Read on for our current trunk show, canvases of the month ...charityneedlepoint.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/June_2017_Newsletter.pdf · public schools for two years before pursuing a career

June 2017 Newsletter

https://mailchi.mp/rittenhouseneedlepoint/april-2017-newsletter-2648377[6/26/2018 4:48:09 PM]

Read on for our current trunk show, canvases of the month, fiber of the month, and more!

View this email in your browser

June 2017In this Issue:

1. June Trunk Show: Raymond Crawford Designs 2. Canvases of the Month: New Kits

3. Feature Article: Your Brain on Needlepoint, Part II 4. Project of the Month: Ideas for "Littles" and for Grads

5. Fiber of the Month: River Silks6. Stitch of the Month: Japanese Ribbon Stitch

Current Trunk Show:Raymond Crawford Designs

Subscribe Past Issues RSSTranslate

https://mailchi.mp/rittenhouseneedlepoint/april-2017-newsletter-2648377?e=[UNIQID]http://eepurl.com/dmPwdLhttp://eepurl.com/dmPwdLhttps://us2.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=6b3a1bb991https://us2.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=6b3a1bb991https://us2.campaign-archive.com/feed?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=6b3a1bb991https://us2.campaign-archive.com/feed?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=6b3a1bb991javascript:;javascript:;



Watermelon Wedge (5.5" x 6", 18 mesh) HO1482

For June, Rittenhouse Needlepoint welcomes 250 canvases from Raymond CrawfordDesigns. A native of Dallas, Raymond has been drawing and painting since he was four-years-old. You can enjoy his artistic talent through his many unique hand-paintedneedlepoint canvases. Armed with a degree in art education, Mr. Crawford taught art inpublic schools for two years before pursuing a career in retail visual merchandisingmanagement. Armed with decades of retail, marketing, and artistic experience (includingstints with Neiman Marcus and Barneys), Mr. Crawford returned to Dallas and foundedRaymond Crawford Designs in 1996.

These canvases offer a wide range of fun designs (I, myself, am partial to the line ofcupcake and dessert-themed canvases. I may not be able to eat cupcakes for hours onend, but I can certainly stare at cupcake canvases for hours on end...)

http://www.raymondcrawford.com/index.htmlhttp://www.raymondcrawford.com/index.html



Peppermint Chocolate Cupcake (4.5" x 4.5" 18 Mesh) HO1468

Berry Cupcake (4.5" x 4.5" 18 Mesh) HO1472

Lemon Cupcake (4.5" x 4.5" 18 Mesh) HO1469

We also frequently have people who inquire about designs that would be suitable for a



young son or grandson. This month's trunk show has a couple adorable sports-themeditems that would finish up as fun door hangs or pillows. (We know young girls playsoccer too, so please consider the soccer design for daughter and granddaughters!!!) Doyou have a little Soccer Star or Football Star in your life who'd love one of these?

Soccer Star (5" 18 Mesh) HO1367



Football Star (5" 18 M) HO1368

Another wonderful aspect of Raymond Crawford's canvases is that they incorporatebeautiful colors and interesting pictures, yet they preserve open areas with ample room toplay with advanced stitching techniques. The swirls of icing on a cupcake canvas, a lushglass of wine in a culinary-themed canvas, the playful nautical-themed canvases, and thestriped backdrops to his fleur de lis canvases offer fields where several different stitchescan be placed. These areas also offer plenty of space for an overdyed fiber to express itskaleidoscopic colors fully. Below is just a small sampling of the other (over 200)canvases that we received for this month's show. If something strikes your fancy, pleasecontact the store to order, or stop by our shop to look through the entire show!



Wine (9" x 9") T32

Autumn Wreath (10" x 10", 18 Mesh) HO1387



Dahlias And Pears (10" x 12", 18 Mesh) HO1349

Fleur de Lis HO191



Heirloom Tomatoes And Garlic (6" x 6", 18 Mesh) HO1359

Lighthouse (4" x 5", 18 Mesh) HO1481



Watermelon Slice (4.25" x 8", 18 Mesh) HO1483

Dog Bone w/ Holly Ornament (2.5" x 4.5", 18 Mesh) CC16

Samples of finished designs using wide varieties of stitches and fibers are shown in agallery on the Raymond Crawford Designs website (just click here for examples of hiscompleted canvases) or contact the store and ask us to prepare a stitch guide for youbased on specific stitches and fibers that you would like to use. We are always happy tohelp!

Coming Soon:Never too early to get psyched for our next trunk show!

Coming in July -- Nenah Stone

http://www.raymondcrawford.com/finishing/index.htmlhttp://www.nenahstonedesigns.com/home



RNPs Canvases Of The Month: Welcome Our New Kits

You spoke; we listened. In response to customers and students requests for more kitoptions, we are thrilled to announced that we have created more beginner- andintermediate-level kits!! Kits come with the canvas, fibers already pulled, a needle, and aContinental Stitch card. Beginner kits include canvases that are 13 mesh, whileintermediate kits feature an 18 mesh canvas. Designs include animals, flowers, or thisawesome unicorn from the Barbara Russell Youth Collection. (Starbucks offered theUnicorn Frappuccio -- we offer the Unicorn Canvoccino, or, um, canvas...) This unicorn,which is currently being finished as a make-up bag for our of our millennial-generationclients it is perfect for the unicorn aficionados on your gift list! Better yet tell yourunicorn-enthusiast friends to catch our Free Beginner Stitch Class at 10:30 a.m. onSaturdays here at the store!! After they master Continental Stitch, they can purchasetheir very own unicorn kit, which we can finish into a small purse, make-up bag, canvasbag, or pillow!



Feature Article:Your Brain On Needlepoint, Part II



We received remarkably positive feedback on our April Newsletter piece regarding theneurocognitive benefits of crafting (i.e., data from a recent study conducted byresearchers at the Mayo Clinic). Readers reactions prompted us to look for more data. We came across a 2013 study in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy thatdiscussed the potential mood/psychological benefits of crafting. While the studyevaluated knitters (really, we needlepointers need to start volunteering for medicalresearch), it seems that the same qualities of knitting (repetitive stitch work,concentrating on an activity other than the stress of daily life) would apply equally wellto our beloved craft. The research was based on self-reported survey responses fromapproximately 3500 knitters. The researchers found a (statistically) significantrelationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm and happy. More frequentknitters also reported higher cognitive functioning. Knitting in a group impactedsignificantly on perceived happiness, improved social contact and communication withothers. In sum: Get out there and stitch, people! To increase the social contact element of yourneedlepoint, feel free to swing by the store and chat with us! (We are friendly and likepeople. We also happen to have lots of mood-enhancing needlepoint here for sale) Ifyou have friends who are interested in learning to needlepoint, have them stop by onSaturday morning for a free beginners class!!

Projects of the Month:New Ideas For Coasters and Other Littles

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4276/030802213X13603244419077



The store is bursting at the seams with baskets full of small canvases. Some arecoasters. Some are ornaments. Some are inserts for bags and boxes. Little projects arefun because they stitch up quickly and are easy to carry with you while traveling. (Afteryou do the contortionist-level yoga needed to fit into an airline seat, there is no room fora large canvas. But you can work on a little one!) But what if you dont like setting wetbeverages on top of your needlepoint (even if we placed it in an acrylic cover) or if youwant to look at your projects more than once a year during the holidays? Fear not. Littles can be quite versatile. We sell plenty of items into which littles canbe inserted, but you can also dream up your own ideas. Below is an example of wherethree littles (probably intended to be coasters) were instead incorporated into a singlepillow. The result is a pillow with a fun slot-machine feel:

There are always TONS of "littles" in the store. This month's trunk show has quite a few(e.g., small cupcake canvases) that could be combined to create a larger project. Plus you



can always peruse our website -- for example, search "lighthouse" and several smalllighthouse "ornament" canvases pop up. Instead of festooning a Christmas tree withwarning beacons from the age of sail, what if you stitched up three of your favorites andcreated an ocean-themed long pillow or canvas beach bag? Little canvases can inspirebig ideas! Please stop by the store or visit our website and consider our wide selection ofsmall-but-mighty options.

Know Someone Graduating From Somewhere? Let Us Help!!

June is for celebrating Fathers Day, Flag Day, and Graduations!! Here at the store, wehave a whole section of canvases devoted to local schools...

But we have heard that there may be colleges and universities located outside of

https://rittenhouseneedlepoint.com/canvas.html



Philadelphia. If you want to shower your son, daughter, or other relation/friend withneedlepoint finery to mark their graduation, let us help! Our professional PaintingDepartment can create a design featuring the college logo or mascot of your choice. Justsend us a picture and an idea of what size canvas youd like (i.e., big-fat-pillow size,paperweight/beanbag size, etc.).

Fiber of the Month: River Silks(Because we should all increase our fiber intake...)

Rittenhouse Needlepoint carries a wide selection of River Silks 100% silk ribbons --hand-dyed 100% silk. We offer many beautiful solids as well as several overdyed/multi-colored ribbons in 4mm and 7mm sizes. River Silks 100% silk ribbon is wovenindividually, not cut from cloth. It boasts selvedge on both sides and a high thread count,which makes it extremely durable.

While we, of course, recommend River Silks for needlepoint, it can also be used forembroidery, quilting, knitting, crochet, embellishment, jewelry, heirloom sewing,scrapbooking, invitations, cards, and pretty much anything you can creatively dream up. Silk Ribbon is great for covering a large canvas area in a unique and striking way. TheRiver Silks will, of course, stand out on any canvas against the backdrop of other fibers. The silk ribbons are fantastic for creating leaves or petals or any component of a designthat you really want to have pop. Consider a striking white or subtle off-white as a way

http://paintneedlepoint.com/paintingestimate.phphttp://paintneedlepoint.com/paintingestimate.php



to create a Santa Claus beard while fleecy fibers are typically used, a River Silk couldalso be used for dramatic flair.

Barbara Russell "Blue Bells" Shown with River Silks

(Image from RiverSilks.com)

Try River Silks when making French Knots, when using Lazy Daisy Stitch, or withJapanese Ribbon Stitch (show below as Stitch of the Month).

Stitch of the Month:Japanese Ribbon Stitch

We hope you will want to try adding our wonderful line of River Silks to your work. Tohelp get you started, here is a fun stitch that is used with silk ribbons to create petaland/or leaf-effects. Because the stitch requires bringing the needle down through the silk(yes, you drive the needle through the fiber it is OK), you need to have a needle with asharp point and a wide eye (to accommodate the width of the silk ribbon).



**This graphic was originally published in Threads Magazine.**

Social MediaBe sure to sign up for our Facebook and

Instagram feeds to stay abreast ofStephen's thoughts and insights. If youdon't sign up you might miss out andwith new threads, new canvases and a

https://twitter.com/RNeedlepointhttps://www.facebook.com/rittenhouse.needlepoint/https://www.instagram.com/rittenhouseneedlepoint/https://www.instagram.com/



new dog (you definitely don't want that)so sign up today.

Share Tweet Forward

Copyright 2017 Rittenhouse Needlepoint, All rights reserved.

Our phone number is:(215) 563-4566

Want to change how you receive these emails?You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

http://www.facebook.com/100000132567439http://rittenhouseneedlepoint.com/http://instagram.com/rittenhouseneedlepointhttps://www.pinterest.com/rneedlepoint/http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Frittenhouseneedlepoint%2Fapril-2017-newsletter-2648377http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Frittenhouseneedlepoint%2Fapril-2017-newsletter-2648377http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=June+2017+Newsletter: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Frittenhouseneedlepoint%2Fapril-2017-newsletter-2648377http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=June+2017+Newsletter: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Frittenhouseneedlepoint%2Fapril-2017-newsletter-2648377http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=68961eda3b&e=[UNIQID]http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=68961eda3b&e=[UNIQID]https://rittenhouseneedlepoint.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=6b3a1bb991&e=[UNIQID]https://rittenhouseneedlepoint.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&id=6b3a1bb991&e=[UNIQID]&c=68961eda3bhttp://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monkey_rewards&aid=9b9b7549e5c8f818070e0508c&afl=1

mailchi.mpJune 2017 Newsletter

Documents

Read on for our current trunk show, canvases of the month ...charityneedlepoint.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/June_2017_Newsletter.pdf · public schools for two years before pursuing a career