Custom Pet Portraits UPDATED

Those of us with companion animals in our families sometimes need a custom portrait of our cat and dog (or parrot or whatever) friends.  I thought I'd compile a listing of folks who will paint a portrait of your pet from a photograph.  Here they are, in alphabetical order.  (By the way, most of the examples are of dogs.  Apparently most customers want dog portraits.)

Alice Twiggs Van Trease, Needles and Threads of Ruxton, is said to do lovely dog portraits. I haven't found any examples to show you.  Sorry.

http://needlesandthreadsofruxton.com

Barbara's Needlepoint has a painter (Cindy) who does lovely dogs.  Contact Barbara's Needlepoint via their Facebook page to arrange this at the second link below.
https://www.facebook.com/107558659287177/photos/a.471227749586931.100490.107558659287177/1082334315142935/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/Barbaras-Needlepoint-107558659287177/

https://www.facebook.com/107558659287177/photos/pcb.1369658023077228/1369657099743987/?type=3&theater

Heidi does very nice dog portraits.  You can view Heidi's designs on Flickr by searching Heidi Stanley or heididesigns. She can be reached by email at jonrheidir@gmail.com.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1622699111329011&set=pcb.933002363443589&type=3&theater

She also has an Instagram page.
https://www.instagram.com/heidistanleydesigns/

Labors of Love does a series of very nice cat and dog canvases but they will also do a custom portrait for you.
https://www.facebook.com/laborsofloveneedlepoint/photos/a.163225933826831.39001.163219983827426/692426104240142/?type=3&theater

Some of their customs are at the bottom of this page.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/cats-and-dogs.html

Lisa Ferguson does nice dog portraits that are like the animals but not too complicated to stitch.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206643238509378&set=pcb.1094417757302048&type=3&theater

Contact her via her FB page (second link below).
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.ferguson.710

Sandra Gilmore/Blue Moon Studio will do custom dog portraits.  Contact her via her distributor, Fleur de Paris.
https://www.facebook.com/needlehearts18900/photos/pcb.512520835601438/512519772268211/?type=3&theater

Jackie at Smiling Cat Studios does a lovely dog that doesn't appear too complex to stitch.  The only contact information I have for her is via Needlepoint Breeze (second link below).
https://www.facebook.com/Needlepointbreeze6/photos/a.487770404613196.113970.487766711280232/1195481983842031/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/Needlepointbreeze6/

Gail Hendrix at Squiggee does nice dog portraits.
http://squiggeedesigns.com

My Pink Sugar Life does pop art style portraits.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/253390010/hand-painted-pop-art-pet-portrait-of?ref=shop_home_active_4

Tammy Syrigos Irrera does fabulous dog and cat portraits.  Contact her via her Facebook page.  You can see a lot of examples of her work there, too.  UPDATE:  Tammy is temporarily closing her custom painting business as she needs to concentrate on her ill parents right now.  (January 2019)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207366421909027&set=pb.1540727335.-2207520000.1474036636.&type=3&theater

UPDATE:  As Mary Agnes reminds us, many local shops have painters who will do custom pet portraits.  Just ask if you are lucky enough to have a shop nearby.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

We Wait (And I Worry) UPDATED AGAIN

If you are like me, during your stitching career you have ordered something from a shop they didn't have in stock, then waited and waited for it to come in.   I once waited six weeks for a piece of silk gauze I was told should be there in a month, then when I contacted the shop for an estimate of the arrival date, they told me they hadn't actually placed the order yet because they couldn't order from that manufacturer unless they met the minimum order dollar amount.  They were waiting until they had enough things on their Wish List to place an order.  This happens enough to stitchers that I see a weekly posting on Needlepoint Nation that says something like "Would any shop that has this in stock contact me?"  Stitchers have been burned enough that they try to find the item they desire from anyone before they place an order with their local shop and end up waiting until they barely remember what they ordered.  Ever wonder why businesses are run this way?  Tricia gives us a glimpse of the business thinking behind this behavior.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-dreaded-backorder-how.html

She also points out that the artisans who are the heart of this business are retiring, and not replacable.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-time-is-now-how-our-textile.html

UPDATE:  Tricia talks about the death of one of her businesses, illustrating how the various forces operate on small companies that cater to the handwork elite.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2015/11/end-of-era-tokens-and-trifles.html

UPDATE #2:  Kreinik is stocking up on the Tokens and Trifles items while they can.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2015/11/update-tokens-and-trifles-perforated.html

I have to tell you, when I see all the threads we have available today and then read the above, I am really worried about the future.  Are we living in the last Golden Age of Needlepoint?  But Tricia doesn't just worry, she has a proposal.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-kickstarter-for-historic-threads.html

UPDATE #3:  Tricia was sent information about the wool industry that explains even more just how precarious needle art businesses are and the things that have to go right to give us our supplies.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-wool-industry.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 31, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.