Remodeling A Door

Anne Stradal of ABS Designs is restitching one of her architectural door pieces for a guild class on the Cape. Here is the Before photo with the newly repainted bare canvas for class.
http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2014/06/getting-ready-for-class.html

Here is the After photo.  Amazing what a few thread, stitch and color changes will do!  Click on the photo for a better look.
http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2014/06/remodeling-completed.html

http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2014/07/readying-for-fourthducking-hurricane.html

If you love architectural detail on your canvases, you will love seeing Anne' entire line of "Doorway to the Past" canvases.
http://www.absdesignsonline.com/architectual.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 24, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The TNNA Show Offerings Start to Leak Out UPDATED

The new designs and products that will be released during TNNA's Winter trade show in California are starting to appear online.  I think this year instead of trying to post multiple listings of the new things I'll do one summary article to make it easier to find things later.  I will put the latest items on top of the list.  To find this article again, type "TNNA Winter 2013" in the search box at the top of the page on the left.  It should come right up.

UPDATES:

Pajamas and Chocolate has updated their website with new hand painted designs, full of color and pattern.  There are photos of their wooden Shaker box and coaster sets, too.
http://www.pajamasandchocolate.com/index.php?p=1_18_2013-Designs

Needle Works has photos of new patterns in the popular Snap Trays.
http://www.stitchinginthetexashillcountry.com/the_needle_works/2013/01/share-a-stitch-sunday-january-20.html

Needle Delights gives us a glimpse of the newest chart called Winter Logs.  I love the colors and patterns!
http://needledelightsoriginals.blogspot.com/2013/01/winter-update.html

Here is Autumn Logs, also underway from Needle Delights.
http://needledelightsoriginals.blogspot.com/2013/06/progress.html

Barbara Bergsten has posted photos of her new pink elephant Christmas ornament and more from her shift dress series.
http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2013/01/finished-needlepoint.html

http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2013/01/newest-needlepoint-shifts.html

Pocket Full of Stitches has posted photos of new items from The Princess and Me.  Don't miss the Christmas diver swimming among giant candy cane seaweed!
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-from-princess-me.html

Needle Deeva's website is updated.  A preview is here.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2013/01/lollypops-birdies-and-kitty-cats-by.html

Vicky shows off the Needle Deeva Thanksgiving set and gives thanks to the magic of Barbara's Needlepoint and their finishing.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/the-finishing-makes-the-piece/

Janet Perry describes new products.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/new-needlepoint-products-january-2013/

*****************************

Leigh Designs posted one canvas from the eight new Femme Fatales that your shop will see at market in their January newsletter.  All have the same marquee lights border.  If you subscribe to Needlepoint Now and have your January 2013 issue, you can see three Femmes in the Leigh Designs ad.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/News.html

Cooper Oaks is asking Susan Wallace Barnes to do a series of seasonal doors.  Here is Blue Door which combines winter and Christmas.
http://yarntree.typepad.com/needlework_news/2013/01/come-in-from-the-cold-with-the-1st-in-a-series-of-needlepoint-doors-from-susan-wallace-barnes.html

Pocket Full of Stitches has photos of other new Cooper Oaks treats.
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2013/01/cooper-oaks.html

Plus they have some new Zecca pieces, all a Tree of Life design.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sx7kWP6K_8

We've already seen Melissa Shirley's new Valentine canvases for 2013.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/gallery/?bsn=1

Ewe and Eye has new items up on their website.
http://www.eweandeyeandfriends.com/html/thumbnails.php?currentPage=1&category=New%20Designs

Here are four little Needle Deeva hearts that will be featured at the Sample It! night before the TNNA show officially opens.  Showmen in top hats and beaded candy, what could be finer?
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/a-little-sampling-for-sample-it/

http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/seeing-red/

Patti Mann is re-releasing the Russian Nesting Doll Nativity set.  This is a Darcy Predmore design that Patti Mann distributes.   It's a wonderful series of nine canvases:  Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the three Wise Men, the shepherd, a camel and an angel.  The pieces are all roughly  7 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches except for Baby Jesus which is only 3 1/2 by 5 inches.  Each piece is roughly $80.  If you are curious, these and other new pieces should be up on Patti Mann's website by early February.
http://www.pattimann.com

If you have a Facebook account, keep your eyes open.  Shops and designers will start posting images soon.  Lani Burston Silver (Lani's Needlepoint) is already posting to the Needlepoint Nation group about her new shoe series and SJ Designs is showing off charted Berlin Woolwork pages from her new publication.

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

Interviewing Eileen and Elizabeth (Part One: Eileen)

Anyone who gets into an email conversation with me runs the risk of being interviewed for Blog. Last spring when I discovered the Door canvases Ridgewood Needlepoint offers I asked Eileen Aird the shop owner to let me know when all the models were stitched so I could update the information here. She was kind enough to send me photos of each of the seven doors and then submit to an interview about them, her shop and how she got into needlepoint.

At the same time I was busily pestering the Needlepoint Broad for an interview since I've fallen hard for her nostalgic state vacation postcard designs. Imagine my surprise when Elizabeth Hess the owner of Needlepoint Broad said she'd be happy to be interviewed but she had company right now--her twin sister Eileen of Ridgewood Needlepoint was visiting!

So we have two interviews in back-to-back weeks with the only identical twins I know of operating on the business side of needlepoint. Since Eileen's interview was further along, let's start with her and the story of Ridgewood Needlepoint and those Doors. You can see the website information about the Doors here. I will scatter the photos of each door throughout the interview so you can enjoy and compare them easily to pick out your favorite.

http://www.ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/index.php?p=dolls

Autumn Door

Eileen says the Doors were designed for her shop by Nancy Chapman who is her custom painter. Nancy also works for Needlepoint Broad occasionally, and the Doors will eventually be available through Needlepoint Broad although for the next year they are shop exclusives. I asked Eileen where the idea for seasonal doors of various architectural styles came from. She said, "One of my employees had a Christmas ornament of a door; in addition, I had several customers who wanted to do a small series of doors. Consequently, I decided to do a series based on the seasons. Actually, I love doing things with short and long stitches but that doesn't work as well for buildings. This series was more challenging for me but I enjoyed the challenge!"

Christmas Door

Here's the rest of my interview with Eileen whose words are blue so you can tell my questions from her answers.

First, the doors. I know they are a "club" at Ridgewood and that you taught one of the doors as a class for your customers. In fact, I will be teaching several other doors in the fall and winter depending on interest. Probably Christmas (again), the Patriotic Door, Autumn and Summer.

Patriotic Door

Otherwise folks get a door canvas with threads and instructions every other month? They get a canvas and instructions every other month. Since so many stitches could supply a needlepoint store with their stash, we made the thread kit optional. We also offered a choice of either six or three doors.

Hanukkah Door

Does one get a choice of a Christmas or Hanukkah door for the end of the year? Actually, we started with Christmas or Chanukah because there is such pressure to complete items for Christmas. But yes, they get a choice. Obviously, a "club member" could choose to do both Christmas and Chanukah and eliminate another door or just do all seven.

Valentine Day's Door

Is there a cutoff date for signing up? No, we can still add people; we just add them to the existing cycle I.e. new people would start with the Valentine's Door. Each door is $85 for the canvas and stitch guide.

Now, about the shop. How long has it been open? Ridgewood Needlepoint opened in April 2002. What possessed you to go into the business? I had always visited needlepoint shops when I traveled and thought that I would enjoy owning one. I have been very impressed with some in my travels. I lived in Wellesley, MA for almost two years and enjoyed going to Wellesley Needlepoint very much.

Spring Door

Was the fact that your twin sister is a designer a big influence you? Or were you the influence, getting her interested because you had the shop and needed her to do a few canvases for you? I opened the shop first and Elizabeth was a frequent visitor. She attended some shows with me and saw some designs that she thought would translate well into needlepoint.

Have you always been an entrepreneur or saw a need or did the local shop start to close and you bought it? There was no local shop but I do have a business background. I had decided that I didn't want to be in corporate America anymore. With my kids entering their teen-age years, a local business had distinct advantages.

What's the story behind your entering into selling threads and charts and canvases and the rest? It was just time to purse a lifelong dream. And because I love painted canvas, the shop deals primarily with painted canvases although we do some charted designs at Ridgewood Needlepoint. The things I stitch are usually whimsical in nature or animals. Owning a shop forced me to develop an eye for different types of canvases. And of course, for someone who loves color, what could be better than owning a needlepoint shop.

Summer Door

Do you and Elizabeth have a family history of needle arts and/or business that got you both started down this path? Although we had both dabbled in some needle arts as children, we then started needlepoint in our early 20's. I was a more consistent needlepointer. Elizabeth did some knitting and some other crafts. I was such a poor knitter that even my mother wouldn't wear the sweater I made! Although our mother didn't do any craft, our father's mother knitted.

Now that you are on the business side, what surprised you the most? I'm always amazed at how much inventory is needed! And how important it is to buy different types of canvases. There's a canvas for every taste.

What is the most fun about owning a NP store? Shopping! What plans do you have for the future? We plan to offer more classes. Right now, I'm working on a beginner's class.

Is the website going to expand, you plan more classes, you want to physically expand the shop, etc.? In the past year, I've been much more active with our blog. [Jane forgot to add a link so you could visit it so I've updated this.]

http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/

I would like to offer some canvases through the web site. I have toyed with becoming more of an internet seller, but I enjoy the personal contact with customers and teaching them. I am a firm believer that it is very important to support the brick and mortar stores. They provide the local knowledge and teaching. And for me, needlepoint is about the colors, the colors and the threads. I need to touch and feel.

Has the economic downturn brought changes to the business that you can see in your customers' behaviors? Are folks splurging on a feel-good canvas, staying at home and stitching stockings for the grandkids instead of traveling in retirement, etc.? We are seeing as much as a downturn as I expected. Stitchers always need to stitch but I've been surprised that the finishing has stayed consistent. Or can you see a difference? The major difference I see in the business versus when I started, is that people often come in wanting a specific canvas. Internet browsing has made the customer much more familiar with the canvas designers.

Is there a local bias in what your customers want in turns of designers? There are regional differences. We sell a lot more Yankee and Mets Stadiums than we do Red Sox (Fenway Park). [Jane, whose husband is the largest Red Sox fan in captivity, faints at the mention of the hated Yankees.] In the rest of the country, I believe a much higher percentage of the needlepoint is Christmas related. We almost never sell nativities.

Do you carry a lot of designs that appeal to folks in the NY/NJ metropolitan

region? We certainly carry some designs that are geared for the NY/NJ metropolitan area. For example, a big seller is "Jersey Girls Don't Pump Gas [available from the Needlepoint Broad]. And another big seller for us has been the New York Midtown Stocking (we call it Rockefeller Center Stocking) by DJ Designs. We also sell lots of belts which I understand you couldn't give away in California.

http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2009/05/jersey-boys-dont-pump-gas.html

http://www.annieandco.com/designers/dj/images/dl501.jpg

Do you think your customers buy what folks in Texas, California, Florida and the Central States buy? Of course, some things have universal appeal. I bet "Good Night Moon" by Silver Needle sells all over.

http://www.silverneedlect.com/products.php?category=16

Has owning a shop made you a better stitcher? Owning a shop has definitely made me a better stitcher. In order to teach, I've taken many classes to increase my knowledge and my techniques. In addition to technique classes, I've taken classes on color and design. Owning a shop enables me to recommend stitches for far more canvases than I could every stitch. And I am also exposed to many wonderful stitchers, too. I've found that after I've finished a major project (The Doors, Summer Girl, The Paper Doll Club), my stitching bumps up a level. It's one of the great pleasures of needlepoint -- you can always continue to learn and improve.

Do you have time to do any stitching now except for store models? You are right and virtually everything I stitch goes into the store. But I do lots of stitching. I do most of my stitching at night watching TV. Right now, I'm hoping to finish my Rockefeller Center stocking. I am also taking Carole Lake's Straight Stitches (taught by an employee who took the class) and Construction Stitches by Beth Robertson and Susan Howren. I am also taking Tony Minieri's Back to Basic class on a monthly basis.

Do you have any advice for someone thinking about opening a NP store in their own home town? Although you don't need to be in the center of town, I have benefited from easy visibility from a major street. Knowledgeable and friendly employees are very important because they are the store.

Eileen, thank you so much for sending me the photos of the Doors, for answering all my questions and of course for being one of the fabulous needlepoint twins!

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