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Poodles in the mirror are closer than they appear...

In This Issue

1. Shop News 2. Sales News 3. Finishing News 4. Upcoming Classes Subscribe Past Issues Translate 5. Painting News 6. Stitch of the Month 7. Thread of the Month 8. New Product Spotlight: Sashiko 9. Pupdate

SHOP NEWS

Notice re: Coronavirus / Covid-19

To our customers: In the event that it should become necessary to close our retail store due to coronavirus, Rittenhouse Needlepoint has developed a plan and hopes to be able to continue our finishing, custom painting, phone order, and web site operations even if we may not be able to receive the public or hold classes in our retail space for what we expect will be a limited period of time. In the meanwhile, the staff at Rittenhouse Needlepoint wishes you health, peace, and thanks.

New Discounted Canvases

We have added several new designs to the Canvas Discount Program. Which means there are even deeper discounts on many of the canvases that were already discounted.

You can shop the new designs here.

Shop the CDP

Sashiko Threads & Supplies In Stock!

We are excited to introduce a full line of Hidamari Sashiko thread - available in 40 colors, from solids, to variegated, to speckled! In addition, we have a selection of needles, cloth, and pre-printed Sashiko fabric! Subscribe Past Issues Translate Keep scrolling for a first look at our Sashiko experiments featured further down in this e-mail.

Shop Sashiko

Introducing The Thread-Pull Series:

In this video Stephen, Hollie, and Janet walk us through three different thread-pulls for the same canvas. All three give a detailed explanation of why they chose their threads, and give stitch suggestions as well. The staff at Rittenhouse all have very different specialties and interests when it comes to fiber art. No two threadpulls will ever be the same! It is our hope that those of you at home can pick up some tips for selecting threads and stitches when shopping online. We also hope that this shows the amount of thought and care that goes into our threadpulls! It's serious business!

Sales: Favorite Brands and Pull Considerations

If you're like some stitchers, you have a favorite brand of thread that you exclusively stitch with. Subscribe Past Issues Translate (Russell is one of those people!) While it is easy to browse our website with thousands of HD photos of our threads, some of our national customers prefer to match colors in person. In fact, a few people in the last month or two have purchased one of every thread in the Pepper Pot line! While the upfront cost may be daunting, it makes pulling threads for your canvases that much easier to have the colors picked out ahead of time. This is also a great option for stitchers buying a lot online.

Here's a tip for pulling amounts: a palm placed over an area on a canvas will require approximately 25-30 yards of fiber, which is the standard length for most skeins of fiber. Check the thread to see how many yards are in a skein and whether or not it needs to be stranded. Those factors will affect how much you need for your project. Now, not everyone's hand is the same size! The area you are measuring is roughly 24 sq inches for that 25-30 yards of fiber.

Do you exclusively stitch with one line of thread? Which one? We love to hear what you stitch with!

On The Road With Russell & Stephen Subscribe Past Issues Translate

The shop has been far too quiet without our boys - and the poodles, too. But they have made it all the way down to Florida!

We've been tracking their progress by following their travel blog, RussellandStephen.com.

A Finisher's Perspective: Blocking Demystied Subscribe Past Issues Translate

Most needlepointers are familiar with needlepoint blocking, and some may even do this themselves at home. If you are one of those who have heard of it, but don't quite understand how it works, here's a little rundown on the basics:

Blocking is done to realign the mesh of the canvas (or embroidery cloth) underneath your stitch work. Realigning the foundation on which they rest allows for a nice square design, and aids in nice, square production.

A canvas becomes "out of skew" due to stitching tension - the constant "pulling" of the stitches in opposite directions. The most distorting stitches are continental and half cross, since they tend to pull opposing corners together on the diagonal, hence a greater need for correction. Basketweave is also a diagonal stitch but tends to offer more balanced tension.

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To realign the canvas and threads, moisture and steam softens them, relaxes the tension a little, and allows them to be coaxed back into their squared position. Needlepoint canvas is stiffened with a starch, and re-wetting this starch allows it to bond with the back of your stitches as well. Of course, this is not a permanent fix that will stand the test of time, but it will keep the needlepoint square long enough for the finishers to stitch into a pillow, or mount it for framing - whatever the project may be.

This is where the phrases "wet blocking" and "dry blocking" come into play. With wet blocking, which can only be done on colorfast threads, a light spritz of water is applied to front and back, then the canvas stretched and "pinned" into place with nails or tacks on your blocking surface, realigning the grid. (Rittenhouse has custom blocking boards we use for this purpose). Dry blocking is done in the same manner but with steam, and less moisture involved. Dry-blocking is reserved for pieces that are either not out of skew, or those which obviously involve a lot of specialty/hand-dyed threads.

We know what you're wondering now... How can I end up with a needlepoint nice and square? Subscribe Past Issues Translate Here are the finishers' recommendations for getting the best results:

Leave a border of at least 2" of un-stitched canvas around your needlepoint - espcially on belts and irregularly shaped items. This will give the blocker room for multiple rows of nails if necessary Stitch on a frame, to help keep the canvas square while you are stitching Pay attention to your stitch tension You want your stitches to be neat and tight, but if they are too tight, it will skew your canvas. Know your fibers. Wools, for example, often contain lanolin which can make the threads quite hydrophobic, and therefore tricky to block. Know your specialty threads. Hand-dyes are likely to bleed when wetted. If your canvas is likely to skew, limit your use of threads that are likely to bleed. Keep your needlepoint clean! We do offer needlepoint cleaning here at the shop, but adding soaps or detergents (even the gentlest) will inevitably dilute the starch in your canvas, making it trickier to keep square if it is badly skewed. (Our finishers keep a few different types of starches on hand for the trickiest of projects, but re-starching wool? Almost impossible!) Communicate. If you know the completed canvas for your finishing projects includes threads that are not colorfast, let the finishers or sales staff know! This way the blockers can handle with extra care when squaring your piece.

Painting: Good Needlepoint Design, Part One Subscribe Past Issues Translate

The Art Department gets many, many different kinds of requests for custom paintings. There are numerous possibilities for what can be turned into a needlepoint, that it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Therefore, we’ve decided to put together some tips for the best ways to go about setting up a design to be custom painted. This feature will be focusing on text, especially for small designs.

Text is a very popular element of custom painting. Whether you are adding a name to a stocking, making a customized ornament, birth announcement, or just a fun phrase, here are some things you should consider when thinking about the design.

Firstly, we always recommend having text done in technique 3. Being just one pixel off, especially with smaller text, can make the whole design look odd or even unreadable. You want to make sure your text is clear and that is easier when it is stitch painted.

When it comes to smaller areas, we also recommend simplifying your text. Check out the following example. Having such a wordy and complex font style can make the design look crowded and hard to read. Being concise, and choosing a more simple font will integrate better Subscribe Past Issues Translate into the design and make it more legible - especially on a four inch round.

Getting a custom painted needlepoint is an opportunity to create a piece of personal art. For example, instead of choosing generic phrases and images, like in this first image, consider selecting something more specific to your subject matter, as in the second. If it’s a gift commemorating a particular event, consider including the person’s name and perhaps an image that directly references the occasion.

It’s a good idea to choose images that represent you or your recipient. You have chosen to get something custom made, instead of buying a commercial piece, so why not take advantage of the situation and make something creative and unique to you. Upcoming Classes & Events Subscribe Past Issues Translate

If you are interested in signing up for one of these once in a lifetime classes, please get in touch with Russell, at [email protected].

"Crop Circles" with Kimberly Smith

A vision in neon! This class requires a 'Field Guide' (aka map of the galaxy) to stitch! The threads run from plied silks to silk pearls to silk gimp and wonderful over dyed floche. Some beading involved as well. Skill level is intermediate to advanced.

7/9 - 7/11

"My Favorite Things" Sampler with Kelly Clark

JUST ONE SEAT LEFT! Kelly will take us through some of her favorite things in this 6-day class. There's bound to be a little stump work, some embroidery, some beading some decorative stitches, and lots of wonderful motifs! Materials Included.

6/15 - 6/20

Click Here to See Our Complete Class Listing

Thread of the Month: Belle Soie Subscribe Past Issues Translate

The thread of the month is Belle Soie!

In 121 beautiful hand-dyed colors, Belle Soie is a 12-ply spun silk. Belle soie is so soft to the touch and so satisfying to stitch with!

Click Here To Shop The Line

Stitch of the Month: Tied Windmill Stitch (Worked in our Thread of the Month: Belle Soie)

Hollie Axel, one of our educators, has recorded a video tutorial for the Stitch of the Month. The Tied Windmill is a breeze! (Though, I should warn you, she makes everything look easier than it is!) Subscribe Past Issues Translate Hollie is also using a thread controller to help her lay the stitches smoothly, which is a great way to help strandable threads lay smooth and flat when working in long stitches.

New Product Spotlight: Sashiko Threads and Notions

A few months ago I asked Stephen if he'd ever tried Sashiko. It came at the suggestion of a roommate of mine who is very interested in current fashion trends. If this is a new term for you, Sashiko (pronounced like 'Sa-shko') is a Japanese embroidery technique. It is hardly new (it goes back at least 400 and some years), though it's new for us. It is a functional embroidery, employing geometric designs to reinforce or mend fabric, not unlike darning in concept. (I know I have introduced at least two darning patterns this winter.) Also like darning, what started as a necessity blossomed into a magnificent art form.

Prior to carrying traditional Sashiko threads, I had consulted with Karen, a member of our sales team, as well as our embroidery expert, to see if I might be able to get a similar effect with a product Rittenhouse already carried. We went back and forth between the pros and cons of Presencia Perle #12 vs. DMC Floche. Ultimately, I settled on purchasing a few balls of the Presencia.

The good news, dear readers, is that you do not have to experiment as we at Rittenhouse have! We now carry the full line of Hidamari, a Sashiko thread by Lecien. (We also carry the full line of their standard embroidery thread, Cosmo, as it is a favorite of Stephen's.)

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Hidamari is available in 40 colors, from solids, to speckled, to gradation. Pictured above from left to right is Solid 5 Indego Blue, Speckled 104 Yellow/Green, and Gradation/Variegated 404 Forest Moss.

There are many varieties of Sashiko thread on the market. It is typically made of 100% cotton, spun tightly, and has more of a matte appearance than other cotton threads. Since you are pulling the thread through the length of the cloth, it needs to be a little stronger. The downside to this, with my Tulip Sashiko needles, is that it is a little difficult to thread. I had to use a needle threader to get started.

The technique for Sashiko takes a little getting used to. There are countless tutorials online. There are no hoops or frames involved. I'm dramatically oversimplifying, but you essentially bunch the fabric up on the tip of your needle in evenly spaced increments and pull it through the entire line you want to make. (As illustrated above.) I took longer spans an inch at a time. Sashiko needles are a little longer than standard embroidery needles, which will allow you to grab more fabric with each go. The needles come in varying lengths. Mine were a little over 2 inches long. I set up a grid for myself on some linen (using blue tailor's chalk, which irons away) for a little experimenting. You ideally want a fabric with a nice loose weave so that you can easily manage Subscribe Past Issues Translate the weave with the tip of your needle. The below result is worked in the aforementioned #12 Presencia. I did not really follow a pattern, I just let my Architecture brain do its thing:

If you are the type to prefer a pattern, we also carry pre-printed Sashiko cloth in a variety of patterns. (I should mention, after endeavoring to make a straight line, I am absolutely terrified of achieving a circle.) Additionally, you can find many more patterns and examples online. Subscribe Past Issues Translate

We have a few sample projects that we are working on as we continue to experiment with these techniques and tools. If you have any tips, tricks or suggestions for us, don't hesitate to reach out!

Check It Out Here Subscribe Past Issues Translate

PUPDATE!!!!!!!!!

As you can see here, our finishing department is just devastated without the poodles around the shop...

Really! I can hear them sobbing from my office! Subscribe Past Issues Translate

Cookie & Cupcake are a vision in our 'Sunbeam' Silk - which is an available fabric for ornaments, pillows, and other great finishing projects. Ruching anyone?

Meanwhile in paradise... Subscribe Past Issues Translate Subscribe Past Issues Translate

xoxo, Rittenhouse Needlepoint

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