More Cats, More Leigh, More Melissa UPDATED

It's obvious Robin misses her cats while she's away from home, working the Needle Deeva booth at TNNA's Columbus show.  At least she can look at needlepoint cats while she is away.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2011/06/cats-in-columbus.html

The designers are starting to post all their new designs on their websites now that the shops have seen their work.  It's a tradition that they wait until the shops who go to the trade shows get first peek, but it is very hard on us Internet visitors!  Here is Leigh's newest Fashion Inserts as well as the new small size of their Staccato line.  I have to say I love the newest Fash inserts, particularly the temple, the pile of birthday packages, the Santa ornament, the Valentine lady whose flowing locks spell Love....
http://www.leighdesigns.com/ImgIdx01.html

There are more new Fash Inserts that are being distributed by Lee with their lovely bags.  You can see a couple of the others here.  Leigh created them but Lee sells the butterflies and the lilies.  (Confused yet?  LOL)
http://www.leighdesigns.com/News.html

Melissa Shirley has posted her new things on her website and she's made it hard because they are scattered throughout the page.  We are going to have to look at designs posted earlier this spring again.  Well, I guess that's not really such a chore.  LOL
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/gallery/?bsn=1

No wonder the Needle Bug staff are exhausted!
http://theneedlebug.com/2011/06/monday-and-to-head-back-shortly/

UPDATE:  Janet Perry picks her favorite canvases from the TNNA show.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/great-canvases-a-tnna

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Shut Her Up With Candy Corn

In really new TNNA news, Vicky DeAngelis has found a new artist whose work Kelly Clark is reproducing in needlepoint canvas.  Let's give a big hand of applause and welcome--once we stop laughing--for Dan Dipaolo.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/06/13/lol-in-kelly-clarks-booth/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Trees on Tulle: The Cat Topiary Garden Grows

Two Spruce Trees

After the tulle was laid over my canvas and basted into position, I decided to start stitching with the two big spruce trees that are on either side of the topiary bushes.  In the photo above, the left spruce is stitched and the right spruce is half finished.  These big trees dominate the layer of background that is in front of the background we stitched first (and covered with tulle so it wouldn't take over the world!) but behind the topiary bushes.

I decided on a stitch called Double Stitch which I found in SharonG's SENSE book, page 28.  Double Stitch is just rows of tall, skinny cross stitches that are three threads high and one wide, with regular cross stitches between each big one.  Make sure you always put the same slanted leg on top.  I work my / leg first and then put the \ stitches on top, but it doesn't matter which you do as long as you are consistent.

Double Stitch

In the diagram you see mostly the big cross stitches. This is because I didn't work the tiny cross stitches in the empty spaces.  I only did step one of this stitch.  I may come back later and put in the tiny cross stitches using a thin metallic or I may use beads here or I may do nothing at all.  I won't decide until I have more bushes stitched and can see what they all look like together.

On the tree on the left side, Double Cross (step one only) is stitched as a light coverage stitch with one ply of my dark spruce green Au Ver a Soie #1826.  Pick a silk or cotton floss that is very close to the darkest green on this tree and the empty spaces that we haven't stitched will let the lighter paint shading at the top show.

For the tree on the right side, I did my Double Cross (step one only) in light coverage stitching with one ply of the lighter Soie Crystale 8092.  Pick a silk or cotton floss that is very close to the lightest shade in this tree and the darker shades painted toward the bottom will show through the skipped threads and shade this tree for you.

The next bushes we will do are the two tall cedars on either side of the fish topiary bush.  I will use the same thread that I used on the right hand cedar (Soie Crystale 8092) on these two bushes but will use two different stitches.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

More Reports from Day 2 UPDATED

The second day of the trade show is over.  Before she heads out to eat, Colleen reports in with more photos.
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2011/06/day-2-done.html

Michele (Bristly Thistle) also reports in.
http://bristlythistle.blogspot.com/2011/06/columbus-2011-day-2.html

She says there are four new Charley Harper designs on NP canvas.  They sound wonderful!
http://bristlythistle.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/new-needlepoint-from-charley-harper/

UPDATE:  Palma found us photos of the new Charley Harper designs.
http://www.bristlythistle.com/newharper.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com