Goldfish Bubbles

I added bubbles to the goldfish canvas Monday night. These came with the canvas and I placed them about where they originally were attached to the canvas. I believe Gail said they were Austrailian pearls. The colors vary and are quite pretty.

Now everything is done but the finishing. However, since I have several pieces to finish, it will be a bit before this is really done.

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Other Needlepoint Blogs

My Blogspot blog allows me to both list needlepoint blogs I follow and show titles of updated entries made to them. I added that function a week or so ago and hope that someday I'll be able to use something similar on the more extensive blog list at my main Yahoo 360 blog (link below).

Blogs are a lot of fun to read, particularly on the days when I am too tired to stitch but still want some NP content in my life. They are a constant source of knowledge for me and I thought you might like to hear about some special things I've read on other blogs recently.

Do you love blackwork? Do you love mystery pieces where you start stitching and have no clue what the final design will look like? If so, do I have a blog for you! Laura Perin, whose beautiful and stylish blog I follow religiously, is going to do a mystery blackwork piece. You can read about this free (!!!) and fun project here. I am swamped with things to stitch with deadlines but you can bet I'll be watching Laura's mystery blackwork piece develop from the sidelines.

http://two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com/2008/07/stitch-with-me.html

Janet Perry and I have different tastes and styles of needlepointing but her blog is always worth keeping an eye on. She turns up fascinating gems like this one about the late Sol Kent and his elegant geometric NP on a style blog.

http://thepeakofchic.blogspot.com/2008/07/sol-kent-and-his-sophisticated.html

Are you tempted to try your own finishing of small ornaments? Then Pat in NC is going to be your new best friend! Pat explains in the link below how she finished a wonderful little Squiggee bird ornament and mounted it on a post. If you click on "Squiggee's Birds" in the Labels List column on the right you will see all Pat's blog entries about the birds. (Remember to click on Older Posts to continue reading.) Aren't they NEAT?! If you want to try this, visit Squiggee's website and pick out birds of your own (second link below).

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2008/07/details-on-peach-delight-and-squiggees.html

http://www.squiggeedesigns.com/

Are you sick of cutsey NP? Do all those Christmas designs make you want to throw up? Are you tired of fancy stitches and fancier threads? Are you looking for guy stuff to stitch? Meet John Young and his Nerdlepoint! His original designs are all inspired by his strong design sense. I enjoy visiting his blog very much to see his NP and read about other interests in his life. The second link below talks about why we do what we do and it's a great read to end this blog entry with.

http://www.tikaro.com/2008/07/boxcar-alligator-needlepoint-p.html

http://www.tikaro.com/2007/12/moments-of-grace-through-chick.html

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Water Stitch

As you can see in the above photo, all the water is finished. I used David McCaskill's water stitch from the ANG website.

http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2003/mar.php

If you have trouble seeing the blue silk and metallic stitches behind the goldfish, this canvas that The Bristley Thistle just finished has water stitch at the bottom.

http://bristlythistle.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/small-needlepoint-projects/

Had lots of trouble with it as diagrammed, though, so I worked the stitch by turning the goldfish on his head and turning the directions ninety degrees also. This made the stitch / and \ slants with tent and reverse tent stitches. Here's a diagram of how I worked.


First, I worked all the / stitches shown in black. I did them in horizontal rows. Next, I worked the \ green stitches, also in horizontal rows. Then I did the red tent stitches (you guessed it--in horizontal rows) and followed that with my orange reverse tent stitches.

This made more sense to me but everyone is different. David's original diagram of this stitch may make much more sense to you. Thanks, Anne, for the tip about turning the instructions and canvas on their side! It really helped me.

The last step is attaching the pearls that Squigee included with the canvas. Thanks, Gail! This has been a delight to stitch!

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The First Stitching Whimsy

Two Sundays ago I introduced the Stitching Whimsies, a group of people who gather at Queen Anne Stitches in Santa Clarita, CA to stitch weekly on the same design. They each interpret their own canvas their own way, but they have a blast doing it. The Whimsies are going to visit Blog about twice a month to talk about their Stitching Club canvases. Stitching Club is a design by Melissa Shirley that is 8 inches tall by 15 inches wide on 18 count canvas. Here is our first Whimsy stitcher, Sharon Quickstitcher!

By the way, the link below has the plain canvas of the Stitching Club at the top of the page and also shows other variations on this charming design.

http://www.melissashirleydesigns.com//gallery/?cat=74

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“I am the first of our Thursday stitching group to complete the Stitching Club by Melissa Shirley. My Stitching Whimsies are going to a party!! They are all dressed up in their best clothes, and have fun things for the party to eat and drink, as well as needlepoint canvases to stitch.

I stitched in the background first, as I thought I would have to count through the ladies, and indeed I was glad I planned for that. The background is a Pavilion stitch in #12 perle cotton.

Ms Red on the left has hair of mock twisted bullions using 2 ply Burmilana. Her fancy shirt is Neon Rays Plus with boucle at the collar and sleeves. I decided that too many of the shirts had dots, so changed it completely with these stripes built into the pattern. Her pants are Burmilana tweed couched with cord so that the shading shows through. She’s carrying a Neon Rays bag with Silk Ribbon flowers, and a flower bead. I obtained tiny scissors at a miniature shop and charm scissors at a bead shop. Her chicken canvas is stitched in Fuzzy Stuff.

Ms Chartreuse (second from left) has a hairdo in long French knots. She has a Swarovski crystal earring, and tiny chain necklace with Swarovski bead. Her needle is a #28 that I shortened by cutting it off and tacking it down. Her jacket is Vineyard Shimmer with Vineyard Classic accents. I created a woven pocket and tucked a wine bottle in her pocket (also from the miniature shop). When making the bag, I placed an object in the bag until I had completed the weaving in order to keep the top open the right amount. She has lots of beads on her canvas and bag.


Ms Raspberry’s hair is straight stitches in Wildflowers. Her collar is gathered River Silk. A small piece of canvas is in her bag, along with floss for the project she is going to stitch today. She carries a large stitching bag that is brick stitch over 2 in Vineyard Silk.



Ms Orange’s hair is Burmilana in straight stitches and mock twisted bullions, with a beaded head band. A small chain with Swarovski crystal is about her neck. Her blouse is Neon Rays Plus and Neon Rays, with padded cumberbund. I ignored the shading in the blouse. Her pants are Gradeur in a balloon stitch that indeed does emphasize her wide girth. Her canvas is only partly stitched. She will have something to work on today.


Ms Purple (with a casual personality) is wearing a corduroy jumper of Splendor and Very Velvet. All that plaid just didn’t sit right for me. Her hair is Pebbly Perle French knots and Colonial knots with a Swarovski earring. The heart canvas is only partly stitched. She has a scissor fob. In her woven basket, Ms Purple is bringing candy and flowers for the party. Hiding in the bag is Scooby the cat, holding a ball of yarn. Scooby belongs to my stitching friend, Nancy. Scooby tries to steal thread from me whenever I stitch at Nancy’s house.

The grass is Burmilana in a two-tone green done in encroached gobelin. I hope you continue to read the adventures of the other members of our Thursday Whimsies group - each is different, and the why will soon be revealed.

To finish the piece I used cording for the threads the ladies are stitching with, rearranged some of the scissors, and added a padded Very Velvet border. I also changed the color of the ladies eyes, lips, and skin.

This was a joy to stitch. My piece is stitched in more clear colors than some of the other stitchers used in our Thursday stitching group. We had lots of fun collaborating on this piece, and already have our next two projects on order.”

Sharon Quick (aka QuickStitcher)

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Thanks, Sharon! Now I can't wait to meet the next Whimsy!

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

"While I Sit and Ponder"

Once again Rosalyn Cherry-Soleil has updated her website newsletter with photos of her current projects, wonderful links to explore (don't miss the Japanese embroidery and beadwork at Blue Bonnet Studio!), and a guest gallery featuring even more of the terrific stitching of Daphne Goodyear whom you met here on my blog when I showcased her fabulous Wild Women canvases. Got several hours? Then what are you waiting for?! Explore!

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

The lovely photo shows part of a Melissa Shirley canvas adaptation of one of Linda Carter Holman's paintings. Rosalyn has just started this piece. I can't wait to see more!

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow