Happy August ... wherever you live, this time of year it's bound to be good stitching weather - either too hot or too cold to be outdoors - might as well stay inside and stitch.

In this newsletter, we're pleased to offer some stitching tips from Paul Kuehner, who is stitching "The Keepsake". He wrote, "At first, even though I am used to challenging projects, I thought it went too slow because of all the blended needles, but I stuck with it anyway. I found a few shortcuts that helped move it along a little faster and am now happy to say that I'm completely hooked on it and find it to be the most satisfying project I have ever tackled in 40 years of needlework!" We asked him to share his tips and present them below. Whether you are a very experienced stitcher and have your routine down, or a brand-new stitcher who is still wondering what the best way to do things is, we feel there's always a chance to learn. We hope you'll find something helpful in these tips.

Flowers in a Blue Vase

I assign each of the symbols to a separate storage bag (I use Floss-A-Way bags). I write the symbol on the bag along with the associated floss numbers. Then I keep a full 6-ply strand of each color in the bag along with a threaded needle with the blended colors on it. That way I can keep a needle ready to use and replenish the floss as needed. I use them as I need them and and don't have to spend as much time sorting colors and threading needles.

I also have the bags on large notebook rings in order of their listing on the chart. For "The Keepsake" chart I have 5 rings with all of the symbols from each of the five columns. This makes it easier to find a symbol because you need only refer to the symbol listing to know on which ring you can find the bag with the floss colors for that symbol. They hang on my floor stand so I have easy access to them.

I have another set of storage bags hanging on my floor lamp with all of the floss colors stored in them by number so I can see at a glance when I need to get more floss. This works well for me but be aware that it means buying more floss, a lot of storage bags and a lot of needles. It takes a while to get all this going but once it's in place you save a lot of time in the long run. As a result this project is going at a fairly quick pace.

The Keepsake

I use a center clamp extended floor stand with 16 count ivory evenweave fabric on 36" scroll bars. The best needle I have found for this project is a Size 26 Tapestry 'Petite' (JJ19926) by John James. I also recommend a daylight floor lamp with an attached magnifier.