Prize Pumpkin

Prize Pumpkin

Threads that Bind

Shawn Williams

Copyright 2008

One of my many goals is to learn punch needle.  I keep asking myself why I choose such large projects while I am learning.  Each new project brings learning opportunities and one of the things I learned on this project is learning to punch within the lines.  How many of us were taught to color within the lines?  There is a good reason to punch within the lines--if you don't, the design is enlarged, distorting the design.

Another thing I am learning is over punching.  Thank goodness for a powerful steam iron which takes the curl out of the punched piece and returns it to a flatten shape.

This is a hooked rug called Sunday Social also designed by Shawn Williams.  I saw this rug at the March Madness event held at Montgomery Bell State Park hosted by Liseanne and Ron Miller.  Yes, I have the punch needle version in stash and since sheep pieces seem to call my name, this is a contender for my next punched piece.

The Old Mercantile stocks bread boards and I thought this piece might look good mounted on one of their bread boards.  There is no lack of projects to select from.

When I punch I like using all six strands of fiber--I want my punched pieces to look like miniature rugs.  Punch needle eats up fiber like candy!  This is a good thing because instead of purchasing more fibers I am selecting fibers from my stash.  Judy, one of my stitch sisters keeps an ort jar--I'm keeping the thread labels to mark my progress.

Now that I have a couple of pieces under my belt, I am punching with more confidence.  For me, punch needle is very relaxing (no counting required) and there is something very soothing about the sound of the needle punching into the fabric.