FAQs
Q : How do I keep my pages in order and clean?
I find that putting your pages in page protectors and then into a folder that keeps them all together. If it is a really large chart- say 65 pages I would put them into a three ring binder. For smaller charts you can put a few into a binder. This way you only pull out the pages that you need to use right now. With the increased price of paper double sided pages will be a necessary step going forward
Q : How do I keep needles, scissors, and other tools organized in my workspace?
I have been using neodymium magnets for a number of tasks. They are super strong as compared to traditional magnets and make misplacing things like my needle, scissors or laying tool a thing of the past. My husband built a small tray that sits on the arm of the couch where I usually work that has some imbedded in the surface. He used a forstner bit to drill a recess in the tray surface and then glued the magnets in with clear liquid nails. I have also had some magnets strategically put into the stretcher bars I use to hold small items like needles or my scissors. In the cabin we live in now, the tray is mounted to the wall, but still works well! Don’t think that my tray stays this clean!
Q : How do I keep my stretcher bars from shifting
Over time as you work a piece the stretcher bars will shift off a 90 degree angle. This ultimately makes for a warped canvas that is either not square or does not lay flat in the mat/frame. I began using flat angle brackets (available at hardware stores) to lock the stretcher bars in place to avoid this shifting. Since the angle brackets are steel, if you put a neodymium magnet under the angle bracket, the whole bracket becomes magnetic! If you use more than one the field is stronger, but you must make sure to use the same pole of all the magnets in contact with the bracket. I usually only stick needles to the bracket, so one magnet is normally sufficient. I pre-drill the frame (to avoid splitting) and then screw the angle bracket to the frame, I put the brackets into two adjacent corners. e.g. lower right and lower left.
Now we have these great plastic corner brackets available to use as well. I have to buy tacks to use with them as I staple my canvases, but them seem to work well on a couple of smaller canvases I have done.
Q: How do you keep orientation of your work?
I typically mark a corner of the stretcher bar frame (in the Angle Brackets image you may be able to make out the TL in the top left corner of the image). I like to work towards, or away from myself, and I always make sure the TL indicator is in the top left or bottom right of my workstation. This keeps all my stitches looking the same. I find that if you work too much from the left or the right your stitches can wind up looking different in the finished work.
Q: How do I keep your canvas tight?
As you work a piece, the canvas stretches. Ultimately this causes your canvas to sag between your stretcher bars. If there is more than about ¼ ” of play, peak to valley, in the canvas, I remove the staples along two adjacent sides of the canvas, re-stretch and re-staple the canvas to the frame. On some large projects I may need to do this 3-4 times during the stitching of the pattern. I have never used evertites stretcher bars, but they help deal with this issue, but are too heavy for my thumbs to handle. If you don’t have time to re-stretch you canvas a quick fix is to take a hammer and hit the stretcher bars from the inside to push each side outward a bit. Works in a pinch, for a bit.
Q: How do I get creases out of thread?
When using threads that are sold on board as opposed to on spools, they have a crease where they wrap around the edge of the board. This crease can create issues when trying to lay the thread on the canvas. In order to remove the crease you can wet your fingers and pull the thread through your fingers. If that does not work you can steam the crease out (much like using a steamer on silk fabrics). If nothing works you can iron them out… but that can be maddening. Or you can use a small flat iron to iron the creases out! This works great on many threads; however some types of threads may melt if left in contact with the flat iron too long, so be careful!
Q: I can't find the hole for my stitch.
In some stitches, a thread will hide the hole in the canvas that the needle should come up in for the next stitch. If you do not pull the prior stitch tight, you can see the hole to come up in easier by holding the thread to the side and uncovering the hole.
Q: How do I keep my beads from going everywhere?
I ran a cross a handy item for holding beads marketed as “Tacky Bob”. It is about the size of a CD jewel case. It is a sticky surface in a clamshell. You put the beads on the tacky surface and you can easily pick them up with your needle without them skittering away or moving every time the angle changes. It has a magnet to hold needles. Even if it only lasts for a couple of projects, for the price, I am ahead in time if nothing else. It got knocked off the table onto the hardwood floor once when it was open and only about 5 crystals shook loose! I have never had any problem with it taking the finish off any of the beads, crystals, bugles or cubes that I use.
Q: Why do you work "In the Well"?
I like to work “in the well,” so the finished surface is below the stretcher bars (see the image above with the 90 degree corner brackets). When I worked on ‘top’ I found that the threads were prone to snag on the canvas and the work would get dirty from the dirt and oils it was exposed to (by the way you should wash up before starting your needlepoint activity to avoid getting dirt and oils on your finished work). I have gotten mixed views from people about working “in the well”, the choice is yours, I am just making suggestions about what works best for me. I would also like to add that your embellishments are much more protected by working in the well. And to travel you just need to cut a piece of foam core the size of your stretcher bars and place it on top of the bars and it covers you project and just needs a rubber band to hold it in place.
Q: How do I see the holes in black canvas?
I like the impact of black canvas on certain colorways, however using dark colored canvas is quite a challenge because counting the holes in the canvas is a real problem. I took another stitcher’s suggestion and started by placing a white towel in my lap which helped. I then started using a light in my lap in addition to the white towel. I have finally settled on a portable LED Ott-lite with a diffuser (a sheet of white paper taped into a tube) that provides a lit background over a large area. The LED lamp does not drain batteries as quickly when I am stitching away from home like incandescent lights do.
Q: How do I start and stop threads?
Having questions about where to start and end your threads? Here is a PDF that should answer some of your questions. Starting and Stopping Threads
Q: How much thread do I need?
Then the next question is how much thread and in which needle. Here is a PDF that should answer some of your questions. A Word About Needles and Threads.