If Clothes Make the Man....

...then finishing makes the needlepoint. Nothing illustrates this better than Robin King's posting that shows up a zillion ways of finishing her Needle Deeva Creeps series.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-halloween-from-creeps.html

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

Tips and Tricks and Witch Hair

Have trouble separating plies of Lorikeet? Michele explains how to separate this thread and also shows off a substitute hair color on her witch. The moral is--if you don't have the thread you need, improvise!
http://bristlythistle.blogspot.com/2012/01/another-creepy-finished.html


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

A Devil of a Face

Since so many folks have mentioned they have a problem stitching faces, I thought you'd like to see the series of photos of a face Robin King stitched. The piece is one of the Creepy Characters in the Needle Deeva series. This is the devil, if you haven't guessed. He's quite full of himself!
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2011/11/devils-face-nd-0467-b.html

The moral is patience.  Robin took many steps to work on each area. This wasn't a face stitched in an hour but the end result shows how all that work came together in a smug little face, perfect for this Halloween Creep!


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

Pumpkin Planner

Robin's newest blog posting explains choosing a stitch for the pumpkin in the Creepy Characters series. For anyone who wonders how stitch guide writers work, this is a great article. Robin's secret is Photoshop which she uses to plan how her stitches will look. Fascinating!
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2011/09/pumpkin-and-jacquard.html


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

Fall Fairy (with Owl)

I updated the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guide blog yesterday with a wonderful article by Robin King.  You can read about her Harvest Fairy stitch guide and the canvas it enhances here.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2011/09/welcome-to-fall.html

By the way, if you want to stitch Robin's Hooty Owl from the back cover of Needlepoint Now, Pocket Full of Stitches has the canvas and extra copies of the magazine in stock.  Call them and you can have this for your very own.
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2011/09/needledeeva-in-needlepoint-now.html

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

Pumpkin Tips

If you are stitching Needle Deeva's Creepy Characters for Halloween, you'll love reading the tips Needlepoint.com is posting about threads and stitch order.   This helps make Robin King's stitch guide even better, particularly for the less experienced stitcher.
http://www.needlepoint.com/blog/?p=770

By the way, Michele's finished her pumpkin.  Isn't it darling?
http://bristlythistle.blogspot.com/2011/09/creeps-from-needle-deeva.html

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

Needlepoint Now Extras UPDATED AGAIN

Now that the September/October 2011 Needlepoint Now is in the mail and starting to arrive in subscribers' mailboxes, I wanted to tell you about a few extras that pertain to this issue.  If you are in love with the cover 9/11 commemorative piece and want to stitch it, Dale Miller says she has this canvas in her Canvases Be Gone shop.  This is a large and expensive piece, even at her discount price, but Dale says she will offer a further 15 percent discount to a buyer if they email her first to get a discount code before checking out.  I'm not sure how many copies Dale has of this canvas, so don't dawdle if you are interested.
http://www.canvasesbegone.com/5097/Sandra+Gilmore+Home+of+the+Brave+hp+18ct.html

If instead the back cover piece is on your To Do list, you'll want to read Robin King's slide bullion tips on stitching Hooty Owl's little feet.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2011/09/hooty-owl-in-needlepoint-now-magazine.html

Laura Perin shows off a close up version of step one of her beautiful Mystery Tryptich and lets us know the Watercolours number used should be 231 "Ethiopia" not 257.
http://two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com/2011/09/add-little-mystery-to-your-life.html

If you loved the little gentleman's houndtooth vest that Anne Stradal of ABS Designs did in her column, you will enjoy watching her develop a new, smaller pattern that showcases a sweater vest under a jacket.  I hope it's a tweed jacket!  UPDATE:  Anne is continuing to post progress photos of her design.  I'll add them here as they are published so folks stumbling across this blog entry later can see everything.
http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2011/09/nevilles-little-brother.html

http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2011/09/working-from-neck-down.html

http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2011/09/skipping-around.html

UPDATE:  Karen told me about a series of gentlemen's clothing ornaments available from Finger Step Designs.  Aren't they just charming?!  Thanks, Karen!
http://store.apneedlearts.com/wedrmenor.html

Of course also inside is the free stitch guide for Temple of 1000 Cranes, stitched by me!  Don't miss reading through that to pick up tips to stitch any fantasy pagodas in the Leigh Design series.

This is the biggest issue they've ever put out, and it's a good one.  I've been reading my copy for a week and there is lots more to enjoy yet.  The trend of building on the current issue with online things is wonderful for us who follow needlepoint via the Internet and it makes this issue even better.

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

Teachers' Books and Videos

Teaching needlepoint is an organized sport.  Robin King has her lessons all organized in notebooks.  Of course with the Creepy Characters also being a monthly club, she is teaching some of the Creeps and not others.  But every piece in the set goes in a big notebook all the same, ready for Robin to work her magic when called on.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2011/08/creepy-characters-stitch-guide-manual.html?spref=fb

Julia Snyder just taught at BeStitched and also at Needle Bug.  BeStitched has posted a video of her teaching a gathered stitch.
http://bestitchedneedlepoint.com/news-and-updates/gathered-needlepoint-stitch/

Needle Bug posted close up photos of three of the canvases Julia taught at their shop.  Aren't they fabulous?
http://theneedlebug.com/2011/07/canvases-from-julia-snyder-classes/

http://theneedlebug.com/2011/07/melissa-julia-meri/

http://theneedlebug.com/2011/08/another-fabulous-piece/

If you have a chance to take a class with either lady, please do!

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

Dr. McCoy, Is That You?

Halloween fans have probably already heard about the Creepy Characters monthly club a lot of shops are offering this year.  This is a set of nine little candy corn-shaped Halloween monsters from Needle Deeva with stitch guides by Robin King.  A lot of folks like the little owl, but my favorites are the smug suave devil and the little Dracula who closely resembles a young Harry Potter.  Which ones do you like?
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/clubs.php

If you are signed up for the set, you'll want to know that there is a tenth monster available as a class taught by Robin King herself on August 14th (mail order students welcome) at Ruth Schmuff's shop.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2P4eMJoSM0OdBPF_ezQhBfxXx3m-uvWw7qPEddsxI3df9MmEm4TApDeI_5hg2XS2EUYFWJ_MASGC6GZTIu7UgbyJUiTKW-WXbDF6S_-FB-VnixleJN-zexzZdHOAmuN4kZmYdWTGZeEgy/s1600/Creepy+Characters+sell+sheet.jpg

Here are the details about Bones.  "I'm a doctor, not a needlepoint ornament!"
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/visitingTeachers.php

LOL

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