The Smart Cookie for April is....

The Smart Cookie Award for April 2022 goes to....SUE DULLE!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/4931999100210542/

Sue is working on a charted pumpkin design that she's lost the instructions for, so she is making up stitches for each section.  The clever part is that she is auditioning stitches on a Heart for Hospice project.  You can see both projects on the Facebook link above.

Very smart use of your time, Sue.  [wild applause]

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 17, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Stash Sales Tutorial

SuDu has written a fun article about how she sells stash online.  I've seen more interest in stash sales sites since the summer started since the shops are having problems stocking items because of the pandemic.  The canvas painting companies are taking 5-6 months to ship an order, and shops are having trouble getting threads at times.  All this makes it a good time to sell the stash you'll never stitch.

I think if you have a bunch of things you'd like to sell now, or if you plan to sell quite a bit over the next year or so, her tips will really help you.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2020/09/01/how-i-sell-needlework-online/

Remember, I have a list of places to sell and also a list of places to donate stash in the tabs at the top of Blog.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright Sept. 1, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Hearts for Hospice Pattern Downloads UPDATED

If you have seen the hearts folks are stitching to give to hospice programs and wanted to participate but didn't know where to begin, Lorraine of Colour Complements has a great article summarizing how it all works. She also has a heart pattern to download with the outline and stitch instructions and information about where you can send your heart once it is complete.
https://colourcomplements.com/2019/11/hearts-for-hospice-needlepoint-colour-complements-embroidery-threads.html

UPDATE:  Here is another design to download for your hospice hearts stitching.
https://colourcomplements.com/2019/12/hospice-hearts-hand-dyed-threads-colour-complements.html

One more design, this time available in Needlepoint Now magazine.
https://colourcomplements.com/2020/01/hearts-for-hospice-embroidery-colour-complements.html

Melita has lots and lots of resources.
https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/hearts-galore/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 4, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Beading Three Sunflowers

Sue stitched three identical sunflower designs (using a Laura Perin chart) and decided to bead the centers of each differently.  And she's posted instructions here!
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/the-tale-of-three-sunflower/

By the way, what I call messy beading is piling beads of all colors/shapes/sizes on top of beads, starting with loops and then just sticking in 1-2 beads where the loops didn't cover well.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 5, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Hearts for Hospice UPDATED

The Kansas City ANG chapter has a philanthropic project called Hearts for Hospice and are looking for stitchers to help.   This is how it works—

"The members of Greater Kansas City Needlepoint Guild initiated a project in 2015 to fulfill a need at a local hospice center. When a resident passes away, a heart is placed on the door which notifies those passing by to be respectful of others who are mourning the death of a loved one. The heart is then taken home by a family member as a remembrance of the care their loved one received while at the center."

Finishing is provided by the local chapter.   If you are interested, here's how you can contribute. If you have further questions, email Sue at heartsforhospicegkcng@gmail.com

Update:  Anne of ABS Designs has stitched for the group.  Here is Anne's first heart and it's a beauty.
https://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2018/09/feel-good-stitching.html

Here is her second, equally lovely.
https://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2018/09/one-more-time.html

And the third is another pretty little thing!
https://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2018/09/threes-charm.html

UPDATE #2:
Melita's local ANG chapter has also stitched for the group.
https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2018/10/07/hearts-for-hospice/

https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2018/10/29/red-heart-red-eyelet-heart-for-hospice/

https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/planet-earth-bargello-heart/

UPDATE #3:
Melita shares places to find more Hearts for Hospice designs.
https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2019/03/14/hearts-for-hospice-in-needle-pointers/

UPDATE #4:
Here is more about the Hearts for Hospice program, plus an offer of a free design for your own heart.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/hearts/?fbclid=IwAR3bl8xaMeMqB9S5KKnW7NU47Ry21QLnvB5U-jcYL0KYhCd1psIbnQ6wXKc

UPDATE #5:  Lorraine of Colour Complements has a lovely summary of how the program works, the heart outline to download, plus links to two free designs from Sue Dulle.
https://colourcomplements.com/2019/11/hearts-for-hospice-needlepoint-colour-complements-embroidery-threads.html

UPDATE #6:  Melita has tons of links to patterns for this wonderful project.
https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/hearts-galore/

UPDATE #7:  Brenda's ANG chapter is stitching hearts for the program.  She also choose a Brenda Richardson heart design.

https://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2024/03/heart-of-hearts-33124.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 11, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Very Special Present

Sue Dulle's been stitching Raymond Crawford's classic Mr. & Mrs. canvas. Her description of all the work she put into it is interesting, plus she gives some beading tips you might find helpful.  Note the special touch of a brass plaque on the frame.   It might have taken Sue months, but it is fabulous!
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2018/03/30/mr-mrs-canvas-designed-by-raymond-crawford/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 30, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Charley Harper Designs for the Counted Canvasworker

Charley Harper's iconic animal prints are wildly famous among needleworkers, so much so that The Meredith Collection licenses many of them to sell as painted canvases.  But what do you do if you are a counted person who really doesn't like painted canvases?  You turn to Ann Strite-Kurz.  This is just what Sue did and you can learn a bit about the wonderful "Brrrrrrr" that she stitched using class materials from Ann on Sue's blog.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/burrrrrrrrr-ann-strite-kurz-more-catching-up/

Years ago Ann arranged with Charley Harper to turn some of his designs into counted canvaswork.  She has three classes based on his art and you can see them here in her list of available classes.  If you ask nicely, I think Ann will sell you the kit for these.  As Sue explains, her instructions are very clear, so you should be able to work these class pieces on your own.  They are not intended to be worked solo and you won't be able to ask Ann for clarification, but judging from the instructions I've seen in Ann's class materials and from what Sue says, this shouldn't be an issue for the experienced stitcher.
https://www.annstritekurz.com/classes.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 27, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

What to Do When You've Lost Your Stitching Mojo

We all have dry spells when stitching is the last thing we want to do, right? Sue Dulle tackles the topic with some great ideas of how to cope when stitching just doesn't seem to happen.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/creative-dry-spells/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 22, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

SuDu Talks Stitch Guides and Backgrounds and Embellishing and Finishing UPDATED

Sue Dulle's recent blog posting talks about how she uses a stitch guide. It's full of good tips on how to get the most of a guide and how to customize it to your own likes and dislikes. 
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/melisssa-shirley-wicked/

Sue also talks about stitching her background and why she stitched the letters on her canvas differently than the guide. There are some great tips for stitching darning stitches, too.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/melissa-shirley-wicked-background-letters/

She also gives us tips on how to work large projects without forgetting areas.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/melissa-shirley-wicked-fun-stuff/

Now she embellishes!
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/melissa-shirley-wicked-embellishing/

UPDATE:
Finally, Sue writes about finishing. This article alone is worth its weight in gold!  There's more than just finishing in this article, but it's the main focus.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2017/05/25/melissa-shirley-wicked-final-thought/

Thanks for writing down your thoughts, Sue.  It's very valuable information.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 1, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Canvas in a Box

Sue explains how to insert a needlepoint canvas into a box lid, starting with the choice of box and canvas, and ended up with the prefect present.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/lighthouse-in-a-box/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 29, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Making a Sewing Bird, Step by Step

Are you familiar with Melissa Shirley's Stitching Birds series?  It looks like they are discontinued but Melissa still has some in stock.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/galsearch/index.cgi?index=1231727968_26504&col=

You will want to see how Sue made up her sewing bird.  It's fascinating and makes me understand that professional finishers are worth every penny.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/3d-finishing-melissa-shirley-sewing-bird-part-1/

https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/07/20/3d-finishing-melissa-shirley-sewing-bird-part-2/

You can see another finished stitching bird on the Nimble Needle blog.  Lovely!
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2013/12/finished-work-customers-pride-and-joy.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright  July 20, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

FInishing Ornaments the SuDu Way UPDATED

Sue has done a lovely tutorial on finishing ornaments two different ways. She has lots of great tips to make the process easier and explains things step-by-step. 
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/finishing-ornaments/

UPDATE:  How to finish "soft" ornaments, i.e., ornaments that are stuffed.  Sue likes to do shaped ornaments (sweaters, puffy hearts, etc.) this way.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/finishing-ornaments-3-soft-ornaments/

Finishing ornaments is not difficult but you do need patience.  I don't like finishing but if I do it myself, I get exactly what I want, even to the pretty beaded edging I prefer.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 3, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blocking Needlepoint the SuDu Way

Sue Dulle explains how she blocks her needlepoint before finishing it.  She even explains how to make your own blocking board if you cannot find one.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/finishing-the-beginningagain/

Thanks for all the great information, Sue!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 24, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sue Has An Aficot

Sue ordered a new aficot and shows it off on her website. Sounds like a disease, doesn't it?  But it isn't--it's a special sort of laying tool.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/02/04/1st-valentines-day-present/

If this intrigues you, follow the links to Mary Corbet's website for the history and use of aficots and then go to M&H Handcrafts to order your own.

I think the mesquite one is gorgeous!   Oh, don't miss looking at the laying tools.  I like the barley twist style, and the bone stiletto is just lovely....

Ten enabling points to Sue!

(By the way, Ridgewood has a silver mellore on sale at half price while we are looking at exotic tools that are used for laying threads.  Mellores are for gold work, by the way.)
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2016/02/birds-wreath-and-threads.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 4, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Perfect Feathery Adventure

Sue Dulle strikes out on an adventure to discover how best to stitch the "feathers" on a shuttlecock.  Not being a Kansas City native, I have no idea why this badminton design is related to Sue's city, but she did a wonderful job bringing it to life.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/nelson-atkins-museum-of-art-needlepoint/

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

How to Make Ribbon Flowers

Sue's blog details how she used ribbon-type threads to make flowers. All the little photos that show her working will get much larger if you click on them.  Sue makes it sound a lot easier than you would think.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/blue-bird-flowers/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright October 21, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Stitches and Threads for Faces

There are lots and lots of stitches useful for faces.  Besides tent stitches, consider Brick Stitch Over Two as seen here in my Pirate Cat from Patt and Lee...
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/09/pirate-cat-has-sweet-face-and-brocade.html

...Interlocking Gobelin works nicely for animal faces and long and short or split stitch is stunning as a face if you have the confidence to try.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2013/10/repairing-recreating-hand-embroidered-vestments.html

You can also use a different thread than the normal cotton or silk to get wonderful looks.  Flair is wonderful for faces, for example.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/05/snowmans-face-and-background.html

I used the clear Water N Ice for my Blue Russian's face.  Both turned out great!
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2013/12/blue-russian-santa-has-glass-face.html

Here's what Sue Dulle says about faces.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/torin-ailfred-opatrick-and-faces/

I hope all this gives you ideas for the next portrait in your stitching rotation.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 12, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Books for Decorative Stitchers

Sue Dulle has listed reference books on ribbon embroidery, bullions, Brazilian embroidery, and embroidery in general she uses over and over again.  If you are looking for good reference material on fancy stitches, you'll be interested in what she has to say.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/books-on-ribbon-embroidery-bullions-and-other-creative-stitches/

Pay careful attention to this section, though. Lots of publishers are pulling the republish-the-same-book-more-cheaply trick these days.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/more-on-ribbon-books/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 25, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sudu's Tips on Cording on Canvas

Sue is working on a great Melissa Shirley canvas from a friend's stash and has some great ideas about using twisted cord on it that will work for many canvases with similar items--reins, blowing hair, flower stalks--all sorts of things! 
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/finishing-up-the-kids-and-butterfly/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright  July 28, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Kansas City is Happier Today

The folks in Kansas City, Missouri are a little happier this month because there's a new needlepoint store in town! Sue posted photos of the new establishment, so don't miss clicking on the thumbnails to get a good look.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/no-stitching-todayjust-making-new-friends/

Don't forget to bookmark the shop website so you can visit again and again as KC NP grows and hopefully thrives! (By the way, they already have a nice assortment of accessories including the useful thimble stick on pads and plenty of self finishing bookmarks to use in teaching someone to stitch this summer on raining days when "Mom, there's nothing to do!")

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 17, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.