Stars Corners

I started my first real stitching on Stars yesterday.  I already had a corner in place and had done all six of the little sashing corners but I have begun to think that they all used too much thread to allow the full effect to show.  So I pulled out the two big corners and one of the little sash corners.  In the photo above you see one of the two big corners that I finished.  I think I will stitch the other two big corners before I forget how they are done, then test stitch the little sash corner with smaller thread coverage and see how it looks.  Then I'll either remove all the sash corners and redo them or start on the top borders.

I've already got one problem I'd like input on from counted thread stitchers:  The big corners (and probably all the star quilt blocks themselves) have lots of starts and stops of many threads.  My corners on the back are quite thick with pin stitching/Locking L starts and stops and I've discovered that many of my Locking Ls were put in holes I need to put some other threads in later.  How do you handle starting and stopping threads when you have so many stitches and threads occupying the same space?

UPDATE:  I forgot to mention Tony Minieri graciously gave me permission to post photos of my version of his Stars design.  Thank you, Headmaster!

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

I Don't Know How I Missed This

I'm just catching up on a few things here, in between shoveling snow and rearranging the pantry so I know what food I have available while we are stuck on the mountain.  (Not to worry, we have plenty of everything we need, particularly if it involves beans or canned tomatoes.  I see chili in the near future....)  First of all, somehow I missed Stitches in Time Needlepoint's newsletter.  It looks like they went stitching in France!
http://www.stitchesintimeneedlepoint.com/html/home/news6.pdf

A-Z Needlepoint/Regal Rabbit started a Kelly Clark "Twelve Days of Christmas" club with guides written by Susan Portra.  This is a great opportunity and I hope you can still sign up.  Details are on their home page.
http://www.a-z-needlepoint.com/

Traditional Stitches in Canada is going to offer a beginning needlepoint cyber class.  Know anyone who wants to learn?
http://www.traditionalstitches.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TS&Product_Code=CMDTBeg&Category_Code=SAL

I wonder what else I missed?

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

Getting Started on Stars

Yesterday I spent some time looking at my four sets of threads for the Stars for the New Millennium project.  I discovered that I had my A1 and A4 mixed up so I needed to make sure I didn't have other errors.  I also needed to read the instructions several times to figure out where I stopped work 3-4 years ago when I put Stars down.

To work this piece you choose four colors:  A is a main color, B is the sashing color--sashing is what quilters call the borders between quilt blocks--and a second main color, C is your neutral,  and D is an accent color. You also need an overdyed floss that includes at least these four colors.  Most folks start by choosing the overdye and then picking their four ABCD colors based on it.  

Naturally I didn't do that but more on this later.

Mr. Minieri tells you what type of thread (floss, perle cotton, tapestry wool, etc.) you need for A1 or C3, and you can look at the list of threads he used to see what brand he used to get another idea of what type of thread he recommends if you need to substitute.   

I think I'm going to need more of my A1 and B1 threads. B1 is black Soie de Crystale and I have three skeins but I'm not sure it'll be enough. I was clever enough to choose threads that I thought I needed more than one skein of from brands that don't have a lot of color variation among skeins, but I didn't think about getting enough of A1 to do the outside border which is purple in Tony's model in the photo.  I am using Impressions for A1 currently but I think I might look at Vineyards Silk and see if there's a good violet color in their line in March to use as A1 when I get to the Woodlawn needlework exhibit and visit the local shops.  There are a lot of threads available now that weren't available in 1999 when Stars was published and I think I'd like to include a new thread, particularly one that covers as well as Vineyards silk does.

This means that I can't do the outer border yet.  I will have to finish the two corners and the top borders without stitching the outside edge of those areas in A1.

I'll publish the threads I am using section by section.  I anticipate that I'll use both Impressions and Vineyards Silks for A1, depending on what area I am stitching.  

I don't know if you saw Sara Leigh's comment that her stitching group (which is working on Stars right now) all spent right around $100 on threads.  They used threads from their stashes whenever possible.  As far as I know, all the stitchers are using one of the 13 colorways listed in the instructions.  Is that right, SL?

Guess I'm going to have to settle down and work on Stars today instead of shoveling snow!

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

The SharonG Camouflage Bra and Tap Pants Set

My lingerie set from SharonG is finished.

I hope you can really see the shine of the beads in these photographs.

SharonG, thanks for the idea of beading the entire canvas.  I never ever would have come up with this idea on my own.  Thank you for opening my mind to other ways of handling a canvas.

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

February 2010 Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article

Morning all! We are snowed in here in Virginia, with more on the way, so it seems a good time to go visit a museum. After all, one can only stitch, stare at the Weather Channel or shovel snow for so long before you need a break!

Let's start out with an exhibit of kimono from the 1910-40 period which are for sale. These were the first mass-produced kimonos in Japan and the bold, graphic patterns would make great NP designs.
http://marcusonandhall.com/exhibitions/meisen-kimonos

Are you an admirer of samplers? Then you'll want to read this article about getting the most out of the V&A's online exhibit of samplers before you go browse their museum site.
http://needleprint.blogspot.com/2010/02/getting-most-out-of-v-sampler.html

Are you enthralled by the elaborate clothing of the Elizabethean period? Then you will want to browse this collection of gloves. They are astounding!
http://www.glovecollectioncatalogue.org/Spence-Collection-at-Bath-23337-to-23361

The trim on those 17th Century gloves is amazing but it turns out, trims and edgings are an even older craft. The Vikings made them, even. Examples of Medieval trims in silver and gold are shown on this site which explains a bit about them.
http://m-silkwork.blogspot.com/2010/02/silver-and-gold-ornaments-of-vikings.html

Somehow the snow doesn't seem so important when we browse the stitching of our spiritual ancestors.

Before I close, I want to let you know that Ruth Schmuff's It's Not Your Grandmother's Needlepoint blog has moved to a new site. Bookmark at, then settle in and read about Ruth's Valentine canvas. Ruth, hope it is snowing pink spangles and silver rhinestones on you, not the real stuff!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/

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