Stitching tips from the experts: You

A stitcher posted a question about Blending Filament on our Facebook page recently, and the wonderful community of stitchers chimed in with helpful suggestions. Facebook is wonderful for sharing and discussing, and we welcome all comments and questions. Come on over to our page and "like" us at
 www.Facebook.com/Kreinik.Manufacturing.Company.

Here are some of the tips in response to the question, "How do you keep a metallic from breaking?" It looks like the most important factors are: adjusting tension, using shorter lengths, and making sure you have the right needle. 

• Shorter threads and larger eyed needle - don't pull too tight and slow down — Bev F.
• Stitch slower, and use shorter threads. — Karen C.
• Use a larger needle so that the thread won't get worn from rubbing on the ground fabric. — Beth V.
• Definitely use shorter lengths! — Anita C.
• Thread Heaven and short lengths. — Emily W.
• I always use shorter strands and I lightly wet it with a sponge and that helps a lot. — Anne K.
• Change your needle - your needle might have a burr in the eye that is wearing the metallic down and you might want to switch to a slightly larger needle - it'll make the hole bigger as you pass the thread through the fabric, making it easier for the metallic to pass through the fabric. — Erica K.
• Use a wider eye needle this way there is no fraying as you pull it back and forth thru the fabric. — Denise S.

• I have found using short lengths of thread helps out a lot with the breakage. Instead of Thread Heaven (I have never used it so I have no opinion on it), I just used a damp cloth to dampen the thread and it works wonderfully for me. Also, after every couple of stitches I let my needle and thread untwist by holding my fabric upside down and letting the needle and thread dangle on its own and it untwists for me. — Dawn T.
• Short lengths, don't pull through the fabric too tight, and maybe a needle with a slightly wider eye…Be gentle and patient with it. — Steff W.
• I use the Japanese needles with any of the metallic threads - the round eye helps with the fraying. Shorter lengths as previously said and keeping your fingers over the eye so the thread slips less. Then tension - then gentle but firm in your handling. — Robin B.
• Continually twist your needle with each stitch as you go, which will keep it from twisting then breaking. One of my teachers said this is a Japanese embroidery technique. So, for each stitch or two, twist the needle in your fingers a rotation. Then as you go, in between stitches, keep twisting as you pull it out. You will find your thread rarely breaks if you do this. — Mary M.
• Watch your tension - I've never had an issue with it breaking. Also use shorter lengths and Thread Heaven (thread conditioner). — Susanne C.
• Use much shorter lengths to prevent so many twists and the wear and tear on the thread as you sew which can cause it to get caught. — Katrina S.
• With the Blending Filament, I have found that using shorter lengths helps in keeping the filament strong. It means threading a needle a few more times, but the fewer passes through the fabric you make, the less tugging you are doing on the thread… — Carolyn M.
• Thread Heaven, short lengths and let the thread "untwist" almost every stitch. — Judy K.
• With Blending Filament, you can sometimes do all of the stitches without it and then just stitch the blending filament on top. Neat thing about that is that it really sparkles and it isn't twisted with the other thread. — Christine F.

For more about Blending Filament in particular, visit these pages:

• Secrets of Blending Filament Revealed: http://www.kreinik.com/articles/news.php?newsid=78
• Uses for Blending Filament (video): http://www.kreinik.com/articles/news.php?newsid=136
• Blending Filament Threading Technique (knotting it onto your needle to avoid slipping out of the eye): http://www.kreinik.com/articles/news.php?newsid=8
• Glissen Gloss to Blending Filament conversion chart: http://www.kreinik.com/articles/news.php?newsid=50
• Colors available in Blending Filament:
  http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=51&cat=20&page=1

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My hotel is purple

Russia is quite a different experience for me. The color of buildings, the gregariousness of the people, the rushing, the waiting, and the massive traffic jams—all these things make up the city that Muscovites inhabit. I just returned from a teaching trip to Moscow, and the days were as busy as the city itself.

On my final day in this cosmopolitan center, I spent 5 hours walking through the central city along the rings that make up the traffic circles. How shall I describe it? "Too many cars, park where you can, and traffic traffic traffic."  I saw the statues celebrating authors, playwrights and generals.  Remnants of the USSR are everywhere with the hammer and sickle on building and in the subways. Little stores are found in passageways under the streets and down dark staircases. There are many farmers' markets vending fresh fish, meats, honey and vegetables.  The smells of roasting food, fast food and sweets are everywhere.  

Foods are my hobby, and eating in Russia for me was a foodie paradise. I had a very special herring dish, described as "Under the Fur Coat - chopped herring covered with beets and chilled." I enjoyed salmon shashlik with fries, current/cranberry pie, pickles and more pickles and of course, what every russian consumes, Vodka.  This Vodka was cloudy and flavored with horseradish juice.  I found it to be spicy hot in flavor and quite tasty during and after the many toasts to health, business, families, our pets and anything else that came to mind.  We accompanied this with glasses of raspberry juice and mead.  I enjoyed the salmon soup, the chicken noodle and the Russian traditional soups.  I do not eat beef , so i did not have the borscht. Honey was abundant this time of year as well as a variety of teas (chi) and lots of espresso.  

Traveling to the consumer craft show, we rode by car.  A 35-minute ride took three hours down and two hours back. Since traveling overseas can be quite exhausting, the car ride was a great way to catch up on sleep.  The last day, however, i rode the subway and the train, which proved to be a better way to travel in this city.

The consumer show had crafts from all over the country, from traditional embroideries, crochet and pieced quilts to stitched and beaded icons, large origami designs, jewelry, sewing, felting, doll making, and of course decoupage.  The most amazing products were racks of decorative paper napkins.  These are purchased as inexpensive designs for decoupage. The crochet was made from very bright colors.  There were felted bags, hats and lots of slippers.  And of course there were food vendors selling traditional pierogi in the shapes of rabbits, pigs and fish.

I taught two master classes, the second being a sell-out.  Even though I spoke no Russian except Dah and Nyet we all understood each other, including a few jokes which I slipped in on Anton, my interpreter.  I introduced many ideas in stitchery that we have used and taught in the US for years.  They were a great, patient audience.  I am looking forward to returning.  First though, I want to learn the Russian alphabet.

For the photo album of Doug's trip, visit https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151029652510940.419444.104419880939&type=3

by Doug Kreinik

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From Russia with Thread

I just got back from Russia. Wow, I saw the Kremlin, the traffic, ate great food and had a couple of shots of the Russian national drink (Vodka). I saw “Big Mac” and “Burger King” written in Cyrillic. I saw two guys made up to look like Stalin and Lenin sitting outside the Kremlin, saw the largest bell in the world and, again saw lots of traffic.

My distributor in Russia had invited me to come and give classes to shop owners and staff at her facility in Moscow. We created a complete, colorful, photo-packed Power Point presentation for me to use, and I tried it, I really did, but soon gave up and did my regular, off-the-cuff, touchy feely, show-and-tell class. It is always fun to watch the expressions in my classes to see people understand all of the different ways Kreinik products can be used. At one point, I was asked to stop talking; a group of individuals had become so emotional over choices and possibilities that they needed time to absorb. These shop owners were so excited; it made the class even more special to me.  To see someone realize the amazing creative possibilities of thread, reaching that level of understanding, bringing them “outside of the box” has always been my favorite point of conversation.

Here are some pictures of shops in the Moscow vicinity and some of the historical sites about town.  If you go to Moscow, make sure that you visit the Kremlin museum and see the crown jewels, the clothing worn by Peter the Great and Catherine, and the many albs and robes worn by the leaders of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  One fascinating point I learned was that the Red Square name has nothing to do with the former Soviet State, but rather red in Russian means “beautiful”.

My four days are now a memory, but I am looking forward to returning.

Photo album can be seen on Kreinik's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150742732450940.388817.104419880939&type=1 or www.facebook.com/kreinik.manufacturing.company

By Doug Kreinik

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Iron-on Thread Unleashes Employee’s Inner Crafter

Guest Blog by Kreinik Controller Beth Judy

Since I started working at Kreinik almost two years ago, I’ve admired the company’s reputation for making and selling quality thread and craft-related products.  However as a newbie crafter, I’d never personally experimented with any of our products until recently when I discovered Kreinik’s iron-on thread after trading my left-brain numbers hat for a right-brain craft class on how to make greeting cards patterned like quilt blocks.

My instructor for the class taught us to how to make three different quilt patterns on cards using graph paper.   After learning about my class, Mr. Kreinik encouraged me to further embellish my cards with Kreinik’s iron-on thread to give them an extra special touch.  I first asked him for a demonstration of how to work with the thread and miniature iron, which we also sell.  After letting the iron warm up just a few minutes, Doug showed me how easy it was to apply the iron-on trim to my card’s perimeter.  As I watched the thread seem to magically stick to the paper, I stared in wonder as though I were a kid witnessing a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat.

It was now my turn to try my hand with iron and thread.  After selecting an iron-on braid out of the cornucopia of shades and widths Kreinik offers and pressing the mini iron slowly over the thread in the shape of a border, I was amazed at how easy the 1/8” iron-on ribbon was to work with and how effortlessly it turned corners.  Pride in my newly handcrafted card surged as I saw how quickly the application of Kreinik’s iron-on thread transformed my card with an added pop of dimension.  The iron-on braids gave my otherwise finished cards an extra layer of detail, which yielded a more polished look.

I had so much fun, in fact, with the mini iron and iron-on thread effect with my cards that I decided to purchase an iron for myself along with a few hand selected spools of thread for future card making.  I also learned that Kreinik’s iron-on threads have various applications for other products as well such as wood, glass, and fabric.  I’m already brainstorming its uses for future craft projects in other mediums.
Attesting to my newfound excitement in discovering and working with one of Kreinik’s products, one of my coworkers joked with Doug that he had created a monster by introducing me to the iron-on thread.   While I’m not sure her statement is totally accurate, I’m pretty certain I spotted a green-eyed wannabe crafter on the loose.

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If you teach, they will create

A letter from the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, West Indies

She went from making things to making things happen. Judy Joyce, the founder of American Traditional stencil company (now called Momenta), retired from her industry job some time ago and joined the Peace Corps. She continues to lead a creative life, including teaching crafts and embroidery to children. We love working with Judy and were inspired by the photos she sent recently after we donated some thread for her classes. We asked her to share details of the photos that inspire all of us to reach, teach, care, and share.

Judy writes,

The photos are from a 4-H workshop in Delices, Dominica, W.I. We had 26 youth ages 9-13 try their hand at crocheting. We used large plastic hooks from Coats and Clark and the colored shiny threads from Kreinik. We were making chains. Only two girls had tried crocheting before. The youth here do not have adults to teach them crafts.

I have always been "crafty". As a child, I made and sold knitted and crochet slippers, bags, woven pot holders. In high school I made and sold beaded jewelry, sewed clothes and paintings. In college, I had a route in the dorms selling jewelry each week. Then I started my own business making stencils and selling to stores around the world. I taught all over the world, appeared on numerous TV programs and authored several instructional books.

In 2008 I joined Peace Corps and was sent to Dominica to develop Eco Tourism. I spend most of my time with youth of all ages in 4-H, religion, teen groups, high school libraries, primary school arts and crafts and neighborhood youth. I'm hoping to get several trained and excited about making souvenir crafts.

I love what I do. It's challenging to think up and organize crafts each week for 67 youth. Donations from friends and businesses has helped a lot. Doug's threads were great. I used them on journals a few times and yarn dolls.

If anyone is interested in Peace Corps they can always email me or check on Facebook.

Thank you!

Blessings,
Judy Joyce (Barker)
American Traditional/Momenta

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Holiday Giving

Years ago, we stopped giving each other gifts at the annual Christmas Party and began collecting different items to give to various agencies in the Parkersburg area.  This year, the employees decided to collect for two different local organizations.  Nearly seventy-five pounds of canned goods and pasta were donated to the Catholic Charities of West Virginia.  As well as twenty-five sets of mittens and toboggans were donated to the Parkersburg Neighborhood Network.

Hope you all have a Happy Holiday and see you when we get back in January.

Pictured Left to Right:  Cynthia Hudson of Catholic Charities of West Virginia, Beth Judy and Julie Boyce of Kreinik Manufacturing.

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Mom's Tea Party

Side note: after the death of Jerry Kreinik earlier this year, his wife Estelle decided it was time to move out of their historic Victorian-era home into smaller quarters out of state. Estelle, a long-time Parkersburg resident, will be missed by everyone in the community, including the staff at the Kreinik thread factory.

My mom came to visit the plant before she moved out of town to her new place.  The employees wanted to honor her with an afternoon tea.  Work tables were covered with linens, tea pots were brought in, we served an assortment of cakes (angel food, apple and banana) along with fresh fruit, and then added lots of stories and laughter.  My mom told about the epic struggle of the first years, and of the hows and the whys of getting into the business. She told them that the banks had no concept about working with small businesses back then, and especially something so strange as the craft and needlework industry.  Their first year, they made $75 in total sales.  It was dismal in the beginning.

She reminisced about making golf club covers with needlepoint faces, needlework backgammon boards and early stitchery kits. Their first trade show was in Cincinnati were they had to fight to be recognized as a resource. Back then, the "manufacturing" was done by hand, and it was a very labor intensive industry: from the manual winders, to applying the gummy labels and handwriting shipping tickets and invoices to all of the bookkeeping. It was a very different business then. We had no computers, no internet, no faxes and no cell phones. The employees wrote down their work times on cards, everyone worked in my parents' house and my mom would watch soap operas at lunchtime.

Those were exciting early days for Kreinik Manufacturing Company. People working for us were all parts of families, and they would bring in their kids, cousins and friends. My parents would leave the factory in the hands of the employees for a month at a time and travel to Europe looking for products. They would come back and things would be on task.  Our employees have always been very dependable and we could not be where we are today if it hadn't been for that loyalty and good feeling of working together.

We will miss mom's smiling face here at the plant, but her traditions of business, family, and friendship will always be a part of Kreinik.

by Doug Kreinik

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How to spend less and give more

The headlines are up already: "Holiday shoppers plan to spend less this year." (msnbc.com, 9/12/11) Some say online sales will boom, others are too uncertain to predict. Nevertheless, consumer spending is a hot topic right now.

When the holidays roll around, it is tempting to overspend on gifts for family and friends. We want to show people how much we love them, and often think that gift after gift will make them happiest. However, the realities are: 1. many people simply don't have money to overspend, 2. our loved ones would rather have us than things.

The holidays are really about making connections — spending time together (face to face or Skyping), making memories, and celebrating traditions. We still want to give presents, but we can be more thoughtful about them. One way to spend less and give more this holiday is with handmade gifts. Crafted ornaments, cards, and presents are as much a part of holiday traditions as, well, Santa Claus himself. Now more than ever they can show how much you love and care without breaking your bank account.

Here at Kreinik we have created new projects for you to make meaningful yet inexpensive gifts this holiday season. Check in with www.kreinik.com each week as we debut the new kits and products. If you have a local needlework store, look for (ask for) the new items. If you prefer online shopping, www.kreinikmall.com will have everything.

First up: Stitch-A-Pen kits that include a cross stitch chart, threads, perforated paper, needle and the pen to stitch a useful, beautiful, fun gift. Priced right, four designs are available. Easily stitch one in an evening. The pens write beautifully and use standard Parker™ refills. Check it out: www.kreinik.com/feature.htm

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The Wedding of Danielle and Jon

Weddings can be traumatic especially marrying off your first and only daughter. Danielle planned and executed this event culminating 16 months planning period from the time of engagement. It was perfect. Santa Barbara was a great destination; cool nights, cool days, sun, no rain, ocean breeze, good food and great venue.

The colors for the wedding were orange and green and my son-in-law, a graphic artist, themed the affair with seagulls, a play-on-words of his last name. The bridesmaids were all in green, the mother’s were decked out in gold and magenta; the Dad’s wore black tuxes and groomsmen grey and the grandmothers were elegant.

After the service, there were pictures, appetizers, champagne and many congratulatory greetings. My Mom got to see relatives who live in California for the first time in ten years. That was truly terrific.

The dinner was salad and salmon. The salad had red and white beets along with cranberries, lettuce and other greens and a citron vinaigrette dressing. The Salmon was served with parboiled green beans with salmon covered in a delicate sauce. Very tasty served with French bread to sop up the sauce.

Just before the Father/Daughter dance, I gave my “three minutes of fame” speech roasting my daughter, as a good Dad should. She loved the barbs and the references to her love of being in charge.

Danielle knows that I enjoy a good surprise, so she and my son plotted together. Charles is very musical, plays guitar, banjo, ukulele and other stringed instruments. She knows that I have always enjoyed the Israel Kamakawiwo’ole ukulele rendition of “Over the Rainbow”. Charles soloed playing the ‘uke’, the singer sang the tune, and I danced with my daughter. Wow, what a wonderful moment.

Danielle and my wife, Myla, used a lot of Kreinik 1/8” braid to decorate the hang tags on the welcome bags and the wedding program handed out to those attending. They both love the holographic colors and used the colors 026L and 008L. Myla also set up the table numbers using the 6250 orange and 6425 green Iron-On threads. by outlining each number-front and back in the wedding colors of green and orange. Finally, Myla handmade 100 Thank You cards and gave them as a gift to Danielle. Some of these also used the Iron-On threads to give a little “bling” to the cards without having to mess with glue or glitter.

Finally, My Mom made the ring bearers pillow by taking two monogrammed handkerchiefs that she had from her Mother with a “D” (Dorothy) for Danielle and from my Dad with a “J” (Jerry) for Jon-Something old, something new and something wonderful.

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Tree of life-like stitches

The Embroiderers' Guild of America will meet this September in Naples, Florida, to embrace embroidery of all kinds - goldwork, beading, ribbon embroidery, mixed media, Hardanger, blackwork, counted thread, applique, needlepoint, doll making, stumpwork. Take a look at the event brochure to see the range of incredible designs that will be at seminar: www.egausa.org/files/seminar/2011/Sem2011_brochure.pdf. If you want to learn a new technique or perfect your skills in embroidery, the EGA national seminar will be a perfect opportunity.

At least one classroom will have students planting roots and branches on a Congress Cloth ground in the "Tree of Life" project from talented designer and teacher Lynn Payette. It's a beautiful blend of different types of Kreinik metallic threads, from Braids to Ribbons, from basic to Hi Lustre and Holographic, from light to dark shades. Here Lynn gives us a sneak peek of this stunning design and tells us a bit about how it comes together.

Lynn says: "The base (root system) of the tree is padded first with felt in single and double layers, as are some of the branches, and the initials (on the left side of the tree – each student will have their own initials formed in the branches of the tree). Some of the branches are not padded but are stitched directly on the (Congress Cloth) ground. Most of the metallics are couched down using either a fine matching color cord or invisible (waxed to make it more user friendly) invisible thread (monofilament type as used for the sewing machine). Some of the metallics are actually stitched in back stitch or, in the cases of thinner (Kreinik Very Fine #4 Braid) metallic, they are stitched using an outline or stem type stitch."

Lynn used all of the Kreinik Braid and Ribbon sizes to create texture, shadow, and dimension in the design: Very Fine #4 Braid, Fine #8 Braid, Tapestry #12 Braid, Medium #16 Braid, Canvas #24 Braid, Heavy #32 Braid, 1/8" Ribbon, and 1/16" Ribbon. (Note about our numbers: the smaller the number, the thinner the thread; ie, #4 Braid is half the size of #8 Braid.) "The threads are laid out with the darker colors first to form a meandering type line on the branches, roots, etc., and then are ‘filled’ in using a variety of sizes and types of metallics," Lynn says.

The design is also a wonderful example of how to use the various degrees of metallic to create a realistic design. Some of the threads are Kreinik High Lustre colors (meaning they have a bolder metallic look), some are basic metallic colors (with a softer metallic gleam). She also used some of the new holographic Kreinik colors. "It was necessary to balance the shiny's with the not so shiny's, so that the piece was more interesting," she notes.

Whether you are a beginner to embroidery or a seasoned stitcher, designs like this can inspire you to play with different thread thicknesses and colors. If you want to make this particular design, take the class from Lynn at the EGA national seminar, or when Lynn teaches it in various places next year. Email us at info@kreinik.com and we will get you in touch with the designer for more information.

One side note: don't be intimidated by a "guild" like EGA. With talented teachers, in a setting like the EGA get-together, you will be lovingly taught, inspired, and encouraged. There's nothing like being in the midst of people who have a passion for your passion. For more information on EGA or the national seminar, visit www.egausa.org.

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Crochet me a story...

As Kreinik prepares for the TNNA needlework trade show next week, we are looking forward to seeing wonderful needlepoint, counted thread, knit and crochet designs at market. Stay tuned for new product updates from Kreinik, as well as Facebook and Twitter feeds from the show.

One of our new product lines consists of crochet bookmark designs. Do you crochet? Whether you have picked up a hook and chained an afghan, scarf, sock, jewelry or accessory of your own, or even if you haven't, try to catch the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef exhibit that is currently traveling the world. I was able to see it earlier this year at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, and it was simply stunning.

According to the web site http://crochetcoralreef.org, the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is a "woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world." It began in 2005 as a project by Australian sisters Christine and Margaret Wertheim, who were actually living in Los Angeles at the time. It was an homage to the disappearing Great Barrier Reef, but today it has expanded to become so much more.

The current exhibit includes displays of the Great Barrier Reef plus "sub-reefs" such as a bleached reef, anemone garden, kelp garden, plus dramatic renditions of a toxic reef complete with trash worked into the yarn. The latter is a sad reminder of how our natural wonders are treated. With this unique perspective on coral reefs, you leave the exhibit awed by beauty and determined to pick up trash as you go along in this world.

So many artists have worked on the reef exhibit at this point. Kreinik is excited to have worked with some of them, including Shirley Waxman, Arlene Mintzer, Barbara Van Elsen and Lily Chin. I am pretty sure I saw some sparkling Kreinik threads woven into the reefs. You can use any Kreinik thread as a carry-along fiber in crochet, and some sizes are perfect for crochet on their own.

I have crocheted ever since my grandmother taught me how, as she could get me to sit still as an elementary-school-aged child. The 'hyperbolic' mathematics of the crochet process in this exhibit escaped me. It refers to a technique discovered by a Cornell University mathematician in the 1990s and involves algorithms, space, geometry, and other subjects I never mastered in school. However, if you would like more information, just click here: http://theiff.org/publications/index.html

At the reef exhibit in Washington DC, I loved hearing visitors' remarks (including non-crocheters seeing this age-old "woman's" art form used in such a scientific way). Teenagers loved the crochet, kids loved the colors and shapes, most thought it was a real reef until they walked up to it ("That's crochet?!"). The exhibit arrives at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California later this month. Check it out if you are in the area. Visit http://crochetcoralreef.org for more information.

by Dena Lenham
for more photos from the Coral Reef exhibit at the Smithsonian, visit the Kreinik Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Kreinik.Manufacturing.Company

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Fashionista School

One of the advisory boards on which I serve is the West Virginia University (WVU) Fashion Design and Merchandising School (FDM) Industrial Advisory Board. Through this position, I get to see the textile industry develop in my state and discover what students perceive as the newest styles and fashions. On a recent trip for an advisory board meeting, I witnessed exciting developments in both areas.

The day before the meeting, the Fashion and Merchandising school held its annual fashion show. At this juried event, students of all different levels entered their creations. There were feathers, fascinators and fedoras. There were mini skirts and very short shorts. It was the first time that I've seen pockets in mini skirts. Many of the outfits had pocket lining of different colored and patterned fabric, which I saw as being quite creative. Along with the feathered fascinators, fascinating head gear included black crocheted hat decorations with butterfly patterns. You could easily see that a lot of work, time, effort and fun went into this fashion show.

The future was also evident. WVU-FDM frequently works with a local middle school, and those students participated in the fashion show. Their mission was to design according to the theme of "recycle, reposition and reuse." Indie designers follow the same path - the "green" one - so perhaps this collaboration is the birth of the next generation of the "Handmade Nation."

At our meeting, we also learned about the WVU Tartan project. The design and creation of a university's official tartan is a high honor, often under the auspices of the apparel and design school. Tartans are submitted to the Scottish Register of Tartans, and the design becomes a part of the school's identity. I can't wait to see how the official tartan of WVU comes together under the students and staff of the Fashion School.

The Fashion School at WVU places emphasis on fashion and retailing, but since it is under the Agriculture School, there are also discussions on recycling, the use of animal fibers, plus the use of textiles in agriculture applications. As with any school, jobs are the goal. The students are learning draping, machine skills and merchandise knowledge. The challenges are out there. Time will tell if the program is a success, but from my perspective it is an exciting time for the textile industry in West Virginia. We are looking forward to growth both in and out of the state.

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When you know it’s good

Discovering what you have is a major reason to attend a trade show. That is just what happened to me recently; I learned from sewing experts exactly how durable and easy it is to use my sewing and embroidery threads. I knew they were quality threads in gorgeous colors, but this weekend I came away with tips and tricks, plus ideas and inspirations for using the colorful fibers in even more ways that I thought.

Last weekend, while Dena and Julie attended the cross stitch trade show in Nashville, I attended a Professional Machine Embroidery show in Columbus. Many attending this show came with strong feelings about working with metallics on a machine: breakage, shredding, the lack of color selection, and an overall “meanness” of the thread were constant irritants and complaints heard from the professional practitioners as to why they don’t and won’t use metallics.. When your livelihood depends on stitching logos, banners, clothing, blankets and other customized designs for important customers, your thread matters A LOT. It has to look good, but it also has to behave well. Time (and effort) is money for a professional machine embroiderer. My team - two ladies from the Sewing B store in Williamstown, WV, plus myself - attacked the problem with a simple solution: Kreinik machine embroidery and sewing thread.

Most of you are familiar with Kreinik metallic Blending Filament, Braids, Ribbons, real metals, and silk threads that are used in hand embroidery or couched by machine. At this show, we demonstrated and sold another part of our thread selection, Kreinik machine embroidery threads: 1. Silver Metallized Gimp, 2. Fine Twist, 3. Fashion Twist, 4. and a new metallic wrapped thread, all designed for use on long-arm quilt machines, sergers, digitized embroidery machines, home sewing machines, and industrial machines. We feature many videos on www.YouTube.com/Kreinikchannel using these threads, and also have information on our web site www.kreinik.com. The threads are sold in sewing/quilting stores, plus online at www.kreinikmall.com.

Going into the show, I knew I had metallics that were stronger (the metallized gimp and wrapped thread) and prettier (Fine Twist and Fashion Twist) than common metallics sold in sewing stores. At the show, I learned more from the experts, and I want to pass that along to you. Life is too short to deal with frustrations in your creative processes, so here are a few points that may make your machine embroidery life easier.

1. Often when running metallics through the machine there is a problem of shredding and breaking. At the show, we ran on a Janome MB-4, a four-needle professional embroidery machine. I always recommend a 14 or 16 topstitch needle, but Kathy, the operator and demonstrator, had zero problems with an 11 needle. She did not even change her tension when running the metallics. Kathy ran both the twisted and the traditional round metallics at 800 rpm or 800 stitches per minute without a problem. I have personally seen my threads run at 1200 and 1300 rpm on the Tin Lizzie and Tajima machines. When you hear the constant humming chatter with no stoppage from breaks, it is a joy. It was as smooth as silk.

2. There are two different kinds of metallics that give you two different looks. The twisted Kreinik thread is constructed with metallized polyester twisted with either nylon or a polyester fiber. Since what you see is not all metallic, it is possible to create various dimensional effects with high and low areas, creating loft depending upon which threads and which stitches are used. The traditional metallic threads are called gimps and they are constructed by wrapping metallic polyester around a core of nylon, thus adding to its strength. This product reflects light differently from the twisted thread; it is a bolder look, giving a more distinct outline for the design. Blending the twisted and wrapped metallics into a design enables you to play with light and gives your project or product exciting proportions that, for the professional, can also add value.

3. The wrapped threads have two categories: polyester with a laminate of aluminum, and rice paper backed with silver. Both types are very vibrant, and I am proud that the Kreinik selection often wows customers with the large number of color choices (not just the traditional gold, silver, red, green and black). The rice paper backed gimp is also very strong, can run at 1200 rpm, and is laminated with silver then twisted around a nylon core. It gives a very lush, very rich real-metal look, radiating a truly beautiful patina that is quite inspiring.

4. All of these Kreinik machine embroidery threads are washable and dry cleanable, can be ironed or placed in a hot-fix press without damage. Ultimately, the Kreinik machine embroidery and sewing threads are perfect for the design and production environment. All are available in 1000-meter cones (5000-meter cones are special order) in more 30 metallic colors. Look for new 2011 colors in the traditional array of wrapped threads, but with a sophisticated antique flair.

By Doug Kreinik

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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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Small, is the new big

Friday, October 8, 2010, I spent the day at West Virginia University’s School for Fashion and Merchandizing in Morgantown, WV. I am on an industrial advisory board that is designed to help the department in rewriting and orienting the curriculum so that students have a greater opportunity to get a job in their field. In one year, the school has made great strides. They recently acquired a computerized sizing device which takes hundreds of quantitative photos and measures the body for fitting. They now have professional sewing machines from Juki including a buttonhole machine, button attaching machine, overlock, serger and more. Also, the school recently set up a master and a doctorate program.

On Friday, we discussed the future of the students and what they need when they graduate. This advisory board is made up of manufacturers, retailers, educators and engineers. Our goal is to enable the school to create a niche in an ever-changing global economy and become more competitive. We feel that it is important to give them a corporate view and an entrepreneurial slant. In the US right now the apparel industry is sort of disappearing. Big companies are becoming rarer, so it is the small company that is becoming more important. A small business that is niche-based and flexible can be a big influence and survive. As noted by Kenneth King, the couture designer and one of the board members, “Small, is the new big.”

Doug Kreinik

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Blog Talk Radio with Doug Kreinik

Our very own Doug Kreinik was a guest on Gone Stitching's Blog Talk Radio. His interview aired on August 9, 2010. This marks Doug's second appearance on the show and will be a lively and fun show about needlepoint and embroidery. Don't worry if you missed it. Its available on demand.

Click here to listen to the 8/9/10 interview.

Click here to listen to his previous interview with Gone Stitching on 9/14/09

Gone Stitching is a needlepoint store located in Bergenfield, NJ. They are a full service shop that sells threads, canvases and offers classes, stitch guides, finishing & framing services and much, much more. Did we mention they are one of the stores in our Kreinik Mall? Click here to visit their Kreinik Mall home page.

Gone Stitching
31 South Washington Ave,
Bergenfield, NJ 07621
(201) 385-2100

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I stitch because...

by Dena Lenham

I was "summer cleaning" this weekend, going through organizers full of quilt, cross stitch, crochet, sewing magazines and patterns that I've collected over the last 20 years of serious crafting. My intent was to get rid of a large portion of them: I don't have enough house-space to display all of the projects even if I could actually finish them; I haven't been able to finish anything or invest time in these lately; and those "hoarding" shows on TV would want me to move these things.

Well, I am too embarrassed to admit how little I managed to hand over to my Frugal Self. Unfortunately, I fell in love with making things all over again. So next on my to-do list is dedicating time for actually making these wonderful patterns I've collected (and get more projects/fabrics/notions when I attend Quilt Odyssey with a friend this coming weekend). 

Now I remember why I love stitching and sewing: it's relaxing and stimulating at the same time. The focus and process of needlework is an escape (the health benefits have even been documented). It's my meditation (I never could master the sitting-still "om" version). It's also liberating and creative. The threads and designs are so pretty and colorful, it's like they are bringing life to the fabric. It is making something out of nothing, or out of scraps. None of these benefits are a waste of time.

One of the magazines unearthed in my pile was "Old Time Needlework Patterns and Designs, January 1977" (sixty cents?!) passed to me from a great aunt. Editor Barbara Hall Pedersen posed a question in her column: "We cannot look thoughtfully at the needlework produced by the women of past generations without asking ourselves a question. What force in their lives was so powerful that it could motivate them to invest the countless hours of their time necessary to produce such exquisite examples of needle art?"

She went on to write, "Was it essentially a quest for beauty? Did they do it out of pride, or possibly an excess of leisure? Did virtue demand that every idle moment be occupied? It may have been all of these things, but I believe that it was also something much more. Each of us, deep down, yearns to leave some sort of mark upon the world, as proof that we have passed this way. In a time when a woman did not even have the vote, when she was forced to transact business behind her husband's name, when her opinions counted for little and her authority extended only to the home, women refused, even then, to see themselves as insignificant. They seized whatever avenues were open to them as a means of self-expression."

Ah, self-expression. Yes, I stitch because of that, and I bet you do too. Stitch your sayings, make your mark, don't stop working your projects. The threads, the designs, the fabrics...it's a beautiful world out there, and we are all making it happen.

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