Earlier this week, I shared the balloon stitch with you on Needlepoint TV™. It’s a very functional stitch – and it’s one that you can use on your canvases in a variety of ways. It’s a rather large stitch which means you’ll need plenty of space in order to establish the pattern, so keep that in mind when considering it for one of your projects. The balloon stitch is a member of the straight stitch family.
The very first canvas embroidery stitch I learned – way back in the day – was the mosaic stitch. There are literally hundreds of canvas embroidery stitches that you can use to add depth and dimension to your needlepoint projects. And back in late September and early October, I hosted the 2020 Stitch Challenge to help needlepointers expand their stitch repertoires. More than 600 stitchers from around the world took part in that fun-filled three weeks. Several of those stitchers created samplers from their doodle canvases.
Hip, hip, HOORAY! It’s National Needlepoint Month and I have a super-fun surprise for you! To celebrate our favorite hobby, I’m hosting the 2020 Stitch Challenge!
What the heck is that?! That’s a terrific question and I’m ever so glad you asked! The 2020 Stitch Challenge is my brand new needlepoint Challenge where you’ll stitch along with me as I share 15 canvas embroidery stitches that I think every needlepointer should know! And there will be prizes… 😉
We’ll begin on Monday, September 14 with the Kick-Off Party and we’ll wrap things up on Friday, October 2.
Every weeknight at 8 p.m. CDT, Monday through Friday, I’ll share a new stitch with you.
But I won’t just tell you the name of the stitch. I’ll include the diagram plus a “how-to” demonstration so you can try it yourself. (And if you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I L-O-V-E to shower my students with lagniappe, so there will definitely be surprises for you tucked into each live broadcast!)
First, you’ll want to sign up so you get all the juicy details.
Click here to get your name on the list.
Next, you’ll want to get yourself a piece of blank needlepoint canvas – either 13 or 18 mesh.
I recommend that it be 8″ x 8″. You’ll also want to mount it on stretcher bars. (It’ll take two pairs of 8″ stretchers to make a frame.)
Here’s a picture of a sample doodle canvas for you. (That’s what I call my practice canvas where I sample different stitches.)
Then, you’ll want to gather up some threads.
Any medium or light hue will work, so this is the perfect opportunity to go stash diving and use up some of those leftovers from previous projects. I do recommend using a single strand of something smooth, though. Think Perle cotton #5, PepperPot Silk, or Planet Earth Wool for 18 mesh canvas. If you prefer working on 13 mesh canvas, see if you can find some Silk and Ivory or Planet Earth Silk. (Perle cotton #3 will work on 13 mesh, too.)
And, of course, you’ll need a needle.
A #22 tapestry needle will fit the bill for 13 mesh canvas and a #24 tapestry needle will work very nicely on 18 mesh. A needle threader will come in super-handy, too. Here’s my all-time favorite one:
Well, for starters, it’s gonna be oodles of F-U-N!
And it’s free!
So how can you resist a fun-filled, free mini-workshop that will help you build your needlepoint skills and add to your stitch repertoire?
I hope you can’t resist because it just won’t be the same without you. 🙂
No worries… each broadcast will be recorded and you can watch the replays at your convenience through October 4. I’ll post the recordings in the 2020 Stitch Challenge Facebook group, but they’ll be going away on October 5 when I archive the group.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this, too – you’ll get bonus points for showing up LIVE and checking in. How will I know that you’re there? Great question. We have a system worked out that we’ll share with you before we get started on Monday, so don’t fret about that. It’s really simple and anybody will be able to do it – even if you’re not a computer whiz.
There are some really cool ones and I’ll bet you’re wondering how you can win them? It’s easy peasy – just post pictures of your stitch samples on social media (e.g., Facebook or Instagram) using the hashtag #SerendipityStitchChallenge or #SerendipityNeedleworks. Each picture that you post will earn you points to qualify for some really terrific prizes that I’ll give away at the end of the Challenge. Here’s a sampling of what I’ve already gathered…
Alrighty – that’s all for now, my friend. Again, I hope you’ll join me for the 2020 Stitch Challenge. It’s gonna be AWESOME and I can hardly wait!! 😉
Until next week, happy stitching…
XOXO!!
PS: If you have any questions, please reach out to us at help@serendipityneedleworks.com. We’re always happy to assist!
©2020. Serendipity Needleworks. All rights reserved.