Thread Colour Converter

Sometimes the occasion arises when you are looking for an embroidery thread in the same colour but a different  type of thread. Thanks to a free colour converter on the Cross Stitch Guild website, you can look up threads of a similar colour in a number of different brands and thread types.

DMC stranded cotton and Paterna wools in similar colours

Being able to do so online beforehand and compiling a possible list of alternatives will save you time later when you reach the embroidery shop. It's also useful if you don't have an embroidery store nearby and must order by phone or online.

Below is a screenshot taken when I looked up the DMC stranded cotton equivalent of colour number 932. This screen shot gives you an idea of the thread manufacturers included in the list. I was looking for the Paterna equivalent of DMC 932. It's the 11th down the list on the left. The Paterna colour closest to my thread is number 505.

Screenshot of colour converter from The Cross Stitch Guild 

To use the thread colour converter, choose your thread type from the "Choose" box on the left, enter the colour number in the little box opposite and the converter lists the most closely matched colour for each manufacturer on the list.

Don't expect to find an exact match. In this example the corresponding threads to my blue DMC 932 vary from quite a similar blue to darker, greyer blues and even some quite green. The Paterna wool colour 505 turned out a little different to what I had in mind for a small project I wanted to try. I eventually used the DMC threads that I had on hand, but I was glad that I had found this useful little tool.

The colour converter is a useful guide to similar colours in other ranges. It's a good starting point. However you may wish to see the actual threads before you make the final choice for your embroidery. Click here to visit the page on the Cross Stitch Guild website. Enter you thread type and colour number and see what comes out.

Till next time, happy stitching.

No email notifications about blog posts

Today I came across a number of comments that had been left on some of my previous blog posts. Usually I receive an email that draws my attention to these comments so that I can read them and reply. No such emails have arrived recently, Blogger!

A few weeks ago I read a blog post on D1D2 about this problem but I didn't think I had been affected. D1D2 is a lovely embroidery blog.

If you go to your blog dashboard, click on comments and find recent comments that you didn't know about then visit D1D2 here. There is a detailed explanation of how to fix the problem. It's a quick fix of deleting your email address, saving it, then retyping and resaving it in your blog settings.

Till next time, happy blogging and happy stitching.

Embroidery Classes at Ighali 2018

There are still some excellent embroidery classes available at the Cape Embroiderers' Guild Ighali embroidery convention. You will find the full brochure on the Embroidery Network South Africa website here.

Ighali, which means 'threads' in a local language, is taking place in Cape Town from 19 to 24 September 2018. It's an opportunity for embroiderers to attend classes presented by the leading embroiderers in South Africa. It's also a time when embroiderers get together, make friends and share their love of stitching.

You can still find a spot in these classes:

• Margie Prestedge's Smocked dress. You just do the smocking. Wow!
• Alice Wilson's Modern sampler - ideal for beginners and looks like great fun! 
• Creative Canvas Work Knot Garden by Vyvyan Muller
• Lorraine Weers' gorgeous Heritage Box 
• Lesley Turpin Delport's imaginative classes

I wish I could attend a couple of those. You are certainly are in for a treat if you are one of the lucky ones who do attend. Here are contact details if you are interested in attending.

• Enquiries: penny.cornell@gmail.com 
• Registration: blackburng@telkomsa.net 
• Website: www.embroiderynetwork.co.za

This year the venue for Ighali is in the heart of beautiful Constantia. Below are photos taken in the area at an open garden a couple of years ago.

Constantia mountain view

Constantia is an historic wine growing area of the Cape, with sweeping mountain views and noteworthy historic Cape Dutch houses.

Historic house Constantia, Cape Town

Find out more about Ighali by visiting the ENSA website or the  CEG Facebook page here.

Happy stitching!

Laying Tool

The little piece of ultraviolet Florentine, or Bargello, that I am stitching, turned up a connection to both beading and medicine. I'm using 6 strands of DMC stranded cotton for the embroidery. You can read about my colour choice in a previous post here.

When you use multiple strands of thread, stroking the threads with a laying tool as you form each stitch gives a nice smooth appearance to the embroidery. Mostly my pieces are quite small and I make do with a large tapestry needle in place of a proper embroiderer's laying tool.

This time I kept dropping the tapestry needle and had to search around on the floor to find it. To make the needle easier to find and keep track of, I attached a few beads. A bonus was that the weight of the glass beads settled quite comfortably in my hand and it made holding the needle a little easier. A few more beads would make it even more comfortable to hold but, if I were to stitch a large project and spend many hours working on it, I'd rather use a laying tool with a solid handle.

Basically, you hold a laying tool in the left hand and stroke the threads to keep them smooth and untangled. At the same time you use your right hand to insert the working needle into the canvas and take the next stitch. Sounds complicated but it's not. Once you get going, it becomes straightforward.

Serendipity! This week the Chilly Hollow blog published a link to a Tulip beading awl, at a reasonable price, that could also act as a laying tool. That jogged my memory.

Some years ago my daughter and I did a beaded jewelry making course in Hawaii. A quick look at my beading tools, and there was a tool with a long metal spike attached to a plastic handle - a perfect laying tool. I wish I could remember whether it came from the big, comprehensive Ben Franklin craft store in Kailua. The label on the little instrument doesn't say but it does say it's a teasing needle.

Apparently a teasing needle is used for medical dissections when a scalpel would be too large. Oh!

Who would have thought that this type of simple tool would be used for embroidery, beading and surgery. It seems rather gruesome to use it for embroidery and beading too, but it's practical and it certainly does the trick. It's also inexpensive compared to a well crafted embroiderer's laying tool.  My daughter pointed out that this teasing needle with its blue plastic handle is unlikely to be suitable for surgery. It was my beading awl. Now I think I'll call it my laying tool.

Enjoy your weekend and happy stitching!

Cape Embroiderers' Guild Mini Market and Embroidery Exhibition

Cape Embroiderers' Guild Leaf Banner in progress

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THE CAPE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD

will hold a

MINI MARKET & EXHIBITION OF EMBROIDERY

14^th JULY 2018

St. Thomas’s Church Hall, Rondebosch, 

Cape Town

10h.00 – 16h.00

Entry R20 – Refreshments available

Enquiries ph. 021 761 5052

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Click on the link below to visit the CEG Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/capeembroiderersguild

Beginner Embroidery Classes

The internet has a vast depth of resources and they are becoming easier and easier to find. Google 'beginner embroidery' and you are bound to come up with a long list of possible places to begin browsing.

Credit: Swoodonsays

Occasionally someone researches and collects good links and shares their list. Today I came across a list of beginner embroidery classes put together by Stephanie over on Swoodsonsays. There are a number of beginner embroidery courses there that look very interesting, and that I would like to try. Click here to take a look.

Weekend

I love the evening light on the trees in the park at the end of garden, especially on Fridays at the end of the week.

Someone very kindly mowed the grass over there while we were out yesterday. Someone from the Council arrives every couple of weeks with a tractor and whips around in half an hour.  The way he swings the mower about in merry fashion I'd say that tractor driver loves his job.

Where was I yesterday? At the Embroidery Guild Exhibition in the City. We changed our minds at the last minute and thought we'd go by car instead of by train. Now I know why everyone says take the bus or the train. The one-ways, the river and the intersections with no right turn make navigating very tricky. But, we made it to the exhibition in the old Masonic Hall in Fortitude Valley. On the way we learned a lot about Brisbane too.

The 189 embroideries on display were exquisite. They were inspiring. Everything from canvas work and counted thread work, to needle painting, stump work and Japanese embroidery was there. Everything meticulously embroidered and carefully displayed. No photographs were allowed so unfortunately I have no embroidery to show you.

Looking around the hall I recognized designs by many of the popular embroidery designers and many from Inspirations magazine. I was impressed by the number of substantial works designed by the embroiderers themselves. I so enjoyed seeing such different work.

One thing that did strike me was the fabric. Many of the pieces of pulled work, drawn thread, Schwalm and Punto Antico were embroidered on a close weave linen, a 38 count Italian Graziano. The linen itself looked beautiful and the close weave really showed up the openwork to great effect. Much of this was work was done with 12 and 8 Pearl threads and quite a few pieces were stitched with colour.

Upstairs was a display of work from the guild's archives. It included quite a bit of clothing. Among the items I was thrilled to see 3 Ayrshire christening robes. That was a treat. It's the first time I've seen this form of whitework up close.

I have a few things to do now before the grandchildren arrive. They are coming for a sleepover tonight.

Till next time, happy stitching.

Lynlubell Sale - Digital Embroidery Patterns

Etsy turns 13 next week. The annual Etsy birthday sale runs from 18 to 22 June. It's the first time I've taken the plunge for my shop Lynlubell to take part.

I'm discounting all digital embroidery patterns by 10% for purchases over $10 USD. It's all set up to go on Monday 18th June and I hope it will run smoothly. In the meantime, click here to visit my shop Lynlubell on Etsy and browse through the patterns.

These are the 5 most popular patterns:

5. Australian Cross Stitch Embroidery, Egg Cosy and Table Mat Pattern

4. Blue Eyelet Pincushion Pattern, in canvas work or needlepoint

3. Rosebud Bookmark & Scissor Fob, canvas work pattern

2. This is the most popular canvas work or needlepoint pattern - the Flower and Cushion Stitch pincushion pattern.

1. Australian Cross Stitch Pincushion embroidery Patterns, the most popular of all the patterns.

Just to let my customers know that payments are now easier for you to make. Since moving to Australia I am able to offer payment through the Etsy payment system and that includes all major credit cards. Previously, being based in South Africa, I was able to accept payment only through PayPal and I know that was not convenient for everyone. Now you can choose to pay by credit card or still use PayPal if you so prefer.

Do visit my shop. If you have any questions you can contact me via my shop Lynlubell on Etsy. Or email me directly at the address lynette dot warner at gmail dot com.

Till next time, enjoy the weekend and happy stitching.

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Added later: Thank you to everyone who visited and supported my Etsy shop during the annual Etsy sale!

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Embroiderers' Guild Exhibition in Brisbane

I haven't seen much of Brisbane city yet. We live some way out. It seems like a trip to Fortitude Valley is on the cards for me.

After all, the 50th Anniversary Exhibition of the Embroiderers' Guild, Queensland is just too good to miss. Isn't it?  Click this link for more information.

Now to make arrangements to get there.

Till next time, happy stitching.

Florentine

I wanted a little piece of stitching to keep my fingers busy when I have a few spare minutes. Florentine, or Bargello, is just the thing.

It's easy to work.  It uses straight stitches, usually over 4 threads and steps up or down by two canvas threads according to the pattern you choose. It's easy to count on a 14 count canvas and it's rewarding too because it works up quickly.

Some of the special appeal of Florentine is the use of colours graded from light to dark within a colour family. To help decide on a colour I looked up the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2018. I don't know what I expected but I was surprised to find that the chosen colour is ultraviolet, a colour of 'exploration' and 'possibilities'. Interesting. See more about the concepts behind the choice of ultraviolet here.

Then I matched up some DMC threads that had been passed on to me some time ago to the colour displayed on my PC screen. Usually I would use wool on a 14 count canvas, especially for straight stitches like those used for Florentine embroidery, but my supplies are low. It's a good opportunity to see how the stranded cotton works.

Till next time happy stitching!