New Designers

There have been new shops opening and new designers painted canvases for us these days, perhaps encouraged by the explosion of folks looking for needlepoint to keep themselves busy.  

I found three new designers this morning.  If you live in New England, the Cape Cod themed "Call Me When You Get to the Bridge" from Frances Mary Needlepoint will charm you.  If not, her beach and summer designs are fresh and funny.

https://francesmaryneedlepoint.com/collections/all

Mopsey Designs' "I Told My Mom About You" cracks me up, but she has a lot to admire.

https://mopseydesigns.com/collections/frontpage?page=1

Then there is Abby at Le Point Studio.  I love her little flower basket and that Holiday Lamb is exquisite!

https://www.lepointstudio.com/about

Like most new designers, you can buy directly from their websites.  Go explore!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 1, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Substitutes for Dovo Scissors

Mary Corbet's latest article is about finding substitutes for Dovo scissors now that the company has gone bankrupt.  That doesn't mean Dovo scissors aren't available but the prices are getting quite high, so Mary's found a substitute in some of the Premax scissors from Italy.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2021/07/dovo-scissors-substitutes.html

If you are a fan, here is what I found for Dovo scissors and for Premax pairs.  Shop around.  These are the first links that came up that are needlework shops so you may find a better price elsewhere.  

https://www.oldfashionedbaby.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=637

https://www.anitalittlestitches.com/product5278.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright July 8, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Copyright Theft of Trish Burr Embroidery

Trish Burr is being hit by copyright thieves again.

https://trishburr.com/2021/06/26/copyright-infringement/

It is a lot of trouble and expense to stop the thieves and they just shut down if someone takes their shop down, change their name, and pop up again.  If you are a fan of Trish Burr, don't buy her designs from anyone except her or Inspirations Magazine.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 26, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Art of Petit Point (Learning to Stitch on Silk Gauze)

Does the idea of stitching on silk gauze intrigue you?  Then you may be interested in Natalia Frank's new cyberclass "The Art of Petite Point."  You can see more about the class here.

https://artofpetitpoint.thinkific.com/collections

You can browse Natalia's charts on her regular website.  She also has free charts to use as you explore this tiny ground material.  

https://www.dollhouseneedlepoint.com

Basically you do tent stitches with one ply of silk or cotton floss on a ground fabric that ranges from 18 to 32 to 40 to 48 count (and much smaller) using a tiny needle, usually a beading needle.  The silk gauze doesn't have to have the background stitched as the gauze will disappear if it is mounted over a shiny fabric or a mirror.  That means you have to be careful how you end threads as the tails will wiggle out and show if you aren't.  You can of course completely cover the background if you are doing a miniature rug, for example.  But having a butterfly seeming to float in air is a wonderful thing to see.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com 

© Copyright June 24, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved

Tips for Using Curved Needles in Finishing

Starke Art shows how to use a curved needle and fishing line in finishing.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO4gKQVgC8I

There are some great ideas for those doing self-finishing.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 22, 2021 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.