Catherine the Great Arrives UPDATED

Gay Ann Roger's long-awaited portrait of Catherine the Great is on sale now.  This is a counted design that comes with the instructions, congress cloth and the threads and jewels needed.  This page of the website describes the kit.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/catherine.html

The home page currently has a count of how many kits Gay Ann has unsold.  She will probably do a second round of kits but you can't count on that or her ever selling this again as so much depends on her being able to find the real pearls necessary for the design.  So if you are interested, you probably should buy if at all possible.  Otherwise this will only be available from someone who buys it now and then never gets around to stitching it.

UPDATE:  Gay Ann estimates the sale will end May 17.  Act now.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 2, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Gay Ann Rogers' Hearts Sale is TOMORROW

Gay Ann Rogers has retired from teaching but not designing counted canvaswork pieces. This year she is working on a portrait of Catherine the Great of Russia that will be offered later in the year (May?  Her annual October sale?).  Gay Ann also does a mini sale in February of charted heart designs.   This sale starts TOMORROW.  Some items are one-of-a-kind and the charts sold as kits are often limited in number so pay attention to the times the sales will occur.  I never remember because her starting time is most inconvenient for me so I miss out very often.  Don't be like me!
http://www.gayannrogers.com/hearts-2015.html

http://gayannrogers.blogspot.com/2015/02/among-my-hearts-this-february-is.html

This year there will be four new heart designs (including the magnificent Imperial Emeralds Heart which is based on one of Catherine the Great's crowns), special antique awls, special scissors fobs and tool sets, etc.  There will be items for the Sweet Tooth box of stitching goodies, which is actually a repurposed See's Candy Valentine box that is used for stitching tools and supplies.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/catherine.html

If you have not seen her portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and the smaller portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick, you can see them here.  I don't believe these kits will be offered for sale again as GAR can't get the special tiny pearls and other beads used for them any more.  She says the Catherine the Great portrait will be much more opulent.  Hard to believe, right?
http://vimeo.com/31689238

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 10, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Jewels of the Romanovs and the GAR February Sale

Gay Ann Rogers normally does a sale of new small heart designs in early February and in preparation for that sale, she has started to post photos and PDF files with bits of history on her website.  For those who don't know, Mr. GAR is a historian who occasionally writes articles about various historical topics that GAR's latest pieces are based on.  Today (January 8) there is a photo of the materials for the Imperial Emeralds heart on her home page and a link to the first of a series of articles Mr. GAR wrote about Catherine the Great's jewels since for her, this year the is Year of the Romanovs.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/index.html

Mark your calendars to start keeping an eye on Gay Ann Rogers' website and the information posted there in the run-up to her small February sale.  She is designing a portrait of Catherine the Great similar to the Queen Elizabeth I portrait done several years ago.  That won't be available for sale until October.  You should note that these items are for sale once.  Then they may or may not be available again.  Start saving your pennies.  If you miss the sale, you may not have another chance at these except via eBay.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 8, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Blue Russian Has A Companion

Natasha and Ivan

Surprise! The Blue Russian has a companion piece!   Well, actually all the Russian Santas have companion designs.  Leigh Designs calls them The Winter Maidens.  There are eight Russian maidens, all the same size as the original Russian Santas (six inches on 18 count mono).  Leigh Designs just announced them on their website.  You can see all the new Winter Maiden designs here.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/ImgIdx01.html

The Snow Maiden has BLING

I stitched the Snow Maiden, who is the most like the Blue Russian Santa.  You can see her above, either by herself or paired with the finished photo of my Blue Russian.  Both models will be hanging out at the Leigh Designs booth at the January trade show for the shops to visit.  

My stitch guide for Snow Maiden will be available shortly.  Guides for Silver Bells (Pat Miller),  Pretty Poinsettia (Sandy Arthur) and Woodlane Belle (me)  are in the works and should be available by the January TNNA show.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 3, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Russian Santas: Another Carolyn Taggart Stitch Guide

Carolyn Taggart's Holly Hills Russian Santa

Carolyn Taggart has done it again--she has finished another Russian Santa from the Leigh Designs series.  On the left is Holly Hills Santa, complete with gorgeous background and bottom border!


Carolyn has also done stitch guides for the Forever Green, Little Angel, Birdland and Merry Mistletoe Santas from the same series.  All have different beautiful backgrounds and lovely bottom borders so if you stitch a set, they will coordinate.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp833x.html


For more information or to order one of Carolyn's stitch guides, contact her via her Facebook page.  Don't do Facebook?  No problem!  Leave a comment below with your email address or send it to me at chilly hollow at hotmaildotcom and I will forward your contact information on to Carolyn who will then email you.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 17, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Russian Santas: Mistletoe Green

Carolyn Taggart's Merry Mistletoe Santa

Carolyn Taggart has finished another wonderful Russian Santa. This one (above) is Leigh Designs' "Merry Mistletoe Santa."   I think this one's my favorite so far. I just love the background stitch, the bottom border and the fur trim of his hood. His wrapped sash is wonderful as well.  The stitch guide is now available from Carolyn, too!  You can contact her via her Facebook page.

Carolyn is starting work on the Holly Hills Santa next.  Stay tuned!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 29, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Russian Santas: Stitch Guide News!

Carolyn Taggart's Little Angel Santa

Fans of the Leigh Designs series of Russian Santas will be thrilled to hear more new stitch guides are available for these Christmasy Ivans.  Sandy Arthur's website now lists all the guides you can get directly from her:  The Birdland, Forever Green, Holly Hills, and Merry Mistletoe Santas.  Her website has some great photos of the finished models!
http://duodesignsinc.com/wpsite/stitch-guides-only

Vicky DeAngelis is working on her Holly Hills Santa.  She's been wrestling with just the right thread, but she's making progress despite being the busiest stitcher on the planet.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/what-i-learned-on-the-way-to-pull-threads/

http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/threads-threads-and-more-threads-2/

Carolyn Taggart has also been busy.  She just finished her version of the Little Angel Santa (seen above).  You can connect with Carolyn via her Facebook page to order.  If you aren't on Facebook, just send me an email at chilly hollow at hotmaildotcom and I'll pass your message along to Carolyn.

There's a Russian Santa for everyone, and guides for many of them.  Have fun choosing!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 28, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

I Worry About You Guys

I review Blog's statistics periodically,  looking at who my audience is and what they are interested in. Over the last 18 months or so there has been a shift in the country of origin of Blog visitors. While the bulk of Blog readers are in the USA, the China-Russia-Ukraine group is now the second most populous block of visitors, replacing the UK-Canada-Australia group which has dropped off dramatically. That's why I made sure to add a Translate button on Blog and the CH Stitch Guides blog, so that you can understand my rambling messages.

Given the political situation in Ukraine, I wanted the many Ukrainian and Russian visitors to know that regardless of where you stand politically, I am worrying about you guys.  Stay safe and take comfort in your needle in these uncertain times.  Your needlepoint friends in the US are praying for peace!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 12, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

More Russian Santas

Susan's Birdland Santa

Fans of the Leigh Designs Russian Santas should be smiling all over this morning as I have two more finished examples to show you. Above is the Birdland Santa.  This charmer was stitched by Susan M. using Brian Shaw's Steppe Stitch for a snowy ground under Santa's feet and Carolyn Taggart's idea for the golden brown robe.  Here is the diagram for Brian's Steppe Stitch once again.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2014/03/blue-russian-final-glimpse.html

Here is Carolyn's detailed description of her Birdland Santa, the basis for Susan's robe.  By the way, since Carolyn posted the information below, she has written a stitch guide due to popular demand--complete with nice stitch diagrams--for her version of Birdland Santa.  If you are interested, contact Carolyn Taggart via Facebook or let me know at chilly hollow at hotmaildotcom and I'll pass the message along to Carolyn.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2014/03/more-russian-santas-birdland-santa.html

The second Russian Santa I have to show you isn't actually a Santa.  It is the Russian Golden Maiden companion piece that is an exclusive at Enriched Stitch.  They are doing a Russian Santa club at the shop and talked Leigh into designing a lady to go along with all those Ivans.  This has been stitched by Becki Gebhart.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=777528838946344&set=gm.660242244052937&type=1&theater

If you want to purchase the canvas and guide of Golden Maiden, contact Enriched Stitch.  She is available without your having to join their Russian Santa club.
http://enrichedstitch.myshopify.com/products/golden-snow-maiden-exclusive

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 12, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Russian Santa Models, Straight from Market

Leigh's Russian Santa Models

Leigh Designs has posted photographs of the Russian Santas Sandy Arthur and I stitched on their website. These are the models who went to the trade show to tempt your shop to import Russian Santa canvases for your stitching pleasure. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Santa you wish to view.  I hope you enjoy seeing how they turned out! 
http://www.leighdesigns.com/SG-Home.html#8333

The finishing is by West Coast Finishing.  Each Santa has white fabric on the back side, similar bi-colored twisted cord around the edge and are shown on plastic easels which I believe are L-shaped so that one end is inserted through the bottom of the Santa.

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.

Top Secret: Introducing The Imari

Leigh Designs has announced their new series for the May TNNA show--the Imari!  You can read about them on the Leigh website, then click to see them all. 
http://www.leighdesigns.com

Basically, they are all 10 inches square on 18 count and based on traditional Imari porcelain patterns.  Each is a circle within a square, which allows for corners where you might use fancy stitches, place your initials or just work some restful basketweave in your favorite thread.  You can also just frame the circle alone and cover the corners with your mat or fabric for a pillow.

Above is my current favorite, the Timeless Tiger.  I love them all and I am stitching one.  No, I'm not telling you which one yet, but I'l drop a big hint tomorrow.

Those with sharp eyes will have seen two of the Imari framed at the Leigh table during last night's opening, courtesy of Amy Bunger who took this photo and posted it on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=780691411941838&set=a.780691068608539.1073741834.189965167681135&type=3&theater

Those with really sharp eyes will have noticed the three Russian Santas standing around.  My Blue Russian is on the right and Sandy Arthur's two Russian Santas are on the left.  West Coast Finishing made them up into standup figures using white fabric on the backs and similar bi-colored trims around their edges.  You can't tell but there is sparkly fabric under each canvas to add more shine.  When it comes to Christmas, you can't have too much shine or your stitching won't hold its own with all those lights.  Your shop can order the canvases and the guides for these handsome fellows when the trade show opens today.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 3, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

More Russian Santa News

Forever Green Russian Santa

Those of you who admired Carolyn Taggart's Forever Green Santa (above) from the Leigh Russian Santa series will now be able to pick up Carolyn's stitch guide for this beauty!  Carolyn has written a thirteen page guide full of diagrams with a full color photo of the finished design to help you understand what to do.  Each stitch suggestion has a terrific graph, there is a full photograph of the completed Santa, and a supply list of threads and other items Carolyn used.  Price of the PDF version is $20. Price of printed version sent by snail mail is $25 plus $8 extra for postage/shipping and handling.

To order, contact Carolyn Taggart through her Facebook page.  If you don't do Facebook, send me your email address and I'll message it to Carolyn via Facebook.  I am at chilly hollow at hotmaildotcom.
https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.taggart.5?fref=ts

By the way, Vicky DeAngelis is working on her Holly Hills Santa.  Here is the latest.  Those reds and golds are gorgeous!
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/leighs-red-russian-santa/

Becki at Enriched Stitch is working on her Golden Maiden, too.  Again, the colors are beautiful!
http://astheneedleturns.com/exclusive-golden-maiden-progress/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 19, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Patty's Blue Russian (and More)

Patty's Blue Russian Done!

This morning I have another wonderful finished Blue Russian to share, this time from Patty.   Her Blue Russian is special to me because Patty has to mail order her threads and she waited patiently while I got far enough in stitching my model so that she would only have to order threads once.  I appreciated that!   Patty's Russian Santa varies a little bit from mine in that his blue eyes were made from one cross stitch over one with a very light blue #4 Kreinik metallic and she used Brian’s Steppe Stitch to create the snow under his feet.  This gives him both a solid grounding and an intense expression.  He's now on the way to the finisher while Patty puts the Forever Green Russian Santa on her Evertites and starts thinking stitches and threads.

In other Russian Santa news, since the May 2014 issue of ANG's Needle Pointers magazine is in the mail, I can reveal that I wrote an article about choosing threads and stitches for painted canvases in this issue, using my Blue Russian as the example when I explained how I go about picking just the right stitch or thread.  I've already been asked if I will post the article here.  I think ANG won't allow that--although I will ask--since they want people to join the organization, but there is an article on how to stitch a painted canvas written by me several years back on their website and freely available already.  If you read through my public blog-stitching of Blue Russian here and read this, you will have a lot of information about how to tackle a painted canvas.
http://www.needlepoint.org/FAQ/phobia.php

Remember, you can always revisit my blog-stitching of Blue Russian by clicking on the tab above.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 17, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Russian Santas--Forever Green

Carolyn Taggart's Latest Russian Santa Finish

Carolyn Taggart ---who must never sleep!--- has finished another Russian Santa from the Leigh Designs series that came out last December. Here is Forever Green Santa!   Isn't he lovely?  I find the fur especially gorgeous. Carolyn says the fur on the cuffs and the edge of Santa's robe was made from 2 strands of Wisper mixed with one strand of silk for strength, worked in stem and outline stitches and then brushed to make it fuzzier.  The hat is five strands of silk worked in Jump Thru the Loop Turkey Work, then cut and trimmed and brushed.

How do you work Jump Thru The Loop Turkey Work, you ask?   Sheena James has very kindly allowed me to share her diagram of this stitch.  Make a long stitch up and down in the same hole, then a small anchoring stitch goes down in the same hole as the first long stitch.

Sheena's Diagram for Jump Through the Loop Turkey Work

Susan Flippin McPherson has finished her Blue Russian!  Here's what he looks like.

Susan's Northern Light Santa Finished

Don't you just love his expression?  Susan used Brian's Steppe Stitch to create snow around her Russian Santa's feet.  That is diagrammed here in case you've forgotten.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2014/03/blue-russian-final-glimpse.html

Great stitching, Carolyn and Susan!  Many thanks to you both and to Sheena for sharing your stitching and diagramming for our viewing pleasure.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 31, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: The Final Glimpse

Northern Light Santa Finished

This morning I have one final glimpse of my completed Blue Russian Santa for you before he disappears on his journey to the finisher.   In this photograph you can see how much sparkle is involved with his metallics, silks, beads and crystals.  Those of you who are shop owners can visit him in person at the May TNNA show at the Leigh Design booth.  By then he will be a stand up figure, courtesy of West Coast Finishing.

Kirstin's Santa has Snow

This isn't the last of the Russian Santas, though.  You guys may remember that Kirstin is creating her own background for her Blue Russian.  See the snowy ground under Santa's feet above?  That is Brian's Steppe Stitch, given to Kirstin by Brian Shaw, the manager of The Needlepointer in Everett, Washington.  Brian gave the stitch to Kirstin.

Susan's Blue Russian in the Snow

Kirstin passed the stitch along to Susan whose Santa is outside in the snow in daylight.

Carolyn's Santa in Grass

And Susan shared it with Carolyn whose Santa is outside in the spring grass with his bird friends.  Doesn't matter, Brian's Steppe Stitch does good grass, too!

A stitch that everyone finds just perfect is a stitch that deserves to be shared, so I asked Brian for permission to diagram and post Brian's Steppe Stitch here.  Brian gladly gave it because he is a really nice person.  He says to tell you it's a variation of Brick Stitch.

I diagrammed this stitch turned upright in vertical lines.   If you use it for snow or grass, turn your canvas on its side and stitch it that way for a smoother line.  When you turn your canvas back upright, you will have nice long horizontal stitches.  This is a trick I learned from Brenda Hart who says long horizontal stitches lay better if you turn your canvas to stitch them vertically.

Each stitch covers 8 threads except for the black stitches which are compensation stitches.  Each stitch is a back stitch, which means you come up far away from you and go down next to you.*  Work from right to left for the first row, starting with a red stitch.  The second red stitch is three lines up from the first.  The third red stitch is also three lines up above the second stitch, but the fourth stitch (in blue) is TWO LINES above the third stitch.  In other words, you don't always come up three threads higher.  This is a little tricky, but it offsets the row to make a pretty pattern.  Because these stitches are back stitches, Brian's Steppe Stitch will put a lot of thread on the back as well as the front so make sure you have enough thread to cover the area you are using this stitch in.

Once you do the first row and are sure it is counted correctly, then you just add rows of stitches over eight following the pattern, except where you don't have enough room and have to compensate.

Enjoy the diagram and the pictures.  I hope to have photographs of more finished Russian Santas for you as spring dawns and folks start to complete their Santa stitching.

Once again, many thanks to Kirstin, Susan, Carolyn and most especially Brian Shaw!

*If you are not familiar with back stitches, this will help.
http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/backstitch.html

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 20, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Oh My Gosh! More Blue Russian News! UPDATED

Gold Maiden

Look at that! There's a new Maiden companion to the Russian Santas set from Leigh Designs, exclusive to the Enriched Stitch which is doing a monthly club with four of the Russian Santas! 
http://astheneedleturns.com/exclusive-snow-maiden/

I want hair like that!

UPDATE:  Enriched Stitch has posted photographs of the two finished Russian Santas in their Leigh Designs club which they are about to ship to club members.  They call them The Ivans.  LOL
http://astheneedleturns.com/birdland-santa/

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.

More Russian Santas--Birdland Santa

I have a special treat this morning, courtesy of Carolyn Taggart who has been stitching another of the Russian Santa series from Leigh Designs.

Carolyn's Birdland Santa

Let me introduce Carolyn Taggart's Birdland Santa!  Luckily, Carolyn was happy to outline exactly what she did for us.  Please note Carolyn has one of the first runs of Birdland Santa.  Leigh has edited the design slightly so you may have a slight variation on the original compared to Carolyn's canvas.  Here is her description--

"Most of the threads came out of my "stash" so if I don't have a number, I will try to add a describe the color

Upper Background - 3 cards Silk Lame Braid for 18 count - SL17 - Double Hungarian stitch -Turn canvas on its side and work horizontal rows--when you return canvas to its upright position the pattern will be vertical.

Lower Background - 1 pkg Shimmer Ribbon Floss #148-37 Mint Green - This is a flat Stitch that Susan McPherson used on her Blue Russian Santa and she shared the count in the Blue Russian Group.   [ Note from Jane:  The background stitch was created by Brian Shaw of The Needlepointer for Kirstin Thompson who shared it with Susan who shared with Carolyn.  I will have a charted version for you shortly, courtesy of Brian Himself.]  There are 9 rows of stitches below the Santa, then I angled the pattern around the Santa to "ground" him on the grass.

Gold Robe - #8 Kreinik Gold-002J, Au Ver A Soie (AVAS) Silk Floss (from Soie de Alger) #2235 and Size 14 Sundance Beads #465--Double Trellis foundation, first horizontally --leave 2 canvas threads between each horizontal line and then vertically (leave 2 canvas threads between each line) in #8 002J. Then I tied down the foundation with 4 strands AVAS #2235 work 4-Way Continental over the intersections. I placed the gold bead in the opening using the "brick" method, sewing each bead twice to secure it.

Red & Gold Sash - AVAS 2532 & 3815 (but you could use the rest of 2235) plus #16 Kreinik 203 and 061. I made a Xerox copy of area.  Then using Main color AVAS 2532 Basketweave entire sash using AVAS 3815 or 2235 for darker areas--covering up red using 4 strands of silk. Then I couched the bright red areas with #16 Kreinik Braid 203 and used #16-061 to make the design over the darker silk areas. I strung Size 14 Sundance gold Beads at base of the sash--my fringe is long, but I note that the current canvas shows a shorter fringe or you could use your silk and make fringe using a Half-hitch knot for the silk fringe. I also had some Michelle Roberts' Red-Gold I Cording (by Benton and Johnson) which I placed above the beads."

[Note from Jane:  The tiny stiff metal twisted braid suitable for couching that Carolyn used is often referred to as British coloured twist.  You can see a sample in the link below.]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178864199/exquisite-benton-johnson-silver-gold?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=benton+and+johnson+coloured+twist&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

"Red and Black Undergarment - I used a Tomato Red Silk (AVAS) I had (no number) plus Splendor 801 (Black). The entire area is stitched with 4 strands in Basketweave. My canvas did not have any gold or green bead in the curlicue.  The current edition of the Birdland Santa canvas does.

Hat- Used same Tomato Red Silk used on undergarment for Hat--Used black Splendor #801 for design--Worked Basketweave. Placed 4 size 11 Sundance Gold #465 beads on top of hat, then added one size 11 Sundance Red Bead #11 on top and in the middle of these 4 gold beads for ornamentation on hat.

Blue Bird and  Cardinal - 2 shades blue silk for bluebird. red and black silk for Cardinal. I had some orange Flair which I used for the beaks. I placed a size 14 Black Bead on each bird for eye. Birds were stitched in Basketweave with 4 strands of thread.

Owl - Two Size 11 Black Beads, Yellow Accentuate, Dark Brown Silk--darker than silk you will stitch Santa'a fur trim in. I placed the eyes on first. stitching the bead in both directions. Then with 2 strands of Yellow Accentuate doubled through the needle, I stitched a small Jessica around the bead. I used the Dark Brown Silk (4 strands) and worked Encroaching Gobelin over 2 slanted TO THE LEFT. My owl had no black separating bird from fur--use your black Splendor 801 for this area.

Crozier - I used a softer color of gold here size #12 Kreinik 003. I padded the staff portion and then work Slanted Gobelin over 2 vertically. Using same Kreinik, I worked Buttonhole Stitch around the Face of the Crozier. The Landscape pattern was worked in Accentuate--2 strands double thru needle--all areas stitched in Basketweave. The top pointed area (where the Blue bird is sitting) I stitched with #8 002J in Four-Way Continental over one canvas thread.

Fur Areas - 2 cards Splendor 1104 and Wisper W-117

Hat- using 4 strands I did 2 rows of Basketweave at lower edge so that the Turkey Tufting would not cover up Santa's eyebrows. Then I made small loops using the "Jump thru the Loop" Turkey Work. Again, I used 4 strands of Silk. IF you want it to have a more "whispy" look, reduce silk to 3 strands and add I strand of Rainbow Gallery Wisper 117. I strongly suggest you wait to stitch this area until Upper Background has been completed. Cut, trim and brush fur.
Cuffs - I used 4 strands of Splendor 1104 and worked French Knots over each cuff area. Then I added an extra strand of Silk and used a #22 needle and scattered a second layer of French Knots over the cuff area to give area more depth and more definition.
Fur on lower part of Robe - I used one strand of Silk and one strand of Wisper W-117 and worked Stem Stitch, then I carefully brushed it to raise the nape to give it a more furry look.

Beard - Burmilana #3600 - 2 strands - Stem/Outline Stitch. I am not happy with Mustache. I am going to try to remove it and use 1 strand of 3600 and 1 strand of pale gray Burmilana, without destroying the beard--if that is not possible, it will stay as is and the rest of the Santas will have mustaches that are not as prominent.

Shoes - Splendor black #801 - pad vertically and horizontally, then work Vertical Satin Stitch using four strands.

Mittens - Splendor #801 - Read Jane Wood's section of the Russian Blue Santa dealing with the mittens so that you will understand how to make the mitten on the Crozier surrounds the area and make a thumb--these mittens are also padded numerous times before final satin stitch completes each mitten."

Thank you for sharing this fabulous Santa, Carolyn, and for writing a stitch guide for those who would love a Birdland Santa just like yours!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 12, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Finishing Up

I've been stitching background on Blue Russian this week, trying to get that finished so I can get him off to the finisher.  The final touch will be to stitch one row of tent stitches all around the outside edge to aid in finishing. You may or may not want to do this as different finishers and different styles of finishing have different requirements.  Always ask the finisher before you send off your masterpiece what their requirements are.

I started adding my tent stitch outline at the bottom under the border with a row of silver tent stitches.  It looked so nice and added so much to the border, that I decided to add that to the stitch guide.  I put in a second row of silver for finishing so that the first row will show a bit and add to the look of the border.  So if you are adding the snowflake border, make sure you add a row of silver tent stitches at the bottom.

The row of tent stitches finishes my Blue Russian stitching except for the background I must still complete.  I always look back when I finish a piece, trying to think what I would do differently or better.  I would really have liked to have had silver star sequins to scatter on the canvas (see photo below for my test of this idea) but I couldn't find the right size in the right color.  I could have created snowflakes out of beads but there are a lot of beads on the background already, which makes that much harder.  I abandoned this idea.

Testing Sequins

If I had it to stitch all over again, I might try stitching a flame outline in the lantern before covering the area with Water N Ice.  I also had the idea to create eyes with small Swarovski blue crystal sequins but I couldn't make that work with the Water N Ice I stitched his face with.  However, it might work nicely for another Santa with a silk tent stitched face.  Padding the top of his staff a lot might have made the ermine stitching easier but since I was blog-stitching this piece, I couldn't go back and change what I had done.   Otherwise I am pretty satisfied with how Blue Russian turned out.

I like doing unusual things on pieces, particularly since I am stitching this in public. (Yes, I'm a showoff!)  So using Water N Ice for the face, Or Nue' for the snowflake robe and glow-in-the-dark white Petite Silk Lame Braid in many parts of the design made me happy.  I have to credit 3 Kittens for the idea of a bottom border. I have not seen theirs yet but I thought it was a very nice touch when I heard they planned one.   Once I worked out how to space the snowflakes in an irregularly spaced area, I was very happy with the bottom border.  I probably would use 1/16 inch Kreinik silver ribbon for the silver parts of the bottom border next time.  The size 4 fine braid is a little too thin.

By the way, Vicky DeAngelis is working away on her Holly Hills Santa.  Keep an eye on her blog for more stitching fun with Russian Santas!
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/leighs-russian-santa/

Now I need to continue stitching background and outlining it with tent stitches.  See you next week when I should have a finished photo!

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 14, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

More Russian Santa Fun

I know you are sad that my blog stitching of Blue Russian is coming to an end.  All I really have to go is the background.  I'm just waiting on more thread to arrive to finish that and off he'll go to the finisher.  But not to worry! Vicky DeAngelis is going to blog-stitch another of Leigh Design's Russian Santas.  The fun will not end just yet.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/a-russian-santa-by-leigh/

Vicky choose the Holly Hills Santa.  You can see the rest of the series on the LD website.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp833x.html

Now if everyone will gathering their drinks and popcorn, let's all settle on the couch and watch Vicky bring Holly Hills to life!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 10, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blue Russian: Creating Ermine Out of Thin Air Part Two

Now that I knew that I was going to use the same two threads (Wisper and Petite Silk Lame Braid) to create the ermine collar and cloak trim on Blue Russian, it was time to choose stitches.  The choice was easy really, since I wanted to create the flow of those Neiman Marcus fox collars I showed you last week.
http://tinyurl.com/qahqm7w

The only way to create this look is to use stem stitches plus a little something extra.

Using the same white or gray Wisper (depending on the paint color) mixed with a strand of the white glow-in-the-dark Petite Silk Lame Braid, stem stitch the ermine collar, starting in the middle and working out toward each side. The stem stitches toward the middle of the collar will be longer, perhaps over 4-6 threads, but become shorter in length (perhaps over 2-3 threads) as you get to the edges of the collar. I started with the gray stitches (one strand gray Wisper with one strand of the white Petite Silk Lame Braid) and did the main gray lines first, then filled in later with white Wisper and Petite Silk Lame Braid.  Make the stem stitches bend to match the painted areas by positioning the needle on one side of the threads or the other. See photos to see what I mean.  Note that I didn't fill the middle of the collar with stem stitches.  There is a bare spot on both sides of the collar.

Position of Needle For Each Side of Collar

As you stitch, think about petting a dog or cat or perhaps a fur coat.  The stem stitches will flow in the same way you would pet fur to smooth it down. Leave the middle section of the collar bare (see photo below) or almost bare for now.  In the photos above, you will see how the needle is placed differently in relationship to the thread as the stem stitches are done.  This bends the thread in the direction you want it to go as you create curves with your stem stitches.   (Technically this positioning makes my stem stitches really outline stitches since the thread is above the needle in both cases, but we won't worry about that now.)

Collars Done Except for Centers

When you finish the collar (except for filling in the middle of the collar), work the edge of the robe, again matching the painted area. I found it easiest to work the gray areas first, then fill in with the white (one strand white Wisper paired with one strand of the white Petite Silk Lame Braid). Again, think about smoothing real fur. This isn’t a quick process but it is not difficult.. It may help you to see the general way I laid my stitches in the photos. Once you completely fill the ermine trim around the edges of the cloak with stem stitches, that area will be finished. The collar has another step to go.

The Ermine Cloak Trim is Finished

If stem stitching fur drives you nuts, don’t worry. You can replace stem stitches with Colonial knots using the same threads. Colonial knots are slighter larger than the French knots used on the wrist fur so it will look properly in scale. I’d rather you enjoy stitching your Santa than go nuts trying to replicate what I have done.

Now let's finish the ermine collar.

Smooth the stem stitches on the collar slightly with your finger or the eye of your needle to help you identify bare spots you need to fill in around the edges.  Do that first.  Leave the middle sections relatively bare still.

Step Two on the collar is really easy but it does require some patience. We are going to work the side of the collar next to Santa’s face first. The collar nearest the staff will be done last.

First, add a few stem stitches to the bare area in the middle of your ermine collar. Don’t pack the stem stitches in as tightly as you did the rest of the collar and for the cloak trim. You are just putting in a few background stitches before stitching the main event on top of them.  Use the white Petite Silk Lame Braid paired with either white or gray Wisper, depending on what color you want to predominate.

Once you have the collar center lightly stitched, it is time to add a few wigmaker’s knots to the middle of each side of the collar. You will start at the bottom edge and work your way toward Santa’s face, one stitch at a time. This photo shows the order in which I added wigmaker’s knots to the collar next to Santa’s face.  The arrows show the flow of the stitch with the dangling ends closest to the arrow.

Work Order for Each Collar Side

The wigmaker’s knot is really easy. It is how I was taught ages ago to make fringe for dollhouse rugs. I will describe it step-by-step in photographs below but you might like to see how Needle Works diagrams this stitch on their blog.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2013/09/share-a-stitch-sunday-september-22.html

First, cut a four inch length of white Wisper and a four inch length of white Petite Silk Lame Braid. Because these threads are wrapped around cards, the lengths may have kinks in them. It is important to get those out before doing the wigmaker’s knots, so dampen your Wisper. I usually get a white paper towel damp, then pull my threads across the surface of the wet towel. Set the threads aside to dry. This will remove the kinks in the Wisper but the kinks in the Petite Silk Lame Braid are very difficult to remove so make sure they are located in the middle and ends of your length of thread where they will be hidden or trimmed off.

You will be adding 3-5 wigmaker’s knots to Santa’s ermine collar, so if you like, you can cut 3-5 four inch long sections of each thread and dampen them all at the same time. Then when they are all dry and straight, you can start adding your wigmaker’s knots.

Pick up a length of Wisper and one of Petite silk Lame Braid and double them so the strand is now two inches long. Choose either gray or white Wisper depending on what color you want to predominate. Poke the four cut ends into the eye of your needle. I used a size 20 needle. The size doesn’t really matter but you do want a needle with an eye large enough to get all four ends through the needle eye without too much trouble.

Wigmaker's Knot One

The loop will be at the bottom where a knot normally is.

You will start at the bottom edge of the collar and work your way up toward Santa’s face, one wigmaker’s knot stitch at a time. The wigmaker’s knots go in the middle of the collar. Look at the black and white photo showing the work order of the wigmaker’s knots again.  Remember, we are going to work the side of the collar next to Santa’s face first. The collar nearest the staff will be done last.

Wigmaker's Knot Two

Plunge your needle down through the canvas.  Don’t pull the thread all the way through. Keep the loop on top, holding the loop with your finger if necessary. Come back up again from the back in a hole next to the hole where you went down and take your needle through the loop.

Wigmaker's Knot Three

Now pull the knot you created snug against the collar.

Wigmaker's Knot Four

This is the first wigmaker’s knot. Now carefully spread the four loose ends of the knot apart and decide where you want each to lay.

Wigmaker's Knot Five

Cut a length of white Wisper and thread it up in a smaller needle. I used a size 26 but you can pick whatever size you prefer that is small enough to slide through the stem stitches layer under the wigmaker’s knot. This thread will couch each of the four long lengths of your wigmaker’s knot into position so they won’t flop around. Come up in a hole and then go down in the same hole if possible to couch each loose end. Do this for all four ends of the wigmaker’s knot, then park the needle with the couching Wisper. You will need it again for the next wigmaker’s knot. Do not pull too tightly on your couching thread or position it too close to the end of the length where you plan to trim the wigmaker’s knot or it will curl up away from the surface of the canvas.

Wigmaker's Knot Six

I trimmed each knot to the length I wanted before adding the next wigmaker’s knot since I would be moving higher up on the collar to overlap the previous knot. Better to get everything done to one wigmaker’s knot before you move up to the next. Once you are happy with the left side of the collar (the one nearest Santa’s face), stroke the couched and trimmed wigmaker’s knots carefully with your finger, checking to make sure you don’t have a bare spot or a loose end.  I ended up using four wigmaker's knots but you may only need three or want five.  This is a personal choice.

Now it is time to work the side of the collar next to the staff. You will not be able to insert as many wigmaker’s knots on the staff side of the collar or the staff will disappear.  Instead, use one wigmaker’s knot, created from two lengths of Wisper instead of one strand of Wisper and one strand of Petite Silk Lame Braid.

Look at the black and white work order and knot placement photo again.  I came up at A to place my knot, then took all four loose ends down at B and secured them loosely on the back side instead of couching them. This gives you the feathery look of the other side of the collar without the danger of covering up the silver staff. Smooth the collar with your finger again, looking for missed spots.

The wigmaker’s knots are a subtle touch, so you may omit them if you just want to use stem stitches, but I feel they really add to the look of the ermine collar.  I did not use them on the edges of the cloak, just the collar.

The next posting about Blue Russian will show the finished background (I hope) and sum up the project and what I learned from it.

Questions? Email me at chillyhollow @ hotmail.com and I'll get back to you by the next day.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 3, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.