Relax. Breathe. Stitch.

Brenda Stofft

Most of us view our needlepoint as relaxing but you can over do it, you know.  Barbara has a lovely stretching exercise for our hands.
http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2011/04/reduce-needlepoint-hand-stress.html

UPDATE:  The above has been so popular that Barbara talked her yoga instructor into doing a series of articles for needlepointers on Barbara's blog.  Here is the first lesson.
http://createneedlepoint.typepad.com/create_needlepoint/2011/04/needlepoint-yoga.html


Seeing Barbara's posting reminded me of the lovely Buddha and mandala themed painted canvases available. I thought I'd find some for you to enjoy.  The image above is Brenda Stofft's Buddha Cat.
http://www.brendastofftdesigns.com/Cats%20and%20Dogs.htm


Lani has Buddhas in many sizes and styles, and also Zen symbol canvases.
http://www.lanisneedlepoint.com/buddahs.aspx


http://www.lanisneedlepoint.com/art.aspx


http://www.lanisneedlepoint.com/zensymbols.aspx

http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/details.php?pid=11811&pname=Buddha


Melissa Shirley has a jolly Buddha canvas in two different sizes.  Kaffe Fasset has a somewhat similar Buddha in bright yellow and pastels charted in his Glorious Needlepoint.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/gallery/?cat=27

http://www.infostitch.com/search/search.php?op=details&pid=160

HP Designs has several serene Buddhas in various sizes and styles.
http://annieandco.com/products/hp-designs-b141-13

http://www.hpneedlepoint.com/ASIAN6X6.html

Rosalyn has created a wonderful mandala design.  Read all about it here.
http://www.stitchamaze.com/gallery-orchestral/mandala.aspx

Counted thread fans can use charted mandalas on needlepoint canvas.  There are painted canvas mandalas, too.  The second link has them on 10 count canvas for those of us who want a large count.
https://www.cross-stitch-art.com/crossstitch3/SubjectListingsMandalas.htm

http://www.needlepointdesigningwoman.com/gallery.php

There's also a Shining Needle Society class on a mandala pattern but I am not sure if this class is for this year or was last year's.
http://www.stitchelegance.com/Stitch_Elegance/Stitch_Elegance.html

I've found a website that apparently will have spiritual needlepoint designs but it is under construction.
http://www.spiritualneedlepoint.com/

Relax.  Breathe.  Stretch.  Walk around and enjoy the day before you pick up a needle to meditate again.

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

A New Look for Needlenook of La Jolla

Needlenook of La Jolla has changed the look of their website.  The first thing I noticed is the new cyberclass "It's All About the Shoes" by David McCaskill.  The class is unique because of all the video demonstrations.  Two videos are up to introduce the class and the on-camera participants and to show what the instructional videos are like.  Class starts May 1, although you can join at any point during the life of the class.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/

There is also a video library that currently has David demonstrating how to use a laying tool in two videos.  "Strip, stroke and lay."  If you have questions you'd like David to answer, his email address is on this page above the videos.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/videos/index.html

If you are charmed by the Witch Shoes canvas, you may wish to explore the designer's website.
http://www.shareonesideas.com/gallery.html

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

Where to Dispose of Excess Stash

Several folks have asked for information on places to either donate or sell items from your stash you no longer want.

Donations:
ANG's Yahoo Group has contact information for the Ohio Women's Prison and the Pine Ridge Reservation, both of which accept stitching items, in a file labeled "Donation Places" on their Yahoo Group site.  If you don't belong, email me and I'll copy the information for you.

ANG's Auction Chairman will be thrilled to have donations of items that can be auctioned off to support ANG's educational programs.
http://www.needlepoint.org/Auction/2011/index.php

I know some guilds have White Elephant sales, with donations of unwanted stash being sold to raise funds for local programs.  See if your local chapter has such a program or would be interested in your organizing one.  Some chapters do a yearly sale or exchange instead of a fund raiser.

Sales:
Canvases Be Gone sells unwanted items for stitchers.
http://www.canvasesbegone.com/

The Stitching Destashing Blog helps stitchers dispose of excess stash.
http://stitchingdestashing.blogspot.com/

Stitch in Peace is a company that sells excess stash for stitchers on eBay.  Of course you can always set up an eBay account and sell items for yourself.  UPDATE:  Two Blog readers have commented that they have not been paid for items they sent to Stitch in Peace that were sold.  Buyer beware!
http://stores.ebay.com/Stitch-In-Peace?_rdc=1

I have no business relationship with any of the above (although the owners of Canvases Be Gone and Stitching Destashing are friends of mine) and I have stitched many items for the ANG Auction.

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

Follow Up To How to Choose Stitches

Carol wrote:
Thank you for the reply. My takeaway from your comments is that what "works" is truly an aesthetic thing, purely in the eyes of the stitcher. What works for me may not be what works for you. But that's what makes all our pieces different; it's a lot like working with the high school speech team I coach. My oral interpretation of a piece a poetry is going to be different from how my students interpret it. ANYTHING subjective is going to have the same issues.

Jane replied:  True. I think using the guidelines above will help folks choose stitches and I think studying other folks’ stitching will also help. But the true learning will come from working your own painted canvases and figuring out what really works well for you and what doesn’t. There are some good guidelines for choosing stitches and colors (light colors and shiny things generally come forward while dark colors that don't shine generally recede; you need to keep the various parts of a design the same scale in most instances, etc.) but often what looks good to you is what is good. This means there is some really ugly needlepoint in my eyes that wins awards in exhibits.  In those cases I try to see the technical achievement in the stitching, etc.  I think mostly if a piece is a coherent whole, it is well done.  Maybe I wouldn't have done it that way but maybe I also will learn something from a different stitching perspective.

I am certain I could explain this better but for today, this is the best I can do!

Anyone who can articulate how they choose stitches for their designs, please speak up and help the rest of us.  Carol, thanks very much  for the thought-provoking question.

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

Jessica and the Spanish Olives

Robin gives us a lesson on making perfect Jessicas on the Needlepoint Study Hall blog using a thread I've heard quite a few folks rave about--ThreadworX's Spanish Olives.  A lot of fabulous stitchers are using this color in a variety of types of overdyed threads (perle cotton, floss, metallic and even wool).  The second link shows you the color, although I think in real life it is a more complex mix of olive green shading into medium green.  Alas, I have none to compare to the photo so I can't be sure.  [Jane adds Spanish Olives to the shopping list for her yearly trip to the shops.]
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2011/04/do-you-know-jessica.html

http://www.threadworx.com/productDetails.php?prd_id=541

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