Cupcakes and Stitch Guides

This morning I published a new article on the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides blog about Cynthia Thomas' latest stitch guides for a Needle Deeva series. To read about the new items, click on the link below, or click on the magic carpet's photo in the right hand column to go straight to my other blog.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2011/10/cupcake-anyone.html


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

A Glimpse Inside the Classroom

If you are like me and never get to go to any of the cool classes, you'll drool all over the photos from Terry Dryden's Tropical Jazz class for Needle Bug in Alabama and the photos of Brenda Hart's Drama Dragon mask and embellishment classes at Bedecked and Beadazzled in Maryland. It looks like so much fun!
http://theneedlebug.com/2011/09/terry-dryden-2/

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2011/09/snap-tray-heaven.html

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2011/10/so-many-stitches.html

And then there was the SharonG class at Nimble Needle.  Trust me, the horses asses canvases are delicate and beautiful in person. Photos don't do them justice.  I'm lusting after the Christmas one myself.
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2011/10/sharong-class-recap.html


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

Threads for Perfect Skin UPDATED

Rainbow Gallery's Skin Tone Collections

So many folks report problems stitching faces that I thought I should continue with tips to help those who aren't happy with how things turn out for them. The right thread can really help create a face you are proud of.  My preference in stitching faces is to use silk floss. I must not be the only person who loves silk on faces because Rainbow Gallery has come out with what they call Design Collections in two skin tones using their Splendor floss colors--Bronze Porcelains and Blush Porcelains.  That's what you see in the above photograph.  There's not much yardage in each color but since I normally use 3-4 plies of Splendor in tent stitches for my faces, a card of these two sets will last me for 4-5 canvases of people.  (Splendor is a 12 ply silk.)  The Bronze Porcelains work for darker faces and the Blush Porcelains work for very pale skin and rosy cheeks.

UPDATE:  Rainbow Gallery has added Santa's Rosy Checks to their Design Collections skin tones.
https://www.stitchingbitsandbobs.com/cgi-bin/Store/pageread.cgi?SDC

Melissa Shirley's Nordic Snowman Stotcking, with face stitched

Of course these threads won't work for a snowman's face.  I've successfully used white Flair to stitch right over a snowman's pink cheeks and white snow "skin" as you see in the photo above, which shows Melissa Shirley's Nordic Snowman stocking under way.  The entire face is tent stitched with white Flair, including his pink cheeks and the gray shading under the edge of his fur-trimmed stocking cap.  The paint shows right through the transparent Flair and gives a slightly icy look to the face.

Flair also is a Rainbow Gallery thread.  It's a woven tube of thread which we stitchers sometimes call Barbie doll hose.  It comes on a card.  This website has good photos of the thread itself. If you've seen Frosty Rays or Petite Frosty Rays, you've seen Flair with a metallic thread threaded down the middle of it.
http://a-z-needlepoint.com/flair.shtml

Anyone else have a thread they use constantly for faces?  Either email me at chilly hollow athotmaildot com or post your favorite thread in the Comments section below this article.

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