Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Creating a Riot of Curls: The Tutorial

I am about to do the hair on my current project, "Hawaiian Woman" from Colors of Praise.  The canvas is 2x3 inches on 18 count and you can see it on the left unstitched.

I decided I wanted her hair to be all curls tumbling all over the canvas. That seems to suit the way I envision the canvas.  Because of how I plan to stitch the hair, I stitched the face, neck and two backgrounds before I tackled the hair so I won't snag the curls when doing these sections.  The pink flower will be added once I do the blouse and necklace so I don't snag it as the flower will be dimensional, too.

I plan to use a technique that is based on something Sue Parsons of West Coast Finishing saw.  I took her description and played around to come up with something like the hair she had seen and wanted to use on her canvas.  Here is what Sue and I collaborated on.




By the way, Sue's canvas is "Fantine" from Leigh Designs' Water Babies series.  Isn't she cute?!  Sue did a lovely job stitching her.  This is a close up of the baby mermaid's face.  You can see the whole canvas on the Fleur de Paris website.

I will be using ribbon floss for the Hawaiian Woman's hair.  If you aren't familiar with ribbon floss, it is a braided flat thread made by YLI.  It sort of looks like a heavy ribbon.  Ribbon floss comes in regular, metallic and Shimmer Blend (which is regular ribbon floss with some metallic woven in) plus a sort of heathery look.  Ribbon floss used to come on 15 yard spools like these.

A few years back YLI started putting it on plastic reels instead.  It's the same thing and the same 15 yards of thread, just packaged differently.

To create these curls, you need ribbon floss and either a cotton floss the same basic color or invisible beading thread.  I'm going to use black Shimmer Blend 034 for my Hawaiian Woman's hair.  Sue used Metallic Coal Black 144-F07 ribbon floss for her mermaid above. Doesn't matter what color you use or whether it is regular, Shimmer Blend or metallic, but you need to use ribbon floss. I think the metallic ribbon floss gives you more Shirley Temple-type curls but I'm working with limited samples here.

To create curls, cut a length of ribbon floss that is about two and a half times as long as the lock of hair you wish to create.  Tie a large knot in one end of a length of ribbon floss and thread the other end into a needle’s eye. (A larger than usual needle is good; you might also want to use a sharp needle if you anticipate needling to sink the end of a lock of hair in a place other than a hole on your canvas.). Secure the knotted end well on the back.  Come up at the either the beginning or end of a length of hair and remove the needle.  For larger areas like the baby mermaid's hair, come up at the tip of the curl.  For a smaller area like the Hawaiian Woman I'm stitching (this canvas is only 2x3 inches so the hair area is small), come up at the hairline near the face.  

With your fingers, flick the cut end of the ribbon floss until it separates into the various filaments that make up the ribbon floss. Grab 1-3 of them and hold on tightly while you slide the rest of the ribbon floss down toward the knot on the back side of your canvas.





Your ribbon floss will look like the example strand on the left of my canvas near the scissors, except the knot will be on the back side.  See how long some of the ends are?  Those are the plies I held as I slid the rest of the thread down toward the knot.  You will need to trim the long ends so they are even again.

Thread up the ribbon floss strand again and plunge the needle down through the canvas where the curl or lock of hair ends. Don’t rush or pull tightly. This is not hard but you must be patient and relaxed for the best results.

Arrange the scrunched up thread as necessary with your fingers, then tack the thread into position with a matching color of cotton floss (one ply only) or clear beading thread and a sharp needle. Depending on the length of the curl, you may need 1-3 tacking stitches. I recommend you start in the middle of the hair and work toward one side, then go back to the middle and work your way to the other side.  I normally wait until all the hair is in before adding tacking stitches.  Remember, your needle comes up at the edge of the face, gets scrunched, and then you thread up again and go down at the border.  





In the photo above I used my needle to determine the slant of the length of hair I was about to stitch.  I took a photo and then had this as a guide for that slant I wanted.  Practice makes doing these much easier. You should try doing a few of these in the margins of your canvas before you actually create curls for the person you are stitching.




Here's a larger version of the hair underway.  See how messy it looks?  There are loops sticking up, her eye is partly covered, the flower behind her ear is partly covered, etc.  This stage is normal.  Get all the hair stitches done, then you can start tidying things up.  Push the hair out of her eye and tack it into position with your couching thread (clear beading thread or a matching ply of cotton or silk floss--or even a matching blending filament if that is what you have).  Mash a loop down that is sticking up too much and tack it down.  It's like going to a beauty parlor and getting a perm.  Once the curlers come out, you still need your hair brushed.  





Here is the hair with the locks pushed into the position I wanted and tacked down here and there with the invisible beading thread.  Remember, you can use a ply of cotton floss in the same color as the hair if you don't have any clear beading thread.





And finally here is the Hawaiian Woman with the flower behind her ear and her hair blowing in the wind.  Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and can use it to good effect on one of your canvases.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 27, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 30, 2021

Three New Shops in Alabama, South Carolina and Illinois UPDATED

Ada Hayden of EyeCandy is keeping a list of new shops opening.  

Going to the beach?  You should check out Creative Needle Arts in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Hanging out in South Carolina?  Forest Acres Needlepoint is in Columbia.  


Are you near Chicago?  How about visiting Little Stitch Shop in Libertyville?

Congratulations to the new shop owners!  And thanks to Ada for keeping track for us.

UPDATE:  And two shops have changed owners in Maryland and Ohio!  So nice to have shops continue.

UPDATE #2:  Bargello Needlepoint has opened in Tuckahoe, NY.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 6, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Wake Up! Wake Up! Time to Go Shopping!!!

Labors of Love is doing another New Designers Celebration Truck Show starting today, August 29 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time through September 30.  The show features designs and accessories from twenty-two new designers.  If you aren't in the Atlanta area, you can still shop online.  

The shop will kit any canvas for you, and if the item you want is sold out (or you need more than one of something), they will do a special order at the trunk show discount.  

So get yourself dressed and ready to SHOP.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 27, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Saturday, August 28, 2021

New Website for Pocket Full of Stitches

Pocket Full of Stitches in Texas has revamped their website!

Not everything is loaded yet, but this is a fabulous browse, particularly if you are a fan of monthly clubs, which PFOS pioneered.  Hopefully all the available clubs will be loaded on the Monthly Clubs page by the time this publishes, but be patient.  Websites are a LOT of work!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 5, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 27, 2021

A Public Service Announcement from Tricia Nguyen

Many of you probably know Tricia Nguyen of Thistle Threads through her stump work courses or the amazing reproduction threads she has sponsored.  She's also well known for her work with the FIRST robotic teams for kids so she's fielding a lot of questions about the female robotics team from Afghanistan which has escaped the chaos there just in time.  Her is her response and a plea for us to help the refugees who will arrive shellshocked in a country they know nothing about.  

Jon, I hope you remember enough Pashtu to be able to at least translate.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 26, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

ALERT: Kreinik On Larger Spools Temporarily

Kreinik just announced on Facebook that due to supply issues. all their braid sizes will ship on the large spools.  

You'll have to check the label to make sure it's size 8 braid on the larger than usual spool, but the yardage remains the same.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 25, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Colors Make a Difference

The New Jersey Needle Artists chapter of ANG has posted a monthly update of the charted designs everyone is working on.  As always, the various colors chosen really make a difference in how the design looks.  Color is magic!

The ANG projects are only available to ANG dues-paying members, but Razzle Dazzle is by Ann Strit-Kurz and is available from her website.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 3, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Acrylic Trays Now Available in Black or White

Stitch by Stitch Larchmont's latest newsletter says that acrylic trays that take needlepoint inserts in the base are now available in black or white, not just clear.  These are all custom so it's not going to be a fast finishing but ask your favorite needlepoint shop for advice on this.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 3, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Luna Hamsa

One of the loveliest critters in Chilly Hollow is the luna moth, so I was thrilled to see Kimberly is working on Luna Hamsa.  It's interesting to see how designers work from a sketch that they translate to needlepoint canvas and paint.  I think she's creating a master that will be used to paint Luna Hamsa for sale on needlepoint canvas.

Keep an eye on Bedecked and Beadazzled where this should be available for sale in 2022.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 2, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 23, 2021

Drop Off Dates for the Rehoboth Beach Museum Exhibit 2021

Thanks to Brenda, I have the dates of the Tenth Annual Rehoboth Beach Museum needlework exhibit.  Note that entries are accepted for the exhibit from August 27 through September 11.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging
at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 12, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Treasures from My Needlepoint Nest UPDATED

Carolyn Hedge Baird not only writes needlepoint books and stitch guides, she has a small business selling ribbons, charms and other embellishments.   You can see some of the ribbons, beaded and ribbon flowers, charms and more on her Facebook page.  Just use the right side arrow to browse.

UPDATE:  Carolyn gave me the direct link to her Facebook album of currently available treasures.  Note these are often one-of-a-kind so if you like something, get it while you can.

Also, Carolyn is planning trunk shows for her Needlepointing in Your Nest Treasures at Barbara's Needlepoint in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the Stitching Fox in Landrum, South Carolina as of August 2021.  If you are local to these places, drop in and browse.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 31, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Button, Button, Who Needs a Button?

Need buttons for that final touch for your canvas or for finishing a piece?  Button Bird is a good place to browse.  They also carry Japanese kimono fabric if you need a small piece for the back of a pillow or an ornament series or to add to a section of a geometric canvas.  

Note that they are an online store in California and that mailing from California is very slow right now.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 30, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 20, 2021

Kevin Sets Fire to Needlepoint

Ok, I lied.  Kevin isn't applying matches and gasoline to his stitching--he's stitching flame.  Sometimes he covers the area with fire, sometimes it is just a highlight.

It looks fabulous and is very easy to boot.  Thanks for the tutorial, Kevin.  You are a stitching jewel!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 30, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Turkeywork Tutorials from Sequin Lala Stitches

Thanks to a recommendation on NP Nation, I have links to two tutorials on turkeywork done by Sequin Lala Stitches.  I've linked to her channel as there is a lot of good information there.

If you are just interested in turkeywork, watch the cut-as-you-go tutorial.  (This is basically the wig stitch that you use to make fringe on the edge of a rug canvas but done over and over in rows to make turkeywork.)

Want tips on trimming the turkeywork?  Watch this video.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 29, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Threadaholic Alert! Soie et

A new silk imported from Japan is showing up on needle artists' radar.  It is called Soie et and it is manufactured by Fujix.

Soie et is three ply, hand dyed, and available in 25 variegated shades and 45 solids.

Fujix sells all sorts of threads for both embroidery and industrial uses.  Their persimmon hand dyed sewing threads are unique in that they change color over time and exposure to the environment.
https://www.fjx.co.jp/english/catalog/household/index.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 28, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Creating More Shades: The Movie

Cathe at Needle in a Haystack shows how to blend custom colors using two or more strands of thread to get more shades of color.  After all, usually there are only 3-5 shades of a color available and often you need 5-7 shades.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 26, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 16, 2021

The Whimsy And Grace Purse

Carolyn Hedge Baird shows off a Whimsy and Grace purse done in basketweave with a custom leather rear side.  It's gorgeous!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 7, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, August 15, 2021

How to Bead Over Padding

Kevin has posted a tutorial explaining how he padded and then beaded an Easter egg on his current canvas on the NP Nation Virtual Notebooks page on Facebook.  (This is a public group so anyone should be able to click on the link below and read all about Kevin's egg.)

Be sure you read the comments for clarification of several points.  Kevin doesn't say, but I always use a sharp needle (beading needle or crewel needle if it will go through the holes in the beads) to get through padding on a needlepoint canvas.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 24, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Saturday, August 14, 2021

If You Are Hungry, Don't Go Here

Lisa of My Pink Sugar Life just posted about her latest design, a watermelon cake on a cake stand, so I headed to her Etsy shop, just to see her new designs.  This was a HUGE mistake. There are canvases of tacos, pizza boxes, Key Lime pie, a chocolate bunny, lemon meringue pie, pancakes, ice cream cones, etc.  

I am going to go raid the frig now....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 24, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 13, 2021

Pillow Finishing: The Movie

This week's Pointing It Out podcast has Megan interviewing her pillow finisher.  They go over the available options and the special terms finishers use for this or that look, plus explain why pillows take so long, why you will need a lot more fabric than you expect for ruffles or custom cording, etc.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 22, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Paris, New York City and London

If you want to travel to London, New York City or Paris with your stitching, you should look at Poppy Monk Needlepoint's new vintage fashion/travel designs.

I adore them!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 17, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

A New Shop in Chicago UPDATED

Third Coast Stitches is opening on August 14, 2021!  They are at 707 N. Armitage Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.

They don't appear to have a website but there is an Instagram page.

UPDATE: Their website is live and the shop is open!


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com 
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 16, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved

Thursday, August 5, 2021

New Wedding and First Christmas Together Projects

NeedlePaint.com has new wedding and First Christmas designs in their line now.

These are printed designs, available as either the canvas only or kitted.  Contact NeedlePaint for help.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 16, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Handmade Brass Spangles

Tanya Bentham over at Opus Anglicanum's Etsy shop is currently offering handmade brass spangles, which might be the perfect embellishment for your current project.

These are based on Medieval English embroidery embellishments but that doesn't mean they can't be perfect for 21st Century embroidery projects!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 16, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Woven Picots the Easy Way

Green Woven Picots Underway

Mary Corbet has a lovely tutorial on her website on how to make woven picots.  Frankly, this is how I usually make my picots.  I don't use a needle for the middle support at all.  But this is up to you.  If needles work for you, use them.  




Here's another view of my woven picots underway.  It's actually easy. You just have to be patient and start out with a long enough length of thread to work all the way to the bottom of the picot.  It helps if you don't create knots in it as you go!

If you really want to play, try rolling your picots.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollo
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 13, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 2, 2021

Need Spiky Hair?

Rebecca has a great idea about how to make spiky hair for a needlepoint portrait--use knitting yarn!  Very clever.

She's using something called Haute Fur from Yarn Bee, which she found at Hobby Lobby.  I found it on their website on sale in gray and lime.

I also found it easily available on Etsy.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 13, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sunday, August 1, 2021

Want to Buy a Kaffe Fassett Original?

The Kaffe Fassett Studio has a few of the needlepoint models stitched by Kaffe himself for sale.

They also have knitting, ceramics, patchwork, hats and more for sale.  I should also mention that there is a new Fassett book called "Kaffe Fassett in the Studio" which talks about his studio and his love of color and pattern.  It's not a book with charts of his needlepoint designs like some of the early ones but if you are interested in color, he is a master. You can see more about it here.  Don't miss the video!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 13, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.