New Rebecca Wood Designs for Summer 2011

Thanks to one of the spies who feed me tips, I know that Rebecca Wood has added her latest designs to her website.  Me, I am partial to the Bear's Night Before Christmas stocking cuff but there is a lot to see and admire.  Click on the tiny photos for a better view.
http://rebeccawooddesigns.com/new-designs/summer-2011

Thanks, Palma!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Crewel Like You've Never Seen It Before

Cayce Zavaglia embroiders on a cotton/linen blend with crewel wool.  The end results are stunningly realistic portraits.  I've never seen crewel like this before!  Trish Burr does a fascinating interview on her blog, asking the questions us needleworkers would ask.
http://trishburr.com/2011/06/20/embroidery-as-art/

More portraits are on Cayce's website.
http://www.caycezavaglia.com/

By the way, if you aren't familiar with Trish Burr's embroideries, click on the Gallery tab on her blog (first link) and see what can be done with cotton floss.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Lee Self Finishing Belts

Thanks to Barbara Bergsten, I have a link to photos of Lee's latest leather goods--iPad cases, nylon totes (I own one and it is FABULOUS), and a new self-finishing belt.  If hip hugging belts come back in style, these belts will sell like hotcakes.  After all, I remember how great I looked in the style....
http://www.newleesneedlearts.com/files/flyers/LeatherGoods_Jun11.pdf

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow 
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The Sequin Sizer UPDATED

Sequin Sizer (18 count)

Several folks have been asking about sequin sizes on Stitcherie, so I promised I'd look at my Sundance sequins and try to come up with a way to estimate how large their various shapes of sequins are and also how much canvas real estate each size covers.  I don't have any scraps of 13 count canvas lying around, so I am using 18 count as my baseline.  I also don't have any brands of sequins except for Sundance's.  However, if I can figure out how many threads a 4 mm sequin covers on 18 count, at least that will be somewhat helpful.  Maybe another blogger with 13 count canvas and other brands of sequins can do a followup posting.

First of all, you should know that there are 25.4 millimeters in one inch.  A 6 mm sequin is roughly 1/4 inch wide and tall while a 4 mm sequin is more than 1/8 inch but less than 3/16 inch wide and tall.  In terms of threads on a needlepoint canvas, for 18 count a--
2 mm sequin will cover about 2 tent stitches;
4 mm sequin will cover about 4 tent stitches;
6 mm sequin will cover about 5 tent stitches;
13 mm sequin will cover about 9 tent stitches.

This is approximate.  My measurements are based on Sundance brand sequins.  Their sequins are pretty uniform in shape but not entirely, plus shaped sequins like the cupped sequins or flower shaped ones will cover irregular areas on the canvas.  But perhaps this will be a rough guide for folks who have to mail order sequins and want to know the right size.

In the photo above, there are no 2 mm sequins.  The 4 mm column shows (top to bottom) Sundance's small embossed square transparent colored squares ("Etched Panel Square BDS-SQ110" which comes in a packet of assorted colors), their cupped flower sequins which are not flat but shaped ("Raised Flower BDS-SQ103") and which also come in a packet of assorted colors, and the black faceted sequins ("BDS-SQ112 Black Shimmer") which come in a packet of all black.

The 6 mm column shows (top to bottom) Sundance's large round embossed circle sequins (sorry, there is no identifying number on the packet but it comes in assorted colors) and their large wild animal print square sequins ("BDS-SQ106 Animal Square" in a packet of assorted colors).

The 13 mm column only has Sundance's flower sequins "BDS-SQ101 Opaque Flower") which have an iridescent finish and come in a packet of assorted pastel colors.

Hope this helps!  By the way, Vicky has posted a great photo of a wide assortment of Sundance sequins on her blog. You can see the possibilities here.
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_3603.jpg

UPDATE:  I've discovered the 2mm sequins from The Collection can be held down by a size 14/0 (sometimes written as size 14) bead.  Size 11/0 beads completely cover a 2mm sequin so you can't see it.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Fat is the New Black FIXED

If you are a fan of either Raymond Crawford or finishing, you'll enjoy browsing his website pages that show off finished examples of his designs.  UPDATE:  I fixed the link. Sorry!
http://www.raymondcrawford.com/finishing/

The title of this Blog entry comes from one of his canvases that cracks me up.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=ho138

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com