A Note About the July/August 2026 Needle Pointers Magazine

Melita writes a column for ANG's Needle Pointers magazine, which you get as part of your subscription to the American Needlepoint Guild.  Unfortunately, her latest article had to be moved so it won't be near another article on the same topic.  Just keep an eye out for September/October's issue so you get the full story.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2026/07/27/timeless-treasures-from-the-archives-in-the-july-august-2026-issue-of-needle-pointers-magazine/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright July 28, 2026 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Spellbound Stitchery Gets Real About Propelling a Business Forward

Spellbound Stitchery talks about growing pains once a new designer launches their business and then needs funding to make it grow more.

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

Small business owners are real heroes in my book.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 2, 2026 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

NJNA Speaks

The latest newsletters from the New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter of ANG are out.  Besides all the ANG chapter news, you'll learn that the Needlepoint.org website is having issues, ANG's National Seminar and their new online learning classes, bout new canvases and clubs, DMC's great new tote that comes with skeins of their new naturally dyed organic crewel wool, and of course try to guess who that famous needlepointer is.

https://blog.njneedleartists.org/2026/01/10/whats-happening-at-njna-1-10-26/

https://blog.njneedleartists.org/2026/01/24/whats-happening-at-njna-1-24-26/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright January 11, 2026 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Fiber Talk Interviews Sue Reed

You are in for a treat as Fiber Talk interviews Sue Reed.  It's an interesting interview that covers the problems of getting threads for inspiration and finding counted designs.

https://wetalkfiber.com/2025/07/26/fiber-talk-with-sue-reed-ii/

Here's Sue's website, if you are tempted to explore her charted work.

https://suereed.squarespace.com/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright July 27, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Textile History and On Female Education

Those interested in the history of needlework will be enthralled by Tricia Nguyen's latest article.  Basically, she lays out the problems she and other experts in needlework face in trying to battle the prejudices around the history of our art and what she is doing to combat these things.

https://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2025/07/on-female-education-new-article-in.html

How can you help Tricia?  Read her three articles in Textile History when they are published and available online, then talk about them.  Or you can buy the Winterthur article with her other article in it (Tricia includes a link) and show it to everyone you know.  Or both.

It's up to us to make ourselves and our stitching ancestors more visible for what they are/were, not what people assume they are/were.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright July 16, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Google Removes Another Important Page

Google has removed "Tutorials and Tips" from the section of important articles at the top of Blog.  I updated it with a new tutorial I found for textured hair, which triggers the "removed for Community Guideline violations" message.  No idea why this happens, but I suspect that Ai does the vetting now and it doesn't like old articles being updated with new information.  How to create hair using Tent Stitches on a Stick isn't violating any of the rules!  

Please be patient.  I've appealed the removal.  Normally it takes anywhere from 2 hours to a day for something to be restored but this is a holiday weekend.  Eventually it should return and you can learn how to do another hair style with your threads and canvas.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright May 26, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Google Strikes Again

If you are trying to look at the Monthly Clubs tab at the top of the page, you'll get an error message because Blogger has removed it for "violating Community guidelines."

What did I do?  I added a new link to a new monthly club.  That apparently triggers an automatic removal these days.  This has been happening for over a year now with any of my tabs with lots of links to needlepoint knowledge.  I update something, it gets removed for no real reason, I ask for the decision to be reviewed by a human (I think the removal is done by Ai), and it'll be restored later today.

So please be patient and try again late today or tomorrow.  

I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do about this.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 28, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Ai Fraud Comes for Handwork

I stumbled across this article about Ai-generated craft books today.

https://www.404media.co/bobbin-tatting-lace-ai-generated-books/

The focus of the article is on bobbin lace but I've heard there are stumpwork books that are Ai rip-offs now.  It's only a matter of time before this hits needlepoint.

Why is this a problem?  It's two-fold.  Most of these books are geared toward beginners who are given bad information.  And the people selling these books are unscrupulous; they are pretending to have knowledge they do not have.  They are using Ai to throw together books that often violate copyright to make cash without any thought for the person buying a book that's a fraud.

These Ai-generated books do a disservice to us all.  Keep an eye out for them and warn your stitching buddies when you stumble across one. Use social media and needlepoint websites and your favorite shop to find good books through personal recommendations from actual needlepointers.

Together we can keep this sort of thing at a minimum.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow 

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

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

Covering a Painted Canvas Entirely With Squares

Since Google has decided to remove this article for "violating community guidelines" after I added Mary Legallet's information to it, all I can do is attempt to rewrite it.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  I will continue to protest Google's decision but if they don't answer me, this is the best I can do.  If you have any idea why this would violate any rules, let me know.  

UPDATE:  Google has allowed this posting but not the (identical) posting in the tab.  ????

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

Bobbi Sher's "Orcas,"  printed design by Sandra Greba

The first person I saw do this technique is Brenda Hart.  A very creative stitcher, Brenda probably invented this technique before 2000.  (It is possible that dede Odgen used this technique early on as well but I don't know who was the first.  It could have been either of these inventive stitchers or it could have been they decided to do this simultaneously.) 
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/02/too-much-detail.html

You can find the stitch diagrammed as "Squares and Rectangles" in various sizes in Brenda's Stitches for the Millennium, pages 69-70.  

UPDATE:  Mary Legallet has diagrammed a version of Brenda's stitch on her blog.  She does a straight stitch between boxes.

https://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays/2024/07/31

Ruth Schmuff's posting about the technique on her blog includes a stitch diagram but you will have to adjust the size of the boxes to fit in your design.  You should not compensate at the edges.  You can find this stitch diagramed as "Squares-in-Square" in Ruth's iStitches Vol. 3.  "Four Way Hungarian" in Ruth's iStitches Vol. 4 is a much simpler version.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2016/10/bunny-bunny-bunny-2/

You will need a canvas with a lot of detail and a thin thread.  I believe Brenda Hart used gold Madeira  or Lacquered Jewels, but Ruth Schmuff has used Accentuate.  Other folks double the Accentuate to use two strands or go with size 4 Kreinik very fine braid.  You could also use a ply of silk but I don't think the look would be as interesting with a matte thread.  Bijoux might create a more muted sparkle.  In the portrait of her dogs below, Liz used four colors of Accentuate, each doubled in the needle.

Liz Watson's custom dog portrait from Nimble Needle, Atlanta

And of course any stitch will work in this technique, but the regularity of the boxes appeals to a lot of people.  It also looks great used on a set of canvases!   Amy Bunger shows off three Leigh Designs tropical fish done in this technique at the bottom of page 18 of her October/November 2017 shop newsletter. 
http://www.amysgoldenstrand.com/uploads/7/2/3/6/72364657/1017.pdf

Courtesy of The Needlepaint Nook

The Needlepaint Nook in Merrick, NY has a customer who did this airplane portrait all in one strand and color of Splendor.
https://www.facebook.com/TheNeedlepaintNook/photos/a.470083973113570.1073741835.371945012927467/1374103826044909/?type=3&theater

Many thanks to Linda and Bobbi and Liz for allowing me to post photographs of their designs using this technique!

You don't have to use the square within a square stitch.  Many others work just as well.  Proof courtesy of Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled!
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2018/05/its-all-in-the-interpretation/

Amy Bunger takes this technique further just like Ruth did when she used an all-over leaf stitch for a giraffe canvas.  You can see the diagram here.   You don't have to stick to boxes for an all over stitch, in other words!  Do what Amy did and choose a stitch than refers to the subject matter of the design.
http://www.amysgoldenstrand.com/uploads/7/2/3/6/72364657/0818.pdf

Amy Bunger followed up on her August 2018 newsletter (above) with a more in-depth exploration of using one stitch to completely cover a canvas.
http://www.amysgoldenstrand.com/uploads/7/2/3/6/72364657/1018.pdf

Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled worked a Kimberly Santini canvas of a little hamster trying on a crown.  Ruth used several open stitches on the canvas, each perfectly suited to their area.  It's a master class on using more than one open stitch on a design to enhance the original artist's intent.  Although this is more than one stitch, it's a good lesson on what is possible.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2018/08/the-hamster-has-her-tiara/

Sandra worked this design with the squares turned to make a diamond and put a Smyrna Cross in the center.  Worked in size 4 Kreinik braids.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/2213284882081991/

Nimble Needle shows off some Judaic canvases that look good covered in a patterned stitch and some blackwork books to help you choose the right pattern.
https://nimbleneedlenj.com/love-it-but-too-much-for-my-current-stress-level/

Sometimes the border needs to be done differently.  Linda handled it beautifully.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3615445115138896&set=gm.2909549872455485&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Barbara had a series of three Melissa Shirley designs covered in a blackwork pattern.  It looks fabulous.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/3309625155781286/?comment_id=3312574878819647&reply_comment_id=3319092214834580

Mary of Whimsical Stitch used this star pattern on a leopard canvas, changing colors in the Soie d'Alger and Petite Silk Lame Braid picked to stitch it.

https://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays/2022/06/01

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright August 2, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Google Strikes Again (AND AGAIN AND AGAIN)

Yesterday morning I added a link to Mary Legallet's latest blog article to my summary article on how to cover a painted canvas entirely in one stitch.  Here's the link-

https://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays/2024/07/31

In response, Google removed the article entirely, claiming it violated their policy.  Mary, have you been a very bad girl? 

Seriously, this is beginning to be a serious problem.  Google doesn't like educational articles with a lot of links and information, which is really what Blog is all about--educating needlepointers with information and links to articles that cover the issues needlepointers want to learn about.  

I have, as usual, protested this removal.  So far, I haven't gotten a response so if you click on "Covering a Painted Canvas Entirely With Squares," you'll get a notice that this article doesn't exist.  

Sorry, but Google is a huge bureaucracy, with odd rules and no accountability.  All I can do is try repost the article as a regular one and see if that works.  UPDATE: I tried that and Google removed the reposting a second time for "violating community guidelines."  ?????

I am protesting this.  Again.  

UPDATE:  I have deleted the original Cover a Canvas Entirely in Squares and added it as a new tab.  It was immediately removed.  I have protested that.  Again.  Sigh.

UPDATE #2:  Finally Google has decided that there's nothing that violates their community guidelines and allowed the new version of the Covering a Painted Canvas Entirely With Squares to go live.  I think the problem was the link to ask Google to review such a determination didn't work when I tried it originally.  In that case, copying the offending article, deleting the original, and reposting it again in an identical form was the only way to make the review happen.  It took nearly three days, mind.  I am still annoyed!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright August 2, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Google Strikes Again

This morning I updated the Monthly Clubs tab and Google (which owns the Blogger platform), promptly removed it for "violating community guidelines."  This has been happening for months now.  I can't tell what guideline has been violated or which specific link (there are thousands) has triggered this automatic problem, so I just ask for review of this decision.  Once humans gets their hands on it, whichever tab has been removed will be restored.

But until then, if you go to Monthly Clubs and it's missing, blame Google.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 13, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Breaking News: Publisher Error The Needlepoint Book

Jo Ippolito Christensen just had this posted to Facebook's Needlepoint Nation:

From Jo Ippolito Christensen, author of The Needlepoint Book:

By error, Amazon has sold an unknown number of copies of The Needlepoint Book with the color insert printed in black and white.

If you have one of those, Simon and Schuster will replace your book with a copy that has the color pictures.

Please contact:

meredith.vilarello@simonandschuster.com

We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

Please share this message so we can reach everyone one of these books. Thanks very much!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright February 10,  2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Is This A Problem?

Elizabeth over at Needlepoint Nation posted photos of her new spools of Kreinik, some of which look odd to her.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/6874086552668444/

It's not a problem.  It could be the thread was a bit off center when put on the spool or it could be that Kreinik's transition to using only the large size spool means some of the various sizes of threads don't quite cover the large spool any more.  For example, spools of number 4 braid have 11 meters on the spool, while number 8, 12 and 16 braid have 10 meters.  If you buy 24 braid, you get 5 meters.  You can see using one size spool for all threads means some spools aren't completely covered by the thread.

https://www.kreinik.com/store/new-spools

This greatly helps when buying spools, though.  Kreinik has been having problems buying all the different sizes they used to put their threads on.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright December 6, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Monthly Clubs Removed by Google UPDATE

Folks, the Monthly Clubs tab has been removed by Google for "violating community guidelines."

This is the 6th or 7th time this has happened since January, with Google targeting mostly the articles in tabs that contain plenty of reference material.  I have appealed this (of course) and if Google does what it has in the past, the article will soon be restored.

Until then, I am sorry that Monthly Clubs, which has plenty of daily visitors, is temporarily out of service.  Hopefully it won't be for long.  

UPDATE:  It took all day but now the Monthly Clubs are back!  Thanks, Google.  May I suggest you look at what your algorithm thinks is a problem before you remove it, not after?

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright August 31, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Fixing a Tent Stitch Over Two Intersections

Lori at Waste Knot shows how to fix a common mistake--creating a tent stitch over two intersections instead of one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuCuy3vA6gr/

She uses two tools:  A Stitcher's Best Friend and Waste Knot Scissors.  You can pick these up from Waste Knot (www.wasteknot.com) or find them elsewhere.  Needlepoint.com has a little video showing how they use the Stitcher's Best Friend on their website.

https://needlepoint.com/collections/needlepoint-accessories/products/rg1822

The Waste Knot scissors (no relationship to the shop Waste Knot) are from Rainbow Gallery and are curved to help cut stitches in ripping out.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1383992935/waste-knot-scissors-curved-blade

Thanks for the demo, Lori!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 28, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

This Morning's Excitement UPDATED

This morning's excitement has been the Monthly Clubs tab has been removed by Google for violated their community guidelines about spam.  Sigh.  I've requested a review.  We'll see if Google comes to their senses.  Sorry!

On the bright side, once Google deletes all of the tabs and (hopefully) restores them, this madness should end.  

UPDATE:  Google restored the Monthly Clubs tab and flagged my post about Amy Bunger's DVD sale.  So they are moving on from the major articles on Blog to short ones.  Sigh.  I wonder if they are using AI to look for problems.  If so, it's a big fail, folks.   (Both Monthly Clubs and Amy's sale articles were restored, thankfully.)

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 22, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Warning

For the fifth time this year, Blog has gotten a message from Google, the owner of this free blogging platform, that two of my postings has been flagged for review by Google for violating their Community Guidelines.  In these instances, Google removes the posting.  So if you click on a tab at the top of Blog or the CH Stitch Guides blog and there is nothing there, that's one of the flagged postings.

The two removals this morning were both for malware or viruses in some of the links.  Since there is no way I can check thousands of reference links for issues, all I can do is appeal the removal.  This morning the Monthly Clubs and the list of Stitch Guide Writers' contact information were removed.  Since I found the issue and appealed both removals, both articles have been restored.  

Since this is happening so frequently, I assume Google is now scanning blogs looking for malware or viruses or a troll is flagging my blogs to cause trouble.  All the postings that have been involved have been reference ones at the top of the two needlepoint blogs I maintain.  After I appeal the ruling, they have been restored which makes me think a troll is trying to cause issues.  Still, you should maintain anti-virus and anti-malware software on your devices as there could still be a problem lurking that I cannot detect.  

So far, all the flagged articles have been restored after I appeal, but I can see a time coming when Google will make it impossible for me to continue to maintain reference articles with links to many websites, videos and tutorials.  Stay tuned.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 16, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Three Needlepoint Problems (and Solutions)

Needlepoint.com's latest blog article lists three common problems needlepointers face with solutions.

https://needlepoint.com/blogs/needlepoint-know-how/3-common-needlepoint-mistakes-how-to-avoid-them?_kx=spGqMUEEs3Pe26tF9Jkghd_FvizqCNqZrcu-EtTsuNa-X-jY5kdJAFI_-tT2BvST.TxAVmM

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright September 27, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Suddenly Subscription to Blog Ends

I've heard from two different folks this week that suddenly their subscription to Blog has ended.  They want me to fix it.  Sorry to say, I cannot.  The behind-the-scenes workings of Blogger are off limits to those of us who use it.  When bugs appear, it's up to Google to fix them.

There are three things you can do.  First, try to resubscribe.  The drop down menu to Subscribe is 5/6 of the way down the home page of Blog, just below the big blue Blog with Integrity box.

Secondly, you can use an RSS feed reader.  I use Feedly but there are others.  These can be a little tricky to set up and you will need to have the URLs for all the websites you want to follow ready to copy/paste into the feed reader.  Note that blogs that are part of a website instead of being stand alone often don't work with feed readers.  

https://bloggingwizard.com/free-rss-feed-readers/

The easiest way around this if the subscription stops working and you can't get it to go again is to simply bookmark Blog's URL and visit daily.  Remember, once you visit Blog, you can click on the magic carpet photo in the right side column to automatically visit the CH Stitch Guides blog.  You can return to Blog the same way.  

https://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/

Sorry about this, folks, but it's not something I can do a thing about.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright September 14, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Finishing Problem (and Solutions)

Horse Country Chic talks the finishing dilemma, with a few solutions.

http://horsecountrychic.blogspot.com/2021/03/needlepoint-finishing-dilemma.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 31, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.