stitchaphoto

From photo...to chart...to needlework masterpiece!

Stitch-A-PhotoŽ can turn virtually any picture into a charted graph ready for you to cross stitch or needlepoint. Now your favorite color, black and white, and sepia tone photos can become your favorite needlework heirloom. It's a great way to get pictures out of your album and onto your wall. Photo's of children, pets, family or friends, even antique photos all look great stitched! You'll receive a charted graph complete with reference key at the top listing DMC color numbers. You'll even find an exact count of how many skeins of each color you'll need! Stitch-A-PhotoŽ's unique patent pending process makes it all so easy and fun! So find out how easy it is to take a photo and stitch something as pretty as a picture!

NEEDLEPOINT INSTRUCTIONS

Though it is very common for needlepointers to use painted or printed canvas, needlepoint can be worked from a chart like counted cross stitch. In fact, you can work needlepoint directly from a cross stitch chart without fractional stitches.

The most important rule for choosing needlepoint thread or yarn is that it should completely fill the holes in the canvas. Traditionally, needlepoint is worked in wool yarn but can also use silk or cotton threads. If using tapestry wool, use 3 strands, and if using floss use 10 - 14 strands to achieve coverage. To begin and end threads anchor the tail under the first few stitches or begin with a waste knot. Work with short threads lengths of 20 inches in order to avoid thread abrasion due to frequent stitching in and out of the canvas. Do not carry long strands of yarn from one area of the design to another, as it will show through the front of the canvas. While stitching, allow the needle to drop occasionally to maintain the normal twist of the yarn. A #16 or #18 tapestry needle is recommended.

For each symbol on the chart work one stitch. Bring the needle up from the back of the canvas to the front in an empty mesh following the diagram (see diagram 1). With uniform tension, (not to tight/not too loose) stitches look better and you're less likely to distort the canvas.

You may want to mount your canvas in a frame for working so both hands are free for stitching. An artists stretcher frame that's at least one inch larger on all four sides than your project will work. Staple the canvas to the frame with the grain line straight. If you'd rather work needlepoint in your hand, roll the excess canvas into a tube shape rather than folding it to avoid breaking the sizing.

After stitching your needlepoint, return the canvas to its original shape by blocking. Before you dampen your piece make sure the threads are colorfast. To block your needlepoint canvas, sprinkle the canvas with water until the yarn feels damp (but not drenched) on both sides. Tack the damp needlepoint face down on a blocking board. You can make a blocking board from a piece of chipboard covered with a clean piece of white material to protect your project. The board should be larger than the needlepoint piece to be blocked and perfectly square. Use rust proof thumbtacks or push pins. Start at a corner and align the adjacent sides first, placing tacks one inch apart. Pull the canvas taut as you go, making sure all edges are straight. Sprinkle the canvas with water again and let dry thoroughly for 24 hours before removing it from the board.

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PHONE - (8OO)269-4307 - E-MAIL - stitchaphoto@earthlink.net
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