in a week or a year (or two)?

All of the things mentioned above have to be considered. But, I have to confess: I usually go with the scroll bars. I know myself well enough to know that if I put a large piece on stretcher bars, chances are it will be more awkward to work on - and then I won't stitch on it as much. If I mount that same large piece on scroll bars, it won't seem quite so intimidating; I'm much more likely to stitch on it; and it will get finished faster (and I'm much happier as a result).

So I have a few techniques I use when I do mount a large piece of canvas (or fabric) on scroll bars. 1.) I'll cut long pieces of cotton batting and roll the hidden ends of the canvas against the batting, to protect the unstitched canvas, as well as soften and support the stitched portion of the canvas. 2.) I'll cover both rolled edges of the scrolled bars with fabric covers. Below is an illustration of how I quickly rigged up some muslin scraps (with safety pins, no less) to cover the top of a long project on white Congress Cloth:


I confess I was so eager to get started stitching, that I couldn't be bothered to stop and baste the muslin (or heaven forbid, pull out the sewing machine and sew up the edges). The lower edge has a fabric cover I sewed from scrap fabric, with a plain ribbon closure that can be pulled and tied to any width of scroll bars....You can get as fancy as you want with these scroll covers, but hey, whatever works - that's my stitching motto!

This is Sooooooo Your Fault!

Okay, listen up, all you organizational stitchy divas out there (and ahem, that especially means YOU, Miss Coni J.!)

I was planning to spend the weekend serenely stitching on a variety of projects, but Noooooo... after reading the blogs of stitchers reorganizing their stitching spaces, I got bit by the reorganizing bug too. Maybe it's this time of year, when the seasons are changing, and that cool nip in the air gets us all restless to cozy up our nests before winter sets in....(Or maybe it's watching the squirrels in the neigboring trees scurrying around burying their stash of nuts in the ground).... whatever it is, I got caught up in the frenzy.

I decided my solid color stash needed a bit of reorganizing:


So I sat on the floor, watching Ken Burns' National Park series, and organized all my colors into color bouquets, so that now my thread drawers look like this:


The next morning, I decided to tackle my variegated pearl cottons so that they too would be organized in color bouquets.... like this:


Okay, before you start jumping up and down and hyperventilating about ALL the threads I have in my stash, let me explain. Every summer for the past 14+ years, I've dyed a bunch of thread - mostly #5 pearl cottons, but I've branched out into #8, #12, and #20 pearl cottons too. I learned how to do it from a fiber guild up in the Gold Country. (They were interested in dying yarns for weaving and knitting -- I was interested in dying threads for stitching.) I started by dyeing multi-colored threads, but at the end of the process there would be dyes left over and I would play around with solid color batches, just to see what fun colors I could create - hence the assorted bunches of solid colors.

My justification for doing all this was: at the time I was going to craft and quilt shows to sell my stitchery patterns, and I wanted to have all the materials to get people hooked on stitching. Well, it worked! But I also got hooked on hand-painting my own threads, and have done it every year, including this year. I don't travel to those kinds of shows any more, but sometimes I take threads to the local guilds when I teach there.

In any event, you can see that I've accumulated A LOT of thread to do A LOT of stitching projects... Oh yeah, and after sitting on the floor for many, many hours of fascinating thread organizing, my back was just a tad sore the next day (ouch) but man, it was worth it! Now my threads are organized by color and I should be able to find what I need. But did I stop there? No. Stay tuned for my next installment of organizational frenzy...

[NOTE TO THOSE OF YOU INTERESTED IN DYEING THREADS: Please visit Yarn Barn of Kansas for their excellent assortment of pearl cottons, Procion dyes, and various books on how to dye yarn.]

Threadmania!

Ooooooh, thread lovers.... check this out!

This weekend, whilst rambling through online stitchery sites, I stumbled upon another great place to reseach threads.

Actually, I was trying to find some sort of cross-reference or thread guide that would show me which new Threadworx threads corresponded to the old Needle Necessities Floss Overdyed colors. (Are you like me and have a stash of old Floss Overdyed skeins and would like to see how the new Threadworx variegated colors compare? Well, read on...)

Anyway, I finally ended up at NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK's website: www.needlestack.com.

EUREKA!

Not only do they post a picture of every color of Threadworx's Overdyed Floss, but they include the old Needle Necessities color number, if applicable. What a wonderful thing to do for all us stitchers!

I also had a blast checking out their color lists for various other types of threads. I was especially pleased to see a full list of Caron Collection's Watercolours. The pictures are WONDERFUL -- you can actually see most of the variegated skein's colors. It's a great way to see the true thread colors, which helps you decide on the threads for your next project. I spent some time hop, skip & jumping thru their very extensive list of threads. I can tell you that I'll be visiting this site again, very soon....

So, THANK YOU, CATHE RAY AND STAFF, for all the hard work you've put into your website... just to provide an extra-special thread-choosing tool for all of us stitchers! [Aside: Needle In a Haystack is a stitchery store in Alameda, California with a fantastic line of all things needlework.... just like their website. And if you want to keep abreast of what's new in the needlework world, read their "What's New" section, which provides tantalizing blurbs on all sorts of new stitchery items - not to mention the latest in new threads.]

So, all you thread lovers out there: go and oogle all the luscious threads there are for us to choose from... I dare you NOT to get inspired by looking at all these threads (not to mention doing a little online shopping!)

THREADMANIA!!

Hey, Stitchers.... I just found a great thread-shopping site you should visit if you want to browse for different thread types from the comfort and privacy of your own computer. It's A to Z Needlepoint, run by my local stitchery store, The Regal Rabbit, in Windsor, California.

The store owner, Diane McGregor, was telling me all about it one day when I was shopping in her store. We were talking about how many different types of threads there are and how hard it is sometimes to find just the right thread for your canvas. She suggested I check out her website and search the thread section; she has spent many hours listing practically every thread in her store, in order to give stitchers the best possible way to select and order threads online. Not only are the threads organized by COMPANY and TYPE, but also - most significantly - by COLOR FAMILY and DMC NUMBER!

For instance, say you're going to start stitching on a valentine canvas and want to use the red color of DMC 814. But what other types of threads (metallics, silks, rayons, wools, etc.) match that particular red? Just go to A-Z Needlepoint's thread section, type in the DMC number, and . . . Voila! up pops a screen with all the possible thread types that match that specific DMC color. And as you browse around all the various individual skeins of thread, each has its corresponding DMC number listed on its main page, so you can get a definite idea of what the color exactly IS.

And, in addition, Diane took the time to add very helpful tips about using each and every type of thread on her website. Want to try a twisted silk thread, but are unsure how to use it? Read Diane's tips and you'll learn how to use the thread and feel confident enough to give a new thread a try.... It's MORE wonderful information right at your fingertips. Here's a sample of Diane's description of Trebizond:

"Trebizond is a twisted filament thread that is extremely shiny and can be used on canvas as well as on linen. The weight, luster and composition are unique and can be used for embroidery as well as canvas work. Stitch with a length no longer than 18 inches to maintain the luster of the thread. Be careful to keep the twist of the thread to maintain its sheen. This thread makes beautiful leaves and flowers."

Isn't that marvelous? You've really got to visit her website and browse through all the thread collections. It's also a great way to see if certain types of threads have just the color you're looking for. Do you need a soft ribbon, such as Neon Rays, in a particular shade of pink? Well, here's the place to see if such a color exists! (And, yes, of course, everything is available for convenient online ordering.) What a great way to spend the day oogling all those yummy threads and planning out your next canvas project!

About Those Threads...

In my last post, I told you about the luscious SILK LAME' BRAID from Rainbow Gallery.

Well, if you are itching to get your hands on some of this new thread, check out THE NEEDLEPOINTER, a stitchery store in Everett, Washington. They happen to be running a special this month on SILK LAME' BRAID -- if you buy all 42 colors you'll receive a 15% discount on the threads. You can call them at 425-252-2277 or email them at: www.theneedlepointer.com or shop@theneedlepointer.com.

I might also mention that THE NEEDLEPOINTER is having a trunk show this month of my designs, with a bunch of my models and lots and lots of my patterns. Here's a photo that Donnelle sent me of one of the shop walls featuring my designs:


So if you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest and are looking for some new threads and patterns, you might want to stop in at THE NEEDLEPOINTER and look around. ....And please say "HI!" to Jill and Donnelle for me!

Ooooh, THREAD CRUSH!

Recently, I sent a pattern to Rainbow Gallery that I designed to highlight a bunch of their threads. (Can you imagine how much fun it is to have a handful of new and delicious threads sent to you and then be asked to design something using them?!? Oh, BLISS!)

Anyway, Rainbow Gallery sent me some of their newest thread, SILK LAME' BRAID, and BOY was it wonderful to stitch with! It's a soft, flexible thread (72% silk, 18% rayon) with the slightest shimmer of metallic color woven thruout. It's not a fragile thread either. It's a good weight - like a full strand of floss or silk - so it stays in the needle and covers very nicely, too. It's NOT a strandable thread; rather, you just use it as it comes off the card, in a nice full strand of blended threads - 4 strand of silk braided with 4 strands of fine metallic. (To see the sparkle up-close, just double-click on the above photo and you'll get a dazzling eyeful!)

I especially appreciate Rainbow Gallery's color range. They don't just give you one or two yellows or pinks, but a whole range of each color - warm and cool variations of each color, so you can pick just the RIGHT color that you need.


Currently, Silk Lame' Braid is designed especially for 18 ct. canvas (it has the SL prefix) and comes in 42 colors. John Satterlee, at Rainbow Gallery, also mentioned to me that they will be coming out soon with Silk Lame' Braid for 13 ct. canvas (it's a little bit thicker, and just as soft and yummy). You can see a skein of it above in the warm pink color (it has the LB prefix.)

SO -- it's become my current THREAD CRUSH. (You know how you get crushes on movie actors, or singers? Well, I get the same kind of crush on new threads or threads that are new to me. Crazy, huh? Or maybe you can relate, too? ...hmmmm?)

Sometimes I stumble upon a new or different thread, and as soon as I stitch with it, it becomes my favorite thread. I love using it, and finding new uses for it. So, I'm thinking I'll be sharing some of those favorite threads with you, now and then, when they catch my eye, or pass thru my fingers. Cuz, you know..... we ALL NEED MORE THREAD for our poor languishing thread stashes, right? Of course we do!

P.S.: If you want to see the latest pattern I designed for Rainbow Gallery, just visit their website at: www.rainbowgallery.com ; then click on the "Free Patterns" menu and look for my DESERT ROSE.