Niky's Creations : The Silver Needle, Fine Needlecraft Materials


Primitive Advent Calendar Well... this takes on a new finishing idea! Niki has designed 24 tiny motifs -- baskets, cherubs, reindeer, trees and birds -- all with a very traditional sampler feel. Each motif is approx 20 to 30 stitches in size, are coded for 12 DMC flosses, and can be stitched on just about any fabric you want. (I think there is an error on the charts, because one page calls for 32ct, while the other two call for 36!) Each motif is mounted onto a paper hang-tag which measures approx 2-1/4 x 4-3/4. The tags are 'vintage-style' but new, so they need some mange and antiquing from you to look really cool and old. The premise of this is to do the stitching. Mount it onto wool, making a little wool pocket with stitching on the front, and attach a bit of luscious hand-dyed ribbon or trim to it for hanging purposes. Next, attach one of Kelmscott's Mother-of-Pearl buttons on the antiqued hang-tag... this is where you'll hang your little pocket. Number those tags (one for each day in December) in any cool way you want to. THEN, take more neat ribbon or trim, attach it to the hang-tag and hang those all in a row. Then... it's someone's job to make sure that each little pouch has a small treat inside... every day in December! Offered as the chart, we are including a set of paper hang-tags in there. You supply bits of flosses and linens (mix and matching scraps would be fun!!!) and some pretty ribbons and trims. Crescent Colurs has recently released a new collection of chenille, cotton and rick-rack trims -- some of those might be neat on these. LOTS of color options with this project -- very unique, fun for someone who loves to 'putz' and 'create!'
Hearts! ... and Needlebooks! Nikyscreations has three new releases that are all relaxed, antique-y and charming! Hearts is a small booklet full of the most lovely pictures! It features 8 small heart-inspired pin cushion and other what-not designs. All little bitty designs, I just want to cut out the pages and frame the pictures!!! (Remember that Blackbird and With Thy Needle do a lot of finishing and framing with distressed prints of needlework??? KEEP THIS BOOK IN MIND for some lovely graphics!) Seasonal hanging Pockets for Fall and Winter -- just DMC floss -- your primitive finishing with cool wools on these takes the cake! Needlebooks features charts for 4 buttoned cases. NO KIDDING -- dredge your needlework in coffee, and SAND the linen and threads to make a couple of holes to repair with buttons and hand-sewing. You'll treasure your beautifully distressed pieces just as much as the pristine ones! Why wait 200 years to get this cool look that you can make in 5 minutes!
Butterfly and Crown Samplers Two small designs stitched on natural linen with DMC flosses, they're both finished to look old, old, old! Simple stitching, try adding some fun buttons to the edge treatments or to garnish the empty spaces in the Crown piece. Kelmscott has a little baggie of 130 1/4-inch mother-of-pearl buttons that are perfect embellishment treatments for these! Both are offered as single charts.
Autumn Acorn Kit Two new design offerings by Nikycreations, both feature simple, traditional sampler motifs stitched as individual stockings and ornaments. Find a soft hand-dyed linen bit in your stash, and some pretty threads, the ornaments are casually finished with a ric-rac edge on Weeks Wool! Part of the charm of these is filling them with Lizard Litter (crushed walnut shells at the pet store!) or those plastic pellets (from craft/chain store) that make everything loose, floppy, cuddly, and wonderful-feeling in your hand! Don't finish them too perfectly (you can even cut up an old flannel shirt for the backing fabric)... make them look hand-done... garnish with a few old buttons and trim and then tuck them all into an old basket... you're all set!
Flowers Remember Blackbird Designs' friend, Nicoletta Farrgate, from Italy? She now is publishing her own designs... and this lovely book is coming our way the end of October! A lovely 24 soft-page book with 8 different folk art primitive projects and 8 different finishing instructions for them... even the cover is simply lovely! (I can't wait for the insides!!!) Will send as soon as they arrive!