Finishing Friday: Variety from Nimble Needle

Wait'll you see all the fun finishing that Nimble Needle just got back for customers!
http://www.nimbleneedlenj.com/recent-finishing/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 22, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

No Flying Monkeys: Background Stitches Part One

 Now that my No Flying Monkeys canvas has been divided into the "wall" background and the "footstool" background, it's time to choose stitches for these areas.  I have to have something small in scale for the wall so that the lettering stands out.  That stitch needs to be easy to compensate as well, since I have all those little wall bits among the letters.

For the footstool I want a medium scale design so I can get quite a few repeats in the 7 inch width of the canvas and I also want something that creates a pretty pattern that doesn't detract from the black and white stripes on the stockings. I think a diagonal pattern would be good for the footstool since I want the eye to travel from the footstool to the martini glass.

Time to consult my stitching books!  I always look at SharonG's SENSE book when I need to browse stitches by texture and whether they have a diagonal flow or not.
http://www.homesteadneedlearts.com/product/sharong%C2%92s-simply-essential-needlepoint-stitch-explanations/

I didn't see anything in the diagonal pattern section that did much for me but in the section on medium texture I found my old friend Double Stitch, which is very versatile and small in scale.  It reminded me of Staggered Crosses, which is somewhat similar.  I think either might work for my wall.

Now I need footstool patterns so I looked at my Got Stitches? book from the team at Gone Stitching.  It is full of multi-layered stitches that are very pretty patterns.  But nothing really caught my eye.  So I kept looking, rummaging through my stitch diagrams, books and photographs.
http://www.gonestitching.net/new/index.php/supplies/got-stitches.html

I just auditioned Tony Minieri's Henderson Variant for another project and knew how pretty it was. If you turn the diagram so that it runs in horizontal rows, it might just work nicely as it echoes the stripes on the stockings and also will point the eye toward the martini glass since it is a diagonal pattern.   This diagram is available online from ANG's Stitch of the Month for June 2009.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2009/jun.php

Tony Minieri's Henderson Variant, Rotated

Here is the diagram rotated.  See what I mean?  I think it will make for a nice footstool.

Now I need to audition the stitches above to see how they actually look and how much thread I will need for my 13 count canvas.  Stay tuned!

Remember, I am collecting the links as I blog stitch this Point of It All Designs piece and posting them in a tab on the CH Stitch Guides blog.  You can catch up on what you missed by going there--just click on the flying carpet photo to magically be transported to my other blog and then back again.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 20, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Linda's Pretty Bird

Linda at the Spilt the Needles blog has just finished her cardinal ornament from Melissa Prince Designs and it is fabulous! The feathery stitches she chose aren't traditional but they look grand. 
http://splittheneedles.blogspot.com/2015/04/sunday-stitching.html

Here are more of the Melissa Prince bird rounds, just in case you don't like cardinals best.
http://www.melissaprincedesigns.com/webupdate_010815_020.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 26, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Studying the Winter Table

Brenda got to take a class with Laura Taylor at Louise's Needlework in Ohio last week.  Laura was teaching Melissa Shirley's beautiful "Winter Table" and Brenda tells us a lot about how the class was organized.  Louise's did a fabulous organizational job and Laura has some amazing techniques on this piece.  
http://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2015/04/winter-table-by-melissa-shirley-42215.html

You can check Laura's website to see if she'll be teaching near you.  If you don't travel much, you can also see what stitch guides Laura has available so you can study with her in your own stitching nest at home.
http://needlepointwithlaurataylor.com/teaching-schedule/

If you live in or visit Ohio, check Louise's website to see what else is happening at the shop this summer.
http://www.louisesneedlework.com

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

Don's Basketweave Beading in Video

Oh, boy! The Kreinik website has filmed a woven look done with clear beads using size 4 Kreinik very fine braid.  The video stars Associated Talents' Carol Gantz who works with Don Lynch (also Associated Talents) who invented the basketweave beading technique.  It's sometimes called Don Beading in his honor.
http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Basket-Weave-Beading-Technique-with-Kreinik-Threads.html

If you fall in love with canvas M-189 ("Starfish Frieze"), Associated Talents has a free stitch guide for the canvas on their website.  Sorry, after Associated Talents was sold to Bradley needlepoint, the free stitch guides disappeared along with their old website.
http://www.atneedlepoint.com/Guides/M-189-GUIDE.pdf

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 27, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.