Tools for Stumpwork Attachments

Mary Corbet is working a crewel design from Hazel Blomkamp which has stumpwork leaves and petals that are worked separately around wires, then cut out and attached to the main design.

The really interesting thing to me is Mary's description of the tools she's using to dispense the stiffening agent around the edges of the wired attachments.  I think needlepointers might find very good uses for Aqua Brushes!
http://www.needlenthread.com/2016/04/the-stumpwork-is-finished-some-tips.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 19, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Want To Teach Needlepoint? Listen to Hazel

Advice from an experienced teacher to the novice--although she forgot the person who thinks they can do anything much better than you without having any idea of the problems doing it their way will cause.
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2015/11/so-you-want-to-teach-embroidery.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 11, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Cruel Jacobean

Actually my title is a fake but I can't resist a fun title!  I should have typed something about the difference between crewel embroidery and Jacobean crewel, because that's how Ruth Kern starts out her monthly blog posting. For those who don't know, Ruth is one of the premiere stitching book sellers on the planet.  Her monthly blog showcases the books she has in stock, and they are always educational.  Because Ruth knows her customer, this month's posting covers a great deal more than crewel!  I won't say more--some folks think I've said too much already--but I encourage you to spend a little time with Ruth.  You will learn something and she'll make you think.
http://ruthkernbooks.blogspot.com/2014/09/september-blog-come-on-in-hope-you.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 8, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Saving Inspirations

Lately there has been a lot of publicity about the financial position Inspirations magazine is in. If they don't increase their subscriber base, they are going to go out of business. To me personally this means nothing as I don't subscribe to embroidery magazines and can't pick up a copy locally anyway. Plus it's not needlepoint so I wasn't going to mention it, but that was before I read the eloquent plea Hazel Blomkamp makes for keeping Inspirations alive in this digital age.  I think you might want to read and ponder what Hazel has to say.  It applies to the world of needlepoint, too.  After all, we need to keep the American Needlepoint Guild alive and well.
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-digital-age-and-embroidery-magazines.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 8, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Newest

If crewel embroidery is your thing, you will want to be on the lookout for Hazel Blomkamp's new book Crewel Intentions which is just out. Here's a bit about the book.  Many needlepointers use traditional crewel stitches on their canvases so a book about crewel that uses beads and crystals but no wool threads should be right up their alley.  The projects in the book are lovely, especially the needle book cover.  (sigh)
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2014/01/crewel-intentions.html

If counted canvaswork is your first love, then I hope you signed up for Needle Delights' class "Suduko Delight."  In this post Kathy shows off the color ways for the class design.  Enjoy!
http://needledelightsoriginals.blogspot.com/2014/06/last-call-for-sudoku-delight.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 6, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A New Silk Ribbon Embroidery Book

Hazel Blomkamp has written a brief review of a new silk ribbon embroidery book written by her friend Di van Niekirk in collaboration with Mariana Zherdeva.  If you are a fan of SRE, you are sure to be charmed by this collaboration between a South African and Russian stitcher.  The stitching world is very small indeed!
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2014/04/little-flowers.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 24, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

New Crewel Book UPDATE

Hazel Blomkamp has a new book coming out in June.  It is titled "Crewel Intentions" and uses techniques from stump work, Brazilian embroidery and many other styles of stitching to make her crewel designs modern and interesting.  The article below shows off some of the projects in the book, which are all elegant and light in feel.  It will be available in English, Afrikaans, Russian and eventually also in French.
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2014/01/crewel-intentions.html

UPDATE:  Mary Corbet has a book review to help you decide if this book is for you.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2014/06/crewel-intentions-book-review.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The South African Bead Junkie Speaks

Was I surprised to find the South African embroiderer Hazel Blomkamp loves beads enough to stock beads in her online store? Nope. What stitcher does not love beads?!  (Some of us don't like them on our stitching, true, but we love to look regardless!)  Hazel's announcement about now carrying beads is worth reading even though we here in the States have easier access to beads than Hazel does.  She has lots of photos in each section that demonstrate wonderful ways to use that bead shape in embroidery.  This is a good series of articles to bookmark for inspiration later.  Hazel is wildly inventive in every way and that shows in how she uses beads.
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-range-of-beautiful-beads-for.html

If you want to see good pictures of the various types of beads Hazel is talking about, visit her website.  The photos of loose beads are good enough that you can see the shapes and the finishes, although you'll have to click on thumbnail photos to get a good look.
http://www.hazelblomkamp.co.za/component/virtuemart/03-supplies/02-beads-and-crystals/08-japanese-beads

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.

A Day at the Royal School

The well-known South African embroiderer and teacher Hazel Blomkamp just got to spend a day at the Royal School at Hampton Court Palace. Once you stop swooning with envy, check out her report of what she saw and did.
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-wonderful-afternoon-south-africa-has.html

Here's Hazel's website, which is worth a good exploration.  I particularly loved the Online Shop's Display option of a glass paperweight.  Wonder how much that would cost to ship to Chilly Hollow?
http://www.hazelblomkamp.co.za

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.

Let's Go Somewhere

Fall is always the retreat season, isn't it?  Lots of folks have been going places with their stitching to do more stitching in a classroom setting when they arrive.  Tisha went on a Margaret Bendig retreat.
http://stitchplaywithneedlepointtooltime.blogspot.com/2012/11/needlepoint-retreat.html

Margaret is famous for her kimono patterns.  
http://www.sang-ega.org/margaret%20bendig%20workshop.html

But that isn't everything Margaret designs.  How about this charming patriotic heart?
http://stitchlady.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/stars-abound/

Or this Southwestern sampler from Needlepoint Now magazine?  It might take some hunting to find Margaret's designs as many as class projects only but you won't be sorry you spent time looking.
http://lets-stitch-away.blogspot.com/2008/01/southwest-sampler-by-margaret-bending.html

Teachers travel to these retreats as well.  Hazel Blomkamp went from her native South Africa to Russia.  You will find her report a fascinating window into a place that is home to a great many stitchers.  (Did you know the second largest number of visitors to the Loretta Spears blog I maintain log in from Russia and the Ukraine?  There are a LOT of counted thread canvasworkers there.)
http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com/2012/11/hazel-and-di-inrussia-and-ukraine.html 

Barbara Elmore just got back from the Santa Fe Enchantment EGA Seminar.   She taught two classes.  In one they stitched a white cactus plant, in the other a white moth.  Boring?  Now quite.  Barbara has you paint the canvas after stitching it, stencil it, use markers on it, add beads and sequins and metallics and ribbons and lots more to it.  You'll love the photographs of the white moths' rebirth into something totally unique to each stitcher.  My only quibble is that Barbara forgot to take photographs of the cactus canvases blooming!
http://stitchpography.blogspot.com/2012/11/santa-fe-enchantment.html

If you are like me and go three places:  the post office, bank and grocery store, these reports are priceless.  Many thanks to everyone for sharing the flavor of their retreats with us.

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