Thursday, July 12, 2012

Hooo-Hooo-Hooo!

BeStitched is so eager for this wonderful Melissa Shirley owl portrait to find a new home they have it on sale at thirty percent off. You can even pick up a stitch guide and threads.
http://bestitchedneedlepoint.com/melissa-shirley-owl-30-off/


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

Cats on the Ground

If you aren't a bird person, perhaps you'll enjoy Vicky DeAngelis' latest cat piece, one of SharonG's Art Deco cat designs.  Click on the photo for a better look at the magic Vicky worked, then...
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/07/07/what-is-there-no-stitching-going-on/

...take a look at the original to see all the details she added.  This canvas is also available on 13 count but I am pretty sure Vicky stitched the smaller 18 count version.
http://store.needlenook.com/Sharon-G-Cats-Night-Out-18M-p23704.html

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

Birds in the Air

Labors of Love has a very popular clip on bird canvas series that comes with tail feathers and the clip on hardware.  The design is double-sided so that the bird when the two sides are stitched together and stuffed, you have a bird that will attach to an artificial tree, drapes, or just about anything for display and delight.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/gallery.php?category=53

Nimble Needle has photos of two of these birds finished and promises more pictures when others return from the finisher's.  NN mentions stitch guides but not who wrote them.  However, I know that Tony Minieri and Amy Bunger both have done guides for many of these canvases.  Your local shop can find out if the birds you prefer have guides and from whom exactly, but from Amy's stitch guide catalogue, it looks like she has a guide for the Baltimore Oriole, the Flamingo, and the Peacock.  There may be more in the works, too.  I'm pretty sure Tony did the Owl but I can't find any information on exactly what birds he created guides for.
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2012/06/birds-from-labors-of-love.html

These are charming and different enough that I imagine there will be flocks of needlepoint birds flying around all over, stitch guide or no.  After all, there's even a purple Halloween clip on owl!
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/gallery.php?category=50

Come to think about it, Amanda Lawford has some lovely bird designs as well.  Something for every taste--that's needlepoint!
http://bristlythistle.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/rhinestone-birds-by-amanda-lawford/

Regardless of whether there is a stitch guide 
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com