More TNNA News

There's still more TNNA news appearing all over the WWW.  Needle Works has a special TNNA newsletter out featuring the new canvases they liked best.
https://www.theneedleworks.com/newsletter/2010marketedition.pdf

Bristly Thistle has photos of the new Silk and Ivory colors.
http://bristlythistle.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/new-silk-ivory-colors/

The Nimble Needle has added photos of the new Kreinik holographic threads and of a new clip to hold your rolled canvases.
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2010/01/tnna-long-beach-show-part-ii.html

I also have some new monthly clubs to show you.  First up are clubs from Family Arts Needlework in Arizona. Their newest club which is called Bottoms Up and is shoes or feet isn't pictured.
http://www.familyartsneedlework.com/Clubs.html

Needle House has announced a new club called All That's Christmas from A Collection of Designs.  It is holiday ornaments, a snowman, Santa, a wreath, a nutcracker, etc.  They have done lovely monthly clubs over the years, especially last year's All That Glitters which was sparkling glass ornaments.  You can see prior clubs by going to their website and clicking on Projects to Go.
http://www.theneedlehouse.com/jm/

Anyone who knows either shop, tell them to get photos up on their sites pronto!

I'll continue to post updates as I find them.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

You Know Me

Regular readers of Blog know exactly how I start each painted canvas project--I make a color copy of each canvas and if I plan to finish it myself, I also make a black and white copy.  I use the color copy to see where details I've covered up with other stitches are so I can add them later on and the black and white copies are used as paper patterns to cut out lining or backing or both.

My next step is to look at the design carefully and then figure out what this is like in real life to help me choose threads.  Looking at the shapes on the design help me pick out threads that are also that shape.  Then I look at what is prominent on the design and what isn't to help me refine the threads and stitches I started out with (no shiny threads on the areas that should be in the background, for example).  These are rules I normally work by.  But they are my rules--not THE rules.  They define my style, not describe the only way to work a canvas.

I know this and am always interested in what other people decide to do with their canvases.  I treat any needlework show I am lucky enough to visit as a seminar.   I read Needle Pointers and Needlepoint Now cover to cover.  Doesn't matter if I like the projects or not.  I'm there to learn from other stitchers, not add to my project list.  I even study the ads carefully.  I look online at stitching blogs and store sites to watch other stitchers work.  I always learn something.

And occasionally I am able to take a class.  I eagerly signed up for the SharonG Network (the elegant lady above is Sharon Garmize herself) and rummaged through my stash of 20 or so of SharonG canvases to find one that had me puzzled. I asked SharonG what to do with the camouflage bra and tap pants set and she came up with something that totally surprised me--

I sm going to bead it.  Totally. Every inch of the painted canvas will be covered in beads except for the coat hanger.

!!!!!!!!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Franklin Speaks, We Should Listen

This morning as I read new blog entries I came across this hilarious posting from the knit designer, artist, and writer Franklin Habit.  Someone gave Franklin a collection of old stitching magazines for Christmas and he's been exploring them.
http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-propagate-stereotype-1968.html

Once I quit laughing, I started to wonder what we needlepointers, designers and shop owners are doing to perpetuate the myth of needlepoint as a stuffy and boring craft?  Instead of the vibrant participatory art it can be, I mean?

Food for thought....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Evertites Warning

I got an email from Amanda this morning with a warning for folks who use Evertites.  Amanda accidentally ruined one of hers pulling it apart after a project.  Here's what happened, in her own words:

"I wanted to tell you about a small problem I had with Evertight frames a few weeks ago. I ruined a pair of bars. I had completed a piece and removed the canvas. I had turned the screws fairly far to tighten the piece when it was on the frame. The screws were extended far. I started pulling the bars apart and the screw of one bar embedded itself in its right angle pair. I had to pull very hard to remove the screw from the other piece and it pulled out of the wooden part. It was unusable. If I had screwed the screws back to the starting position, I would not have damaged the screw or the bar. I have never seen where anyone else had had a problem like this but I was wondering if you might want to put a tip on your blog sometime so others won't have this problem. I don't think I pulled the bars apart abnormally. I always pull my bars apart like this. I think I could happen again if I were to leave the screws in an extended position. I hope this makes sense to you."

It makes perfect sense, Amanda. I'd already realized when taking my Evertites apart when I finished O'jishi that the screws needed to be retracted before taking the bars apart, and posted an update to my Evertite review article.  But this is important enough that I wanted to quote Amanda so that all Evertite users or friends of Evertite users know to untighten the sides first.  We don't want any more Evertites ruined!  They are too wonderful a tool.

(I've updated my Evertite review article with this information in case anyone finds that in a search or has it bookmarked.)

http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2009/11/evertites-review.html

Please tell your friends about Amanada's warning.

We may hear from her again soon, as she just finished stitching Tony Minieri's Stars for the New Millennium and I've asked her for tips to help me stitch my version.  By the way, Amanda used Thread Gatherer's Halloween Confetti # 974 as her overdyed thread to choose colors from so her version is periwinkle, teal, orange and gold.  She says the colors are vibrant.

http://www.threadgatherer.com/SNC%20page%205.htm

Now Amanda's looking for a framer willing to cut the mat out to shape around the little diamonds that stick out from the border.  Anyone have a recommendation of a framer that cut your Stars mat this way?

Thanks for the tip, Amanda.  Evertite owners everywhere thank you!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Camouflage Lingerie Threads

This photo shows all the threads I plan to use for my SharonG camouflage bra and tap pants.  It's almost all DMC cotton floss (although I think one of the khaki colors is Anchor, I'll have to check that) except for a skein of Medici and one of Burmilana and for the DMC memory thread spindle.  I'm using that for the black coat hanger.

Why all the DMC cotton?  Well, that's SharonG's fault and to be revealed later....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow