Helpful Hints & Tips
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Hints
Helpful Hint 1 from
Josie
Helpful Hint 2 from
Nancy
Helpful hint 11 from -
NANCY
Helpful hint 12 from -
JUDY
Helpful hint 13 from -
ESLENE
Helpful hint 14 from -
MARY
Helpful hint 15 from -
KAREN
Helpful hint 16 from -
PEGGY
Helpful hint 17 from -
PEGGY
Helpful hint 18 from -
LINDA
Helpful hint 19 from -
LORI
Helpful hint 21 from -
JUDI
Helpful hint 22 from -
LISA
Helpful hint 23 from -
BARBARA
Helpful hint 24 from -
NANCY
Helpful hint 25 from -
RUTH
Helpful hint 26 from -
PATTY
Helpful hint 27 from -
LORI
Helpful hint 28 from -
DEBBY
Helpful hint 29 from -
LORI
Helpful hint 30 from -
MARY
Helpful hint 31 from -
LORI
Helpful hint 32 from -
BERTHA
Helpful hint 33 from -
MARY
Helpful hint 34 from -
Linda
Helpful hint 35 from -
Evelyn
Helpful hint 36 from -
Evelyn
Helpful hint 37 from -
Nancy
Helpful hint 38 from -
Susan
Helpful hint 39 from -
Susan
Helpful hint 40 from -
Pam I hope this helps.
"Save all of the large scraps from
your projects in a plastic shoe box. When you have small pieces to cut
out,
use these to save money."
"Use a small nail clipper to clip away any
nubs that are left over"
Helpful Hint 3 from
Judy
"When using 10 count plastic canvas, I use
embroidery thread instead of wool
to make a much nicer looking
picture."
Helpful Hint 4 from
Sue
" If you are planning on working on a few
differet paterns at once, precut everything &
for each pattern, put
everything you need in individual gallon zip lock bags. It really
makes
it easy to grab & run , plus the cutting is the worse part of
it & you are getting the hardest
part done first so you can forget
it."
Helpful Hint 5 from
Jeff
"Hints I use Crayola Bold Colors washable
markers to draw the pattern on the canvas before cutting.
This keeps
you from having mistakes. After cutting out the pieces simply rinse under
cool water and
dry on paper towels. These markers are water soluble and
rinse very easily."
Helpful Hint 6 from
Eslene
"When you are going to cut out one or
more pieces of the same Plastic Canvas pattern, I found
that the Twist
Ties from plastic baggies will help so you can cut them out all the
same.
Cut the first piece out according to your pattern & using
that for a template, place it over the sheet of canvas.
Put twist ties
through the pieces at regular intervals & twist together to hold the
template in place.
Cut as many pieces in this manner as you
need."
Helpful Hint 7 from
Margaret
"When I make pc coasters, I prefer to
use thin craft foam for the backing.
The foam keeps the
coaster from sliding."
Helpful Hint 8 from
Margaret
"If you use a hot glue gun and you need
to glue on some beads onto your finished project,
use a pair of
tweezers to pick up the beads. It keeps your fingers from touching
the hot glue."
Helpful Hint 9 from
Tony
"If cutting out a lot of pieces use
colored plastic canvas to make a template first,
then use
it as a pattern to cut out the rest so they are the all
same."
Helpful Hint 10 from
Gale
"When making larger, 3-dimensional
projects, I use "holding stitches" on the corners to keep
the
project steady during stitching. This way, it won't slide apart on
you while you're working on it.
Items such as: Tote bags,
tissue boxes, etc. It makes the project go much smoother.
I just use a small amount of yarn, run it through the 2 pieces of canvas
twice to form a snug loop
which can easily be removed later.
"
"Use a small nail clipper to clip away any nubs
that are left over"
"When using 10 count plastic canvas, I use
embroidery thread instead of wool
to make a much nicer looking
picture."
" After making a pattern from a PC
Magazine, I take a BLANK sticky address label, paste it on
the
cover & then list the patterns I like in that magazine.
Later when you are searching for a
pattern you have made or like
and want to make, you can just look at the covers and not go thru
each Magazine. It sure saves me time when I want to make
something again. "
When using hot glue keep a cup of cold water
close by. Before you have to touch
near the glue dip your
finger in the water first. This will keep your fingers from getting
burned
and help set the glue a little faster.
If you own a shedding cat (and believe me I
do) I cut a door in a liter soda bottle or
water bottle when
using 4-ply yarn or baby yarn. It keeps my work from looking like a
dead bunny.
Keeps the hair where I can sweep it up and Whisper
and I on speaking terms.
I use cuticle scissors to cut out the holes
in the plastic canvas.
Like for the clock patterns the scissors
are very small and sharp they fit really nice in the
canvas for
the small tight spaces.
For the plastic canvas patterns that you
hang on the wall or door. I buy the hangers that you tack
on the
back of a picture frame and hot glue them on the back. They work very well
and they come
in different sizes. For those of you that don't
know what they look like they are flat on the top and
they
have teeth on the bottom so you can ajust them on the nail to hang
straight on the wall.
It looks nicer then a piece of yarn. And if
the nail head is big enough so they don't move on your
door when
you open and shut it.
I use a special water erase marker to mark
my pc .I use the ok brand name is Sanford .
The marker is called
Vis-a-Vis Wet Erase . They work awesome , mark, put under running
water
and wella........ no marks !!!!!!
When cutting 7ct canvas, try using floral
cutters (usually about $1.99, the kind used to cut live
flowers).
Much easier on the hands than a scissors & cheaper
than the craft cutters.
Especially great on stiff canvas.
Helpful hint 20 form -
LINDA
If you make a mistake in cutting your
canvas like cutting a hole you didnt mean to.
You can use a hot
glue gun to repair it. Just put a little glue on the mistake and it
repairs
it immediately that'll save alot.
After cutting out one pattern piece, attach
that one to another piece of canvas with the gold
metal paper
fastners. You can buy these anywhere,and not expenisve
either.
Also,they are small and do not get in your way as you
cutting. They come with two tabs,
that you fold out. Put two on
the top,(one on each side) and one at the bottom in the middle.
This holds the canvas in place and allows you to cutwith ease.
This is very handy for
detailed work and allows you to keep the
first as a template for duplicate projects or to make
another at
a later date.
When doing the turkeyloop stitch, I use a
pencil or a sucker stick to do the loops,
depending on size of
the loop. It's alot easier than trying to hold the loop and do the
backstitch
to hold it at the same time. It gives it a real
nice feel and looks neat.
I use brass paper brads to hold my pieces
together while assembling.I work with the
elderly and cut out
patterns for them to stitch. I use colored plastic to make a template and
use the brads to fasten the pattern on to clear plastic to cut.
This is a craft to help them keep
their hands and minds busy.
When you are cutting the pattern and there are
small spaces where
your scissors won't fit use a craft knife.
I save my scraps of yarn to use to tack down my
pattern onto the piece I'm going to stitch.
This way, I don't waste
nice pieces of yarn that are to short to use otherwise.
I also use them
to make loops for things I'm going to hang on my wall.
For needle workers with arthritis in their
hands. Use a small magnet to place needles,
threader, etc.
on. Makes them easier to pick up and you won't loose them as easy.
If you use extras on your plastic canvas, buttons,
woodsies, etc, be sure to find a tackle box
(for fishing) that has a
place for lures on top of the box (clear compartments for storage).
It
works great for storing those extras on top and your ribbon, lace, doll
hair, rhinestones,
sequins, etc that you use to take your plastic
canvas to the next level.
Felt is the greatest thing for a plastic canvas
crafter!
Use it to back signs, easel backs to frames, ornament backing,
coasters. etc.
Anywhere you want to disguise your stitching back. Gives
a nice finished look to your
pieces and when taut ,it's easily stitched
through with yarn.
Using small wooden pieces adds a 3D look to your
projects.
Small already painted bugs, flowers, kids stuff, you name it
can be had at most craft
stores for about 20c each in the wood section
or scrapbooking section (they often go on
sale for even less!)
They can make a huge difference in the look of the project !
I use a small pair of wire cutter to cut away
nubs.
They are easier to control than scissors.
When cutting PC, use a small box cut 1/2 way
to cut over.
Prevents little nubs getting everywhere. Then,
just toss out the canvas nubs, yarn
strands and garbage after the
day's stitching .
If you are marking a pattern in PC and
run out of washable marker you can use a
permanent marker and
remove it with fingernail polish remover and a paper towel.
When cutting a pattern I know I will want to
stitch again, I cut it twice, putting the
second set in
a baggy, then I have a template to use when I want to stitch it again.
When you make a Tissue Box cover for a
holiday & you need to store for the
winter or summer, to keep
it from warping you can use an empty tissue box.
This works on
both Reg and Boutique tissue boxes.
When using 10 count plastic canvas, I have
found that using regular 4 ply
yarn split into 2 ply fills in the
canvas very well and makes for a pretty
finished item.
I have found when using the metallic
craft cord, that it is much easier to stitch
with if you remove
the white center. All you do is cut a length of the
cording
and just pull the white center out. This makes it
more pliable to stitch with.
If you have any old garden gloves around
the house don't throw them out. Cut
just below the fingers and
cut them in half then you can use them to help pull
your needle
through. For people who have arthritis this will be a big help.
Cut different geometric shapes (small
ones) and stitch
with pretty designs. Attach the shapes
alternatively with strings of beads
or golden coloured
threads. This will make a good wall hanging or door
hanging
(you can hang at the sides of the door). Also attach a small bell at
the
end of the door hanging.
Small scraps of plastic canvas can be used
for making bookmarks. On long
rectangular pieces of canvas you
can stitch some cross stitch designs & it
will make a good
bookmark. You can put small flowers or cute teddy bears
on the
canvas, Attach a giant paper clip by sewing onto the back.
When I make coasters or projects that I want
to have a finished back on,
I glue a piece of foam packing paper
(you can buy it in rolls at Office Depot
or Office Max ) It comes
in different thicknesses and is used for packing items
to move. I then trim
it to fit the project and it has a nice looking finished backing.
Your Helpful Hint
© 2009 Dancing Dolphin Patterns