Lady with Lime Green Background: A Mystery (Plus Red Head on Teal)

The Winter 2020 mystery class at Bedecked and Beadazzled is going to be all about this lovely Lady with a Lime Green Background from Colors of Praise.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2019/12/lady-with-lime-green-background/

As Ruth works her magic, I'll update this article so you can follow along.

UPDATES:  The first area Ruth tackled is the face.  Check out the special touches that brought all that tent stitch to life.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/01/faces-and-details/

Next, Ruth created wallpaper for the background.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/01/wallpaper/

Now she tackles the hair and the flower in the lady's hair.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/02/the-curls/

The next areas are her patterned clothes and headband.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/03/patterns/

The patterns on her clothes have sequins!
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/04/sequins/

The peacock feather is beaded and the leaves in her hair are doing with short lengths of metal threads.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/04/stumpwork/

Here's a video to try and show the sparkle on this piece.
https://www.facebook.com/ruth.schmuff/videos/4252873121393353/

Ruth is also doing the companion piece of a lady with red hair on a teal background.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/03/a-new-lady/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright December 16, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Holiday Mystery: Girl with a Deer

Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled has just announced the holiday mystery for 2019: Blu My Pink Turtle's "Girl with a Deer."  The details are on Ruth's blog.  As usual, I'll update this as Ruth posts about each lesson.  It's always fun to see what she comes up with.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2019/10/holiday-mystery-class/

Ruth's posted a hints video about lesson one.
https://www.facebook.com/bedeckedandbeadazzled/videos/500312040562072/

The first lesson is all about the deer.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2019/11/sweetness-overload/

Now we have the little girl stitched and snow on the tree.  AND Ruth posted a video to teach us how to ruche Petite Frosty Rays.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2019/12/what-a-cutie-pie/

She's done!  That background is fabulous!
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2019/12/shes-finished/

Now we eagerly await a photo of this piece finished as a standup.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2021/12/sparkly-shiny-holidays/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright October 26, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Favorites from Destination Dallas 2019

Speaking of BUY IT NOW, I've had lots of fun looking at the latest new designs that were revealed at Destination Dallas last week.  As usual, I have favorites and I've been looking at trends.

"Beach Happy" from Melissa Prince

It seems lamas and dogs are very popular now.  I've seen lots of new dog canvases.  The above is my favorite from Melissa Prince, but she has several others available, including a hilarious mystery lovers dachshund that I call "Baskerville."
https://stitchtherapyneedlepoint.com/feature.php?id=59266&title=Mystery%20Lover%20Dachshund&itemtype=hand%20painted%20canvases

Ehrman has lots of fun new dog kits from Magie Hollingworth (second link below shows just one of many)...
https://www.melissaprincedesigns.com/dogs.html

http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/Products/Magic__MAGYT.aspx#.XX-seS2ZN3k

…and Pippin has a wonderful black lab.
https://www.theneedlepointer.com/product/black-lab-6/

"Peruvian Reindeer Sweater" from Tapestry Fair 

This Tapestry Fair llama is a charmer.  There are two others in the series.
http://www.tapestryfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=1

Designer Unknown

Birds and Halloween continue to be big themes.  This wonderful crow piece with tropical drinks (designer unknown) made me smile.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.shop/shop/c/p/Crow-Bar-x42937396.htm

Owl with Birds, Mary Lake-Thompson of Melissa Shirley Designs

I like this birds canvas a lot, don't you?  This is from Mary Lake-Thompson, distributed by Melissa Shirley.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/gallery/?bsn=1&fbclid=IwAR1WOhH6nSFrq2p5TDIc4HpSQKNMJa1LZaVFOM5pQWzfFqb3ZnolW_b_wZs

The Owl from Sandra Gilmore

I love this owl.  It appears to be from Sandra Gilmore of Once in a Blue Moon Designs/Fleur de Paris.  Lots of personality in this bird!
https://www.facebook.com/nestndlpt/photos/pcb.2667027780008491/2667026920008577/?type=3&theater

3K's White Fox Ornament

I also love 3K Design's fox canvas.  There is so much you can do in this small space!
https://needlepoint.com/collections/destination-dallas-2019/products/3k-designs-white-fox-ornament

Amanda Lawford/Vallerie Needlepoint Gallery

Dragons of course are classics.  This Chinese New Year Dragon is from Amanda Lawford of Vallerie Needlepoint Gallery.
https://www.stitchbystitchneedlepoint.com/product-page/amanda-lawford-dragon-al037-vng

Love You More 

Personally I love stitching people and I really like this Love You More angel.  She's perfect.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2662677637117632&set=pcb.2458556114221532&type=3&theater

Colors of Praise

This small Colors of Praise portrait reminds me of a dear friend.
https://bestitchedneedlepointshop.com/collections/destination-dallas-2019/products/in236

Face Cards, DJ Designs

This stylized playing card is fun!  I know a lot of folks are intimidated by stitching people but these from the playing cards series would be an easy stitch.  There are quite a few in the set.  Designer is DJ Designs, courtesy of my spies!
https://www.facebook.com/189965167681135/photos/pcb.3254438184567136/3254437461233875/?type=3&theater

Mary Lake-Thompson's "Halloween Pumpkin Hat"

I also really like this Mary Lake-Thompson piece of a witch with her red-winged blackbird and decorated hat.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/galsearch/index.cgi?index=1568489441_51601&col=

Gayla Elliott/The Collection Designs

The new portraits by Gayla Elliott (The Collection Designs) are wonderful.  I think these are all six inches square so they wouldn't be too big to work on.  It's hard to choose one!

Asian Woman, Colors of Praise

But I think this is my very favorite canvas of all I've seen.  It s from Colors of Praise.
https://www.facebook.com/needlehearts18900/photos/pcb.1174336346086547/1174337249419790/?type=3&theater

If you can identify the designer of the folks I can't, please let me know.  Leave a comment below or email me at chillyhollow at hot mail dot com.  Thanks!

UPDATE:  Many thanks to Carolyn Hedge Baird for helping me credit designers.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 16, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

World Embroidery Day

Harriet reminds us that today is World Embroidery Day by showing off her needlepoint canvas from Judy and Company.  Let's celebrate and stitch!
https://harrietalonso.com/2018/07/27/celebrate-world-embroidery-day-july-30/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 28, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Stitching People: Inspiration from the Masters

Chris Tirey Does Lani Ballgown

I don't know about you, but I love stitching people.  So when I noticed these photographs posted on Facebook last month, I wanted to share the fabulous hair and clothing that the masters of needlepoint embellishment are stitching these days.  Starting in alphabetical order, what you see above is Chris Tirey of Nimble Fingers in Houston stitching a Lani ball gown.  The light coverage background, the random placement of sequins for sparkle and the masterful bow all make this a wonderful piece.
http://nimblefingerstx.com/NimblefingersTx.com/Welcome.html

http://www.lanisneedlepoint.com/pd-5e-formal-gown-5.aspx

Lani Stitches her Leopard Evening Coat

Speaking of Lani, Lani herself is a masterful stitcher.  Check out this Leopard Evening Coast stitched by Lani herself with a touch of fur on the collar and hem.  Once again the light coverage background is terrific but what makes this special is the leopard coat's luxury and the fur trim, not to mention the two borders.  This design is new for Fall 2016, by the way.
http://www.lanisneedlepoint.com/ec-1b-leopard-evening-coat.aspx

Kathleen Stitching Santa Using Mark Young's Guide

Mark Young of Labors of Love is also a master of design and stitching.  In the photo above you see Kathleen's stitching Labors of Love's Red Stand Up Santa using Mark's stitch guide.  The beard is a masterpiece of shape and movement and contrasts nicely with Santa's clothing.  This piece is a four-sided tear drop that finishes into a Christmas standup.  You can see all the pieces on the Labors of Love website.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/santas-and-snowmen.html

Madame Pompadour, Stitched From Tony Minieri's Guide

Our last inspirational piece is also a Labors of Love design, stitched using a guide from Tony Minieri.  This is a limited edition canvas titled "Madame Pompadour."  It has magnificent greenery and a background pillar that work perfectly with the dress.  It is exceptionally hard to attach dimensional pieces to a canvas and achieve a balanced look but Tony's student did a terrific job with this.  Labors of Love designs a limited number of canvases with the china faces and hands to be attached when the stitching is finished.  This piece is sold out but you can see other limited edition figures on the Labors of Love website.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/limited-editions.html

By the way, this is the 2017 Limited Edition figure from Labors of Love.  There are only ten.  Place your order now.
https://www.facebook.com/236197349333/photos/a.477851644333.261602.236197349333/10154893875159334/?type=3&theater

Hope you enjoyed seeing what masters of embellished needlepoint canvas can do with the human figure.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 5, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Lady in the Bath

I didn't know Etsy had a blog until today when I stumbled across this "short story" on it.   Let me introduce you to the Lady in the Bath.
https://blog.etsy.com/en/2012/short-stories-the-lady-in-the-bath/

The Lady in the Bath pillow is still available.  She belongs to the Etsy store called 
KasiaUrbanRybska and appears to be of Polish origins.  Click on the shop name in the right hand column to see more.https://www.etsy.com/listing/87664551/handmade-artcraft-needlepoint-lady-in?ref=storque

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 31, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Do It Yourself Stitch People Book

I stumbled across a mention of this cross stitch design book on Facebook. It's a mix and match faces, skins, hairstyles, etc. book intended for cross stitch but if you don't mind the pixelated style, this would be a fun way to create personalized people in Christmas ornaments or to teach kids to stitch their families.  There are also cats and dogs in many breeds to add your pets to the family portrait and there is an alphabet to use to label everything or add your family name or catch phrase.  You can get a glimpse inside the book by clicking on the various photos.
http://stitchpeople.com/products/cross-stitch-pattern-design-book

The StitchPeople company also does custom portraits and kits for those who want some of the work taken out of the process.
http://stitchpeople.com/collections/all

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 3, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.