Gobelin with Many Variations

In the same week both Sheena and Needlepoint for Fun talked about gobelin stitch and some of its many variations. (Great minds think alike!)  Needlepoint for Fun has diagrams and stitched examples of regular and encroaching gobelin stitch.  I particularly like that they show it slanting both left and right as well as upright and turned to the side.  This makes it easy to use various slants on a piece of clothing, for example.
https://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/how-to-do-the-gobelin-and-encroaching-gobelin-needlepoint-stitches.htm

Sheena goes one step further by showing what she calls slanting encroaching gobelin (I call it interlocking gobelin) and then combining several versions to create a unique and interesting stitch that would work for animals so that you can do the legs, chest and head of a dog for example in a related stitch that bends and turns as the dog's body does.
https://www.sheenasstitches.com/october-fun/

I love these stitches for fur and am wondering how they'd work for bird feathers….

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright October 25, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Tips for Stitching On Black with Black

Needlepoint for Fun's latest e-newsletter has tips for stitching on dark areas with dark threads, such as black and dark navy.  I do have to admit using talc doesn't help me much but your eyes may be different than mine.
https://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/stitching-dark-canvases-in-needlepoint-and-how-to-see-them-better.htm

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 8, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Breaking News: Julie Pischke Designs is Sold

I just learned that Julie Pischke has sold her line of needlepoint canvases to the owner of Grande Stitches in Boca Grande, Florida.  I'm told Julie is taking a much deserved vacation, then will be designing for the line but avoiding all the paperwork.  Her Island Needlework shop in Key West will stay open during the season for now, but the building is for sale so it is likely it will be closing before long.  You can browse her work on the Julie Pischke Needlepoint website if you aren't familiar with Julie's tropical themes and Key West houses.
https://juliepischke.com

Here is the shop that will carry her designs and manage the wholesale line for other shop owners to purchase.
http://grandestitches.com

Good luck, Julie!  Have fun in semi-retirement!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright December 11, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Making a DIY Sampler

Fans of DebBee's Designs (and all other stitchers, even those who never work from charts) will enjoy reading about how Debbie Rowley turned a great little stitch dictionary into a sampler to learn needlepoint before she became a famous designer.
https://debbeesdesigns.com/2019/11/06/uncovered-treasures/

Sadly, I think she little book she used has been long out of print, but you can use any of your needlepoint stitch dictionaries to try what Debbie did.

Debbie's also showing off more wonderful resources for learning stitches.
https://debbeesdesigns.com/2019/11/08/more-uncovered-treasures/

AND the stitch card files are still available!  These are sized slightly differently than the ones Debbie has.  Now they are sized to be inserted in protector sheets.  Two will fit in one sheet.
https://www.margaretlee.com/notebooks

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MargaretLeeNeedleArt?section_id=21356600

Margaret herself sent me the PDF files she sells now to try out and report on to Blog's readers.  I got a PDF file that is the cover page information and table of contents, then another file for the "Reversible Stitches 1" set.  The cover page tells you things are sized to fit in Junior page protectors (which are 5 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches) and binders.  They print out with two stitches per page, one upright and one upside down.  You can of course put them in regular 8 1/2 x 11 inch page protectors or cut them in half and put in the junior ones.  There is a big empty space where you can staple or glue your stitch sample. I'd staple them onto the page myself since I got the reversible stitches set and you want to see the back.

A Page from "Reversible Stitches 1"

I grabbed a sheet at random from the set I printed out on 8 1/2 x 11 paper to show you.  The diagrams are clear, numbered and in gray scale.   This set shows a diagram for both the front and back of the ground cloth, which is important for reversible stitches.  That means they are easy for colorblind folks to follow.  If you have problems with small print, though, you probably want to experiment with printing these out larger so you only have one per page to enlarge the numbers and text.  Margaret suggests that you stitch your samples on Aida cloth but I think scrap needlepoint canvas would work just fine.  There's room for perhaps a two inch tall, inch and a half wide, piece of ground fabric to be attached to the diagram if you are printing the two stitches on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of typing paper.

This is a fun resource for creating your own stitch samples, especially since many of the stitches are geared toward counted thread stitchers so they are not the usual stitches needlepointers use.

If you want to keep up with Margaret Lee and her stitch cards and other innovative products, follow her Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/MargaretLeeDesigns/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 6, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Mary Corbet Reviews the TFWoodcraft Slate Frame

Most needlepointers don't use slate frames but some designers such as Deborah Wilson swear by them.  They are necessary for certain types of needlework like Japanese embroidery, though, and I think we all find the tools that have been used for hundreds of years fascinating even if they are quite heavy and would need to be used on a trestle to work well for us (but they sell trestles and Japanese embroidery frames, too).  Here's Mary Corbet's review of the beautiful wooden slate frames from TFWoodcraft.
https://www.needlenthread.com/2019/11/slate-frames-by-tfwoodcraft.html

TFWoodcraft has both an Etsy store…
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TFWoodcraft

…and a website.  Have fun looking at all their offerings.
https://www.tfwoodcraft.com

Hummmm.  Do you think those wooden tapestry needles (used for weaving) would make lovely laying tools?  And who knew lacewood was so beautiful?!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 6, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.