Pincushions and Needle Books

I love wool felt needle books, so I was very interested when Lorraine at Colour Complements highlighted those that Fiberluscious makes and sells on Etsy. 
https://colourcomplements.com/2020/08/wool-needle-case-with-hand-dyed-threads.html

Right now Jill's Etsy store only has pincushions for sale, but they come in five different styles and they are all charming—and all filled with emery to keep your needles sharp and rust free.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/fiberluscious?sort_order=date_desc

I hope by the time this publishes there will be needle books for sale again.  I just love needle books with pages of real wool felt to keep your needles in!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 17, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Winter Morn: The Winter 2021 Mystery Class from Ruth Schmuff Updated

Ruth Schmuff has revealed the Winter 2021 mystery class—a new design called "Winter Morn" from Brenda Stofft.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/11/winter-is-coming/

As always, I'll update this article as Ruth posts progress reports.  If you are interested in the class, the link above tells you how to sign up to participate.

UPDATES:  Ruth creates a blanket of snow that looks like a quilt or lace pattern.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/12/grandmothers-quilt/

And the trees have snow!  (Don't miss Ruth's video on how she created the trees with Buttonhole Stitch.)

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2020/12/winter-is-coming-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg_57Xos1m8

Now the house is finished and the roof is covered in snow.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2021/01/the-house/

Ruth promises big things for the border.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2022/12/a-cabin-in-the-woods/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright November 4, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

For the Equestrian

If you ride, love horses, or just live in a horse-mad area like I do, you'll enjoy browsing the Horse Country Chic's current crop of horse needlepoint finds.

http://horsecountrychic.blogspot.com/2020/10/new-equestrian-needlepoint.html

You might also enjoy Three Thimble Designs' horse items.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/827343229/high-standards-handpainted-needlepoint?ref=shop_home_active_10

My Needlepoint Corner has a darling printed horse canvas that would be perfect in tent stitches using threads from your stash.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/595036725/needlepoint-canvas-vector-rainbow-horse?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=horse+needlepoint+canvas&ref=sr_gallery-1-10&organic_search_click=1

Froopy has a stylized horse in preppy colors that is great fun.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/842432213/hand-painted-needlepoint-canvas-preppy?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=horse+needlepoint+canvas&ref=sr_gallery-1-43&organic_search_click=1&frs=1

There are many beautiful horse canvases by more established designers but I thought maybe today I'd focus on new designers with things you might not have seen before.  Have fun browsing!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright  October 28, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Books with Stitch Diagrams AND Photographed Examples UPDATED

A lot of people would like books of stitch diagrams to have accompanying photos of the stitches.  Because of the cost, this is rare, but I've assembled a list of books and sites that do have photos and found links to show the covers and titles to help you find a copy.  Do a careful search.  Copies are available at a variety of price points.  Be very careful of Amazon offerings as sellers there often charge a premium price for needlepoint books.  You'll almost always find them cheaper at a needlepoint shop.

Jo I. Christensen's The Needlepoint Book - all three editions have small black and white photos. 

https://www.thefrenchknot.com/books.htm

All of Gone Stitching's books have color photos of their stitches.

https://www.gonestitching.net/product-category/books/

https://www.facebook.com/stitchboutiqueboston/photos/a.1994170923973080/4810713555652122/

Instagram's "Needlepoint Notebook" is all colored photos of stitches with a note as to the book and page number where it was found. There are NO diagrams.  You have to look them up in the book where they were found.

https://www.instagram.com/needlepointnotebook/

Sherri Lantz's Pageant of Pattern - now out of print, has black and white stitched examples of many (but not all I don't think) of the stitches in the book

http://www.newneedlepoint.com/content-product_info/product_id-2268/a_pageant_of_pattern_for_needlepoint_canvas_by_sherlee_lantz.html

SuZy Murphy's books (now out of print) have stitched examples in the back, some in color, some in black and white.

https://www.threadneedlestreet.com/booksndptstitches.htm

Whimsical Stitch's blog posts a stitch diagram each week (sometimes more often) with a colored photo of the stitch.  Mary Legellet also has now written a book called Mary's Whimsical Stitches that includes the blog stitches and others that have not appeared on her blog but no photos. Stitches that came from her blog have a URL for her Instagram account however, so you can type that out in your browser to see an example of those.  

http://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays

http://www.whimsicalstitch.com/marys-whimsical-stitches

If you know of stitch diagram books with photos of the stitches worked, please let me know so I can add them to the list.  Email me at chilly hollow at hot mail dot com.  Thanks.

UPDATE:  Another book with diagrams and stitch photos is Susan Sturgeon Roberts' Complete Guide to Needlepoint Stitches.  There are 400 stitches included.  It is out of print but a newer book is called the Needlepoint Dictionary of Stitches.  It has 250 stitches and photos and is available as a Kindle ebook (second link below).

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Needlepoint-Guide-400-Stitches/dp/0873417933

https://www.amazon.com/Needlepoint-Dictionary-Stitches-Sturgeon-Roberts-ebook/dp/B00CCTYSFK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=19XW95VUZXV19&dchild=1&keywords=susan+sturgeon+roberts&qid=1605218822&sprefix=susan+sturgeon+ro%2Cdigital-text%2C152&sr=8-2

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright October 26, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

An Interview with Sandy Higgins, The Queen of Finishing

Fiber Talk has a fun interview with Sandy Higgins up.

https://wetalkfiber.com/2020/10/25/fiber-talk-with-sandy-higgins/

You can order Sandy's book on finishing through her website.

https://sites.google.com/site/sandysfinishingtouches/my-book

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright October 25, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.