Another Hand Made Item Better Than Mass Market

Needlepoint Land reminds us that although we can buy a cheap mass market needlepoint hip flask, Elizabeth Turner has lovely canvases and leather flasks so you can customize your needlepoint to the person who will carry this.  You also will get a leather wrapped flask with accent needlepoint which I think will help keep the stitching clean as hands won't touch it constantly.
http://needlepointland.com/2013/10/22/christmas-cheer/

Here are the designs available from Elizabeth Turner.  I believe the monograms can be customized to the letters of your choice but check with your local shop on that before you order.
http://elizabethturnercollection.com/needleptDesigns_flask.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Finishing Friday

Today on Finishing Friday I have a gorgeous floral on black pillow from a Tony Minieri class that is both fancy and restrained.  The finishing is also restrained and just perfect.   I think it is lovely.
http://tapestryfair.blogspot.com/2013/11/another-finish-but-not-by-me.html

Needle Nicely, true to their ocean front location, has a wonderful fish ornament wreath to show off.  The secret is in the finisher who makes those 3-D fins come alive!  The stitching is restrained here, too, making the fish shape the focus, not the stitching.
http://needlenicely.blogspot.com/2013/11/fish-wreath.html

Ridgewood has a customer who had their own take on Easter egg canvases--instead of making them into oval stand ups, the finisher made little box shapes.  Unusual and very very pretty!
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2013/11/blog-post_14.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Ort Box, But With a Twist UPDATED

One of ANG's most popular fund raising projects has been Marilyn Owen's Ort Box.  It's a little box that folds up for travel, then unfolds to hold your little thread snippets (orts) in one place until you are ready to discard them all.  Here you can see Melita's articles on working her Ort Box.
http://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/category/ang-main-line-stitchers-chapter/ort-box/

ANG just announced a new design by Marilyn--a folding org box with outside pockets to hold your tools.  It's very cute!  The announcement on the ANG email list read:

"Do you love small usable projects? Need something to keep all those orts under control? And your scissors or laying tool handy? Then you need the Ort Box with a Twist! This delightful project was unveiled at Seminar 2013, another ort box design by Marilyn Owen, and it is fabulous stitching fun. Just go to this address on the ANG website and download the order form! 

http://needlepoint.org/Merchandise/ort-box-twist.php

It's available for anyone, not just ANG members, so let all your friends and neighbors know about it. It's Marilyn's way of saying "Welcome to the world of needlepoint!" and we can't thank her enough. All proceeds from the sales go to support ANG's education programs. You say your friends can't needlepoint? Buy them a lovely gift and teach them to stitch!"

The link ANG provided on their website has photos of the Ort Box With A Twist and if you belong to ANG's email Yahoo Group, there are more photos in the Yahoo Group's photo album.

Once you arrive at the ANG website, there will be a second link to the order form.  I think you have to print it out and mail it in with payment.  No electronic shopping, in other words.  But it is a wonderful small project for stitching play time, to teach that small child in your life, or to create a Christmas gift before The Big Day is here.

UPDATE:  Sara Leigh says the Ort Box with a Twist isn't child's play, but it might be suitable for a teen to work.  She also found a way to pay online using an online payment company I've never heard of, so explore the ANG site carefully if you want to use that payment method.  Thanks for the help, SL!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Choice of Skin Tone

I was impressed when I stumbled across a Nativity set on the Under the Rainbow website that allows a shop to specify skin color when they order the set for a customer. As we become more and more diverse (my grandkids are Welsh, Syrian, Spanish, and Danish, i.e., they are Americans) this is an option I am happy to see!
http://www.undertherainbowdesigns.com/childrens.html

By the way, if you want to see the rest of the Children's Nativity Pageant set, click on "Back to Design Listings" and then "Children's Nativity Pageant" at the bottom of the page.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

When I Win the Lottery UPDATED

When I win the lottery I plan to stitch a needlepoint belt and ask Chuck Pinnell to make the belt up.  Maybe I'll buy a horse and he can make me a saddle or boots to match?  (Or maybe I'll just ask him to finish a needlepoint purse for me to carry.  Purses don't have to be fed, groomed and ridden.)
http://horsecountrychic.blogspot.com/2011/06/chuck-pinnell-leather.html

Many thanks to Horse Country Chic for reporting on Chuck and his lovely leather goods.

UPDATE:  I didn't know that Lee Tougas used Chuck for his camera bag strap and belt finishing.  If you aren't familiar with Lee's designs, he does custom NP canvases (which he usually stitches, too) for camera bag straps.  They are gorgeous!
https://www.facebook.com/lee.tougas

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.