Kandace Merric's Diaper Crazy Heart

Kandace's Japanese Circle Diaper Patterns

Melita stitched one of Kandace Merric's heart designs from the 1990s published in ANG's magazine, Needlepointers.  ANG is republishing old projects in their current issue and this is one of several heart designs made available again.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2025/07/09/hearts-from-the-1990s-in-timeless-treasures-from-the-archives-in-the-july-august-2025-issue-of-needle-pointers-magazine/

Kandace's Rabbit Pet Guardian Angel

Kandace Merric died in 2016 but she left us some amazing work.  In 2008-2009 Blog readers stitched Kandace's Pet Guardian Angels.  They were donated to the ANG auction to raise money for the organization.  If you search on "Pet Guardian Angels" here on Blog, you can see the finished animal angels.  They were amazing!  If you have old copies of Needlepointers, the first of the Pet Guardian Angel charts were published in October/November 1996.  There was a cat, a dog, and a parakeet, a rabbit, a fish, even a pet rat.  All were adorable dressed in their gowns and wings.

You can see more of Kandace's stitching (and admire her dogs--she was a major fund raiser for Westie dog rescue organizations) on her Facebook page and on NAN's website.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200171172546999.198471.1381993964&type=1

https://needleart.org/gallery/permanent-collection/accession_thedogshow_kandacemerric/

Miss you, Kandace!  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright July 10, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

BREAKING NEWS: Kandace Merric Has Died UPDATED

Kandy's "Westie Angel"

The National Academy of Needle Artists just announced on Facebook that Kandace Merric died in her sleep last night. 
https://www.facebook.com/118153386709/photos/np.1456605363411317.1277706333/10153211746906710/?type=3&theater

Kandy's Dark Skies Over Desert

I am stunned and saddened by our loss.  Besides her amazing original needlepoint designs, Kandy was very active in dog rescue organizations (particularly for Westies) and sent me and many others a charming holiday e-card featuring her rescued dogs in costumes on every holiday.

Kandy's "Egypt Circle"

The photographs are just a few of my favorites from Kandy's amazing body of needlepoint, much of which in the last few years were original designs donated to various rescue organizations.

Kandy's "Rabbit Guardian Angel"

Have fun in heaven with all your dogs, Kandy!

UPDATE:  From Kandy's neighbor--

It is with deep regret and sadness that we announce the sudden and untimely passing of our good friend and neighbor Kandace Merric who passed away Friday night, February 26, 2016.

Arrangements have been made:  Hungerford & Clark Funeral Home, 110 Pine Street, Freeport, NY 

                                                 Wednesday March 2 from 2:00pm-4:00pm and 7:00pm-9:00pm

                                             

Funeral Mass:  Our Holy Redeemer Church, 37 South Ocean Avenue, Freeport, NY

                       Thursday March 3

In lieu of flowers her family has requested that a donation in her name can be made:

www.WestieMed.org

Facebook.com/WestieMed

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 27, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Kandace Merric Online

I am very excited to tell you this morning that Kandace Merric, whose Pet Guardian angels were such a hit on Blog 4-5 years ago when we stitched them for the ANG Auction, has posted photographs of her work (most original designs featuring the Westies she works so hard to promote and protect) on the Facebook page for Needlepoint Nation.   I hope you can see these even if you don't have a FB account because Kandy's original work is amazing.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200171172546999.198471.1381993964&type=1

To see more versions of her Pet Guardian Angel series (featured in Needlepoint Plus magazine years ago) just type Pet Guardian Angels in the search box in the upper left hand corner of 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.

The Second Background (Dr. Who) - Part Two

O'jishi's Background Underway

Alternating Cashmere Pairs

When I stitched the first canvas in my Dr. Who series, my choices were wide open.  I narrowed them down by taking inspiration from Dr. Who's TARDIS, the blue police box that the hero of the TV series travels in.  I used the same shade of blue that the TARDIS is painted and found a stitch that had the same rectangular shape to it.

This time I have limited myself somewhat by decided to use another stitch but the same threads as in the original piece.  How do I pick a stitch from the zillions of choices?  My first thought was to pick another stitch with the TARDIS' rectangular shape.  I went with Alternating Cashmere Pairs, a beautiful stitch that I have used before as a light coverage stitch on Leigh's O'jishi (above).  To the left you see my test of this stitch.  For the pairs of cashmere blocks that were horizontal, I used my Lorikeet wool and then I switched to the Silk Lame Braid for the vertical cashmeres.

However, this stitch is too big and bold for my canvas, isn't it?  Look at the Doctor's head.  The pairs are almost as large, which throws the whole canvas out of whack.  I'd forgotten one of the rules of backgrounds--the scale can't overwhelm the central design.  So despite how much I like this stitch (and the two threads I choose cover beautifully), it isn't right for this design.  I ripped it out and started again.

This time I looked for stitches that were smaller, that had 2-4 repeats in the same space as The Doctor's head.  I remembered the ripples of light that are in most of the Dr. Who opening sequences over the years and looked for something that would echo ripples in time and space as The Doctor moves between them.  I found a beautiful squiggle stitch from Kandace Merric's Pattern Darning Heart.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200171172546999.198471.1381993964&type=1

You can see it on the lower left of this photo.  It has two repeats in the same area as the Doctor's head, but it looks too busy to me.  I filled in the squiggles with Silk Lame Braid squiggles and that made it even busier.  Compare my version to Kandy's heart and you will see how the change to a darker and thicker thread (I used three plies of the Lorikeet wool) made this stitch ponderous and heavy.  So I ripped out again.

My third attempt is in the upper left corner of the canvas.  This is a sort of Bargello stitch I found in the background of a stitched mermaid canvas.  The repeats are larger than the Doctor's head but the stitch is quite narrow so that doesn't seem to matter.

I think it is going to work but I will have to remove the squiggle stitch and take it all the way down the left side of the canvas and then do a few more rows to be certain.    So how do I pick a background stitch from the zillions available?  I hold tryouts, either on the canvas itself or on scraps of leftover canvas that I save after I cut excess canvas off pieces I am finishing myself.  I make careful note of what doesn't work and that helps me figure out what will.  And I rip out A LOT.

Stay tuned to see how well this new mystery stitch works!

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.

Merry Christmas!

To celebrate Christmas in a proper way, we need gorgeous needlepoint, right?

Kandace Merric sent me photos of her most recent work last week and graciously agreed to share them with you when I begged.  Kandy doesn't design needlepoint charts for us anymore but she still needlepoints as time permits and this year has done three gorgeous pieces.  The first (above) is her own version of a Kathy Schenkel mini stocking.  Kandy added the bone treats hanging from the mantelpiece, the wreath, and the packages and candles on the mantel.  It's a charming piece, isn't it?

If you enjoy the little dog bone ornaments in the mini sock above, you'll adore the bones candy cane that is an original design by Kandy.  Isn't this the cutest ornament ever for a dog lover?  I think the gold bead at the base of the hanging loop a wonderful finishing touch.  Bet my dogs would love this on their tree!

The final piece is a magnificent original patchwork mini sock that Kandy designed for a friend using the friend's favorite colors.  It shows off Kandy's touch for creating lively and beautiful stitches beautifully.

Thanks for sharing your newest needlepoint designs, Kandace.  May you and yours enjoy a very Merry Christmas and may all of us needlepointers have a great New Year.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Westies ABC Wall Hanging

I got a nice note from the needlepoint designer Kandace Merric about the ANG Auction where her pet guardian angel designs were stars.  She is just catching up with other parts of her life after the big Westie Club of America's Centennial celebration and after losing her wonderful dog Shana.  She sent me a photo of the Westies ABC wall hanging Shana inspired to share with you all.

I am not sure which Westie I like best:  P for Pirate?  H for Hawaii?  T for Tiger?  X for X-ray!  No, O for Owl.

I am sure Kandy is a wonderful artist and a great lady when it comes to helping others, whether they are fellow needlepointers or dogs in need.

We all thank you, Kandy.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Tidbits, Interesting and Sad

I worked on the sleeve lining and more background for the Rabbit Geisha last night but the photo of my progress will be so much like yesterday's that I didn't bother taking one.  I think I'll start another area on this canvas so I have something to talk about tonight.  Or perhaps I'll hold another audition for stitches as I need to pick out what to do for the tunic and lower skirt, not to mention ribbons and tassel.

But for now I mostly have tidbits of news for you.  I got a note from Melissa Shirley who read about the burned canvas on blog [Jane begins to hyperventilate at the thought that Melissa Shirley, creator of some of the most lovely canvases in my stash, reads Blog....] and sent me a note about it.  She said, "I was just looking at your poor burned Rabbit Geisha on Chilly Hollow. I recently received a canvas back from a customer that had had something corrosive spilled on it. The raw canvas was weak and tearing within the spill area but was holding and intact in the painted areas. Perhaps if you painted the burned area with acrylic paint it would strengthen the canvas."

So Nancy, your idea about repainted the burned background area is a good one.  It acted as a sort of glue to reinforce a weak area on a damaged canvas.

I had another idea about patching the Rabbit Geisha besides weaving which I mentioned in the Comments but I'd like to repeat here as I know not everyone reads the Comments.

I thought about using silk gauze to patch the burn hole instead of weaving and patching with regular 18 count needlepoint canvas.  Kreinik used to have 18 count silk gauze available and there is still mention of it on their website.
http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=172

Yes, it looks like you can buy 18 count silk gauze directly from Kreinik via this online store.
http://stitcherstreasures.kreinikmall.com/shops/product.php?printable=Y&productid=173

You can fringe all around the sides of a patch of silk gauze and slowly weave each fringed thread into the regular needlepoint canvas, then baste around the area for a second line of security.  Stitching over the hole should work nicely, especially if a second patch of regular 18 count needlepoint canvas is on the back side for more stability.  This is a long process, however, and I don't have and may not be able to get any 18 count silk gauze quickly.  I mention it, however, in case someone else wants to try this.  I don't expect many folks will have canvases damaged by fire or corrosive liquids, but many of us have accidentally cut a canvas thread or two in ripping out.  Just remember that although silk gauze and needlepoint canvas have a lot in common, they also differ.  Silk gauze threads are smaller than silk gauze holes so you might not be able to do all fancy stitches on silk gauze unless you back the repair with 18 count canvas on the underside.  I have particular trouble with French knots on silk gauze.  I have to put them in on top of tent stitches or they don't hold.  You may need to experiment or adapt what you are stitching if silk gauze repairs a cut or tiny weak spot.

My other tidbit is a sad one.  I got a note from Kandace Merric, the designer of the wonderful pet guardian angels we stitched for the ANG Auction this year, saying that she had lost one of her dogs.  Kandy is very active in rescue of mistreated, lost, or unwanted West Highland White Terriers and her Shana was a rescue dog.  I know Kandy is broken-hearted and I hope that she finds comfort in her other dogs, her friends, and her stitching.  I'm sure you will all join me in sending comforting thoughts Kandy's way.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Tonight's the Night UPDATED AGAIN

FINAL UPDATE: Tonight's the ANG Auction at the annual Seminar in Milwaukee. The pet guardian angels sold for $500. Michele Winter is their new owner. Michele's in Texas. If you know her, go visit the angels. I'm sure she'll arrange a viewing for you. After all, they really have to be seen to be appreciated.

UPDATE: The ANG Auction co-chair Nancy Robertson kindly sent photos of the pet guardian angels on display for tonight's auction. They are on a large wreath and on a garland but all aren't visible in this photo. There are too many of them! Anyone who knows how the auction went please post in the Comments as I won't get word until tomorrow most likely. My husband gets the computer in the evening so I won't be able to check emails then.

Click on the photo of the magazine cover to see the slide show of all the pet guardian angels in the auction. Once I hear how things went, I'll let you know but it'll probably be tomorrow morning before I update this post.

I'm tent stitching on South Seas Fiji's black areas on the right side of the ornament but skipped the H-Q rows on Glittering Kimono last night. Bad Jane!

I ran out of time.

Yes, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

By the way, here's the slide show of all the Pet Guardian Angels sold to raise money for ANG at the Milwaukee 2009 Auction.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Final Two Pet Guardian Angels

The last two pet guardian angels arrived in Chilly Hollow today and were photographed, then wrapped up and put in the box that will deliver them all to the ANG Auction Chairman for the fall auction in Milwaukee.

The last ones are very special. They are two originals stitched by Kandace Merric, the designer of the original set who not only kindly gave permission for me to share the out-of-print instructions with stitchers for the ANG fund raiser, but who out of the blue volunteered to stitch two completely new angels to be sold at auction also. You'll notice that these two angels have blue Medici wool backgrounds like the original six and that they are finished with blue silk moire backgrounds instead of the felt the other Auction angels wear on the back. I want them to stand out from the angels stitched by volunteers so that the lucky auction winner knows these are the originals!

Above is the 20th Century pet guardian angel, a sugar glider dressed in Art Deco robes. Here is a second photo of her before finishing. The color is a little more true and more details are visible. Doesn't she have the sweetest face?!

This is the 21st Century Gecko pet guardian angel, dressed in stitches and threads meant to evoke space and the metal and plastic outfits astronauts wear. I wish you could see the delicate silver stars and see the gentle sparkle of the ecru trim, standup collar and fancy sleeve decoration on this angel. It is beautifully stitched. In the background you see the sugar glider's back side, just to give you a flavor of how beautifully finished these two pet guardian angels are.

Here is a photo of the gecko before finishing, which shows off the stars a bit better.

Aren't these amazing? If you would like to see all the pet guardian angels destined for the auction, click on the photo of Needlepoint Plus magazine on the left. The original set are also shown. I can't thank Kandace Merric enough for her support for this project. When I mail off the angels tomorrow I will be a bit sad to see them go but they are going to raise funds for ANG and show off the dedication and stitching skills of the volunteers who made them and the wonderful designs that Kandy created for our stitching pleasure.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Beer and Cookie

This weekend I made Nancy's Tudor Dog (Schnauzer) up into an ornament. Cookie is in the photo above. Isn't she pretty? You probably can't see the subtle pink and blue overdye color in the metallic threads but it adds a great deal to the delicate look of her clothing. She's a handsome dog!

There are two more pet guardian angels on the way to me. Kandace Merric has designed two new angels, one for the 20th Century and one for the 21st. I can't wait to see them!

While I wait I'm still stitching beer bottles. I've started adding other fibers to the metallics I started with. See the yellow bottle on the top row? Its label is stitched in yellow silk so that it looks a bit duller than the glass bottle. I've also added vertical and horizontal straight stitches across the tent stitches on some bottles, like the big black and blue bottle to the right of the yellow bottle. It has tent stitches in medium blue metallic topped by long horizontal stitches in navy blue metallic. Since I used only two plies of my Bijoux and Accentuate, the painted area shows a bit, giving this bottle some real depth. See the glass sitting on the bar near the dog's paw? I stitched that with long stitches in Water n Ice (the original clear color). Does it look like glass to you?

More later. I want to get back to South Seas Fiji.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Even More Pet Guardian Angels Arrive

I have three new pet guardian angels lurking in my house. The first one is not finished yet but because my scanner does a better job with unfinished pieces and I wanted you to see the dog's wonderful face, I am posting a photo of the ornament before it's made up. Nancy stitched it one-handed in honor of her Schnauzer Cookie. I am amazed that she did this with only one hand (she hurt her other) and that the face is so real! Nancy tells me she used a special thread for the fur called 100% Suri Alpaca Thread and it comes from Salt River Mills. It is distributed by The First and Last Stitch in St. Louis. She says it is for 13-18 count canvas which meant she could handle one strand one-handed and do long and short stitch on Cookie's face and paw with three shades of charcoal gray.
http://www.saltrivermills.com/Needlepoint_-_Yarn.html

http://www.firstandlast.com/





The second two angels just arrived from South Africa today. Odette stitched them and added all sorts of special touches, like crystal butterflies, a delicate beak, beaded halos, lovely green wings, a perfect little rabbit face, etc. I wish you could see them in person. My scanner does a decent job but you have to see Odette's stitching in person to appreciate it.



Aren't they amazing? I am constantly blown away by the artistry of all the stitchers who contributed to this project.

Tomorrow I will start assembling Nancy's angel for her. With only one hand, she just can't do this. Hopefully I'll do OK with two hands! Cookie the Tudor Dog deserves my very best finishing.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Pet Guardian Angels Arrive

Three more pet guardian angels have arrived in Chilly Hollow for their photo shoot before heading off to the ANG Auction in Milwaukee this fall. Like their sisters, they are wonderful! I've added their pictures to the slide show of all the angels on the left side of the page. Just click on the issue of Needle Pointers with the originals on the cover to see the ones I've received to date. In alphabetical order, here are the newest pet guardians--

The first angel to arrive (and the first alphabetically) is Beth's Medieval Cat (shown above). Beth used purple on her angel on her daughter's advice paired with red (one of my favorite color combos!) to create this angel who shouts Charleston! to me every time I look at it. I am totally charmed by the purple feathery boa trim on her jacket (sorry, the scanner mashed it down a little) and I like how her skirt is one pattern instead of the original model's two. This angel has a darling fuzzy Wisper face and paw, and wings of white and gold.



Joanne's Beatrice the Renaissance Rat celebrates Joanne's love of Italy. I'm sorry the photo doesn't show the gold rays of light coming from her halo, her pink pearl nose, or the delicate wings which have white paint showing through the tiny stitches. In person she is spectacular!


Margaret's Tudor Dog is a Golden Retriever in the original colors of white and navy and gold, but the individual touches on this ornament make it totally different from its twins. The collar and sleeve are particularly beautiful and I love the dog's ear! The hearts on the underskirt are against a shimmery white opalescent background. This is a lovely angel indeed. Actually, they are all fantastic. I would have a hard time picking a favorite as each is marvelous and beautifully stitched and finished.

Many thanks to the angels who've been stitching for the Milwaukee ANG Auction. They will be sold as a set as groups of ornaments and larger pieces are the ones that bring in the big bucks and this is a fund raiser to support ANG's programs which we all enjoy.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Pet Guardian Angels Start to Appear in Chilly Hollow

As you know, I stitched all six of Kandace Merric's pet guardian angels from the 1996-1997 Needle Pointers magazines for the ANG Auction. I am only one stitcher of many, however. Other angels are being stitched so a set of 15-20 of them will be sold in Milwaukee at ANG's auction night during the annual seminar. I very cleverly volunteered to coordinate the project so that all the angels would fly to Chilly Hollow for collection and packaging and a photo shoot so that all participants and Kandace herself have a document showing the set before they fly away to their new home with some lucky bidder. If you are going to the Milwaukee Seminar, I hope you'll visit the pet guardian angels on display just before the auction and that'll you'll bid for them.

Here are the five that arrived last week so everyone can enjoy them, too. The photo above is Marita's fantastic red and gold Dalmation, straight from a firehouse! Marita told me a bit about her pet guardian angel's backstory. "Dorothea Barker Winks (Dottie to her friends) is a retired firehouse dog. Her middle name is not any type of statement about her personality. Since she is a good Southern girl from Virginia, her mother chose a family name (actually Grandmother's maiden name) for her middle name. As you can guess, red is her favorite color. She is not one for lots of adornments because after all she worked at the firehouse (also her stitcher really hates to mess with beads). She really does appreciate the bright and shiny colors (red and gold) because they remind her of the fire engines that she so loved to ride on."



The next pet guardian angels are from Carole. The details on these two are amazing.I wish you could see the cunning buttons on the Medieval Cat

















or the perfect stitches on the Tudor Dog's autumn colors and braided trim! I don't want to part with these two at all.
















The final two angels are from Pat who dressed her Tudor Dog in the same white, royal blue and gold of the original model using delicate stitches and a very pretty wing pattern.














Her Georgian Rabbit's lovely blue eye and graceful head caught my eye first, then I realized how beautiful the lace trim, the bows and the floral trim are on this piece.


It is going to be very difficult to mail these away to the Auction Chairman!

I'll post more photos as more angels arrive.



Jane/Chilly Hollow
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Pet Guardian Angels UPDATED

Margaret and Pat have just finished their pet guardian angels for the ANG Auction. You can see photos of their beautiful stitching on their blogs.
http://cranecottage.com/stitchingblog/?p=1075

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2009/06/guardian-angels-are-finished.html

UPDATE: I've received photos of Carole's fabulous Autumn Tudor Dog and her beautiful springtime pastels Medieval Cat. These are in the slide show, too.

Remember, you can see Kandace Merric's original angels as well as the ones being stitched for ANG's Auction in the fall in Milwaukee by clicking on the magazine cover that showcased them on the left side of this page.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Golden Rabbit Pet Guardian Angel is Done

I can see the finish line from here, despite the rain and fog we have this morning. Last night I put the Golden Rabbit together and added her trim. The Victorian Parakeet is next and then I'll work assembling the wisteria teapot.

I hate finishing but I must say making up 7 ornaments in a row makes it easier. I feel a lot more confident about finishing now.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Two More Pet Guardian Angels Finished

Two more of the pet guardian angels are made up into ornaments, making the grand total of finished pieces four. I have two to go, the Georgian Rabbit and the Victorian Parakeet. The end is in sight! (Or course I have to make the wisteria teapot into an ornament also but we won't quibble at how much I have left to do, right? No one wants to see me burst into tears....)

Above is the Tudor Dog, which I call Holi because her colorful outfit and floral halo were inspired by Mexican floral embroideries and the Indian Festival of Color which is called Holi. Everybody seems to like Holi and she was a lot of fun. I'd encourage anyone to go outside their comfort zone occasionally and really cut loose with their stitching.

And here is the Baroque Fish. She is one of my favoriates as I love the colors and her silver halo and the stitches Kandy Merric created for her are magnificent.

The Golden Rabbit is tonight's finish. Wish me speedy fingers!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Two Pet Guardian Angels Are Finished

Now that the glue has finally dried on the parts of my pet guardian angels, I am starting to assemble them. My goal is to finish one a night until all six are made up as ornaments and ready to head off to the ANG Auction at their Milwaukee Seminar this fall. I'm putting them together in the order in which they were published so I'll show them off in the same order. Above is the Medieval Cat whose lovely patterned skirt is just as lovely as when I stitched it last November and whose green eye and head shape I love above all the others, except maybe the rabbit's.

The Renasissance Rat is next--I added whiskers to her little face before I made her up. I love her braided halo and the red wings but the best part of this angel is the bargello pattern on her skirt and the flying ends of her Kreink braid belt.



The back side of each angel is black felt. Here's the Medieval Cat from the back.

I wrote up instructions on how to assemble the angels as I went through making the Medieval Cat into an ornament. I took more photographs and edited my instructions as I worked through the Renaissance Rat. After I finish the editing I'll check the instructions against tonight's angel, the Tudor Dog. My goal is to have a complete set of instructions ready to send out this week to all the other pet guardian angel stitchers so we can make up our angels and get them all to me by the last week in June. Tight deadline but these are pretty easy to do. I think it takes me about 4-5 hours per angel and that's only because I am doing six and making a lot of trim for the edges.

Stay tuned for more angels.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Golden Rabbit Finished

While the computer was in the shop, I finished the basketweaved background around Kandace Merric's Georgian Rabbit, the last of the six pet guardian angels that I'm stitching to add to a group of these ornaments that will be auctioned next fall at ANG's Seminar to raise money for ANG programs. You see the Golden Rabbit above. Note that her halo is surrounded by three gold Mill Hill beads topped by a pale copper Toho bead for contrast.

Below you see the Golden Rabbit with the final touch added--a Mill Hill "Glass Treasure" which is a glass charm that has a hole in the top leg of the star. I simply sewed it on with a few passes of a ply of cream silk through the ecru background stitches. I like this final touch and feel lucky I noticed the star at Scarlet Thread during my stopover there on the way to the computer repair place. Thanks, Sara Leigh! Hope you all like how she turned out.


The next step is to finish all the ornaments and write up instructions so that the other folks stitching angels have something to use to finish their ornaments themselves. I plan to post step by step instructions here and then send a more coherent and polished set of instructions to the participants in this stitch-along. Whether you stitched an angel or not, I hope you find the instructions helpful. I'm going to start working on them this holiday weekend.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Golden Rabbit Without Makeup, With Beads

In between sessions of backetweave marathoning, I removed the black thread outlining the Golden Rabbit's eye and replaced it with a dark brown bullion in the same DMC cotton floss as her face. I decided the black was too harsh. The bullion is made of three plies of the floss and it is couched in the middle to bend it to arch over her eye. What do you think?

I also added three bullions to her paw to give it dimension. These are in the same thread and same number of plies as the eye bullion, but I started with the longest bullion on the right and did around 20 wraps, the middle bullion only had 15 wraps and the short bullion on the left only 12. I tried to do "fingers" to give depth to the area, inspired by Joan Thomasson and Amy Bunger.

I first saw this technique on Joan Thomasson's Nativity figures. Here are her Three Kings. The hands clearly have bullion fingers.
http://needlepointnow.com/back_issues/2003/2003_11/2003_11_cover.html

Amy Bunger does the same thing in her stitching class on the Kelly Clark Nativity. Look at Joseph's hands.
http://www.amybunger.com/albums/album_image/6366238/4533002.htm

One needs to practice bullions and they are easier to do with a one stranded thread, but I think the bullions I added look good. What do you think? Will you consider doing this on one of your next pieces?

The other thing I've done is scatter beads above the halo. This is a test to see how many and which color looks best, or even if I should do this at all. Starting at the rabbit's nose and arcing upward, you see two of the pale copper Toho beads, then a single gold Mill Hill Petite bead, then a cluster of three gold Mill Hill beads, and finally a single pale copper Toho bead. I think a mix of both types might work but I've run out of time to test that. What do you think?

The reason I've run out of time is that I have to take the laptop in for repair today and I don't know when it will be ready. Apple won't even tell me if they have the repair parts in stock (that's "propriatary" information? !?!??!!). Anyway, I won't be blogging for 2-3 days until the computer comes back but I'll work on the basketweave and once that is done, I'll decide about whether beads above the halo look good or not.

Y'all behave while I'm gone!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Beads and Eye Liner

Last night I managed to add the little gold Mill Hill Petite beads to the centers of the flower stitches on the trim on the Golden Rabbit's skirts. I discovered the pale copper beads just disappeared but the gold ones are a bit more visible against the ivory and golden trim stitches. I hope you can see them in the photo. I didn't have trouble getting them to stay in place but they are smaller than the pale copper Toho beads. Those might have misbehaved, as beads do. Odette had trouble with beads when she tried the same thing. Guess the size is what is important here. Smaller beads are less wiggly. Sort of. I still had one bead jump out of the box and escape into my recliner somewhere! Do NOT trust beads. They are escape artists!

i also added a bit of black thread to highlight her eye. Then it was back to the Basketweave Marathon. Lots to do there still! Once I get more background done I'll take beads down around the halo and you can help me decide whether I need beads there or not.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow