Sunday, August 28, 2016

Weekly Newsletter

Long ago....



There were four talented stitchers, who were fast friends, Samual Satindor, Freddrick Froggin, Rhonda Rhodesclaw, and Petunia Pufflestitch.  One day the four friends were sitting around the parlor with their stitching when Satindor said, "You know we should start a school to teach young stitchers how to use their stitching powers."  The other three thought this was a marvelous idea.  But what should we teach these new stitchers?......

http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/from-the-postmaster-and-52463426

...... To be Continued.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Weekly Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

Today is the last day of the Stitchlympics!  I hope everyone had a lot of fun with all of the events.  We hope to have the medal's announced by the end of the week.  We had several people complete this week's Challenge of getting a finish.   So this week the weekly Challenge will be a game of Floss Bingo!   No new SAL's this week, crazy I know but have no fear the crazy is coming back soon!  We do have our regular hangout on Thursday Night.

Next week we have the Fantasy SAL on Thursday (Sept. 1)  We also have a Paula Vaughn SAL coming on Sept. 6.


Now for a sneak peak at what is coming next year.  For the next few weeks, we will be giving Hints for a big announcement that will be coming November 1st. So here is this weeks teaser!

Like a challenge?  Have you liked the team events this summer?  Want to play  fun games while stitching and chatting with your friend?  Keep reading the weekly newsletters for more hints and the big announcement!



Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Good, Better, Best ~~Remembering my roots

Just the other day I was sitting among my stash and watching Flosstube. What? You don't do that? Anyway, like I said I was sitting among my stash, watching Flosstube. I was admiring how varied our community is.

It got me thinking about my first steps into the world of stitching, granted they were a long time ago but I made them none the less. I still to do this day remember the very first kit I ever stitched. It was the goose ornament. Any other early 1980's stitchers other there remember that one? What I am trying to get at with this is the needle this kit came with. I thought it was soooo coool that I had my very own needle and didn't have to borrow my mother's. I kept that needle for years; so long in fact most of the finish had been eaten away by the oils in my hands. It wasn't the best needle but it was a good needle; it got the job done.

Then came the day when I moved away from kits and started selecting pattern, fabric and threads as individual items. The lady at the LNS helped me with everything and even included a free pack of DMC needles as her gift to me. She advised me to start with a new needle. I did and wow just wow. I was blown away by how much those needles were better then what I had been using. I was proud of my little pack of needles. I abandoned my first needle and committed myself to only using DMC needles.

Fast forward a few years (more than that.....more than that.....ok stop), I had just broken my third needle in one day while working on my HAED. I turned to the message board to see what I could do. Someone ( I honestly can't remember who ) posted about needles and talked about different brands. I had never heard of these brands. So to Google I went. I was able to order a pack of Bohins from 123stitch. These needles rocked my world! I couldn't believe the quality of these needles. I was in love.

Now I know what you are saying, "hurry up get to the point already!". My point is this. There was nothing wrong with the needle I started with, in fact I still use kit needles from time to time. I was able to move up with my quality of needles in time and as funds allowed, but that didn't make me any less of a stitcher. We all start somewhere and we all start within whatever budget we have at the time.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Weekly Newsletter for the Week of August 14th - 20th

It is that time of year again.  I will be returning to class for my last year.  I will be preparing for student teaching this semester, thus I will largely be unavailable once again.  Where did the summer go?  This has been a busy month already for the Admin team, and we hope that things will settle back down to normal soon.    We have some very big plans for next year that we are very excited about.  we will be announcing them in the 4th quarter of this year.


Happening this week:

Stitchlympics will be wrapping up this week.  With the final award Ceremony being published the following week.  he Weekly Challenge is back, and this time we are going for a finish!  We will also be having the Stitchy Hangout Thursday night.


Stitchylympic Medals so far!

Stitchylympics Medals For the 15 Minute Sprint 
1st Place: Aphrodite
2nd Place: Ares
3rd Place: Demeter

Stitchylympics Medals For the 3 hour Marathon
1st Place: Aphrodite
2nd Place: Ares
3rd Place: Demeter

Stitchylympics Medals For the 30 Minute relay 
1st Place: Aphrodite
2nd Place: Demeter
3rd Place: Hera

Stitchylympics Medals For the Javelin Stitch
1st Place: Apollo
2nd Place: Aphrodite
3rd Place: Dionysus

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

The Keys to the Universe!

Alright to most this isn't really the key to the universe but to stitchers everywhere it is damn near close.  That ever elusive French Knot. No other stitch can send even some of the most seasoned stitchers running in fear. I have to admit that I only recently figured out this stitch (and I've been stitching for 30+ years).

When I was a new stitcher looking at the instructions that came with the new kit I was working on a french knot looked easy; I mean you just wrap the thread around the needle and pull, right?! I mean what is so hard about that? Then that darn little knot (if it even formed a knot) pulls right through to the back of the fabric..........(insert swear words here and getting the "look" from your mom). Due to that experience I avoided french knots for years; 28 to be exact. Meanwhile my sister had mastered the french knot, even the colonial knot (learning candlewicking will help you with that).

So now that you know a little of my history with the knot, let's get to those keys.

The first key is tension. You need to keep a firm tension on the thread, if you are starting a new strand you need to keep tension on the thread tail on the back as well. Also don't release the tension until right before the stitch is finished. And stop pulling on the thread the moment you feel the knot "pull back". Don't yank on your thread.

The second key is thread length. Don't work with too much of your thread. I only use a couple of inches near the fabric. You should use enough to get two to three wraps around your needle and have enough to easily insert the needle back into the fabric.

The third key is speed. You can't speed through this stitch. When pulling through to make the knot you need to pull with a steady even speed. Not to fast, not to slow, steady.

The fourth key is placement. I know, I know the instructions tell you to go back down into the same hole you came up in. Well they lied to you! My best knots have happened when I went down just a little bit away from where I came up. On Evenweave this is just the next hole over, on Aida you may have to split the threads.

The fifth and final key is practice. I'm serious. Practice. Grab that scrap piece of fabric, thread a needle and get started.

I hope these keys will help you master this stitch.

Happy stitches and keep those needles moving!