This past meeting we had an incredible talk given by Susan Hoekstra on color theory. Who knew there was so much to know. Clearly she loves the subject and had so many interesting avenues to explore dealing with color combinations and usages – just fascinating.

Our next meeting will be a panel discussion with four NJNA members that have participated in the “Tale of Two Stitchers” column in ANG’s Needlepointers magazine. The stitched items and the differences between them are so varied that it will be a great conversation.

We have also had several new members join us and the newest being Janet K. Glad you have joined us for all the up coming fun. Speaking of fun, don’t forget to let Cathryn C. know your pick of a bargello project – it will be starting before you know it. NJNA will provide canvas for the project so she will need to know in advance what you have chosen to stitch on and color !! Have you seen the Ice Cream cone that Sue C. decided on? I think she started a revolution with that choice !! Quite a few have followed her lead.

Of course, if you don’t want to commit to a project of that size then check out Eye Candy Needle Art. Ada has released her Bejeweled Bargello Series Two. 12 charted designs that come in sets of 2 with all the embellishments included. So colorful like her other designs.

After the last blog, I AM SURE you have all been organizing your stash. Well, I came upon something to help with that, I have attached a home inventory chart for your Kreinik Metalic thread – a quick glance and you can see if you have that spool – somewhere !! Microsoft Word – KreinikHome_MetallicInventoryForm.docx

Rumor Has It (Just love Adele) – that Rainbow Gallery is going to raise the price of their threads !! Check with your LNS if you decide to stock up.

Many have asked if they should be waiting until the end of the year to throw out their orts or use them as a gift for being the first to have the correct answer (LOL). I asked the person I thought would have the answer and yes – thank you Jane – she gave me an article related to this subject. The actual date for this ritual is Feb 8 and it’s an old Japanese ritual called hari-kuyo which translates to the Festival of the Broken Needle. It’s to honor your stitching tools and pray for the future of the art of sewing. On this day you do not stitch. I am not too sure I would follow the disposal method they describe but I liked the idea of it. https://www.schmetz-magazine.com/en/discover/needle-mass.html

New Year – New Color of the Year from Pantone ! Yes – so many purple lovers will be thrilled to see that it is…

The next big holiday on the calendar after Ground Hog Day, Super Bowl Sunday and Pizza Day is – VALENTINE’s DAY !! Stitch By Stitch in NY is having a trunk show of Associated Talents Heart canvases and they also have candy heart boxes to stitch by Lauren Bloch along with other Heart ideas for the holiday. Ny Needlepoint | Stitch By Stitch Larchmont, NY | United States (stitchbystitchneedlepoint.com)

And let’s not forget to pick up a few needle minders for your canvas !!

There are 2 newer clubs regarding holidays that are about to start – KC Needlepoint has a Shamrock Club – their first time offering a club. https://www.kcneedlepoint.com/products/shamrock-club?_pos=1&_sid=e539fe9b7&_ss=r

The Needlepointer has a beautiful Lantern Club that goes over 6 months. Each month you get the guide for another section of the canvas – so pretty and colorful. https://www.theneedlepointer.com/product/club-lanterns/?goal=0_3621358244-e3d0ab92d4-69343533&mc_cid=e3d0ab92d4&mc_eid=2e6039e84f

Right along with this Asian theme are the beautiful Dragon Fly boxes by Mindy. Mindy has all kinds of canvases to choose from to insert into these boxes. http://www.mindysneedlepoint.com/shop/Mindys-Needlepoint-Designs/Lacquer-Dragonfly-Boxes.htm

We are not use to getting a “bargain” but if you contact The Stitching Fox in SC they are offering a custom stitch guide for any canvas at the bargain basement price of $25 !! https://www.stitchingfox.com/collections/canvas

This just in – thanks Jill – ANG’s 2022 seminar registration will not happen on time. More information will be coming. https://www.needlepoint.org/page/2022Seminar

The Da Vinci Art Alliance in south Philadelphia has a showing of amazing needlepoint tapestries by Rebecca Conviser. After being diagnosed with breast cancer she used needlepoint as her therapy to recover her hand and arm strength. https://davinciartalliance.org/rebecca-conviser

TIPS/Tricks

Do you remember “Pink Hair Set Tape” ?!?!? Women used it to hold their hair in place. Needlepointers found it so helpful to hold stray threads on the back of their canvas out of the way. It was also helpful to grab the small fuzzies left over from when you finish ripping out threads. Well – Fret No More – 3M’s Nexcare has come out with a modern version – it was pink in the 60’s / 70’s and now it is white in the 20’s !!!

The famous stitchers from the last blog were Mary Astor and Joan Blondell.

Can you guess who these 2 are???

This coming week we are going to be lucky enough to have a talk with Susan Hoekstra on color theory. She is an ANG Certified Senior Master Teacher and a member of the National Embroidery Teachers Association. If that is not enough she can even speak to you in German and Dutch !! She has had her own business for more than 24 years and it will be a pleasure to have her speak to our guild. You can join in the fun by joining NJNA so as not to miss out on events like this.

Coming in Feb we will be hearing from some of our members discussing their participation in “A Tale of Two Stitchers” in the ANG magazine “Needle Pointers”. I am sure they have plenty of insights to share with us about their experiences.

A reminder that this coming Friday, the 21st, Linda M will be at the Edwardian Needle to collect Woodlawn submissions.

The Jan/Feb issue of Needle Pointers is online and will soon be in your mailbox !! Having seen the cover I can’t wait to see what is inside !

I don’t know about you but it’s that time of year – time to organize your “stuff” !! Many clean out closets and cabinets etc. because after all, not only do we need to make room for “new stuff” but we are stuck inside by snow and cold weather so what better time ?!?!?

Does your stitching room/area look like you live in the Container Store ?? Or does it look a bit more like this:

After talking with numerous friends over the past week or so – here are some ideas to get a handle on your needlepoint “stuff”.

One of our favorite threads is Kreinik – anything !! Those little spools can be difficult to store but a nifty container has been found and you want to act fast ! They are having a sale at Michael’s Craft Stores on storage items and they have a wonderful lucite box with 3 drawers that holds those little spools quite nicely. They also have a wider version should that suit your needs better.

You will also notice those colorful rubbery rounds in the middle of the table – they are great for keeping spools from unwinding. They are called “Peels” by Smartneedle. They work really well on the larger spools. Peels Spool Huggers – Smart Needle

While shopping I found a 3 tiered metal cart. It is a perfect height for when your sitting in a chair to contain the many items you use while stitching. Even better it has wheels so you can easily move it out of the way. They also make several organizers that fit in or on this cart like the lucite one in the top tier which is slanted like stadium seating so you can see everything better. These items were also in Michael’s Craft Stores in many colors.

You may have noticed in the top tier is a silicone tray to hold your tools. They come in 2 different sizes and several colors. Of course they are on Amazon but a savy shopper I spoke to found them in the Beauty Aisle of Walmart – intended as a Makeup Brush Holder !!

I know how much everyone loves to bead ! Do you have lots of colors of beading thread?? Try using a box made for sewing machine bobbins – they fit perfectly !

I love yogurt and this one brand in particular comes in a small glass jar. At times they even paint them with different flowers. They are so handy for many things – orts, tools, etc. If you go on their web site you will find that you can purchase lids for them !! You may also recognize the little plastic pieces in and next to the jar – they are the items the dry cleaner holds down the collar of a man’s shirt with. Those freebies are great to keep the River Silks ribbons from unwinding off the paddle !! Plastic Lids – Custom Made to Fit Oui Glass Pots – Oui by Yoplait

I also have a “Frog” which is an old fashioned item that was put in the bottom of a vase to arrange flower stems. They may be considered antiques now a days but they make great tool holders !!

FOMO Alert !! Thread Cutterz – What a nifty gadget – thank you Cathryn! They actually have several versions of this. It was originally made for cutting fishing line when his wife had an idea, check out their story on the web site. Our Story – Thread Cutterz

Our Tip this time is about extending the life of your stretcher bars and it comes from our own Melita G (Thank You)! She found this on the Nashville Needleworks Blog. She tried it and it works great though not on Evertite Bars (they may rust).

Who would have thought !!

The famous stitchers from the last blog were Henery Fonda and the beloved Betty White. Can you guess who these 2 are???

Wow – we made it !!! For all the upheaval in 2021 there were many wonderful things that happened. We had fantastic meetings on zoom with many interesting guest speakers (thank you Cathryn). The Festival of Trees was a big success and we look forward to doing it again. Our showing at Woodlawn was again a great turnout. There were not only many other great things that happened but going forward there is going to be another year of things to look forward to. This month we will be treated to a talk by Susan Hoekstra all about color – not to be missed. Of course you have to start the year right and join NJNA to be a part of another year of projects, exhibits, talks etc. Come join the fun !

Our own Brenda C. did her year in review on her blog – she has been busy. Check out all her finishes for the year along with items from other years that she had finished in 2021. Brenda’s Needlepoint Studio: 2021 (brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com)

Woodlawn’s 59th Annual Needlework Show is much earlier this year. The theme is “Common Threads” and will be open during the month of March. If you plan on submitting then you need to sign up ASAP. 2022 Annual Needlework Show Information 2022 — Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House (woodlawnpopeleighey.org)

If you didn’t see the news item on CBS about the Needlepoint Exhibit in the PS Bus Terminal then check it out on this attached link. This just shows how popular our craft is becoming. It’s called “Sew Much To Say” and the artist is Kevin Lustik. He has a very different interpretation on this art form and what he is trying to express. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAcSObQ-ex0

A wonderful way to start the new year is to make a contribution to Habitat for Humanity thru The Needlepoint Clubhouse in St. Louis MO. They have created canvases of Foo Dogs’s and the sales will benefit this charity. You need to call their store to order (314) 432-2555

If you are an Amy Bunger fan then you will want to look into her 2022 Home Study projects that are being offered thru Needle Works in Austin TX. Check out the web site, they have several beautiful clubs you can join in on and that will be where Amy Bunger’s classes can be found when they are ready with the details. https://theneedleworks.com/clubs/

Have you ever tried stitching a “Random Splash Pattern”? Very interesting look when it’s finished not to mention it can be a “stash buster”. Carol Curtis Needlepoint Designs gives you step by step instructions on how to go about doing it. She shows how it’s done using her canvases – so pretty. https://carolcurtisneedlepointdesign.com/

Looking for something quick to stitch then check out Canvas and Thread. They have adorable key fobs to stitch along with other beautiful canvases of the national parks. These key fobs are different and should take no time to do. Look under their “Just For Fun” category. https://www.canvasandthread.com/shop

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? I have a way to deal with that diet resolution – no calorie deserts !! Check out The Needlepointer for ice cream and cheesecake by Petite Sweets. Sinful !!! Petite Sweets Archives – The Needlepointer

ROAD TRIP !!!! Are you ready to bust out and go on a trip ?? I heard all those yeses !!!! Then try going to Two’s Company Needlepoint in South Carolina. They have a lovely looking shop in a house that they moved to from NEXT DOOR ! They still own the first location and they rent it out ! https://www.twoscompanyneedlepoint.com/?utm_campaign=2ea2cb0b-85f2-4902-9276-81d44cd40ca1&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=c2308e18-5215-4556-86ec-fe269d388407

The Tip I have for this time comes from Rittenhouse Needlepoint. It is that time of year that the holidays are over and it’s time to put all of our ornaments, stockings and special holiday pieces away until next year.

Famous Stitchers from last time were – Joan Crawford and Rosie Grier

Do you know who these 2 stitchers are?????

A new year means time to throw out your orts and start again !!