A Needle Pulling Thread Issue 50 Sampler

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

QUILT SEW KNIT CROCHET CROSS STITCH EMBROIDER HOOK RUGS

Thoughtful Soles

Wool Stew Socks

Matchstick quilting

Diamond Petals

fabric manipulation

Buy this issue

Repurposing

textiles

Cherish, Reuse, Recycle

Make

& Be

Happy

82 76

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VIKING, DESIGNER BRILLIANCE, BRILLIANCE, JOYOS ADVISOR, DELUXE, MYSEWNET, EXCLUSIVE SENSOR SYSTEM, and EXCLUSIVE SEWING ADVISOR are exclusive

Editor's letter

Cherish

I do it, you do it. We all do it. We keep textiles that

are precious to us: an old skirt, a jacket, a hand

knit sweater, a quilt block for future reference

(or did we make a mistake?), sample stitching

and the list goes on. Although there’s a fine line

between hoarding and saving cherished textiles,

the difference is in why we save them. I have a

couple of old wool skirts, for example, intended

for deconstructing and repurposing into a set

of cushion covers and a couple of stylish wool

bags sporting wool appliqué; and I’ll stop here

as the options are numerous. These items aren't

only for repurposing, but they can be used for

experimenting sewing and quilting techniques

and creative designs.

The hand knit sweater, particularly if worked up

in lacework or cables, and sample stitching, often

called on purpose, ‘a sampler’, can be kept as a

reference and can cleverly be framed in a sewing

room or made into a tea cosy or cushion cover for

the simple feeling of admiration.

It can sound like all we can do is use it as a ‘cover’

of some kind, particularly for cushions – the

easiest of options. But think further, and you might

find alternatives you like, as in using it as trimming

or accents for clothes, quilts. My favourite thought

for a future project is to make lacework swatches

Repurpose

and frame them. This series of knitted lacework

will be beautiful against a window pane. I love

knitted lacework? It should be on a t-shirt.

This issue is dedicated to those who hold on to

cherished textiles and such items in the hope

that one day they will be enlightened on how to

repurpose them in a new fashion.

It is my pleasure to welcome aboard Heather

McArthur, former publisher of Quilter’s

Connection Magazine, as Quilting Contributor

in our new column, The Quilter’s Connection.

I'm also happy to welcome Heather's faithful

subscribers who will be able to keep the

passionate 'connection' with her as she expands

the quilting section in ANPTmag.

Join the fun!

Cheerfully,

Make & Be Happy

FREE

Contents

issue 50

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

10 Cathy McClean

sewing

Chenille Shawl

14 Clodagh Coker

fiber art

Thread and Fiber Art

16 Lynn Swanson

sewing

The Suede Tote Bag

20 Kerrin Brookes

machine embroidery

Second Hand Rose Table Runner

26 Elaine Theriault

quilting

The Wool Bucket

30 Colleen McMahon

quilting

The Story of Barkcloth

Vintage Runner

34 Jean Boyd

quilting

Summer Sampler 2019

38 Paul Leger

quilting

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle Quilt

40 Chris Curran

sewing

An old jersey becomes a new cushion!

56 Lorraine Thompson

knitting

Thoughtful Soles Series

Wool Stew Socks

60 Denise Powell

knitting

The Sweater Vest

62 Jacqueline Grice

knitting

Windswept Wrap

64 Red Heart, Tammy Hildebrand

knitting

Vintage Stitches Tunic

70 Jo Gatenby

repurposing

Paper Tube Bracelet

Knit Cuff Bracelet

Hat & Mitt Set for Baby

76 Patty Brake

cross stitch

Spring Posy Thrifted Candy Dish Topper

78 Betty Stokoe

hardanger

Party Favours

80 Iryna Varabei

nizanka

Serendipity Colour Play Cushion Cover

82 Christine Allan

swedish weaving

Starry Sky Bag

48 Summer Fibrations

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Meredith Filshie, Garrie Bea Joyce

and Rita Rottman

3 Editor’s Letter

6 Mark Your Calendars!

6 Advertiser Index

8 Heather McArthur

The Quilter's Connection

The Quilter’s Dilemma

What to do with an old, worn out quilt

52 Cynthia MacDougall

Knit Together

To Stash or Not to Stash

55 Knitting

Standard Abbreviations

& Terms

98 Business Directory

Special Features

86 Diamond Petals - fabric manipulation

Judith Marquis

90 Pulled Thread Pastries Part 3

Kim Beamish

every

issue

42 In the Studio with Ana Buzzalino Part 2

The slow stitching movement

Matchstick Quilting, Satin Stitch and Cross Stitch

Ana Buzzalino

46 Become a Quilt Judge!

Canadian Quilters’ Association/

Association canadienne de la courtepointe

Marcy Horswill

in the loop

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

To list your event in this space call 1.866.969.2678.

Creativ Festival

Since 1988, Creativ Festival is Canada’s largest diy

consumer show dedicated to the creative arts of sewing,

knitting, beading, spinning, weaving, felting, quilting,

crocheting, stitching, scrapbooking, crafting & other

fibre, textile, needle & paper arts. Offering up-close-andpersonal

hands-on instruction at conference classes and

an exhibit hall bursting with creativity. Whether newbie

or seasoned pro, join others who share your creative

passions at this exceptional interactive experience like

no other where you can discover, learn, try and buy!

Edmonton: Sep 6-7, 2019, Millennium Place, Sherwood Park

Calgary: Sep 20-21, 2019, Spruce Meadows Equiplex

Toronto: Oct 17-19, 2019, The International Center

More info: www.creativfestival.ca or 1.855.723.1156.

October 4-6, 2019

Fall Knitting Retreat

St. Peter’s Abbey, Muenster, Saskatchewan

Imagine being able to knit without interruption?

Share the enthusiasm with other knitters, be inspired,

discover new techniques, get fresh ideas and knit,

knit, and knit some more! Forms and details at

www.hausofstitches.ca or call 1.800.344.6024.

November 1-2, 2019, 10am to 5pm both days

Silver Threads, The Magic of Cloth ~ Act VII Quilt Show

Presented by The Dufferin Piecemakers Quilting Guild

Orangeville Agricultural Society Event Centre

247090 ~ 5 Sideroad, Mono, ON L9W 6K50

Admission $8.00. Over 300 unique quilts on display,

members’ boutique, merchant mall, tea room, raffle

quilt / mini quilt draws, Northcott Challenge, special

bed turning, door prizes. Join us in celebrating

our Guild’s 25 th anniversary! Fully Accessible /

Free Parking. For more information visit us at

www.dufferinpiecemakers.org or call Judy Sullivan at

519-941-1202.

November 7-11, 2019

IGNITE Okanagan Quilting Retreat

Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa

13011 Lakeshore Drive South, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z1

On the picturesque Lake Okanagan waterfront,

surround yourself with quilting friends, inspiring

stories, mini demos, show and tell and so much more.

Enjoy a peaceful, creative quilting experience you’ll

never forget. Prices starting at $997 (incl. 4 nights,

food & events). Contact brandy@quilteronfire.com

or call 1-250-718-1718 to REGISTER TODAY. For more

information visit https://www.quilteronfire.com.

May 28 - June 6, 2020

Saskatchewan Stitches Conference

St. Peter’s Abbey, Muenster, Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Stitches Conference offers creative

classes with renowned fibre and needle work artists

and attracts participants from across Canada who

love to sew, knit, quilt and rughook. Forms and details

at www.saskstitches.ca or call 1.800.344.6024.

Advertiser Index

29 Banyan Batiks

28 Brampton Sew N Serge

99 Brother

98 Business Directory

55 Canadian Guild of Knitters

51 Canadian Quilters' Association

47 Coats

85 CreativFestival

63 Crochet Designs by NanaRuth

06 Dueck's Sewing Centre

96 Embroiderers' Association of Canada

51 eQuilter.com

75 Four Boys and a NL Girl

100 Gütermann Creativ

63 Hardanger House

97 Haus of Stitches

39 Hummingbird Sewing

02 Husqvarna Viking

28 Kelly's Creative Sewing

55 KNITmuch

63 KnitSwiss Yarns

59 KnittingTours.com

97 Lowery Workstands

28 Melissa Marginet

96 Ontario Hooking Craft Guild

13 PFAFF

06 Phyllis' Home Decor

51 QUILTsocial

63 Rypan Designs

97 Sandpiper Creations

28 Sew Inspired

28 Sew With Vision

97 Spirit of Belarus

37 That Sewing Place

39 The Quilt Place

37 The Quilt Store

63 The Yarn Guy

07 Unique Knitting & Crochet

75 X's & Oh's

PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ART DIRECTOR

Carla A. Canonico

carla@ANPTmag.com

PUBLISHER, ADVERTISING SALES

John De Fusco

john@ANPTmag.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Carla A. Canonico, John De Fusco

QUILTING CONTRIBUTOR

Heather McArthur

heather@ANPTmag.com

QUILTING CONTRIBUTOR

Elaine Theriault

KNITTING CONTRIBUTOR

Cynthia MacDougall

cynthia@ANPTmag.com

GRAPHICS ASSISTANT

Sondra Armas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Alessia De Fusco

I.T./Web ASSISTANT

Alejandro Araujo

Website : www.ANPTmag.com Facebook: ANPTmag

Toll Free: 1.866.969.2678 Ravelry: ANPTmag

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EDITORIAL

Designers and other contributors who would like to be considered

for future issues please email Carla with a brief description

of your work and your proposed project for the magazine.

SPECIAL THANKS TO

All the contributors, The Foglia Family, The Miles Twins, Alessia and

Adriano, and to our moms.

A Needle Pulling Thread ® is a registered trademark. No part of this publication

may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

All designs, patterns, and information in this magazine are for

private, non-commercial use only, and are copyrighted material

owned by their respective creators or owners.

Funded by the Government of Canada.

●

6 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50 7

●

Chenille

Shawl

Ever wonder what to do with that rayon dress that no

longer fits or mom’s special blouse? A recycled Chenille

Shawl is the answer! Combining eight different rayon

blouses or dresses with a new piece of rayon this shawl

will wrap you with warmth and love.

Chenille fabric is usually done one sided but for a

shawl or a scarf it gives you a much nicer look to make

it double sided. When creating chenille fabric, the

stitching and the cutting must be done on the bias.

For this technique the fabric must be rayon; using

cotton will make the shawl too heavy.

Quilts, wallhangings, vests or bags are created with

4 to 5 layers of cotton or flannelette. Chenille fabric

is created and washed and can then be used in

combination with other fabrics or on its own. For these

projects you would cut the top (3 or 4) fabrics 1” to

2” smaller than the base fabric, layering the fabrics

right side up over the base fabric and leaving a border

around the outside. This will give you a seam allowance

to insert the chenille into the project, plus it makes it

much easier to cut just the top 3 or 4 fabrics avoiding

the bottom fabric. – Cathy

10 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

Elegant

functionality.

Attention to detail and

innovative features make a

PFAFF ® quilting machine a

perfect accompaniment to

your creativity.

• PFAFF ® Colour Touch Screen

• 201 Stitches

• Speed Slider

• Extra Presser Foot Lift

• Needle Up/Down

• PFAFF ® Colour Touch Screen

• Exclusive PFAFF ® Stitch Techniques

• Exclusive Stitch Creator Feature

• Large 250mm sewing space

• Straight Stitch Plate and Sensor

PFAFF, PERFECTION STARTS HERE, QUILT AMBITION, QUILT EXPRESSION, IDT and STITCH CREATOR

www.pfaff.com/en-CA

The Suede

Tote Bag

A knitting tote bag made from a recycled suede jacket

●

16 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Second

Hand

Rose

Table

Runner

●

20 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

The

Wool Bucket

Wool

fabric is terrific

for keeping the shape

of this storage bucket. I

used an older wool remnant

from Eaton’s! It’s always a pity to

throw out a good piece of wool fabric.

Here’s how I put it to good use.

– Elaine

skill level Intermediate

finished measurements 8” high x 10” diameter

materials

fabric

• 195⁄8” [0.5m] of wool fabric or other heavy fabric like canvas

for outer fabric

• 195⁄8” [0.5m] of Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer (20255M-42)

for lining

stabilizers

• 8” x 32½” Flex Foam for interlinings

• 3” x 32½” fusible fleece for interlinings

• 8” [0.2m] fusible webbing for interlinings

threads

• matching embroidery weight thread

• bobbin weight thread

other

• 10” plastic plate from the dollar store to provide support for

the bottom. I found one that is the same blue as my lining

fabric!

• scissors

• a chalk pencil or marking tool

• ruler

●

26 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Ottawa Valley Authorized Dealer

Sewing, Knitting & Having a Good Time

Arnprior Shopping Centre

375 Daniel St S, Arnprior, ON K7S 3K6

613-623-0500

www.sewinspired.ca

info@sewinspired.ca

●

28 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Kelly’s Creative Sewing

902-435-7380

www.kellyscreativesewing.ca

804 Main Street

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2W 3V1

kellyscreativesewing@gmail.com

Specialize in Sewing, Embroidery machines,

Sergers and Long arm Quilting Systems

www.sewwithvision.net

902-479-2227

480 Parkland Dr,

Halifax, NS B3S 1P9, Canada

Your Authorized Dealer for:

Perfection starts here.

Machines and More...

prepare the lining

1. If you wish to reinforce the bottom of

the lining, you can put some fusible

fleece on it before you sew it to the

lining tube. I chose to use a plate to

provide stability to the bottom of the

bucket.

2. Sew the center back seam of the long

lining piece. Leave an opening so you

can turn the project inside out.

3. Find and mark the quarters of the

lining circle and the lining tube as you

did for the outer fabric.

4. Match the quarter marks and sew

around the bottom of the bucket.

final assembly

1. Turn the lining so the right side is

facing out. Matching up the center

back seams, push the lining into the

outer bucket fabric. The right side of

the lining should be touching the

right side of the outer bucket. Sew

around the top of the lining and the

outer fabric.

2. Turn the bucket inside out through the

opening left in the back seam of the

lining. Press well along the top edge.

3. Top stitch about ¼” away from the

edge of the bucket.

4. Close the opening in the back seam.

You can hand stitch this, use a small

piece of fusible to fuse the opening

closed or overlap the edges and sew it

with the sewing machine.

5. Stuff the lining into the outer bucket

fabric.

6. Turn the top edge down where the

fusible fleece meets the foam, so you

have a gorgeous fold over trim on

the bucket.

7. Insert the plate into the bottom.

Elaine Theriault

crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com

With bright, high contrast colors such as purple, orange and

turquoise, Banyan Batiks’ latest novelty collection Ride On creates

a unique 3D effect using mists of color and a touch of metallic.

Featuring fun hand-printed tire tracks, retro bikes, gears, wheels

and a double border print, bike enthusiasts are sure to love these

cool and colorful batiks. Available in four distinctive colorways, it

will be hard to pick your favorite… so you might just have to get

them all!

Visit BanyanBatiks.com to view the entire collection, and use the

Product Finder tool to search for a local quilt shop that carries

Ride On.

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

Make & Be Happy!

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A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

Summer

skill

Sampler 2019

level Intermediate

finished measurements

44" [112cm] square

materials

fabric

Note:

This is a great stash-buster quilt and you have

many choices for selecting fabric for a sampler

quilt. Here are a few ideas:

• Choose a favourite colour scheme and then

look through your stash to find fabrics with

small, medium and large designs in those

colours. The more variety of fabric, the more

interesting the design.

• Use all solid fabrics in coordinating colours.

• Go monochromatic, meaning all fabric in one

colour family.

• Choose a specific style eg: '30s prints, modern

fabrics, batiks.

• As a rule, you'll want to have light, medium

and dark fabrics in each block. It's usually a

good idea to have some solid or tone-ontone

fabrics, as well as prints, for whatever

style you choose. But it's OK to do your own

thing and use your fabric as you wish.

Enjoy the process!

• 2½ yd [2.3ml in total of fabric for the blocks

• 3 yd [2.7ml for backing

• 1¼ yd [1.2ml for border and binding

threads

• regular sewing thread in a neutral color

other

• 50" x 50" [380 x 380cm] batting

• rotary cutter, ruler and cutting board

The Summer Sampler quilt was originally

created as part of my Guild's Block of the

Month programme. Most of the 6" blocks

are nine patch, but a few other styles have

been used as well. Special thanks to my

friends and fellow Guild Members, Dianne

Fyn, Vivien Levermore and Faith Wilson, for

helping to design this project. Thanks also to

my longarm quilter, Carol Darou, for doing

her amazing custom quilting on my quilt.

You'll probably find that 6" blocks are quite

addictive! There are hundreds of nine patch

blocks in the public domain and it's also

easy to create your own original blocks. I

discovered that there are many common

elements in the blocks: squares, half-square

triangles, quarter-square triangles, squarein-a-square

blocks, strips and flying geese.

After choosing my colour scheme, I started

out by making several of the shapes listed

above. Then I arranged them into blocks

that would finish at 6". - Jean

●

34 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle Quilt

Like all quilters, I’ve been told that I should only

use good 100% quilting cotton fabrics. Do I

always listen to what I’ve been told? Absolutely

not. Neither should you. Although I typically use

100% cotton fabrics, I do from time to time use

non-traditional fabrics for quilting such as shirts.

On average I go through my shirt closet once a

year searching for shirts I haven’t worn for eight

months or more. My reasoning is that if I haven’t

worn them in that period of time, I’ll probably

not wear them again and it’s time to repurpose

or find them a new home.

The inspiration for this quilt came while visiting

my friends Tom and Lucien in Lewis, Delaware.

Lucien, a quilter, had a small stack of 4” squares

that looked like they were cut from shirt fabric.

I did not ask about the origin of the stack, but I

also never forgot what I saw.

A while after I got home from my vacation, I

went looking for the shirts that I sorted to

donate or to throw away, depending on their

condition. Remembering what I saw at Lucien’s

and looking at all the shirts, I came up with a

plan.

I started by removing all the buttons and stored

them in a container. Then I sorted the shirts into

two piles: one pile of solid coloured fabrics, the

second, with printed patterns.

I was very pleased that on the quilt’s completion the only thing not reused or recycled was the thread.

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

●

issue 50

AN OLD

JERSEY

BECOMES

A NEW

CUSHION!

●

40 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Photos by Chris Curran

Your Favorite

Thread Brand

With over 350 colors, Coats Dual Duty XP ® has

exceptional performance and durability for

hand and machine sewing on all fabrics.

Coats & Clark, Greer, SC 29650

makeitcoats.com

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Summer Fibrations

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario

Summer Fibrations is an exciting fibre art exhibition

at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in the

beautiful town of Almonte, Ontario.

Members of Out of the Box, a group of fibre artists

from the Ottawa area, will exhibit about 200 pieces

of their innovative work at the museum from June

22 to July 6, 2019. One can see influences of quilting,

knitting, doll making, felting, embroidery, beading,

embellishing, crocheting, silk fusion, paper making,

book making and mixed media that go beyond

the application of traditional techniques to cloth

and fibre. Artists often combine techniques in one

piece to achieve interesting artworks. A wide variety

of surface design processes and the intriguing

outcomes of dyeing cloth yield fascinating results.

Meredith Filshie

Juanita Sauve'

in the loop

●

48 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Meredith Filshie,

Garrie Bea Joyce and

Rita Rottman

https://mvtm.ca/

Photos courtesy of Garrie Bea Joyce

UILTsocial

…eat, sleep, quilt, repeat

.com

◦

{ daily blog

◦

{ weekly giveaways

◦

{ monthly newsletter

◦

{ quarterly magazine

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{ fun Facebook page

◦

{ yummy Pinterest page

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{ app on iTunes/Google Play

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ALL of the above!

* projects

* techniques

* product reviews

and ALL

FREE!

visit

www.QUILTsocial.com

and download a FREE ebook:

Elaine's Tech Tips,

Quilting with Elaine Theriault!

Save the Date for Quilt Canada 2020!

Award-winning Quilts

from Around the World

June 18 to 20, 2020

Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, AB

Gateway to Adventure

• National Juried Show • Merchant Mall

• Amazing Workshops & Lectures

• Multiple Quilt Shows • Evening Entertainment

www.canadianquilter.com

Canadian Quilters’

Association

Association canadienne

de la courtepointe

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

●

issue 50

Knit Together

To Stash or Not to Stash

what a question!

This article is a cross crafting one. Knitters have

stashes, crocheters have stashes, quilters and clothing

makers have stashes, and those of us lucky enough to

do more than one hobby tend to have more than one

stash. It’s rare, but I have come across an odd crafter

who does not keep any stash at all. I know! What would

that even look like?

There are pros and cons to stashes, and I hope that by

offering a few of both, you can tailor your stash that

will serve you in good times and bad.

●

52 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Photo by Soraya Garcia

* projects

* techniques

* product reviews

KNIT

much.com

Are you a Canadian knitter?

◦

{ daily blog

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{ weekly giveaways

◦

{ monthly newsletter

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{ quarterly magazine

◦

{ fun Facebook page

◦

{ yummy Pinterest page

◦

{ app on iTunes/Google Play

◦{

ALL of the above!

...to K, is to

and ALL

FREE!

visit

www.KNITmuch.com

and download a FREE ebook:

Cynthia MacDougall’s

K Tog: Knitting Essentials!

read about knitting

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A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

Wool

Stew

Sock 1 Problem

Sock 2 Solved!

What do you do when your

refrigerator is crowded with

little dishes of leftovers?

Make a hearty stew for supper.

What do you do when your

yarn basket is overflowing with

little balls of leftover wool?

Knit socks. Problem solved!

I knit these socks with a variety

of leftovers and I added a

generous garnish of buttons.

– Lorraine

Socks

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

Background photo by Monika Grabowska

10 Night Aran Islands, Donegal & Causeway Coast (Ireland)

Tour Dates:

• 07 Sep 2019

Please contact us

for 2020 dates

This amazing 10 night tour includes Studio Donegal, the stunning Slieve League Cliffs, &

Glencolmcille Folk Village. Tour Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast and visit the Giant’s

Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Belfast City and Titanic Belfast. A highlight will be two nights

on Inis Mór, one of the famous Aran Islands!

Workshops with Edel McBride, Lisa Sisk from This is Knit and

Una McDonagh on Inis Mór!

Also Included:

Hotels, Sightseeing

Tours, Entrance

Fees, Meals, Craft

Demonstrations and

Knitting Workshops!

www.KnittingTours.com

Toll Free: 1800 913 1135

Info@knittingtours.com

P.S Check out our website for more tours!

KnittingTours.com is part of the Irish Tourism Group,

Trusted tour operator, members of ACTA, ASTA & ETOA

A Sweater Vest

The Sweater

Sometimes a garment you knitted many years past is no

longer useful. Maybe it’s now too big or too small, or a very

dated style as in ‘1980s shoulder pads?’. Or, just a little too

worn out. For whatever reason, we can be reluctant to let go

of something we made and of which we have fond memories.

About 35 years ago I knit an all wool Aran pullover. I wore it

many times, but gradually put it on less and less frequently.

It was a little too tight, I found pullovers a bit too warm, and,

frankly, the sleeve cuffs were badly worn. It sat in a drawer, still

loved but unworn, for many years.

Finally, I decided that to get more use out of it, I would have

to remake it. Since it was pure wool I could have felted it and

cut out warm mittens or slippers or even pot holders. I could

have simply taken off the sleeves and turned the body into

an Aran cushion cover. These ideas were all very tempting

until I realized that, although I don’t wear pullovers much, I

do wear vests frequently. So, a vest it would become.

Obviously, you will not be able to follow this project exactly,

but I hope it will inspire you to think of ways of recycling

older garments into something you’ll wear again.

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

●

issue 50

knitting

With another 4mm needle pick up the 92

sts at cast on edge.

Once you have done that fold that

needle upwards with wrong sides facing,

with both needle tips facing the same

direction.

Note: If for whatever reason you don't, just

transfer the picked up sts to another needle

so needle tips point in the same direction.

Knit the sts from both needles like a

3-needle bind off, but you’re not binding

off the stitches on the right needle. The

stitches on both needles are knit together

to end up on one needle. 92 sts on one

needle

Work back and forth in garter stitch until

you have 130 ribs.

At this point there should be about 60g

of yarn left to work the next feather and

fan pattern.

Repeat Rows 1 - 9 and increase 10 sts

evenly in Row 9 by kfb of sts. 102 sts on

needle, turn and purl one row, turn.

Repeat feather and fan pattern Rows 11 –

16, for a total of 20 repeats.

Work Rows 1 - 8 one more time and then

cast off all sts in pattern.

Voilà! All knit up, just need to soak and

block it lightly or leave as is. Hope you’ll

love wearing this big wrap scarf.

Jacqueline Grice

KnitswissYarns

www.KnitswissYarns.com

Ravelry: Knitswiss

Hand Dyed Yarns

www.KnitswissYarns.com

Hardanger House

designs by Betty Stokoe

bettystokoe@gmail.com, 403-742-2749

Betty incorporates traditional

hardanger embroidery in her

contemporary designs. From small

quick-to-stitch gift ideas to larger

pieces for your home decor, you'll

find lots of variety in the Hardanger

House line of embroidery patterns

& kits. View them all on Etsy:

etsy.com/shop/HardangerHouse

Rypan Designs

416.247.1993

www.rypandesigns.com

NEW! Downloadable Patterns!

Maria Rypan is an international

designer, researcher & instruction

book publisher recognized for her

‘Gerdany’ beadwork and projects

for many publications. Since 1995

Maria teaches, produces a kit line and

presents on beading & global folk arts.

Crochet Designs by NanaRuth

416-754-0998

www.NanaRuth.com

NEW! Downloadable Book!

Main focus is traditional designs in

crochet and knit for children.

All garments are designed and/

or handmade with discerning

attention to comfort and finishing.

Baptismal sets, dresses, suits,

blankets and shams, cardigans, hats

and other items.

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

●

In this repurposing

issue, Red Heart

looks back at a 1969

vintage crocheted

tunic. Inspired by this,

Tammy Hildebrand

designed the Vintage

Stitches Tunic using

her approach to

vintage stitches and

the versatile Red Heart

Unforgettable yarn.

FREE

skill level Advanced

finished measurements

38 (42, 46, 50, 54, 58)" [96.5 (106.5, 117,

127, 137, 147.5) cm] around bust

31¾ (31¾, 33, 33, 34¼, 34¼)" [80.5 (80.5,

84, 84, 87, 87) cm] in length

Directions are for size Small. Changes

for sizes Medium, Large, Extra Large, 2X

Large, and 3X Large are in parentheses.

materials

yarn

• RED HEART® Unforgettable®

6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 12) balls 3960

Tidal (4 Medium) Red Heart®

Unforgettable®, Art. E793 available

in 3½oz [100g], 270yd [247m] balls

hooks

Susan Bates® Crochet Hooks

• US F-5 [3.75mm]

• US G-6 [4mm]

other

• Susan Bates® split lock stitch markers

• yarn needle

gauge

1 motif = 2" [5cm] in diameter using

smaller hook; 5 [dc2tog, ch 2] and 7 rows

or rounds = 4¼" [11cm] using larger hook.

CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size hook

to obtain the gauge.

Note: Use smaller hook to make motifs only,

and larger hook for the remainder of the

pattern.

Vintage Stitches Tunic

●

64 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Photos courtesy of Red Heart

FOUR BOYS

AND A NL

GIRL

DESIGNS

D E S I G N S

www.fourboysandanlgirl.ca

fourboysandanlgirl@gmail.com

A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

Serendipity

Colour Play

Cushion Cover

skill level advanced

Note: The Turning Rows method is used

for this design. It is recommended to try

the smaller project done with this method

first, as in the Belarusan Nizanka Snowflake

ornament published in Issue 48.

finished measurements

cushion cover 15½” [39.5cm] square

design size

164 x 164 stitches

15ct fabric 12” x 12” [30 x 30cm]

18ct fabric 10” x 10” [25 x 25cm]

materials

fabric

• 15 -18 ct fabric (it may not be even woven)

for stitching with yarn, the best mesh

size ranges between 14 - 18ct.

yarn

• fingering weight yarns and/or floss of

any colours

Bamboo and soft cotton yarns are

preferable for this kind of stitching.

It happened quite by serendipity. Suddenly, I found myself

with a heap of leftover yarn. I also found a forgotten piece

of evenweave fabric with an attractive texture to it, shortly

after. The cloth is a great backdrop for Nizanka embroidery

and if I gave the design some pop of colour, it will be quite

the topic of conversation.

I thought, cushion cover! All the pieces came together at the

right moment.

Nizanka is so perfect for stitching with yarn particularly on

this forgotten piece of fabric.

It isn’t necessary to fix the thread ends, just leave them on

the front side and let them create a fringe. And because it’s

Nizanka, you don’t have to worry about the back side of your

work, as the back of this stitching method is always neat!

Gather your leftover yarn, thread them on a needle and

stitch. Play with colours. I intentionally omitted the colour

key for this design. Use whatever leftover yarn/floss and

your imagination.

– Iryna

needles

• tapestry needles sizes 18-20 depending

on thread/yarn used

symbols

Notes

1. The blue lines are guidelines and are not

to be stitched.

2. The blue dot marks the center of the work.

3. The blue diagonal lines are the medial lines.

4. The blue arrows show the direction of

the stitching.

5. Each line on the chart equals one

fabric thread.

6. The stitching is done row by row. Each

new row is stitched with a new thread.

7. The Turning Rows method is used

for this design. It means, the stitched

row changes the stitching direction

by making one diagonal stitch at the

Blue Line.

8. Most diagonal stitches are done on the

front side of the fabric. Though, there

are few diagonal stitches that are done

on the back side. These are indicated

with the Back-Side Diagonal Running

Stitch symbol.

Iryna Varabei

Spirit of Belarus

https://ivarabei.wixsite.com/spiritofbelarus

www.facebook.com/SoB.designs

●

80 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Monk’s Cloth Crisis

Crisis leads to innovation

It was a sad day last year when the only importer of Monk’s

Cloth in North America had dropped the distribution line. This

left all suppliers and crafters wondering who would pick up the

line and when? A burning question on everyone’s mind since

it’s not an easy task to do. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to run

into difficult situations, particularly with supplies, which calls to

quickly come up with plan B.

WOW! What will we do without our beloved cloth to weave?

Swedish weaving is an addictive craft whose popularity has been

growing over the past few years, becoming quickly the craft of

choice. It’s a counted needlework and surface embroidery that

uses 4-ply worsted weight yarns on a 7ct fabric (Monk’s Cloth)

making the process very easy to see, weave and very fun to do!

So, what to do about the Monk’s Cloth Crisis? I have thought

outside the box and my plan B is using upholstery fabrics! My

thought is: if I can get a needle through it, it’s ‘weave-able’. Let

the weaving begin!

A variety of items can be woven using upholstery fabrics like bags,

pillows, runners, blankets and curtains. There are some readymade

blankets that are weave-able with the sides already seamed

(bonus!), as well as some finished pillows with zippers for easy

stuffing. I also have a small carpet that is weave-able as well.

With this craft in an upswing we know someone will pick up the

distribution line. But in the meantime, upholstery fabrics is where

it’s at, well for me anyway, until I can get more Monk’s Cloth. Visit

me at www.funandfastpatterns.ca to see what I have currently.

Choosing your fabric for the Starry Sky shoulder bag in this issue

can be tricky, but I have supplies including the fabric and strap

ready to be woven. www.funandfastpatterns.ca/collections/notions

Starry Sky Bag

82 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 50

Photos by Christine Allan

I first saw Dragon Scales, a technique by Gillian Conahan, while doing research

for the articles on The Beauty of Texture series. At that time, I couldn’t see how

to work it in nor had I the time to play with what appeared to be a totally

different sort of fabric manipulation. It stuck in my mind; running it over

and over until I had to try it out, first in paper and then in fabric.

Arrowhead smocking has the bottom points of the arrowhead tucked inside

the row below. Gillian’s dragon scales had the points on top.

I’ve renamed my version of the design Diamond Petals. You’ll see how I made

use of leftover fabrics from two other garments to create these petal samples.

While attempting to adapt this work to the sewing machine, the fact that

all the stitching was off straight-grain resulted in the need for a stabilizer.

Many types of stabilizer were tested, from plain tissue to woven iron-on,

to tear-away and finally settled on non-woven very light-weight stabilizer/

interfacing. This held the grain and folds accurately but allowed the fabric to

be folded with less bulk than other types. The design takes up both in width

and length from the original sized piece of fabric.

This could be an interesting technique in garments, artwork, craft objects or

quilting. It isn’t recommended for children’s wear or items that need to stand

up to abrasion or machine washing but you be the judge. - Judith

Diamond

Narrow striped fabric made into an environmentally friendly pouch

Petals

fabric manipulation

●

86 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Embroiderers’

Association of

Canada, Inc.

Check us out at

www.eac.ca

Join Us: membership@eac.ca

You’ll be glad you did.

Membership gives you:

Annual Seminar with National

and International Teachers

Embroidery Canada Magazine

published quarterly

Correspondence Courses at all

Levels

Chapter Programmes

Extensive Library

OHCG 2019 Pictorial Award

The OHCG is all about the Þne art

and craft of traditional rughooking,

with 60 branches all over Ontario,

plus one in QuŽbec. Find your

rughooking home at: www.ohcg.org

on Facebook

OHCG 2019 Multi Cut Award

Left: “The Boys’, an original by Judy Kielczewski.

Above: “Henry Heron” by Tina Cole; Capri Boyle

Jones, teacher & designer.

●

96 A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD issue 50

Lowery Workstands

The Strong Steel Workstands from England

www.workstands.com

Available in

Canada from

Tygarth

Enterprises at

519-956-9632 or

email to:

tygarth@cogeco.ca

626 Main Street

626 626 Main Main Humboldt Street

Street

Humboldt

306-682-0772

626 Main Street

Humboldt

306-682-0772

Saskatchewan

Conference

Saskatchewan

Stitches

Conference

Proud Proud Proud

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