Orna Willis will show you how she builds her scissors fobs on her blog. The detail in each is incredible!
http://ornadesign.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-i-choose-my-embellishment-elements.html
http://ornadesign.blogspot.com/2016/08/my-daily-creations.html
I don't know if the examples she used will still be available in Orna's Etsy store, but lucky us--she has 33 scissor fobs there as I write this!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ADORNBYORNA?section_id=7656415
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
The BeadSmith's Sticky Bead Mats
Labels:
Bead Smith,
beads,
Facebook,
mats,
tools
I've been reading rave reviews on Facebook for the sticky bead mats that BeadSmith makes. I'm told when the stickiness wears off because of dust, you can rinse them off and when they dry, they are sticky again.
http://www.shipwreckbeads.com/catalog/Beading-Tools-and-Accessories/Beading-Tools/Bead-Mats-and-Layout-Boards/Sticky-Bead-Mats//orderBy/sku/itemsPerPage/20/page/1/item/MS65-XL/item/MS65-C
They come in various sizes and colors, and the pricing varies so shop around. Some of the larger needlepoint shops have these, too.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 13, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
http://www.shipwreckbeads.com/catalog/Beading-Tools-and-Accessories/Beading-Tools/Bead-Mats-and-Layout-Boards/Sticky-Bead-Mats//orderBy/sku/itemsPerPage/20/page/1/item/MS65-XL/item/MS65-C
They come in various sizes and colors, and the pricing varies so shop around. Some of the larger needlepoint shops have these, too.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 13, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Breaking News: Jean Hilton's Little Guys Now Available
The publisher of Jean Hilton's designs, Stitches from the Heart, just announced that Jean's "Little Guys" series is now available in a single book, along with a similar Tony Minieri design called Rockaway.
http://stitches-heart.com/jean-hilton-release-rockaway-and-18-little-guys-in-a-single-book/
Counted canvas workers are rejoicing!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 19, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
http://stitches-heart.com/jean-hilton-release-rockaway-and-18-little-guys-in-a-single-book/
Counted canvas workers are rejoicing!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 19, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Wendy and Daughters Head to Luv 2 Stitch
Labels:
Luv 2 Stitch,
reviews,
shops
Recently my friend Wendy and her two daughters visited two shops in their area that are a little out of the way for them to visit. They don't usually go visit them, but they had a great time and will go back when they can. Wendy very kindly reported back to me on Luv 2 Stitch and City Needleworks. Her descriptions of the two shops were so interesting that I asked her permission to reprint her mini reviews here. Thanks, Wendy!
**********************************************
Here's my description of Luv2Stitch. Sorry I don't have photos too, but I don't have a smart phone and rarely take my camera with me, though I really should improve my photography skills. The Luv2Stitch and Yelp sites have photos.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/luv2stitch-san-mateo
Luv2Stitch is in a non-descript strip mall in a residential neighborhood in San Mateo. Unlike City Needlework, which can rely on foot traffic, being on a popular downtown street, Luv2Stitch isn't a walk-to destination. It shares the mall with a bakery/cafe, a martial arts studio, a mani-pedi-hair salon type shop, I believe a real estate office? We didn't go into the other shops.
http://luv2stitch.com
The strip mall building is ok, nothing fancy, which is why I was delighted when I entered Luv2Stitch. One enters through a dark painted double Dutch door, with bright gold shiny hardware, an auspicious start with such attention to detail. The shop is very big, it takes up three storefronts. We'll start with the middle room, where one enters.
To the right of the door is a nicely carved console table that hold needlework magnets and some small items. To the left is another table holding canvases. In the middle of the room is another table that hold needlework books and magazines, with some stitched samples. Many of the samples are Halloween. There are double width doorways on both side walls leading to the thread room on the right and the work room on the left. We'll go in there later.
Mounted on the walls all the way to the ceiling was the current trunk show of Shelly Tribbey Halloween canvases, 25% off during the show. Against the walls on both sides further into the room pass the doorways are glass curio cabinets that hold small stitched samples and canvases. There is also an antique dressmaker's mannequin that holds more needlework magnets. Against the back wall, straight across from the front door is the register counter. Behind that are more stitched samples and large Shelly Tribbey canvases.
Into the thread room to the right. There's a table in the middle of the room for clients to place their canvases and choose threads. The threads line all the walls, some hanging on pegs and some on spinners. Canvases hang at the top of the wall. A good selection of Asian-inspired canvases, but not as many as City Needleworks. In addition to threads, there are accessories (scissors, needles, etc.) and beads.
Out of the thread room and across the middle room into the work room, which has three large tables. A stitching session was in progress, with a teacher, I forgot her name, who was helping the ladies with their individual canvases. It looks like the shop provides Needlework System 4 floor stands for students to use, as everyone seemed to be using one and there were a couple of extras "littering" the floor. One lady was stitching an Egyptian-inspired canvas. It looked like a bird with the wings outspread or an Egyptian lady with her arms out, wearing a feathered cape? Anyway, it was gorgeous. Another woman was stitching a collage that included an Oregon license plate. All around the room were canvases pinned to the walls.
These first three rooms were large and very bright. In the work and thread rooms, bright lights were hanging from the ceiling.
Walking out of the work room towards the back of the shop, one enters a darker room that holds a bookcase with catalogs from design companies, more glass fronted cabinets holding stitched samples, and a table in the middle. The room isn't as well lighted, but this room is used for staff to kit canvases and threads for customers, and to peruse the catalogs. In the back of the room, the light is even dimmer, but is outfitted with a couch, comfy chairs and lamps and is a cozy spot to stitch alone or with a couple of other people. There's a bar cart to hold coffee, tea or other refreshments.
In the back to the right of the cash register counter are the bathrooms, but we didn't go back there.
This shop is really classy, from the front door to the layout to the shop fixtures to the lighting to that cozy stitching nook in the back. The one lady working there was very friendly. She only started needlepoint a few years ago, having done other types of stitching before. She now exclusively needlepoints because she loves it so much. She loved that the three of us needlepoint and offered to arrange a teacher to go to Sarah's school if Sarah wanted to organize a needlepoint/stitching group.
The bags are even classy--heavy weight with a bit of shine. We were fighting over it to hold out needlework projects....I won.
Luv2Stitch reminds me of Aristeia in Santa Monica, both giving off a very elegant feeling. And both occupying a lot of square footage. There's a lot of oohing and ahhing when one walks into either place.
Sigh. We all wish we'd gone with you and the girls, Wendy. Thanks for the tours!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
**********************************************
Here's my description of Luv2Stitch. Sorry I don't have photos too, but I don't have a smart phone and rarely take my camera with me, though I really should improve my photography skills. The Luv2Stitch and Yelp sites have photos.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/luv2stitch-san-mateo
Luv2Stitch is in a non-descript strip mall in a residential neighborhood in San Mateo. Unlike City Needlework, which can rely on foot traffic, being on a popular downtown street, Luv2Stitch isn't a walk-to destination. It shares the mall with a bakery/cafe, a martial arts studio, a mani-pedi-hair salon type shop, I believe a real estate office? We didn't go into the other shops.
http://luv2stitch.com
The strip mall building is ok, nothing fancy, which is why I was delighted when I entered Luv2Stitch. One enters through a dark painted double Dutch door, with bright gold shiny hardware, an auspicious start with such attention to detail. The shop is very big, it takes up three storefronts. We'll start with the middle room, where one enters.
To the right of the door is a nicely carved console table that hold needlework magnets and some small items. To the left is another table holding canvases. In the middle of the room is another table that hold needlework books and magazines, with some stitched samples. Many of the samples are Halloween. There are double width doorways on both side walls leading to the thread room on the right and the work room on the left. We'll go in there later.
Mounted on the walls all the way to the ceiling was the current trunk show of Shelly Tribbey Halloween canvases, 25% off during the show. Against the walls on both sides further into the room pass the doorways are glass curio cabinets that hold small stitched samples and canvases. There is also an antique dressmaker's mannequin that holds more needlework magnets. Against the back wall, straight across from the front door is the register counter. Behind that are more stitched samples and large Shelly Tribbey canvases.
Into the thread room to the right. There's a table in the middle of the room for clients to place their canvases and choose threads. The threads line all the walls, some hanging on pegs and some on spinners. Canvases hang at the top of the wall. A good selection of Asian-inspired canvases, but not as many as City Needleworks. In addition to threads, there are accessories (scissors, needles, etc.) and beads.
Out of the thread room and across the middle room into the work room, which has three large tables. A stitching session was in progress, with a teacher, I forgot her name, who was helping the ladies with their individual canvases. It looks like the shop provides Needlework System 4 floor stands for students to use, as everyone seemed to be using one and there were a couple of extras "littering" the floor. One lady was stitching an Egyptian-inspired canvas. It looked like a bird with the wings outspread or an Egyptian lady with her arms out, wearing a feathered cape? Anyway, it was gorgeous. Another woman was stitching a collage that included an Oregon license plate. All around the room were canvases pinned to the walls.
These first three rooms were large and very bright. In the work and thread rooms, bright lights were hanging from the ceiling.
Walking out of the work room towards the back of the shop, one enters a darker room that holds a bookcase with catalogs from design companies, more glass fronted cabinets holding stitched samples, and a table in the middle. The room isn't as well lighted, but this room is used for staff to kit canvases and threads for customers, and to peruse the catalogs. In the back of the room, the light is even dimmer, but is outfitted with a couch, comfy chairs and lamps and is a cozy spot to stitch alone or with a couple of other people. There's a bar cart to hold coffee, tea or other refreshments.
In the back to the right of the cash register counter are the bathrooms, but we didn't go back there.
This shop is really classy, from the front door to the layout to the shop fixtures to the lighting to that cozy stitching nook in the back. The one lady working there was very friendly. She only started needlepoint a few years ago, having done other types of stitching before. She now exclusively needlepoints because she loves it so much. She loved that the three of us needlepoint and offered to arrange a teacher to go to Sarah's school if Sarah wanted to organize a needlepoint/stitching group.
The bags are even classy--heavy weight with a bit of shine. We were fighting over it to hold out needlework projects....I won.
Luv2Stitch reminds me of Aristeia in Santa Monica, both giving off a very elegant feeling. And both occupying a lot of square footage. There's a lot of oohing and ahhing when one walks into either place.
Sigh. We all wish we'd gone with you and the girls, Wendy. Thanks for the tours!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Wendy and Daughters Go On Tour
Labels:
City Needleworks,
reviews,
shops
Recently my friend Wendy and her two daughters visited two shops in their area that are a little out of the way for them to visit. They don't usually go visit them, but they had a great time and will go back when they can. Wendy very kindly reported back to me on Luv 2 Stitch and City Needleworks. Her descriptions of the two shops were so interesting that I asked her permission to reprint her mini reviews here. Thanks, Wendy! We'll start with City Needlework. They are well known for their line of Chinese silk floss, by the way.
***********************************************
Thought I'd describe City Needlework...of course, you know the company because of the silk threads. The shop is on a busy shopping street in downtown San Mateo. It's fairly small but packed to the gills. The shop is about 12' by 24' of retail space, but it doesn't feel cramped. When you walk in, there is an armless needle pointed easychair, main color is hello with a Oriental floral design. The owner did the needlepoint but I don't know who finished it.
http://www.cityneedlework.com
On the wall to the left are the City Needlework silk threads. On the right is a small round glass-topped bistro size table with a couple of chairs around it. This is where regulars gather to needlepoint. By the door on the right is a basket of sale canvases. I bought one canvas that was commissioned for a wedding, but was painted in the wrong color. The window display is also to the right. It's a bay window and is packed with stitched samples.
Further into the store, there is a shelving unit that sticks out about 3' and holds piles of canvases. Most of them are smaller canvases, no bigger than 14x14 or so. Opposite the shelving unit on the right is a carousel of other threads and needlework accessories. Larger canvases are pinned to the wall all the way up to the ceiling. In the back, there is a display that I can describe but don't know the name for...it's when shops have canvases pinned to a display board that's on a hinge and you can turn the boards like pages of a gigantic book.
In the back right is the cash register. The counter usually has piles of small canvases no bigger than 6x6.
The owner is Chinese and has a boy and a girl. The girl is in her late pre-teens and loves to needlepoint. She especially loves having Mommy's store as her personal stash!
What I love about the store is 1) how friendly and helpful the owner is, 2) the huge selection of canvas, 3) the huge selection of Asian-inspired canvas, more than any other place I've visited.
The owner carries the full line of her silk thread, but her other thread selection isn't as extensive. As she told me, she'd rather have an extensive collection of canvases, since she knows ere are other stores who carry more threads. As it is, the thread collection is pretty good if one wants to stick with silk and bling threads.
If you google "Yelp city needlework San Mateo" you can see a few photos of the store on the Yelp site.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
***********************************************
Thought I'd describe City Needlework...of course, you know the company because of the silk threads. The shop is on a busy shopping street in downtown San Mateo. It's fairly small but packed to the gills. The shop is about 12' by 24' of retail space, but it doesn't feel cramped. When you walk in, there is an armless needle pointed easychair, main color is hello with a Oriental floral design. The owner did the needlepoint but I don't know who finished it.
http://www.cityneedlework.com
On the wall to the left are the City Needlework silk threads. On the right is a small round glass-topped bistro size table with a couple of chairs around it. This is where regulars gather to needlepoint. By the door on the right is a basket of sale canvases. I bought one canvas that was commissioned for a wedding, but was painted in the wrong color. The window display is also to the right. It's a bay window and is packed with stitched samples.
Further into the store, there is a shelving unit that sticks out about 3' and holds piles of canvases. Most of them are smaller canvases, no bigger than 14x14 or so. Opposite the shelving unit on the right is a carousel of other threads and needlework accessories. Larger canvases are pinned to the wall all the way up to the ceiling. In the back, there is a display that I can describe but don't know the name for...it's when shops have canvases pinned to a display board that's on a hinge and you can turn the boards like pages of a gigantic book.
In the back right is the cash register. The counter usually has piles of small canvases no bigger than 6x6.
The owner is Chinese and has a boy and a girl. The girl is in her late pre-teens and loves to needlepoint. She especially loves having Mommy's store as her personal stash!
What I love about the store is 1) how friendly and helpful the owner is, 2) the huge selection of canvas, 3) the huge selection of Asian-inspired canvas, more than any other place I've visited.
The owner carries the full line of her silk thread, but her other thread selection isn't as extensive. As she told me, she'd rather have an extensive collection of canvases, since she knows ere are other stores who carry more threads. As it is, the thread collection is pretty good if one wants to stick with silk and bling threads.
If you google "Yelp city needlework San Mateo" you can see a few photos of the store on the Yelp site.
Thanks, Wendy! Tomorrow we'll let Wendy take us to Luv 2 Stitch.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 16, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
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