Finishing Video by Starke Art Designs

Folks who do their own finishing will want to see this video by Kelly Starke Maichele of Starke Art Designs on how to finish open topped ornaments the easy way. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbhM76LfWPM&feature=youtu.be

You can reach Kelly to arrange finishing via Osterville Needlepoint.
http://www.ostervilleneedlepointshop.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 27, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Box Beads (Sundance)

Sundance's Box Beads

Recently Sundance sent me a selection of their new "box" beads to play with.   As you can see from the photo, these are perfectly square beads that are 3mm on each side.  The holes in the middle of each bead are relatively large.

Box Beads in Corners of Gold Digger Miami

I used Sundance's box beads as accents in the corners of my Gold Digger Miami piece from Leigh Designs.  The photo above is a test using gold and red beads so I could decide which color I liked best.  (I went with the red.)  I was able to use a doubled strand of overdyed cotton to go through each bead 3-4 times to secure it, so those center holes will take a very fat thread, probably even a strand of Impressions or something similar in diameter.  The beads themselves stand up high off the canvas and are slightly larger than a normal round size 11/0 bead.

Very nice and the color selection is large, which is always a plus.   I certainly will be using these again!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 25, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blocking Needlepoint the SuDu Way

Sue Dulle explains how she blocks her needlepoint before finishing it.  She even explains how to make your own blocking board if you cannot find one.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/finishing-the-beginningagain/

Thanks for all the great information, Sue!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 24, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Crabby Beader

Suzanne at Hugs and Stitches is totally covering her latest canvas in beads. She has some great ideas, like using double-sided tape to hold her various bead colors in the margin of the canvas, and she is doing tent stitch beading for the crab to make it stand out a bit from the brick stitch beaded background.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2016/02/still-beading.html

 Note that she is adding more blues to the water to give it motion and is using three types of beading--adding beads to a brick stitch, adding beads to a tent stitch and "messy" beading.  Suzanne's explanation of the various bead and beading thread colors she used is very interesting.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2016/03/beaded-blue-crab.html

You can see the entire canvas here.  It is from Point of It All Designs.
http://suzannehicks.blogspot.com/2016/02/hello.html

If you decided to try this, I suggest you start with a small canvas.  A canvas totally covered in beads is very very heavy.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 23, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

My Newest Canvas

Courtesy of a dear friend who maybe knows me a little too well, I have a new canvas in my collection.   It is eight inches square on 18 count canvas.  My version has purple letters on an ecru background, although you can purchase black lettering on ecru from the Bloomin Stitches store.  (This is a shop exclusive so this is the only place to pick it up.)
http://www.bloominstitches.com

A friend saw my present and ordered red letters on a white background, so you can get this customized to your preferred colors.  So what is my newest treat, you ask?

CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED

Scroll down at your own risk!

It cracks me up every time I look at it.  Many thanks to Laura at Bloomin Stitches and especially my friend who obviously are as strange as I am.  Now I need to assemble purple threads, beads and sequins and a very feminine background stitch so this will be as ladylike as possible until one reads the text.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 7, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.