Protecting My Canvas

Hi there I just purchased a tapestry cushion kit with the semco brand
this is an Australian company

The kit comes with of course one color printed canvas I would like to
put some tape over the edges of my canvas to stop them fraying is it ?

What would you recommend at home here we have masking tape or brown
wider packing tape like to seal cartons and things ? reply soon Mystery Girl

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"Miss Vikki Australia / Mystery Girl" wrote in
message ...

Hi there I just purchased a tapestry cushion kit snip I would like to
put some tape over the edges of my canvas to stop them fraying is it ?

What would you recommend at home here we have masking tape or brown
wider packing tape like to seal cartons and things ?


Mystery Girl,

PLEASE (yes, I know I'm shouting) do not put tape on your canvas.

At best, it's a pain to remove and often leaves a residue on the fabric
that will not come off. At worst, it can cause the fabric to become
discoloured and potentially degrade. I would recommend using either floss
or wool (haven't done work on canvas, so your best guess at the appropriate
thickness of fibre) and stitching around the canvas to prevent fraying that
way. I'm becoming quite fond of Nun stitch, but a simple whip stitch would
do the trick.

HTH!
Mellissa (in bloody cold BC, Canada)
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conspiracy of love!" ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie
My home on the Web: http://www.zillwood.com/muddles
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Don`t use the brown packing tape! You`ll have a heck of a job getting it
off! I find that masking tape is find - or you should be able to get a tube
of "Fray-check" from your local needlework shop, which is specifically for
this purpose. You only need to run a very snall amount along the edge of
your canvas.

Pat P.

"Miss Vikki Australia / Mystery Girl" wrote in
message ...
Hi there I just purchased a tapestry cushion kit with the semco brand
this is an Australian company

The kit comes with of course one color printed canvas I would like to
put some tape over the edges of my canvas to stop them fraying is it ?

What would you recommend at home here we have masking tape or brown
wider packing tape like to seal cartons and things ? reply soon Mystery
Girl

--
Never find your self arguing with an idiot

People watching may not be able to tell
the difference.

I Wish To Remember My Friends Birthday's
Enter Here To Fill In My Accessible Birthday Book
http://www.birthdayalarm.com/dob.jsp...75&t=17S11M689

To start a birthday book of your own enter here
http://www.birthdayalarm.com

On 12/11/03 6:14 AM,"Pat P" posted:

Don`t use the brown packing tape! You`ll have a heck of a job getting it
off! I find that masking tape is find - or you should be able to get a tube
of "Fray-check" from your local needlework shop, which is specifically for
this purpose. You only need to run a very snall amount along the edge of
your canvas.

Definitely do not use the brown tape. But masking tape is fine on the edges
of canvas. OR some plastic tape. Some people actually use 1" wide carpet
tape. It's standard practice to tape the edges of canvas, else it really
will catch on things, and can unravel. A lot of LNS have a machine which
applies a tape border to the canvas, binding it. Generally the shops do it
when a canvas is sold - they get the tape with their name imprinted on it.

Anyhow, I use masking tape, or carpet tape. It should only cover about 1/2"
of canvas (being folded over the edge to encase it). Never had any problem
with blocking, finishing a piece that had been taped. Actually, in many
classes that I've taken - the first thing the teacher has everyone doing is
taping their canvas before attaching it to the stretcher bars.

However - don't tape a fabric ground (linen, evenweave). That will be a
yucky mess. Some people tape Aida - it's not as bad as doing it to linen -
but not great to remove and does leave residue, pull threads when being
removed. None of those problems when pulling the tape off canvas due to the
coating on the canvas.

Ellice

You will be pleased to know I have fixed it and it is looking nice the
design does
not go right to the edge any way

Oh and can you all please speak English all I know is I purchased a tapestry
cushion
with wool canvas needles and pattern and it is done using half cross stitch


I am right handed with most everything I do and I know which way up the
canvas goes

How ever I am excellent at stuffing up I know that I work 1 row left to
right but if a certain
color only has a few places to go how then do I tie it off so I can start
the next color

For example it says use half cross stitch if I only have 1 or 2 holes for a
color how do I
make the thread stay in place

With time and patience I can work at making sure the front is done all the
same way but I
would like to have my back tied off nicely to and all the same

I knew a girl from when I worked she was so clever at doing things
needlepoint and wow
counted cross stitch she used to do some amazing designs

How ever her backing looked like a dogs breakfast all over some little knots
some other things

I never said anything but its much nicer when its all neat and even though
it wont be seen when the
cushion is made it makes one feel good to have it looking so nice

The other thing is being the good co worker friend I am I loaned her my
cheap booklet with all of the
different stitches in it many of them

Sadly though since that time I had to leave work for good due to illness
there fore I do not see her any
more and can not get it back

Seeing it was so cheap to buy I didn't care but now I want it to look at the
way you do stitches I would
know it if I saw it and have browsed the craft store near me with no luck

I think it was a semco brand booklet perhaps a web site see if I get to
leaving the tapestry for awhile I am
likely to forget how to do my stitches so that is why I first bought the
book reply soon and thanks Mystery Girl


"animaux" wrote in message
news
I use seam binding and I do a simple straight sew with the machine, or by
hand, around the
perimeter of the canvas. When I stitch, the most annoying thing is to get
chaffed by the
rough edges of a canvas! Little things like that annoy me. I've also
used tape, but only
put the tape really close to the edge so the whole part of the taped
canvas can be
literally cut off.

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 18:20:53 +1100, "Miss Vikki Australia / Mystery Girl"
opined:

Hi there I just purchased a tapestry cushion kit with the semco brand
this is an Australian company

The kit comes with of course one color printed canvas I would like to
put some tape over the edges of my canvas to stop them fraying is it ?

What would you recommend at home here we have masking tape or brown
wider packing tape like to seal cartons and things ? reply soon Mystery
Girl

Others may give you different advice - as there are several methods -
but here goes mine. grin

Do you know how to start with a waste knot? That is: a piece of yarn,
knot the end, and go from front to back so that the knot is ON TOP of
the work. (The right side).

Place this knot several centimeters from where you want to begin. You
will later snip off the knot, rethread, and weave the threads under
existing stitches. So you need it far enough away that you have enough
thread to put into a needle and weave.

I loved your comment about "liking the back neat because it makes you
feel good." That's why I put lace as trim on the hems of special skirts
or jackets. That extra little "touch" that is rarely, if ever seen, but
makes you feel good. smile

Dianne

I think I should find a web site I think I know what you are saying start
the first color hole in the first row
in the canvas area at the side

Leaving the thread long enough so it can be threaded back under the rest and
neatly tucked away right ?

Its funny the last tapestry I ever did well I still have it but sadly have
lost the how to book as I said and
can not work out how to complete it so it sits un finished

How ever I remember doing a complete cross going left to right half cross on
a color then coming back
the other way

Any way what I need is a web link to explain stitches and things perhaps I
will browse on my own now
but how do I tie off the back

I was hoping it might work like you have the end f the thread long enough
and use your needle to feed
it back under a few loops in your work and have it secured laying flat under
the loops

Would this be right thanks for the help wish me luck knowing me I just might
be doing the same one in
5 years you know get all enthusiastic do lots get sick of it leave it for a
while smile Vikki


"Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message
...
Others may give you different advice - as there are several methods -
but here goes mine. grin

Do you know how to start with a waste knot? That is: a piece of yarn,
knot the end, and go from front to back so that the knot is ON TOP of
the work. (The right side).

Place this knot several centimeters from where you want to begin. You
will later snip off the knot, rethread, and weave the threads under
existing stitches. So you need it far enough away that you have enough
thread to put into a needle and weave.

I loved your comment about "liking the back neat because it makes you
feel good." That's why I put lace as trim on the hems of special skirts
or jackets. That extra little "touch" that is rarely, if ever seen, but
makes you feel good. smile

Dianne

Miss Vikki Australia / Mystery Girl wrote:
I think I should find a web site I think I know what you are saying start
the first color hole in the first row
in the canvas area at the side

Leaving the thread long enough so it can be threaded back under the rest and
neatly tucked away right ?

Yes. :-)


Its funny the last tapestry I ever did well I still have it but sadly have
lost the how to book as I said and
can not work out how to complete it so it sits un finished

How ever I remember doing a complete cross going left to right half cross on
a color then coming back
the other way

Not quite sure what you mean: complete cross going left to right
That would mean (to me), complete a cross stitch before going to the
next cross stitch in a given row. Not uncommon to stitch that way.

But, when you continue with: half cross on a color then coming back

That is a method of stitching the continental stitch, by using a half
cross across a row, THEN turning the work and working a half cross on
the NEXT row. In other words: The piece is made up of half crosses,
not full crosses - which is referred to as cross stitch.

I am probably misunderstanding in the translation. grin


I was hoping it might work like you have the end f the thread long enough
and use your needle to feed
it back under a few loops in your work and have it secured laying flat under
the loops

Would this be right thanks for the help wish me luck knowing me I just might
be doing the same one in
5 years you know get all enthusiastic do lots get sick of it leave it for a
while smile

Yes, Vikki. You have it! Good luck to you. There's so many here who
can help should you need it.

Dianne

Hi Miss Vikki - please don't attach pictures to your messages in this
newsgroup. It's not a "binary" newsgroup and isn't set up for
pictures. Your picture message was HUGE (5598 bytes as opposed to the
more usual 28-30) and can tie up servers worldwide! Glad things are
working out for your stitching though.

Alison

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 11:54:39 +1100, "Miss Vikki Australia / Mystery
Girl" wrote:

Hi folks well guess what I started my work I found a way cool web site that
shows many stitches
http://www.classicstitches.com/know_...Glossary&let=A

snip

Thinking about it I have a scanner so I am going to try and attach a picture
of my tapestry for you
to see you know a finished picture comes with the kit

On 12/12/03 3:06 PM,"Dianne Lewandowski" posted:

Miss Vikki Australia / Mystery Girl wrote:
I think I should find a web site I think I know what you are saying start
the first color hole in the first row
in the canvas area at the side

Leaving the thread long enough so it can be threaded back under the rest and
neatly tucked away right ?

Yes. :-)

There are a couple of basic guidelines you can use - if you're going to be
stitching over the tail soon - just go about 2 needlelengths away to start.
That is a standard waste knot (knot on top, thread underneath, then come up
to start). An "Away" waste know may be put further out to the margin, a few
inches - usually when it's going to be a while before that tale gets
stitched over, or if you want it to be under a section of a darker color,
etc so it doesn't show, or if you're going to actually need to weave it with
a needle because the stitching may not be dense enough to hold the tail
well.

Important - always put the waste know in a vertical, or horizontal line (in
a track of the canvas) from where the starting stitch will be. If you put it
on a diagonal you can frequently see a zipper kind of effect on the front.


How ever I remember doing a complete cross going left to right half cross on
a color then coming back
the other way

Not quite sure what you mean: complete cross going left to right
That would mean (to me), complete a cross stitch before going to the
next cross stitch in a given row. Not uncommon to stitch that way.

But, when you continue with: half cross on a color then coming back

That is a method of stitching the continental stitch, by using a half
cross across a row, THEN turning the work and working a half cross on
the NEXT row. In other words: The piece is made up of half crosses,
not full crosses - which is referred to as cross stitch.

I am probably misunderstanding in the translation. grin


I was hoping it might work like you have the end f the thread long enough
and use your needle to feed
it back under a few loops in your work and have it secured laying flat under
the loops

That's what many people do with cross stitch, and sometimes with an "Away
waste knot" . But, if you've used a waste knot on canvas, the tail will be
captured by your stitching, and you don't have to do any re-weaving. Just
when you stitch close to the waste knot (which is on top of the canvas), you
then cut the knot off.

Adding to Dianne's good advice - I had posted some NP links about a week
ago. Here's some info that you could look at, with some good diagrams and
information on stitching continental (tent) stitch, and waste knots, etc.

======= Information posted before - sorry if it's repetitious ===========
There is a lot of reference information on the ANG website. It's pretty
consistent, and there are links to stitch techniques, all kinds of NP info.
The main page is
http://www.needlepoint.org/

The section with stitches of the month is full of diagrams, and includes
links to examples.

One book suggests that stitching goes from right to left in a
continental stitch and when you reach the end of the row you turn the
canvas upside down and stitch again from right to left, continuing the
process until the area is filled in.

Many people turn the canvas if stitching in rows - that way you're working
in the same direction. If you can get your hands on a copy of:
Needlepoint Book: A Complete Update of the Classic Guide
By Jo Ippolito Christensen

This is a great book, and if you're only getting one, it's a good one.
Library might have it.
Also, for a less investment, TNNA - The National Needlework Asso. Puts out
some basic guide books - they're very inexpensive, and many LNS will have
them. It's a big workbook sized thing "How To Needlepoint" (they also have
crochet, knit instruction books) with excellent diagrams. Will answer all
your basic questions. You can see some info at the TNNA site,
http://www.tnna.org/

Another needlepoint source suggests you stitch from right to left in the
continental stitch and when you reach the end of the row, the next row
starts underneath the completed row, but instead of going from bottom to
top with the stitch motion, you go from top to bottom across the row,
left to right.

Absolutely correct. It works out to be the same thing.

Does it really matter which technique I use or should I just go with
whichever works best for me?

Yes - what works for you. For a decorative piece like this one, working in
rows is fine. Here are some links to diagrams of tent stitch and basketweave
- the first 2 are by Beth Robertson (one of the authors of the Stitches for
Effect series). Definitely go look at these.

http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/98-02.htm
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/98-03.htm

http://webstitch.designwest.com/stitch06.html#tent1
Is another site with very nice stitch diagrams.


However, doing a basketweave form of continental stitch is generally
preferred for a couple of reasons. Basketweave is a stronger stitch, so if
it's a piece that will get handled - like a pillow, or a footstool, it will
hold up better. The other reason, is that basketweaving tends to keep the
shape better, less distortion, easier to block. There is an info piece - I
think by David McCaskill, on the ANG site about stitching in curved areas -
that's a good thing to read. Here's a link to a bunch of stitching FAQs:
http://www.needlepoint.org/FAQ/stitching.htm

Another question I have is about working the areas with color changes.
My needleworking experience lies in counted cross stitching where I like
to work my designs by starting in the middle and going where the design
and/or the colors I'm working take me until the design is finished.
With needlepoint, do I have to work everything in rows with lots of
swapping of colors or can I go where the colors take me?

You can go where the colors take you. However, you don't really want to
carry thread much in NP. And if you're starting with waste or away knots -
be sure that they are located so the tail is directly vertically or
horizontally in line with the beginning stitch. If it's on a diagonal, the
front of the piece will often show a zipper type affect. Also, it's a good
practice to end/start new thread in the middle of a row, not at the leading
edge.
====== end of the re-post ===========

Anyhow, Vicki, check out the web-sites, I think the diagrams will help you.

ellice