Glass Eyes

Apparently the March-April 2023 version of Needlepoint Now magazine talks about glass eyes.  This website was mentioned as a good place to find them.

https://handmadeglasseyes.com/

You can choose by size, style and the type of back (button, flat back, wire posts or high domed).  The eye color selection and pupil shape are very large, too.  I've heard Megan the site owner will also do custom eyes if you ask.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 2, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Medici on Film

Needle Works has posted a video of the dimensional needle felted cat named Medici (after the shop cat) that Brenda Stofft has designed and which Brenda will teach in the shop this September.  It's pretty amazing! I don't usually post about classes but this is so astounding that I wanted everyone to see it.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2018/06/medici-is-in-the-house.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 4, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Isn't He A Doll?! UPDATED

Ridgewood Needlepoint shows off some of the dimensional dolls from Sew Much Fun that customers have stitched.  The rabbi is a real cutie as are the two Christmas elves.
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2015/07/rabbi-and-elves.html

If you aren't familiar with Sew Much Fun's canvases, you'll have fun exploring their website.
http://www.cindysneedleart.com/Sewmuchfun.html

UPDATE:  Ridgewood just posted more photos of Sew Much Fun's dimensional dolls.  These are all Halloween or Thanksgiving pieces.
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2015/07/fun-ornaments-and-canvases.html

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

Mary Makes Curls

Mary Corbet explains how she made a bonnet with attached hair for a small felt doll she's making, using a cross between stumpwork and doll making. This might work very nicely for curls on my next project! 
http://www.needlenthread.com/2015/03/how-to-make-curly-hair-for-stumpwork-figures-small-dolls.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 4, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

How to Make Wings

Cynthia shows how to make wings for fairy dolls here--
http://www.thefairiesnest.com/2009/01/wing-tutorial-at-last.html

I can see lots of ways to use this on dimensional needlepoint, so I thought you'd like to read it.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 4, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Thought for the Day

I should have titled this "Thought for the Day: In Which I Insult Cross Stitch Designers," but that's getting a bit long, don't you think?   The article looks at handmade dolls and how the hands became cruder over time, postulating that the craftsmen making the dolls had a totally different and less artistic attitude towards their handiwork.  When I look at the designs available to needlepointers today, the level of artistic ability applied to those designs is breathtaking. I don't always LIKE the designs but most needlepoint designers are very very skilled.  The insult comes in when I look at cross stitch designs (and I admit that I am no expert on the work of XS designers since I don't stitch in this way) which seem to mostly have primitive themes and styles except for the hyper detail of designers like Heaven and Earth Designs or Told in a Garden.  It makes me wonder if the design quality has gone down because of the rampant copying and sharing of charts?  Or maybe I just don't "get" cross stitch--which is entirely possible!
http://ladysrepositorymuseum.blogspot.com/2014/11/evolution-of-hands-in-early-wooden-dolls.html

But I wonder what factors influence the level of skill and design ability goes into creating the designs we love?  Did the doll hands change because of the impact of industrialization or is something else at work or is it a variety of things?

Feel free to call me an idiot in the comments below, or you can email me at chillyhollowathotmaildotcom and straighten me out that way.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 11, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

She's Such a Doll!

Ridgewood has posted photographs of a doll one of their customers stitched. She's a cutie! I think that the designer is TS Designs but I'm not certain.
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/11/blog-post_4.html

TS Designs, now distributed by The Collection Designs, had a wide variety of these 3-D dolls.  Click on the photos for a better look at the variety available.
http://www.thecollectiondesigns.com/ts-page-1.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 4, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Finishing Friday: All Sorts UPDATE

I have all sorts of interesting finishing to show off today. First, Ridgewood is turning small round ornaments into snap trays.  Clever!  I think the leather look snap trays are self-finishing but I am not certain.  I could have dreamed someone has these available....
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-post_15.html

Eye Candy shows off one of their "Garden Party" designs finished in a shadowbox.  This is perfect since this piece was created in a Ruth Schmuff class and the heart is padded in the trapunto style, making it rise off the canvas.
http://eyecandyneedleart.blogspot.com/2014/06/another-lovely-garden-party.html

Finally, Needle Nicely has finished their Sasha the Lady Chef doll but wait--there is a problem!  How will Mary Agnes solve it?
http://needlenicely.blogspot.com/2014/06/sasha-lady-chef-almost-finish-finished.html

UPDATE:  Sasha has hair!
http://needlenicely.blogspot.com/2014/07/mr-demillea-close-up-of-hair-please.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 15, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Finishing Friday:

Today's finishing is a selection of the unusual to the amazing.  First, Stephanie shows off the small sized Painted Pony angels as tiny stand ups.  I love how the bottom of the needlepoint looks like an overskirt with the oval base showing smaller underneath.
http://stephsstitching.blogspot.com/2014/05/another-way-to-finish-painted-pony-mini.html

The "amazing" portion comes from Ada Hayden who shows off a selection of finished biscornus and humbugs in a variety of colors.  These are all her Eye Candy canvases, stitched by a bunch of talented folks.
http://eyecandyneedleart.blogspot.com/2014/05/biscornus-and-humbugs-oh-my.html

Another amazing piece is this doll (TJ Designs?) stitched for a daughter.
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-post_2.html

However, I think the unusual AND amazing award goes to Pocket Full of Stitches which has a fun selection of black and white pillows that'll blow your socks off.  The other pillows they showcase are lovely but the black and white ones are dramatic to the max.
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2014/05/finishing.html

I could be wrong, though.  This tiny Barbara Bergsten purse is astounding.  It is either 3 inches square (18 count) or 4 inches square (13 count).  Good things come in small packages, don't they?
http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2014/05/extraordinary-needlepoint-finishing.html

Enjoy the show!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 17, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Let the Good Times Roll

Sue is celebrating Mardi Gras with the best of 'em today.
http://sudukc.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/laissez-les-bons-temps-roule/

I've added the links to Kathy Meyer's website where you can admire her Gaughi dolls, just in case Sue's link goes dead sometime in the future.
http://kathymeyer1.tripod.com/kmdesigns/index.html

http://kathymeyer1.tripod.com/kmdesigns/id26.html

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

Juell's Needlepoint Dolls

Nimble Needle's blog mentioned the Juell needlepoint dolls this week, so I just had to share them with you along with some additional resources.  Here's what the shop said, with photos of the finished Japanese doll.  Isn't she beautiful?
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2010/05/miyoshi-dolls.html

Juell canvases are distributed by Red Thread Designs.  They have all the doll canvases on their website.  Click Next to see them all page by page.  You'll see that the Japanese geisha doll is the most elaborate.  The cat Lionel, for example, is just two pieces. while the mermaids have two shells each and a tail.
http://www.redthreaddesigns.com/Pages/BigPages/BigDolls/ScarletBig.html

Needle Nook of La Jolla also has the canvases on their site, along with photos of another two finished.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/canvas/women/dolls.html

DMC's new memory thread would be perfect for these!  Toss in some beads, charms and feathers and you will have quite a show-stopper.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow