Happy Stitching!

Hey, Friends!

The question was asked on Ranae’s blog the other day about when to toss a needle with lots of various responses. 

This got me to thinking… why don’t I throw away needles?  Well, as I say over and again – my very favorite needles in the world – that I’ve tried so far – are Bohin needles.  They flow through linen like silk.  Sometimes there will be a little bend in my needles  and it took me the longest to figure out why, but because 99% of the time I use Q-snaps to hold my linen and still want to use the sewing method of stitching.  But that little bend doesn’t make me throw them out – they’re just getting broken in by then! 

And then there’s the fact that I usually have one needed threaded for each color in use on a project.  Yep, I’m usually a ‘one project at a time’ stitcher, and I thread a different needle for each color.   I have one of those gadgets especially made for this, but what works best for me is fun foam pinned onto a painter’s canvas.  I print a copy of the symbol and name of the color fibers a project calls for, then pin this down on the ‘pallet’ and it’s ready to go.  The reason for the painter’s canvas is to give space for the needle without making marks in the table top –I started using this before my side table was topped with glass.  See all the accoutrements that I need for stitching?  Yours looks similar, I'd bet! 

Surprisingly, as I continued along my blogging path, I ran across this article about a Japanese tradition “to thank their worn out needles and pins for good service.”

I’ve started the fourth BBD Anniversaries of the Heart series, A Wish for You.  Since this is the March piece, and it mentions health and has a rabbit, it will be dedicated to my Dad.  Here’s a photo of the three completed pieces to date.  I was sort of hesitant to start this, to me, BAP, but so far I’ve enjoyed each and every stitch!

The third in the series of Specialty Stitches was the French Knot.  I chose to do these in a thread from Sassa Lynne labeled as Perle-Fine, named Damask.

Feeling a bit of pull on the heart strings, I stitched Be Mine from the Love is in the Air Blackbird Designs booklet.  It’s on 34 count creamy white linen with a couple of color subs for those I didn’t have on hand – CC – Jakey Brown for GA Clover and CC-Weeping Willow for GA Avacado. 

Time to go blog surfing and see what you’ve all been stitching!  Thanks for dropping in, and leaving your comments and thoughts!  See ya’ soon!

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC