Writing a New Instruction Book

These last two weeks I have been busy completing the instruction book for the upcoming Poppies pilot class.  It has required a different approach to writing the instructions as it is a study in "random" stitching.  How structured should it be and still be random?  What type of framework should I provide?  I decided on a combined approach, so I began with a small rectangular area where I laid it out as a 6-step process, and gradually expanded the area.  My hope is that as each stitcher works her or his way through the area they will gain more and more confidence.  As I constructed the diagrams with my Stitch Wiz program I combined gray scale and color stitches for clarity.  The diagrams are scaled to be rather large and take up about 3/4 of the space on each page.  Stitchers will also be doing a little spritzing and spraying at the beginning of class to get some color on the canvas.  It should be fun and without a doubt, interesting.  Who can help but be enthused when they open a new bag of threads for a new project! Such fun! Over half the threads in the kit are partial skeins and I tried something new by putting each of the partial skeins onto my new Twitchetts cards and then put all the partials skeins and some of the full skeins on a 2" ring.  I am really interested to get feedback from the pilot stitchers about this new approach.  Pilot classes are always interesting as everything is new....including the teacher. 

I was taking a break today, checking out a few of the blogs on my links and came across Distant Stitchers (listed under Links).  It is way to study through correspondence, email and internet, the City and Guilds Level Certificate for Textiles/Embroidery.  There is also a Diploma program.  It is structured as a three year program.  I looked at the six modules and the material and presentation is very interesting, but I would like to follow the progress of several current participants in the program so I set up links to several of the stitchers blogs.  I grouped them all together under DISTANT STITCH under links.  Thought others might be interested also. 

My self-imposed deadline to complete Flower Diamonds and get in to the finisher is Monday, June 2nd so I will post a finished photo at that time.  I also hope to post some photos soon of new beaded scissors fobs and threader fobs which McCall is working on.  Her stitch markers on Etsy are very cute and well done, so I'm anxious to see these and try them out!

Wishing everyone a great, relaxing holiday.

Beginning Needepoint Kit Design

I want to begin this post with an in-progress photo of Flower Diamonds, as it slowly moves along.  About a month has gone by where I only get to stitch 2 or 3 evenings a week for a couple of hours.  The "fun" parts are still left to be stitched:  five more flowers in the center diamonds and the medallions on either side of the center diamonds.  Soon.

I was teaching a class this past Saturday at Old World Designs in Menlo Park and Linda, the owner, and I got to talking about how to interest younger/new stitchers to the wonderful world of needlepoint.  I told her my daughter McCall and I have been working together on new designs, new colors, and new approaches towards that end.  As McCall is 29 years old, her ideas different in many ways from what my approach would be.  But that's good.....we want to attract stitchers her age.  Her two latest needlework book purchases have been Doodle Stitching  and The New Crewel.  Both of these books have That got me to thinking that maybe, just maybe, I too need to be thinking along new lines.  They both present the basic materials and give basic instructions....not too many rules.....and then, just jump right in.  The New Crewel  particularly keeps both design and finishing clean and simple.....few frills....contemporary.  

Our ideas, so far, include the following: 

• begin with 13-count canvas or 18-count linen,
• use threads that do not generally have to be stranded, are of the best quality, but are still a reasonable cost,
• are able to be finished into wearable or household items (18-count linen is great for this)
• or can be inserted into purchased boxes, totes, or appliquéd onto pillows, etc. 
• the kits should include everything the beginning stitcher needs to get started.
• include an item of embellishment such as a large decorative button, or bead as a focal point. 
• keep the kit to a reasonable cost  (under $50) before the finishing. 

We are both working on separate designs and hope to have them ready to show off by this fall.  I would love to hear from readers about what you think a "next generation stitcher" might be looking for.....something that might them veer towards needlepoint, instead of, say, knitting or quilting. 

On another note, I have been busy this week finishing up lots of miscellaneous things.  I've just added several items to the website.  A brand new STITCHING ACCESSORIES Section has just been added with items I love to use myself:  Tacky BOBs, Thread Straighteners, and Twitchetts.  Also, for stitchers interested in SEASONS I have added some partial thread kits for the Vikki Clayton hand-dyed fibers #8 Perle threads.  These are only available by special order in large dye skeins.  Of course, the piece is still stitchable by substituting her flosses for the perles.  But I have a few kits left, so when there gone, there gone. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day!!!

Update on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 11:55AM by Terry Dryden

Thanks Cynthia and Jane for comments on pricing.  Definitely want to make a nice kit available someone in their first job could afford (even with student loans!).  I want to keep the design to 5X5 or 6X6 at the largest, so that should be  possible.  Do you think it would be best to include stretcher bars with the kit? Inexpensive embroidery scissors? Needle threader?  I would also like to include a 1"+ size button in the kit but can't find ones I like where I can purchase more than one.  Any suggestions?

A question on the size of Flower Diamonds:  it is 6" X 16" and it will be finished as a bolster pillow.  As I was working on it a stitch-in recently, someone suggested it would also work well framed land hung vertically.  I hadn't thought of that.