Black Friday Sales

Today's Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the day when many stores have fabulous sales to lure Christmas shoppers.  There are a few sales going on specific to this day in the world of needlepoint and a few other good sales I've stumbled across that will be there tomorrow and into the future.  You should definitely check your local shop's calendar to see when they will close for the Christmas/New Year holiday and if they are having a sale this time of year.

Needle Bug in Montgomery, Alabama has a 25% off sale until noon today. Note they are collecting toys to distribute and contribute if you can.  If you aren't in the area, browse the daily shop news postings to read about the needlepoint the shop owner saw at the National Cathedral.
http://theneedlebug.com/

First up, this shop has a great many books for sale at half price, including all the Stitches for Effect series and Ruth Dilts' Needlepoint 101 and Needlepoint 202.  (By the way, they also have a consignment area where you can pick up good bargains.)
http://www.sfstitch.net/sale.html

Lani's Needlepoint is having a sale on all their canvases of little porcelain bowls.  I think most of them are on this page.
http://www.lanisneedlepoint.com/newdesigns_1.aspx

Needlenook of La Jolla has a limited selection of Christmas stocking canvases on sale at half off.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/products.php?cat=192

Needlepoint Heaven has a few canvases on sale if you buy your threads there, too.  Note the faux alligator handbags with canvas inserts at a really good price.
http://www.needlepointheaven.com/needlepoint-sale.html

Past Times Needlepoint has three pages of sale items and will ship free if you spend over $50.
http://www.pasttimesneedlepoint.com/display.asp?ProductStatus=13

I haven't done business with all of the above (but have no commercial relationship with any of these shops), so buyer beware.  By the way, the canvas shown above is from Ruth Schmuff.
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/details.php?pid=10425&nFirstCatId=17&cname=578&pname=Born+to+Shop

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

Vertical Hesitation Stitch

The next section of O'jishi I want to tackle is his jaw.  In the photo above, you will see the jaw section underway.  I'm using a stitch called Vertical Hesitation Stitch, which I found on Ruth Schmuff's Stitches CD, Volume One.  This stitch dictionary, created in collaboration with Kathy Holicky, is on three CDs, each with 300 stitch diagrams (except Backgrounds has 481 patterns), each purchased separately.  You can buy one of the CDs or all of them, as you wish.  I don't know if more are planned but I've found them useful and full of stitches I've not seen many other places, so I hope so.

Anyone who needs a stitch diagram to print out or for a stitch guide can find the jpeg they want and print it or use it on places like Blog.  Just remember to give copyright credit where it belongs.
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/products.php?catid=56&firstcid=6


Here is Ruth and Kathy's original diagram for Vertical Hesitation Stitch.

I tried stitching vertically as the diagram says but found it easier to lay the diagram on its side, lay O'jishi on his side, and stitch the two repeat rows over and over, working from left to right (then back again to fill in the second type of slants).

VERTICAL HESITATION STITCH 

from Stitches CD Volume 1 © Ruth Schmuff

I used four threads for the jaw, all silk flosses and all stitched with just two plies as I wanted the paint between the stitches to add depth and shading.  The burnt orange is Kreinik's Soie d'Alger #2635T, the dark brown Gloriana's Coffee Bean #166, the cream Needle Necessities' Empress Silk #C240, and the gold Gloriana's Lacquered Gold #045.

When I start the right side of the jaw, I'll turn O'jishi to the other side and also turn my chart so that the single row diagram showing just every other stitch is on top, not the bottom.  That way the slants will be correct and I can compensate in the lower cream jaw area so that the two slants meet in the center.

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