Ho Ho Ho (Toni Gerdes) UPDATED

Brenda's Needlepoint Studio jut finished "Ho Ho Ho," a fun project from Toni Gerdes did with the Shining Needle Society.

https://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2025/11/ho-ho-ho-111025.html

You can get the stitchable buttons from Toni herself.

https://tonigerdes.com/merchandise_for_sale

UPDATE:  The Sun City Stitcher is also working on Ho Ho Ho.

https://www.suncitystitcher.com/2026/02/catching-up.html

https://www.suncitystitcher.com/2026/06/ho-ho-ho-finished.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright November 11, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Shimmering Shore (Patricia Hartman)

The Sun City Stitcher signed up for a Patricia Hartman online class from the Shining Needle Society.  It's a very pretty geometric called "Shimmering Shore."

https://www.suncitystitcher.com/2025/09/shimmering-shore.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright September 22, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Two Kimono Classes from Tony Gerdes

If you haven't heard, The Shining Needle Society is offering two Toni Gerdes classes in 2021.   Here's all the information on how to sign up.  

https://www.dropbox.com/s/omycj9dixuolt8v/SNS%20The%20MacIntosh%20Kimono%20with%20Toni%20%20Gerdes.pdf?dl=0

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright December 26, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Fourth Queen UPDATED

Gay Ann Rogers' next sale is today! And it's going to include The Fourth Queen.
http://www.gayannrogers.com

The fourth queen, you say?  Gay Ann has created portraits of three queens so far.  That's Elizabeth I on the left, Catherine the Great in the middle, and Eleanor of Aquitaine on the right.
https://www.facebook.com/860462527326471/photos/a.860475930658464.1073741827.860462527326471/1815049158534465/?type=3&theater

These are all sold as kits with the canvas, beads and threads, so they are rather pricey and Gay Ann is not planning to sell any of these Queens ever again.  Gay Ann says the sale will end August 24 or when she runs out of kits.  So if you are a fan, don't tarry.

By the way, Fiber Talk will interview Gay Ann Rogers on Sunday, August 12 about the Last Queen (who is Queen Victoria) and more.
http://wetalkfiber.com/2018/08/12/fiber-talk-with-gay-ann-rogers-ii/

UPDATE:  Shining Needle Society is going to do a stitch-along with Gay Ann for those who buy the Fourth Queen kit.  Details will be in the kit if you purchase one.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 21, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Insight into Eleanor of Aquitaine

Kreinik has interviewed Gay Ann Rogers about her latest design, Eleanor of Aquitaine, for their blog.   It's an interesting read as Gay Ann talks about faces, her use of Kreinik to build up layers around gems, and more.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2017/05/new-eleanor-of-aquitaine-needlepoint.html

This kit is on sale until Gay Ann runs out of supplies, so if you are interested, visit her website.  You may also enjoy clicking on the Eleanor tab to read a bit about the inspiration behind this design.
http://www.gayannrogers.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 2, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Janet Zigler Casey Santas on Sale

Shining Needle Society has put Janet Zigler Casey Santas on sale. These are class pieces and are done on line drawn canvases.  Take advantage of this opportunity to add to your collection--or to start one!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46618682/Janet%20Santas%20Catchup%20Sale.pdf

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 8, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Colorful Puffins Online

Registration is open today through July 1 for the cyberclass "Miss Puff A Very Colorful Puffin." This is taught by Carole Lake and Michael Boren via the Shining Needle Society, using a stitch painted canvas from Pajamas and Chocolate. All the details are below, with plenty of pictures of the finished piece, including the limited edition self-finishing tote bag created to match the canvas.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46618682/SNS-Miss%20Puff-2015.pdf 

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

Dorothy Lesher Alert (Shining Needle Society)

The Shining Needle Society has announced that Dorothy Lesher will teach two small dragons for their online stitching program. You can see the two small dragons and read the class information here.  Just remember that you can register for Dorothy's class until March 31st.  After that, you've missed out!  Mark your calendars, ok?  Dorothy's class pieces are always popular and not available unless you take her class except occasionally on eBay.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46618682/SNS_Fire_and_Ice_Announcement2015.pdf

The class is offered through a Yahoo Group called Shining Needle Society (SNS).  They offer many, many classes and signing up as a member is free.  You will automatically get any new cyberclass information and Kate who runs SNS is always helpful if you are computer challenged.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SNS_Home_Room/info

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

File This Under "Learn Something New Every Day"

Brenda is taking Judy Soulitis' cyber class "Asian Journey"which I've always liked.   (This is available through Shining Needle Society, second link.)
http://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2014/03/asian-journey.html

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SNS_Home_Room/info

What's news to me is that there is an alternative version of this design.  AND IT IS GORGEOUS!  I like it even more than the original.  Now might be a good time to revisit Judy's website and do a little browsing....
http://judysouliotis.com/Judys_Needlework/Sale_Items_details.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.

Callaway Eye Candy

Here's one of the Callaway School of Needle Arts award winners.  Hope you can see this lovely piece of stump work!  Use the right arrow to see a closeup.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203259134305662&set=pcb.10203259138385764&type=1&theater

Here's another, stitched by Marty Lawrence.  This also won a Judges's Choice ribbon and is a color variant of StitchPlay's "Shady Colors."
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=532019773506741&set=a.532019753506743.1073741827.100000961681919&type=1&theater

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.

New Design and New Colorways

Kathy shows off several new color combinations of her counted canvas work designs plus shows us her very newest pattern--"Stained Glass Stars."  I don't know about you, but these wonderful colors cheer me in the depths of winter. Thanks, Kathy!
http://needledelightsoriginals.blogspot.com/2014/01/colorand-more-color.html

Don't miss the information about her Shining Needle Society class at the bottom of the article as the sign up deadline is near.

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.

Back to School! UPDATED

If it's Labor Day, everyone is going back to school.  If you are a needlepointer, you too can go to school, regardless of your age.   Enriched Stitch in Connecticut is having a retreat in October to work on their Summer at the Shore piece, exclusive to them from Ewe and Eye.  There's even a custom lighthouse magnet from Accoutrement Designs!  To see the magic Suzie has created along the New England beaches, go here.
http://astheneedleturns.com/im-back-2/

If a warm beach instead of the wind-swept ones off the New England coast is more your thing, check out Absolutely Needlepoint's class on Melissa Shirley's compote bowl filled with shells.  Based on Laura Taylor's stitch guide, Holly Crook has gone nuts with interesting embellishments to remember your Florida vacation by.  This class is going to be held in 2014 in Miami, so mark your calendar now.
http://absolutelyneedlepoint.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/upcoming-class/

Of course not everyone can travel to a shop when there is none close by, but luckily there are notebook classes!  Donna shows off three she is taking to learn more and improve her own stitching.    Taking cyberclasses is wonderful but so is taking a class that your local chapter of EGA or ANG has set up.  The second link is to a class that the San Diego chapter of ANG is offering in October from Margaret Bendig.
http://majtravaux.blogspot.com/2013/08/notebook-classes.html

http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/im-in-love-yet-again/

UPDATE:  I have two more fabulous classes for you, just posted about today.  First up is SharonG's embellishment class and her painting class at Nimble Needle.  "No throwing paint on the teacher" says SharonG.  LOL
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2013/09/classes-with-sharon-g-embellishment-and.html

Second, Enriched Stitch has invited Barbara Elmore to visit.  Take a look at her amazing work!
http://astheneedleturns.com/barbara-elmore-is-coming-to-town/

Celebrate Labor Day--learn something!

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.

Counted Inchies at Shining Needle Society

Needle Delights just posted a photo of the finished "Inchies" design that will be taught at Shining Needle Society plus the four colorways students can choose from.   The piece is a sampler made up of squares of pattern.
http://needledelightsoriginals.blogspot.com/2013/07/inchies-is-finished.html

If you aren't familiar with Shining Needle Society, it is an organization that sets up cyberclasses throughout the year and emails folks on its mailing list as each class comes available.  To get on the mailing list, you just find "Shining Needle Society" on Yahoo Groups and ask to join.
http://groups.yahoo.com

A search brings up a bunch of SNS groups.  There is one for each class.  The group you want to ask to join is Shining Needle Society Home Room.  This is the place where you will hear about new classes as they become available.  You'll get periodic emails (one a week at most) about classes with all the details and a reminder when the sign up deadline is approaching.  Once you see a class you want to take, follow the instructions in the message about that class and your email address will be added to the Yahoo Group for that class where you can ask questions, get detailed instructions and hang out with your fellow students.  It's stitching classes for those who don't live in a place where such classes are available or who can't get to them for whatever reason.
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=shining%20needle%20society

If you have questions about the Inchies class or about Shining Needle Society in general, contact Kate Gaunt at KateGaunt@aol.com for help.

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.

Father Frost Class

The newest Shining Needle Society class is a beauty--Carole Lake's Father Frost. The original Father Frost was icy blue, but her parter in crime, uh, teaching has chosen four other colorways so you can deviate from the original if you so choose.  Here is the class information, and ...
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/46618682/SNSAnnouncement_for_FatherFrost.pdf

...here are the photos of all the Fathers.
http://stitchplay.com

I don't envy those who are taking the class and have to choose what color to go with!

P.S.  If you need a needle magnet for your Father Frost piece, how about one of the new Fob Friends snowflakes?
http://fobfriends.blogspot.com/2013/01/snowflake-update.html

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

Her Royal Highness Comes to Life UPDATED

Mary Ruth Erica just posted a progress report on her Queen Elizabeth I piece she is stitching through a Shining Needle Society cyberclass with Gay Ann Rogers.  Doesn't this look great?!
http://stitchinginnc.blogspot.com/2012/08/work-in-progress-wednesday.html

You can see other versions of the First Elizabeth, some finished and some underway, on Gay Ann Rogers' website.  Don't miss the additional photos on the second page.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/elizabeth-exhibition.html

UPDATE:  Here is more about the class, along with another student's progress.
http://hokkaidokudasai.blogspot.com/2012/09/about-queen.html

Sorry, Mary Ruth and Erica!  I mixed you up in the rush to publish!

Jane, hanging her head in shame in CH (sigh)

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

Carole Plus Michael Equals Fun UPDATED

I've been watching with interest the new partnership between Michael Boren and Carole Lake as StitchPlay Designs. They are starting to team teach some wonderful designs, especially for Shining Needle Society. How about Daphne Reborn?
http://stitchinginsuburbia.blogspot.com/2012/05/busy-may.html

Here's what they plan for Callaway.
http://www.callawaygardens.com/info/gardens/events/needlearts-course-descriptions.aspx

Want to learn more about these two?  I know from personal experience that Carole's the funniest person on earth and Michael's the nicest (plus, he's a fellow Threadaholic).
http://www.caron-net.com/12mardesigner.html

They are wildly talented, too.  Here are their individual websites, followed by the StitchPlay site where you can see what they are up to as a team.
http://www.carolelake.com/

Don't forget to follow the link to the Essential Tremor Foundation to read more about Carole's and Michael's fundraising for the organization.
http://www.shenandoahstitcherydesigns.com/

http://www.stitchplay.com/

UPDATE:   Vanessa just posted a photograph of her Carole Lake St. Basil's piece.  Fabulous!
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2012/05/it-is-here-and-it-is-done_31.html


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

Gay Ann Alert

If you are a fan of Gay Ann Rogers' designs, she is offering a new geometric briefly on her website. Gay Ann Rogers does very feminine, delicate pieces that she sells occasionally. You won't be able to buy this new piece called Summer Solstice for long so act fast.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/site_2/Summer_Solstice.html

There is going to be a Shining Needle Society classroom for stitching this piece since it is meant to be done in various colors and with or without various aspects of the design.  Gay Ann hopes that the experience of being with others experimenting with their Summer Solstices will help all the stitchers become more flexible in making design choices.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/site_2/Stitchalong.html


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

Evolution of The Maggie Lane Kimono

Any needlepointer over forty has probably seen the Maggie Lane kimono booklet, which took Maggie Lane's outline and put different stitches in each section to create an Asian style sampler.  The booklet for this piece used all ecru threads but John Waddell has taken the piece and moved it into the 21st Century with a variety of colorways and new threads that weren't available when Maggie was alive or even when the booklet that used her outline was published.  (Note that there is a smaller version of the Ietje Jackovich Kimono.  I've seen this booklet although I can't find a copy online at the moment, so if your copy seems different than the photos, that's why.)
http://juststring.blogspot.com/2011/11/kimono-revisited.html

John taught this class at Chaparral several years ago but those photos are no longer on the website since the class is long over and the shop has changed hands.  Still, you can see quite a few colorways and thread collections on the SHS website.  Just follow the links in the article above to sign up.


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

The Snowbird (with Magi)

Now that the trauma of snow before Halloween has receded a bit, I can send Blog readers over to see a finished Dorothy Lesher class piece called Snowbird. It's GORGEOUS! First, Pat has posted a finished photo.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2011/10/viola-fini.html

Then she posted closeups of the sections. The metallics and beads and the shine of the silks don't photograph well, so you can imagine how great this is going to be when it is framed.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-closeups.html

By coincidence, Just String is posting photographs of Dorothy's The Magi as she works it.  This particular entry is very interesting because Dorothy told her students to use ink to create a shadow on the Ultrasuede.  Fascinating tip!  If you want to see more, click on the Just String title and read the postings on the first and the previous page that show her progress creating this piece.
http://juststring.blogspot.com/2011/11/ink-unusual-embellishment.html

Sadly, Dorothy doesn't have a website but if you look for ANG and EGA Seminar classes she's taught or check what she plans to teach at Callaway or at the Shining Needle Society, you might be able to find a class you can take from her.

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

The Birthday Girl Treats Us

Hey, it's Carole Lake's birthday!  Happy birthday, Carole!!!!  Hope Ann doesn't eat all the cake and ice cream.
http://stitchingfoolishness.blogspot.com/2011/09/happy-birthday-carole-lake.html

The best news for us bystanders is that Carole's doing a third Anasazi design.  Have you seen them?  First there was Anasazi Song.  It's in my stash, all kitted up and ready to go when I have time. I'm saving it for a special treat for myself.
http://www.carolelake.com/TeachingPieces/Anasazi.htm

Then there was Anasazi Dream.
http://www.carolelake.com/TeachingPieces/AnasaziDream.html

Ann tells us the third will be Anasazi Spirit.  Hurrah!  What a way to celebrate Carole!

If you want to get in on the fun, you can pick up the first two kits from Carole's website.  Or go in with your local chapter and bring Carole in to teach one or both.  While you are at Carole's website, don't miss her Favorite Stitches.  There are some great ones diagrammed there.
http://www.carolelake.com/CyberClasses/disccyber.html

Happy Birthday!  Thanks for being so much fun, so talented and such a wonderful teacher who shares it all happily.

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