By the Way...

...the Stitching/Destashing Blog has added a bunch of new things for sale.  Read the header of the blog for information on how to buy.  And move fast--there are good deals here and folks are starting to realize it.
http://stitchingdestashing.blogspot.com/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Settling in With Morning Eye Candy

Janet Perry alerted me to a new design by Debbie Rowley (DebBee's Designs) called Eight Pansy Portraits.  It's a charted study of eight different flowers in different shades.  You can see good photos in the second link and read about the chart booklet in Janet's review.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/pansy-portraits-product-review

http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/ScarletThread/-strse-2912/charted-needlepoint,-canvaswork,-Debbie/Detail.bok

Speaking of eye candy, you will want to see Vicky De Angelis' interpretation of the SharonG canvas called Cat Walk.  The framing is spectacular to match Vicky's stunning stitching.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/02/25/off-to-see-the-wizard/

I haven't been idle.  I've finished Luna's hair except for her bangs and the hood of her cloak and it's fur trim is done.  I am doing the easy stitching instead of the harder cloak lining as this has been a busy week with not much energy for stitching at night.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Down Memory Lane

I've been revisiting Judy Harper's Possibilities blog, thinking of Judy and enjoying her art and creativity.  And I found one last gift from Judy--a new shop blog to follow.
http://needlenicely.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Judy.  Get better fast.  I really need that Frida Angel I've been begging you for....

By the way, here's another fun blog.
http://tapestryfair.blogspot.com/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The Needlebook, the Geisha, and the Queen

Remember how excited I got when I saw Susan's new needlebook?
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-book-of-needles.html

The only thing missing from Susan's article (besides her saying she would sending the needle book to Chilly Hollow) was a tutorial on making them.  Thanks to DMC's blog, I have a link to instructions!  This needlebook is also Asian in feel as it uses a free XS portrait of a charming geisha for the cover.  Here's the how to.
http://meari.blogspot.com/2007/06/needlebook-instructions.html

Here's the direct link to the geisha pattern, which is called "J is for Japanese Embroidery."
http://www.brookesbookspublishing.com/Freebies/J_Japanese_Embroidery_Pub.pdf

Speaking of Susan, she is starting a new series of blog articles about a Queen.  Want to see some of the new William Loves Kate/William Marries Kate samplers?
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/royal-inspired.html

Here is Susan's Majesty.  She's inspired by crazy quilting but a needlepointer could create their own Queen very easily.  Needleworkers have the skills to move between needle arts if they are brave enough to try something new.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/welcome-your-majesty.html

Now here is where we start to see Susan building her Queen.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/becoming-queen-part-i.html

And here she explains quite a bit about English coronation gowns and how Queen Elizabeth II's gown is replicated on Your Majesty.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/becoming-queen-part-ii.html

I know this isn't needlepoint, but it is about fantasy and aren't we all stitching a fantasy of some sort as we work?   Right now I'm dreaming of a slinky vampire walking through a graveyard but soon it'll be another geisha....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The Gold Fish and More

Mary Lake Thompson's Gold Fish

In non-Luna stitching news, Carol writes she's found four more skeins of the dark teal Empress Silk at Edwardian Needle.  She is still a little worried she won't have enough silk for the background, but the folks at Edwardian Needle suggested that she alternate her Swirl stitch row done in Empress Silk with two rows of tent stitch in her Cire nylon floss instead of one row. Clever idea, don't you think?  Personally I think she'll have enough thread but then I probably would only use four plies to cover the background.

Carol has decided she'd like to use all Cire on her fish as the nylon threads look wet to her.  She's pulled some colors to choose from (above).  She has also found two sizes of topaz colored crystal sequins to use for the dots on the fish fins.  So things are moving right along.  I need to get busy and turn up some stitches for Carol to use on her fish to help her choose colors.  A thread may look totally different when stitched than it does in the skein.  Hopefully I can get to that this weekend.

While we all weren't looking, Joey had a birthday.  Wait'll see what she did to celebrate!  Next time, invite us too, ok?
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2011/02/joeys-60th.html

Speaking of Texas, fans of monthly clubs will enjoy a peek at some of the clubs and a canvas with threads and stitch guide that Needle Works in Austin is stitching.
http://theneedleworks.typepad.com/the_needle_works/2011/02/what-have-we-been-up-to.html

After the 2001 ANG Seminar, a lot of people were interested in finding this Clarice painted canvas which was exhibited there.
http://www.needlepoint.org/WhatIs/2001/the_bird_lady.php

Nimble Needle has it!
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2011/02/bird-lady-by-clarice.html

The Nashville trade show over the weekend is one of the big cross stitch venues for shops to pick up goodies.  Want to see what Sara Leigh bought for us?  Scarlet Thread specializes in kitting up counted canvaswork projects so you can see both the chart cover and the colors used to stitch the model.  (Hint: if you liked Needle Delight's Rainforest Crunch, you'll want to click on this link.)
http://stitchything.blogspot.com/2011/02/fresh-from-nashville.html

New books are starting to show up in the shops (I have friends who just got their copies of SharonG's Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations.  I hate them.)  Here's another review of June McKnight's Spooky Stitches.  By the way, SharonG is saying her second book will be about landscape stitches.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/spooky-stitches-book-review

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com