Let's Talk Business UPDATED

I'm starting to hear rumors here and there about DMC's financial situation. I see that they have added information about their stock price and press releases to their home page and have delayed announcing financial results from 2007. I've been told that their thread division isn't in trouble, it's their fabric division but I have no clue whether this is correct.

http://www.dmc.com/

We'll just file this under Rumors and move on.

UPDATE: Here is a press release sent by DMC America to some cross stitch designers who shared it with some business lists. I quote it in full--

For Immediate Release

South Kearny, N.J., April 30, 2008.

In recent days, there has been a significant amount of information in the form of press releases, media reports, etc. regarding financial difficulties and operational restructuring plans at the DMC corporate offices in France. Those activities and court filings within the legal system in France are directed towards seeking a formal resolution for two divisions within the DMC Corporation (Sportswear fabric and a small chain of retail stores found only in France that are not related to the embroidery thread and craft activities, which remain the core business of the corporation.

In addition, the U.S. division of DMC operates as a separate legal and financial entity with its own financing, receivables, payables, etc, and as such, is not included in any legal filing or petitions to the courts that may occur in France. We are financially secure and fully prepared to conduct business as usual here in the U.S.

DMC has been manufacturing needlework threads for 262 years and we remain committed to providing stitchers with the highest quality embroidery floss, specialty threads, needlework fabrics and other supplies they need to continue to enjoy the wonderful art of needlework. We look forward to continuing to serve all of our customers and loyal users of DMC products into the future.
Joseph D. McCabe
President/CEO
DMC, Inc.

Main blog at http://bl0g.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Let's Talk Tent

Now that my ANG Auction project of the two little Asian girls is almost finished, let's talk about What's Next. I have some finishing to do and I'll post photographs of that, but my next project is going back to our roots in the 1940s-1960s when needlepoint was done for chair seats in all wool using the tent stitch family--basketweave, continential and tent stitches.

Even today if you plan to stitch a needlepoint rug, you will probably use wool and either something from the tent family of stitches or cross stitch or Victorian cross stitch. Wool in these stitches is very durable, perfect for rugs, upholstry or other similar NP that will get hard usage. But today's needlepointer tends to choose charts or painted canvas designs and tries to use all sorts of fancy threads and stitches. So why would I want to return to 1956?

Because good design will include something from the tent stitch family in almost every piece of needlepoint to allow the eye to rest. Tent stitches are perfect for that small area where you need coverage and for places where nothing else works. And tent stitches are the perfect stitch for practicing how to start/end off threads, how to choose the right size of needle, how to handle multiple colors and how to learn to control stitch tension. There are some really gorgeous designs available which won't look good with fancy stitches. If you aren't familiar with Kaffe Fassett, check out his website, then head over to Ehrman Tapestry to see the best of English design in regular old tent stitches. The photo above is a Kaffee Fassett design on the front of an old Ehrman Tapestry catalogue. Isn't it gorgeous?!

http://www.kaffefassett.com/needlepoint.htm

http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/

Ever go to an exhibit of needlepoint and see two identical renditions of the same design? Almost always one looks better than the other even if they are the same right down to the threads and colors chosen and even if they are in a similar frame. The reason one piece looks better is due to that stitcher having mastered starting/ending threads, switching colors and knowing how to keep their tension consistent.

I'd like to propose that we learn better stitching technique using Lani's Autumn Leaves piece with simple tent stitches. (You'll see the bare painted canvas under my Current Project listing on the right side of this page.) I'll gussy up the lessons by using some fancy new threads. Don't assume I know everything there is to know about tent stitches, by the way. We'll be learning the best way to do some things together. I'll tell you what I've learned about basic needlepoint techniques and you will share your tips with me and everyone else.

So stay tuned as we talk tent!

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Dark and Dreary in Chilly Hollow

I’ve not stitched any for almost a week now due to other responsibilities and the death of my light/magnifier which helped me stitch on overcast days or late at night. The little bit of stitching I still need to do on Fan needs good light which has been scarce recently. It’s rained a lot in Chilly Hollow, which is good for the flowers and water table, but bad for my needlepoint. So it might be a good time to talk about the kinds of lights and magnifiers stitchers in my situation can choose from.

I already know what I want--a Dazor. But what suits my stitching style and the chair I stitch in here in Chilly Hollow may not suit you at all, even if we have the same vision. Look the various lamps Stitcher’s Paradise sells, some with magnifiers and some without. There are a lot of brands and styles and features to choose from!

http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Lamps_Magnifiers/Lamps_Magnifiers.htm

Some people love the Daylight lights which have special light bulbs that are said to mimic sunlight closely and show colors the way they actually are. Personally I can’t tell the difference, but your eyes may be totally different and this might be exactly what you need when choosing just the right color from similar shades.

I rarely travel, so I am not interested in a portable light--with or without magnification--but you may need something like clip-on magnifiers. Try before you buy. I can’t see anything through these because my close-up vision is very good.

Do you need a light and a magnifier in one item? Will the style you like fit on a table near you or must you have a floor stand model? Is the light too heavy to have clipped to your frame while you stitch? How much are you willing to spend? All these are questions you must figure out for yourself to choose the right light and/or magnifier.

Read carefully the information at the bottom of the page of the link above for more issues that will effect how happy you will be with a certain type of light. I’ve not shown a ton of links to lights as there really are a great many styles but you can get a sense of what is available here. If you belong to a guild, try to set up a show & tell about lights and magnifiers so you can try out a variety of style so you know better what suits you. Then watch for sales, particularly at Joann’s Fabrics online store and at your local shop. The Silver Needle has a big sale on Dazor’s each November and there may be other places where you can buy what you want at a discount. After all, you’d rather spend the money you save on thread, charts, canvases and tools, right?

http://www.silversites.net/daylight.php?Reloaded=True&osCsid=1c853bb8f4d3cadb9d9e9dd2b4799ada

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat2738

By the way, sorry to not have posted at Blogspot at the same time I posted this at my main blog. Blogspot would not ever open this morning to add a new blog entry.


Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

New Pictures of Juanita

The images I uploaded yesterday weren't as clear as Janet and I would have liked, so Janet sent new ones last night for me to upload this morning. My Internet connection was so spotty because it was raining that we think the image quality suffered.

So there are new pictures of Juanita for you to admire down two blog entries.

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Thanks for Sharing Juanita!

Ok, I can't help it--I had to post one last link to Juanita, the Mexican Lady. This time, what you see below is the unstitched painted canvas from Melissa Shirley Designs. This is based on a painting by Carter Holman called Secrets. The design is available on either 13 or 18 count canvas. The photo you'll see is courtesy of Laura Zickus who photographed it for the Needlenook of La Jolla website. The classes with Brenda Hart Janet Moyer mentioned in her posts about the Mexican Lady are at Needlenook of La Jolla, but of course your local shop can order this canvas for you in the size you prefer straight from Melissa Shirley.

http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=ch118-2

If you want to see more of Linda Carter Holman's art, visit her website here.

http://www.carterholman.com/

If you think about having to stitch enough on a piece to post photos and a description of what you've done each and every week, you will know what I've put Janet Moyer through over the last two months or so. She deserves our thanks for keeping to my deadlines and also being brave enough to show her mistakes, problems, successes and the final product to 1500-3000 people each and every Sunday over that time. Janet has also promised to send me a photo of Juanita and her bouquet when it comes back from the framers. So stay tuned.

But first, please give Dr. Janet Moyer a standing ovation.

Main blog at http:///

Juanita, the Mexican Lady, is finished

Many thanks to all of you who followed the Lady and who commented on her progress as I stitched on her through the past few months.

We all owe a big thank you to Linda Carter Holman for the original painting, to Melissa Shirley for putting the painting to needlepoint canvas, and to Jane of Chilly Hollow for allowing us to participate in this adventure on her blog.


I finished the branches the birds sit on, added more greenery around the roses, and stitched the birds. The branches are stitched in a Needle Necessities overdye (I think it was discontinued). Brenda Hart had suggested a whipped chain for the branches. I was watching T.V. as I stitched and had to laugh when I finished and realized I’d come up with a variation of the whipped chain. I liked the accidental variation as it added to the gnarly look of the branches. I will add the variation to my list of stitches.

The birds were stitched in basketweave in an Anchor floss (bright blue, #132). You cannot tell it from the picture but I made three layers of threads for the wings in a ray stitch. I kept stacking one layer over the other: first a metallic ribbon (Kreinik 1/16” # 850), then a deep purple/blue petite frosty ray (#PY370) and topped off with sewing machine metallic thread in two colors, silver and multi-color pastels. I also made two layers of the petite frosty rays for the bottoms of the birds’ tails.

You can see that I changed the calla lilies slightly by using fabric for the center and for the stamens. I may change them again but will leave them for now.

When I started this project I “chatted” with Linda Carter Holman via email about the piece she had entitled “Secrets.” I wondered aloud with her if the calla lilies
meant Resurrection (as seen in Easter) or death (particularly symbolic in the Victorian era). I also opined that the roses might mean life or love.

She responded that: “Calla Lilies do give a certain feeling-- Someone told me that it is the flower of the bride of Christ. I like that description. I Like that idea too --of Death and resurrection. These two ideas may come down to the same meaning. And Roses another flower that comes to -----love. The thorny path.”

So from this conversation I concocted Juanita’s back story. She is obviously a young woman, well dressed in Mexican clothing with the addition of her pearls and diamond jewelry. She is wearing a diamond ring on her left hand, a sign of being engaged. She is taking the calla lilies (death and Resurrection) to the grave of her deceased husband (see how prominent in size they are on the canvas?) and is also carrying roses for her living fiancé. I like the story as it alludes to Juanita’s secrets. There is a wonderful festival called “The Day of the Dead” in Mexico (especially in Oaxaca) where people go to the graves of their relatives and celebrate the dead. People dress up and take gifts to the graves. So, Juanita is celebrating also.

The night I was in Michael’s buying ribbon, floss, and beads for the roses, two Mexican women walked by, examined the canvas, and said they really liked it. I mentioned that I had been criticized for adding jewelry to ethnic clothing but I thought Juanita was dressed up for a festival of some kind. The two ladies agreed with me and said that women in a more southern part of Mexico dress like that. So, I was content that my interpretation was not culturally insensitive.

This entry ends our collaboration on Juanita. I’ve enjoyed the process and Look-I finished a needlepoint! I have an idea for the frame and if Jane would like to show the canvas in the frame, in the future, I will provide a picture.

Thank you for watching me stitch.

Janet in La La Land

Main blog at http:///

Thoughts on a Spring Day in Chilly Hollow

I’ve not had the time to finish Fan, the second of the two little Asian girls from Melissa Shirley designs, this week. It’s spring in Chilly Hollow and there is yard work to do whenever I can. But shortly I will have her all finished and take photos for you before Fan and Butterfly leave with their purse for the finisher to be turned into what I hope is an eye-catching delight for the Indian Wells ANG Seminar Auction.

If you are going, take lots of photos of the little girls and their new owner!

Now it is time to think about the next project. I’ve already promised to do an all-tent stitch project so that we can talk about the basics each stitcher needs to master, but before I start anything new, I have a pile of finishing to do. I have two heart ornaments, the little blue wizard Santa for the ANG Auction, and two mini stockings to finish and I’m going to do most of them myself. I don’t much like finishing but doing it myself is satisfying and cheap. I’ll start gathering the supplies I will need over the next week with visits to the crafts emporiums in the area for trim, backing fabric, quilt batting for stuffing, etc. And I promise to take photos and describe what I do to finish these pieces as long as you promise not to mention the glue I have in my hair. Deal?

Meanwhile a thunderstorm has just moved through and it is too wet and overcast to do either yard work or needlepoint, so I think I’ll relax with my copy of Needle Pointers for May 2008 which just arrived a day or so back. I read it cover to cover--the ads, the ANG officers’ report, everything. I always find neat stuff and today there’s a brief mention that Terry Dryden has a blog now.

I admire her designs, which are always different but not all that hard for someone with basic skills in needlepoint. She is primarily a teacher, but her retired class pieces are available as kits, which tickles me pink. I love her happy pastel colorways and I know I am going to check out her blog to see what someone who uses stitches in ways totally different from everyone else has to say. Here’s her redesigned website with the link to her Color Texture Stitch Journal blog. Have fun exploring!

http://www.terrydryden.com/

Jane, off to look at dogwoods in the rain once more but I’ll meet you at Terry’s shortly
UPDATE: Actually, I was unable to post to Blogspot last night. The rain slowed my Internet connection so much that I couldn't even log on to Blogspot. Sorry!


Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Mystery Geishas

This must be mystery week since I'm doing lots of mystery-themed writing. So here's another, two geisha embroideries on eBay whose techinques seem to be a mystery. I think the framed Japanese geisha is embroidered.

http://tinyurl.com/4wzt5o

And I think the "crocheted" geisha is actually chain stitch, which might make her Chinese.

http://tinyurl.com/4sjj73

What do you think?

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Color Mystery UPDATED

UPDATE: Thinking about this blog entry from yesterday, I'm not satisficd that I really conveyed what I meant to say, without giving away too many teacher secrets, of course. So I'm going to try again. Hopefully, what I'm getting at about choosing colors for charted designs, using a Gay Ann Roger's new design as an example, will make more sense. Communication is so hard!


Gay Ann Roger's blog is full of information about her mystery design called "Mystery in a Corner." She's posted how to order the chart on 4/24/08 and she has also been posting photos of various thread combinations that folks have ordered. The 4/24 posting has a picture of the piece itself, but you only see the center. The "mystery" is how the corners unfold. You won't know that until you actually stitch them!

http://gayannrogers.blogspot.com/

To see the photos of thread combos, scroll down to the left side of the home page and click on the March 2008 archive. Roll to the bottom of the page and start looking at the pictures. Remember, the latest blog entry is above earlier ones, so you'll have to navigate your way through the entries, looking for postings of the 32 different combinations. The reason they are important is what they say about our own color choices. Notice how many have blue or purple or red as the main color? That makes me think that most folks prefer those colors these days. Purple may be the burnt orange of the 1970s....

In Gay Ann's cyber classroom for the Shining Needle Society she is holding a color discussion which I found interesting. GAR is asking, "Which color combination do you like? Why?"

Myself, I'm fondest of the thread grouping #29 which is shown above, because I like at least three contrasting colors in charted designs and I also liked the perle cotton thread. Folks who already have their charts and have started stitching say that the perle cotton is very prominent in the center of the design (looks to me that you use the perle cotton to do the framework for the center section which you can see in the photograph of the center of this pattern, so I went through the pictures, choosing first the color combos I liked, then I winnowed out choices if I wasn't crazy about the perle cotton in a set. Finally, I looked for thread combos with more colors instead of ones with various shades of only 1-2 colors. I think designs with only one shade don't show off detail very well.

But the real question here is--what colors do you like? And WHY?

Many thanks to Gay Ann Rogers for a very thought-provoking question.

If you are curious about the classes the Shining Needle Society facilitates, you should head to Yahoo Groups and sign up for the SNS homeroom, which is the place where new class announcements are made. Gay Ann Rogers' class is open, which means she allows auditors like me, but most classes are not. To participate in the class you will either audit the class for a small fee if you have the design already but want to sit through class again to help motivate you to finish it, or you will pay the full teaching fee and buy your kit either through the teacher or gather supplies yourself, depending on how that teacher structures that class.

Now! Hope this all makes more sense.

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Lantern Moon Tote Bag for Asian Girls UPDATED

This week the tote bag that the Asian girls will be attached to for the ANG Auction arrived. Can you guess which one I choose?

http://www.lanternmoon.com/landing_access.asp#3

UPDATE: The photo I've added is courtesy of Summer Truswell, who made this mockup in preperation for the finishing of the two little girls on a purse. Here's the purse itself.

http://www.lanternmoon.com/LT.asp


Summer has volunteered her finishing services to the ANG Auction for this piece. She's the greatest! You can admire her work at the links below.

www.summerlouise.com

www.needleworkfinishing.com



Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

What Part of Meow Don't You Understand?

Remember Squiggee's dog slide show last week? Gail Hendrix has given equal coverage to cats in a new slide show on her blog and mirror blog. There are elegant cats, Halloween cats, double-sided cats and cats with attitude. What fun!

Look for her 4/20/08 blog entry to view the slide show.

http://squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-OB4LKpQiarOD7lr5svmEAE1LT3DQ

Rave Reviews

I've been hearing rave reviews about two new designs, one a painted canvas by SharonG called Eight Flying Jewels, and one a charted design in the latest issue of Needle Pointers magazine by Peg Dunayer called Log Cabin in the Woods.

Log Cabin is above. You can see photos on the ANG website also. Click on the little thumbnail photo to see the whole thing on the table of contents page of the May/June 2008 issue.

http://www.needlepoint.org/magazine.php

Eight Flying Jewels is on SharonG's website. Again, click on the thumbnail to see a lovely large image.

http://sharong.com/catalog/new.html

It's always interesting to see what large numbers of people love in the charted and painted canvas realms.

Stitching Fan's Butterfly

Both of Melissa Shirley's little Japanese girls hold butterflies. Butterfly is flying a butterfly-shaped kite and Fan holds a butterfly in her hand. I think myself Fan's butterfly is a hair ornament and she is studying herself in the mirror to see just where in her hair to place it. So obviously the two butterflies are both important elements in both designs.

Because the hair ornament butterfly is rose red, I used my dark rose red Bella silk for the lower wings and the medium rose red Mandarin floss for the upper, lighter-colored wings. You'll see my first step above--using one ply of the Mandarin floss (it is a six ply thread made from bamboo fiber) I outlined the butterfly wing shapes.

You may remember that the pale yellow background stitch went right on top of one wing and the antenna, so I used a sharp and small 28 needle to go right through the background stitch in places. Once I had the outline, it was easy to fill in with little short stitches of various lengths.

The finial touch was the gold Kreinik antenna (stem stitch) and outlining the wings with one strand of Treasure Braid in purple. Fan has purple in her (the other little girl doesn't--it's the only color they don't both wear) and I decided a bit of purple shine would make the tiny butterfly stand out. After all, the gold antenna don't show awfully well against the pale yellow background. Below you see the end result.

Now, on to finish that kimono! This entry is also shown at my main blog--

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Roses for Juanita, the Mexican Lady

Today Janet Moyer is back to talk about Juanita, the Mexican Lady canvas from Melissa Shirley that is an adaptation of a Linda Carter Holman painting called “Secrets.” You can see the unstitched canvas below, courtesy of Laura Zickus who photographed it for Needle Nook of La Jolla’s website. Janet is working the 13 count version of this piece, although it is also available on 18 count needlepoint canvas.

http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=ch118-2

Janet finished the roses this week and the following is her description of how she did them.
***************************************************************************************************

"Once I committed to the fabric Calla Lilies (white stars on white fabric) I knew I would probably have to change my mind about using silk roses and sewing them on by hand. Sure enough, it was just too much. The silk flowers were too high and even if I trimmed them I knew matting and framing the piece would be difficult with too-high flowers. (You can only use so many spacers on a mat). So what to do for the roses?

I thought and thought about it and tried a number of different stitches which I didn't like (too fat, too heavy, too competitive with the lace shawl). I needed to use two shades of yellow, and a pale orange for the flowers. I tried basketweave (too boring),stem stitches (nope), then satin stitches (not my favorite stitch to do but I dutifully tried it). I bought a lovely hand-dyed silk ribbon (too big). While I love beading I thought that all-beaded roses would be too much glitter on the piece and I already had a lot of sparkle. I looked at my stitch books. Nothing satisfied me. Finally in desperation I went to Michael's (a local crafts store) and bought the colors I needed in beads, floss, and tiny ribbon. I went home and sat at the table and said THINK! Desperation sometimes produces Inspiration.

After sewing yellow floss in a 5 spoke pattern on each rose on the canvas, I began to weave the tiny ribbon under and over the floss. So far so good until I realized I would have the same problem with the ribbon standing up too high that I had with the larger ribbon. The resolution for me was to turn *over* the ribbon over every so often and tack it down with a matching bead. Eurkea! It worked and the results are on the screen. I think the roses look like the fully bloomed, blowzy roses you see in an old fashioned garden – fragrant and beautiful and one just wants to inhale the gorgeous fragrance of them.

One of the challenges of stitching a painted canvas is to come up with your own stitch guide. I never do one completely before stitching (how do those professionals do it?) as I have to play with the colors, the stitches, and try different things. This is a busy piece as I chose to interpret it, with color, decorative stitches, sequins, beads, and trim. I violated my own 60/40 rule and had a great time doing it.

Next week I will show you the completed canvas and tell you Juanita's story. Aren't you curious?

Janet in La La Land

**************************************************************************************************

NOTE: If you would like to look at Janet’s first version of the roses, look for her March 30th blog entry. Her calla lilies, the other major floral motif on this piece, are shown in the April 6th entry. If you are at the mirror blog (below) choose dates from the list at the bottom of the page.

http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

If you read this from the Yahoo 360 blog, use the calendar in the middle of the left-hand column.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Fan's Fan (and more)

Yesterday I finished stitching the pale yellow background and the red double border (slanted stitches over the painted border, then a row of tent on the outside for finishing ease) and the fan that gives Fan her name.

The fan itself posed several problems. It is a major focal point for this design. Little Fan's face peeks around it, after all, and faces are what we look at first on canvases. I stitched her face in tent stitches, then emphasized the hair ornaments a bit with beads and padded stitches. So the fan in her hand had to be slightly emphasized also to balance the hair ornaments on the other side of her face. Do up the hair ornaments but not the fan and you might make her face seem lopsided.

I ended up stitching the fan in long stitches, blending my rose to pink shades as I went. I irnored the leaf and blossom design on the fan as I stitched, leaving those areas empty. Yesterday I went back and stitched the leaves first using my medium green DMC floss (2 plies) and making cross stitches across the green threads. This gave them a bit more rounded look than the slanted / tent stitches would do but it didn't make them too prominent. When it comes to flowers, the blossoms are always more important than the leaves. Then I tent stitched (two plies of my pale yellow Splendor silk) the flower area. I wanted a foundation for the tiny little French knots I put on top as the flowers.

The French knots themselves are two plies of the same thread, wrapped only once around the needle, with my tension as controlled as I could make it while wrapping the thread and then plunging the needle with the threads held where they belonged as much as possible. Most of the flowers only have 3-4 French knots on them. The underlying tent stitches provide color so that you don't have to cover everything with French knots. I thought having too many French knots would make the flowers a tad too prominent. After all, this is supposed to be a paper or perhaps a silk fabric fan that would not have the flowers sticking out. They would just be painted on or woven in.

I need to finish the kimono today and then turn my attention to the butterfly in Fan's other hand. After that, I need to think about what outline stitches I might need to add on her kimono, face or hands.

Three Things to Finish Fan

Fan's broad yellow border is done now, so I need to turn my attention to the things I need to do to finish her up so she and her companion canvas Butterfly can head off to the finisher in plenty of time for the ANG Auction.

I need to do several things with her kimono--finish the last sleeve in backwards I stitch, then add the gold dots and green trefoil leaf pattern, and finally add the green edging to one sleeve. Then I have to tackle her fan (should I use beads there?) and the butterfly in her other hand. I also have to finish the pale yellow backgroud on her right side and stitch the rose border including a row of tent on the outside to make life easier for the World's Greatest Finisher, Summer.

There's a lot to go but much of it won't take long. Hurrah! The end is in sight!

And double hurrah--it is finally spring in Chilly Hollow. The redbuds are blooming and the dogwoods are thinking about it. And we have Virginia bluebells everywhere. See the photo above? The buds are pink but they turn blue as they blossom. There are masses of them covering Morgan's Island in front of my house. It looks smoky blue there each morning when I drive to work. And there are plenty along the driveway, too. I took a photo for you. It's odd but in another month the flowers, those broad green leaves, everything will have vanished entirely.

And next spring, they will come back to enchant me all over again.

Stitch N Pitch

Like baseball? Like to stitch? Live near Houston? Sunday, May 4th is Stitch N Pitch day for the Astros-Brewers game at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Head to this website for more information or to buy tickets. The password is stitch.

http://www.astros.com/stitchandpitch

The eye candy is Brad Ausmus, catcher for the Astros. Sorry, Brad's married with two cute little girls.

He illustrates this article because he's my second cousin. Feel free to wave!

So Much Beauty, So Little Time

I haven't done anything more on Fan--too busy at night--but I have been thinking about all the great new designs showing up on other stitching blogs. And it raised a question in my mind.

Just how do you choose a design for your stash? There are so many choices! We are really very lucky in that there are so many designers making beautiful things for us, but that means somehow we have to decide which new thing will join the collection. How does one decide?

I keep a list of things that I like. If I consistently over time admire a design, it stays on the list. Sometimes I will like something because so many other folks like it. If there's a lot of email chatter about a design, if it shows up in a lot of online shops, if a lot of my friends are stitching it, well, it shows up on the list. But then it has to stand the test of time. If I start to lose interest, it comes off the list.

Then I have to think about cost. Resources aren't unlimited here in CH and I have a stitching budget that I don't exceed. I watch for items on my list and when something comes up on sale someplace, then that's the decision point. Do I want to buy it?

I use several criteria in choosing whether to spend at this point. Do I own a similar design already? If so, doesn't matter how much of a deal it is, I won't buy it. I don't want to repeat myself.

Do I have a lot of ideas about how to stitch it? Is is a good place to try something new I want to learn about? Does it seem to whisper to me? Is it something I have fallen in love with? Will that love last?

Now that I have Blogs, I have a responsibility to readers. Is this new thing going to showcase something that blog readers are likely to be interested in? Does it illustrate how to do something that folks want to know? Is it large enough (but not too large) to work on publicly? People lose interest in large pieces in my opinion but you do need to have more than 1-2 postings on a project.

Finally, is this something I want for my own house or to give as a present for a loved one? Or to donate to the ANG Auction (a favorite charity of mine)? The final piece needs to have a home beyond a drawer, after all!

How do you choose?

**************
If more convenient, visit my main blog at
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Brenda Is A Purple Tulip UPDATED

If you don't read the blogs that NP designers and shop owners have, you are missing out on some great information and inspiration.

How about Ruth Schmuff's idea to have a Sandra Gilmore floral design painted based on some of Ruth's friends and colleagues? Brenda Hart is represented by a purple tulip! To see the canvas and read about other "flowers" look for the 4/5/08 entry here.

http://tistheseason.org/blog/ruthsBlog.html

Speaking of inspiration, check out what Rosalyn Cherry-Soleil has to say to her Flight of Fancy cyberclass students and to us about stitching.

http://www.stitchamaze.com/cyber_class_thoughts.html

The photo above is from a Leigh Designs canvas of three Japanese masks. Rosalyn is stitching this, with progress photos on her website. Check this one out and also several other large pieces she has underway here.

http://www.stitchamaze.com/work_in_progress.html

Finally, watch Laura Perin design a new sampler on her website. I love the small, smaller, large and largest primrose patterns!

UPDATE: Laura has added a second design in a spring and autumn version on her blog. It's fascianting to see how she changes a rose to a grape, a willow leaf to a grape leaf, tosses in beads and changes colors and Poof! You have something totally different.

http://two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com/

Inspiration is all over the Internet if you know where to look.

Dog Show

Last night I finished stitching Fan's hair and worked on the broad yellow border. I'm happy to report that three sides of the border are finished. Only the bottom remains but it'll be a bit tricky as I need to compensate for the one thread less in the paint job. This, naturally, makes for not exactly riveting blogging--stitch over four threads three times, turn, stitch over four threads three times, turn, repeat endlessly--so here's a parade of dog portraits from Squiggee's blog. Aren't they great? Each dog seems to have a different personality. These are real dogs, not generic representatives of the breed.

http://www.squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/

Squiggee is the painted canvas designer Gail Hendrix, whose work you have seen on The Point of It All's beautiful and classic canvases. Gail has started using up the leftover canvas from her larger pieces for fun little ornaments under the Squiggee name. You can see Gail's work here. Please note that although she does a backup blog like I do, her two blogs are not identical. She often posts one picture in the 360 blog and illustrates the same blog entry in the Blogspot blog with a different photo. To get the full Gail experience, check both places. And if you didn't get here right on time, look for the April 13 blog entry.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-OB4LKpQiarOD7lr5svmEAE1LT3DQ

http://www.squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://www.thepointofitallonline.com/

Anybody got treats for the dogs?

Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article April 2008

Time to pour your favorite beverage, unplug the phone, settle down in your favorite chair--we're going to look at laying tools!There's been an explosion of new styles of laying tools for our stitching pleasure. The most expensive and probably most beautiful a stitcher might use are the glass ones. They come with a lifetime repair warranty and you can also purchase a bracelet to keep your glass laying tool safe but ready for use.

http://www.stitchelegance.com/Laying%20Tools/laying_tools.htm

These are made by the glass artist Michael Ernst. His website has more photos of laying tool colors. Note that he also makes glass crochet hooks and knitting needles. Also, under What's New he has a new hook tool and lovely floral buttons.

http://glasspens.com/layingtools.html

You may have heard of the mellore, which is an English goldwork tool for handling real metal threads. It's sterling silver, fairly expensive, and although you can use it as a laying tool, that's not really what it does. It is designed to punch holes and hold real metal threads in place while they are couched down or bent. Here's a photo.

http://www.berlinembroidery.com/mellore.htm

You can buy a stainless steel "mellore" from M's Canvashouse for $40 less.

http://mscanvashouse.com/shop/product509.html

As we've seen above, laying tools come in all sorts of materials. The wooden ones are both comfortable to hold and very pretty. The metal ones are unsurpassed when it comes to laying silk flosses. These two websites have a variety of laying tools shown with brief descriptions.

http://www.berlinembroidery.com/tools.htm#blt

http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Display_Case/DC_Laying_Tools_Items.html

The metal Best Laying Tool (also called the BLT) was designed by Shay Pendray. It's very similar to the Japanese Tekobari except is a bit shorter and is less expensive. You can buy it in a gold-plated version now. Some folks prefer the feel of the gold version or think it prettier. The tip of the gold plated BLT is not gold, however.Rainbow Gallery distributes a very nice metal laying tool in a wooden holder and case called the Rainbow Laying Tool. If you like how wooden laying tools feel, but want the more pointed tip of a metal laying tool, this might be the one for you. The wooden case goes over the metal tip when this isn't in use. The set is expensive, but less than buying a laying tool and a wooden case for it separately. The wood each case is made from varies. Two examples are below.

http://www.homesteadneedlearts.com/detail.cfm?ID=59

http://www.a-z-needlepoint.com/products/rainbowlaying.shtml

You can buy regular lovely turned wooden laying tools here as well as a wooden case for your tekobari or BLT. They also sell bracelet-laying tool combos.

http://www.firesidestitchery.com/FIRESIDE/FSgeneralpages/woodaccessory.htm

These wooden laying tools come in a black tube for storage. Note that you can use the awl if you want a shorter laying tool.

http://www.turn-of-the-century.com/embr.htm

If you are into bling, you can buy beaded wooden laying tools.

http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NN&Product_Code=6738

or Tiny URL

http://tinyurl.com/5rg7gp

Bone laying tools are made from cow bone. I suspect they are a replacement for ivory laying tools. Ivory is a banned substance to protect elephants now, but you might find an antique ivory laying tool. These are all carved and very pretty.

http://www.flyingneedle.com/acatalog/Laying_Tools.html

You might want to use a bone needle if you are undecided whether to actually invest in a laying tool. I have one that is three inches long, not four as in this example.

http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=E09-00-00&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=6745

or Tiny URL

http://tinyurl.com/5kr89r

You can also use the large needles used in plastic canvas embroidery or just the largest tapestry needle you can find. I've found a big plastic needle for kids at crafts stores which works just fine in emergencies (but these often have ridges that might not do well with silk or other tender threads). I often pick up my size 18 needle and use the eye end as a laying tool when I have one stitch to straighten.

Hummingbird House makes a pewter laying tool. It's called the Elizabethen laying tool. It is the longer, slimmer laying tool in this photo. The fish-shaped item is actually an awl but it can be used as a laying tool if you like shorter laying tools.

http://www.robinsnestdesigns.com/detail.cfm?ID=130

http://www.stitching.com/stitcherysquare/needlaccess.htm

Their Celtic Laying Tool is actually a fancy trolley needle made of pewter.

http://www.robinsnestdesigns.com/detail.cfm?ID=123

Trolley needles and thimble laying tools are metal laying tools that fit over a finger. These are particularly good for folks who don't want to hold a laying tool. You've already seen a fancy pewter trolley needle. Here is the basic version. You wear it on a finger or thumb with the needle side on top or bottom as you prefer. You can squeeze the open sides a bit for a better fit.

http://store.apneedlearts.com/trolleyneedle.html

Grip-it Plus makes the thimble laying tool called The Perfect Stitch. It's essentially a thimble with a needle attached to the side and the top cut off. You'll need to know your thimble size for the finger you plan to wear it on to get a good fit.

http://www.needlepointtooltime.com/product/005

Zecca makes clay handle laying tools in fun colors and shapes. I am dying to actually try one of these out. I buy laying tools according to the feel in my hand. I like a shorter tool and need something that isn't heavy. It's a good idea to hold any laying tool you plan to buy to check if it is too fat/thin/long/short for your own hand size and the grip you exert.

http://www.zecca.net/products/layingtools.html

Now that you are curious, here's how to use a laying tool, with a photo of stitches done with and without a laying tool.

http://www.kaleidostitch.com/content%20pages/Tips/laying%20tool.htm

I find laying tools an essential in my NP toolkit. I have a great variety that I use and switch tools if one doesn't seem to be handing a certain thread well. I also change them according to how tired/hot/cold I am. I am thrilled there is this much choice in such an important aid to our stitching and hope you enjoying picking out a laying tool for yourself.

Fan's Do-Over

Last night I managed to pull myself together enough to rip out the yellow edging on Fan's left sleeve. Then I restitched it. If you look at yesterday's photo, you can compare the look of the slant I used today to the one I tried yesterday that I didn't like. The moral of all this is to use your pencil on your copy of your canvas. If I'd done this, I would have had a better idea of how to orient the long stitches.

I also pulled out a few of the border stitches right under Fan's geta sandals. The bottom edge of the border is one thread narrower than the top. So unlike Butterfly (the other Asian girl in the set) Fan's border is not the same on all four sides. This is fine, my stitch is easy to compensate and the compensation along the bottom won't be noticeable, but I forgot this was the case when I put the stitches in around her feet. So they came out also but I ran out of time to restitch this area.

I also stitched the rest of Fan's hair. The side near her cheek is almost done. The stitching's done but somehow I need to add a bit more of my black Soy Fiber there to build it up to look like the slightly poofy top of her head. So this isn't quite finished but it is close.

I hope to work on the border and background tonight and perhaps finish the stitch on her kimono.

Fan's Sleeves and Border

Over the weekend I picked up little Fan and started stitching away again. I've doubled the size of the border that's stitched, worked on her yellow hair oranment, and stitched the yellow edge to her kimono at her neck and sleeves.

For the border, I have occasionally around her head added a row to the alternating bundles of three stitches. I'm not sure if you can see this but in a few places there was a space next to a bundle that didn't look right if I did the stitches the way they go alternating -- bundles with ones. The thing to remember in compensating stitches is to make them look right instead of doing them right, and occasionally you'll do something that isn't right to get the correct look. Remember in NP that it is the overall look you are aiming at, not getting all the stitches compensated the way they should be.

The yellow dot of a hair ornament is just padded silk floss in the same yellow as the border. I did four layers before I got the look rounded enough. I have not decided whether to remove the orange beads or add more yet. Still mulling that one over! I think I need to finish her hair before I really decide this point. Stitching a painted canvas is often a wait-and-see process since everything you stitch effects everything else. Ripping out can be your friend; so can waiting patiently to make up your mind.

The edging of the kimono is long slanted stitches. I am not sure about the left sleeve yet. The curve that varied quite a bit and I turned Fan on her side with her fan on the right edge to stitch it with the slants the way the sun comes up across the horizon--slanting right and left and also pointing straight up. This made it a bit more jagged-looking than the right sleeve. I am not sure what to do about this yet. I can pull it out and stitch it slanting one way or overstitch that left sleeve to smooth the rough edges. Again, I'll think about this while I do other things.

In other words, stay tuned to see what I decide.

Juanita The Mexican Lady in Size 13 -- or Size 18?

Today we don’t have the weekly update on Juanita, the Mexican Lady canvas from Melissa Shirley that is an adaptation of a Linda Carter Holman painting called “Secrets.” Janet Moyer needs the week off to do other things, but she’ll be back a week from today to finish this piece. I thought I’d take the opportunity of Janet’s absence to talk about things I’ve noticed while sitting in the audience with you, watching Janet stitch her lady to life. To that end I’ve put the largest and most recent photo we have of Juanita above. Here’s a link to a photo of the canvas unstitched, courtesy of Laura Zickas who took the photograph for Needle Nook of La Jolla.

http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=ch118-2

The canvas Janet is working on is 13 count. This design is available on 18 count as well. I have stitched one 13 count piece in my NP career. I just like the extra detail on 18 count canvas. But I’ve noticed that 13 count allows Janet to do some things she couldn’t do on 18 count, like use sequins and fancy trim which I think might have been too large to use on 18 count. The hat’s sequins look very nice on Juanita’s hat but they might be too close together if this were an 18 count canvas. They are spaced perfectly right now but on a smaller scale, they might look all wrong. The special sequin trim also might not work on a smaller scale skirt. And the pearl necklace, earrings and diamond ring might not have looked so good unless Janet had been able to find smaller beads and findings to use to create them on 18 count the same way she did on 13 count.

Certainly the fabric calla lilies would be harder to make if they needed to be about 1/3 smaller for a smaller 18 count version of this design. Trying to attach tiny things to canvas is harder than trying to attach slightly larger things. I doubt the artificial roses Janet considered using would work at all on 18 count. They would be too large--Remember, Janet said she would have to take them apart and trim them if she ended up using them on her 13 count version of Juanita.

I also noticed that Janet was used Sampler Thread flosses for her open background stitch and for the white shawl she used Elegance which is a silk perle thread about the size of #8 perle. I think this silk perle thread might look less lacy on 18 count and Janet might have to use the smaller #12 perle instead. This might or might not be an issue, depending on the “look” one was trying to achieve. One would need fewer plies of Sampler Thread for the background, even if you are doing an open stitch. Things like this are just different on a smaller or larger count canvas, and worth considering. If you are used to one size canvas and that’s all you stitch, you are going to find you’ll need more/less plies or perhaps a different type or brand of thread altogether when you go up or down.

Another thing to consider when trying to decide whether to take home a design in 13 or in 18 count is the threads you have easily available. If you are used to #8 perle, you might have to go up a size to #5. Can you easily buy #5 perle cotton? You will need more thread to cover the larger area so remember to buy more than usual. Trio is the new smaller version of Silk n Ivory (a silk/wool blend in a single strand like tapestry wool). If you adore using Silk n Ivory on 13 count canvases, you will have to use Trio instead on 18 count. Usually Silk n Ivory is just too fat to go in the holes (although this does depend on what stitch you have chosen.)

I guess what I’ve learned from watching Janet is that a higher count canvas than what I usually buy means more thread and perhaps a different type/brand than my usual favorites, but there are unique possibilities that open up in what I might do with a design. Luckily I have a gorgeous huge red orchid from JP Designs in my stash on 13 count so eventually I’ll be able to try going up a size.

Wisdom from Jay

But you may not know who Jay Patterson is. He's the stitching genius in the company. I thought you might like to spend a bit of time with Jay this morning. He's summarized 20 years of stitching information on a page on the RG website.

http://www.rainbowgallery.com/stitchinghints.html

Jay also has tips on how to use the various specialty threads that RG sells. Bookmark this one--you'll use it again and again!

http://www.rainbowgallery.com/jaystips.htm

Color Play

I think that folks who prefer counted thread geometric designs are much braver about changing color than folks who prefer working hand painted canvases. I rarely change colors on my painted canvases. I buy them because I like the colors, after all. But I know my friends who love charts also love playing with color. Because I am always trying to be a better stitcher, then I need to know more about color so I can play, too!

In pursuit of knowledge of how to tame the wild charted design, I signed up for Gay Ann Roger's classroom on Yahoo Groups, where I discovered a bonus in that she is talking about color. I've been sitting there in the back of the class, listening, while Gay Ann held color exercises, asking folks to pick their favorite photos from magazines and then analyze what they choose and why. This stumped me, I admit. I have no problem finding pictures I like but figuring out what colors they held seemed very hard until I found Kris' blog (she seems to be a graphic designer) where all the work was done for me.

http://color-stripes.blogspot.com/

I choose a photo that appealed to me (March 13), picked up a set of DMC flosses in the colors of the stripes underneath the picture, and went to the ANG Stitch of the Month website to play around with my choices. The photo above is the result.

The top left stitch is SharonG's Brocade Variation.

http://needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2005/nov.php

This is a gorgeous stitch in the silks, metallics and beads SharonG recommends, but how will it look in plain old DMC? What you see in the photo is how I worked it, with each step done top down. The first row is the grid in chocolate. Step two/row two is the plus sign which I did in teal. I really like this color combo, particularly on the white canvas. (It's a scrap of white 18 count mono, by the way.) It's very 1950s in my mind. I deviated from the instructions in row three, doing step 4 instead of 3. I thought the / lines around the perimeter might be easier to do than doing step 3 and then 4. I used pink here and found it covered up the white background of my canvas.

I did step 3 in the fourth row with my medium green. In that step you put an X on top of the plus sign. This filled in the square almost completely and I found the green and teal were similar enough that they merged into a color between the two. I guess my eyes performed color magic here, making a new shade from these two.

There are only four rows of the design stitched above because step five is to put beads n the corners of each little box. I compromised and did a French knot there in my light green cotton floss. Hope you can see it. Even though it is very light, the touch of green adds to the pattern, hiding the white between each box even though it is just in the corners.

I like how the Brocade Variation turned out a lot.

The round stitch on the right is called Round Bargello and it is from Lois Kershner.

http://needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2008/jan.php

I didn't have enough shades of green to do all four of the crescent shapes without repeating myself but this turned out just fine. I worked the light green, then the medium, back to light, and finished with dark green. It looks better than I thought it would. These green colors didn't seem very attractive to me but in this stitch they really shine.

For the center I used the variation, using my chocolate, pink and teal to do the corners, sides and center. I am amazed at how good this looks. It resembles a flower to me even though few flowers are green with centers in pink/teal/chocolate. I think this stitch would look great in the corners of an ornate border.

The bottom stitch is Jean Hilton's Chilly Hollow stitch, diagrammed by Carole Lake.

http://needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2002/Mar.php

This stitch has basically three steps, the foundation (I used my chocolate but it doesn't matter what color since step two hides step one) and the side and the center. With six colors to use, I decided to use my greens and teal on the side and pretend this was an overdye with color changes. I like how they work together, moving from dark to light to teal. I filled in the center with pink French knots. Chocolate seemed too dark for a center which you normally want to come forward (and you use light colors to make something look like it is closer to the viewer). So I just used the pink, although I might have had spotted French knots if I added a few in chocolate. I also like how this stitch turned out. The colors work well together, even if I never would have chosen these colors. But isn't it good to break out of your favorite colors box?

It occurred to me as I stitched my samples that part of the appeal of the photo I choose was the whimsical air of the design. I liked the design itself really more than the colors. I like pinks but chocolate brown? I'd never pick that color to use in a geometric pattern! The greens are unlikely choices for me as well. Perhaps the emotional response I had to the actual design are as important as the colors used in it? We all know that some designs just jump into our pockets when we are in a needlepoint shop. We have to have that Santa, that new Jean Hilton pattern, that Melissa Shirley monkey. Are we responding to a design that touches something in our souls? Is that different than choosing colors we think pretty?

I've got a lot to mull over while I work on Fan the little Japanese girl this weekend....

Color Excitement

Remember when I found this blog (below) and got all excited? I thought the images, each with its own colors pulled out and displayed in stripes below the image, would help me pick colors. I am no good at picking colors but I thought if I picked out a photo I liked and then pulled the colors, I might learn something.

http://color-stripes.blogspot.com/

The local crafts emporium is having a sale so yesterday I choose the photo I liked best (March 13th's little smiling sun with trees and birds appealed to me a lot), then headed over and picked up six DMC flosses in those colors. My purchases are in the photo above. There are three somewhat related greens, a chocolate brown, a rose pink and a blue-teal.

Tonight I'm going to pick some stitches from ANG's Stitch of the Month page and see how they look in these colors.

http://www.needlepoint.org/Stitch.php

I'll try using the pink as the focal point, see how the various greens look with chocolate brown and blue, etc. It's an easy way to see how three shades and three accent colors interact. Stay tuned. I'll post my results tomorrow.

Study in Gold and Silver

Shining Needle Society (SNS) has announce a new cyberclass starting May 20 which will run through the end of August. The teacher is Jim Wurth and the class project which you see above is called “Study in Gold and Silver.” Let me quote the class description from the SNS announcement--

“The timeless elegance of white, gold and silver is realized in this 18X 7 inch geometric panel that juxtaposes traditional stitches with modern classics. Silk, rayon and metallic threads are used to create dramatic focal points (Chilly Hollow Stitch, Pinwheel Mistake Stitch and double-thread Jessica) that are centered amid a variety of straight, diagonal, cross, eyelet, tied and padded stitches. This class is designed to nudge the intermediate stitcher into more advanced territory. (Note: Although not absolutely required, some prior knowledge of Hilton-type stitches will prove useful to the student.)”

If you are a member of the SNS, you can read the class description in the files section of the Home Room group. Go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNS_Home_Room/files/

There’s a photo of the completed project in the Photos section of
the Home Room group. Just go to:

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/SNS_Home_Room/photos

I understand that the class will cost $94 for a 75-page spiral bound instruction booklet with four color photos and the teaching fee. Students will provide their own threads, canvas and stitching supplies. Provision has been made for prior students of this class to audit the online version and participate in the online support group for $10. Please note if you sign up after May 2, the fee goes up $5. To enroll, please email Jim directly at jwurth@msn.com and put "SNS Gold & Silver" in the subject line of your email. Please let Jim know which method of participation you would like --instruction booklet or audit--(again, only available to those who have previously taken this class). Jim will email you an invoice that can be paid via check. By the way, all that blurry stuff in the photo--bet that's the shine of the metallic threads. You know how metallics don't photograph well.

Many thanks to the Shining Needle Society for bringing nationally known teachers to us at home!

Who Am I?

I've been meaning to mention that the image I use to illustrate Blog is an early 20th Century magazine illustration. I can't identify the artist although his or her work does resemble that of Harrison Fisher. The signature on a typical Fisher portrait (below) doesn't look like what is on my lady.

You can check out more of Fisher's work here.

http://www.angelpig.com/harrisonfisher.shtml

If you figure out who our artist is, I'd love to know so I can properly credit him/her.

Color Mad

If you belong to Gay Ann Roger's Yahoo Group, you've probably been riveted by the color and design discussion going on there. Color is a mystery to me. I don't understand the Color Magic I see going on when I stitch and I am always flummoxed when it comes to picking colors for charted designs.

Fortunately, there's Orna Willis, color-mad color wizard. Check out the photos on her blog!

http://www.ornadesign.blogspot.com/

She mentioned another blog with great photos and when I followed the link, I found Kris posts wonderful photos and then puts color stripes under them that show the colors in the image. It's a great source for discovering what colors you like (pick a photo, then look to see what colors it has) and choosing colors for a design if you are Color Idiot like me.

http://color-stripes.blogspot.com/

Cooper Oaks Trunk Show

Fireside Stitchery has a big group of Cooper Oaks photos on their website and plan to add more as they have a trunk show going from this designer. Cooper Oaks is well known for their beach canvases but they also have the fun canvas Girlfriends (right, page 6 on the website), belts, some nice loud Hawaiian shirts, and now an interesting alphabet series (starting on page 18) that has a giant letter and one thing that starts with it in a folk art style.

http://www.firesidestitchery.com/infoAlerts/VirtualTrunkShows/cooperoaks04012...

Have fun browsing!

main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

A Bouquet of Calla Lilies and the Mexican Lady

Janet from La La Land is back with more details on the stitching of her Mexican Lady canvas. If you missed the introduction, she is working on an adaptation of a Linda Carter Holman painting from Melissa Shirley Designs. You can see the unstitched canvas below, courtesy of Laura Zickus who photographed it for Needle Nook of La Jolla’s website. Janet is working the 13 count version of this piece, although it is also available on 18 count needlepoint canvas.

http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=ch118-2

Now here is Janet:
**************************

“As you know from last week I experimented with laying silk flowers on the part of the canvas that has the roses. I knew all along that their permanent placement would depend on the Calla lilies. The Calla lilies are huge and take up a lot of visual space on the canvas. They are also bigger than Juanita’s head. So, I could choose to de-emphasize them by using small stitches or an open stitch. Due to the large presence of open stitches in the shawl I decided not to repeat that idea.

I experimented with silk Calla lilies but they were way too big, nor could they be successfully flattened. Hmmm, what to do…. I cut out pieces of paper the approximate size shown on the canvas. I knew that white would look even bigger on the canvas. In the border town of Tijuana, Mexico there are street vendors with wonderful, huge flowers made of crepe paper. Having that in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to somehow convey that idea onto the canvas.

Finally I picked a white fabric with small white stars to use as appliqués. Why the stars? Because all that white needed to be broken up. (When you see the actual piece the stars show up but my camera didn’t pick them up as they are white on white.) I used the stuff that quilters use to iron two pieces of fabric (front and back) together, and then machine-stitched tiny braid all around each flower. Finally, I hand stitched each flower onto the canvas. And I used an orange fabric ink to indicate the pistils. I am not done yet with the pistils but deadlines for Blog are such that I’m sending the ‘rough draft’ anyway. I made a bow out of the small braid and stitched it to the canvas so the bouquet was ‘tied’ together.

You can see that I removed the silk flowers for the roses. After all, too much is too much, and the fabric Calla lilies and the silk roses competed for attention. So, what am I going to do for the roses? As Deng Xiao Ping famously once said, ‘You cross the river by stepping on one stone at a time.’ I have some ideas but will have to try them out.



I attached the shiny metallic thread/sequin braid to Juanita’s skirt. I think you can now see why I waited to decide whether to attach or not to attach more sequins to her hat and skirt. Even though I gleefully abandoned my 60/40 rule on this canvas, I still had to use some restraint. I can hear you all saying, ‘That woman thinks she’s using restraint?’ ‘Yes,’ I say with a smile. On the bottom of the skirt I chose NOT to make fringes that would hang freely from the garment. Again, I think that would create another confusing area on which the eye would focus. By simply stitching the black fringe in basketweave with a satin stitch on top, I think that area is de-emphasized. I am stitching the other colors around the fringe in basketweave. Due to their size and whiteness, the Calla lilies are a primary focal point. I thought that adding the sequins to the hat keeps your eyes keeps moving around the canvas, down to the shawl, down to the skirt, and then back up to the large foreground leaf. This canvas is a riot of color and design and reflects the exuberance of Mexican life I think. Many thanks to Linda Carter Holman who captured that joy of color and design.

I will not be back on the blog until Sunday, April 20th. I hope to finish the Mexican Lady by then so you can see the entire piece.”

Janet in La La Land
*******************

Remember, you may also view this blog entry at my main blog,
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Random Dog Photo

The photo above is my dog Wesie. She looking up at me just like you are, wondering why I'm not stitching. The real truth is that it's been a hectic week and I'm worn out. Too tired to stitch. I don't think I could manage even tent stitches at this point, much less compensate Fan's kimono. Maybe later today I'll play with her hair. I should work on that, and it isn't hard.

What do you do when you are too brain-fried to stitch? I keep a stack of NP magazines and newsletters by my stitching chair (that's what Wesie is almost lying on) to read on nights like last night when I doubted my ability to drag myself into the kitchen and take ice cream from the freezer.

I subscribe to Needlepoint Now and of course I get Needle Pointers magazine because I am a member of the American Needlepoint Guild. You can buy back issues of both (except you must be an ANG member to purchase). If you are too pooped to pop tonight, browse the issues and see what interests you. They are a fabulous resource for free projects, ideas, stitch diagrams and sheer fun.

http://www.needlepointnow.com/

http://www.needlepoint.org/magazine.php

I get email newsletters from various online shops, but I also get newsletters in the mail from two--Needle Works of Austin and Pocket Full of Stitches. They are wonderful to find in the mailbox after a long, hard day. Both places also put their newsletters online so you can check them out here.

http://www.theneedleworks.com/newsletter/index.html

http://pfos.com/Newsletter/newsletter.php

Hope you enjoy a good read as much as I do!

main blog at
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
and mirror blog at
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

Shop News

Since it is so boring in CH right now (I didn't stitch last night, I moved furniture and cleaned last night in preparation for the new recliners arriving today), I thought you might like a little shop news.
First of all, Pocket Full of Stitches has photos of some of their stitched Mindy tree monthly club canvases up. These are called The Enchanted Forest.

http://www.pfos.com/OtherClubs/EnchantedForest/MindysEnchantedForestClub.htm

They also have updated their retreat pages to show off projects and dates of special events during the year.

http://www.pfos.com/Retreat/retreatpage1.htm

Chaparral has written to say the shop has been sold to Sally Anne Wilson who has already been working there. Although there is going to be some painting and rearranging of items, the shop will remain essentially unchanged. But Sally Anne has brought in some of her personal stash to sell at a nice price since her stitch time is going to go downhill rapidly now that she owns the place. If you are in the area, stop buy and say hello and browse. If you aren't local, check the website for a Canvas Works and Betty Smith trunk show.

http://www.ndlpt.com/

Do you know about Etsy? It's an online crafts emporium. Shakespeare's Peddler, a well known cross stitch shop in Mississippi, has opened an Etsy shop to sell charts and other items which have been discontinued or which she has only a few of/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5637497

Now, I'm off to vacuum some more. Gotta get ready for the weekend when I plan to put my feet up and stitch-stitch-stitch!

Better Picture, Less Progress

Here's a better photo of Fan with a tiny bit more progress on her kimono. I'm working on the right sleeve and you might be able to see where I stopped working on her middle body section so I could figure out just where to make the body and sleeve compensation meet.

I'm busy migrating my bookmarks to my new computer, setting up the plug ins to Firefox, etc. And I'm still trying to make the scanner work with the new system. Scanners give the best closeup photos and naturally that's the one thing that won't work with the new computer. Why did I not buy a new printer/scanner, you ask? Because I was assured that the printer worked fine with the new machine. And it does. It's just the scanner function that it won't recognize.

Moral of the story is that when you ask if something works, make sure you ask if it works 100% in all functions. Salesmen might lie by omission....

Approaching the Border Carefully

I worked on Fan's kimono again last night but I didn't accomplish much since I was fiddling around with some of the photo options on the new computer.  I took a photo of Fan (right) just to see how well the built-in camera works.  What do you think?  Yes, I know it's a mirror image of the canvas.  I can't find how to change that in my fancy new photo editing software.

Back to the kimono.  The whole thing has a very thin black outline around each arm. The body is divided from the sleeve by it, for example.  I've held back stitching the column that this outline on the body until I get the sleeve done, then I will be able to see where the two columns meet exactly and plan how I compensate each area's column where the two meet.

Once the whole thing is stitched, I might do a few back stitches here and there to reinforce the lines, but that needs to wait until the end.  Butterfly's face has a pink backstitch outline and I think Fan's left sleeve might need some around the bottom rounded edge.  I'm not going to decide until I have everything stitched on Fan.  Anyone who has done a lot of XS will know exactly how this is done, but basically you just backstitch a line right over the border between the two areas that seems to need a little definition.