Introducing Sitting Pretty, A Mystery Class (Michele Noiset) UPDATED

Ruth Schmuff's next mystery class will be Michele Noiset of CBK Designs' "Sitting Pretty" piece.  None of us, not even Ruth, know how the piece will turn out. That's part of the fun!  Plus we are left wondering if the cat is worshiping a mystical fish bowl or studying its next meal....
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2015/04/whats-our-next-mystery.html

Stay tuned for updates as Ruth works her magic and "Sitting Pretty" comes to life.

UPDATE:  Ruth stitches the cat and his fabulous tail.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2015/05/card-tricks.html

Ruth adds pillows and flames to the candlesticks.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2015/06/pillows-pillows-pillows.html

The background and the fishbowl are next, not to mention those fabulous tassels!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2015/06/the-plan-came-together.html

And we are done and sitting pretty ourselves.  Thanks, Ruth!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2016/05/catching-fish.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 17, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Toast to Beads

Suzanne just finished a wonderful Raymond Crawford champagne flute, a sort of New Year's toast of a canvas.  It's a toast to beads, with three different beading techniques to create sparkle.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2015/04/heres-to-usa-champagne-toast.html

The background is done in brick stitch beading, which is just brick stitch with a bead added to each stitch before you take the needle to the back side.  The baubles on the table are Suzanne's piled on bead technique, which is just what she says--piles of beads.  The third beading technique is to do tent stitches on the glass, adding a bead to each stitch before taking the needle to the back side.  After she finished a row of beaded tent stitches, she threaded the needle through the row of beads to straighten them slightly.  (Beads are wiggly things.)

Bet in person this is fabulous but cameras are notoriously blind to beads and bling.  We'll use our imagination in this homage to beads instead.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 16, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Three Winners at the National Academy of Needlearts on Facebook

Several photographs of winners at the NAN 2015 Exemplary exhibit have been posted on Facebook. I hope non-Facebook users can see them as well.   Diane won a ribbon for technical excellence.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/832433433500483/

The is the Best in Show winner, an original piece from Rachel Atkins that she calls "Gothic Arches."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/832434310167062/

This is the Best in Show - Japanese Embroidery winner, a classic design called "Moon Princess" from Shay Pendray, stitched by Arlene Altman.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/832435176833642/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 24, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Three Colors, Four Corners and Five Pattern Stripes

Anna Pearson is busy stitching a third color version of her "Tudor Rose" piece. She's also working a rhinoceros piece with elaborate corners and border stripes.
http://anna-pearson-needlepoint.blogspot.com/2015/04/stitching-wilst-husband-is-enjoying.html

These designs can be ordered from Anna in England, so I put them under the Columbus trade show tab as new, but I thought folks would like to see how a design is changed by the colors chosen and how Anna is working a very elaborate patterned border.  Enjoy!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 13, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

No Flying Monkeys! UPDATED MORE

"No Flying Monkeys" from Point of It All Designs

A couple of weeks back I "shared" Park Avenue Needlepoint's posting of this darling canvas from their Facebook page with Facebook's Needlepoint Nation group because I thought it quite funny.  Turns out this is a design from Point Of It All Designs, created by Hyla Hurley.  It is 9x7 inches on 13 count canvas and a real charmer.
http://thepointofitallshop.com/goodday-noflyingmonkeyss-386.aspx

I am going to blog stitch this, with the permission of Hyla.  You'll be able to watch me figure out the background, come up with something neat for the lettering, and stitch those fabulous shoes and martini glass.  As Blog's motto says, "Watch me embellish painted canvases, make creative choices, fail, rip out, succeed, and learn new swear words--all at no charge."

If you want to stitch along, Park Avenue Needlepoint is in Dayton, Ohio.  They had the canvas in stock when I saw it on their Facebook page.
http://www.parkavenueneedlepoint.com

The Needle Bug in Montgomery, Alabama also has this in stock.  
https://www.theneedlebug.com

Waste Knot in Arlington, Virginia is having a Point of It All Designs trunk show.  I am not certain if they have this canvas, though.
http://www.wasteknotneedlepoint.com

And Designers Desk in Geneva, Illinois has this canvas also.  But your local shop can order it for you from Point of It All Designs.  Just hurry to order so you don't fall too far behind.
http://files.ctctcdn.com/68b0d50b001/e8176a0e-3f47-48c1-ada8-e88b28f6aa9e.pdf

Now, where are my stretcher bars and those durn flying monkeys?

By the way, I'm collecting the links for my blog stitching of this piece on the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides blog.  As I publish each step, I'll put the links there so everything is in one place.  You'll find a tab at the top of the page once you click on the flying carpet photo on the right side of this page to travel to the CH Stitch Guides blog.

UPDATE:  Almost forgot!  I will be posting about this canvas each Friday until I finish it so you can stitch along if you please, or at least can check on my progress.

UPDATED AGAIN:  Park Avenue Needlepoint in Dayton, Ohio posted they have two copies of this canvas on their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Park-Avenue-Needlepoint/215593498452477

UPDATE #3:  Pocket Full of Stitches just got one of the No Flying Monkeys canvases in.
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2015/05/more-and-more-new-canvases.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 1, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.