New Stitch Monday's Mahjong Sign

Ridgewood Needlepoint's "New Stitch Monday" series is tackling a mahjong sign.  First, Stephanie worked the background around the word and then beaded the letters.  (This is a 13 count design, by the way.)

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/new-stitch-monday-209/

Now for the backgrounds behind the N, S. E and W.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/new-stitch-monday-210/

The tile with two flowers is done. It's quite pretty.  I like fly stitch for leaves.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/new-stitch-monday-211/

Pink dragons are the cutest!  And Stephanie's right--Baroque Silk is a great thread.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/new-stitch-monday-212/

Now we move on to the green dragons.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/new-stitch-monday-213/

The final design is the joker.  Of course the different blocks repeat so she has to finish all of them before framing.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/new-stitch-monday-214/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 13, 2026 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Smooth Out Your Letters With This LoveMBHStudio Trick

LoveMBHStudio on Instagram has a tip for smoothing out the jagged look of tent stitched letters I hadn't thought of--she just stitches over the outside tent stitch with another tent stitch, which happens to be in a contrasting color in this example.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Ayth_RjX2/

Stitching again gives you a slightly padded look and smooths those rough edges. 

There are other things you can do--use a \ stitch on top of your tent stitch, making the outside edge a cross stitch.

Or you can do outline or stem stitches around the edge.  Cross stitches use back stitches for this as well.

Or you can couch a thread (a metallic or a perle cotton or even a wool, anything that isn't stranded) around the edge.  

Or you can embrace the ragged edge as from a normal viewing distance, it's not going to be very noticeable.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright August 24, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Quaker Stitch: A New Stitch for Letters

Mary Corbet highly recommends Quaker Stitch for lettering.  She also has other stitches she uses for more delicate letters, heavier letters, etc. which she also mentions in this article.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2024/01/embroidered-writing-my-favorite-stitches-for-it.html

Here is her Quaker Stitch tutorial.  Since I use stem stitch for letters occasionally I will try this on my next piece that has letters.  Note that to get the stitches that create Quaker Stitch exactly where you want them on needlepoint canvas, you'll need to use a sharp needle to pierce the threads.  You can't do this stitch just on the holes between the threads of needlepoint canvas.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2020/07/quaker-stitch-tutorial-perfect-for-embroidered-writing.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright January 27, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Ideas for Letters on Needlepoint Canvas

Needlepoint.com's latest newsletter describes ways to stitch lettering on stockings, small ornaments and cursive sayings.

https://needlepoint.com/blogs/needlepoint-know-how/learn-to-stitch-letters

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright September 19, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Lettering Tip from Cincinnati Needlepoint

Cincinnati Needlepoint has a great tip for stitching slanting parts of letters on their Instagram account.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/CttXlRAL89F/

See the R in "Burrow"?  Use the right side arrow to see how it's handled to become less like stairs.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 20, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Three Ways to Stitch Needlepoint Letters

Poppy Monk Needlepoint has an article on their blog explaining three ways to stitch letters on needlepoint canvases

https://poppymonkneedlepointkits.com/blogs/the-5-minute-needlepoint-blog/three-ways-to-stitch-needlepoint-letters

You can also bead the letters, use skip tent with beads in the empty spaces for a less solid look, couch a thicker thread down over the letters, or use stem stitch.  I can probably think of more but I'm running out of time this morning!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright November 5, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Target's Metal Wall Pocket for Needlepoint Display

Rachel Donley Designs noticed this metal wall pocket at Target.  It can be hung on the wall or sit upright on a table or desk.
https://www.target.com/p/metal-wall-pocket-black-project-62-153/-/A-52808808?fbclid=IwAR2PtMj693Xq5mZ2ALTwUlMtckXPVUMuCHq_7g_a2IwtgClE6T4v8prXCw4

It's perfect for displaying needlepoint!
https://www.facebook.com/racheldonleyneedlepointdesigns/photos/pcb.2186314314957837/2186314008291201/?type=3&theater&ifg=1

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright December 9, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Fat, Thin, In Between (Bitch) UPDATED

With the background stitching in place on Bitch (remember, I plan to add beads to the darning circles when everything else is stitched), it's time to look at the lettering on the design.   This canvas is somewhat unusual in that the lettering varies in size a lot, which will allow me to try various stitches and threads in different places.  The top and bottom rows are all one thread wide while the letters on "bitch" are huge and the "just kidding" row letters vary in width a great deal.

I can treat the various rows as samplers of many threads and stitches, but I do want to make choices for each row that looks good with the other rows.  Using shades of a blue-purple will help unite the rows.  Repeating the same thread or stitch across multiple rows will also unite them.  "Bitch" is already prominent due to its size.  What other words do I want to emphasize?  I decided to work the top and bottom rows the same way and to emphasize one word in each row.  Rummaging in my stash of threads, I choose a size 8 perle cotton from Finca and Silk Lame Braid (for size 18 count) from Rainbow Gallery.  I'll use the very dark purple Silk Lame Braid for my emphasis words and the more matte perle cotton for the rest.  

 I ended up using tent stitches in the dark purple Silk Lame Braid and tall, skinny cross stitches of various heights on the other letters. Here is the end result--

Top and Bottom Rows of Words Finished

It's hard to tell from the photos but the perle cotton cross stitches give a nice texture to the letters while the Silk Lame Braid is smooth.  A really dark color doesn't show much texture so plain tent stitches worked best for those words.   I'm debating whether to add purple beads to the spaces where the cross stitches meet on the letters but I'll wait to decide about that.  Now I'm turning my attention to the second row from the bottom.  I've started working padded satin stitches using one ply of High Cotton on "kidding" and will work "just" the same way.  The texture of High Cotton is matte, making it a nice contrast to the perle cotton and silk-metallic mix of Silk Lame Braid.  The padding also raises the letters to add texture that is hard to capture in photographs.  (Click on the small photograph for a better look.)

Once I finish stitching "just kidding" I plain to embellish the letters slightly.  You'll have to stay tuned to see that....

UPDATE:  Pat's working on her lettering, too.  She's finished the top row in all tent stitches but with sparkly Silk Lame Braid.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-first-full-line.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright October 10, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Introducing Bitch

My latest, courtesy of Bloomin' Stitches

Today I thought I'd show off my next project--Bitch, an exclusive canvas from Bloomin' Stitches.  This is in stock in the black on cream version, but the purple on cream (or any other version you want--the Needleart Nut owns this in red on white) is available if you don't mind waiting for Bloomin' Stitches to have it painted for you.
http://www.bloominstitches.com/#!bloomin-stitches-exclusive-canvases/c1hcs

This design is 8 inches square on 18 count canvas but with all the blank margin around the outside it's on 12 inch stretcher bars.  By the way, the cream background has a touch of gold sparkle in it that adds a bit of elegance to the overall design if you choose an open stitch for the background.

This canvas was a gift from a dear friend and has been claimed by a relative of mine who thinks it is hilarious.  Tasteful?  Well, no, but sometimes one has to run wild and how better to do that than in needlepoint?  I'll have it finished as a pillow with a monogram or something on the back so that the eventual owner can show off this side of her personality or not as she chooses, just by flipping the pillow over.  The tread toward "cheeky" needlepoint is explained here.
http://www.theglampad.com/2016/08/cheeky-needlepoint.html

This also is a great item to blog-stitch because the background is a totally blank slate and the lettering varies in width so much.  I'll be able to explore all sorts of ways to create lettering.  I hope you enjoy watching me figure out how best to stitch this (and how to hide it from my husband so I don't have to wash my mouth out with soap).

I've already gotten threads together for this, but that's another posting.

Stay tuned for another Chilly Hollow Needlepoint (blog-stitching) Adventure!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 26, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

My Next Project

I've been rummaging in my stash, trying to see what I want to blog-stitch next.  But before I reveal my next public project, I thought I'd tell you about something that I've never stitched but that has started to intrigue me--projects with lettering.

I'm sure you've seen those signs from & More with a striped background.  They are always popular.
http://www.andmorethreads.com/andmorethreads.com/Sayings.html

Of course many designers have saying canvases.  How about "Mermaid My Day" from CBK?
http://www.needlepoint.com/mermaid-my-day-19115.html

Or maybe Zecca's "Just Be Kind" will speak to you.
http://needlepointalley.com/site/?page_id=7#!/Just-Be-Kind/p/35573110/category=8327483

The sky's the limit when it comes to styles that word canvases come in as these postings by Pocket Full of Stitches of the range of sayings they had in the shop in July demonstrate.
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2016/07/christmas-in-july-letters-words-sayings.html

http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2016/07/christmas-in-july-letters-words-sayings_19.html

With all these sayings so popular, of course bloggers have talked about their current canvases and how they stitched them.  Suzanne in particular loves sayings canvases and has lots of great ideas for them.  She likes to use metallic and tent stitches for skinny lettering to make it pop off the background.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2016/04/rub-some-dirt-on-it.html

She loves large expanses of blank background so she can use complex, compound stitches in multiple threads there.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2016/05/mother-darling.html

And she just figured out a way to make the slightly larger words raised.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2016/05/exciting-new-stitch-for-lettering.html

 I'm sure I'll at least think about all these ideas as I start work on my new piece.  (Hint:  the color scheme of my new canvas is cream and lilac.)

I'll show you once I find stretcher bars and get it attached to them.

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

Three Ways to Name Your Stocking

Needlepoint for Fun shows three ways to add lettering to your stocking.
http://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/needlepoint-lettering.htm

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

What Is a Cipher and What's a Monogram? UPDATED

It never occurred to me that monograms were not just letters of the alphabet on a design until I read Mary Corbet's very helpful article on monographs, ciphers and initials. 
http://www.needlenthread.com/2014/08/initials-ciphers-monograms.html

UPDATE:  Needle Paint which creates a lot of custom belts with various styles of monograms talks about their favorite styles with lots of photo examples.
http://www.needlepaint.com/blog/2014/10/09/needlepoint-belt-monogram-ideas/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 14, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.