Author Archives: Colonial Needle

Spring Quilt Market Classes

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Pepper Cory’s Spring Quilt Market Class

Apronista!

Presencia Embroidery

Embroidery in Progress!

At the upcoming Spring Quilt Market in St. Louis, Pepper Cory will be talking about taking pride in your work and showing that pride in your store. She chose the common work apron as the canvas for this effort. She’s leading a Take & Teach session for shop owners called “Hand Embroidery for Modern Quilters and Sewists!” that takes place before Quilt Market opens (8-9:30 AM) on Friday May 19.

This apron is a chef’s apron, downloadable free all over the web. It’s super easy to make! This one is lined and features two embroidered pockets. The lower pocket is a sweet little row of flowers stitched in brightly-colored Presencia floss. Click here to see Presencia color options.

Embroidery Detail

Upper Pocket Embroidery Detail

The embroidery pattern is a heat-transfer from one of the Colonial Pattern Company’s “Stitcher’s Revolution“ series—#SR24 called ‘Flower Power.’ The upper eyeglass pocket is a single posey from the row. Outline Big Stitch quilting over machine stitching completes the embellishment.

Embroidery Detail

Lower Pocket Embroidery Detail

While both companies are called Colonial something- that’s just serendipity! We, Colonial Needle, are in White Plains, New York while Colonial Pattern is out of Kansas City, Missouri. A link to their website can be found here. The two companies cooperate nicely as they print the patterns while we have the needles and thread to finish them!

The wind was blowing when the pictures were taken but we hope you can see the details!

And just in case you need it, a DMC to Presencia conversion chart can be found here!

 

Embroidered Apron

Pepper Cory modeling her completed Apron

Thread Hack

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What do you do when your spool is too big for the spindle?

Thread Travel Hack #1

Advice from Pepper Cory

Spool Hack Step 1

This is what happens when I travel and must borrow a sewing machine to work while in a motel room. The loaner machine is almost always someone’s vintage Singer Featherweight. It’s a workhorse machine but has only a skinny vertical unmovable spool spindle. Putting a Presencia spool directly on a Featherweight spindle means the spool rattles around the spindle when sewing and can even go flying off!

Note that Presencia, like most machine sewing threads, is wound on tall spools with large holes in the center. The spools are designed for horizontal positioning (laying sideways) on the top of the machine.

Spool Hack Step 2

The solution to the skinny vertical spindle vs the big spool hole is to beef up the spindle thickness. Easy-peasy. Get two drinking straws, one thin and the other slightly thicker. Cut a 4″ piece off both. Slide the skinny straw over the spindle followed by the larger straw. That’s it! Now the spindle is large enough to hold the Presencia spool securely in place. Happy sewing!

Spool Hack Step 3

Presencia #40 Weight Sewing Thread

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Presencia #40 Weight Sewing Thread

Pepper Cory loves Presenica’s #40 weight thread

40w Presencia Thread

Color #182

If you want an excellent hand quilting thread (strong, color-fast, soft, and non-kinky) consider Presencia #40 weight thread. It comes 500 meters on a spool and in a variety of colors. It also comes in cones for those who need a LOT of thread or are machine quilting.

Presencia Cones on a Rack

Presencia Cones on a Rack

I have been using Presencia exclusively for five years and been very happy. Can’t find it locally? Do not despair–you can order as a retail customer straight from the Colonial Needle Company website. The #40 weight 500 meter spools can be found here, and the #40 weight cones can be found here. And don’t forget to pick up your needles while you’re there too. Colonial Needle has all your favorites from John James, to S. Thomas, Richard Hemming, Mary Arden, and so many more!

 

Colonial Needle Organic Cotton Thread

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Colonial Goes Organic

Introducing Colonial Needle’s Newest Family of Products: Organic Cotton Thread

CNC's Organic Cotton Thread Color Selection

We are happy to announce that we are now carrying GOTS Certified* organic cotton thread! Organic cotton production uses no toxic chemicals. Instead, it employs natural methods, such as beneficial insect releases, to protect crops. By opting for organic cotton, you are choosing a healthier alternative for yourself and your loved ones, as well as contributing to a cleaner, chemical free environment.

Our Organic Cotton thread is 100% Egyptian Extra-Long Staple Cotton and is currently available in 34 colors.

*GOTS Certified: Strict rules of Global Organic Textile Standard are followed throughout the production process.

 

 

DeElda Kits

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Beginners Needlepoint Kits by DeElda

DeElda Kit - A25 School Bus

DeElda Kit – A25 School Bus

Start the school year off right with DeElda

September 1st means back to school for millions of kids across the country. But how many of them are familiar with the art of needlepoint?  Get the child in your life started today with these wonderful beginner kits from DeElda!  Choose from over 50 simple designs.  Each kit includes a hand-painted canvas on size 10 mesh, Colonial 3-ply Persian wool yarn, two #16 gold tapestry needles (Made in England), a needle threader, and instructions for both Continental and Basketweave stitches.  You can pick out your design here and then contact your local needlepoint shop to order!

 

Hand Painted Frames

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Custom Hand-Painted Frames

KCA39-18 - Country Moonrise

KCA39-18 – Country Moonrise with Custom Painted Frame

Heirloom Designs helps create beautiful custom frames for your needlepoint canvases

Our friends at Heirloom Designs shared these fantastic painted frames, custom made for two of Kelly Clark’s pieces. We love how well the frames compliment the canvases – it’s hard to tell where the canvas ends and the frame starts.

And the best part? They’re self-finishing which means no more sending canvases out to be framed.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

Canvases are available for purchase through your LNS.

And to order a custom frame for your favorite needlepoint canvas, contact Heirloom Designs

KCA26-18 - Sheep-Crow Sampler

KCA26-18 – Sheep-Crow Sampler with Custom Painted Frame