Finishing with Betsy Morgan

Mary Corbet has reviewed Betsy Morgan's first book on her website.  It's called "Willing Hands," which is the name of Betsy's embroidery company.  It's published by Inspirations magazine out of Australia, so you know the illustrations are going to be absolutely beautiful.
https://www.needlenthread.com/2020/07/willing-hands-full-of-great-embroidery-finishes.html

Normally I don't talk about embroidery here, but Betsy's a very talented embroiderer and designer and a great teacher.  She used to live over the mountain from me so I have seen her work up close and personal.  Fabulous!  She's wildly talented.

So when Mary says her book, which is all about creating etuis and smalls, is a wonderful guide for finishing, I thought I'd mention it here.  Folks are always asking how to learn to do their own finishing.  I don't think Betsy's etuis are going to be easy to put together but the little needlebooks and other things that go into the etuis are not difficult.

If you love beautiful embroidery, admire etuis, and you want to learn how they are made, this is a good place to start.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 8, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Inspirations Magazine Profiles Ecclesiastical Needlepoint

Inspirations magazine posts an online newsletter each Friday. It's always full of beautiful pictures but once I managed to drag my eyes away from the new book on Betsy Morgan's etuis (due out in late October; I've seen her needlework in person and it is gorgeous!),  I discovered a reader note about 23 kneelers, designed by Benjamin Pollack, stitched for a church in Sydney, Australia.  The photos are wonderful!
https://mailchi.mp/inspirationsmagazine/embroidery-news-issue-461343?e=cb5b277f1f

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 19, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Loudoun Sampler Guild's Mystery Band Sampler Now Available

The Loudoun Sampler Guild lives over the mountain from me in the D.C. suburbs, where historical samplers are very popular.   Some of the members are published designers in their own right, so the fact that the mystery band sampler the membership designed in 2014 is now available for sale as a fund-raiser is worthy of note.  The money raised will all go to a fund established in Betty Flemming's honor to help museums acquire and preserve samplers.  
https://loudounsamplerguild.wordpress.com/the-mystery-band-sampler-for-sale/

If you like samplers, this offer is for you.

By the way, the contact person for purchasing the Loudoun Sampler Guild mystery band sampler is Betsy Morgan. Yes, THE Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands.  She does exquisite work.  This UK company showcases some of her lovely things especially well as does her blog (second link below).
http://www.thesamplerguild.co.uk/Betsy%20Morgan.htm

http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com

Good luck to all my friends over the mountain!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 14, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

News for the Counted and Painted Folk UPDATED

There is lots of news today.  Let's start with news for those who love counted canvaswork.  DMC has published a brief but very interesting interview with Orna Willis.
http://dmc-threads.com/interview-orna-willis/

Betsy Morgan has updated her blog to list her current classes.  She's one talented lady!  If you are interested in reproduction samplers and smalls, don't miss looking over her work.  I saw the Toy Chest Etui on display at a needlework show about six years ago. It was amazingly small and detailed.  
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2013/04/revised-workshop-list.html

UPDATE:  Betsy's posted two brand new designs, both sure to amaze and delight her fans.
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2013/04/edinburgh-designs.html

Sara Leigh has posted photographs of the newest Threedles design.  This one Kurdy Biggs calls "Pangea."  SL has done her thread magic and pulled the various color ways that go with each version of the chart so you can admire all the colors.
http://stitchything.blogspot.com/2013/04/whats-new-you-ask.html

By the way, SL says she forgot to add a link to a good place to get the bling you'll need for Pangea to her article.  Here it is.
http://www.fusionbeads.com/Crystal-Collection

Now to the painted canvas news!  Needle Works has started the second in their series of Nativity pieces from Brenda Stofft.  This new piece is one of the Wise Men, shown on a kneeling elephant.  Want to see the finished Holy Family?  Click on the blog title, then scroll down one entry.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2013/04/share-a-stitch-sunday-april-7-from-santa-fe.html

Enriched Stitch shows off one of Ashley Dillon's designs, the napping Easter Rabbit.  The details are amazing and so is the stitching.
http://astheneedleturns.com/hippity-hoppity/

Speaking of stitching, Barbara Bergsten is stitching one of her new large shift pieces.  Check out those pink flowers!  I think the ladybug pockets will be the next area Barbara will stitch. This design is large and complex but there really are only four elements:  background, flowers, ladybugs and butterflies.  This makes it a great teaching piece for someone who is sticking their toe into fancier stitching.  One you master one element, it is easy to repeat the lesson elsewhere on the design before moving on.
http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2013/04/pw12-large-shift-needlepoint-progress.html

The final painted canvas news is that the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides blog has a lot of new guides to tell you about, including one for Brenda Stofft's Rabbit Geisha.  Click on the photo of the magic carpet on the right side of the page to visit, then return here by "riding" the magic carpet back to Blog.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Gathering for Winter

Why am I talking about gathering for winter when it is 65 outside and spring? Because "Gathering for Winter" is a new class from Betsy Morgan. Betsy lives over the mountain from me. She designs the most exquisite smalls and etuis!  I keep up with her blog because I love seeing her designs.  I hope you enjoy this, too.
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2012/02/gathering-for-winter-etui.html


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

For the Toy Chest

Over the mountain from where I live there are a sizable group of sampler stitchers. Among them is the incomparable Betsy Morgan, who is a superb teacher and embroider.   Lately Betsy has been designing and teaching etuis and other fancy boxes filled with little tools for your needlework supplies.  She's come up with something very interesting for her Toy Chest etui--a painter's box to hold your needle threader and needles.
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2011/12/oops-i-did-it-again.html

It's a toy a lot of folks would love to have under their Christmas tree.  To see the rest of the set, go here and here and here.
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2010/07/another-toy.html

http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2010/07/current-workshop-designs.html

http://www.austinstitchers.org/programs/greater_dallas_betsy_morgan.pdf

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

My Trip to Woodlawn 2011 (Part Three)

I've written about my overall impressions of the items sent to the Woodlawn Plantation exhibit already.  Now let's talk about what I saw there.  I'll post links when there is supplemental material you should see.

The photo above is Carol's stumpwork design which won a blue ribbon.  She kindly gave me an old photo to share with you.  I hope you can see the delicate dragonfly and the lovely flower petals (and the charming caterpillar).  Woodlawn doesn't hand out real blue ribbons any more.  I'm glad about that because often the ribbons would hang over the piece and hide the best parts, but it makes it harder to find the winners.  Blue stickers on the name tags are hard to spot in Woodlawn's less than ideal display conditions.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Woodlawn were the very cute little linen pillows that had short sayings like "Eat locally" or "Keep our air clean" or "Be Kind to Animals" on them.  They were the essence of the modern sampler and all stitched by Juniors, perhaps in a class?  These little stuffed pillows are symbolic of the interesting ways the cross stitch and sampler stitchers are pursuing their art.  I saw two spectacular caskets, which are chest-like boxes stitced with typical sampler motifs.  Usually there are stitched accessories called Smalls inside as part of the set.  One casket had its fob, needlecase, scissors sheath, etc. on display next to it.  There was also an upright jewelry chest type piece covered in floral motifs.  These are works of art.  I didn't find a photo of any of the ones I saw online but Betsy Morgan's photo of her latest casket will show you the general style of these amazing pieces.
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-finally-finished.html

These weren't the only unusual counted thread pieces, either.  Melita mentioned Constance Tobias' stitched book in her Woodlawn report.  It looked to be stitched on linen, then bound together into a 6-8 page book with what appeared to be 17th Century style Biblical motifs.  The same glass case held other fascinating pieces, including two of Catherine Jordan's river boxes. You can see those on Catherine's website (the first two items).  These are astounding in person.
http://catherinesdesigns.tumblr.com/

There were also beaded cuff bracelets and Susan's 5x5 embellished beaded stumpwork pieces.  You can see some of Susan's squares shown in the link below in her lacing tutorial.   Besides the stumpwork girl in a teacup, there was a pastel blue and silver star wand piece, a square featuring a set of painter's easels with their individual drawings, and my favorite--beaded birds among pink and blue flowers.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/lacing.html

I found another embellished box in the first parlor.  This one was mermaid-themed with beads and stumpwork.  The smalls belonging to this mermaid casket were decorated with mermaid and shell motifs.  The same room had Susan's Your Majesty piece on display.  You can see her and read about her here.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/becoming-queen-part-ii.html

The last piece I want to mention today, still in the small first parlor, was a version of Michele Robert's stumpwork tulip, done in mauve-pink.  It was lovely!

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

New Things Again

There are more new things appearing here and there on the Internet for our viewing (and stitching) pleasure.  Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands is going to publish charts for retired teaching designs. The counted thread crowd are cheering at this news. Betsy does wonderful work.  Here are photos.  Keep an eye on her blog for the announcement when the charts will be ready.
http://willinghandsstitching.blogspot.com/2011/02/retired-designs.html

Fans of Tony Minieri's Stars for the New Millennium will be pleased to see what Donna has done on her version.
http://majtravaux.blogspot.com/2011/02/big-yippee.html

Speaking of stars, Laura Perin has a new star quilt pattern available and also she showcases some old favorites on her blog.
http://two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-affair-with-stars-continued.html

If you are stitching the 2011 Stitch of the Month project from Ro Pace, you'll want to read what Sara Leigh has to say about the J. L. Walsh silk perle basis of this piece.  Thanks for the clarification, SL!
http://remedialstitcher.blogspot.com/2011/02/jl-walsh-silk-perle-and-ang-2011-sotm.html

Finally, for the painted canvas fan, Ruth Schmuff is showing some of her new Flirty Girl patterns on her blog.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2011/02/meet-flirty-girls.html

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