Thread Technique Team (Page 2)
Ann Caswell, Beth Robertson and Suzanne HowrenCLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO PAGE 1 Suzanne and Beth became friends through their mutual involvement with the ANG, both serving on the board of their local chapter. Beth and Suzanne began their professional collaboration when they teamed up to form SHEAR Creations LLC. The impetus was a client referral they received from Ann. Their first customers were Sharon Garmize and Ricki Henry at Renaissance Designs and soon they were adding other canvas artists. Under the banner of SHEAR Creations Suzanne and Beth have produced stitch and thread guides for painted canvas designers. In 1996 they began writing and publishing a book series: Stitches For Effect, More Stitches For Effect and the latest, Even More Stitches For Effect. They have also developed and taught several pieces for TNNA, local shops, ANG National Seminars and Callaway Gardens. The subject of these classes deal primarily with selecting threads and stitches to create realistic effects on painted canvas - also the premise of their books. Although both Suzanne and Beth had dabbled in designing previously, it was after they joined forces with Ann to form the Thread Technique Team, that they began designing in earnest.
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Colors, threads, buttons, beads, landscapes, photos and shapes provide the inspiration for Beth's design ideas. When asked to describe her personal artistic style, Beth is at somewhat of a loss admitting, "I'm not sure how to answer that; I think it's still under development. Nothing I've designed resembles anything else." She readily concedes that her style is constantly evolving, "My tastes seem to change from week to week."
Ann is influenced in designing by her dual passions-pattern and interpreting realistic (or landscape) scenes with threads and stitches. She explains, "I have long had a fascination with pattern in almost all forms-mosaics, iron work, wood work, tiles, etc. My interest in landscapes started about 5 years ago. I've been teaching classes which encourage stitchers to look at the world around them and really 'see' what surrounds us."
Threads, stitches, textures and colors mainly inspire Suzanne. She enjoy combining all three to create a new design. She is also inspired by holidays, found objects (beads, embellishments), photographs, museum and gallery shows and traveling. She proceeds by developing a design planned around a selection of primary threads, using additional threads to complement the main design elements. Suzanne describes her artistic style with complete candor, "Probably as realistic as possible without being able to draw. I like to interpret ideas with color and stitches."
With respect to the nature of their collaboration, Suzanne explains. "All 3 of us were interested in doing charted needlepoint designs." Beth adds, "As our expertise is in the use of threads and stitches, when we decided to collaborate, we wanted to develop designs that incorporated these techniques." Hence the name Thread Technique Team. Beth continues, "The T3 refers to both the 3 of us and the 3 "Ts" in the name." Ann continues, "T3 is a union of 3 individuals with different strengths and visions, who are trying to find an efficient way to integrate those visions. We all share in our love of threads and stitches and we enjoy working together. We bring individual ideas to the table for group discussion, then develop any ideas accepted by the group. That development is usually done by the individual with whom the idea originated."
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The specifics of how they interact depends on the project. When developing a stitch guide for painted canvas, they work as a group all providing suggestions for stitches, threads etc. The first original designs that they created as T3 were the 3 Kimonos: Woven Peacock, Summer Solstice, and Indigo. The kimono shape is the same for all, but each design incorporates different patterns. Beth explains, "As we developed these designs we discovered a lot about our individual design methods. We meet once a week... it is difficult to develop a design as a team within this limited time frame. So all three of us design, chart, choose threads, stitches and colors." When they meet in person each brings her individual design prepared to brainstorm. This enables them to resolve trouble spots and provides fresh insights into ways the designs can be enhanced. Beth elaborates, "We like to experiment with new and different methods. Yet we are all different when it comes to our favorite threads, stitches and color pallets. We play off these differences and use them to our advantage to create a diverse line of unique designs." The kimono series is a good example of how ideas evolves into designs. Suzanne clarifies, "We started out with a basic kimono shape. We decided that we wanted to have shapes inside the kimono design. Beth created about 20 different 'insert shapes' on the computer. We reviewed them as a group and we each chose a design that spoke to us. We each took our outline and went to work developing the design. When we met each week we would review what the other had done and offered suggestions."
Designing their cuff line evolved similarly. Some basic shapes for stocking cuffs were developed. From these shapes the designs were created. The Vintage Victorian Stocking Cuff, a Bargello pattern using Watercolours, laid the groundwork for the development of the Bargello Reflections and Autumn Spice Bargello pillows series and the Bargello Ornament. All three women are involved in some way in each design, be it stitching, charting, photography or packaging.
T3 also focuses on developing teaching pieces. One such project, "One Stitch Wonders," was conceived and published in Needlepoint Now in two installments. These are designs that use only one stitch. The T3 team are brimming with ideas for other projects, which are still very much in the development stage. It's a safe bet that these will evolve with some unexpected results given the unique nature of their three-way collaboration. Be sure to stay tuned for new developments!
Sudance Designs is our distributor. Their website is
www.sundancedesignsonline.com/Sundance Designs is now T-3's Distributor. Their website is
http://www.sundancedesignsonline.com/.To get directly to T-3's designs on the Sundance website go to:
http://www.sundancedesignsonline.com/designers/threadteam/body.htm
Sundance Designs
6546 E. Tanque Verde #150
Tucson, AZ 85715
phone: 520-886-8880
email: SundanceNW@aol.com
SHEAR Creations stitch guides are available to the trade from the Caron Collection
DESIGNER ARCHIVES Click below if you missed our previous Designer Spotlights and FREE patterns Rosemary Drysdale
Too Sisters
David McCaskill (revisited)
Carmen Wyant
Janet Fenton
Carolyn Hook
Thea Dueck
Deborah Wilson
Karen Buell
Orna Willis
Linda Wyszynski
Jean Smith
Libby Sturdy
Emie Bishop
Stephanie Novatski
Rosalyn Watnemo
Linda Reeves
Carol Tinson
Julie Pischke
Catherine Reurs
Charland Garvin
Martina Weber
Cassandra Prescott
Mary Duckworth
Claudia Dutcher
Leslie Levison
Judi Kauffman
Linda Connors
Sue Kerndt
Dawn Lewis
David McCaskill
Linda Barry
Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum
Pam Davenport
Sue Stehle, of Sekas & Co.
Diane Evans, of Something Different
CARON email: mail@caron-net.com / Webmaster nika@optonline.net
