Shapes IV: A Mini Review

Yesterday I had to take the car in for an oil change so I took my copy of Shapes of Needlepoint  Series IV:  Diagonals Verticals Horizontals by Sandy Arthur to amuse myself while I waited. WOW! I read it cover to cover for the first time, admiring the gray scale diagrams and looking carefully at the stitches as I mentally try to find something good for my next project.
http://networkedblogs.com/OPVam

As you know, this is the fourth in Sandy's series of Shape books, all of which categorize stitches by their general shape and then arranges them in the books by their width and height.  This makes it very easy to find a stitch that will fit in an area on your canvas.

The thing I enjoyed most in this book, besides the diagrams which I admire greatly, was seeing vertical, horizontal and diagonal versions of the same stitch. You don't see that in most books and it is something that I will find invaluable when I do repeats of the same stitch oriented differently. The book is worth the admission price for that alone if you are constantly stitching and making it up as you go along.  I don't generally count threads when I am looking for a stitch to put in a space, and I should get into that habit. Sandy's books make it a lot easier to solve stitch problems because they are set up that way.

I loved the book. Now that I have actually sat down with it and become familiar with what it covers, I will probably refer to it at least once per project. 

If you are not familiar with Sandy's books, some of which are available as apps in the iTunes store, check out her website.  Right now she has a special if you buy all four books at once.
http://duodesignsinc.com/wpsite/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 25, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sue Goes to Woodlawn UPDATED

I thought folks would like to read about Sue's trip to Woodlawn. Sounds like she had a blast. 
http://blog.njneedleartists.org/2014/03/10/woodlawn-needlework-exhibit-2014/

Here are photos of some of the pieces Sue mention, in the order which she talked about them.  First, Ro Pace's Atlantis Rising.
http://lizartblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/atlantis-rising-finished.html

I don't know which blue Nancy Cucci piece she saw, but these are typical of Nancy's teaching pieces.
http://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2013/06/irrisistible-iridescents.html

Kurdy Biggs is a counted canvaswork designer under the Threedles name.  Again, I don't know specifically which designs Sue saw stitched.  Thanks to The Threedles Fairy, I know which pieces Kurdy Biggs exhibited--The Butterfly Effect in the Midnight color way...
http://www.threedles.com/06012011/2014/ButterflyEffect/ButterflyEffect.html

Triple Crown in the Preakness colors, and ...
http://www.threedles.com/06012011/2013/2013Designs.html#TripleCrown

Hexefoos in the Strasburg colors  - Thanks for the help, Fairy!
http://www.threedles.com/06012011/2013/2013Designs.html#Hexefoos

Here is Melita's Crescent River, an original design.  Use the search feature to watch this being stitched on Melita's blog.
http://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/crescent-river-floating-down-to-woodland/

I don't know which Rita Hayworth canvas Sue saw but it might have looked something like Sandy Arthur's version of a Leigh Designs canvas from Leigh's "Femme Fatale" series.
UPDATE:  Yes, this is the canvas that Sue admired.  I didn't think to ask if she used the stitch guide.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Mdl5042.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.

Shapes of Needlepoint 3: Corners, Diagonals, Horizontals and Verticals

Sandy Arthur has posted on her Facebook page that her third book, Shapes of Needlepoint 3: Corners, Diagonals, Horizontals and Verticals, is off to the printer. It should be released next year sometime.


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

Book Review: Shapes of Needlepoint Series One (Circles, Squares, Triangles, Rectangles)

Shapes of Needlepoint:  Series 1

Sandra Arthur's new book, Shapes of Needlepoint, has been a big hit.  All you have to do is read about Marianne's attempts to keep it in stock in her online store and you know how folks are thirsty for stitches organized in a way in which they find the shape they need for their painted canvas easily.
http://www.newneedlepoint.com/content-product_info/product_id-2619/shapes_of_needlepoint_series_1_by_sandra_arthur.html

Recently a friend sent me a copy so I thought I'd do a review so you can see whether you need to join the stampede to get your own copy.  Marianne covers the basics above very well but I have taken a photograph at random to give you another inner page to look at.

This book is just what Marianne describes:  a book of diagrammed stitches organized into shapes.  Each section has its own table of contents with the stitches described in terms of how much space they cover.  In other words, there are Circles - 4x4, Circles 5X5, Circles 6x6, etc.  After the four tables of contents (one for each shape covered in the book) there is an Index By Thread Count that lists all the 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, etc. stitches diagrammed in the book.

The diagrams are very clear.  They are done in shades of gray but occasionally an important area will be highlighted in red.  Stitches are usually, but not always, numbered to show the sequence your needle and thread follow to make the stitch.  In a very few instances there are colored photographs of stitched examples.  A great many of the stitches diagrammed are "string art" type stitches that counted canvaswork geniuses like Jean Hilton use in their designs.  This makes the book not something a stitcher new to needlepoint will need but it is useful for both the painted canvas and the charted design crowd.

I have to admit I probably would not have bought this book as I am used to analyzing the sort of space I want to fill and flipping through my stitch books looking for what I want.  If you aren't good at analyzing your unstitched canvases, this is going to be a useful series.  But it won't tell you which stitch to choose for your design, just what will fit into the space you have unstitched.  Picking just the right stitch is still going to be up to you.

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