New Stitch Monday With a Twist – Week 5

As I continue looking for stitches that are new to me for the Raymond Crawford “NEEDLEPOINT” canvas, I found a great stitch.  For the letter “L” I did the Twisted Columns stitch.  What I did discover is this stitch would be fantastic for a larger area.  So, keeping that in mind when you are choosing stitches make sure you get the look that you are looking for in a stitch.  Some stitches look good in smaller areas while others look better in a larger area.

I did this stitch in 3 steps using Soie Cristal #5074, Neon Rays N138 & Neon Rays Plus NP138. I used 4 strands of Soie Cristal for Step 1 shown yellow on the diagram.  For Step 2 use Neon Rays N138 shown green on the diagram.  For Step 3 use Neon Rays Plus NP138 shown blue on the diagram.   The beauty of this stitch is you can choose to use 2 threads instead of 3 by using the same-colored thread for Step 2 & Step 3.   I was looking for a little glitter in this stitch.  The next time I do the Twisted Columns stitch I will most likely try it as a background.

I hope you can use this in your 21 new stitches for the 2021 Challenge. Give it a try!

Happy Stitching – Stephanie

New Stitch Monday With a Twist – Week 4

For the letter “D” I chose the Rosemary stitch.  I have to admit that I had a different stitch picked out for this but after I took it out the 4^th time I realized if I got frustrated there is a good chance that you would also. For me needlepoint is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable.  While I do like to challenge myself, I don’t want to get stressed out.

Since I already purchased the threads & ribbon, I looked for a stitched that I would be able to use all 3 threads.  I did this stitch in 3 steps.  First, I did all of the Continental stitches using 4 stands of Splendor S997, if your canvas is 13 count use 6 strands (shown dark purple).   For the 2^nd step I did all of the cross stitches using Kreinik – K2094HL (shown light blue).  For the 3^rd step I did the accent lines using Neon Rays N05 using a Chenille needle.  I did need 2 cards of N05.  I tried doing the accent lines before the cross stitch but I found I kept catching the ribbon causing it to pull.

I hope you can add this to your 21 new stitches in the 2021 Challenge.

Give it a try!

Happy Stitching – Stephanie

 New Stitch Monday With a Twist – Week 3

Continuing on my journey of learning 11 new stitches for the Raymond Crawford “Needlepoint” canvas I found a fun stitch for the second letter “E”.  The Upright Oriental stitch was just perfect.  I used 4 stands of Splendor S1074 for the main part of the stitch (shown light blue) and then added Neon Rays N116 for the accent lines (shown dark blue).

There have been discussions about how far to take your vertical stitches.  I take them right to the edge because when I don’t it looks to me as if I skipped a stitch or two.  Some stitchers don’t like a crowed look.  It your personal choice.

When using Neon Rays or and type of ribbon it is a good idea to use a laying tool to help keep it flat.  Try to use a laying tool that does not have a sharp point because it can catch on the ribbon and make a pull.  Another trick is to use a small flat iron and run the ribbon through it.  Of course I’m sure you all know where to order one from.

Another idea for this stitch would be to use an over-dyed thread for the main section and a solid thread for the accent lines.

For those of you who are participating in the 21 New Stitches for the 2021 Challenge I hope you can add this stitch and the other 2 that I wrote about over the last 3 weeks.

Give them a try!

Happy Stitching – Stephanie