My Needle's Song – Neulani laulu

Charity Stitching

Earlier I had posted the 4 panels I sent to California for a special quilt. Yesterday, I saw a picture of the completed quilt.

The lovely lady holding this quilt is the teacher who put this project together. Everyone was so happy, and everyone was crying over the love shown to this little girl by complete strangers. It’s a great feeling knowing that something so simple as a piece of needlework can make someone so happy…

Which brings me to today’s topic — Charity Stitching. We all have our own reasons for stitching these pieces. With the quilt above, I had the time, the materials, and the desire. When her teacher asked in a Facebook group for volunteers, I was happy to be able to help. I have a lot of Precious Moments designs here, so it was just a matter of picking out ones that fit the theme and size requirements. These panels weren’t stitched for money or for the thanks. They were stitched to show that we can care about others, even if we don’t know them. It’s really all about people helping each other.

My go-to group is Canada Stitches. This mainly-Canadian group of stitchers creates unique and totally handmade quilts for First Responders dealing with PTSD/PTSI, or who have been injured in the line of duty. We also create awesome quilts for children dealing with life-long medical/mental issues. Very few groups out there help Canadians. I am so happy and proud to be with this group and know that I do make a difference.

Love Quilts also makes quilts for children facing challenges. They have active chapters in the US; UK, and Brazil.

The second group I love stitching for is Cole’s Quilts. This is a much smaller, more focused group that makes quilts for children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This devastating disease usually strikes infants, and is fatal about 80% of the time. It’s heartbreaking for the families. The quilts are made with the child’s favorite characters and colors. Even if the child has passed away, the quilts are a precious keepsake of that young life.

Another great group is the Linus Project. They are all over the US, Canada, and the UK. They deliver brand new handmade security blankets to children in need. If these don’t suit you, there are so many other ways to help. Many many churches work to help the elderly and children with bits of handmade comfort and are excellent resources. A simple Google search will also turn up a lot of ideas.

The whole point is to take a short time out to help another person through a time of stress. You have no idea how much it will add to your pleasure by simply doing so.

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I will have more updates to the shops this week as I am just finishing off a group of magnets on linen.

Until then, Happy Stitching!!

A HUGE step forward!!

Today is a huge day for this humble little shop. I finally purchased a domain name and started building a more permanent home. Soon, you will have just one spot to go to get the latest news, find the shop links, see what is going on, and enjoy pictures of Finland and my work. The new domain is My Needle’s Song.

I will have more items coming for the shop next week, and then.. it is time to start getting ready for Christmas. Look for a Santas, Snowmen, and Angels. These will roll into Storenvy first, and then be listed at Etsy in September.

Until then, Happy Stitching!

Fingers have been quietly working….

It has been a busy end of spring here. My husband and I took a short trip to Eastern Finland just a couple of weeks ago. It was so nice to get away and see his family. The country side is gorgeous, all cloaked in the soft greens of summer.

I did take stitching with me, but didn’t get as much done as I wanted to. Spending time with my husband and family was a bit more important. I did get to visit a real needlework shop in Joensuu, and replenished some of my precious DMC floss.

I also finished 4 panels for a quilt that will be given to a 2nd grader in California this week. She’s facing some surgery soon, and her wonderful teacher wanted to give her a surprise.I had posted a picture of the first panel earlier… The pictures you see here are all 4 that I sent.

All four are Precious Moments. These were a lot of fun. I have not seen a picture of the finished quilt yet, but I will post one when I do.

For now, it is back to work for me.. I have some more pretty magnets to do!

SPRING IS HERE!

The birch trees have finally begun to show their new leaves, and the fields are freshly plowed. The ice cream kiosk is open. I think I can safely say that Spring has officially come to this part of Finland. It is gorgeous!! I love watching the earth come back to life after the long winter under its soft white blanket of snow. We are going to be heading to eastern Finland for a couple days this week, and I will get some pictures to share.

I finished my quilt panels and sent them off to California last week. I am literally on pins and needles until I know they have arrived safely. I have one more to start but I need to go get more fabric first. With luck, I will be able to work on this while I am on the road. Not to worry, I do have PLENTY of other goodies to work on.

If you follow my shop, you know that I recently introduced several picture magnets on evenweave. I’ve been working on adding more. Personally, I prefer these to the ones worked on Aida.

As a refresher, I posted the lavender butterfly comparison above. The evenweave is on the left. Evenweave comes in lots of flavors and colors — this particular one is a lovely 32 count linen from Wichelt.

So, I have been adding more. Here’s a teaser…

The smaller piece of fabric on top is Aida, and the sheet underneath (with the squirrel) is linen. I get to keep working on this fabric while I am on the road, hopefully, and should have some of these pretty, springtime magnets ready to go into the shop shortly.

I really want to encourage everyone to visit the Facebook page and LIKE it. I will announce sales and specials there more than anyplace else.

Thanks for stopping by!!

The Power of Backstitches

I don’t always have a chance to demonstrate just how powerful backstitching can be. For one, I often backstitch as I finish an area, so getting a picture with just the cross stitching done is almost impossible. Secondly, I work on a lot of smaller projects. But sometimes, I really love to see how the design blooms. I hear so many stitchers moan and cry over doing these stitches. They can be a pain sometimes but they add so very much to the completed piece.

In this first picture, I have all my cross stitches done. It really doesn’t look like much other than blobs of color. You can barely tell what this is going to be (“You are the Sweetest Heart” – Gloria & Pat, PMR3). This panel will be going for a charity quilt, being presented to a special young lady.

And here we are, with all the backstitches done. This chart isn’t really that huge – 40 stitches wide by 89 high. The cross stitches took me about 20 working hours, and backstitching another 8. Precious Moments is well known for its delicate shadings and use of backstitch. It is not unusual to have 4 or 5 different colors used just to add these outlines.

Amazing, isn’t it?

You can get this lovely design from Patterns Online or you can get the whole booklet with 25 other sweet designs from Gloria & Pat’s website as a digital download. The booklet itself is out of print, so you may well pay a bit more than the $12.50 cover price.

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I’ve taken a few days away from working on items for the shop to do a couple of panels for a quilt. I do have some more message magnets to go into both shops. My 10% off sale is over, but I will do another one very soon. In addition to starting on Christmas ornaments (yeah, I know.. it’s only the beginning of May!), I should have some small gifts like mug mats and bread cloths ready well in time for the holiday season. Don’t forget to drop by Facebook and LIKE the page. It’s a great way to stay in touch of sales and product additions.

Thanks for stopping by!!

A Novel Idea

While working on the magnets for the Finland Handcrafters Team, I decided to offer some designs on evenweave. There are very few sellers out there that do this. Most stitch on 14 count Aida or perforated plastic (which is also 14 count). Some do stitch on 16 or 18 count Aida, but very very few use evenweave. I happen to love working with this, and I will offer it with some appropriate designs.

I have also started grouping items into sets, especially as I complete enough designs to have it make sense. The first up is a set of 3 butterfly magnets, available in either fabric choice.

This is a picture of the Aida version. The evenweave version is on a lovely 32 count antique white Lugana.

And yes, that is the same lavender butterfly that was featured in the earlier post on Aida versus Evenweave. I do give a nice break on price for buying the set, plus it is only 1 item for shipping which saves you even more. As I add more to the categories, I will add a listing for any 3 magnets.

Don’t Be Afraid of Evenweave

Many cross stitchers will stitch on nothing but Aida because it is easy to find and easy to work with. It comes in a lot of sizes and colors and you can find it in many shops. Aida can have a “chunky” look to it because of the way it is made. Here’s an example of 14 count Aida, and you can readily see where your needle should go.

Evenweave, on the other hand is harder to figure out in the beginning. Here’s an example of a 25 count Lugana. The holes are not as obvious as this (and all evenweaves) are made up of one thread running vertically and one thread running horizontally. By way of comparison, Aida has clusters of 4 threads.

Evenweave comes in so many different styles and counts it can be very confusing. Linen is probably the best known but is the hardest to work with. It can have uneven slubs because it is a natural plant fiber. I know, uneven spots in evenweave sounds like an oxymoron but it is really not. Evenweave means the loom has been set for so many stitches per inch in both directions. My recommendations for a first project are Jubilee, Monaco, or Lugana. All have nice rounded threads, come in lots of pretty colors and counts, and are very easy to work on. If you are used to 14 count Aida, look for 28 count evenweave.

For your first project, I will suggest 25 count Lugana as it is a little bit larger. You are stitching over 2 threads, so you take the thread count and divide by 2 to get how many stitches per inch.But why torture yourself for something that is supposed to be relaxing? For one, fractional stitches are a breeze on evenweave. For two, your work looks so much more elegant on it. If you are stitching that is fully covered by stitches and doesn’t have a lot of fractionals, Aida is a great way to go. But, if you are on the curious side, give it a go.

To start cross stitching, locate your starting point on your chart. Everyone starts in a different place. Some always start in the upper corner, which is fine but it means you will have to count both vertically and horzontally to find the correct spot to start. I usually like my work to be centered so that I have enough excess for framing or mounting. Find the spot closest to your starting point where the vertical thread is on top of the horizontal one. This is where your needle goes. Check this blowup of evenweave. I have a red dot just to the right of the hole where your needle will go for the first stitch. See it? Just remember, you want to ride on TOP of the bridge to enjoy the view.

Doing the magnets for the Finland Handcrafters Team gave me a chance to do a side by side. Here’s the same exact design done on 32 count Lugana (left) and also on 16 count Aida (right). Personally, I think the one on Lugana is just a bit more special. This is the one that will be going into the special promotion basket. (For more information, check my earlier post!!) These have not yet been blocked, sorry!!

And here are the finished magnets. The evenweave magnet is on the left.

See how much more delicate the butterfly looks when stitched on evenweave? It’s really all about using the materials at hand to make our creations come out the way we see them in our mind. There are just so many lovely lovely fabrics to choose from these days. Don’t limit yourself to just working with Aida!

If you are still lost, there are tons of videos out there that show you exactly where to start. Take an easy design, a piece of evenweave, grab a cup of coffee and spend some quiet time bonding with your fabric. I can guarantee that once you try it, you will be hooked and actually look forward to stitching on these exciting fabrics.

More new goodies on the way!

So, it is almost spring here in Central Finland. The temperatures have been above freezing both night and day for a couple of days now, and our snow is rapidly melting.

I am part of a group of artisans from Finland called the Finland Handcrafters Team. We recently added our 100th member and decided we wanted to do a group giveaway. 10 of us have pooled our efforts and will be offering items. You don’t have to buy anything, but of course, we love it when you do. Some of us are making special items just for this, while others have picked favorites from their stock. I will be posting pictures over the next few days on My Needle’s Song Facebook Page. You can also follow the progress on the team’s Facebook Page. Either way, I will keep you all informed on what is being offered, what you have to do, and by what date.

Here’s a real rough picture of the butterflies I am turning into magnets:

These will be ready later this week along with some other treats…. Thanks for stopping by!

Shhhh… Fingers Have Been Busy!

I know the silence between posts can be deafening, but.. there is always a good reason behind it. Most of the time it is because I am stitching or designing away. Lately, it has been stitching, though I do have a couple more of my own designs going into my shop this week.

I have had this small sheet of designs finished for about a week now, but I didn’t want to go through the process of washing and ironing just this tiny sheet of designs. The smaller ones at the top will be made into Charmers, which are great for hanging on purses, backpacks, cellphones, or just about anyplace you need a bit of bling.

Here’s one of the US designs finished…

They either get attached to a lobster claw or directly to the mobile phone cord. I think I like the lobster claws better because you can clip them to more places. These also make great scissor fobs!

The boots are an experiment, inspired by a dear friend back in Texas. Normally, I finish these tiny designs with a fabric background and a sealer. This time, I am going to try making a two-sided Charmer. It’s a question of whether or not the sealer does a good enough job. I should know in just a day or so, and I will let you know how this goes. If it works well, then I will be doing more of them.

Since I didn’t want to just do the one small sheet of designs, I stitched like a fiend and just barely finished 16 more message magnets, including one more Finnish design.

Other hot news…. I now have a 2nd shop open. I like Etsy as a marketplace because there is just so much there, and it is really geared towards the handcrafters. One downside is I need to relist (and pay) for the listings every 4 months. Plus, each magnet and charmer has to have its own listing. So.. I have a second shop open now at Storenvy. There is no listing fee, and I don’t have to relist my items. You will see Christmas go up on Storenvy first, then on Etsy around September 1st. I will always have all of my listings up at Storenvy, where I will only have the most current ones at Etsy.

One other addition – I added storefronts right on my shop’s Facebook page so that you can look and shop without ever leaving Facebook. When you decide to buy, you will be taken to the correct shop and can check out securely. Both sites take PayPal, which means you never give out your precious credit card and banking information to anyone but PayPal.

If there is a special design or message magnet you are looking for, or you want different colors than what I have done a sample in, by all means drop me a message and let me know. I can do most of the customizing for the same fee as the sample, and it should only take me 1 or 2 days to stitch your special request. I do love challenges…

And now, time to get these pieces into the wash so I can get them finished. Enjoy!!

Outstanding Service!

If you follow this blog, you know that I have been having a hard time finding certain items. I am so used to the complete needlework shops that have all the necessary items, plus spoiled by stores like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby where you can find everything you need for embellishments. Here in Finland, we used have a small chain called Tiimari. We even had one in our small town. I can get basics like jump rings and eye pins but it is a VERY limited selection and well, expensive. For example the magnets I use for my witty little message magnets. I found 6 of them for 2 euros, or about 60 cents EACH. I used to get my magnets at Wal-Mart for about 8 cents each. Tiimari closed and it left me looking for my findings. Many smaller shops started carrying supplies which helps tremendouslyI am still looking for sources on this before I resort to mail order. As I told my husband, at least I know where to get them.

But, I needed some other items to complete my tiny stitching. There is this place called HelmiQ near Tampere (the next large town to our east) that has a lovely website. So, I decided to try them. I put an order in on Saturday the 23rd for findings and beads. We got the payment request on Monday and sent it back. My package arrived today, complete!! I didn’t request any special handling or pay for rush postage. From the time we sent the payment information in to the package arriving was less than 48 hours!!! GREAT selection, outstanding service too. I will definitely be back to shop there and will make a road trip soon too.

They do ship international, folks… and they do have an English version of their website.

Visit HelmiQ soon!!