Sparkles Seminar

Vicky just attended a class sponsored by a local ANG guild on using Sparkles, the stiff tubular material that Sundance introduced recently. It was taught by Cassie Prescott, one of the Sundance founders, and Barbara Elmore whose designs are distributed by Sundance.  There are a great many effects you can achieve using Sparkles and Vicky practiced them all.  Enjoy the photos and look for a Sparkles Seminar taught by Barbara at a shop near you.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/it-was-a-sparkly-kinda-day/

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.

Bead Essays

I've been seeing an interesting trend this winter--needlepoint teachers and designers are starting to post little essays online to help folks understand various topics, especially attaching beads to needlepoint canvas.   Adding beads to needlepoint is a more complex subject than you would think since beads come in many sizes and shapes and there are a lot of effects people use (solid beading, scattered beads, couched rows, beads added like tent stitches, etc.).  Alice Hall at BeStitched has started a series of Bead Basics.  Here is her first essay which talks about various types of beads and the supplies you will need to bead.
http://bestitchedneedlepoint.com/beading-lesson-from-alice-hall/

As Alice adds to the series, I'll update this article.  You don't have to wait to see how to attach beads until Alice posts again, however.

Stitchlady got to take a class from Sundance's Cassie Prescott and learned a really neat beading technique.
http://stitchlady.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/arizona-wild-flower/

Joni Stevenson has started her own essay on attaching beads to needlepoint canvas by outlining three ways this can be done that are fairly good at keeping beads steady and then talking about what threads to use for beading.  She also raises an important point--whether to match the thread used to attach beads to the bead or the underlying needlepoint canvas?
http://creative-stitch.blogspot.com/2012/03/beads-on-canvas-part-1.html

Part 2 from Joni talks about types and sizes of beads with a bit of information about needles that are useful in beading.
http://creative-stitch.blogspot.com/2012/03/beads-on-canvas-part-2.html

Again, I'll update this article as Alice and Joni add more information online.  By the way, ANG has added an article from the September 1998 Needlepointers on beads to their Archive.
http://www.needlepoint.org/Archives/StitchingBeadsontoCanvas/index.php


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

Classes and Teachers and Fun

Both Bedecked and Beaddazzled and Needle Works are showing off class pieces on their blogs. Anne-Marie Winter is going to teach her lovely bamboo leaf and water "Oriental Reflections" kimono for Ruth Schmuff's shop...
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/03/oriental-reflections.html

....while Cassie Prescott of Sundance is going to teach the Mexican sampler Oaxaca at Needle Works. (Love that grasshopper!) If you are going to be in the Austin area when the Cassie is teaching, I hope you can take her class.  Anne-Marie's class is a cyberclass, which means you can take it sitting in your stitching chair at home.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2012/03/oaxaca-from-sundance-designs.html

Either way, these are great opportunities to study with wonderful stitchers.  Remember, I expect a full report!


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

A Sparkles Tutorial

We saw a bit about the new mesh tube called Sparkles at the TNNA trade show in January. Sundance has posted a bit more about how to use it with a link to the wonderful ways Barbara Elmore has manipulated it to great effect.
http://sundanceinstitches.blogspot.com/2012/02/sundance-sparkles.html


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

Stitch Guide Blog Updated

Yesterday I added a new article to the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides blog--an article about stitch guides and how they have evolved written by Barbara Elmore.  I also updated the article on Brenda Hart's stitch guides with a new link to photos of more canvases she has written help about.  Here's the link to Barbara's article.  You can find the updated Brenda Hart one by using the search box at the upper left hand corner of the blog.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2011/03/barbara-elmore-on-stitch-guides.html

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