Pincushion

American Folk Arts is offering another project, the Bee Trifle, through the Needlework Shops. The shops are listed below and will be happy to help you with the charts for the trifle and the pincushion.

The lesson for the wired silk leaves on the pincushion are below, but your shop is the best place to find the ribbon and assistance.

Be sure to browse the entire list as the shops are not listed in any particular order.

A Stitcher’s Dream, FL
www.astitchersdream.net

ABC Stitch Therapy, NH
www.abcstitch.com

Acorn Needle, CA
www.acornneedle.com

All In Stitches, AZ
www.allinstitchesaz.com

Always in Stitches, FL
www.alwaysinstitches.com

Attic Needlework & Collectibles, AZ
www.atticneedlework.com

Brick City Cross Stitch, FL
www.brickcitycrossstitch.com

The Busy Needle, AZ
www.busyneedle.com

Cecilia's Samplers, MO
email@ceciliassamplers.com

Clark’s Crafts, IA
www.clarkscrafts.com

Creative Stitchery and Frame, TX
www.creativestitcheryandframe.com

Deer Hill Farm Cross Stitching, NY
845 229 0246

Down Sunshine Lane, SC
www.downsunshinelane.com

Fiberworks Needlework Shop, IA
www.myfiberworks.com

Hoops and Needles, MA
www.Hoopsandneedles.com

Keep Em In Stitches, SC
www.KeepEmInStitches.net

Mimi's Attic Needlework Shoppe
www.mimisattic.com

Sit ‘N Stitch, CA
www.sitnstitch.com

Stitchery Row, NY
www.StitcheryRow.com

Stitches From the Heart, TX
www.heartfeltstitches.com

Stitches N Things, MI
www.stitchesnthings.com

Stitching at Hearthside, CANADA
www.stitchingathearthside.com

Stitching Bits and Bobs, MI
www.stitchingbitsandbobs.com

The Stitching Post, MD
www.the-stitching-post.com

Stitch'n & Stuff, IA
http://www.stitchnandstuff.com

1-2-3 Stitch, UT
www.123stitch.com

The Tapestry Cottage, AUSTRALIA
www.tapestrycottage.com.au

NeedleArts. NZ
http://www.needlearts.co.nz

The Art of Stitch, Singapore
http://www.theartofstitch.com

Accents, Inc. LA
She is hosting a really 'cool' cruise, I wish I could go!
www.accentsinc.com

Bela’s Needlework, TX
belasneedlework@sbcglobal.net

Bush Mountain Stitchery
www.bushmountainstitchery.com

Cecilia's Samplers
www.ceciliassamplers.com

Covered Bridge Needlearts
www.coveredbridgeneedlearts.com

Fancy Works, IN
www.fancy-works.com

Farrell's Hook Line and Stitch
hooklineandstitch@yahoo.com

Forever Stitching, ID
lyndadm@aol.com

Homestead Needle Arts, MI
shop@homesteadneedlearts.com

Magic Stitch, FL
doityesterday@verizon.net

Sandy’s Stitch Niche
http://sandystitch.blog.com

A Stitch in Crime, NE
katebirkel@gmail.com

Stitch Inn, WI
stitchininn@milwpc.com

Stitches From the Heart, IN
www.stitches-heart.com

The Needlework Shoppe, CT
theneedleworkshoppe@hotmail.com

The Stitch Niche
kmorr@flash.net

The Tapestry Angel, OH
mteach@woh.rr.com

Wellslee Market Place
slee@wellsleemarket.com

Wyndham Needleworks, CT
www.Wyndhamneedleworks.com

Yankee Cross Stitch, NH
yankeecrosstitch@aol.com

Northgate Needlecraft, England
www.northgateneedlecraft.com

Cross Stitch Stuff Limited, UK
Customerservice@crossstitchstuff.com

Crafty Frog, Australia
www.craftyfrog.com.au

Masquehilos, Spain
www.masquehilos.com

Naald en Draad, Netherlands
borduren@planet.nl


The instructions for the leaves are below, the chart for this project is available from the shops listed above.



To close the pincushion, I stuffed the pincushion with a polyester fill and then sewed around the top edge and pulled up the tail, then sewed around the top to secure the tail, plunged the thread tail into the pin cushion and out again and cut off the tail.



Cut several lengths of wired ribbon that is 1 and 1/2 inches wide or what width you can find, cut the leaves about twice as long as the width of the ribbon.



Take the cut length of ribbon and fold along one wired edge as shown.



Fold over once more as shown.



Gather along the edge of the folded leaf as shown.



Sew the leaf to a button, I sewed four leaves with dark tips for the bottom of the leaf rosette and four leaves with light tips for the top of the leaf rosette.

To make the stem I took another length of the ribbon and rolled a cut edge over a wire I used for making the petals and pushed the ends of the wires through the button holes and then gave them a twist and glued the leaves onto the pincushion, you can sew them on if preferred.

How to Make Buttonhole Stitches

Buttonhole stitches are used in Ponto in Aria to make cloth or design elements.

You bring the working thread up at 1,

wrap it around the bar and the perle between stitches on the row above the bar or the couched thread if that is above the bar, then you take the working thread over the loop you just formed as shown in step 3 of the diagram.

Pull straight down on the working thread to form the stitch and close the loop.

The Bar
Stitchers take the working thread back across the design when the row of Buttonhole stitches is finished. I like to make a sideways buttonhole stitch on the couched thread of the design, bring the working thread up over the couching line and then take the working thread across the open space of the design and take it under the couched thread and make another sideways Buttonhole stitch.

This action moves the working thread down into place for the next row of stitches, it locks the bar in place so that it is not sliding too much as does the couching, it's the suspenders when you don't trust just a belt. vbg

What I mean is that the couching is so critical because it sets up the stitching rows by allowing you to slip the working thread between couched stitches and keep that working thread in place, but by also doing the sideways Buttonhole you fill the space and lock the row in position. Copyright 2009, Linda Fontenot


The article on couching stitches can be found in December, 2008

The article on working with threads can be found in February 2009, under the title 'Working with Threads and Needles'

An article, that really, and I do mean really, details how to attach these projects to other things like biscornu can be found under 'Finishing the Leaf' or 'The Leaf' in February 2009 in the site index posted to the right of this article.

The Thread Club

These are the first months spools of Kreinik Bella from the Thread Club at http://www.astitchersdream.net/

They are beautiful! And will work with the leaves for an upcoming project and beautifully with the violets in the current project. And there will be a series of Biscornu available at your local needlework shop. Linda

Wire

I have a picture of the wire I used to make these projects.

Then use a pen marker to color the wire as close to the project color as possible.

Violet Assembly

As promised here is the violet assembly.

Take your individual petals and lay them out in the fashion you would like them to be when finished.

You will need to make a center piece to attach the petals to each other without distorting them. I made a cup which looks like the sunken center of the violets I had pictured for you in an earlier post.



Take the accent thread, a longer than usual strand, and fold it over the stick as pictured.(You can use a pencil).



Run the ends of the strand through the loop, tighten the loop and then thread the ends in a needle and make Buttonhole stitches over these two strands around the stick. At the end of the row continue above the Buttonhole stitches already made in a spiral up the stick until the cup is the size you want or about 3/8ths an inch in height and width.

A note here: I held that loop in my left fingers until I got the first buttonhole stitch made. Otherwise this could be a slippery task!



Bring the end of the working thread up out of the closed end of the cup. You can use the cup up or down, it's your choice. I used it down.





Working from the back side sew the petals into the cup as shown, one at a time, consider their placement before sewing. I went around the cup as I sewed each petal on to the cup.

After you have all the petals sewn on wrap the cup threads around all the wires of the petals and finish off with buttonhole stitches over the previous wraps.



Then take a green perle thread and wrap all the stems as shown. You may need to wrap two or three times to get a satisfactory look. Glue the tail in place, let dry, cut off the extra long wires.

Punch a hole into your biscornu and sew the violet in place.

And wouldn’t these violets make a fabulous pair of earrings?

The Biscornu Chart

This flower will be attached to the biscornu shown below and I will show you how to assemble the petals and attach it starting next week.

The biscornu is only available to the shops that get my newsletter and they are listed below.



The biscornu was stitched by Jennifer Nardiello. She also photographed it. Isn’t is wonderful! Great job, Jennifer.

Before I get started I would like to mention that either side can be made into a fob, or both sides can be sewn together like an ornament

The Shops

A Stitcher’s Dream, FL
www.astitchersdream.net

ABC Stitch Therapy, NH
www.abcstitch.com

Acorn Needle, CA
www.acornneedle.com

All In Stitches, AZ
www.allinstitchesaz.com

Always in Stitches, FL
www.alwaysinstitches.com

Attic Needlework & Collectibles, AZ
www.atticneedlework.com

Brick City Cross Stitch, FL
www.brickcitycrossstitch.com

Clark’s Crafts, IA
www.clarkscrafts.com

Creative Stitchery and Frame, TX
www.creativestitcheryandframe.com

Deer Hill Farm Cross Stitching, NY
845 229 0246

Down Sunshine Lane, SC
www.downsunshinelane.com

Fiberworks Needlework Shop, IA
www.myfiberworks.com

Hoops and Needles, MA
www.Hoopsandneedles.com

Keep Em In Stitches, SC
www.KeepEmInStitches.net

Mimi's Attic Needlework Shoppe
www.mimisattic.com

Sit ‘N Stitch, CA
www.sitnstitch.com

Stitchery Row, NY
www.StitcheryRow.com

Stitches From the Heart, TX
www.heartfeltstitches.com

Stitches N Things, MI
www.stitchesnthings.com

Stitching at Hearthside, CANADA
www.stitchingathearthside.com

Stitching Bits and Bobs, MI
www.stitchingbitsandbobs.com

The Stitching Post, MD
www.the-stitching-post.com

Stitch'n & Stuff, IA
http://www.stitchnandstuff.com

1-2-3 Stitch, UT
www.123stitch.com

The Tapestry Cottage, AUSTRALIA
www.tapestrycottage.com.au

NeedleArts. NZ
http://www.needlearts.co.nz

The Art of Stitch, Singapore
http://www.theartofstitch.com

Accents, Inc. LA
She is hosting a really 'cool' cruise, I wish I could go!
www.accentsinc.com

Bela’s Needlework, TX
belasneedlework@sbcglobal.net

Bush Mountain Stitchery
www.bushmountainstitchery.com

Covered Bridge Needlearts
www.coveredbridgeneedlearts.com

Fancy Works, IN
www.fancy-works.com

Farrell's Hook Line and Stitch
hooklineandstitch@yahoo.com

Forever Stitching, ID
lyndadm@aol.com

Homestead Needle Arts, MI
shop@homesteadneedlearts.com

Magic Stitch, FL
doityesterday@verizon.net

Sandy’s Stitch Niche
http://sandystitch.blog.com

A Stitch in Crime, NE
katebirkel@gmail.com

Stitch Inn, WI
stitchininn@milwpc.com

Stitches From the Heart, IN
www.stitches-heart.com

The Needlework Shoppe, CT
theneedleworkshoppe@hotmail.com

The Tapestry Angel, OH
mteach@woh.rr.com

Wellslee Market Place
slee@wellsleemarket.com

Wyndham Needleworks, CT
www.Wyndhamneedleworks.com

Yankee Cross Stitch, NH
yankeecrosstitch@aol.com

Northgate Needlecraft, England
www.northgateneedlecraft.com

Cross Stitch Stuff Limited, UK
Customerservice@crossstitchstuff.com

Crafty Frog, Australia
www.craftyfrog.com.au

Masquehilos, Spain
www.masquehilos.com



I have included a photograph of a pansy for your reference if needed while you stitch.



I have also included a drawing of the whole flower so you can see how the petals and leaves that you have stitched will go together. If you do a search and input "couching stitch" there is a detailed article on couching. Or scroll through the old posts to find the article.



I used Kreinik's Bella 6124 to make the pansy petal with an accent of Mori 1107.

A Stitcher's Dream at www.AStitchersDream.net has the Bella, in fact she has a thread club that I joined to get these threads. I look forward to getting that package each month to plan more projects here. Copyright 2009, Linda Fontenot

The Mystery Sampler -- Band Two

The Sampler
This mystery sampler is eleven bands long, 30 inches by 8 inches of Creme 32 count linen was used, I used DMC cotton floss in a blue like 798 and Perle cottons #8 and #12 in a color to match the fabric.

There will be cut work bands and there will be a cut work liner in a dark blue for my copy of the sampler.

Each band is centered on the sampler and worked out to each side of it.

I put a large stitch row down the center of the sampler in a contrasting thread, one that will not transfer the color to the fabric, and I placed edge marking stitches after I stitched the pulled thread Scottish stitch band.

All stitch explanations can be found at website listed below. They can also be found on the first page of the site. Stitch Dictionary





After stitching the Reindeer I placed the Pulled Scottish Stitch row four fabric threads down from the lowest point of the reindeer. Remember to start in the center and work out to the edges on these rows. Scottish stitch link

Nine Count Boxes



This band is 80 stitches wide and will start on the left edge exactly. Each box will have a space between it and the next box. Use the same color of thread as the reindeer topper for these Cross Stitches.

Ribbons



This band consists of two stitched ribbon rows. One ribbon is the one edged with Four Sided stitches and the other ribbon is enclosed by the rows with Satin stitches over two fabric threads.

The Satin stitches will use DMC Perle #8 Ecru and the beads are Mill Hill # 03002. You can substitute a dark navy blue for the beads or you can use the same color floss as the reindeer. Use two strands of floss to replace the bead with a Cross Stitch. Use one strand of floss the color of the fabric to sew the beads on with a Cross stitch. Stitch Dictionary

1. To start this row drop down four fabric threads from the Nine Count Boxes and move in one fabric thread from your left marking thread. Do the entire row in Four Sided stitches. This row will end one fabric thread in from the right marking thread.

2. For the arrow shaped Satin stitch row skip down from the Four Sided Stitch row two fabric threads. Move in one fabric thread from your left marking thread and start the row. The first Satin stitch is over two fabric threads, the next over three fabric threads, the next over four fabric threads, the next over three fabric threads and then repeat the whole process again. This row will end one fabric thread short of the right marking thread.

3. Row 3 is a beaded row, Mill Hill 03002, Cross Stitch each bead over two fabric threads as marked. There are two fabric threads skipped between the peaks of the Arrow stitches on the arrow shaped rows. The bead is stitched in the open spaces formed by the short stitches of the arrow shaped rows.

4. This row is ten fabric threads down from the start of Band 2. It is another arrow shaped Satin stitch row but upside down from the one above, it too starts one thread in from the left marking thread.

5. This row of Four Sided stitches starts two fabric threads below the row of arrow shaped Satin stitches and one thread in from the left marking thread.

6. This row of Satin stitches is done over two fabric threads. Skip down two fabric threads from the previous row. It starts at the left side and ends at the right side of the sampler. It is best to remove the marking threads before you begin these stitches. They can get tangled up in the stitches and be difficult to remove.

7. Skip down two fabric threads from the previous row and start one fabric thread in from the left marking thread for this row. It consists of blocks of four Satin stitches worked over four fabric threads. Four fabric threads are skipped between each block of four Satin stitches.

8. This row starts two fabric threads down from the previous row and consists of Satin stitches over two fabric threads. It starts at the left edge of the sampler and ends at the right edge.



Kloster Buds

Please note that the steps 1, 2 and 3 in the above diagram are a progressive demonstration of a single Kloster Bud and that you will want all seven of the Kloster buds to look like either of the final two on the right of this chart. In the band each Kloster Bud is five fabric threads from the previous Kloster Bud. There will be seven Kloster Buds across your sampler. Remember to center your first Kloster Bud in the center of your design and then work out to each edge.

Start this band four fabric threads below the previous band.

1. Please note that an explanation of the Kloster is given in the Hardanger lessons. Later, you might want to take a few moments to read that, as I will refer to it many time throughout this sampler. Use two strands of the same floss as used for the reindeer for the Satin stitch petals of the Kloster Buds.

2. Each Kloster Bud is worked exactly as shown. The first Satin stitch on the bottom side of the left Kloster is over four fabric threads, the second Satin stitch is over five fabric threads, the 3rd, 4th, and the fifth stitch is over six fabric threads, the sixth Satin stitch is over five fabric threads and the seventh Satin stitch in the Kloster is over four fabric threads. Repeat this Kloster for the next petal but stitch it vertically, repeat these steps for each petal of the Kloster Bud four times.

3. In the second step for stitching the Kloster Bud you will see another set of Satin stitches worked in the center of the petals. The center is stitched using Perle Cotton #8 in Ecru. This is a variation of the Scottish stitch. The first diagonal Satin stitch is over one intersection of the fabric threads, the second is over two intersections of the fabric threads, and so on as diagramed in step 2 above. Cover the center of the Kloster Bud with eleven stitches.

4. The third diagram of the Kloster Bud shows another set of five Satin stitches worked over the center group you did in step 3. These five stitches are going in the opposite direction from the first eleven Satin stitches. The top five Satin stitch reverse from top to bottom for each Kloster Bud as shown in steps 3 and 4.

Alternate the center Kloster Buds across your sampler. ©2001, Linda Fontenot, www.AmericanFolkArts.com