Wanted to take a moment to wish everyone A Very Merry Christmas 

and 

send out a heart filled,Thank you! 

It was a wonderful year in 

 Punch needle Designs!

See you after the Holiday's!

Kate

Partridge & Pear

"Partridge & Pear"

The Holiday Punching Patterns are soon coming to an end, 

a couple more goodies are on the way!

Offering this punch as a Christmas or year round Punch display!

5 1/2' inches High by 7' inches wide

Color coded using Valdani 100%, Hand dyed Threads & DMC floss

This is a 3 strand Punch!

Available now in my Cottage Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Punching Dots

How to accomplish dots the easy way ...  Read on

First Snowelle

" First Snowelle"

I'm hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, 

You're all done with your Christmas shopping....Right?

If you're wondering what to do with your spare time?

This is 3 strand punch, 

color coded using Valdani & DMC Threads 

It measures 81/2" Tall  x 5 " Wide

I am now offering this beautiful Holly tree in my Cottage Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Happy Holiday Punching,

Kate

Checking it Twice

"Checking it Twice"

Santa will be here before you know it! 

He is checking his list for all the good and bad boys and girls! 

There's a candle on top of the table with a warm glow, 

a quill pen and his hat hangs on the back of his chair.  

3 strand punch!

This comes color coded using DMC and Valdani #12.

This is a mixer. 

(Mixer) 

His pants for shading purposes is two strands of one color and one strand of another color.

Now available in my Cottage Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Happy Punching, Kate

Twiggs

Twiggs punch Needle Pattern

"Twiggs"

For all you punchers who love a blue Christmas. 

This little guy is anything but! He is a happy little fellow. 

He is 6 inches high by 4 inches wide!

Again a 3 strand punch! Which its my favorite thread count. 

He comes color coded using both Valdani 100% colorfast, Hand dyed Threads

 &

 DMC for detail work!

Now available in my Cottage Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Have a wonderful day and as always Happy Punching,

Kate

Pa Prim Farmhouse

PA Prim Farmhouse

Punched using #12 Perle Cotton, Valdani 100% Hand dyed, Colorfast Threads and DMC.

This is a Three Strand Punch. Coffee Stained on the edges to mimic that Primitive old age feel.

Coffee stain recipe is included with the pattern.

The Pattern is available in my Cottage Etsy Shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Tree Tops

A simplistic winter scene, is now being offered in my Cottage Etsy shop. If you are looking for a prim look coffee stain would look beautiful along the edges! 

This punch needle pattern measures: 7 inches high by 4 3/4 inches wide.

Stay tuned to the Shop. I've decided to start selling my model punches. I will be listing them a bit at a time for the Holiday Season.

I'm hoping everyone is enjoying the gorgeous fall weather.

 I'm off to rake a few leaves, and enjoy the outdoors for a bit today. 

ENJOY!

Kate

Happy Halloween

I Spy

"I Spy" 

copyright 

Briar Cottage Studio

 2 & 3 strand Punch.

(Mixer)

Color Coded using Valdani 100% Colorfast  Hand dyed threads for Background

 &

 DMC for Detail work!

It measures approximately 6" High by 5 1/2 " wide.

With my little eye!

It's a Beautiful Day in Pittsburgh, PA! 

I'll take it, yesterday was a blistery, wet, Dank (one of my favorite words Dank) day. But with all the dankness and encouragement from friends, I decided to get my watercolors out again. It came back to me like riding a bike. I enjoyed a fire and my watercolors. I think at least once a month I will do a watercolor converted to Punch needle, and feature them on the blog. So follow along won't you, I think it will be fun!

Have a safe and wonderful day!

Kate

Toasty & Warm

Toasty & Warm

There is definitely a fall crispness in the air, but at Briar Cottage Winter is on it's way! Introducing my newest Pattern...Toasty he measures approximately 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches.

Find him and other patterns at my Cottage Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Have a Beautiful day,

Kate

Hoop vs Frame

You can use a common embroidery hoop, but let me point out, your fabric.......CLICK HERE TO READ MORE 

Olde Chimes Ornies

Olde Chimes Christmas Ornaments

Three Ornaments for the price of one!

Finish as you like! Finishing details not included.

It was suggested they be finished into bells.

Three Christmas Ornaments to hang on your tree or as a cabinet hanger.

All three ornaments come in one pattern.

3 strand punch,Valdani and DMC Color coded for your convenience 

or switch the colors to your own Christmas theme.

Now available in my Cottage Etsy Shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Punching 

Kate

Gauge your needle

Gauge your needle

When gauging your needle, you are setting your loop length....Read more on ....

http://punchneedletips.blogspot.com/

Christmas Past

"Christmas Past"

My newest Pattern! A favorite Christmas toy of years gone by! 

I see no reason why this Christmas pattern could be left out all year long. 

Blues and reds, grays and browns.

 Measuring 9" wide by 5 3/4" tall.

This is a 3 strand punch using Valdani #12 perle cotton, hand dyed and colorfast 

and DMC for details. Color Coded

It is available as a jpg download or Printed, printed with a unprinted fat quarter of weavers cloth, or printed on a fat quarter of weavers cloth ready to go.

Now available in my Cottage Etsy shop:

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage 

Happy Punching,

Kate

Display Stands

PUNCH NEEDLE DISPLAY STANDS 

designed and made by Kate

I have come up with a new way to display Punch needle Mats.

Now available in my Cottage Etsy Shop

CLICK HERE

Read the description Carefully they come in various sizes and colors.

Only Twelve available...when they are gone they're gone.

Free standing, Punch Needle Stand, made with old spindles. Just push straight pins or tacks through your punch needle into the cork to hold the punch needle mat in place. 

Hurry only Twelve available!

 These would made a great Christmas Present along with your Punch design.

Happy Punching 

Kate

Threaders & Threading a Needle

Threading a Cameo Ultra Punch & CTR Needles

Information on Threaders and Threading your 

Cameo & CTR Needles Can be found on my Punch Needle Tips page......Read More...

Have a wonderful Friday,

Kate

Merry Melinda

"Merry Melinda"

Melinda has returned in a new Christmas Punch Needle Pattern

She is balancing on a  bed of Holly

and the bells are a ringing

a close up of her delicate holly crown!

This pattern measures (9" tall by 5" wide)

3 strand punch

It is a mixer: using DMC for Details and Valdani for the background.

I do realize that it's not even October, please don't shoot the messenger! But for those of you that want to get started on some Christmas Projects for gifts, Melinda is a wonderful punch! She has just been posted in my Cottage shop on Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Have a wonderful Day!

Kate

Comparing Punch Needles

Comparing Punch Needles.....Read more

A new Page at Briar Cottage

I have been asked over and over again to teach punch needle. I have to tell you I am not a writer nor am I a teacher... but figured I would give it a try. The best I can do is give tips and tricks occasionally to help you along your new or old venture. 

Very first punch from a kit

I am an artist, I don't believe in rules I believe in the venture..Rules are a starting point, a beginning, a basic start. So I will include the basic rules and also try to include ways to make it more interesting, break the rules, try new ventures, experiment! 

Follow along with me, if you have any questions please place a comment on the post and I will try and give you an answer as soon as I can! If you would like to receive my posts you can follow along by subscribing to the email list on the side.

The tip and Learning will be on a new page...listed in the other links on the side bar. I haven't decided exactly how I will approach this venture. But I'm thinking for the moment I will link a picture from here to the new post on the Punch Needle Tips page until everyone gets used to it. If  you have a better way of doing it please let me know!

The First Post is a shopping list of needed supplies. See More click here


Happy Punching!
Kate

Birds Eye View

Bird's eye View

Punch Needle Pattern

Hawks view

My newest pattern! 

A reminder of Fall, but it could also be displayed any time of year.

This is a very fun Punch!

Worked with 3 strand floss and measures 7 1/2" Tall by 5 1/4" wide.

Comes color coded using Valdani and DMC floss.

Available as a jpg download or printed by snail mail, you may also opt to have it pre printed on a fat quarter of weavers cloth!

If you would like to purchase Bird's eye view or visit my Etsy Cottage shop.

here's the link:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/briarcottage

Have a wonderful Day, and as always Happy Punching!

Kate

Candle Ring Finishing

Bittersweet Punch Needle Candle Ring

Place under a Jarred Candle or a lamp.

Finish the punch, clip weavers cloth on the outside with triangle shaped farley close to the finished edge and the inner edge with a straight line clip. This holds true for any sewing finishes it helps to flatten any project.

here is a close up of clips

Iron your clips to the inside of your work.

Using a piece of 100 % wool. 

Helps to wash the wool to felt it. you can do this by hand washing using hot then cold water intermittently. 

The hot then cold will felt the small fibers in the wool together.

Cut your piece of wool to about 1/8th inch from punch. There is no need to turn the wool under like a hem. Blanket stitch the wool and punch together around the edges to finish. Since the wool is felted it will not fray.

If you are using fabric, use the same clipping as above, turn in, iron, and hem just like the Weavers cloth. Then blanket stitch the two together.

closeup of 1/8 inch wool hem

Your piece is now finished and can be placed around any object your imagination can muster up!

If you have any questions please leave a comment and I try and answer them as soon as possible and to the best of my knowledge.

Thank you for visiting, I hope to add more learning ventures a little at a time, so stop back often or subscribe to my mailing list!

Have a Great Day!

Kate