If You've Ever Taken a Cyber Class….

If you have ever taken a cyber class and stood impatiently by your mailbox, waiting for the supplies to arrive, you need to read this peek behind the scenes of how these things are organized, packed and shipped.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2017/05/frostings-2-19500-items.html

Now go email your teacher and say thanks for all that work!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 31, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

More About Niki McDonald, Tapestry Girl

Textile Curator has a brief profile of Niki McDonald, the Australian stitcher known as Tapestry Girl.
http://www.textilecurator.com/niki-mcdonald/

Needlepoint for Fun is in Australia and had a fun visit with Niki.  Here's a video.
https://www.facebook.com/Needlepoint-For-Fun-125313707511380/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

And here is an interview.  NP For Fun did a good one, since they understand needlepoint and know what to ask.
http://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/tapestry-girl-makes-art-from-needle-and-thread.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 5, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Fiber Talk Interviews Abigail Cecile (Abby Timmis)

This week Fiber Talk interviews Abby of Abigail Cecile, a new designer of both needlepoint and embroidery designs.  Follow the links to learn more about Abby, the Royal School of Needlework and more.
http://wetalkfiber.com/2017/05/28/fiber-talk-with-abigail-timmis/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 28, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Needlepoint Cats from MAP Designs

Kreinik's latest blog showcases the cat artwork series of canvases from MAP Designs.  Check out the Hot Wire whiskers on the last cat!
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-art-of-needlepoint-cats.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 5, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Choosing A Stitch Path for Angel with Tree

Inspired by Orna Willis' essay yesterday on the types of stitches one can choose, I thought I'd walk through my stitch choices on this darling Christmas angel. This is Angel with Tree, one of Melissa Shirley's angel series from a year or so back.  This design is 7 inches high by 4 1/2 wide on 18 count canvas.  She is one of a series of six angels which are also available as round ornaments and small stockings.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/galsearch/index.cgi?index=1430178336_7822&col=

As Orna Willis made clear in her essay yesterday, there are a variety of paths one can take when picking stitches on a canvas that will be embellished in various ways.
http://ornadesign.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-i-make-my-stitch-choices-on-painted.html

I rarely know exactly where my path will take me when I start a canvas.  I tend to like realistic pieces (if you can call a portrait of an angel "realistic") and this one appealed because the angel reminds me of my godmother and a good friend.  I also liked the little white dots in the background which remind me of the tiny snow balls we often get here in the wintertime instead of lacy snowflakes.  So already I know two things:  I want pearls in the background instead of snowflake sequins to resemble the snow we get and I want a hairstyle and color that looks like my godmother and my friend's hair.  See?  Two choices have been made already!  If you simply look at the canvas you bought and think about what you liked about it, that will give you stitching ideas.

Of course knowing I want hard little balls for snowflakes is an easy choice—beads, specifically white pearls.  My godmother had lovely brown hair that she wore in soft curves and curls.  I happen to really like wool and wool-like threads for hair so now I know I want to look through my stash for wool appearing threads that I will use in French knots and Colonial knots.  See?  Making these choices is easy.

I like tent stitches for faces so that's another choice down.  The white outfit the angel wears I want in something that looks lacy.  So that narrows down my stitch choices to something rather lace-like, perhaps eyelets?  I like leaf stitches for trees, so there's another narrowing of the path forward.

So far we have something for the hair, skirt and jacket, skin, and snowflakes.  That's enough to get started.  You'll discover as you experiment with embellishing painted canvases that each choice you make narrows down the following choices.  One you are set for a hair stitch, you probably will use the same thread for eyebrows, for example.

Next time I'll talk about where I started stitching, what choices I made, what worked and what didn't, and how I altered my path as I worked on this design.

Today's Stitch Guide Moral:  Make a few choices and the path starts to unfold before you.

Many thanks to Melissa Shirley for allowing me to stitch this for you!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 3, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

How I Make Stitch Choices (Orna Willis)

Orna Willis talks about how she categorizes stitch choices and explains how she chose the stitches for one of her bird designs in this interesting article on her blog.
http://ornadesign.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-i-make-my-stitch-choices-on-painted.html

By the way, Orna is going to offer a new class about her design choices.  You will stitch along as Orna designs a new piece.  This class is meant to offer insights into what she does and how.  If you are curious about design or you just want to stitch a geometric with a color genius, this class is for you.  Details on her website.
http://ornadesign.blogspot.com/2017/05/my-design-process-how-and-why.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 3, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Studying Sunset and Water

Rachel pulled out an older piece of needlepoint and talked about what stitches she used on it and why in this interesting blog posting.
http://www.blog.virtuosewadventures.co.uk/wordpress/2017/05/02/sunset-study/

Got any ideas for her for the unstitched areas?

Rachel also posted a finished piece, with information about the threads, stitches and canvas to help you learn to analyze what you see and use some of the ideas on your own canvases.
http://www.blog.virtuosewadventures.co.uk/wordpress/2017/05/09/canvaswork-again-the-lady-by-the-lake/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 2, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

SuDu Talks Stitch Guides and Backgrounds and Embellishing and Finishing UPDATED

Sue Dulle's recent blog posting talks about how she uses a stitch guide. It's full of good tips on how to get the most of a guide and how to customize it to your own likes and dislikes. 
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/melisssa-shirley-wicked/

Sue also talks about stitching her background and why she stitched the letters on her canvas differently than the guide. There are some great tips for stitching darning stitches, too.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/melissa-shirley-wicked-background-letters/

She also gives us tips on how to work large projects without forgetting areas.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/melissa-shirley-wicked-fun-stuff/

Now she embellishes!
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/melissa-shirley-wicked-embellishing/

UPDATE:
Finally, Sue writes about finishing. This article alone is worth its weight in gold!  There's more than just finishing in this article, but it's the main focus.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/25/melissa-shirley-wicked-final-thought/

Thanks for writing down your thoughts, Sue.  It's very valuable information.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 1, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Needlepoint Shadbelly Points

I had no idea what shadbelly points were as I don't ride horses.  Very interesting and very chic, too! The examples Horse Country Chic shows are all custom designs from Hingham Square Needlepoint.
http://horsecountrychic.blogspot.com/2017/04/needlepoint-shadbelly-points.html

If you are curious about shadbelly points, this site has lots of photos of their custom designs. None are needlepointed but it give you a good idea of what the needlepoint ones will be compared to.
https://www.tacknrider.com/custom-equiline-shadbelly-gallery/

And here is where you wear such outfits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 30, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

DMC Has Been Sold

Thanks to the Needlework Retailer, I found that DMC has been sold to a private equity group which bought a British yarn and pattern company at the same time.  At the bottom of the article is mentioned a photograph to chart service that DMC is apparently going to offer in the near future.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/06/liberty-owner-sews-needle-market-wool-gang-deal/

This isn't exactly breaking news as the acquisition happened last June.
http://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/DMC-to-fly-the-British-flag,699966.html#.WQNo1RSldjc

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 28, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Royal School Tackles Raised Embroidery

The Royal School of Needlework has a new book out, this time on raised embroidery techniques, including stumpwork, raised stitches, padding and more techniques that make an embroidery more 3-D looking. Mary Corbet has done a review here to give you a flavor of this book and help you decide if it is something you might be interested in.
https://www.needlenthread.com/2017/04/raised-embroidery-techniques-projects-pure-inspiration.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 28, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Fiber Talk Interviews Sandy Arthur UPDATED

Have you seen Sandy Arthur's Shapes books, or lusted after one of her cyber classes? Then you will enjoy her interview on Fiber Talk.
http://wetalkfiber.com/2017/05/21/fiber-talk-with-sandra-arthur/

If you aren't familiar with Sandy's classes, stitch guides, apps or books, here is where you can get acquainted.
http://duodesignsinc.com/wpsite/

UPDATE:  The thimble dots that Sandy mentioned from Colonial Needle can be seen here…
https://www.overstock.com/Crafts-Sewing/Colonial-Needle-ThimblePad-Pack-of-12/6203865/product.html

and here.
https://www.createforless.com/Colonial-Needle-Thimble-Crown/pid230119.aspx?utm_source=bingProdAds&utm_medium=cse&CAWELAID=530001980000096533&catargetid=530001980000165791&cadevice=c

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 21, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Stitcher's Accessory Pack

Needlepoint.com has a nice little accessory pack that is perfect for travel or as a present for a new stitcher.  Of course it is a lot of fun to create your own tool pouch by picking up a nice zip container and filling it with spare scissors, a package of needles, a threader and magnet and anything else you use often.
http://needlepoint.com/stitcher-s-accessory-pack.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 4, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Michele's 3-2-1 Rule

Michele Herron of The Bristly Thistle has a neat way to keep her stock of unstitched canvases under control.   She calls it the 3-2-1 Rule.  Now all I have to do is find some self-control buried under the boxes of threads and canvases….
https://www.bristlythistle.com/blog/2017/4/26/sticking-to-the-3-2-1-rule

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 27, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Winterthur Museum Acquires Erica Wilson Collection

Apparenty the Winterthur Museum has been given many of Erica Wilson's stitched pieces. Isn't that lovely?  This article talks about the impact Erica Wilson had on many types of needlework in the 1970s and beyond.
http://museumblog.winterthur.org/2017/03/10/the-julia-child-of-needlework/

The Erica Wilson television programs mentioned in the Winterthur article can be accessed by following the instructions here.
https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2016/10/wgbhs-open-vault-erica-wilson.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 25, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Breaking News: Death of Jean Candler

The staff at The Wool and The Floss in Gross Pointe, Michigan have announced the death of the shop owner, Jean Candler.
https://www.facebook.com/thewoolandthefloss/photos/a.147926451927833.34901.133538180033327/1281145478605919/?type=3&theater&notif_t=notify_me_page&notif_id=1494959958250652

Our condolences to the shop staff and the customers.  She will be greatly missed.
http://www.thewoolandthefloss.net

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 18 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The History of Needlepoint

Nordic Needle has posted a quick history of needlepoint in their latest newsletter.
https://sendy.nordicneedle.com/sendy/w/Ms763rEz7ISjJcVJerZDpxCw/cnYPGf1UY29qb763KiNfi6zg/r763Ho5ALtxTS8M892mxp6julA#.WPyOGi1b7xE.facebook

I can't say that I agree with everything they say—Medieval stitchers were creating wall hangings, rugs and a sort of table cover, not upholstery as we think of it today plus I think basketweave wears much better than continental—but it's still interesting, with lots of great photographs.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 23, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Whimsy and Grace Tote Bag

So many blogs showcase finishing now that I rarely do so, but this tote bag stitched by a customer at The Needlepointer is really well done.
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2b1a4dafdf1ba6e29e773aa79&id=5a935c03c7&e=73961ee0ea

The design is from Whimsy and Grace and The Needlepointer arranged the finishing.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 2, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday Morning with A Daughter's Profile of Love and Loss

CBS's Sunday Morning program profiled A Daughter's Profile of Love and Loss, a new book about her parents' fight with cancer by Nancy Borowick.  This is of interest to needlepointers because the cover of the book is a needlepoint sampler Nancy's father designed and stitched to commemorate their marriage in 1979.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/a-family-album-of-love-and-cancer/

Many thanks to the folks who mentioned this on Needlepoint Nation!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 15, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Meet Laura Hawley

The Needlework Retailer just found this great profile of a stitcher on a local newspaper website.
https://duboiscountyherald.com/b/laura-hawley-painting-with-thread

Hope some of you live close enough to go stitch with Laura!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 22, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

DIY Framing Tutorial

Needlepoint for Fun has posted a framing tutorial using big box craft emporium frames and mats. It's really easy.  There is also a video for those who need to see something to understand it.
http://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/frame-needlepoint.htm

Which reminds me—I need to buy a shadowbox frame for the Computer Pixie!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 21, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Owl With Key, A Mystery with Ruth Schmuff UPDATED

The Summer Mystery class from Ruth Schmuff has been revealed—it is Sandra Vargas' "Owl with Key."  Lessons will be held at Ruth's company headquarters in June and July but ghost stitchers who participate via mail are welcome.  As always, I will update this article as Ruth posts after class reports.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2017/04/the-eyes-tell-story.html

First, Ruth does a charming background and gives the owl the key to perch on.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2017/06/a-new-mystery-new-owl.html

Now the owl has feathers and a tail!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2017/06/owls-and-birds-birds-and-owls-owls-and.html

And here is the owl all finished, with a spectacular flower on his chest.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2017/07/the-big-reveal.html

Of course you can always add this mystery project to your stash by ordering from Ruth's shop.  The mystery is "solved" but the stitching will still be a lot of fun.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/owl-with-key/

And here is the owl, finished!

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2018/09/sparkling-owls/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 3,  2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

New Website for Trish Burr

The new website for Trish Burr is open!  You can now buy her needle painting (or whitework) kits or patterns or books or classes, watch videos and read her tutorials—all in one place.
https://trishbembroidery.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 12, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Bead Patterns

This week two different folks posted blog articles about using beads for surface pattern in backgrounds or on special areas of a canvas.  The first blog is by Mary Legallet and it showcases a vase on a Melissa Shirley design stitched by Melissa herself.  (Yes, she stitches, too and she does a beautiful job!)  Beads are used to create a lovely glassy pattern on a vase, with a touch of thread to highlight the zigzag pattern and add more texture.
http://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays/2017/04/19/beyond-bling

The second blog is from Vicky DeAngelis who is working on a Penny MacLeod design from The Collection using a guide by Meredith Willett.  If you can tear yourself away from the cute cat in the photos, look at the background of Vicky's canvas.  There are bead patterns making up the raindrops in the background stitches.  It's subtle due to Vicky's thread choices but the pattern is definitely there.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/a-big-finish-for-me/

Beads aren't just scattered here and there on these canvases—they make up substantial portions of each design.  The vase and the background would not be the same without them.

As Mary points out, if you are on TeamFullCoverage, this may not be for you, but if you want to be subtle in your patterns, beads might be a fabulous choice.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 19, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Ruth (and Sandy) Updated Their Apps UPDATED

The apps for Ruth Schmuff's iStitches, volumes one through four, now are updated in iTunes so you no longer get the error message "this app may no longer work with future versions of the Apple operating system and that it may slow down your phone" when you open them.  The apps themselves work fine. Apple is trying to get older apps to update to be compatible with their newest operating system using this message.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2017/05/updated-apps-yay.html

These four book apps are really worth having if you own Apple tablets, iPod Touches or smart phones.  I refer to mine all the time.

UPDATE:  Sandy Arthur's updated hers, too.
http://duodesignsinc.com/wpsite/apple-app/shapes-of-needlepoint-series-1-is-an-apple-app.php

http://sandyarthur.blogspot.com/2017/05/always-moving-forward.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 11, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Teeny Tiny Needlepoint Stitches: A Review

I just bought a copy of Carolyn Hedge Baird's latest (2015) book, Teeny Tiny Needlepoint Stitches.  If you click on this link, Nimble Needle in New Jersey shows off the cover and several of the inside pages.  As you can see this is a small spiral bound book.
http://nimbleneedlenj.com/product/teeny-tiny-needlepoint-stitches/

The cover (designed by Brenda Stofft, by the way) is protected by a sheet of plastic.  The pages are nearly 5 1/2 inches high by 8 1/2 inches wide but it's pretty hefty as it is nearly 3/4 inch thick.  It's small enough to go in a project bag but it'll add weight to your purse if you are taking it on an airplane.

Inside there are 150 pages of stitches,  a few pages of plain graph paper to sketch out your own ideas, and indexes that divide the stitches in the book into groups:  all the stitches in (mostly) alphabetical order, four-way stitches, stitches for baskets, stitches that include beads, stitches for birds, borders and striped stitches that are only 1 canvas thread high, combination stitches that look good in two kinds of threads, and cross stitches to make bumps in your canvas.

A really nice touch in the front is a list of books by other authors that have great small stitch sections.

Each page usually has 2 diagrams on it, although some pages have only 1 and some have 4.  I found a few of the diagrams a little hard to puzzle out since they are in black and white (with occasional gray) and not really large.   A few diagrams have a plain white background instead of a grid, which may make it difficult to know how many threads a stitch goes over. Some of the grids are very faint as well.

Most—but not all—of the diagrams have the stitching path numbered in the traditional up at one, down at two, etc. format. The stitches seem to be listed in alphabetical order.  It's a great way to browse for ideas but if you find a stitch you sort of like, it'll be hard to find similar stitches that might work better for you unless they have a very similar name (and are thus nearby in the alphabetical listing).

Carolyn will usually explain what she has used each stitch for and often suggests variations or threads she's used successfully in this stitch.  Once again this isn't done for each stitch, but it is there for most of them.

A fun touch is the little line drawings scattered here and there in the book.  They serve no purpose but they do bring Carolyn's light-hearted personality to life as you skip around, looking at the stitches and waiting for inspiration to strike.

Except for books that are only tent stitches laid out in patterns (like many of Finger Step Designs' books) and Stitchplay's Desert Island Stitches Vol. 1,  this is the only book I know of that is especially dedicated to stitches that work well in small areas.   If you are constantly searching for a stitch to put in a tiny area, this is a book you'll want to add to your stitching library.

Thanks, Carolyn.  I'm going to have fun with this!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 10, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Stella Two Reviewed

Mary Corbet has done one of her outstanding reviews, this time of the new version of the Stella lamp, called the Stella Two.
https://www.needlenthread.com/2017/05/stella-two-you-little-beauty.html

By the way, NeedlepointUS appears to have the original Stella table lamp on sale.
https://needlepointus.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Stella001W

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 10, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Needle Dames Contest Winner Announced

Time to announce the winner of the contest for the Needle Dames magnet called Phoenix!*
https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2017/04/introducing-needle-dames.html

I collected all the names of folks who entered the contest in a list and asked Ginny Stapleton, the owner of Needle Dames, to pick a number at random, then the winner was that number on the list.  Ginny picked the number of Pat Murray!  Pat, can you email your mailing address to me at chillyhollow at hot mail dot com so I can get Phoenix in the mail to you?  Thanks!

If Phoenix wasn't your style or you didn't happen to be the winner, you can always shop for the perfect person to mind your needles at Ginny's Etsy store.  New personalities were added this week, giving you 42 faces to browse for the perfect person to hang out with you while you stitch.  Currently "Fantasy" is my favorite.  Which one is yours?
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleDames?ref=l2-shop-info-name

*Actually it is past time but we have two new puppies and I lost track of time trying to herd them.  Sorry!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 10, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Stocking Tale (with Rattlesnake)

Another Christmas stocking tale posted by Past Times Needlepoint….
https://www.pasttimesneedlepoint.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 10, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Heirlooms for the Family

Louise's Needlework talks stitching family heirlooms in their latest shop newsletter.  It's wonderful to hear her family appreciates the wonderful pieces created for them.
https://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/530/newsblastaprilfinal.pdf

You don't have to stitch for blood relatives, you know.  How about dear friends or co-workers?  Anyone who loves our art is worthy of a heirloom.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 8,  2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Chic Needlepoint Recommendations from Needlepoint of La Jolla

The online news page Blue Book of La Jolla has a fun visit with Needlepoint of La Jolla.  
http://www.lajollabluebook.com/blog/9-chic-creations-that-will-get-you-excited-about-needlepoint/

If anything especially chic catches your eye, visit the shop website.
http://www.needlepointoflajolla.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 7, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

SuDu's Stash Tour

Sue Dulle has a really nice set up for storing her stitching supplies—and she was nice enough to share.  Personally I think she should be able to take over the living room.  After all, one never has enough thread and tools—or places to put them!
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/do-i-have-stash/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 6, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Abby Falls in Love (with Thread) UPDATED

One of the many hot new young design talents that we have these days (Man! We are LUCKY.) is Abigail Cecile, distributed by Fleur de Paris.  New to needlepoint, Abby soon fell for Rainbow Gallery threads and explains a bit about how that came about here on the Rainbow Gallery blog.
http://www.rainbowgallery.com/all-that-sparkles/

Here is a bit about the design's origins.
http://www.abigailcecile.com/blog/2015/3/20/needlepointed-paris-the-design

Intrigued?  Then you will want to read more about Abby on the Abigail Cecile website.   After you finish, click on About and then Gallery and Needlepoint to see the full range of her talent.
http://www.abigailcecile.com/about-me/

And then there is her blog….  What fun!
http://www.abigailcecile.com/blog/

By the way, your favorite shop can order anything from Abby via Fleur de Paris.

UPDATE:  Abby goes to Needlepoint.com!
http://stitchstyleblog.com/2017/05/meet-canvas-designer-abigail-cecile/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 6, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Road Trip to Kreinik Outlet Store

It's almost that time of year again, the annual Kreinik Factory Outlet Store Sale!  This year the sale is May 10-13 at the outlet store in Parkersburg, WVA.  Park and shop for all sorts of goodies and seconds and oddities and tools.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2017/04/may-sale-at-kreinik-factory-outlet-store.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 26, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Smart Cookie Award for May

Before

Recently I got a note from my friend Dawn who happened to stumble across a really smart shipping idea that she is willing to share with us all.  Here's her idea, in her own words.

"Thought I would share some info with you about mailing threads. A Facebook acquaintance of mine was struggling with As You Like It's Scandia Santa and asked me what thread I used for the turkey work. Since I had quite a bit of Designer's Dream left, I mailed it to her. I didn't have a large enough envelope for all the thread so Hubby suggested I vac-pack it using my food saver. I was skeptical, but we have used this method many times to seal up items for traveling so I took a deep breath and vac-packed a hank of thread. Much to my delight, the recipient emailed me to tell me the thread sprang back to it's beautiful, fluffy self when she opened the pkg!  

Didn't know if any shop owners have done this, but I thought you would be interested. This probably won't work on delicate threads, but it would certainly work on wools which are bulky to mail. "

After

This wins Dawn the Smart Cookie Award, don't you agree?!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 6, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

She Made Us Laugh and Cry, Now She Needs Our Support

Coni Rich, known to many of us as the Spinster Stitcher, is in Stage Five Renal Failure, which means her kidneys are giving out.  She's facing dialysis eventually although she is on the list for a kidney transplant.  All this costs money, and she needs our help to pay the bills.  You can donate here.
https://www.youcaring.com/conirich-813248

Coni has a humor column in Needlepoint Now magazine and writes the humor blog, The Spinster Stitcher.   Any little bit helps keep the Spinster healthy and stitching.  Thank you.
http://spinsterstitcher.blogspot.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 3, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Celebrity Stitching, "Southern Charm" Edition

The Spinster Sister was watching the premier of Bravo's "Southern Charm" last night and spotted one of the cast members needlepointing!
http://spinsterstitcher.blogspot.com/2017/04/holey-schmoleyshe-stitcher.html

Here's the clip which Lynne found and posted on Needlepoint Nation (that's a Facebook Group about needlepoint).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/1358650054212149/

You can tour Patricia Altschul's house with glimpses of her needlepoint pillows and a framed Victorian needlepoint dog portrait that used to belong to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by clicking here.
http://www.etonline.com/tv/214357_exclusive_southern_charm_star_patricia_altschul_house_tour/

If you get Bravo Channel on your television, you can probably watch it online.
http://www.bravotv.com/southern-charm/videos

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 6, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Insight into Eleanor of Aquitaine

Kreinik has interviewed Gay Ann Rogers about her latest design, Eleanor of Aquitaine, for their blog.   It's an interesting read as Gay Ann talks about faces, her use of Kreinik to build up layers around gems, and more.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2017/05/new-eleanor-of-aquitaine-needlepoint.html

This kit is on sale until Gay Ann runs out of supplies, so if you are interested, visit her website.  You may also enjoy clicking on the Eleanor tab to read a bit about the inspiration behind this design.
http://www.gayannrogers.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 2, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Why Lycette Designs?

Jessica reveals the meaning behind her company name of Lycette Designs.  It's a sweet story, full of family.
http://lycettedesigns.com/why-lycette/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 5, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Tool Collector Alert--Tweezers and Polishers

Tanja Berlin's latest e-newsletter had some wonderful tweezers that she stocks and sells, and something new to me--a needle emery inside an abalone shell!  The tweezers with pads on the squeeze section look particularly useful for those with hand problems but the needle polisher caught my eye.
https://pub15.bravenet.com/bravemailer/v2/online.php?id=787&usernum=1282098814&e=chillyhollow%40hotmail.com&cname=Valued%20Subscriber

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 10, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Fiber Talk Interviews Tess and Thorn

This week on Fiber Talk, Christine and Gary interview Brooke Thorn McGowan and Tess Nagle of Tess and Thorn.
http://wetalkfiber.com/2017/04/30/fiber-talk-with-tess-and-thorn/

If you aren't familiar with Brooke's and Tess' designs, check out their website.  It's a lot of fun to explore.
https://www.tessandthorn.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 30, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Threadaholic Alert: Madeira's Sticktwist Embroidery Floss Now Available

Thanks to a report on the Nashville TNNA show for cross stitch, I know that And More is now distributing Madeira's Stitcktwist Madeira embroidery floss.  This is a six ply embroidery floss in the same packaging used for Madeira's silk floss.  I don't really like their silk floss —haven't seen the cotton floss—  but the packaging is genius!
http://www.just-crossstitch.com/newsletters.php?mode=article&article_id=6443&key=JCXN&tp=i-H43-6o-XEh-2qpF4u-1o-PE45-1c-2qpQNr-1TC55t

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 5, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.