Magic Hat Mystery Class (Meredith Included) UPDATED

M's Canvashouse is teaming up with Share One's Ideas on an exclusive Halloween canvas to be stitched as a mystery class.  The Mystery Magic Hat Class design has five different witch hats in a row, each different and unique.  The class starts in May with a new lesson shipped out every six weeks or so plus messages from Meredith Willet (the M in M's Canvashouse) who is creating this mystery experience for you.  Alas, there is no photograph on their website but if you email the shops, I bet they will send you one to see the starting point.
http://www.mscanvashouse.com/index.html

UPDATE:  More about the class.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/the-magic-is-in-the-hat/

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

Peeking through Chaparral's Windows

Stephanie has been on a quick road trip and managed to visit Chaparral in Houston with her camera. Her snaps are better than the ones your friends are trying to show you of the Grand Canyon, trust me!
http://stephsstitching.blogspot.com/2013/10/road-trip-with-side-trip.html

http://stephsstitching.blogspot.com/2013/10/more-of-chaparral-in-houston.html

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.

More Fabulous Finishing

Thought you'd like to see a fabulous Halloween stand up all finished and ready for October. Check out them feet! (The pillow back isn't bad either.)  This is Broom Parking from Ruth Schmuff's mystery class of that name last year.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/06/broom-parking-another-finish.html

Linda has three Collection of Designs Fabrege style eggs back from the finisher.  These are from a monthly club designed by Nancy Laux of Needle House.
http://nystitchingsisters.blogspot.com/2013/06/eggs-are-back.html

Ridgewood is showing off customer stitching.  Each piece has something wonderful.
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2013/06/blog-post_10.html

Finally, Ada Hayden of Eye Candy is taking a nostalgic trip with her models.  Each piece is finished differently but they are all charming, aren't they?
http://eyecandyneedleart.blogspot.com/2013/06/homecoming.html

I love good finishing, don't you?  Hope this gives you some ideas for your next project.

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.

Seasonal News

The crazy holiday season is upon us.  Kelly Clark has been working hard on getting her catalogue ready for the TNNA show after the holidays.  The photographs of finished designs are wonderful!
http://kellyclarkneedlepointhandbook.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-glimpse-of-autumn.html

Ruth Schmuff has finished her latest mystery class, one with a Halloween theme.  To see what she changed, check out the original design in the second link below.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/11/big-dramatic-finish.html

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/05/broom-parking.html

By the way, here is the canvas Ruth will use in her next mystery class--a Zecca snowman!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/11/are-you-ready-for-snow.html

Michele has finished her latest Christmas stocking and shares the ideas she used to make sure this small stocking lasts and lasts until its owner is grown, and to make the details special.
http://bristlythistle.blogspot.com/2012/10/not-all-stockings-should-be-huge-and.html

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

No Parking Violations Here

If you are a fascinated bystander of Ruth Schmuff's mystery classes for her shop, you are going to have to rush over to her website to see the canvas she's chosen for the fall class which is just starting.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/09/broom-parking.html

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/10/and-now-word-from-our-sponsors.html

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/03/sometimes-i-change-direction.html

The rumor mill says there is a frog needle magnet for this class but the rumor mill didn't mention the very cool custom snap tray for the class!  I don't use snap trays here in CH (they collect dog hair to an amazing degree at my house and I never travel) but even I am tempted by this one, not to mention the class....
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/09/oops.html

There are all sorts of matching accessories if you are stitching this canvas or just like Halloweeny stuff.
http://fobfriends.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-halloween-fobs.html

By the way, here is the Share One's Ideas site if you want to do a little browsing.  Just be sure you are not in a No Parking Zone!
http://www.shareonesideas.com/gallery.html

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

Look at Kelly and Ruth! (and Vicky)

The Internet has allowed us all to peek over the shoulders of some fabulous designers and teachers as they work on class projects to tempt and delight us.  If you come over here and look through this link, you'll see Kelly Clark's latest stitching progress on two of the Thanksgiving canvases (Indian Brave and Pilgrim Gent) she is stitching as a class project for Needle Works of Austin, Texas.  The beaded moccasins and the rifle are inspired!
http://kellyclarkneedlepointhandbook.blogspot.com/2012/05/pilgrim-gent-indian-brave.html

http://kellyclarkneedlepointhandbook.blogspot.com/2012/06/kelly-goes-stumpwork-crazy.html

There's nothing Kelly doesn't know about dimensional touches on needlepoint canvas.  If you are charmed and want to know how to join Kelly's Elegant Thanksgiving class, talk to Needle Works in Austin.

http://theneedleworks.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=6624

If you are more a Halloween Whimsical person than an Elegant Thanksgiving one, check out the mystery class Ruth Schmuff has just announced for this fall.  This is from the same Share One's Ideas Design's witch shoe series as the very popular "It's All About the Shoes" piece that both Needlenook of La Jolla and M's Canvashouse have done classes on.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/05/broom-parking.html

If frogs make your skin crawl, here are the two class projects using "It's All About the Shoes" in alphabetical order.
http://www.mscanvashouse.com/

http://www.needlenook.com/needle-nook-university/

If elegance is your thing, look at Ruth's pear collage mystery class which she just finished.

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/06/pear-collage-finale.html

By the way, Vicky's working away on her Cats Night Out by SharonG.  It's fun to watch this wonderful canvas unfold and to read why Vicky chooses the stitches she does  There will be a stitch guide--eventually!
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/05/31/cats-night-out-4/


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

A New Look for Needlenook of La Jolla

Needlenook of La Jolla has changed the look of their website.  The first thing I noticed is the new cyberclass "It's All About the Shoes" by David McCaskill.  The class is unique because of all the video demonstrations.  Two videos are up to introduce the class and the on-camera participants and to show what the instructional videos are like.  Class starts May 1, although you can join at any point during the life of the class.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/

There is also a video library that currently has David demonstrating how to use a laying tool in two videos.  "Strip, stroke and lay."  If you have questions you'd like David to answer, his email address is on this page above the videos.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/videos/index.html

If you are charmed by the Witch Shoes canvas, you may wish to explore the designer's website.
http://www.shareonesideas.com/gallery.html

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

Floral Trim for The Rabbit

Last night I added a bit more basketweave around the Golden Rabbit's wings, then started on the two trims at the edges of her over- and underskirts. Four colors are used n the original design but I decided to use the copper Kreinik for two of them. The ivory Silk Lame Braid is what I used for the flower shapes made of tent and reversed tent stitches. I have no idea what I'll do next but probably it'll involve more basketweave marathon while I think about it. Beads go in the center of the ivory flowers but I might use the little gold beads in her necklace instead of the larger pale copper beads. I don't want to cover up the flowers with a big fat bead in the middle.

Stay tuned.....

In other news, Stitch Niche is posting photos of new canvases daily as they arrive from their Dallas show orders. You can see them here. The second link is their shop newsletter, full of photos of projects finished and underway as usual.
http://www.needlepointyaya.com/website/new/may/mayindex.htm

http://www.needlepointyaya.com/newsletter/may/maynews.htm

Needle Works in Austin is also posting new items. I was particularly interested in SharonG's new half nature/half meditation pieces and in the bird stockings from Share One's Ideas. To see everything from these two designers, click on their name in the left hand column. Don't miss SharonG's Twin Beaks. The pun makes me laugh and the abstract birds would be fabulous stitched in silks and metallic fancy stitches.
Somebody call Marnie Ritter--have I got a painted canvas for her!
http://www.theneedleworks.com/catalog/

In designer news, Lani's updated her website. It's not quite done but you'll enjoy seeing the lovely slide show of finished pieces and the bare naked painted canvases are a treat!
http://www.lanienterprises.com/indexa.html

My final posting is really special. You may know that Kimberly Crum (now Kim Smith) has stopped created charts. I think her pieces are fabulous so I was really sorry when all the work got to be more than she wanted to take on. But we can take heart that occasionally, very occasionally, she creates painted canvases. The newest one is up on her blog. I don't know the size, cost, if a stitch guide comes with it, or any of the details, but the design itself is vintage Kimberly--floral and rthymic and nature in motion. Lovely! I was especially charmed by the large leaf and how the background is denser at the top and then fades towards the bottom. Thank heavens Kimberly gets inspired occasionally!
http://akimberlydesign.blogspot.com/2009/05/swooosh.html

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