Fireside's New Monthly Clubs

Fireside Stitchery has announced four new monthly clubs for next year in their latest newsletter. You must sign up by mid-November, so check them out here by clicking on the newsletter link.

http://www.firesidestitchery.com/infoalerts/index.cfm

Of course you can also check out what's new in the shop by using another link on that page, or if nothing appeals to your inner sports fan, you can always stitch a baseball....

http://www.firesidestitchery.com/infoalerts/Specials/Baseball/Export1.htm

Jane, married to a Red Sox fan in Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

About to Finish

The stitching on the Joan Thomasson wizard was finished last weekend except for the smoke coming out of his cauldron. I have to get it partly put together as a standup before I can add that touch so I don't damage it in finishing.

I have a medium blue polished chintz for the backing fabric and found a feathery boa trim to edge the design. The feathers are white with silver metallic strips woven in. I already have quilt batting and foam for the stuffing. My next step is to pick up something to weigh the base. I thought I'd use aquarium gravel but a friend suggested buckshot. I'll have to see what I can find in the stores but that probably will wait until the weekend. I have too many more urgent errands to accomplish at lunch today and something will remain undone. You know us stitchers--our needlepoint is usually less important than other life chores!

I've also finished my mystery project I can't show you--the Stitch of the Month Project that ANG unveils each December. I did one of the models, so it's a secret for another two months. I'll just whisper in your ear that I choose Caribbean blue as my main color....

The next project is chosen and I've been thinking a lot about it. But more on that after I finish the wizard!

Finally, Yahoo and Google and MSN all changed their interfaces slightly yesterday. Yahoo 360 now has a social component but I want to assure all of you I removed the email addresses Yahoo pulled from my contacts and have turned off everything there I can find to protect your privacy and mine. I don't need any more social interaction, thank you! And certainly not in public. I don't even much like the Friends function that Yahoo 360 has built in but I tolerate it as that boosts the "findability" of Blog in searches. I've not signed up for the Follower component of Blogspot (owned by Google) either. I don't really care to demonstrate how many folks read Blog publicly, how many sign up for readers, etc. That's your business, not mine or everyone else's who wanders past.

Yes, I am an old fogy. Sue me.

Or if you are 20, laugh and then pick up your needle and let's get back to NP.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

GAR E-Merchandise Week

Gay Ann Rogers is holding her annual e-merchandise week starting today. Visit her website to find counted thread designs that aren't available any other time. Some things are in very limited quantities so stop by early in the day and click on everything!

http://www.gayannrogers.com/

The photo above is her little Stitching Goddess Ornament, seen on the Small Designs page.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

October 2008 Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article

The only thing that rivals the beauty of the forest leaves outside my window in late October is the heap of silk skeins in my stash. How about we explore silk this newsletter? This website talks about the process of turning silkworm silk into beautiful silk skeins for needlework.

http://www.wormspit.com/

For the historians among us, here are two painted canvases that illustrate the process in ancient times.

http://www.artneedlepoint.com/_product_19259/Making_Cloth

http://www.artneedlepoint.com/_product_19259/Women_Preparing_Silk

Nordic Needle has a nice summary of various silk threads on the market here. Why not explore a new brand of silk? A skein of luxury is only $5-6 each and we spend that much on coffee at Starbucks.

http://www.nordicneedle.com/newsletters/stash/08.shtml

Now let's see lovely things are done in Asian embroidery with silk. Here are the designs used to teach the phases of Japanese Emboidery.

http://www.japaneseembroidery.com/Instruction/study_and_instruction.htm#Phase

Here are other pieces from the English JE site.

http://www.nuido.org.uk/

The Japanese JE site sells obi.

http://www.kurenai-kai.jp/en-gallery/index.htm

Here is the American JE site. Note the CD for sale and all those threads!

http://www.jecstore.com/

I can't help it--I'm drooling!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Videos and Cleveland and a Newsletter

How's this for a mish-mash of a blog posting! LOL

First of all, The Point of It All has a bunch of how to do needlepoint videos. I've seen them mentioned several places already but haven't had time to view them. I hope they are useful to you. One tip--turn the sound down or mute it before you click on the link.

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/11638-needlepoint

Are you from Cleveland or do you have friends for whom you'd enjoy stitching a Cleveland ornament? Wool and Willow has delightful souvenir ornaments of the city.

http://www.woolandwillow.com/Cleveland_landmarks.htm

Finally, Stitches in Time has a newsletter up that is fun to read. The link to it is at the top of this page. The Stitchers Gallery is full of finishing inspiration as well.

http://www.stitchesintimeneedlepoint.com/

Enjoy!


Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow