Needlepoint.com has tips to help you compensate stitches.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 26, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
The Daylight Smart Travel Lamp: A Review
Labels:
Daylight,
Daylight Smart Travel Lamp,
LED lights,
lights,
Mary Corbet,
reviews
Mary Corbet reviews Daylight's Smart Travel Lamp, with lots of photos and information about how it works.
Mary's reviews are always thorough and tells you everything you need to know if you are in the market for a lamp to make stitching easier. Note that if you buy one through her recommendation page on Amazon, she gets a little bit of money from the sale.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 4, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Martha Stewart's Guide for Beginning Needlepointers
Labels:
beginners,
Etsy,
Martha Stewart,
Needlepoint.com,
Rittenhouse,
The Needlepointer
Alert Blog readers might have noticed in yesterday's posting that Martha Stewart has a new online guide for new needlepointers. It's full of links to the shops we know and love as well as big box craft stores and of course Etsy.
Hopefully Martha charms folks into trying needlepoint. Go teach a beginner, folks!
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 24, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Monday, September 27, 2021
Favorite Shop Stitches (with Diagrams)
Stuck choosing stitches? Two shops have posted about favorite stitches, and this might give you ideas. First up (alphabetically) is Needlepoint For Fun's article on the balloon stitch and variations on this classic stitch which is perfect for rounded areas.
The Needlepointer has a long article about basic stitches, followed by their favorites they return to over and over again.
Needlepoint shops are a fabulous source of information. If you don't have a favorite in your area, consider making one of the online shops your Go To shop. They have lots of information they happily share.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 24, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 26, 2021
The Whimsy and Grace Purse
Labels:
finishing,
Needle Bug,
purses,
whimsy and grace
The Needle Bug just posted a series of photos of a finished purse they just got back from their finisher. It's magnificent! Designer is Whimsy and Grace. Use the side arrows to see closeups of this very nice piece.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 24, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Uses for a Small Heart
Labels:
Colour Complements,
greeting cards,
hearts
Color Complements has a great idea for small ornaments and hearts--put them on the front of a special card!
I'm currently stitching a quite small heart that would make a lovely card ornamentation. Plus, the trend for small 2x3 canvases means you have a source of tiny decorations for a special Christmas or birthday card. The big box craft stores are good sources for blank card stock.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 23, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 24, 2021
Royal School of Needlework Launches the Stitch Bank
Labels:
Royal School of Needlework,
RSN,
Stitch Bank,
stitch diagrams,
stitches,
tutorials,
videos
The Royal School of Needlework is launching their Stitch Bank today! Here is the announcement. Note that there are still stitches needing sponsors, so if you would like to help support the project, there is a link.
The Stitch Bank will start out with information about 150 stitches, to celebrate the Royal School's 150 years. There will be written instructions, photos, and videos to teach you new stitches or help you review old ones. I suspect most stitches will be on linen but needlepointers can adapt many by switching to a sharp needle to put the stitch exactly where you want it on needlepoint canvas.
If you want to help with this effort, RSN would love donations.
Here's how to donate.
And here's a list of sponsors who have helped the Stitch Bank become a reality.
Happy Birthday, Royal School! Here's to 150 more years of stitching excitement.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 4, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Breaking News: Bargello Needlepoint Opens in Tuckahoe, NY
Labels:
Bargello Needlepoint,
news,
newspapers,
shops
There's a new shop opening in Tuckahoe, New York--Bargello Needlepoint!
Here's a local news article about the new shop and its owners.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 23, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Gayla Elliott's Stitching Girls on Display
The Stitching Girls series from Gayla has been very popular, so much so that Stitch by Stitch in Larchmont, NY has created a page with many of the variations to look at.
It's a fun browse. Which is your favorite? I think the Happy Stitching Cinderella is mine, but Happy Stitching Christmas Morning is darling as well. And there are the mermaids....
Too hard to choose!
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 22, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Rittenhouse's Custom Design Work
Labels:
custom,
Rittenhouse
Rittenhouse has added information about the various levels of detail available in their custom canvases to their website. Scroll down past the form to read about them. The second link below has more information about custom work. If you are interested in using the services Rittenhouse provides, read everything carefully.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 21, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Breaking News: NeedlePaint.com is Hiring
Labels:
marketing,
NeedlePaint.com,
news
Seth at NeedlePaint.com is looking for a part-time marketing person.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 21, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Threadaholic Alert: Blending Filament Tips
Labels:
blending filament,
Kreinik,
tips
Kreinik's blending filament isn't something needlepointers use a lot these days, which is a shame, but there are other options that are easier to use. If you need just a touch of metallic, though, blending filament is the right choice. To help you tame it, Kreinik has an article with lots of tips.
Is it a pain to work with? Yes.
Is it worth the effort? Yes.
Is it easy to find? Yes!
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 20, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Monday, September 20, 2021
Peggy's Stitch Eraser UPDATED
Labels:
Peggy's Stitch Eraser,
ripping,
ripping out
Ann on NP Nation highly recommends Peggy's Stitch Eraser for ripping out basketweave.
These are NOT cheap but if you have a huge project to rip out, it might be worth the investment. These come in both wireless and corded versions and the cutting heads appear to come in various sizes. Note that you are supposed to work on the back side and it appears to be easy to cut your canvas as well as the threads.
UPDATE: Cassandra uses the Stitch Eraser and has some tips if you are interested. She says, "it’s great ! When you have a large area to rip out as you know will pull the canvas . The Peggy's stitch eraser will not pull ,you don’t get distortion ,it quick.. the careful , keep to the back of the canvas for sure . The lady who introduced me to this used a mushroom shape used for darning to gently work the canvas . All in all a great item .I would test different threads first . just a bit of attention practice on old canvas to get a feel , be careful of thick weighted threads , waxed , Metallics ."
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 19, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Making Santa's New Ride Dimensional
NeedlePaint.com has two new Santa designs, both dimensional. One is a blue station wagon, the other is a red truck. Peggy explains how the station wagon was stitched and shows how she finishes these items (NeedlePaint sells printed designs, kits and does finishing) which is quite interesting.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 19, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
X-Stitch App for Organization
Labels:
Android,
apple,
apps,
databases,
X-Stitch App
Several members of NP Nation use PerformTec Ltd.'s X-Stitch App to organize their thread inventory and track projects. It's available for both Apple and Android platforms and costs roughly $3 USD. Built for cross stitchers, this has good ratings and is useful for any stitcher managing their inventory of threads and charts and canvases. The security-minded should note that your data is stored in the cloud, making it potentially hackable. And like all apps, you don't own the software, you only bought it to use on your current device. If the app owners don't update it regularly, you will not be able to use it on a newer device in the future or even if there is a substantial upgrade in the software on your current device. Buying computer software is really just renting it for devices that are compatible.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 19, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 17, 2021
Can You Dry Clean Needlepoint?
Labels:
cleaning,
David Mavilio,
dry cleaning,
Regal Fabric Care,
YouTube
Thanks to Donna I have some good videos about dry cleaning needlepoint and how to clean a needlepoint canvas yourself.
Thanks, Donna!
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 18, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Thursday, September 16, 2021
The Smart Cookie Award for September 2021
Labels:
beading thread,
boxes,
NP Nation,
tools
Denise has won the Smart Cookie Award this month for her recycling Tic Tac breath mint containers into beading thread holders. She pops in a few beading needles, tosses the box into her stitching bag and away she goes!
Can't get these locally or you don't like breath mints? Not to worry, you can buy them on eBay or Etsy.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 17, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Tenth Annual Rehoboth Beach Museum Needlework Exhibit CANCELLED
Labels:
exhibits,
museums,
Rehoboth Beach Museum
The Tenth Annual Rehoboth Beach Museum needlework exhibit starts this weekend, September 18 and runs through November 7. was supposed to start Sept. 18 but the building has had a roof leak so they are cancelling. See second link below.
The Loudoun Sampler Guild has a bit about the exhibit here.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 12, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Madeline Elizabeth
Labels:
interviews,
Madeline Elizabeth,
Needlepoint.com
Needlepoint.com is featuring one of Madeline Elizabeth's designs as a class kit, so they interviewed her.
Want to see more? Visit her website. "In the News" has more interviews, but "Canvas Designs" is the place to start seeing her art.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 17, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Monday, September 13, 2021
The Famous Needlepoint
Labels:
crewel,
history,
Julie Nixon,
Paragon Needlecraft Company,
White House
Lilly Finch Needlepoint found this neat photograph of Julie Nixon needlepointing in the White House during her father's Presidency.
Lynette Designs says she was an avid needlepointer who collaborated with Paragon Needlecraft Company to publish her designs as kits. I found several on eBay, all of which appear to be crewel. The black and white photo of her stitching does seem to be on needlepoint canvas, however.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 12, 2021
The ANG Auction!
Labels:
ANG,
ANG Auction
In just three hours my time, the ANG Auction goes live!
In order to bid, you have to have an account but they are easy to set up. You don't have to be an ANG member. The auction starts today and runs through Sept. 18. Not sure if you are interested? Just click on "All Items" at the top of the page and browse the goodies up for auction.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 6, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Let's Go Admire Tony's Work
Labels:
Tony Minieri
Today's a good day to go to Tony Minieri's website and admire his work. Pour yourself a favorite beverage, settle back, and watch the slide show.
Many of these are original designs Tony's taught over the years. It's a wonderful body of work, isn't it?
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 17, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 10, 2021
The Next Mystery: The Lizard Collage
Labels:
Bedecked and Beadazzled,
collages,
lizards,
mysteries,
Ruth Schmuff
Ruth Schmuff has announced the next mystery class at Bedecked and Beadazzled: The Lizard Collage!
The first class of five is September 19 and runs through November. This is Ruth's own design. As always, I'll update this article as the class dates happens and Ruth posts progress photos.
Ruth started with the circles and dots.
Now there are dashes and squiggles--and more dots!
And the lizard is done with periwinkle buttons, crystals and beads. How clever!
Here is the framed version.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 29, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Breaking News: Rehoboth Beach Museum Needlework Exhibit CANCELLED
Labels:
2021,
news,
Rehoboth Beach Museum
The Tenth Annual Rehoboth Beach Museum needlework exhibit was supposed to start Sept. 18 and run through November 7, but the building has had a roof leak so they are cancelling.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 9, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Cindy Lee Gershin Talks Judging and Appraising Needlework
Labels:
appraisals,
Fiber Talk,
judging,
podcasts,
YouTube
Cindy Lee Gershin talks to Fiber Talk about judging and appraising needlework. She's certified in all these areas. This is a several part interview. The first is Cindy talking about judging needlework, what judges look for, how to improve your stitching with competition in mind, etc.
This podcast talks about appraisals, why you might need an appraisal, and how they work.
The YouTube followup has Cindy showing photos of her work to explain what to look for if you are getting a piece ready to exhibit in a judged show. The discussion starts at about 13:30 timestamp.
Here is Cindy's website if you wish to contact her.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 13, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Another Tool You DIdn't Know You Needed
Labels:
Needlepoint Joint,
needles,
tools
Needlepoint Joint recently posted on their Facebook page a photo of a Needle Tugger, distributed by Rainbow Gallery.
These are available in silver or gold apparently.
I've rarely seen these in person and don't own one but I know how they work. The two metal barrel shapes are magnetized. You clip the tool to your scissors or the zip on your stitching bag. When you need to use it, pull on the plastic tube and the magnets part. Stick your needle in the free end of the plastic tube and pull to get the needle through the canvas and layer of thread. Stick the magnet end back on the clip end's magnet and it'll wait safely on whatever you clipped it to until next time it is needed.
It's really quite clever how it works.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 13, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Four of a Kind
Labels:
Alice Peterson,
boxes,
finishing,
Gayla Elliott,
NP Nation
Robin has very cleverly come up with a finishing idea that allows her to put four identically sized canvases into a little box.
All Robin's canvases are from Gayla Elliott (now distributed by Alice Peterson) but you don't have to choose canvases from the same designer. All you need is a theme (Christmas, four seasons, four animals, etc.) and four canvases of identical size that are not too small or large to make a box. You could even pair two identical rectangles with two identical squares to make a rectangular box. They just need to be the same height.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 12, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Monday, September 6, 2021
Needle Pointers Profiles Jill A. Vendituoli
Labels:
ANG,
Jill A Vendituoli,
magazines,
Needle Pointers
ANG's magazine, Needle Pointers, highlights the stitching art of Jill A. Vendituoli.
You can use the right side arrow to see the rest of the article. If you want to see more, visit Jill's website. It's a wonderful browse! Pour your favorite beverage and wander around her Portfolio, enjoying Jill's work.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 12, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Lobster for Lunch
Labels:
Carolyn Hedge Baird,
CBK,
lobsters,
StitchStash
Carolyn Hedge Baird shows off her recent lobster trap piece. It's fabulous. The creative finishing is from StitchStash in Delaware and the canvas is a CBK. I don't know if Carolyn is doing a stitch guide for this but you can ask her through her Facebook page, Needlepointing in Your Nest.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 11, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Choosing a Background: The Movie
Melissa of The Wool and The Floss and Megan of The Needlepoint Clubhouse talk backgrounds on their Pointing It Out podcast on YouTube.
Everything you stitch has a background. You need to take into consideration how you will finish it first, to help you figure out how much background you need, what shape it will have, etc. Sometimes you won't do an open stitch (a belt, a purse) because it wouldn't wear well. Sometimes you will want to use an open stitch to show the subtle background shading or to make the background recede. Sometimes you will want to use an open stitch because it's going to be faster to stitch than a full coverage background. Occasionally you want to use a different color thread than the background to get fun effects. Sometimes you want to change the background color so you'll need to have a full coverage stitch to hide the original paint job.
If you have a background broken into a lot of different discrete areas, it's easier to do the background (or at least a few rows) first than to try and count across stitched areas. (I personally almost always do my background first, but that's just me.)
Megan and Melissa also recommend stitches, good books for background stitches, the scale of your background, etc.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 10, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 3, 2021
Threadaholic Alert: Anchor!
Labels:
anchor,
cotton floss,
news,
tapestry wool
People are starting to report that the big box craft stores are carrying Anchor again. Donna found Anchor tapestry wool and cotton floss (now on spools, not skeins) at her local Michael's. Also try Joann's Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, etc.
Folks say that Anchor is only turning up at the largest stores. I've also heard people think the Anchor floss packaged on spools is a bit thinner than the skeins version. Here's much more from the Sun City Stitcher.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 10, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Thursday, September 2, 2021
LustikArt Does Needlepoint
Thanks to Amanda posting about Kevin's work on Needlepoint Nation, I can direct you to LustikArt's Facebook page. His work has a Pop Art, abstract feel with lots of humor. The broken heart is especially inventive!
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 8, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
I Say Tomato
Labels:
framing,
kitchen,
Pippin,
Pippin Studio
This hilarious Pippin canvas comes with the frame and the wooden kitchen utensils. It's a clever way to display a kitchen-themed canvas, even if you have to add your own utensils to a frame.
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 8, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
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