A Rug for the Winter?

Horse Country Chic certainly has a good idea--pick up a rug canvas for winter stitching! I don't know why this didn't occur to me, but having a nice rug on your lap for those cold winter nights in front of the television is a great idea!
http://horsecountrychic.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-needlepoint-rugs.html

Lee's has a ton of classic rug designs.  Start browsing here.
http://www.newleesneedlearts.com/files/catalog/catalog-canvas/index.html

Jean Smith has some amazing floral rugs.  And these are just two designers out of many.  Ask your local shop to help you browse rug patterns from your favorite designers.
http://jeansmithdesigns.com/index.php/about-jean

If you are a fan of charted rugs, you need to visit Jan's Thread Medley site and her blog....  No drooling on the keyboard!
http://www.threadmedley.com/Thread_Medley/Charted_Designs_-_Rugs.html

http://threadmedley.wordpress.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 11, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Jenny Henry Designs Free Charts

No one is more generous with free color block charts than Jenny Henry Designs.  Jenny just loves to encourage DIY projects!  Visit her website to see the latest here.
http://jennyhenrydesigns.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/free-charts-added-to-old-favorites/

http://jennyhenrydesigns.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/buffalo-plaid-needlepoint-cuff/

Thank you!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 11, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Thought for the Day

I should have titled this "Thought for the Day: In Which I Insult Cross Stitch Designers," but that's getting a bit long, don't you think?   The article looks at handmade dolls and how the hands became cruder over time, postulating that the craftsmen making the dolls had a totally different and less artistic attitude towards their handiwork.  When I look at the designs available to needlepointers today, the level of artistic ability applied to those designs is breathtaking. I don't always LIKE the designs but most needlepoint designers are very very skilled.  The insult comes in when I look at cross stitch designs (and I admit that I am no expert on the work of XS designers since I don't stitch in this way) which seem to mostly have primitive themes and styles except for the hyper detail of designers like Heaven and Earth Designs or Told in a Garden.  It makes me wonder if the design quality has gone down because of the rampant copying and sharing of charts?  Or maybe I just don't "get" cross stitch--which is entirely possible!
http://ladysrepositorymuseum.blogspot.com/2014/11/evolution-of-hands-in-early-wooden-dolls.html

But I wonder what factors influence the level of skill and design ability goes into creating the designs we love?  Did the doll hands change because of the impact of industrialization or is something else at work or is it a variety of things?

Feel free to call me an idiot in the comments below, or you can email me at chillyhollowathotmaildotcom and straighten me out that way.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 11, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Little Packages for Your Christmas Tree

Sheena's latest blog posting has a wonderful stitch for creating little Christmas wrapped packages.  There is much more, of course, but I highly recommend you avert your eyes when she talks about cheesecake.
http://www.sheenasstitches.com/happy-thanksgiving/

After all, I ate too much this week and I bet you did, too!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 27, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Ridgewood has just posted a photograph and closeups of Bertha's Christmas tree.  I am sorry I don't know who the designer is, but Bertha is doing a magnificent job decorating her tree!
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2014/11/xmas-tree.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 10, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.