SNS Announces The SharonG Network

It's Christmas here in Chilly Hollow and my dreams have come true! The Shining Needle Society is doing a SharonG class!!!! Here are all the details, straight from the announcement email from Kate and Marie-Therese:

"New class for painted canvas lovers and fans of SharonG!


Announcing...The SharonG Network


Shining Needle Society is very pleased to announce our latest class offering which features SharonG. Sharon is the creative force behind a number of enterprises -- most notably, her very successful line of painted canvases. Sharon is somewhat of a rarity in the needlepoint world, however, in that she both designs AND stitches her canvases.


The SharonG Network will allow you to tap into SharonG's extensive creative resources and get advice for stitching your SharonG canvas directly from the source -- SharonG herself!

Think of the SharonG Network as a club you join and then you can interact with Sharon via email as you stitch your canvas. Sharon will offer stitch and thread suggestions to help you make your SharonG canvas project uniquely your own! You will also learn along the way as Sharon consults with your fellow classmates about their canvases -- what a great opportunity to get inside the mind of the designer!!! While we will be discussing ONLY SharonG canvases in this classroom, you don't actually have to own one to sign up for the class. Sharon's canvases are so appealing, however, that we bet you'll want one sometime during your membership and Sharon will happily direct you to a shop in your area where you can purchase your canvas. Online sources will also be listed, so anyone anywhere can participate.

How does the new SharonG Network work? There will be quarterly signups for the classroom and it will be ongoing. The cost will be $35 a quarter (three months), and if you sign up for a year, we're offering a discount making it $120 total. So, for $10 a month, you can lurk and learn all sorts of embellishment tips and techniques with Sharon. You have the joy of working at your own pace, and Sharon will be there to assist as needed. She may even throw in a few general lessons or an occasional recipe. It's rumored that her baklava is to die for! :-)


Many of you already know that Sharon has a welcoming style in her email communications. She has been a frequent and knowledgeable participant in the ANG email discussion list. For an example of her online work and the clarity of her charts, a ready reference is her own Website and her contribution to ANG's Stitch of the Month in 2005 (Dragon and Butterflies Kimono).


For Sharon's website:
http://www.sharong.com/


For Dragon and Butterflies Kimono:
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2005/dec.php

There are a few ground rules for this new class:


This classroom is for SharonG's canvases only. Sharon has a wide range of canvases in her line, so we hope there is something that will appeal to anyone, but please know that Sharon will provide stitch and thread advice for her canvases ONLY. That said, you are more than welcome to join this class and listen and learn from a true expert in the painted canvas world.

This is NOT a "get a complete stitch guide for your canvas" class. If you just want a stitch guide, Sharon has a number of stitch guides that can be purchased with her canvases. Your local shop can help you with that. However, if you want a chance to work with the designer to create a unique piece of needle art, then you're in the right place. The idea is that you may already have some goals for your canvas and how you want to stitch it -- or maybe Sharon will start you in an area. You complete that and then we take the next area. As each area builds on those already completed, your piece evolves into your own unique creation.


Shop owners -- this is great opportunity for your customers to get some specialized help with their SharonG canvases and we welcome you and your customers to participate.


So, if you're ready to work directly with SharonG to make your canvases amazing, it's time to sign up for this new class!

Class: "The SharonG Network" (TSGN)
Teacher: Sharon Garmize
Type of class: canvas enhancement/embellishment; canvas is student's choice, limited to SharonG canvas line
Length of class: Three months (10/21/09 thru 1/31/10 -- and yes, you get a little more than three months of class time because we can't wait to start!!!) -- or sign up for a full year (10/21/09 - 10/31/10) at a discount)
Kit contents: No kit.
Student to supply: An open mind and a willingness to learn. If actively stitching a canvas, then student provides all stitching supplies. Canvas discussion is limited to SharonG painted canvases.


Skill Level: All levels welcome. Some experience with painted canvas stitching and reading charts is helpful.


Price(s): $35 per three month signup period, discounted to $120 for four quarters, paid in advance.


Registration begins: Sept. 29, 2009
Registration for first quarter offering ends: Oct. 15, 2009 -- with late signups allowed through Nov. 15.  Late signups are not pro-rated, but will have access to posts from beginning of class.
Class begins: Oct. 21, 2009
Class ends: Jan. 31, 2010 (end of first quarter, class will be ongoing)
Payments accepted: PayPal and checks.


To sign up, send an email to Sharon Garmize at sharon@sharong.com and include "SharonG Network" or "Network Class" in the subject line of your email.


Please include the following information:


Your name
Your address
Your email address so we can enroll you in the online classroom
Your method of payment -- check or PayPal.
Your desired length of membership at this time: 3 months for $35, or 12 months for $120.


Any questions, just email us!


We hope you are as excited as we are about this innovative new concept in painted canvas embellishment.


Kate Gaunt and Marie-Therese Baker
SNS Founders"

The SharonG canvases you see scattered all throughout this message are some of her designs in my stash.  I have more, too, but just couldn't find photos of them.  Step one is signing up for the class and step two is deciding which canvas to ask Herself about!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Rabbit Geisha's Clothing

Last night I finished the lower skirt of Brenda Stofft's Rabbit Geisha using my Half Tony stitch (which is actually the bottom half of the Sally's Diamonds August 2009 Stitch of the Month from ANG's website).  The brass colored lining inside the sleeves is done also, which means I've finished all the lining bits you see at the hems of the skirt, tunic and sleeve interiors. This means only the lighter blue sleeve trims, the pink and green ribbons, the tassels and a ton of gold outlining are left on the outfit the geisha wears.  I think I need to do a lot more background before I start on the last items she wears or I will be doing boring background for the last week of the project!

If you look at the left side of the lower skirt, you'll see one section is the same dark brass color as the lining of the inside of the hems of the skirt and tunic.  I simply switched to my Gloriana silk and stitched that section in the same stitch as the ecru section stitched in Mandarin floss.  The darker color is simply shading on the rear part of the lower skirt.

Before I forget, the Chart of the Day today is actually called "Summer Morn" but I mistyped it as Summer MorE and decided, given the cool and wet fall weather we are having, that more summer was appropriate and left it.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

When Tent Stitch is Right

Last night I finished the tunic the Rabbit Geisha wears, did a little more background around her head, and tested a lot of stitches for the brass colored lining of her inner sleeves and hem.  The photo shows everything except her head.  My scanner bed is only 8 1/2 by 11 and the Rabbit Geisha is 13 inches tall, so this is the largest close up photo I can do.

Tent stitch is the stitch I finally choose for the hem and inner sleeves lining.  There are seven brass-colored areas, all fairly small,  but in a strong color.  I have stitched the two hem sections in this photo.  The tunic hems and the inner sleeves are unstitched.

I tried using a variety of stitches instead of tent, but only plain tent stitches worked.  Decorative stitches like alternate cross stitch made the lining come forward, when it should recede visually.  Only a calm and plain stitch like half cross stitch (the variety of tent stitches I used) recedes next to the very busy stitches of the tunic and lower skirt.

Here's how you do half cross stitch, along with comparisons to continental and basketweave stitch, all of which we call "tent stitch."
http://www.needlepointnow.com/online_classroom/online_pt6.html

By the way, I am not using basketweave, although generally I basketweave everything except the smallest areas, because of the thread chosen.  I am using Gloriana silk (2 plies) in Lacquered Gold #045.  This is an overdyed color that goes from bright brass to tarnished brass.  Since basketweave is done on the diagonal, stitching Lacquered Gold in basketweave would leave diagonal streaks of color on the linings.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Westies ABC Wall Hanging

I got a nice note from the needlepoint designer Kandace Merric about the ANG Auction where her pet guardian angel designs were stars.  She is just catching up with other parts of her life after the big Westie Club of America's Centennial celebration and after losing her wonderful dog Shana.  She sent me a photo of the Westies ABC wall hanging Shana inspired to share with you all.

I am not sure which Westie I like best:  P for Pirate?  H for Hawaii?  T for Tiger?  X for X-ray!  No, O for Owl.

I am sure Kandy is a wonderful artist and a great lady when it comes to helping others, whether they are fellow needlepointers or dogs in need.

We all thank you, Kandy.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Painted Canvases from Market

Colleen's updated her blog again with lots of things from Market.  SharonG's horses--
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2009/09/i-am-done-with-market.html

Delightful florals from Zecca
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2009/09/2nd-post-for-the-day.html

A Jane Nichols giraffe witch
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2009/09/more-markets-finds.html

And notice of Jean Smith's new webiste.  Start with the information about Jean--you'll love meeting her!
http://69.65.3.151/~jeansmit/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=56

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More From Market (Counted Thread)

Thought the counted thread folks would enjoy a TNNA cash and carry market report from a counted thread designer.  My Mark Designs' Squirrel Sampler is the Counted Thread Design of the Day today.
http://mymarkdesigns.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/cheese-enjoys-market/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

When Is Too Much TOO MUCH?

All the complicated patterns I'm adding to this piece have started me thinking about the "include some tent stitch to rest the eyes" rule for stitching embellished needlepoint canvas.  Even the navy bands on the sleeves are done in Dotted Swiss, although it is difficult to tell because of the mix of textures in the two threads I used there (Caron's Snow and Splendor silk).  Toss in the patterns on the kimono, the split pavilion in the background, and of course the areas I have not stitched yet, and this is a very busy piece.

Does this mean I should use plain old tent stitch on the dark golden brown areas of the design where the hem of the kimono and the tunic turn up to reveal the inside?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

After all, the mix of pattern is very Japanese.   Head over here and watch this geisha dress in what are at least ten kimonos, each layered on top of the next so that a tantalizing piece of each is visible.
http://kakitutei.gozaru.jp/kyoto08may/19/teikan2-3.html

Perhaps Too Much is in the eye (and the culture) of the beholder?  Perhaps I'll agree with Mae West that "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful."

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Susanne and Colleen Do My Job

My job as Master Enabler is being ably filled by Susanne and Colleen today.  First of all, Susanne emailed me to remind me to tell everyone that ANG has put photographs of the 2010 Seminar Classes up on their websites.  Only the photos are there, not any class information, but we'll all have fun looking anyway.
http://www.needlepoint.org/Seminar-10/index.php

Colleen of Needle Works in Austin has added new photos to her blog so we can see what Maggie, Melissa Shirley, and Needlepoint of Back Bay brought to Market.  Remember Colleen's 20% offer on everything she posts photos of and email her before Monday night to order.
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2009/09/smoke-gets-in-your-eyes.html

Thanks for doing such a great job in tempting us, ladies!

By the way, the blue geometric is "In the Mood Blue" by Marnie Ritter (to be taught in Columbus in 2010) and the elegant witch is a Halloween piece by Melissa Shirley.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Tunic Stitch, Steps 1-4

I've been pondering what stitch to use for the upper tunic and the sleeves the Rabbit Geisha wears for several days now.  I've tried a variety of stitches, particularly ones that look floral or like leaves as I thought that would be appropriate for a kimono.  Many Japanese kimono have flowers or leaves on them and I thought since the Rabbit Geisha doesn't have much pattern on her clothing, I could use a fancy stitch to add interest.

I finally decided to use the stitch you see started above.  This is called Brocade Stitch.  I found it in Brenda Hart's Favorite Stitches book, page 10.  However, I didn't work it exactly as Brenda has it diagrammed.  The photo above shows the first step in this stitch.  See how floral it looks?

You should also look carefully at the sleeves and at the left side of the kimono top in the close up of the same photo just above.  See how everything lines up exactly the same?  Now look at the single flower motif I've stitched on the right side of the kimono top just under the collar.  I am deliberately not lining up the pattern here.  Designs on patterned clothing we wear doesn't line up regularly when we actually are wearing it, so I decided I would make sure at least one section of the tunic isn't even to make this more realistic.  I will also move the pattern around a bit for the lower half of the tunic so it is also not lined up exactly when I get to it.

By the way, this first step is stitched with a strand of Rainbow Gallery's silk perle Subtlety, which is the size of a #12 perle.  The color is Y900 and is a bit lighter than the golden sand color the tunic is painted.

Once the flowers are stitched, the second step is to double a strand of Accentuate (I used 022) and stitch a cross stitch in the center of each flower.

The third step is where I differ from what Brenda diagrams.  I took a strand of the thin metallic Bijoux (no color number but this is a bronze brown) and backstitched the boxes that separate the flower motifs.  Light colors are supposed to come forward and dark colors recede but as you can see in the photo of the right sleeve below, the opposite happened.  I like the look, although it wasn't what I expected, so I left it.

The final step is to lay a long vertical line of my Bijoux down through the middle of the row of boxes, then couch it down with my doubled Accentuate by coming up in the center stitch of the box, crossing over the Bijoux, and then going right back down in the same hole.  Brenda doesn't do the vertical lines and puts a bead or a French knot in the hole I'm using to tie down my couched Bijoux.

In the third photo, the right sleeve is finished and the center cross stitches are inside the flowers on the left sleeve.  I still have a lot of the tunic to go, but this stitch works up pretty quickly, even if there are four steps to it.

Since I used three new threads on this piece and also used up a skein of my background DMC cotton floss, I will add 8 points to my stash credits (one point for each new thread used and five points for using up all of one thread).  Hurrah!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Your Personal Shopper Arrives at TNNA Market

Colleen of The Needle Works in Austin, Texas is at the TNNA cash and carry trade show now and has already posted photos of two brand new Leigh Halloween designs on her blog.  One of the witches (Delphine) in the six witch Wicked series is shown above.
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2009/09/stop-the-presses.html
UPDATE:  All six Wicked witches are on the Leigh website.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp512x.html

To keep you reading her blog, Colleen says if you order any of the brand new canvases she showcases on her blog by 5 p.m. on Monday, September 28, you will receive a discount of 20% off the retail price.  Email Colleen at this temporary address while she is at Market theneedleworkssales@gmail.com to place your order, but remember this offer is only good for a limited time.

It's like having a personal shopper at Market with a trunk show discount....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Background While Debating

I was pretty tired last night so I did a little more background, trying to move down the right side of the canvas and fill in the background from the Rabbit Geisha's waist to her feet and beyond.

While doing all this, I've been wondering just what stitch to use for the tunic part of her kimono. I am going to test stitch this Tony Minieri stitch tonight but it occurred to me that I really need to pick threads first.
http://needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2009/jun.php

The weight of the threads used, plus whether the filling stitches are beads or metallic threds, is going to change the look a lot.  Guess I need to do a lot of test stitching.  I might stick with the Mandarin Floss I'm using for the bottom skirt or choose a new thread altogether.  Haven't decided.

You can see why I am doing background while I think this all over!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Pantone and the Stitcher

Textile folks know about the Pantone report which tries to predict color trends for designers of all sorts of products.  Here's the Pantone report for this fall in a PDF format.
http://www.pantone.com/downloads/articles/pdfs/PANTONE_FCR_FALL09.pdf

After you droll over the sketches of designer gowns using these colors, you might want to read about this beader's use of the Pantone colors to generate color palettes for her beading.
http://beadlust.blogspot.com/2009/09/ten-great-colors-for-fall.html

Anyone who needs to choose colors for a design (whether it is a counted thread chart or an original design or an outlined canvas) might find the color articles from Pantone a good source of inspiration.

The fall colors seem luscious to me.  Do you like them?

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Rabbit Geisha's Face, with Background

Last night I worked background stitches up to the right side of the Rabbit Geisha's face, then finished off the tip of her right ear with dark gray Burmilana. I think it looks ok.  The tip doesn't seem to dark to me, although I'd like some input from you guys about this.

I did a bit more on the lower kimono stitching, too.  It doesn't look like much but that took me several hours last night.  Still, having her face finished helps.  It shows me the background stitch works well with her figure and gives her a personality.  She seems subdued and elegant, but watchful.

I'd like you to visit her sister occasionally at the Stitching Up a Storm in Alamo City blog.  It has been very instructive to see how the Cat in a Kimono works up as the cat is fancier and has more decorative touches.  Both canvases are by Brenda Stoft although I think the Rabbit is earlier.  You can see how the design evolved to become more Asian in feel with the Cat.
http://janew1102.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Mystery Solved, Skirt Stitched

Last night I redid the lower skirt of the Rabbit Geisha's kimono, using two plies of my Mandarin Floss # M912.  I like how it looks a lot.  Using just the bottom part of the Tony Minieri's Sally's Diamonds stitch looks great and is perfect in scale for this small area.  I hope to finish the skirt tonight and perhaps get more background stitching done but I doubt I'll get it all finished in one stitching session.  I hope you can see the stitch well.  I wanted you to get an overall look at the skirt in relationship to the rest of the canvas.  We often focus on the small part we are stitching currently and forget it has to look good with the rest of the canvas.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2009/aug.php

TheresaA tells me that what she calls "tick tack box" bead storage is available through Whim Beads.  She's right--here it is.  Sadly, it is not available right now as they wait for more to arrive from their supplier.  Apparently there are many folks copying this system so you can probably buy something similar like the link I found yesterday, but I think waiting for the original if you know it is good quality is worth it unless you are swimming in beads.  Thanks a lot, TheresaA!
http://whimbeads.com/cart.asp?pg=products&grp=75

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

No Photo, No Progress

Alas, last night was Rip It All Out night in Chilly Hollow. I tried doing my Half Tony stitch with one ply on the lower skirt of the Rabbit Geisha, didn't like it, ripped it out, looked at the two ply area I'd done and realized I'd made a mistake in the count and ripped all that out, too.

I've started the skirt again, trying my best with a laying tool to keep the two plies of Mandarin floss from twisting.  It eventually will look very nice but it is slow going.  Oh, well, there are always nights when I won't get much done.  I didn't even get any more of the blue background done, although I am eager to see how the background will change the face of the rabbit, so we'll just have to wait a bit longer to see progress.

Fortunately, this lack of progress isn't catching.  Ruth Schmuff has gotten a lot done on her purse canvas.  This is a class she's teaching at her shop, Beadecked and Beadazzled.  I like how the various elements are coming together.  It's not easy to do ribbon flowers and not have them overwhelm the leaves and stems and insects but she is doing this well.
http://www.tistheseason.org/blog/2009/09/zinnias.html

I've also come across what seems to be a great bead storage system.  You can see a nice photo here but there is no identification as to who makes this.  To be fair, the writer of this blog has been quite ill and I'm sure identification was the last thing on her mind.
http://worldembroideries.blogspot.com/2009/09/pretty-flowers.html

A little Googling has found something that might be the square bead tubes in boxes system.  Any beaders out there know?  Again, there is no manufacturer information or online purchase options.
http://www.bonitabead.biz/KnowledgeCntr/Details/SeedBeadStorage.html

Nothing like a good mystery to get Tuesday underway!

UPDATE:  Mystery solved?  The "master box #1150-09" about half way down the page with the smaller boxes listed underneath sure looks like this system, except for the lids.
http://www.craftamerica.com/storage_containers_page_3.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Dark Ears Versus Light Ears

The face is almost done on my Rabbit Geisha, but I looked at the above photo and decided the gray base of the ear on the right side was too dark.  I copied the shading painted on the canvas here but I think the gray is just too dark.  Fortunately, when you are using random long and short stitches, it is very easy to lighten or darken areas.  I threaded up my needle with white and added a bit on top of the gray to lighten the area.  This is what I ended up with.

I still need to finish the tip of the darker ear but I am undecided about whether to make that light gray or white.  I think I'll work some background around the geisha's face before I decide.  I think the blue background will make the fur colors look a bit different so I will wait to make up my mind.

By the way, I've used four plies of Splendor S884 to cover the nose of the geisha with long stitches.  I think I put in 6-7 of them right on top of the tent stitches that originally were the nose, and on top of each other until I got the smooth look I wanted.

So I spent the last part of my stitching session yesterday working on the lower skirt, using half of a Tony Minieri stitch.  The stitch itself is called Sally's Diamonds.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2009/aug.php

It is done in two steps but I altered the stitch into Half Tony by turning the chart for the bottom half of the stitch on its side, then sttiching that part without adding the second half on top.  It looks sort of floral when stitched and also has a long line with a rounded bulge look that resembles the tassels around the geisha's waist.  Here's the diagram for Sally's Diamonds for the bottom area from ANG's website, rotated so you can see how I am stitching this.

I am using two plies of Mandarin Floss #M912 which is a golden sand color.  Less of the paint shows than I expected, so I may try using just one ply and see how it looks.  I've not decided whether to add anything to the empty stops in the stitch or not yet.  Any stitch can be expanded/shrunk/turned/altered to suit you.  All it takes is a little imagination and some test stitching.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Message for Carla

Yesterday I got a nice note from Carla asking about the long and short stitch lessons that Mary Corbett is posting.  Carla tried to click on the link and got an error message and wanted help getting to the lessons.  I sent her an answer but because she uses AOL for her email, the message bounced.

I sent the message from two other email addresses and they both bounced.  So the only way to communicate with Carla is via Blog.  Sorry! AOL is notorious about blocking messages from anyone except another AOL user.  My emails probably didn't even make it to Carla's spam folder judging from the cryptic bounce messages.

Here's my reply to Carla.  Hope she can use this link but if you have trouble, try shortening the link to www.needlethread.com and see if you can find the Long and Short Stitch lesson link in the right hand column.

This is the main page link. Once you choose a long and short stitch lesson, there is a link to PDF files to download the instructions if you want to print them out.

http://www.needlenthread.com/2009/08/long-and-short-stitch-lessons-index.html

All the lessons aren't up yet (I think nine are planned) but this will tell you everything you need to know  and you can follow the lessons for the parts you are especially interested in.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Bunny Face

Last night was more of the same when it came to NP.  I added stitches to the Rabbit Geisha's face, filling in the area between the brow arch and the eye, working up towards the ears, and trying to get all of the first layer of the left side of the face in.  After I began to get tired, I switched to doing background.  I've not mentioned before the mechanics of doing background.  I'm using 4 plies of DMC cotton floss for the background split pavilion stitch.  DMC cotton floss has six plies, so once I use up an 18-20 inch length of four plies on the background, I use the remaining two plies doubled in my needle to work on more of the three rows of tent stitch that surround the outside of this piece.  Doing things this way means I am constantly adding to the background and the border of tent stitches so they are not all left at the end.  I'm sure there will be plenty of background to finish once the central figure is done, but I am trying to keep that to a minimum.

Tonight I'll probably mist the canvas with my plant mister so I can work the ears and perhaps some of the three rows of tent stitch around the perimeter just above the burn hole.  I'm getting close to the area where the hole was burned so I want to be careful.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Today's Talk Like a Pirate Day.  Ahoy matey!

In honor of storybook pirates, here is some pirate stuff to stitch if you don't really want to talk funny.

Free pirate ship pattern
http://needlework.craftgossip.com/free-booty-pirate-pattern-from-ut/2009/09/17/

Children's pirate design
http://www.pasttimesneedlepoint.com/product.asp?productID=7012

Shelly Tribbey's ghost pirate ornament
http://a-z-needlepoint.com/products/shelly-h302.shtml

Don't have time to stitch? How about these pirate baby shoes in NP?
http://www.flagladygifts.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4950&idcategory=0

ABS Designs pirate rollup
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/2009/08/another-pirate-and-friends.html

pirate NP kit
http://www.sewinspiring.co.uk/acatalog/stitching_shed_tapestry_needlepoint.html

Have fun today.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Rabbit Brow

I worked more on the geisha's face last night, filling in the gray brow arch with stem stitches, then working toward the eye with light gray. After I ran out of light gray I switched to white and worked on the forehead.  This takes a long time but since a large part of the charm of this canvas is the fact that the elegant geisha is an animal, it has to be right.

This photo isn't as enhanced as yesterday's since I wanted you to get more of the actual effect.  The face looks rough up close but very good from a distance which is probably more like how it'll be viewed.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Rabbit Geisha's Cheeks and Forehead

Last night I finished the neck of our Rabbit Geisha and started working her cheeks and lower chin, then moved up toward her forehead. The photo shows my progress so far. Because I am using only one strand of my Burmilana (in white, light gray and medium gray) it is slow going.

Hopefully the photo is good enough to show how the neck, face and paws all look and gives enough detail that you can see how I am slanting the cheeks and forehead stitches to make them realistic yet blend.

I'm going to have to pad the nose. I tried overstitching my pink tent stitches with my Needle Necessities overdyed pink #8 perle cotton but that doesn't look smooth enough as you can see in the photograph. I'll pull out some pale pink silk from my stash and see what I can do to raise the nose a bit.

This is only the first layer of stitches.  More will be laid on top to smooth out various areas once more of the face is done.

I did a little background last night, too.  I need to do some of that every night so I don't have miles of background to finish at the end.  I've temporarily abandoned working on Glittering Kimono.  I just can't work two projects at once when they both need concentration!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Sharon G's Horses' Rear Canvases

So many people commented about the SharonG canvas that was my Canvas of the Day yesterday that I wanted to post about the horses' rear designs to help folks find them.  First of all, the photo above is the one I posted yesterday.  The design is called Graphic Girls #BH 02.  This is an 18 count canvas that is 8x10, which is a pillow or framed photo size.  It's from the Horses Rear series which are all the same size on 18 count and show three horses from the rear covered in various patterns.  You can see the other two canvases in this series on Sharon's blog in the link below.  One has floral patterns on the horses and the other has Christmas motifs.  These canvases just came out last June so your shop may not have one yet.
http://sharongneedlepointdesigner.blogspot.com/2009/06/ct35-is-newer-canvas-that-now-has.html

They've been very popular so SharonG is going to design more of them, but in a smaller, single horse size.  You can read a bit more about her plans for these newest designs here.
http://sharongneedlepointdesigner.blogspot.com/2009/09/horses-behinds.html

If you, like Pat, know one of the original models of these horse's asses, you might be interested.

Jane, exits giggling here in CH

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Fuzzy Neck

Last night I did some of the background stitching and started the first rows of the neck of the Rabbit Geisha.  The neck is dark gray under the edge of the jaw, then lightens to light gray for all the rest of the neck except for the area near the left collar.  I've not stitched that yet but it will be white.  In all cases I am using one strand of my Burmilana in the various shades in modified long and short stitch.  I used two strands (actually, one long length doubled in my needle's eye) for the paws but that looked too heavy for the neck.  I'll have to test the face and ears when I get to them to see whether I go with one strand or two.

I've also outlined the cheeks with a strand of dark gray in outline stitch.  My next step will be to finish the neck area with white Burmilana and then do a second layer of stitches in areas that look skimpy.  The face and ears will be next.  I plan to stitch the cheeks in / and \ directions, stitch the area than runs from the nose to the forehead slantly slightly this way \ and do the side of the face and the ears vertically.  I hope this directional stitching makes the face look more real.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

BREAKING NEWS: Colonial Needle Buys Lee Needle Arts

My spies tell me that Colonial Needle (which sells needles and knitting supplies and is turning into a needlepoint distributor as they offer a painting and a model stitching service to designers) is buying Lee's Needle Arts.  Colonial Needle is buying both the leather goods and the canvases so most everything should still be available.  I know many shops, teachers and regular stitchers are breathing a sigh of relief at this news.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

September 2009 Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article

It's back to school in September for those of us in the United States. Luckily, the classes I've found for you are taught by Mary Corbet and the lesson is mastering long and short stitch. This is a crewel stitch that gives beautiful and realistic shading that is used a great deal to create beautiful flower petals and leaves in particular. It also will shade any other object you wish to make with needle and thread. Mary tells you how to do it for any sort of shape in a series of nine lessons. Six of the lessons are posted already. Here are all the links. Bookmark this to find the other lessons when they are posted and you'll never wonder how to do this stitch again.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2009/08/long-and-short-stitch-lessons-index.html


Do the lessons make your head spin? Then you need some eye candy. Look at the details on these finished projects by customers of The Thread Garden! Click on the thumbnail photos for a better look. The second link is to a gallery of framed pieces, including a Halloween house whose framing and mat you must see.
http://thethreadgarden.com/Finishing.html


http://thethreadgarden.com/Framing%20Gallery.html


Now browse some of the fun tips Thread Garden has written in their Garden Almanac section.
http://thethreadgarden.com/The%20Garden%20Almanac/The%20Garden%20Almanac.html

[Note:  if these links won't take you to The Thread Garden, go to the framing gallery, then use the subtitles at the top of the page.]


See? Learning can be fun! Go treat yourself to a new Adam & Eve nagmetic needle minder from Kelmscott Deigns.
http://kelmscottdesigns.com/needle-minders.htm

Have a lovely back to school.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
blog at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Paws and Eyes and More

To do something a bit different than all that split pavilion stitch background I thought I would start stitching the fur on the Rabbit Geisha.  In this photo I have done both paws and also stitched her eye.  I used two sizes of black Kreinik 005 for the eye.  First I tent stitched the black eye lines in 1/16 inch ribbon.  That covers very well, although because it is a flat ribbon thread, it twists as you stitch if you aren't careful.  After the tent stitches were in, I used #4 Very Fine Braid in the same color to stem stitch on top of the eye where the curve was a bit jagged looking.  That smoothed it out and gives the top eyelid a bit of dimension.  The final step should have been to put in one white stitch for the pupil but I went a little nuts and used a silver Sundance bead instead.  That added more dimension, too.

If you look at the paws which I've stitched, you can see why I want dimension in the eye.  The fur might overwhelm the eye if I don't take steps now.  I also stitched the pink inner part of the ear and the nose, using #8 perle cotton by Needle Necessities in color 8158 which is a soft shaded pale pink.  I might pad the nose later.  I'm not sure whether I'll need to or not.  I probably will, but I do like how the nose looks currently so I'm waiting to see how things look once I have some of the face fur in.

The second picture gives you a more distant look at the body of the rabbit with her eye, nose, paws and most of the navy parts stitched. I am working on the navy lapel at her neck.  One side is stitched, one just started.  I am using the same Russell Variant stitch that is used on the obi.  (There's a link to this Tony Minieri stitch's diagram in yesterday's posting.)

The paws themselves are stitched in split stitch, starting at the wrist and working toward the fingertips.  I used three shades of Burmilana (white 3891, pale gray 3686 and gray 3858) and doubled my strand in the needle.  I started the neck last night but the doubled strand is too thick looking there so I pulled it all out and will try again tonight.  I decided that I probably should do the gray shading on the rabbit face before the neck is done, however.  I'm considering stem stitch for that but have not decided for sure.

Sometimes you have to try something before you know whether it will work.  I have no idea why the doubled Burmilana looks good on the paws but not on the neck.  Perhaps the neck needs a more receeded, delicate look?

This was a good stitching session in terms of stash credits since  I used six new threads (+6), which almost offsets the seven new skeins of DMC cotton floss (-7) I bought last weekend for the background!  I decided I would not count the one bead I added since there are lots and lots left in the little tube of beads.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Forget What I Said Saturday

Remember when I said fancy stitches on dark painted canvas with dark threads are a waste of time because they don't show up?  Ignore that today.

It's Exception Monday, and proof that every rule has exceptions is in this photograph.  Compare the Dotted Swiss stitched sleeve linings to the obi or cumberbund around the rabbit's waist.  Done with the same threads (sparkling Snow and not particularly shiny Splendor silk) in the same dark navy, you can still see a pattern of the alternating shiny and dull areas on the obi that you can't see in the sleeve lining because those stitches (alternating tent stitches and cross stitches) are so small.  The obi uses Tony Minieri's Russell Variant stitch (link below) so you have much larger areas of the two threads.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2009/jul.php

I didn't even have to enhance the photograph much for you to see the two harlequin patterns on the obi.  I'd have to enhance the photo, magically transport you to Chilly Hollow, and hand you a magnifier under a good light for you to see the difference in the two threads on the Dotted Swiss area.  Morale:  each rule has exceptions.  If you can get texture contrast in a fairly large area, you can put pattern in very dark threads.  I wanted some pattern on the obi using the navy threads so this is what I came up with.

The scan shows up two light areas on the right side I'll have to check.  Either I missed stitches or the thread isn't covering completely there.  While I look at that area in the morning sun, you might enjoy a trip to Terry Dryden's blog.  Terry is starting a new design, one using photo transfer.  It's going to be fun to watch!  (If you are late reading this, look for the entries starting on August 15th, 2009 and work forwards to the latest entry.
http://www.terrydryden.com/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Tidbits, Interesting and Sad

I worked on the sleeve lining and more background for the Rabbit Geisha last night but the photo of my progress will be so much like yesterday's that I didn't bother taking one.  I think I'll start another area on this canvas so I have something to talk about tonight.  Or perhaps I'll hold another audition for stitches as I need to pick out what to do for the tunic and lower skirt, not to mention ribbons and tassel.

But for now I mostly have tidbits of news for you.  I got a note from Melissa Shirley who read about the burned canvas on blog [Jane begins to hyperventilate at the thought that Melissa Shirley, creator of some of the most lovely canvases in my stash, reads Blog....] and sent me a note about it.  She said, "I was just looking at your poor burned Rabbit Geisha on Chilly Hollow. I recently received a canvas back from a customer that had had something corrosive spilled on it. The raw canvas was weak and tearing within the spill area but was holding and intact in the painted areas. Perhaps if you painted the burned area with acrylic paint it would strengthen the canvas."

So Nancy, your idea about repainted the burned background area is a good one.  It acted as a sort of glue to reinforce a weak area on a damaged canvas.

I had another idea about patching the Rabbit Geisha besides weaving which I mentioned in the Comments but I'd like to repeat here as I know not everyone reads the Comments.

I thought about using silk gauze to patch the burn hole instead of weaving and patching with regular 18 count needlepoint canvas.  Kreinik used to have 18 count silk gauze available and there is still mention of it on their website.
http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=172

Yes, it looks like you can buy 18 count silk gauze directly from Kreinik via this online store.
http://stitcherstreasures.kreinikmall.com/shops/product.php?printable=Y&productid=173

You can fringe all around the sides of a patch of silk gauze and slowly weave each fringed thread into the regular needlepoint canvas, then baste around the area for a second line of security.  Stitching over the hole should work nicely, especially if a second patch of regular 18 count needlepoint canvas is on the back side for more stability.  This is a long process, however, and I don't have and may not be able to get any 18 count silk gauze quickly.  I mention it, however, in case someone else wants to try this.  I don't expect many folks will have canvases damaged by fire or corrosive liquids, but many of us have accidentally cut a canvas thread or two in ripping out.  Just remember that although silk gauze and needlepoint canvas have a lot in common, they also differ.  Silk gauze threads are smaller than silk gauze holes so you might not be able to do all fancy stitches on silk gauze unless you back the repair with 18 count canvas on the underside.  I have particular trouble with French knots on silk gauze.  I have to put them in on top of tent stitches or they don't hold.  You may need to experiment or adapt what you are stitching if silk gauze repairs a cut or tiny weak spot.

My other tidbit is a sad one.  I got a note from Kandace Merric, the designer of the wonderful pet guardian angels we stitched for the ANG Auction this year, saying that she had lost one of her dogs.  Kandy is very active in rescue of mistreated, lost, or unwanted West Highland White Terriers and her Shana was a rescue dog.  I know Kandy is broken-hearted and I hope that she finds comfort in her other dogs, her friends, and her stitching.  I'm sure you will all join me in sending comforting thoughts Kandy's way.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Split Pavilion in Close Up

I've attached a close up of the split pavilion stitch that I am using for the Rabbit Geisha's background to help folks who want to use this stitch elsewhere.

I stitch it in horizontal rows, doing first one half of the pavilion, then in the next row doing the other half.

For the Rabbit Geisha canvas, I turned the canvas on its side so that the split lines when the canvas is upright run vertically. You can stitch it with them running horizontally if you wish.

If you guys need it diagrammed, I will do that, but it takes time, so hopefully this will be good enough.  Refer to earlier photos to see more rows underway.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Rabbit Geisha and The Background

Today's photo shows the split pavilion stitch background I stitched last night.  I wanted enough done close to the rabbit's body so that you could get a sense of how the two interact.  By the way, the Ming Variation I thought about using is much smaller than split pavilion--four Ming Variation stitches fit in the area covered by one split pavilion.

The only thing I have started stitching besides the background is the left navy inner sleeve lining, a little right sleeve lining, and a bit of the cummberband/obi band around the rabbit's waist.  These areas are very dark navy, which has the potential to cause the same three problems on a canvas that black or other very dark colors do.

First, stitching with navy on navy (or any very dark color) is hard on aging eyes.  I have to be sure to stitch in good lighting or I can't tell where the holes are or what has been stitched already.  For me, good overhead lighting is enough but some folks put a white or red hand towel in their lap or use the lap up lights.  These lights seem to be heavy and large (in the link below the stitcher has a cushion under the light) and you should shop around. I saw better prices while searching for the best photo.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat3248&PRODID=prd29511

Secondly, when you stitch in a very dark area next to a very light area (like the navy sleeve lining which is very close to the light blue background) you have the issue of the dark threads on the back showing through the light color,  Sometimes the knot on the back is too close to the light area and threads from that show, sometimes you are tempted to drag a dark thread from dark area #1 across light area to dark area #2 and the dark thread makes a shadow under the light area, sometimes fuzz from the dark threads gets into the light area's threads.  Just be careful.  I always start a dark thread at a point as far from a light area as possible, am careful how I end a dark thread, and if I think the dark fuzz will get into a light thread, I stitch the light area first (this issue will depend on the types of threads you use as some don't shed fuzz).

The third issue you have to confront when stitching a very dark area is that if you use a matching very dark thread, any fancy stitch you use will just disappear.  It can be a lot of work to do a textured stitch.  Do you really want that fancy stitch to not show up?

The sleeve stitch will probably be very difficult for you to see, even in the larger version of the photo.  I can barely see it myself when I look at the canvas.  I used Dotted Swiss, a very simple stitch that is just rows of alternating tent and cross stitches.  I normally stitch every other stitch as a cross stitch in the area to be stitched.  Each row has a cross stitch under the previous row's skipped stitch and vice versa.  You get a checkerboard of cross stitches when you are done, then go back and fill in the unstitched areas with tent stitch.

Why did I use a fancy stitch for this area?  Two reasons.  I choose two threads for the sleeve lining--Splendor silk in dark navy #S872 which is a perfect match for the navy paint--and Caron's Snow #17 "Carbon."  I love stitching with Snow, which is a polyester thread.  However it can unravel at the end in the needle's eye if you use a very long strand.  Caron recommends not more than a 20 inch length but I normally use just 12 inches at a time and almost never had trouble with Snow.

I didn't want to tent stitch the entire area in Snow, which is pretty sparkly.  So I did a line of tent stitches in Snow, then did my cross stitches in four plies of my Splendor so that the thicker Snow and the thinner Splendor in cross stitches were about the same height.  The sparkle is still there but it is subdued, and in very good light you can see the texture changes between dull silk and sparkly metallic.

Mixing two threads and two small stitches fancied up the sleeve lining in about the only way I could think of to do fancy in an area where fancy doesn't show up.  Hope you like it!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Another Pair of Stitching Sisters

Remember my interviews with twin sisters Eileen Aird (owner of the Ridgewood Needlepoint shop) and Elizabeth Hess (owner of Needlepoint Broad painted canvases)?  I've found another pair of sisters in the business, Cindy of Cindy's Needle Art and Randi of Sew Much Fun.  Cindy's shop is in Canada but she has an online store.
http://www.cindysneedleart.com/

Here's a brief interview Cindy did with her sister about the Sew Much Fun line.
http://www.cindysneedleart.com/index_files/aboutus.htm

And here are some of the Sew Much Fun designs for your viewing pleasure. (Prices are in Canadian dollars if you fall in love.)
http://www.cindysneedleart.com/index_files/other.htm

Many thanks to the Spinster Stitcher who is going to stitch one of the frog designs from Sew Much Fun.  I got curious and tried to find a photo of the canvas online only to discover this interview and all the interesting designs that the shop sells.
http://spinsterstitcher.blogspot.com/2009/09/provenance-of-ms-lily-frog-her-very.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Auditions and Rehearsals

I've been talking exclusively about repairing the burn damage on Rabbit Geisha but there is another area in this canvas that gave me a lot of worry--how plain it is.

If you look at the photo in the left column of the entire unstitched canvas, you see that the design has these elements:  the rabbit face and hands, the two ribbons and the tassel, the decorative sleeves, the over tunic and the under robe, and finally the blue background.  Each of these main elements has other things in it (one ribbon is gold edged and the other is not; the tunic has a curved line and dot trim) but those decorative bits are fairly sparse.

This is a problem for me as I usually look at those decorative elements as well as the shape of the area I am going to stitch to get ideas for stitches.   The only real decoration is the fan shapes on the sleeves.  I think the squiggles and dots on the over tunic are not really large enough to base anything on.  So this canvas is a pretty open one without much to help me decide on stitches that'll look good.

I had to do a LOT of test stitching which you'll see in the photo above.  Those are mostly stitches I was auditioning for the part of Background Stitch.  The entire canvas is 7x13 inches, which means it is tall and thin.  So I looked for tall stitches like the double column in the middle of the design or the interlocking L shapes in the upper right hand corner.  I also decided to try the Ming Variation stitch that failed to work out in the sky so spectacularly on my South Seas Fiji ornament.  I really like Ming Variation (it is the second row of stitches from the top) but once again it turned out to be not right for the part.

I got fairly desperate and tried a lot of things before I came up with the split pavilion stitch I am using for the background.  First, here is the normal pavilion stitch.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2001/01-08j.php

I saw a lovely version of this in one of Brenda Hart's books (Favorite Stitches, page 31, split diamond variation).  In my test stitching it is to the left of the double column stitch and is offset split pavilions with each row separated by a complex row or two of horizontal stitches.  I knew that as Miss I Can't Count To Ten Successfully, I'd never get this stitch right so I experimented to find a variation of it that was easier.  The two small split pavilions diagonally below Brenda's complicated version were what I came up with but they are too small in scale.  They just are too little for this large canvas.  I tried again and you see the larger split pavilions underneath the other versions in the second row from the bottom.

That's what I went with, turning the canvas so I could work these in a vertical manner, and doing a row of the top halves of the split pavilions, then coming back the other way with a row of the bottom half.  These all interlock nicely as you see below.

This stitch takes a lot of thread so I'm going to have to buy more DMC cotton floss.  I have three skeins of color 794, all of which I bought this week as the skein I had in the right color is Anchor and I can't buy Anchor locally (note to self:  update the total stash credits) but the area above already has used up one of them.  To be fair, I am also using the same thread for the three rows of tent stitch around the perimeter which also eats up a lot of thread.  I think I'll need 8-9 skeins of DMC 794 to do the background.  Better go shopping!

By the way, once I chose the right stitch in auditions, I had to do rehearsals to know how many threads I needed to look good on 18 count.  I ended up with four plies in my background split pavilions and four also in my tent stitches.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Mending the Rabbit Geisha with a Weave (and Water)

I have been rather busy (i.e., no stitching H-Q rows of the May stitch on Glittering Kimono) with the Rabbit Geisha's burned places.  Yesterday I showed you the patched areas.  Look back at the very last photo in yesterday's blog entry and you will see that there is a distinct dip in the burn hole area, with the scorched canvas well above the patch on the back side. Any stitches put on top of this are likely to have a dimple in them because there is a hole.  So I used another technique to handle this problem--weaving.

Patching is not the only way to mend canvas.  You can also pull away a thread from the edge of your canvas and weave it across the area.  In the photo above you'll see that I have done this.  I used a #20 needle so that the loose canvas thread would go through the eye and wove the thread to build up support.  I also started my background stitch over the burned corner area, just to see how it would work up.  First, I did two rows of basketweave outside the painted canvas area.  This stabilizes the patches a bit more and also will be useful in finishing.   However, another problem cropped up as I worked.

Look very carefully at this close up of the same photo.  See where the burned NP canvas threads broke as I stitched through them?  This is one reason I put the patches on the back.  I had no idea how stable the scorched canvas would be.  Before I did any more stitching, I grabbed my plant mister and sprayed the canvas.  (The thread I am using for my background stitches is DMC #794 and since most DMC colors are pretty stable--except for red and very very dark colors like navy and chocolate--I risked the color running.)  Once the burned canvas and the patch were damp and more flexible, I continued stitching the background over the burned corner.  The more flexible damp canvas (I didn't get it really wet, just flexible) took the stitches better and this morning when the spot is dry I don't see any more broken stitches.  There might be some under the stitching and the patch, though.


This photo shows what the corner looks like stitched.  Note that some of the brown burn shows between the stitches.  Someone asked (Was that you, Nancy?) in the Comments if I planned to repaint the burned area.  The answer is no.  I have no idea how burned canvas will take to paint or a marker so I won't risk that.  We'll see how prominent the burned areas are after stitching.  I may scatter beads on top to distract the eyes (beads hide a LOT of sins!) or maybe the finisher will use trim or something similar to hide this.  We'll worry about it later.  The first step is to get the background stitches in successfully.

The final photograph also shows that I pulled out my woven canvas thread and restitched it vertically instead of horizontally to better support my horizontal stitches.  I made sure to dampen this area and to soak the thread I was going to weave with to make it very flexible.  I also added another row of tent stitches around the outside as I realized that I had miscounted the background.  I didn't want to compensate.  Besides, three rows of tent stitches are probably better for the patched areas as that is where the finishing stitches will go.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Vandals in Chilly Hollow

Yesterday's photograph of Brenda Stofft's Rabbit Geisha is from her website.  There's a good reason for that beyond the fact that my scanner won't scan entirely a piece that is 7x13 on stretcher bars (which adds 2-3 inches all around), but if you have a weak stomach, you won't want to look at the photo of the canvas above.

This beautiful piece was a gift from a dear friend and I didn't know it was coming in the mail.  Much to my surprise the mail lady showed up at the house one day with an opened mailing box in hand, telling my husband she'd found the package she'd put in the mailbox the day before lying on the side of the road, ripped open, the wrapped contents set fire to by a match, and dumped in the ground in disappointment that there was nothing worth stealing, I guess.  The match and the ribbon that tied the canvas in a roll were in the bottom of the box but the tissue paper was burned away almost entirely.  Some of the canvas was damaged by the fire as you see above.

I was really sick about this, particularly since it was a gift, but the lovely lady who sent this to me briskly told me to pull myself together and not let the sick person who did this win.  So I put the canvas away, determining that I would stitch it and make a masterpiece out of it.  Fortunately there is no burned smell and the damage is repairable.

Here is the bottom of the design.  The three burned areas are in the top half, and the one edge that is charred we can forget about as it will be cut away in finishing.  None of this area is damaged.

But the two burns at the top must be dealt with.  First of all, I patched the burns.  This photo shows the burned hole with a patch in place.  I cut some spare canvas that is the same 18 count size in ecru (I wouldn't use a dark color of canvas for this unless the original canvas is also dark) in a shape that would cover the worst area, then lining up the holes exactly, I stitched it in place using long stitches that I can pull out later.  The second patch is lying on top on the right so you can see the general shape I'll use there.  That is not burned through but the canvas is charred on the back so I want to reinforce this area.  I am not framing this piece as I have no idea what being sealed in a frame might do to a burned piece of NP canvas.

This photo shows both holes patched. The thread tail ends are on top of the canvas so I can easily pull out the stitches when I am ready.  I will need to be careful to pick a stitch that covers the background completely to make sure the patches are secure.  I considered trimming the background around the rabbit geisha but consulted with my finisher who says it'll be easier to use this as a tote bag design if she has squared off edges to work with.  So I am going to use the patches to reinforce the canvas and patch the hole.

I have patched canvases before and never had one separate (my first spliced canvas was done as an experiment in around 1989 when I stitched a glasses case for my Mom who has carried it in her purse for decades without any problem) but you can't do light coverage or very dimensional stitches that are mostly on the front of the canvas instead of going through the holes in these instances. You have to secure the two pieces by stitching right though them both.

I will make sure I do two rows of tent stitches all around the outside edge of the blue painted background to help secure the patches futher.  That way the finisher can trim the patch away if necessary.

By the way, the mail lady now brings any boxes we get to the top of our driveway and leaves them in the open garage.  Both the post office and the sheriff's office told me there was nothing they could do to track down the vandal.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Introducing The Rabbit Geisha

The next painted canvas I am going to stitch is designed by Brenda Stofft.  I call it the Rabbit Geisha.  Brenda has the Cat in a Kimono also, which is similar but wears more elaborate robes.

Here is Rabbit Geisha (7 inches wide by 13 inches high on 18 count canvas) and then Cat in a Kimono (slightly larger at 9 inches wide by 16 inches high on 18 count canvas).
http://www.brendastofftdesigns.com/P4170159.JPG

http://www.brendastofftdesigns.com/IMG_0099.JPG

The reason I mentioned both pieces is that Jane in Alamo City is stitching Cat in a Kimono after a class with Tony Minieri helped her figure out how to handle the canvas.  If you are curious about Cat in a Kimono, I know you'll enjoy visiting Jane at her blog and watching how she handles this design.  Just scroll down the right hand column until you find the Category called "Brenda Stofft Cat in a Kimono." Click and enjoy!
http://janew1102.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Rabbit Geisha is going to offer an unusual challenge, which I'll talk about tomorrow.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

South Seas Fiji is Finished

Or is it?  I need a sunny day to take this Dynasty Ornament outside and check to make sure I didn't miss a stitch somewhere and that I covered all the painted palm fronds with stem stitches.  But we've had cloudy, overcast skies for the last two days.  So I did a big scan to see if I found any problems that way and I did not.  Often a scan or a photograph will reveal a cat hair caught in my stitches or a stitch I missed or another mistake that the naked eye just doesn't see.  I've noticed that one becomes so familiar with a piece you just don't notice things, like the fact that my first sky stitch was too big for the piece.  You get used to a piece and stop seeing the details.  That's another argument for a stitch rotation.  Switching back and forth one sees problems a lot better than stitching one piece at a time.   However, I know that I become so focused on a piece that I forget about the other piece in my rotation.  That's why this took two months to stitch.  Most of the time it was waiting for me to finish up Cape Cod Dogs.   So my next piece will probably be a large one that I focus on exclusively until it is done except for time outs to work on Glittering Kimono.  I've started the September stitch there (it's a mystery piece with a new section diagrammed for you each month) and am still working away on May.

While stitching South Seas Fiji, I relearned this lesson about paying attention to our stitching courtesy of Liz Morrow who first mentioned in the Comments that the sky stitch looked too large.  Scale is very important in needlepoint and if Liz hadn't spoken up, I wouldn't have noticed that my sky's too big.  I also relearned the lesson that just because one stitch is lovely (and the original sky stitch, Ming Variation is lovely) doesn't mean it is the right stitch for the piece you are working on.  This lesson was reinforced by the problem I had on the right side of this piece.  I originally did a light coverage couching stitch on the sea foam green parts of the fabric half of this design.  When I added tent stitches to the black areas, they made the sea foam green sections look sunken.  I had to rip out the couching stitches and do something else so that the two halves of the right side of this design were balanced.

In the end South Seas Fiji was all about achieving the right balance of elements in a design.

Please note I have not stitched the top metallic hanger and loop on this piece.  I plan to frame it inside a circular mat so that this area is hidden.  If I can't find the right frame and decide to finish it differently, I'll go back and stitch the area, but if it is going to be hidden in the framing, it is better that it is not stitched.  South Seas Fiji will be put away in the Awaiting Finishing pile for now. The next sunny day I'll take her outside for inspection and the next time I am at the best local frame shop I'll search for the right frame and choose a mat.

I hope you enjoyed stitching the second of my two Dynasty Ornaments by Leigh Designs.  The designer told me that these are created to be fast, easily stitched designs and I've certainly found this to be the case.  Here are the rest of the Dynasty Series to date for your browsing pleasure.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/ImgIdx2h.html

http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp826x.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow