|
Some useful information...from the latest newsletter
Dear Fellow Stitchers:
NeedlepointUS.com is the culmination of many years of
developing relationships with European
needlepoint companies, and one of the perks of this work is that I have a
chance to go to England and Europe from time to time on buying and educational
trips. I have just recently returned from such a trip to England and France,
and I would like to share some
information you may find interesting and helpful. I will continue this series
throughout the year.
Tapestries:
Tapestries are much more than interior decoration for the
homes and castles of the rich. While they serve other purposes, such as
helping to warm cold stone rooms, and damping the sound in them, they also preserve history, and especially the
history of the materials used and the people who made them. The roll
played by this medium of wool, silk and cotton is as important as that of
design and color in the overall world of art.
Material’s irresistible charm reached special heights in
the Middle Ages, due to the diversity of techniques that came available, the
means of distribution of the
finished product and the desire to acquire works. From a simple question of the
warp and weft evolved a vast field abounding in potential. The creation of
fabric resulted from both technical advances and artistic imagination: Brocaded
silk, brocade, brocatelle, damask, lampas and velvet were just a few. The
beauty of these new fabrics makes for a richer presentation of the artwork on
them when the material submits
to movement, and can present the object deep in shadow or resplendent in the light. This also describes
the uniqueness of needlepoint materials now available for our stitching
pleasure.
The tapestries of La Dame a’ la Licorne (The
Lady with the Unicorn) series hung for nearly two hundred years in the
Chateau de Boussac. The tapestry was commissioned between 1484 and 1500. The
series has 6 tapestries which are now on display at the Cluny Museum in Paris
(where it was my great pleasure to see them on this recent trip):
“Sight”
~ the unicorn gazes at itself in a mirror held by the young woman
“Hearing”
~ the Lady plays a portable organ while her maidservant pumps the bellows
“Taste”
~ the young woman chooses a sweet from a dish, while the parakeet holds one in
its claws and a monkey below takes one to its mouth
“Smell”
~ the Lady makes a garland of carnations while a monkey presses one he has
stolen from the basket to his nose;
“Touch”
~ with her left hand, the young woman delicately holds the horn of the unicorn
“A
Mon Seul Desir (My Sole Desire)” ~ Depicts the Lady standing in front of a
majestic tent with open flaps depositing the necklace into the casket held by
her maidservant, and holding it in a cloth, after having taken it off.
The Lady with the Unicorn owes its fame to its harmonious
color scheme. A limited number of shading tones were used to render the many
different elements of the composition. The restrained colors help to create the
feeling of poetic enchantment. The young woman, who appears in different
attitudes and costumes further enhances the great beauty of this work.
The
Margot de Paris Company has a splendid selection of these pieces for you to
needlepoint. These pieces are a part of history that your family and friends
will treasure forever. They can be stitched with wool to closely resemble the
original tapestries in France, or they can be stitched with perle cotton to
enhance the colors, or cotton floss to give a satin finish, or silk for the
ultimate finish. Or combine several materials including gold or silver metallics
to make your own masterpiece.
The pieces by Margot vary in size to accommodate any area,
from the ultimate wall hanging, to a small pillow, or table accent.
The
Royal Paris
Company also has a very outstanding tapestry piece highly detailed of “Mon Seul
Desir”.
The
SEG de Paris
Company also has a marvelous tapestry piece of “Hearing” It is very detailed
with great colors.
The Arts and Crafts Movement
in Great Britain:
The Arts and Crafts Movement started as a gentle rebellion
by a group of artists, designers and architects concerned by the poor standard of
design they saw in the buildings and furnishings of Victorian England.
William Morris’s inability to find what he wanted in ready-made designs and
materials for his home caused him to set up his own company in London in 1861.
He worked closely with other leading Victorian designers, among them
William de Morgan, whose Persian-colored ceramic tiles depict fabulous
beasts, sailing ships, and exotic floral and bird designs.
The Arts and Crafts Movement slowly became worldwide and
later developed into the style now recognized as Art Nouveau.
The
Beth Russell
collection is truly exquisite. Beth takes her designs from the William Morris
and
William de Morgan pieces and creates outstanding needlepoint long treasured by
society for its beauty. The Beth Russell needlepoint pieces are a wonderful
addition to any home. After all they are shown in some of the finest National
Trust homes in the UK. She uses the finest of materials in her kits; sometimes
it is tapestry wool, crewel wool or a combination of both. When using the
crewel wool her designs sometimes call for using two or three different colors
at once to create the most wonderful shading and definition of the design. She
also uses a combination of stitches for further enhancement. These kits are a
wonderful way to take your stitching beyond the ordinary.
We encourage you to browse the Beth Russell collection.
You
will be delighted by the design and quality. We also encourage you to consider
the kit, versus just the canvas, because of the wonderful thread collection Beth
includes with her kits. The threads are selected for color and quality, they are manufactured in England, and sometimes difficult to obtain in
the USA.
Happily, there is not a machine for needlepoint so we can
take great pleasure in it as we choose our projects and add our individual
artistic touches.
We will be adding new pieces to our collection in the next
few weeks; please check back for the latest designs available.
Janice Lindsey and the Needlepointus.com Family
BELOW: Notes on delivery times, Types of Needlepoint Stitches, Types of Needlepoint Canvases
Notes on Delivery Times
Most of our canvases and kits come to us from Europe and it is impossible to have every item in stock daily, so please be aware sometimes we do have a delay in receiving our items. Sometimes it is customs and sometimes a delay with the company in Europe. We appreciate your kindness and patience when
this happens. Although it is rare, please be aware of it. We almost always are able to ship your order in 10-12 business days. If the items are kitted by us, we select the threads, put a swatch of thread on the color chart, print a list for you of each number of the thread that corresponds to the color chart, and include the needles.
Also, the Tapestry Tent Company that hand paints our exquisite stockings and ornaments is
famous for long delays in getting some of our items to us in a timely manner. We have no control over this and it can be very frustrating
dealing with artists, but we also appreciate your patience and kindness when
this occurs. These items are worth the wait as they are absolutely breathtaking.
Everybody wants to see the latest shipment of these, and there is a collective
gasp when they are shown around, they’re that beautiful! But please allow 4-5
weeks for delivery, and please order early.
Types of Needlepoint Stitches
We have been asked about the stitches our kits use.
The basic needlepoint stitches are Tent stitches. They are Basketweave, Continental, and Half Cross. They all look the same on the front of your canvas. It is the back of the canvas that will be different.
Basketweave - The Basketweave stitch is worked on a diagonal. The front side of the canvas has the stitch slanting to the right. It is the back side of the canvas that looks like a basket. This is a stitch to be used basically as a background stitch for a piece that will have wear and tear.(Footstool, pillow, chair seat, rug, etc) It is not generally used as an all around stitch for it puts more wool or threads on the back of the canvas than the front. This stitch is not normally used on a Penelope canvas . This stitch will distort the canvas, but not as much as the continental stitch.
Continental - The Continental stitch is worked Right to Left. The front side of the canvas has the stitch slanting to the right also. This stitch puts as much wool or threads on the back as on the front. With this stitch you are always pulling the wool or threads to the right so this stitch will distort your canvas and it will need to be blocked, usually even if you are using a working frame.
Half Cross Stitch – Because the “Cross” and “Stitch” appear together some have made the mistake of thinking this is a cross-stitch. It might be better to read it “Half-Cross” Stitch. This stitch is worked from the Left to Right. The front side of the canvas has the stitch slanting to the right also. This stitch puts more wool or threads on the Front of the canvas. It is great for pictures and tapestries. Because of the direction of this stitch (left to right) the stitching on the back will be straight up and down and keep the canvas straight. Most times you will not need to block your finished work.
Types of Needlepoint Canvas
We have many types of canvases available and I would like to explain them:
Penelope Canvas (often times called double thread canvas) these canvases are made in Europe and are sometimes white and sometimes antique (beige) depending on the picture. These canvases are primarily a 10/20 count. The Penelope canvas is a wonderful style of canvas because you can use a regular needlepoint stitch or a petit point stitch or combine the two.. The 10/20 count means if you use the larger holes on the canvas you will have a regular needlepoint stitch of 10 stitches to the inch. If you use the large holes and split the 2 vertical lines you will have a petit point stitch of 20 stitches to the inch. You can also combine the stitches and use the 2 vertical lines to stitch a few petit point stitches for detail. So this is one of our favorite types of needlepoint canvas.
Mono Canvas is a conventional style canvas with the normal vertical and horizontal lines. This style of canvas has only 1 hole size . The size of the canvas , # 10, 12, 14. 18 means you have that number of stitches to the inch. The larger the number the smaller hole. This style canvas is primarily used in the United States and the vertical lines are woven over and under the horizontal lines for stability.
Interlocking Canvas is also a conventional style canvas with the normal vertical and horizontal lines. This style of canvas has only 1 hole size as well. The size of the canvas #10, 12, 14, 18 means you have that many stitches to the inch. Remember the larger the number the smaller the hole. This style of canvas is primarily used in the United States also ,and the vertical lines are fused at the intersection of the horizontal lines.
Janice Lindsey and the NeedlepointUS.com Family
A note about the quality of these items:
Every item on this site is first-quality; there are no "knock-offs," seconds, damaged, or very old stock. Most of our product comes directly from the designer in England, France or here in the US. We have included only the canvases and kits that we know from experience (or in the case of Glorafilia, by reputation) are top of the line. These canvases are exquisitely detailed, and most represent some form of classic beauty. You can be sure when you receive your needlepoint you have the best quality canvas and yarns that we can make available to you. Life is too short, and stitching time is too limited, to spend on anything but the best.
How to get around on the site:
We have tried diligently to help you get around easily on the site. Should you get lost, just use the menu in the upper left corner of every page. There are hundreds of items on this site, but they have been grouped logically (at least we think so) and the Search button is never more than a click away.
A note about Security:
NeedlepointUS.com uses our own secure, encrypted checkout area where your transactions are protected. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal and Google Checkout.
You may also place your order personally with us by calling 1-888-801-3084. Your money order, check or other payment method is welcome at NeedlepointUS.com.
If you have any questions, please email us, or give us a call at 1-888-801-3084 anytime.
Also offering
Google Checkout
NeedlepointUS.com is a
PBCO Company ~ in business since 1992 ~ on the web since 1996
|
