Brick Stitch

Sometimes I think we overcomplicate things in needlepoint. Recently I’ve been teaching the brick stitch and it’s amazing how much you can do with such a simple stitch. Why there is the brick stitch, obviously, straight up and over two canvas threads. Simple right? But imagine the possibilities it presents in today’s needlepoint store given all the different threads. I mean at Rittenhouse Needlepoint we have cottons, wools, silks, synthetics, linen, soy, bamboo, metallics – of all shapes and sizes. We’ve got solids and variegated. We have colors and colors and more colors! Thread lines with more than 500 options. And that’s just one thread line. And you’ve got strandable and non-strandable threads. Fuzzy and furry and ribbon and matte. With glitter, without glitter. Natural and highly unnatural. And all those choices with just the plain old Brick stitch. Now let’s talk about options for the Brick stitch. You can do it over two threads. You can do it over four threads. You can do it over six threads (I personally wouldn’t but I suppose you could). You can do two together (Double Brick). You can do three together (Triple Brick). You can do one row one color and then another row a different color. You can line up the long stitches so that there is a skipped stitch between each row under/over the short stitches where you can choose to put a bead or a different colored thread (a bit of sparkle perhaps?)

So many possibilities and just one simple stitch. Why do we need book after book, pattern after pattern – each one more complicated than the next? I mean sometimes I feel like there must be something wrong with me when I recommend the Brick stitch to someone, like I need to come up with something more difficult, something more complicated lest they think I am some kind of dolt who simply doesn’t know my Jessica from my Smyrna. But, really, I think often needlepointers tend to overdo it. Discretion, I was always told, is the better part of valor. There is value in restraint. In holding back. In not overdoing things. Especially when it comes to stitch work. The sign of a well-stitched project is the appropriateness of the stitch to the task, not the razzmatazz of the stitcher. The stitcher’s skill and ability should come second, the work first.

Plus, it’s fun to stitch simply. It’s more relaxing and as Russell says “meditative.” Recently, I have also been doing a fair amount of laying thread and that’s been enjoyable as well. There is pleasure to be had in doing a simple task well. Repeatedly. Slowly. With precision. Over and over. I enjoy it. It makes me breathe more slowly. Move more slowly. Calm down. And the result are stitches that look peaceful and well-placed. Serene and deliberate. Needlework for me is about the process and not necessarily about the goal, the product. The goal is nice, of course, don’t get me wrong. I’m human after all. But the process is where it’s at. If you don’t have the process, well, you might as well be watching TV or playing backgammon. It’s the feel of the thread, the tug of the needle, the reflection of the light on the thread, the pleasing pace, the peaceful atmosphere, the time out of time that rewards. That’s needlepoint and if you don’t have that you don’t have nothin’. And for me sometimes that ‘s a lot easier to achieve with the Brick stitch than it is with multiple Fleur de Lys and whoop-de-do’s.

Kelly Clark's Easter Ribbon Eggs "Sherbet Bright"

The brilliant (and, I don't want to brag but I will just a little bit because she is so great -- personal friend of mine) Kelly Clark has a new canvas club starting soon. This eight-month club is supposed to start in February but thanks to yours truly the Rittenhouse Needlepoint version may be starting just a wee bit later than other stores because I am only just promoting it now when I should have promoted it back in November (yes, I know. Let's not go there, Russell). Anyhow, the reason I didn't promote the club back in 2019 had nothing to do with my enthusiasm for the project but rather with the fact that I am a lazy cur who also tends to take on way too many projects whilst also overestimating my ability to do things which is truly a very bad combination and results in frequently disappointing others (and myself) but I said I wasn't going to go there, didn't I?

Okay, back to the club. So, the club is called "Sherbet Bright" and it is a series of Easter Ribbon Eggs. And they are the most gorgeous colors. That is what is so spectacular about them. The colors. I just love Easter colors, don't you? Plus it is a chance to practice ribbon embroidery and who doesn't love RIBBONS? Am I right? Plus, the best thing about ribbon embroidery is that it is fast. Plus these puppies are only 3.25" so it should be a quick stitch, right? Of course, it is Kelly Clark though so you know what that means! The flyer I received said the club is recommended for Beginning to Intermediate stitchers but I am not sure about the beginner end of the spectrum. I wouldn't recommend it for the absolute beginner. 

So each canvas comes with a stitch guide which will include a thread list, instructions, stitch diagrams, and a full color photo of the finished piece. All months have a mini accessory kit included. The threads are not included and I will warn you that they will not be cheap. Now I am more than happy to suggest substitutions wherever possible and of course you can use whatever you have from your stash but be prepared to spend an additional sum on the thread and the finishing. Believe me it pains me to say this because I would love you to think that the price of the club is $69/month but of course we both know that is not the case.

The best part is that if enough people sign up (minimum of three) I will be doing a stitch-along. So, I plan on doing the club too and I will do a video each month in which I plan to share my experience on Youtube. In the video I will demonstrate the stitches and discuss the difficulties I encountered and share any tips that I might have discovered along the way. It should be lots of fun! And who knows we may even be able to convince Kelly to show up for one of our videos. Wouldn't that be fun!

PS -- Boy did it come as a shock to me when I discovered that Sherbert isn't spelled Sherbert but rather Sherbet. All my life I have spelled and pronounced the word sherbert. Now, this may in part be due to the fact that both my father and my brother are named Herbert so in my family it was always great fun to say. "Herbert, please pass the sherbert." But now I have discovered that I have been doing them both a huge disservice as the word is properly pronounced sherbit. Can you imagine? Sherbit. And spelled sherbet. What's next? Americo? I never.

PPS -- Being the crackpot marketer that I am it occurs to me that I did not include information about how to sign up. So if you are interested in signing up for this fun adventure you may call the store of course at 215-563-4566 or you may go to the home page and in the search box enter the number "112775". Once you have purchased the first canvas, you are signed up. It's that simple.

Janet's Mini-Masterpiece

Janet, one of our best Sales Associates, brought this lovely canvas in for finishing this week. It was just one of three hearts (each lovelier than the last) that she had completed all of which I believe she said that she had altered the color schemes on. You certainly would never know -- so expert is her eye with color. Anyhow, I was really taken with the way she had stitched this one so I made her wait around while I I had it photographed to share with you.

I just love the way that she has utilized basic stitches but with her careful thread selection the piece comes alive. In the background she selected Watercolours and the Woven stitch. The tulips are Petite Very Velvet and Basketweave but she has cleverly alternated the direction the stitch is going in from one area to the next. The daisies are a triumph. The thread she chose? Rainbow Gallery’s Alabaster! Who woulda’ thunk it? And plain old Basketweave stitch too. How interesting. Nice and glossy. They almost look like those old-timey French glass beaded flowers. Speaking of beads she has used a few of those too for the ladybug (so cute) and the center of the daisies. The leaves are brick stitch and the pink flowers are yet more Petite Very Velvet to provide that ever important contrast in sheen but also textural and tactile interest as well.

Bravo Janet! From your color choices to the stitch selections to the thread choices — you’ve done yourself proud! A mini-masterpiece!

Figure and Ground

So, I've been reading this book lately. It's called Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff and in it he talks about the concept of figure verses ground. He cites the illustration above as an example of what he is talking about. When we focus on the figure we see one thing and when we focus on the ground we see something totally different. He uses this as a metaphor with which to examine contemporary society and I've found his conclusions to be thought provoking. And it got me to thinking about needlepoint and how often needlepointers confuse figure and ground. Often people come into the store -- why it just happened today and they are apologetic about the mistakes in their piece and I am always telling them that it is okay and that there is nothing wrong with a mistakes in our stitching but more often then not they choose not to hear me. And it got me to thinking about figure vs. ground. 

Needlepoint is a craft. It is a means of self-expression. It is a form of relaxation. It is leisure -- pure and simple. And, if you are lucky, you end up with something nice to show for your efforts. Needlepoint is not a machine process. It is created by humans, not machines. And like all humans the products of our endeavors are not perfect. We ourselves are not perfect; most people can readily admit that. But somehow they miss the connection to the fact that therefore the product of their hands is also imperfect. And that this is a good thing. This is a human thing. To be perfect is to be a machine. Why is it that people desire perfection in their needlepoint? Is it because they cannot stand the reminder staring them in their face that they themselves are not perfect? Is this not a good thing to be reminded of?

When we first opened our shop we used to have a group of tony women who would disparage anything that looked like "loving hands" had created it. Can you imagine? As if they themselves would never settle for anything so lowbrow, so revealing of low standards and lack of skill and weakness. The horror!

I'm digressing. My point is that needlepoint is not the product it's the process. To focus on the product (regardless of its perfection or lack thereof) is to confuse the figure with the ground. It's the process that it's all about. The meditative state of stitching, the hours spent creating, the delicious serenity of needle and thread. This is the treasure of needlepoint. Not the product. Let go of perfection. News flash -- you are not perfect and neither is your needlepoint. (And that’s okay)

The Project That Will Not End

Ever had a project that simply will not quit? Me too. And I have had it "up to here" with this one. I can tell  you that. And yet I still have "this much" to go.

So far, I think I have said three times that "I am going to have this project finished by the end of today". To no avail! It's still not done.

I'm telling you, this is the project that won't quit. All I have left now are some black lines. And it's just in this one area at the bottom and to the left. Will I get it done tonight? Probably not. Will I get it done this weekend? I hope to God I will -- because if not, I simply can not be held responsible for what will happen -- either to the project or other people.

Ahhh, needlepoint -- such a relaxing hobby!!!