The Firescreen--Now Appearing at Woodlawn

Tapestry Tent's Earthy Paradise, Stitched by Kate L. Callahan

Since so many of us never make it to the Woodlawn exhibit when my friend Kate Callahan mentioned she'd sent her fire screen off to the show, I begged her for photos to share.  What you see above is Tapestry Tent's "Earthy Paradise." The fire screen itself is antique and 17 inches square.  Kate changed the earthy brown tones to brighter ones to be more authentic.  I found this online photo so you can see the original colors as designed by Liz Dillon.
http://rittenhouseneedlepoint.com/earthly-paradise.html

Comparing Kate's fire screen to the original design, you will see Kate added a crewel-type bottom to ground the vase and create a more crewel-like look.  She used brighter colors to make this piece more period, as you can see in these two photos which show a fire screen from the mid to late 1700s with the original stitching still inside.

The back of the antique fire screen (left) is much brighter than the front side (right).  By the way, Kate's version is all tent stitches, even the crewel ground under the vase.  If you click on the photos, they should enlarge enough for you to see how Kate played with the background colors to bring out the four birds in the bouquet.

Thank you so much for sharing the piece and its inspiration with us, Kate!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 24, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Backgrounds: The Finishing Touch is Reborn

I just heard from Ruth Schmuff that my favorite book from Ann Strite-Kurz is being reprinted.  It's called Backgrounds:  The Finishing Touch.  This is a fabulous backgrounds book if you are interested in intricate patterns built up in layers.  Ann specializes in these, as folks who subscribe to Needlepoint Now know since she has a recurring column in the magazine about the patterns she loves to create.  This particular book comes with a CD that illustrates the book lavishly, which I personally find very inspirational.  You can read the book next to your computer, then open the PDF file to that section and browse the photographs. Ann knows everyone from years of teaching and her friends generously allowed her to photograph their work.

If you are interested in picking up a copy, Ann is going to offer a twenty percent discount on this book (she has many others--another favorite of mine is her Science of Canvas Embroidery booklet) until June 1, and there will be free shipping if you order three or more copies in case you want to go in with your friends on the deal.

Here's Ann's website.  Her books are on top (first three rows) and her designs are listed on the rest of the page.  Have fun browsing!
http://www.needleartworks.com/dsgnr/ask/askimages.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 24, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Quail Run's Latest Newsletter

I always love reading Quail Run's newsletter since it always has the most wonderful photographs!  The latest one for this Scottsdale shop is available here.  Not only can you see their upcoming classes, but there are postings of recently completed projects, new tools and much more fun.
http://quailrunneedlework.com/uploads/sites/1/Covey_Mar15_Master.pdf

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 11, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.