Opportunities

Kaffe Fassett, Color Master & My Hero

Who is this man and why is he so happy?  This is the great Kaffee Fassett, textile designer (including needlepoint) extraordinare!  He knows more about color than anyone alive in my opinion.  Your NP library isn't complete until you own his Glorious Needlepoint.

I started out with Kaffe because his monthly newsletter plopped into my email box yesterday.  One of his videos has been turned into a download at the Amazon.com store.  Here's a bit about it. Click on Play Free Preview and you'll be taken to the Amazon store where you can play a snippet.
http://www.kaffefassett.com/Newsletters.html

If you've ever wondered what on earth plastic canvas is good for, go here now.
http://www.craftypod.com/2010/07/20/quite-possibly-the-finest-3d-needlepoint-book-ever-published/

You know most days I have to post about a sale.  This is a good one for devotees of counted canvaswork--Orna Willis is putting some of her charts on sale.
http://ornadesign.blogspot.com/2010/07/mish-mash-sale.html

Finally, here are the results of the poll About.com did.  I know that there is another side to customer service that just what we think of shops (I shudder to think what shop owners must think of us some days!) but it is still shocking to me how things turned out.  Somewhere around 27% of folks say that shop staff have been rude in a recent visit, 27% say that the staff couldn't answer questions about the items they carry, 10% say staff refused to assist them, and 27% say their local shop is terrific.  In other words, about 70% of shop visits are bad experiences.
http://needlepoint.about.com/b/2010/07/22/poll-results.htm

I'm going to the big Xmas in July sale at Needlewoman East today. You can be sure I'm going to hug each and every shop owner I run into!

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

Another Wing for Cha

I've finally finished enough tent stitch around the second wing to get started on it.  As you can see, I used the same wide diamond stitch that is on the bird's back but changed the color from pink to red and am doing the stitch in vertical columns instead of horizontal rows.  The loose red thread is on top of the canvas because I may continue the stitches up further.  Until I start the silk ribbon feathers I won't know exactly where the wide diamond rays should end.

The heat is intensifying again and I am also painting doors here so don't expect much progress on Cha in the next few days.  I'll probably return to background stitching as I am sure to be exhausted after going up and down the step ladder to reach the top of the door.  Sadly, I am height challenged, both in terms of inches and in terms of dizzy spells so painting takes a long, exhausting time.  But the doors will look like a million bucks once I am finished with them!

Not to worry, you will have lots to do until I get back to the feathers on Cha's wings.  All you have to do is visit Canvases Be Gone and see the old dede Odgen pieces Dale is selling off at incredible prices.  Plus she has quite a few Kelly Clark canvases at 40% off and there is a Christmas canvas sale going on to.  You really do have to do a little browsing and see what treasures you can unearth!
http://www.canvasesbegone.com/

I've also posted a new article on the CH Stitch Guides blog. It covers the Kindergarten Nativity set from Labors of Love and David McCaskill's stitch guides.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2010/07/davids-kindergarten-nativity-and-custom.html

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

Stirling Bags

If you've ever considering buying one of the Stirling leather purses, you'll want to read what Linda has to say.
http://nystitchingsisters.blogspot.com/2010/07/sterling-bags-great-experience.html

Here is their website.  Note all those lovely purses!
http://www.stirlingcases.com/products.php

Not interested in a pocketbook?  My spies tell me that next January Stirling is going to release leather cases for eBook readers like the Kindle and the Nook and a case for iPads, all of which will have about a 6 inch opening for your stitching.

By the way, the photo above is from the Alex Paras website where they sell the leather tool tote and the darling Shelly Tribbey canvas.  A little bird whispered there is a Brenda Hart stitch guide for that canvas, too!  However, you don't have to buy a canvas for the tool tote because AP Needlearts includes a free Janet Perry Bargello pattern with each purchase of that item.
http://store.apneedlearts.com/roletoto.html

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

Rarely Seen Artists

Recently I stumbled across the Fleur de Paris website, the company that represents painted canvas designers like Trubey and Sandra Gilmore and dede Odgen.  I wouldn't have done anything more than use one of these rarely seen designers' pieces as a Canvas of the Day if I hadn't noticed several people have been looking for "La Femme" by Sandra Gilmore, which is the canvas you see above.  Below is the direct link for visitors who wanted to see more of this gorgeous Caribbean lady.  Everybody else, treat yourself to all of dede's designs or look carefully at Trubey's gorgeous work, or explore other designers by just using the links on the left side of the page.
http://www.fleurdeparis.com/products/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=SG-18-010

There is lots to see besides the designers mentioned above.  Janet Watson does beautiful florals and glorious Russian angels.  Tonya does lovely graphics with Jewish motifs. Fleur de Paris also is a major distributor of Zweigart canvases.  So tell your shop to add the Fleur canvas you have to have to their order for plain NP canvas.

I have also just discovered Colors of Praise by Marie Barber.  She is featured on Needleworks of Homewood, Alabama's website.  If you like designs featuring birds or fruit or flowers, this is the designer for you.  I particularly like her tiny bird canvases and her assorted peacock designs, some of which are on 18 count, some of which are on 13 count and one lovely example of which is on 10 count. Something for every peacock lover's eyes, in other words.
http://web.me.com/gritsnp/Site/Favorites/Pages/Colors_of_Praise.html#grid

Have fun exploring while I get back to even more tent stitched background!  (Don't miss Trubey's gorgeous Creche set!)

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

A Great Loss: Jennifer Ashley Taylor

I was shocked to read that Jennifer Ashley Taylor had died via a lovely obituary from Gay Ann Rogers.

http://gayannrogers.blogspot.com/2010/07/jennifer-taylor.html

I did not know her at all well but she was gracious and friendly when we met and she did the stitching world a great favor with her photography skills, her dedication to Japanese Embroidery and by setting up the Needle Artworks website to allow needlework teachers to reach a wider audience with their books, charts and designs.  The Stitch and Fiber of the month area on the site were essential to my learning when I first began to explore threads and stitches for needlepoint.
http://www.needleartworks.com/stm/sfindex.htm

I know she left many students of Japanese Embroidery and photography behind her as well as many instructional booklets for beautiful Japanese Embroidery such as the Gold 'n Robes piece shown above.  She also leaves me with good memories of time spent in her company.

In her honor I post one last link to her photo gallery of Japanese Embroidery from all over.  It was Jennifer's hope that this gallery inspire students of this art.  It's just an accident that it inspires me as well.
http://needleartworks.com/edu/je/gallery/gallery_list.htm

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