A Quick Stitchly Demo

If you are curious about software used to create your own needlepoint chart, you'll want to watch the short video that Vintage Point Finds posted to Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTTf4k_kyuI/

Once you have your design, you have to transfer it to needlepoint canvas. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTggmHQDe5n/

Stitchly was created for cross stitch so you can't diagram fancy stitches with it.  Here is their website if you want to explore more.

https://stitchly.com/

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.

The Stitch Sloth

Stitch Sloth is organizational software for needlepointers.  You can organize and track projects and post progress photos.  There is a stash inventory system, too.  Plus you can connect with other stitchers and find shops in an area that support your crafting needs.  

https://stitchsloth.com/welcome-to-stitch-sloth-your-ultimate-needlepoint-companion/

Fiber Talk interviewed the company on their podcast so you can hear more about Stitch Sloth and how it works, what it costs, etc.

https://wetalkfiber.com/2025/03/30/fiber-talk-with-ilene-nebrasky-of-stitch-sloth/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow 

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 24, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Art of Harvey Kravis

Today we have an online art exhibit featuring the work of Harvey Kravis, who loves interpreting art through needlepoint. Harvey's first original piece was a backgammon board designed when he was in college.  Several years later he designed and completed a piece based on a Jack Daniels label in his mid-20s.  It took three months for him to chart it on graph paper, since it involved complex lettering and many curlicues (with plenty of pencil erasing along the way). Courtship, marriage, and two kids led to a break of 27 years before designing again, resulting in the King of Spades, otherwise known to him as “the Flat King”

Harvey normally uses a 27 inch wide scroll frame --he's used the same one for fifty years!-- as many of his "masterpiece" projects are very big and can take as long as 3-4 years to complete.  He works with Paternayan and Appleton tapestry wools and now uses Stitchcraft software to chart the art masterpieces.  He generally stitches an average of one and a half hours a day.  Some days he does much more; some less.  The number of color changes involved in a section mean that sometimes he will only get 20 stitches done in an hour.  Other times he can do 200-300 stitches an hour if everything is one color.  Harvey says the key is to organize the threads by color number in plastic baggies so it's easy to find the color that he needs to work with next.  

I asked Harvey if he ends a thread after he finishes with that color or if he slides the thread under the stitched area toward the next place where that color will be used.  He answered, "I snake under nearby stitches every time I switch colors. I use a single needle for the entire project. It’s constantly an optimization issue to figure out what the next stitch should be. If I don’t put some strategy/thought into it I will waste yarn. If I have to skip more than 8-10 stitch positions I will snake and cut."

If you have a Facebook account, you can browse some of Harvey's work on his FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1380025067852&type=3

If you have plenty of time, watch this 2022 YouTube video presentation about his work, which includes the things he learned from stitching, how he organizes his threads, why frames are important to his stitching and an explanation of the StitchCraft software he uses to graph the designs before he starts stitching.  The presentation was to a mainly Chinese-speaking audience in the Boston area.  You can skip the introduction in Mandarin and English by starting the video at the 5:00 mark.  I would encourage you to listen to the questions at the end as you'll learn a lot about the challenges in creating these large designs for stitching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkMP-WX_03g

The framer Harvey talks about in the video is Picture Yourself! in Massachusetts.  Here is their website.

https://www.pictureyourselfgallery.com/

If you want to learn more about StitchCraft (Windows operating systems only), you can explore their website.  Remember Harvey's warning that the software underestimates the amount of yarn needed for very large pieces!

https://stitchcraft.info/

I asked Harvey what he's working on now.  He's tackling Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte."  WHEW.

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27992/a-sunday-on-la-grande-jatte-1884

Many thanks to Harvey for allowing me to bring his needlepoint to Blog's readers.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 2, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Using Stitchly to Graph Letters

The Nashville Needlepointer has posted a short video on Instagram that demonstrates using Stitchly to graph out lettering.

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

Stitchly is an app made for cross stitch.  You can use it to graph out simple letters as Lita the Nashville Needlepointer does above, or you can turn a photo into a cross stitch chart keyed to DMC or Anchor cotton floss.  It's Apple only, so you can only use it on iPhones or iPads.  

https://stitchly.com/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright February 25, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

ThreadBook

Amy posted to NP Nation that she really likes ThreadBook for keeping track of her thread stash.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/5103831073027343/

I found another review here--

http://www.onlinesewing.com/threadbook.html

It's available for $14.99 USD on both the Apple and Google Play app stores.  Check for compatibility with the devices you use and read the reviews carefully before you buy.  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright May 20, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Tablet Holder From K's UPDATED

Brenda invested in a new tablet holder from K's Creations for her metal floor stand.
https://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2018/01/tablet-holder-for-floor-stand-1518.html

This has been available for a while. I was able to find a better photograph at BeStitched.  If you use your tablet (or a larger phone) a lot while you stitch, you'll want to check this out.  Looks like you can hold the table in either the landscape or portrait position and have it high or low, whatever works with your stitching chair.
https://bestitchedneedlepointshop.com/products/ks-metal-frame-tablet-holder

UPDATE:  Jan has one and says it is very easy to assemble. She's also found PDF reader software that allows her to highlight the areas of a chart she has finished.  Clever!
https://threadmedley.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/a-new-toy/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 5, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.