So Much Beauty, So Little Time

I haven't done anything more on Fan--too busy at night--but I have been thinking about all the great new designs showing up on other stitching blogs. And it raised a question in my mind.

Just how do you choose a design for your stash? There are so many choices! We are really very lucky in that there are so many designers making beautiful things for us, but that means somehow we have to decide which new thing will join the collection. How does one decide?

I keep a list of things that I like. If I consistently over time admire a design, it stays on the list. Sometimes I will like something because so many other folks like it. If there's a lot of email chatter about a design, if it shows up in a lot of online shops, if a lot of my friends are stitching it, well, it shows up on the list. But then it has to stand the test of time. If I start to lose interest, it comes off the list.

Then I have to think about cost. Resources aren't unlimited here in CH and I have a stitching budget that I don't exceed. I watch for items on my list and when something comes up on sale someplace, then that's the decision point. Do I want to buy it?

I use several criteria in choosing whether to spend at this point. Do I own a similar design already? If so, doesn't matter how much of a deal it is, I won't buy it. I don't want to repeat myself.

Do I have a lot of ideas about how to stitch it? Is is a good place to try something new I want to learn about? Does it seem to whisper to me? Is it something I have fallen in love with? Will that love last?

Now that I have Blogs, I have a responsibility to readers. Is this new thing going to showcase something that blog readers are likely to be interested in? Does it illustrate how to do something that folks want to know? Is it large enough (but not too large) to work on publicly? People lose interest in large pieces in my opinion but you do need to have more than 1-2 postings on a project.

Finally, is this something I want for my own house or to give as a present for a loved one? Or to donate to the ANG Auction (a favorite charity of mine)? The final piece needs to have a home beyond a drawer, after all!

How do you choose?

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If more convenient, visit my main blog at
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Brenda Is A Purple Tulip UPDATED

If you don't read the blogs that NP designers and shop owners have, you are missing out on some great information and inspiration.

How about Ruth Schmuff's idea to have a Sandra Gilmore floral design painted based on some of Ruth's friends and colleagues? Brenda Hart is represented by a purple tulip! To see the canvas and read about other "flowers" look for the 4/5/08 entry here.

http://tistheseason.org/blog/ruthsBlog.html

Speaking of inspiration, check out what Rosalyn Cherry-Soleil has to say to her Flight of Fancy cyberclass students and to us about stitching.

http://www.stitchamaze.com/cyber_class_thoughts.html

The photo above is from a Leigh Designs canvas of three Japanese masks. Rosalyn is stitching this, with progress photos on her website. Check this one out and also several other large pieces she has underway here.

http://www.stitchamaze.com/work_in_progress.html

Finally, watch Laura Perin design a new sampler on her website. I love the small, smaller, large and largest primrose patterns!

UPDATE: Laura has added a second design in a spring and autumn version on her blog. It's fascianting to see how she changes a rose to a grape, a willow leaf to a grape leaf, tosses in beads and changes colors and Poof! You have something totally different.

http://two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com/

Inspiration is all over the Internet if you know where to look.

Dog Show

Last night I finished stitching Fan's hair and worked on the broad yellow border. I'm happy to report that three sides of the border are finished. Only the bottom remains but it'll be a bit tricky as I need to compensate for the one thread less in the paint job. This, naturally, makes for not exactly riveting blogging--stitch over four threads three times, turn, stitch over four threads three times, turn, repeat endlessly--so here's a parade of dog portraits from Squiggee's blog. Aren't they great? Each dog seems to have a different personality. These are real dogs, not generic representatives of the breed.

http://www.squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/

Squiggee is the painted canvas designer Gail Hendrix, whose work you have seen on The Point of It All's beautiful and classic canvases. Gail has started using up the leftover canvas from her larger pieces for fun little ornaments under the Squiggee name. You can see Gail's work here. Please note that although she does a backup blog like I do, her two blogs are not identical. She often posts one picture in the 360 blog and illustrates the same blog entry in the Blogspot blog with a different photo. To get the full Gail experience, check both places. And if you didn't get here right on time, look for the April 13 blog entry.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-OB4LKpQiarOD7lr5svmEAE1LT3DQ

http://www.squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://www.thepointofitallonline.com/

Anybody got treats for the dogs?

Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article April 2008

Time to pour your favorite beverage, unplug the phone, settle down in your favorite chair--we're going to look at laying tools!There's been an explosion of new styles of laying tools for our stitching pleasure. The most expensive and probably most beautiful a stitcher might use are the glass ones. They come with a lifetime repair warranty and you can also purchase a bracelet to keep your glass laying tool safe but ready for use.

http://www.stitchelegance.com/Laying%20Tools/laying_tools.htm

These are made by the glass artist Michael Ernst. His website has more photos of laying tool colors. Note that he also makes glass crochet hooks and knitting needles. Also, under What's New he has a new hook tool and lovely floral buttons.

http://glasspens.com/layingtools.html

You may have heard of the mellore, which is an English goldwork tool for handling real metal threads. It's sterling silver, fairly expensive, and although you can use it as a laying tool, that's not really what it does. It is designed to punch holes and hold real metal threads in place while they are couched down or bent. Here's a photo.

http://www.berlinembroidery.com/mellore.htm

You can buy a stainless steel "mellore" from M's Canvashouse for $40 less.

http://mscanvashouse.com/shop/product509.html

As we've seen above, laying tools come in all sorts of materials. The wooden ones are both comfortable to hold and very pretty. The metal ones are unsurpassed when it comes to laying silk flosses. These two websites have a variety of laying tools shown with brief descriptions.

http://www.berlinembroidery.com/tools.htm#blt

http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Display_Case/DC_Laying_Tools_Items.html

The metal Best Laying Tool (also called the BLT) was designed by Shay Pendray. It's very similar to the Japanese Tekobari except is a bit shorter and is less expensive. You can buy it in a gold-plated version now. Some folks prefer the feel of the gold version or think it prettier. The tip of the gold plated BLT is not gold, however.Rainbow Gallery distributes a very nice metal laying tool in a wooden holder and case called the Rainbow Laying Tool. If you like how wooden laying tools feel, but want the more pointed tip of a metal laying tool, this might be the one for you. The wooden case goes over the metal tip when this isn't in use. The set is expensive, but less than buying a laying tool and a wooden case for it separately. The wood each case is made from varies. Two examples are below.

http://www.homesteadneedlearts.com/detail.cfm?ID=59

http://www.a-z-needlepoint.com/products/rainbowlaying.shtml

You can buy regular lovely turned wooden laying tools here as well as a wooden case for your tekobari or BLT. They also sell bracelet-laying tool combos.

http://www.firesidestitchery.com/FIRESIDE/FSgeneralpages/woodaccessory.htm

These wooden laying tools come in a black tube for storage. Note that you can use the awl if you want a shorter laying tool.

http://www.turn-of-the-century.com/embr.htm

If you are into bling, you can buy beaded wooden laying tools.

http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NN&Product_Code=6738

or Tiny URL

http://tinyurl.com/5rg7gp

Bone laying tools are made from cow bone. I suspect they are a replacement for ivory laying tools. Ivory is a banned substance to protect elephants now, but you might find an antique ivory laying tool. These are all carved and very pretty.

http://www.flyingneedle.com/acatalog/Laying_Tools.html

You might want to use a bone needle if you are undecided whether to actually invest in a laying tool. I have one that is three inches long, not four as in this example.

http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=E09-00-00&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=6745

or Tiny URL

http://tinyurl.com/5kr89r

You can also use the large needles used in plastic canvas embroidery or just the largest tapestry needle you can find. I've found a big plastic needle for kids at crafts stores which works just fine in emergencies (but these often have ridges that might not do well with silk or other tender threads). I often pick up my size 18 needle and use the eye end as a laying tool when I have one stitch to straighten.

Hummingbird House makes a pewter laying tool. It's called the Elizabethen laying tool. It is the longer, slimmer laying tool in this photo. The fish-shaped item is actually an awl but it can be used as a laying tool if you like shorter laying tools.

http://www.robinsnestdesigns.com/detail.cfm?ID=130

http://www.stitching.com/stitcherysquare/needlaccess.htm

Their Celtic Laying Tool is actually a fancy trolley needle made of pewter.

http://www.robinsnestdesigns.com/detail.cfm?ID=123

Trolley needles and thimble laying tools are metal laying tools that fit over a finger. These are particularly good for folks who don't want to hold a laying tool. You've already seen a fancy pewter trolley needle. Here is the basic version. You wear it on a finger or thumb with the needle side on top or bottom as you prefer. You can squeeze the open sides a bit for a better fit.

http://store.apneedlearts.com/trolleyneedle.html

Grip-it Plus makes the thimble laying tool called The Perfect Stitch. It's essentially a thimble with a needle attached to the side and the top cut off. You'll need to know your thimble size for the finger you plan to wear it on to get a good fit.

http://www.needlepointtooltime.com/product/005

Zecca makes clay handle laying tools in fun colors and shapes. I am dying to actually try one of these out. I buy laying tools according to the feel in my hand. I like a shorter tool and need something that isn't heavy. It's a good idea to hold any laying tool you plan to buy to check if it is too fat/thin/long/short for your own hand size and the grip you exert.

http://www.zecca.net/products/layingtools.html

Now that you are curious, here's how to use a laying tool, with a photo of stitches done with and without a laying tool.

http://www.kaleidostitch.com/content%20pages/Tips/laying%20tool.htm

I find laying tools an essential in my NP toolkit. I have a great variety that I use and switch tools if one doesn't seem to be handing a certain thread well. I also change them according to how tired/hot/cold I am. I am thrilled there is this much choice in such an important aid to our stitching and hope you enjoying picking out a laying tool for yourself.

Fan's Do-Over

Last night I managed to pull myself together enough to rip out the yellow edging on Fan's left sleeve. Then I restitched it. If you look at yesterday's photo, you can compare the look of the slant I used today to the one I tried yesterday that I didn't like. The moral of all this is to use your pencil on your copy of your canvas. If I'd done this, I would have had a better idea of how to orient the long stitches.

I also pulled out a few of the border stitches right under Fan's geta sandals. The bottom edge of the border is one thread narrower than the top. So unlike Butterfly (the other Asian girl in the set) Fan's border is not the same on all four sides. This is fine, my stitch is easy to compensate and the compensation along the bottom won't be noticeable, but I forgot this was the case when I put the stitches in around her feet. So they came out also but I ran out of time to restitch this area.

I also stitched the rest of Fan's hair. The side near her cheek is almost done. The stitching's done but somehow I need to add a bit more of my black Soy Fiber there to build it up to look like the slightly poofy top of her head. So this isn't quite finished but it is close.

I hope to work on the border and background tonight and perhaps finish the stitch on her kimono.