Niky's Creations : The Silver Needle, Fine Needlecraft Materials


Stitcher Sewing Sampler Nikyscreations has several new charts... I thought this one was pretty darn cute, and the picture is good! Charted for regular DMC floss, it measures 100 stitches square. If you do this over one on 28ct Mushroom Lugana (like the With Thy Needle Abcedarian Schoolhouse Series), it'll finish LESS THAN 4 inches in size and make a darling pin cushion!!!!! Niky has a lot of cute things... take a look on the interior pages and see what you like!
Nikyscreations has new releases! Winter and Spring Girls 100 x 100 Stitch count, again DMC. I like the girls without the extra borders! More cute pin cushions!!! Garden Thyme Sewing Bag Such a pretty pot of flowers, there are bees buzzing overheard, a rabbit running in search of his carrot down there on the right, and garden shears that I hope will not be cutting any stems! 80 x 85 Stitch count, DMC. Amish Yard 100 x 100 Stitch count, this one is stitched on hand-dyed 28ct gingham linen with DMC floss. The chart comes with a small wooden donkey button which you can see in the upper right corner. Cheerful, I like the red checkerboard border and those little animals -- especially the pig! Clox Sampler These are little thistle-like flowers. Just a stylized set of them all lined up -- like in a garden! She's chosen only one color -- black -- for this, stitch count is 160 x 175!
Nikyscreations has three new releases! Country Village -- 97 x 99 Stitch count... cute farmyard, complete with neighboring church, house and quilt on the line. Halloween Sheep -- Little sheep that are decorated! Pic is really hard to see... one has a little black cat on his back. Leave off the witch if you want! Pumpkin Basket -- 80 x 129 in size, there are baskets of pumpkins on here, and a SEPARATE stitched piece that is a mini quilt of pumpkins! Cute!
Nikyscreations has several charming new releases... charts and the ultra-sweet set of miniature clay counting pins! Alphabet Garden features a flowing alphabet scattered all about the 100 x 131 stitch count design (finishes approx 6 x 8 on 32ct). Charted for regular DMC floss, it's a very pretty piece. You can mange up the fabric of you want, and changing DMC to hand-dyed flosses is a breeze! The chart comes with a delightful hand-painted wooden bunny button that measures about an inch in size -- you can see it beside the W in the sampler. Clay Garden Pin Set -- These are lovely! PETITE, these are 2-inch long pins topped with a flower, bunny and carrot of polymer clay -- they are only 1/4 an inch in size! So stinkin cute, you can poke these into just about any garden, or floral, or bunny pin cushion, and they'd be a charming surprise inside a sewing case! Soft muted colors... this set I am describing never made it back to The Silver Needle! They found a new home in the pin cushion on my desk!
House of Cooking Another of Niky's cut-away house scenes... perfect for a provincial kitchen! Presented as a chart, it finishes 7-inches in size on 14/28ct, and is coded for DMC floss.
Be Friend This is so sweet... I'm not sure the title translation happened correctly... but who cares?! Two friends, two houses, the basket of flowers and all the rabbits, it's just cheery. Presetned as the chart, finishes approx 7 inches on 14/28, it is coded for DMC floss.
Blue Bunny Kit This a just a very small bit of stitching that fits into a handmade and painted bunny frame. About 5-1/2 x 5 inches, the bunny is wood, and features a 3-inch opening for needlework or a picture, and three holes in its tail for threads. It is called BLUE bunny, but its color is really a soft, light gray. This is a limited edition piece introduced at the Spring Market we just attended... so once they are gone, we will not be able to get more.
A trio of cute new designs Leaves - A 7 x 8 piece stitched with DMC floss, the house in the center has a filled-in background -- making it a little picture in the center of the busy birds and vines surrounding it. What makes it fun are the wool acorn cut-outs Niky has added to the left side as part of her finishing treatment. Super-simple, yet they add texture and an additional focal point. Leaves is shown finished as a pocket... but it'd be cute as a pin cushion too -- and you could do more acorns on the back if you wanted to. Quilt of the Season - Halloween - A pair of witchy friends boiling something in the pic -- maybe they are getting ready to tea dye the kitty quilt hanging above! Tiny kitties walking around their feet -- I think they are looking for the mice hidden on her dress! 6 x 7 On 32ct, DMC floss, just a fun little thing -- the model pic has rayon ribbon scrunched all around the edges for a disheveled look! Animal Farm - Cats, rabbits, a sheep, pig and chicken... this is actually quite a cute medley of animals. Everyone has something else in their square -- bunny with carrots, sheep with bees, pig with bird, and the spotted cat with the run-away mouse! Measuring a generous 7 x 10 on 28ct, the chart calls for regular DMC... soft colors of 422, 355, 3790, 844, 842, 301, 420, 522, 840, 613, and 3859.
*The Birdcage Kit is the Market Exclusive.* It includes a really cute stained wooden birdhouse thread palette -- measuring 3 x 6-1/2 inches, featuring 6 thread holes and 2 more holes to display your stitching. Along with the cut of Niky's hand-dyed 32ct linen, you get a pretty little paper card (decorated with vintage birdcage artwork) with the DMC flosses all pre-sorted and labeled on it, a cut of brown cord to line the edges of your stitched areas, and the wooden cut-outs made from those two holes!! (Use for backing.) SUPER-Charming, is the included page from on old book -- it's written in Italian!! -- that you'll use as the backing paper for the birdhouse!
I Love My Sheep 120 x 139 Stitch Count, A shepherdess and her flock. DMCs of 3052, 3799, 3046, 3782, 414, 3781, 3857 and 3774.
Cupcake Pincushions A set of 4 small designs suitable for pin cushions -- Niky has these in paper pots -- painted and waxed. Only calling for DMC of 3024, 3860, 370 and 3781, each measures about 30 stitches square -- so these will be most stunning worked over one thread on just about anything, and finished super-small.
A Sampler House Oh, this is really nice looking! Stitched on 28ct hand-dyed Gingham Linen, those checks in the background add so much to the floral urn and formal house. Finishing 7 x 7, this uses DMCs of 779, 3045, 3047, 645, 3861, 543, 3012 and 370.
Blooming Scissor Fobs These are sweet, dinky little things! Just 1 x 2-ish, they feature backgrounds that are solidly stitched. All matching floral baskets -- they'll make great 'bowl-fillers' for something petite -- like the metal soap dish in the pic!
Treasure Box A sweet girl in front of a fence -- chickens, butterflies and birds in the background. There is a companion cushion pattern in here that features a wooden bird button in the center -- that little 3/4 inch bird is included with the chart.
Quilts of the Season -- Winter and Spring We already have Fall -- a bit farther down this page -- but no Summer yet in this small set of designs. They all feature a pair of seamstresses displaying their handiwork which is displayed in a wooden frame. I love those scarves they have tied in their hair -- looks like a propeller up there! Cute scissor motifs here and there -- I also like the cuties that are perched atop that frame! All of them measure about 9 x 5 on 32ct.
House of Halloween Nikyscreations has 4 new charts -- I chose House of Halloween to show here, because it continues her set of cut-away house designs for the seasons and holidays. Measuring approx 7 x 7 on 28ct linen, this is stitched with regular DMC floss! There are lots of fun thing going on in here... we like the hair on the girls, the kitty under the table, the scissors and spools perched there, and of course all the pumpkins scattered everywhere. The roof is fun because it's a witch hat and there appear to be spiders and bats in the attic. It'd make a cute stand-up decoration.
Harvest Blocks Sampler A four-patch of smalls, stitch them together like this, or make 4 separate small pin cushions. The entire piece measures 100 x 100 in stitch count, and is worked with regular DMC floss. Top left has lush Fall grapes, block #2 has a charming house with a quilt hanging in the garden and I love that pumpkin birdhouse! Block #3 has a lucky squirrel and his tree of acorns, while #4 has a gal picking apples. A sawtooth border surrounds each block -- do that in Satins for a really dramatic effect.
Quilt of the Season -- Fall I think this must be the first in a new set of designs -- because we don't have any others that coordinate with it yet. A tiny quilt of pumpkins and acorns on the stand, falling leaves all around... 12 shades of DMC in this 6 x 7 piece, Niky has it finished as a thread board. She's suggesting that you blanket-stitch over rings and attach them to the bottom like she has -- kind of a fun way to store a bitty pair of scissors!!!
Lady Fall I think this must be the first in a new set of designs -- because we don't have any others that coordinate with it yet. A tiny quilt of pumpkins and acorns on the stand, falling leaves all around... 12 shades of DMC in this 6 x 7 piece, Niky has it finished as a thread board. She's suggesting that you blanket-stitch over rings and attach them to the bottom like she has -- kind of a fun way to store a bitty pair of scissors!!!
A New Pair of Charts A Sampler Farm -- How can any other season besides Summer come to mind when you see all the bees, the chickens and that big ol' sunflower? Niky has a charming 'farm house' scene that features a skinny house (there is a hay pitchfork leaning up against it though!) a yard full of busy bees, chickens on the fence, and that tall sunflower in the garden. Stitched on 32ct, this will finish approx 6 x 7-1/2 and is worked with regular DMC colors of 632, 3799, 370, 3781, 3782, 422, 3047 and 732. Grab some hand-dyeds instead if you feel like it... this'll be cute which-ever way! Things I Like -- A sampler full of things Ms Niky says are her favorites... houses, friends, windmills and tulips! You will not like the chart, however, because it's all on one page and kind of too small to work off of! (you'll need to enlarge it!) But after that... you'll enjoy all the small motifs that she suggests you put onto pin cushions and such. Look at the rows of chickens, cats and rocking horses... and the scissors with spools of thread perched on the handles. Stitch count is 140 x 180 -- so this will finish approx 10 x 13 on 28ct -- and it calls for regular DMC floss.
New Samplers from Nikyscreations Niky has published several new designs -- I am highlighting just two here -- click through the pic to see the rest! House of Gardening is the 6th cut-away house she has... it joins Christmas, Wool, Sewing, Quilting and Stitching. It'd be perfect for a gardening-lover... make a fabric hanging to decorate the cabinet door to her tools and gloves. It finishes approx 6 x 6, coded for DMC floss. Can you see the hand-made wool tomato and velveteen carrot in that picture? WE HAVE THOSE! Niki made them! Beautiful hand-made pin cushions or 'bowl fillers' (what a ridiculous word that is popping up in the Home Dec world these days!), details are on our inside Nikyscreation Page. Stitching Sampler -- This one finishes approx 6 x 6, calls for DMC and reads; Any day spent sewing is a good day. Tiny scissors, threaded needles and spools, it'd make a cute needle case and fob set I think -- if you can finish a little creatively!
Amish Girls - For Every Month Niky has a cute series started -- 40 x 70 in stitch count -- this is a set of 'calendar girls' done Amish-style -- with plain dresses and aprons. Presented two to a chart, January and February feature mending and Valenties Day. March and April deal with gardening and rain. Each design would make a cute cushion -- then moosh them all into a basket for display -- notice the penny rug top and bottom idea? Get out your wool scraps and DO THAT instead of the stitching! You'll see all that gorgeous wool at one time when all of them are perched in your basket! Offered as charts, we'll auto-ship the other 4 for you as they are released later this year -- we have Jan through April now!
Girl Sewing Pouch Kit This was the Limited Editon Kit offered at the Spring Nashville Market this year! Offered as a complete kit, it includes 32ct fine Italian linen, quality lining fabric - it's a lovely beige linen with white polka dots on it, pre-sorted DMC floss that is tied to a numbered thread card, the chart, actual sized finishing templates and instructions, and those charming blue wooden bag handles that match the threads! The whole little purse finishes about 3 x 7... real cute!
Seasonal Band Sampler Kind of a fun design composition .. . the four seasonal houses all stacked up... the balanced motifs on either side... and the little thin bottom borders. This calls for only 8 colors of DMC! 372, 523, 3864, 3860, 3781, 3045, 3046, and 318. Very pretty, it is offered as a chart.
Monthly Animals January's Cat, February's Swan and March's Bird are all here, and the first three in this 12-part set of pin cushion designs. Offered as charts, each is stitched on really any fabric you want... and are coded for DMC floss. The month is highlighted along the bottom border, so you can leave that off, if you wish. Primitive, classic and simple motifs, this promises to be a nice set. We're offering an auto-ship to help you collect all 12 of these. Since they are shipping directly from Italy, I'm not sure yet if Niky is sending each month... or sending two or 3 months at a time.
House of Xmas, Wool & Sewing Nikycreations has three new little cut-away houses!!!!! Joining Quilting and Stitching, these are just so cute! You need to stitch them and make them into quilted hangings for your stitching stash room, or the area behind your favorite stitching chair! Each finishes about 12 x 12 on 30ct linen, and uses good 'ol DMC floss. You can always get creative and add some embellishments, laces, beads or special threads... but these are cute just as they are. House of Wool has yarn everywhere and a sheep or two -- the knitting needles are little straight stitches with French Knot tops. House of Sewing has scissors and fabrics, and the garments hanging... I love the clock on there -- it implies that us 'needle-people' needle at all hours of the day and night!!! All three are offered as charts.
Amish Harvest This is a cute farmhouse scene... finishes approx 12 x 12 on 30ct. Niky has stitched the quilt on a separate piece of fabric and attached it to the main project. It's real hard to tell in the cover picture, but it's a really nice design treatment. Stitched with 10 different DMC shades, Niky suggests we make this into a sewing pocket or even a box topper! Offered as a chart.
Little Sampler A stitch count of 100 x 100, this was finished into a cushion in Niky's booth at Market. I think it'd be darling split up into 4 cushions, too!! She's put a tiny bit of wool on there for the flower she's watering, and like the Amish Harvest, you COULD attach that quilt as a small separate piece. You could use some Wisper thread for the bunny and the cat, and you could add a couple of petite beads to the birds! (nothing too shiny -- pick some with a matte finish to go with the dusty DMCs in here!)
Mermaid's Song A sweet set of smalls, the whole chart for this measures only 80 x 80 stitches, and Niky has divided up the motifs onto different pieces. The mermaid is on a sewing bag -- she's done some crochet around her edges on that. She's arranged the fish on a scissor or crochet hook case, and put the ship on a small cushion. Everything is stitched with only 5 DMC colors ! 420, 317, 3371, 3774 and 779.
Bunny Ruler Kit Oh, this is a sweet little bunny-in-the-garden border design that Niky has designed to fit on a 2-1/4 x 6-1/4-inch ruler/thread organizing board. *VERY limited in edition...* she brought these to Market in her suitcase, and didn't have room for too many! Stitched on a dense (vs flimsy) 36ct linen with 6 different shades of DMC floss, the rulers and linen were produced in Italy. The tiny bit of stitching measures apprix 1 x 5. Work the design for the organizer... then stitch it again and maybe make a pincushion or tiny sewing case as companions! Offered as the kit of chart, linen, flosses and wooden ruler/organizer.
Houses of Quilting and Stitching Aren't these the cutest? Niky has charted two needlework scenes... one of quilters and the other stitchers! Really so simple in motifs, I love the cat on top of the quilt... all their shoes, the charming hair styles, all the scissors tucked everywhere, and that little sewing machine with the samplers hanging above it! Each is stitched on whatever you want, measures about 100 x 100 stitches (6-1/2 inches square on 14/28) and is coded for DMC floss. So darn cute, you could make yours to hang on the closet doorknob of your stitching room... or finish it into a pillow... or make a stand-up box with an open top to store Stitching Candy! Offered as charts.
Primitive Calendar Set against images of woven coverlets, this is a perpetual calendar featuring one design per month with its chart. The image at the far right is March's page. The numbers for the days are listed... but without the days of the week. Might not be the most functional calendar you've ever used... but it is pretty. All 12 designs are pictured on the front cover, and coded for DMC floss.
Crocheted Ort Box Ms Niky crocheted covers for a few petite chipboard rounds... add a pretty interior bottom lining... and Voila!... a tiny Ort Box! Measuring a mere 2-1/2 inches in diameter and only 1-3/4 inches high... we brought home ONLY 14 of these! It is definitely safe to say that these were handmade in Italy!!!
Spring Sampler The third in Niky's seasonal samplers -- cute houses surrounded by profusions of vines. Spring is full of little critters as well! Birds, butterflies, and that charming yard full of rabbits, this is offered as a chart and is worked in DMC flosses. As with Summer and Autumn, choose your favorite fabric -- the design size is 100 x 100 stitches. (We don't have Winter pictured here... we will be getting it!) Winter Sampler Ohhh... you can tell this is cooler. Are those snowbanks pushed against the house, and smoke coming from the chimney? I think they're sledding in the front yard! Offered as a chart, it is a companion to Niky's other seasonal samplers.
Summer and Autumn Samplers Nikycreations has four new pieces, I thought this pair was fun to highlight all the new. Scattered alphabets, sampler motifs stuffing the yards of the houses choose your favorite linen, a few hand-dyed flosses and get busy! Both measure 99 x 99 stitches -- a perfect small size. Nice balance, charming motifs, I like them both. Offered as charts.
Primitive Christmas - Little Sausage Ornaments! HOW CUTE! Long, skinny 'sausages!' Only 35 stitches wide but 120 stitches long, these will measure approx 2 x 7-1/2 inches long on 32ct -- just the size of a small salami stick!!! Worked with DMC flosses, Santa is standing below some sampler bands. The Tree piece has a tiny sailboat and rocking horse tucked beneath. Very unusual in size and shape, these are worth the look! Offered in chart format.
Cross Stitch Lovers Here's a tiny stitch class... schoolhouse in the background, complete with bell tower. Scissor and thread motifs scattered as well, just a small thing measuring 76 x 100 stitches. It'd be cute as a sewing case front, and maybe even a gigantic pin cushion! Coded for DMC.
Primitive Advent Calendar Well... this takes on a new finishing idea! Niki has designed 24 tiny motifs -- baskets, cherubs, reindeer, trees and birds -- all with a very traditional sampler feel. Each motif is approx 20 to 30 stitches in size, are coded for 12 DMC flosses, and can be stitched on just about any fabric you want. (I think there is an error on the charts, because one page calls for 32ct, while the other two call for 36!) Each motif is mounted onto a paper hang-tag which measures approx 2-1/4 x 4-3/4. The tags are 'vintage-style' but new, so they need some mange and antiquing from you to look really cool and old. The premise of this is to do the stitching. Mount it onto wool, making a little wool pocket with stitching on the front, and attach a bit of luscious hand-dyed ribbon or trim to it for hanging purposes. Next, attach one of Kelmscott's Mother-of-Pearl buttons on the antiqued hang-tag... this is where you'll hang your little pocket. Number those tags (one for each day in December) in any cool way you want to. THEN, take more neat ribbon or trim, attach it to the hang-tag and hang those all in a row. Then... it's someone's job to make sure that each little pouch has a small treat inside... every day in December! Offered as the chart, we are including a set of paper hang-tags in there. You supply bits of flosses and linens (mix and matching scraps would be fun!!!) and some pretty ribbons and trims. Crescent Colurs has recently released a new collection of chenille, cotton and rick-rack trims -- some of those might be neat on these. LOTS of color options with this project -- very unique, fun for someone who loves to 'putz' and 'create!'
Hearts! ... and Needlebooks! Nikyscreations has three new releases that are all relaxed, antique-y and charming! Hearts is a small booklet full of the most lovely pictures! It features 8 small heart-inspired pin cushion and other what-not designs. All little bitty designs, I just want to cut out the pages and frame the pictures!!! (Remember that Blackbird and With Thy Needle do a lot of finishing and framing with distressed prints of needlework??? KEEP THIS BOOK IN MIND for some lovely graphics!) Seasonal hanging Pockets for Fall and Winter -- just DMC floss -- your primitive finishing with cool wools on these takes the cake! Needlebooks features charts for 4 buttoned cases. NO KIDDING -- dredge your needlework in coffee, and SAND the linen and threads to make a couple of holes to repair with buttons and hand-sewing. You'll treasure your beautifully distressed pieces just as much as the pristine ones! Why wait 200 years to get this cool look that you can make in 5 minutes!