Out of the box: Adding dimension with Wired Braid

"Your company is out of the box," someone told us at the recent TNNA needlework trade show for needlework businesses, designers, retailers, and teachers. "You just don't fit in a box!" We took that as a compliment. It is true that Kreinik threads can be used in all techniques, can be used as is or modified to create new effects, and can be used in ways we've never even considered. It is the creative thinkers of the world that inspire us as thread makers.

A wired Kreinik thread has been requested by some of those creative thinkers for at least 15 years. Some innovators on their own inserted wire into our heavier braids to create dimensional effects (and still do), but they kept asking us to make a wired thread, year after year. We played around with it, but since we manufacture our own threads in our West Virginia factory, we couldn't get the production down to a good process. When DMC came out with their wired thread last year, the requests really amped up. Back to the drawing board—and machines—and we figured it out. We are so excited to debut nine colors in a wired Kreinik metallic we call "Wired Braid." Judging from the positive response at the show, this thread is going to be another valuable tool to bring your creative ideas to life through color, texture and dimension no matter what medium or technique you use.

What can you do with this new thread? Thanks to some of our Facebook friends, here are some ideas for using the new Kreinik Wired Braid™

• "I'd make Valentines!!!!! Id mix it up, id cross stitch, embroider, outline!" - Amy K.
• "I'd use wired braid to embellish cross stitch projects, greeting cards, frame photos, so many ideas --- so little time!" - Doris D.
• "Soooooo many ideas! Create shapes to dangle from mobiles, stumpwork foundations, jewelry..." - Karen C.
• "Definitely the invites I'd be sending out for all the birthdays coming up over here!" - Amanda R.
• "I would use it for my fiber art for 3D additions to the pieces. Also I could see incorporating it into some of the coiled wire items I create" - Barb B.
• "I need to make a cork screw for one of my needlepoint projects. This looks like it would do the trick!" - Carol V.
• "I have a couple of WIP's that could really benefit from sparkly definition...and one in particular that I wanted to add a word to and this wire would be just spectacular!!!" - Lisa L.
• "I would use it for the wings of my beaded angels. Definitely use it for mystical cross stitch outlining/couching." - Rowie M.
• "I would use it to embellish my cross-stitching and other needlework projects." - Kim R.

At the TNNA show, one common question was "How does this differ from DMC's Memory Thread?" To be honest, we haven't used Memory Thread so we can't really compare. However, some designers told us that DMC's is wrapped, whereas with the Kreinik thread, the wire is braided in. This makes it curve and shape nicely. Ours is metallic, of course, and comes in some of your favorite Kreinik colors (like 002, 001, 015, 009). It is available on the tidy classic Kreinik black spool, or on cones in larger amounts (by special order). See more here: http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Wired-Braid.html

If you are couching Wired Braid™ onto your needlework, there are a few handy tips. As with any thick thread that you couch, we recommend that you tape the ends to make it easier to plunge to the back of your work. As Sue Jennings recommended, "Make the tape pointy and the end will act just like a needle." Then couch it with a coordinating color of thin Kreinik Blending Filament, Cord, or Very Fine #4 Braid, or use a clear monofilament sewing thread.

Look for the new wired metallic braid in needlework stores (Hot-Wire colors carry a "W" after the color number). Look for it to "pop up" (pun intended) in designs and stitch guides coming out this year. Visit http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Wired-Braid.html for a color chart and more information. And most of all: have fun with this new dimensional embellishment thread.

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Doug Kreinik Makes Acting Debut!

We all know Doug is a fine lecturer, salesman and thread maker...but an actor? Read about the multi-talented Doug Kreinik in his acting debut for his local Rotary Club. Click here to read the article about it in the News & Sentinel.

Doug is 2nd from the left.

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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

...IN your needlework, that is! Recently we polled our Facebook friends to see which Kreinik thread they liked to use to replicate snow in their needlework. Hands-down Kreinik color 032 Pearl is the favorite, but some add a touch of blue to their snow with colors like Kreinik 194 Pale Blue, 9400 Baby Blue, 1432 Blue Ice, 094 Star Blue. How do you like to capture that cool crystalline coating in your needlework?

Snow is sparkly in real life, and the easiest way to make it sparkly in projects is with metallic threads. If you would like to try blending shades to create a snow scene, look for the Kreinik Metallic Gift Collection: Snowflake, available online at www.kreinikmall.com (in Kits & Collections), which has several different "snowy" shades in one boxed set. Want something really different and fun? We recommend Kreinik Ombre 3200 Pearl in the Satin Stitch for snow drifts.

Here are some responses from our Facebook poll.

• Blending filament in pearl (sometimes with white thread) makes a sparkly snow .... and for that morning sun hitting the snow look blending filament in Starburst (over white or alone) mixed in with some plain white stitches seems to do the trick! - Loretta O.
• 032 - in all sizes - sometimes with #4 or #8 when I really want shading in the painting to show through - sometimes #12 when I want full coverage - and #16 when I am using 13 mesh. It is the "best" snow !!! - Betsy H.
• Pearl Blending Filament (032) I love the twinkle it adds! - Maggie M.
• 032 blending filament looks most realistic. I'm looking forward to trying the new hologram threads. I think a scattered stitch of silver might be interesting. - Karen C.
• I use 032 and 100 on needlepoint canvas. I use a lot of your 1/8 and 1/16 ribbon for projects too. I use 4005 what a great metallic thread. It amazes me how this color can change depending on what color is next to it in a design. - Diana M.
• 032 bf looks the best for getting the sun glittering on the snow look - Margaret S.
• I like the 032 #4 braid. - Deborah K.
• Love the sparkle of 032! - Diane S.
• Have to agree, Pearl Blending Filament (032)! - Niina K.
• That's funny cos I have to agree with the others, blending filament 032. Just adds enough sparkle without hiding the white I use underneath. So pretty for a subtle sparkle. - Mandy F.
• My favourite for sparkly snowflakes on white fabric is 094 Blending Filament. But I'll use 032 on all colours. I love the shimmer and sparkle of Kreinik! - Doris D.
• When I was a kid, I always colored snowflakes/snow with a light blue crayon (as white never showed up on white paper!). I still like to add a hint of blue in my stitching. :) 094 is pretty and I like the look when added to white floss. - Diane Z.
• I use 032 Blending Filament when I'm doing a winter scene. I like the idea of trying 094 on white floss though, so maybe I'll try it on my next project. - Sharon T.
• An 032 fan - have in #4, #8, 16 braid - must try the blending filament! - Melita G.
  

No need to shovel embroidered snow. Just stitch and enjoy the pretty effects of metallic thread sparkle on your project.

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Unusual Gifts For Him

What do you get for the guy who has everything? Gift cards? Too impersonal! How about a football jersey? He's already got 10 of 'em (yes, I have 10!). Does he tie his own flies for fly fishing? Wait a minute...now we are talking. Kreinik's Metallic and Silk Threads are perfect items for the fly tyer on your list.

Yessiree, Kreinik threads are perfect for fly tying. There's just something about those metallic threads that fish just love. Maybe its because in nature, bugs, baitfish, etc have a metallic look. Ever take a close look at a Japanese beetle? Sometimes the metallic look just irritates the fish into biting.

For not-so-shiny stuff, Kreinik silk threads and dubbing also do the trick. It might interest you to know that silk threads have been used in fly tying for centuries. It's as old school as it gets. We are also the only manufacturer in the world to make silk dubbing, the ultimate dry fly dubbing that is almost like tying a life preserver onto a fly. The material floats all by itself. Click here to learn more about our Silk Dubbing.

Kreinik has a holiday specials page where you can find deals on some fly tying assortments they probably don't have. Click here to see these deals.

Looking for a cool project to make for that guy who has everything? Try this laptop sleeve man-gift idea. It uses Kreinik Hi-Speed Machine Sewing Threads. Just imaging making this cool gift in your guy's favorite team colors and using team printed fabrics. Click here to visit PrudentBaby.com to see how to make it.

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Wait, there's a fly in my shop...

Wait, there's a fly in my shop...

by Dena Lenham

You know that an independent needlework shop is a mecca for cross stitch and needlepoint, but do you know it is also a fly fishing Dream Scene? (The stitchers out there whose fishermen husbands periodically raid their thread stash are all nodding yes.) The eyes of fly tyers "bug out" when they see Kreinik metallic threads because of the realistic, naturalistic color range and durability of the material. The thread colors and textures that make Mirabilia angels and Strictly Christmas stockings also make woolly buggers, bass bugs, poppers, eels, wings, streamers, nymphs and midges. Super alluring to striped bass, crappie, trout, salmon, steelhead, pike and muskie, Kreinik Blending Filament catches as much action in the water as it does in cross stitch.

Did you know, for instance, that new Kreinik Blending Filament color 003L Robot Red also makes a fabulous Disco Midge? Pretty Kreinik 1/8" Ribbon in color 009 Emerald could easily be called Japanese Beetle. See your favorite Kreinik Christmas color 015 Chartreuse? It's a beautiful Caddis Larva in the eyes of another beholder. Here is a little story about one needlework shop that accidentally discovered fly fishing as a fun, creative, thread-collecting, loyal customer, just like needleworkers.

Stitch-A-Cross in San Diego is a thread haven to needleworkers in Southern California. Owner Elizabeth Braun carries all brands, including a large selection of Kreinik threads. Now 83 years young, Elizabeth started stitching back in the 1970s and early 80s. "My husband and I had a hardware store," Elizabeth recounts, "and we had the stitching section in the back of the store." When the hardware business closed, Elizabeth moved needlework to its own spot on Mission Gorge Road.

One day fly tyer Richard DeBusk walked into the store, looking for the Kreinik thread he heard about from the San Diego Fly Fishers club president. This club has 300+ members, offers free fly fishing and casting classes to the general public, and publishes a newsletter with "recipes" for tying specific flies. In Stitch-A-Cross, Richard found a source for products to tie flies for bass fishing in San Diego bay and lake fishing out in the mountains. He told some friends about the store, Elizabeth ordered some fly-specific items from Kreinik (like our pattern book, starter kit, and Flash-In-A-Tube), and a local fly tyers paradise was born.

Fly tying is an amazing, creative process for many, whether they actually use the flies or tie them for art's sake. One person in the San Diego Fly Fishers club has over 6000 flies ("He catches a lot of fish."). Tying his own flies was "interesting at first," Richard said. "Once I started catching fish, that made a big difference." Now he sees fly tying as a valuable tool for his hobby. "I've tied up some new ones and we are anxious to try them," he added.

Will Elizabeth pick up fly tying now that she has expanded her store stock to include books, Flash-in-A-Tube, and other Kreinik fly fishing supplies? Maybe it is too soon to tell, but we do know she has the stash ready for fly tyers out there making lures to catch a big one. Visit the store in San Diego or give them a call for more informaiton. The next time you shop your own local needlework store, bring a fly-fishing friend and share the thread love.

Visit Stitch-A-Cross or contact them for mail order:
7435A Mission Gorge Rd.
 San Diego, CA 92120

Phone: 619.287.4788
Web: www.stitchacross.com/
Email: 
stitchacross@att.net

Information about the San Diego Fly Fishers club:
http://www.sandiegoflyfishers.com/
Membership $35/year, Monthly meetings held first Monday of each month in Clairemont Mesa
Free casting lessons on Sundays, 9 a.m. at Lake Murray Casting Shelter

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From Houston, with Love by Doug Kreinik

Now that I have rested a bit after working the International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas week before last, and gotten acclimated to Daylight Savings Time, I need to say: I love Quilt Market. There is such a variety of creative options to see, from hand work to machine work. The art work is great and the imagination is overflowing. My favorite moment was the exhibition where there are more than a 1000 quilts to view. The quilts range from the very traditional to fantastic art quilts, plus clothing, dolls and this year a fantasy bra exhibit. The art quilts were big and used all sorts of medium. Landscape quilts played with experiences and scenes, making incredible eye candy. Being a bicycle rider, one of my favorite pieces was from Finland picturing a bicycle race. It showed depth, speed and perspective all at one time - very exciting. We are seeing more surface embellishing on quilts and, surprisingly, surface embellishing using the long-arm machines. We worked with several long arm companies at this show, using Kreinik metallic and silk threads for quilting and embellishing.

In our booth, we had a professional Janome educator, Carol McKinney, who used our product as I have never seen before. She also made a scarf from the Kreinik Bag O’Bits. It is so easy that even I could do it. She used a water-soluble material (preferably one sheet of the sticky type and one plain), added lots of metallic bits, a free-motion foot for the machine, Kreinik embroidery thread for the top stitches and a regular bobbin thread. Carol encased the bits by stitching around the outside, then creating an up and down grid, followed with lots of free motion embroidery. After about two hours, presto: a great-looking scarf. Our instructor made a sweater jacket with coordinating colors by creating fabric and cutting it out. The whole process blew my mind.

I really enjoy visiting with the doll makers. The dolls builders used Kreinik metallic and silk threads as embroidery and embellishments on clothing and also for the hair. They even used the Kreinik iron-ons in the clothing. This years theme for one doll challenge centered on Gypsies. The faces, clothing and fantasy adventures around the dolls described many stories. I will always be a fan of doll making.

Oh yeah, and the favorite eating places... I always eat at Whole Foods and Central Market in Houston. BBQ was at Goodes off of Kirby and 45, and my cousin took me to a terrific Dim Sum restaurant in the new Chinatown area near the Police Department at Bellaire and Ranchester. Also, I was treated to a 1-hour foot massage across the way. Very reasonable and relaxing.

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What are those things?

You may or may not have noticed these funny little codes showing up on posters and brochures recently. Well these codes are a cool way to quickly and easily send someone to a web page or video. Kreinik has recently begun including these "QR" codes on all marketing materials.

How does it work? You need a smart phone such like the IPhone or an Android based phone like the Droid, Samsung, LG Ally, etc. You will then need to download an app for your phone that will read the codes. Luckily there are free apps to do this. For the IPhone you can try the QR2D Code reader and for Android based phones try using the Barcode Scanner. Once you have downloaded and installed these apps on your phone, start the app. The scanner will use your phone's digital camera to scan the code. Simply hold your phone up in front of the code and the scanner will scan the code and instantly take you to the web page that code is programmed to link to. Try scanning the code in this post and see where it takes you. You should be able to scan it right off of your monitor.

Blackberry users we want to hear from you. Tell us about apps that work for you.

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