BREAKING NEWS: Colonial Needle Buys Lee Needle Arts

My spies tell me that Colonial Needle (which sells needles and knitting supplies and is turning into a needlepoint distributor as they offer a painting and a model stitching service to designers) is buying Lee's Needle Arts.  Colonial Needle is buying both the leather goods and the canvases so most everything should still be available.  I know many shops, teachers and regular stitchers are breathing a sigh of relief at this news.

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

September 2009 Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article

It's back to school in September for those of us in the United States. Luckily, the classes I've found for you are taught by Mary Corbet and the lesson is mastering long and short stitch. This is a crewel stitch that gives beautiful and realistic shading that is used a great deal to create beautiful flower petals and leaves in particular. It also will shade any other object you wish to make with needle and thread. Mary tells you how to do it for any sort of shape in a series of nine lessons. Six of the lessons are posted already. Here are all the links. Bookmark this to find the other lessons when they are posted and you'll never wonder how to do this stitch again.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2009/08/long-and-short-stitch-lessons-index.html


Do the lessons make your head spin? Then you need some eye candy. Look at the details on these finished projects by customers of The Thread Garden! Click on the thumbnail photos for a better look. The second link is to a gallery of framed pieces, including a Halloween house whose framing and mat you must see.
http://thethreadgarden.com/Finishing.html


http://thethreadgarden.com/Framing%20Gallery.html


Now browse some of the fun tips Thread Garden has written in their Garden Almanac section.
http://thethreadgarden.com/The%20Garden%20Almanac/The%20Garden%20Almanac.html

[Note:  if these links won't take you to The Thread Garden, go to the framing gallery, then use the subtitles at the top of the page.]


See? Learning can be fun! Go treat yourself to a new Adam & Eve nagmetic needle minder from Kelmscott Deigns.
http://kelmscottdesigns.com/needle-minders.htm

Have a lovely back to school.

Jane/Chilly Hollow
blog at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

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

Paws and Eyes and More

To do something a bit different than all that split pavilion stitch background I thought I would start stitching the fur on the Rabbit Geisha.  In this photo I have done both paws and also stitched her eye.  I used two sizes of black Kreinik 005 for the eye.  First I tent stitched the black eye lines in 1/16 inch ribbon.  That covers very well, although because it is a flat ribbon thread, it twists as you stitch if you aren't careful.  After the tent stitches were in, I used #4 Very Fine Braid in the same color to stem stitch on top of the eye where the curve was a bit jagged looking.  That smoothed it out and gives the top eyelid a bit of dimension.  The final step should have been to put in one white stitch for the pupil but I went a little nuts and used a silver Sundance bead instead.  That added more dimension, too.

If you look at the paws which I've stitched, you can see why I want dimension in the eye.  The fur might overwhelm the eye if I don't take steps now.  I also stitched the pink inner part of the ear and the nose, using #8 perle cotton by Needle Necessities in color 8158 which is a soft shaded pale pink.  I might pad the nose later.  I'm not sure whether I'll need to or not.  I probably will, but I do like how the nose looks currently so I'm waiting to see how things look once I have some of the face fur in.

The second picture gives you a more distant look at the body of the rabbit with her eye, nose, paws and most of the navy parts stitched. I am working on the navy lapel at her neck.  One side is stitched, one just started.  I am using the same Russell Variant stitch that is used on the obi.  (There's a link to this Tony Minieri stitch's diagram in yesterday's posting.)

The paws themselves are stitched in split stitch, starting at the wrist and working toward the fingertips.  I used three shades of Burmilana (white 3891, pale gray 3686 and gray 3858) and doubled my strand in the needle.  I started the neck last night but the doubled strand is too thick looking there so I pulled it all out and will try again tonight.  I decided that I probably should do the gray shading on the rabbit face before the neck is done, however.  I'm considering stem stitch for that but have not decided for sure.

Sometimes you have to try something before you know whether it will work.  I have no idea why the doubled Burmilana looks good on the paws but not on the neck.  Perhaps the neck needs a more receeded, delicate look?

This was a good stitching session in terms of stash credits since  I used six new threads (+6), which almost offsets the seven new skeins of DMC cotton floss (-7) I bought last weekend for the background!  I decided I would not count the one bead I added since there are lots and lots left in the little tube of beads.

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

Forget What I Said Saturday

Remember when I said fancy stitches on dark painted canvas with dark threads are a waste of time because they don't show up?  Ignore that today.

It's Exception Monday, and proof that every rule has exceptions is in this photograph.  Compare the Dotted Swiss stitched sleeve linings to the obi or cumberbund around the rabbit's waist.  Done with the same threads (sparkling Snow and not particularly shiny Splendor silk) in the same dark navy, you can still see a pattern of the alternating shiny and dull areas on the obi that you can't see in the sleeve lining because those stitches (alternating tent stitches and cross stitches) are so small.  The obi uses Tony Minieri's Russell Variant stitch (link below) so you have much larger areas of the two threads.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2009/jul.php

I didn't even have to enhance the photograph much for you to see the two harlequin patterns on the obi.  I'd have to enhance the photo, magically transport you to Chilly Hollow, and hand you a magnifier under a good light for you to see the difference in the two threads on the Dotted Swiss area.  Morale:  each rule has exceptions.  If you can get texture contrast in a fairly large area, you can put pattern in very dark threads.  I wanted some pattern on the obi using the navy threads so this is what I came up with.

The scan shows up two light areas on the right side I'll have to check.  Either I missed stitches or the thread isn't covering completely there.  While I look at that area in the morning sun, you might enjoy a trip to Terry Dryden's blog.  Terry is starting a new design, one using photo transfer.  It's going to be fun to watch!  (If you are late reading this, look for the entries starting on August 15th, 2009 and work forwards to the latest entry.
http://www.terrydryden.com/

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

Tidbits, Interesting and Sad

I worked on the sleeve lining and more background for the Rabbit Geisha last night but the photo of my progress will be so much like yesterday's that I didn't bother taking one.  I think I'll start another area on this canvas so I have something to talk about tonight.  Or perhaps I'll hold another audition for stitches as I need to pick out what to do for the tunic and lower skirt, not to mention ribbons and tassel.

But for now I mostly have tidbits of news for you.  I got a note from Melissa Shirley who read about the burned canvas on blog [Jane begins to hyperventilate at the thought that Melissa Shirley, creator of some of the most lovely canvases in my stash, reads Blog....] and sent me a note about it.  She said, "I was just looking at your poor burned Rabbit Geisha on Chilly Hollow. I recently received a canvas back from a customer that had had something corrosive spilled on it. The raw canvas was weak and tearing within the spill area but was holding and intact in the painted areas. Perhaps if you painted the burned area with acrylic paint it would strengthen the canvas."

So Nancy, your idea about repainted the burned background area is a good one.  It acted as a sort of glue to reinforce a weak area on a damaged canvas.

I had another idea about patching the Rabbit Geisha besides weaving which I mentioned in the Comments but I'd like to repeat here as I know not everyone reads the Comments.

I thought about using silk gauze to patch the burn hole instead of weaving and patching with regular 18 count needlepoint canvas.  Kreinik used to have 18 count silk gauze available and there is still mention of it on their website.
http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=172

Yes, it looks like you can buy 18 count silk gauze directly from Kreinik via this online store.
http://stitcherstreasures.kreinikmall.com/shops/product.php?printable=Y&productid=173

You can fringe all around the sides of a patch of silk gauze and slowly weave each fringed thread into the regular needlepoint canvas, then baste around the area for a second line of security.  Stitching over the hole should work nicely, especially if a second patch of regular 18 count needlepoint canvas is on the back side for more stability.  This is a long process, however, and I don't have and may not be able to get any 18 count silk gauze quickly.  I mention it, however, in case someone else wants to try this.  I don't expect many folks will have canvases damaged by fire or corrosive liquids, but many of us have accidentally cut a canvas thread or two in ripping out.  Just remember that although silk gauze and needlepoint canvas have a lot in common, they also differ.  Silk gauze threads are smaller than silk gauze holes so you might not be able to do all fancy stitches on silk gauze unless you back the repair with 18 count canvas on the underside.  I have particular trouble with French knots on silk gauze.  I have to put them in on top of tent stitches or they don't hold.  You may need to experiment or adapt what you are stitching if silk gauze repairs a cut or tiny weak spot.

My other tidbit is a sad one.  I got a note from Kandace Merric, the designer of the wonderful pet guardian angels we stitched for the ANG Auction this year, saying that she had lost one of her dogs.  Kandy is very active in rescue of mistreated, lost, or unwanted West Highland White Terriers and her Shana was a rescue dog.  I know Kandy is broken-hearted and I hope that she finds comfort in her other dogs, her friends, and her stitching.  I'm sure you will all join me in sending comforting thoughts Kandy's way.

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