Finishing Friday: The Christmas Train is Bearing Down on Us!

Yes, finishing deadlines are upon us! And Christmas is rushing toward us like a runaway freight train.  After all, there are only 118 days until December 25!

Fortunately, some folks are ready.  Just wish it was me.
http://stephsstitching.blogspot.com/2014/08/i-think-you-are-going-to-forgive-me.html

http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-raymond-crawford-trunk-show-is.html

http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/08/vanessa-stitched-entire-12-days-of.html

http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/08/blog-post.html

http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2014/08/silly-silly-birds.html

 Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 1, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Friday Finishing: From Bunnies to Trains

The Young Needlepointer has been quite busy working up her rabbit design. It is amazing!   Not only is it dimensional, it is balanced in a folk art sort of way.   If this is what Casey does at camp, we all want to go along to that place!  (I think the rabbit is a Brenda Stofft design but I'm not certain.)  This isn't technically finished as it's not made up yet, but I thought you had to see this in case Casey doesn't get around to posting photos of the made up piece for a while.  
http://theyoungneedlepointer.blogspot.com/2014/06/over-month.html

Linda's also been busy.  She just got her wonderful Raymond Crawford Christmas train back from Marlene's.  The finishing is minimal but perfect.  Don't miss her little ice cream cart, either.  It's not ready for finishing but it is getting close.  Linda's going to be ready for Christmas 2014 in style!
http://splittheneedles.blogspot.com/2014/06/christmas-break.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright  June 10, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Halloween Train

Needle Orts Rides the Halloween Train

Last week Needle Orts sent me photos of their version of Raymond Crawford's Halloween train. They are fabulous!  This is the same set that Linda of Stitching Sisters is working on.
http://nystitchingsisters.blogspot.com/2013/10/latest-finish_27.html

What Linda doesn't tell you is that the darning stitch pumpkin background of the train engine shown above is worked in glow in the dark thread (Petite Silk Lame Braid).  It is guaranteed to glow spookily--the staff all crowded into the bathroom at Needle Orts and turned off the lights to test how it looked.  Fabulous!

The Dearly Departed Peeks Out a Window

Debbie told me the hearse car has two beads for the dearly departed and they also added the Undertaker and Family Member to the windows above.

The Spooky Caboose and Its Passengers

However, my personal favorite is the caboose canvas, with its pumpkins, candelabra and black cat riding along to the funeral.  What fun!

You can see the original unstitched canvases at Raymond Crawford's website.  Look for Halloween Part Three.  Needle Orts' website is the second link in case you want to buy a ticket for the stitch guides ride.
http://www.raymondcrawford.com/designs/halloween/

http://www.needleorts.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

RIding the Train to Needlepoint

Erin's blog Needlepoint Land is always different.  Unlike everyone else who posts about their stitching or their products, Erin takes us into flights of fancy. Today she takes us riding a Google search to see what we can find.   You can jump on the train at the Needlepoint Land stop at the link below.
http://needlepointland.com/2013/10/24/last-train-to-needlepointville/

By the way, thanks for the nice compliment about Blog, Erin.  I wonder if Beloved will get me a conductor's cap for Christmas?  LOL

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Finishing Friday (Halloween Edition)

With Halloween getting closer, I thought this week's Finishing Friday should be all about Halloween. Want to see all the wonderful finished pieces in Pocket Full of Stitches' shop and window displays?  (And there's a bit of Christmas included for those who aren't into spooks and candy and trick or treating.)
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2013/09/halloween-window-and-tree-of-tags.html

More Christmas and Halloween finishing, this time courtesy of the Stitching Sisters.
http://nystitchingsisters.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-and-christmas-finishing.html

Do you love trains and Halloween?  This beautifully finished Raymond Crawford train is heading towards your station courtesy of The Needlepointer.
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2b1a4dafdf1ba6e29e773aa79&id=f7c9f883c6&e=73961ee0ea

Diane is decorating for Halloween.  The finishing is wonderful!
http://www.dianestakingtimeouttoneedlepoint.com/2013/09/halloween-time-is-here.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Needlepoint Train

With the popularity of blogs, you can watch quite a few stitchers work their painted canvases and pick up tips and ideas from each one. However, I've never seen anyone blog-stitch a locomotive before!
http://threadmedley.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/vintage-locomotive-progress-1/

I'll update this article as Jan stitches so you can see the train being born on canvas.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Like a Freight Train

With the holidays barreling down on us like a runaway freight train, I thought you'd like to see Raymond Crawford's latest design, a Halloween train. Isn't it cute?
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2011/11/train.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

River Silks, Stitch Guides and Other Things

Duke Designs

Yesterday I managed more tent stitches on Cha's background.  I really need to surround her wings with background stitches before I continue the feathery stitches, so it has been a dull few days for Blog readers and myself.  However, I did manage to write a bit about River Silks stitch guides on the Stitch Guides Blog.

You'll have to head over there to read about the silk ribbon embroidery guides for painted canvases that they provide free for painted canvases from a huge range of designers.  By the way, the illustration for this blog posting is a photo of the marvelous silk ribbon embroidery piece I saw at Woodlawn and loved last March.  The canvas is from Keri Designs and was stitched entirely in River Silks ribbons by Lynn Krynicki Bayer.  It's a large piece, probably 3 feet tall and a foot wide, and marvelous in person.  Sadly, there isn't a stitch guide for it.  Perhaps River Silks will release one.  It's really beautiful and unusual.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2010/07/river-silks-ribbon-painted-canvas.html

Here is the Keri Designs website.  Green Bamboo is in the Eastern Collection if you are interested.
http://keridesigns.com/needlepoint.php

I'm half-way through writing a second article for Stitch Guides blog that I hope to have ready tomorrow morning.  Stay tuned!

On other news, if you love angels, you'll want to keep up with what Judy Harper is doing on her blog.  Judy's digging through her archives, looking at older angel designs she has done and creating new ones.  Start here and then just browse back a few pages.  Every time you see an angel photo, stop and read.  I'm particularly fond of the Art Nouveau angel (July 15, 2010) but you may find your own angel (the Iris Angel of April 18th is lovely) among Judy's photos.
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/

Judy is doing all this work in preparation for creating new angel designs on painted canvas.  The Heavenly Angels currently available for sale are on her Elegant Whimsies website.
http://elegantwhimsies.com/joomla/
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/

Of course some of us find masculine canvases more to our taste (or the tastes of those we stitch presents for).  If so, you'll love seeing the Planes, Trains and Automobiles canvases PFOS has to offer.  There are some real classics here!
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2010/07/planes-trains-and-automobiles.html



Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow