The Gift of Stitching 001 февраль 2006, Haft Krzyzowy
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The Gift of
Stitching
ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2006
FIRST
ISSUE
Feature Pattern
Woman Sewing By Lamplight
by Solaria Gallery
Mystery Sampler starts
Papillon Creations
WIN silk threads
from Vikki Clayton’s
Hand Dyed Fibers
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Welcome to the first issue of The Gift of
Stitching. It has been both exciting and
challenging putting this magazine together.
Thank you to the designers and writers who
have contributed.
This month’s feature design is from Stoyanka
Ivanova from Solaria Gallery. It is of a mother
sewing by candlelight, with her baby in the
background asleep. Absolutely lovely.
We also have the first part of a five part
mystery sampler from Yvonne Horn of
Papillon Creations. She has used silks from
Vicki Clayton and they are just gorgeous. We
have 2 packs to give away so make sure you
enter the competition.
I would like to introduce our first columnist
Marie-Chantal Lord. Marie loves researching
and designing all forms of counted thread
embroidery. Her column will investigate a
style of stitching with a small pattern each
month. If you have a pattern or a question for
Marie to investigate make sure you email her.
Lastly there is a bonus pattern from Carol
Rice of Adventures in Stitching. A lovely
little piece that uses a variety of stitches. Be
sure to have a look at the companion piece on
her website.
I would love to hear from subscribers -
where you’re from and what you are currently
stitching. Send your emails to
editor@thegiftofstitching.com with the subject
“Letter to Editor”, or go to the website
www.thegiftofstitching.com and click on
Contact the Editor.
Have fun with the first issue, there are many
more to come.
Contents
Bonus Pattern
Page 15 What Now? by Adventures in Stitching
Columns
Page 10 Investigate with Marie
Articles
Page 3 On being a Model Stitcher
Competitions
Page 12 Silk threads from Hand-Dyed Threads
All patterns in this issue have been printed with permission
from the designers. This magazine is under copyright. It
cannot be republished or distributed in print or electronically,
in part or whole.
Copyright The Gift of Stitching 2006
Kind regards,
Kirsten Edwards
Next Issue
Coming up in
March... a
Woodland
Sampler from
Barbara
Peterson,
Something In
Common.
www.aaneedleworks.altervista.org
www.thegiftofstitching.com
Issue 1 February 2006 Page 2
Editorial
Feature Patterns
Page 4 Woman Sewing by Lamplight by
Solaria Gallery
Page 12 Mystery Sampler by Papillon Creations
On being a Model Stitcher
We all dream of one day combining
our favourite hobby with earning an
income. It would be heaven to cross
stitch all day and get paid. Those that
have this wonderful occupation are
called model stitchers. They stitch
the beautiful pieces that we see in
magazines, shows, shops and on
pattern covers.
What’s it really like for these model
stitchers? Do they love their job or
does it turn their hobby into a chore?
In January I interviewed Theresa
Dunlap from Pennsylvania, USA who
has been model stitching for 20 years.
She gave me an insight into the
business and also some advice on
what it takes to become a model
stitcher yourself.
stitch while some models require a
variety of stitches, i.e. hardanger or
pulled thread work. Theresa points
out that there are some commonalities
and that is a nice neat back, no tight
stitches on the front that leave holes
and nothing returned dirty.
Sounds like your sort of work?
Where do you start? Theresa advises
joining a group where model stitchers
congregate. There is one on Yahoo!
Groups called Modelstitcher and
Designers (MaD). There you will be
able to observe how things work and
see postings from designers looking
for model stitchers. If your application
to be a model stitcher is accepted by
a designer or shop then make sure
you work out all the arrangements
before you start stitching. Who will
pay for the postage and supplies?
What count is the model to be stitched
on? What is the deadline? And how
much payment for the model? But
expect that every once and a while
things won’t go as planned. You may
not receive the payment you expected
or the designer or shop goes out of
business. Communicate well and the
contract should go well.
Lastly, how much does a model
stitcher make? Theresa advises not
quitting your day job straight away.
On average a model stitcher is paid 1
penny a stitch. Some designers and
shops will pay you more and some
can only pay with needlework supplies
and store credit. Theresa recommends
knowing exactly what you’re
expecting in payment for your work.
Model stitchers work for themselves.
This means the stitcher is responsible
for tracking their own income and
reporting it at the end of the tax year.
With all this said, Theresa loves her
job. Not many people can say that
they are being paid to do what they
love, and she considers herself one of
those lucky ones.
It was in 1986 that Theresa reluctantly
went along to her local needlework
shop and applied for the job of model
stitcher. She didn’t know what they
were expecting so she bought along
samples of her stitching in crewel
embroidery, chicken scratch, cross
stitch and candlewicking. They liked
her work and she was hired on the
spot.
Since that day Theresa has model
stitched just about anything and
everything. She’s completed models
for shops, pattern covers and trunk
and trade shows. She has stitched
models on pre-finished items, hand-
dyed fabrics, linen, aida and
completed test patterns for crochet
and knitting.
So how does she feel about model
stitching 20 years on? Theresa still
loves the challenge of meeting a
deadline - some days opening an email
where another stitcher has had to pull
out just before a show. Theresa takes
on the challenge of completing the
piece with a very tight deadline. Not
for the fainthearted and those of us
who love our sleep! Theresa now has
time to do some of her own stitching.
Her experience has taught her to be
more selective of what she stitches
and who for.
What level, experience and skill is
needed to become a model stitcher?
This definitely depends on who you
are stitching for. Some clients want
to see examples of your stitching,
others will require a scan of stitching
front and back. Some want basic cross
www.mistydreamz.com
www.thegiftofstitching.com
Issue 1 February 2006 Page 3
Feature Pattern - Woman Sewing By Lamplight
About the Designer
human face very
interesting for
drawing and
designing. In the
initial years designs were mainly
old masters, lately she has created
designs after her own drawings
and paintings.
Since June 2004 Stoyanka shares
her time between her small
daughter and designing. Her little
girl is now an inspiration for many
of her designs including "Angel
Guardian" and the free series of
teddy bears.
Here are some tips from Stoyanka
for stitching her designs.
“My bigger and more
complicated designs are divided
into two parts - the main pattern
(for the background) and the
pattern of details (usually for faces
and sometimes whole characters).
I learned this technique from
Wiehler Gobelin designs. It's a
popular way to stitch in my country
because it allows to reach at the
same time two goals - to make the
most important parts of every
design fine and precise and to save
time for the background's stitching.
This technique is something similar
to the technique, used by Marilyn
Leavitt-Imblum in her latest
designs. Her angels' faces are over
Stoyanka Ivanova is from Bulgaria
- a small and beautiful country in
southeastern Europe. It has a
wealthy historical and cultural
heritage. Bulgaria has a long
tradition of stitching. For many
years popular designs came from
Wiehler Gobelin - a German
company that manufactured
gobelin kits.
The french word gobelin means
“embroidered painting”. It is
derived from the name of an old
dye works on the outskirts of Paris.
Apart from stitching a few
gobelins in earlier years, Stoyanka
began to design her own patterns
while working as a computer
programmer in the field of graphic
design. She actually built her own
cross stitch programme! It was a
long process especially with
matching thread colours to
computer screen colours. After
creating and stitching some initial
designs, she discovered that no
programme could do all the
designing. It took a lot of “hand”
work to create a design that was
good enough.
Stoyanka’s designs are based on
actual paintings which cover a
whole fabric area. She loves to
design portraits, religious works
including icons. Portraits are a
favourite. Stoyanka finds the
one thread of the fabric and the
rest are over two threads. The idea
is almost the same.
When some designs don't include
special details, you can stitch the
whole pattern normally with plain
cross stitch or petit-point. When a
design includes special details you
stitch the background first then fill
the empty spaces with the fine
details. After that you take the next
step to stitch details in the empty
places.”
For more details about stitching
with this technique, Stoyanka has
detailed instructions on her
website.
www.solaria-gallery.com/
www.thegiftofstitching.com
Issue 1 February 2006 Page 4
by Stoyanka Ivanova of Solaria Gallery
Feature Pattern - Woman Sewing By Lamplight
Design Information
Woman Sewing by Lamplight after the artwork
of Jean Francois Millet
Number of colors: 44
Design size in stitches: 130W x 160H
Stitching area
14 ct: 9 1/4" x 11 1/2" (23.5 x 30 cm)
18 ct: 7 1/4" x 9" (18.5 x 23 cm)
25 ct: 5 1/4” x 6 1/2” (13.5 cm x 16.5)
Add 3” (8 cm) each side for framing allowance.
Stitch using 2 strands of DMC as outlined in the
key below.
Materials List and Key
www.thegiftofstitching.com
Issue 1 February 2006 Page 5
by Stoyanka Ivanova of Solaria Gallery
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