Creating a Hat Using Mini Sparkles for Padding (The Movie)

BeStitched's latest video tutorial shows you how to make a padded hat using Mini Sparkles for padding. Sparkles and Mini Sparkles —which are the same tubular mesh as regular Sparkles but smaller in diameter— are distributed by Sundance Needlepoint.  I never would have thought to use either thread as a padding under a hat!  Very clever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFyJM_vnqaA

If you aren't familiar with Sparkles in either size, here are the colors and two sizes.  There is also something called Matte Sparkles now, which doesn't have a metallic woven in.
https://myneedlepoint.com/fiber/sale.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright December 10, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

All About the New Ribbons at Market

I've been eagerly awaiting reports on the new ribbons that Barbara Elmore and Sundance released at the Winter Market.  And here it is--from Barbara herself!  They are called Stitchy and Glitzy Ribbons.  Barbara even has included a brief tutorial on how to use these on needlepoint canvas.  That bluebird is to die for!
http://stitchpography.blogspot.com/2014/01/see-whats-new.html

Sundance has also introduced a smaller diameter Sparkles, the tubular mesh that is perfect for special effects. It's called Mini Sparkles.  Here is a video about Sparkles, the regular size, but the smaller size is used the same way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn5ftSl_DxE

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.

Sparkles Seminar

Vicky just attended a class sponsored by a local ANG guild on using Sparkles, the stiff tubular material that Sundance introduced recently. It was taught by Cassie Prescott, one of the Sundance founders, and Barbara Elmore whose designs are distributed by Sundance.  There are a great many effects you can achieve using Sparkles and Vicky practiced them all.  Enjoy the photos and look for a Sparkles Seminar taught by Barbara at a shop near you.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/it-was-a-sparkly-kinda-day/

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.

Doing Anything in May?

Vicky DeAngelis just announced a class in La Jolla, CA with Barbara Elmore on how to use Sparkles, the stiff tubular material from Sundance Designs.  The class is being sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of ANG.  You can see all the details on Vicky's blog and on the SDANG website.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-sparkles/

http://sdang.org/workshops/index1.htm

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.

Kelly's Stumpwork Koi UPDATED

Kelly Clark shows how to make a dimensional goldfish on her blog.  It is a lot easier than I'd imagined!
http://kellyclarkneedlepointhandbook.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-koi-and-turkey-preview.html

I think maybe we can give Kelly the Genius Award for this week, don't you?

UPDATE:  Kelly finished her stumpwork sampler.  Here's how it turned out.
http://kellyclarkneedlepointhandbook.blogspot.com/2014/03/stumpwork-sampler-finished.html

By the way, there is a smaller stumpwork sampler that Kelly worked and sold with a stitch guide to help you create it on your own.   It uses some of the same elements of the larger sampler.
http://kellyclarkneedlepointhandbook.blogspot.com/2012/09/kellys-new-sampler-stumpwork-naturally.html

UPDATE:  BeStitched shows off Kelly Clark's stumpwork sampler in a short video.
http://bestitchedneedlepoint.com/kelly-clark-stumpwork-kit/

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

Things You Might Need UPDATED A THIRD TIME

Suddenly this week there are a lot of online postings about various tools folks might want to use to help them stitch.   Makes me think someone turned on the big neon sign in the sky and it read Tools, Talk Tools!

Who am I to not listen?  LOL

Here are the items you might want to browse.  First is Bedecked and Beadazzled talking boxes.  But they are just any box, they are elegant leather boxes and containers in all colors to hold wonderful tools.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/07/boxes-for-storing.html

UPDATE:  You can see more of the boxes here.  The second link is to the company website.  Rowallan is a Scottish firm, a specialist in leather goods.
http://nystitchingsisters.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-accessories.html

Mary Corbet has a set of needle I.D. cards that look very useful if you have a lot of needles you don't know the size or name of.  These come from Access Commodities which has donated a set to Mary to give away.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2012/07/needle-id-cards.html

Needlepoint Tool Time's blog is showing off the new tubular Sparkles and the skin thread collection from Access Commodities (which I think it hard to find, so act now).  I believe the instructions on how to use the silks for shading skin was written by Tony Minieri, so that alone is worth having.
http://stitchplaywithneedlepointtooltime.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-4th-of-july.html

Here's their website.
http://www.needlepointtooltime.com/

Finally, here's a really good photo and description of the EZ Beader.
http://peaceloveandstitching.blogspot.com/2012/07/more-flower-progress.html

UPDATE:  A friend just sent me this link to an Italian line of automatic needle threaders.  She got hers for $5 on Amazon but shop around and make sure you get the size you will use most.  Anyone with trouble threading needles probably should look into getting one of these.  Thanks, L!
http://www.automatic-needle-threader.com/adw/automatic-needle-threader.html

UPDATE:  Bohin makes a needle threader, too.  This video talks about how it works and gives tips on how to use it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZpRd5xGpyc&feature=youtu.be

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

A Sparkles Tutorial

We saw a bit about the new mesh tube called Sparkles at the TNNA trade show in January. Sundance has posted a bit more about how to use it with a link to the wonderful ways Barbara Elmore has manipulated it to great effect.
http://sundanceinstitches.blogspot.com/2012/02/sundance-sparkles.html


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

Sparkles: A Review and Tutorial All In One

Barbara Elmore's painted canvases are distributed by Sundance Designs, so she was able to get her hands on their new product Sparkles early. In this blog posting, she shows all the uses she's found for it so far. Amazing!
http://stitchpography.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold.html


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