Chandail to Remain Open!

Very good news! Despite the relocation of Chandail's owner to Colorado this summer, the shop will stay open under a new owner. Ada Hayden of Eye Candy repeats the good news on her blog.
http://eyecandyneedleart.blogspot.com/2012/04/chandail-needlework-to-remain-open-with.html

If you are interested in their sale before the shop changes hands, here is the website.
http://chandailneedlework.com/


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

Is Chaparral the Oldest Needlepoint Shop?

I'm told Chaparral Needlework opened on April 1st, 1962, which makes it 50 years old.  They are going to have an open house next Thursday, April 26th, to celebrate.  They are posting photographs of their five founders on their Facebook page.  If you have an account, search for "Chaparral Needlework" and look in their photo albums.
http://www.ndlpt.com/


I think they might be the oldest continuously operated needlepoint store in the United States. Can any other shop top 50 years?


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

Serendipitous Bob

Associated Talents' Skeletor

Yesterday I posted a photo of the Associated Talents Halloween skull piece that I call Bob.  Bob is stitched with a lot of Petite Silk Lame Braid (the two purples, the two oranges, the silver and gold) and also with some green overdyed Kreinik, black Splendor silk and the white Neon Rays Plus that glows in the dark.  I stitched Bob's eyes as Smyrna Crosses using my Neon Rays Plus, thinking that I would bury a tiny black bead in the slope of each Smyrna for his pupil.

If you aren't familiar with the Smyrna Cross, here's how they are done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIDhShvm88

The size of the X covered with a + can vary to cover the space needed.

This stitch ends up being higher in the middle, so I discovered my idea of using a bead on the side of the Smyrna Cross wouldn't work.  The bead just wouldn't stay where it was added, no matter how many times I stitched through the hole.  I tried different shapes of beads (round, hex) and different sizes (both 11/0 and the smaller 14/0) but nothing worked.  The day before, I'd found a tiny red sequin on the carpet so I got it out of my tool tray and plopped it on one of Bob's eyes.  To my surprise the 2mm size and the red color were perfect.  Serendipity worked in Bob's favor very well.

I probably should have taken out the Smyrna Crosses and tent stitched his eyes but I sort of like the raucous angle the sequins tilt in.  Makes Bob look a bit like his eyes are sending a red light out into the world.

The moral of the story is to not discount chance and luck when it comes to choosing threads, stitches or attachments for your needlepoint masterpieces.

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

Thread Storage

Mary Corbet explains her thread storage needs and talks about the pros and cons of the storage system she has chosen.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2012/04/embroidery-thread-storage.html


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