The St. Charles Report

Things are starting to trickle out of St. Charles, MO (where all the shops and designers and thread makers and so forth are having a party about us--excuse me while I weep).  First up, Gail has taken pity on me and posted another photo of a new ornament, a gingerbread cookie version of the Statue of Liberty.
http://squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-st-charles-goodies.html

If you have your September/October 2010 Needlepoint Now, you probably have seen some of the newest things in the ads.  I highly recommend you read the ads.  They are wonderful fun!  By the way, that Pat Mazu mini sock looks like another type of fun and I can't wait to study the next stitch diagrams for the Marnie Ritter sampler.  Excuse me while I go weep over my copy's not having arrived yet.  Looking at it on their website is not the same!
http://www.needlepointnow.com/current_issue.html

Since I am already unhappy about the fun I missed, this is the perfect time to show the class Susan just attended.  Color me VERY jealous!  And a bit intimidated by the stitching.  It is amazing.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2010/09/stumpwork-by-jane-nicholas.html

Oh, well, I just updated the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guide site with a photo of O'jishi, an article on Tapestry Fair's new quilt series with stitch guides that includes photos, and a note about June McKnight's creative consultations.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/

Anyone got a hanky?  I need to blow my nose after all that weeping.

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

The Pirate Coat's Lace Collar

Is the Pirate Cat done?

The final step in dressing our kitten is the trim on his coat collar.  I wanted something fancy so I thought of doing this in detached buttonhole so that there would be a touch of lace around the edge.  I choose #4 Kreinik to do the job and it worked beautifully.  (However, a couched line of gold metallic would be much easier if detached buttonhole intimidates you and will look almost as good to my eyes.  You know me--I can't resist a challenge, even if there is an easier way that works almost as well.)

Failed Inspection!

The last step with any finished canvas is Final Inspection, particularly if you stitch mostly at night like I do.  I have to check everything closely in the daylight to make sure I didn't miss a stitch, that there are no mistakes, etc.  Sadly, the Pirate Cat failed inspection.  If you click on this closeup, you will see two smudged areas where bare thread intersections show at the edge of the pirate's hat, one on each side.  I need to add a navy blue stitch on the right and a black stitch on the left.  I also am not happy with the left side of the kerchief around the kitten's head.  The stitches are too long in places and broken up in other places.

So tonight I will remove the long blue stitches on the left side, cover the two misses intersections, and then restitch the kerchief.

Hopefully by tomorrow everything will be stitched and I can post progress.

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

The St. Charles Gossip

Barbara Bergsten Won't Tell!

The St. Charles Gossip would be me--I have tidbits to share about what designers are going to bring to the St. Charles wholesale market. This is what is known as a Cash and Carry show.  Shops can buy what the designers bring and cart it home with them.  No waiting for things to ship later.  When your shop owner gets back from St. Charles and recovers enough from all the excitement to show up at your LNS, they will have the latest items for you to enjoy.

Barbara Bergsten will be at St. Charles.  She's not telling what she is bringing except for the No Peaking canvas above.  LOL
http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2010/09/tnnas-fall-needlecraft-market-.html

I've heard that Melissa Shirley is introducing a new artist but there hasn't been even a whisper what the designs will be like.  We'll have to wait and see what she posts on her website this weekend.
http://www.melissashirleydesigns.com/gallery/?bsn=1

Leigh Designs' new series is called Ladies of the Night.  Photos will be revealed on their site Sunday.  I guessed what Leigh was doing so I've seen photos of the series.  It truly isn't like any other painted canvas I've ever seen.  All I'll say is it's on custom canvas....
http://www.leighdesigns.com/

I know that Needle Works isn't going to the St. Charles show but they ordered new designs sight unseen from their favorite designers and promise to post photos on their blog next week as the shipments arrive. So this is going to be a good site to watch.  The Sept. 1 blog entry already shows off Brenda Stofft's newest Halloween designs.
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/

Speaking of Halloween, Squiggee (Gail Hendrix) has some wonderful new pieces for St. Charles.  There's a witch with a green complexion, and a scardy cat!  And there is a wonderful witch's house, too.
http://squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/09/st-charles-sneak-peak.html

http://squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/09/peaking.html

http://squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/09/still-peaking-at-st-charles.html

Finally, for the counted canvas folks, here are new items from Shakespeare's Peddler.
http://shakespearespeddler.blogspot.com/2010/09/just-facts.html

As things are revealed, I'll post links here as I find out about them.  Until then, how about reading Janet Perry's review of the self-finishing Timeless Tote clutch purses?
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/timeless-totes-self-finishing-clutch-product-review

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

Remember O'jishi?

O'jishi

Remember the Japanese Noh Theatre mask of the stylized lion I stitched as a model for Leigh Designs last winter?  He's going to St. Charles as a pillow for the Leigh cash and carry show there.  Our wonderful shop owners can visit him there.

O'jishi in Final Form

Of course us regular stitchers won't be there as it is a wholesale show, so Leigh said I could show him off here.  The magnificent finishing is by Marlene's in San Francisco.

I am very proud of how this light coverage piece turned out.  Hope you enjoy seeing the finished version and that you get to see him in person at St. Charles.  Everyone travel there and back safely!

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

Pirate Coat and Collar

Coat is stitched.

First, here is a photo of the finished pirate coat.  My second thread choice was Just Right, making ripping out a pleasure, not a pain.  I do love it when things come together!  The next step is stitching the collar and collar trim.

Collar is stitched.

As usual, I considered the collar's shape when picking a stitch.  Doesn't that curve of the right collar look like bargello?  I went with simple straight satin stitches that make up a sort of vertical Bargello Wave pattern to make the right side collar stand out against the Dotted Swiss shirt and the Long Upright Cross Stitch coat.  I can use more or fewer plies to make the collar heavy enough to look good with (not dominated by) the shirt and coat.  I used the same silk thread on the collar as on the coat.

Unstitched Pirate Cat Canvas

Compare this photo of the unstitched Pirate Cat to the stitched coat photo above.  See how I stretched out the long silk stitches to cover more of the gold trim area?  There's a reason for that--I plan to use detached buttonhole for the trim.  Because of the way detached buttonhole is done, I don't want as much gold paint showing.

The final step before starting detached buttonhole is to stitch the collar on the left side.  For the left side collar, I used tent stitches and also covered all but one row of gold stitches.   Now all that is left is the collar trim.

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