January Canvas of the Month (Bonnie)

For this month's canvas, Bonnie and I are doing a stitch plan for one of the Vogue magazine cover designs available from Studio 2. I don't know the canvas count for this piece but we'll just pretend it's 18 count and go from there. It is a 10x15 design called "DECO-03 Vogue 1928" and comes with a little pearl dangle to attach as the lady's earring. You can see the canvas on the Studio 2 website, but you'll have to go to the link and then click on Vintage Posters on the left side of the page. It's in the third row, right.
http://www.studio2ltd.com/studio2index.html

Bonnie's Deco Vogue 1928:

Start with the faces, all done in strandable silk with a tent stitch, except satin stitch the lips vertically.  Outline the eyes as needed.  Women's neck also tent stitched in silk.  Man's eyepiece is a clear fiber like prisms in a 4 way continental.  His mustache a thin wool fiber like Designer Dream in satin stitch.  What ittle hair you see on both in a cotton floss, stitch in the 'proper' hair direction.

 

Since this is the 20's, the lady's outfit is all done in silks with some understated sparkle.  Not sure this is fashion correct - but it was the time of the flapper outfits and fabrics were going away from wool and cotton to silk and chiffon so I am going with it!  Starting with the end of the sleeves, satin stitch in tubular fiber like Frosty rays, the direction of the stitch changing to match the folds.  The red at the end maybe a Kreinik braid stitched in long stitches. The bodice a strandable silk in a slightly fancy stitch like the double straight cross.  It is essentially an upright cross with a smaller cross stitch in the middle.  I am thinking it will be less bulky than a Smyrna cross but add interest.  Maybe even attach a bead when you do the cross stitch on top for more sparkle.  The collar and the sleeve top should also be in strandable silk maybe with a blending filament or Accentuate mixed in to better match the sleeve bottoms.  Maybe something simple like upright cross to tie in with the bodice or maybe play with a herringbone turned sideways on the sleeve.  Thinking I would ignore the gold outline all around and stitch over it or maybe bring in a Kreinik and just tent stitch it.

 

Both the men's and lady's gloves are a simple tent in strandable silk, outline stitched in a single ply for the fingers. The man's top coat is again in a strandable silk in a parisian stitch which is a combination of vertical long and short stitches so simple, but elegant.  The white piping I would try just couching lengths of a twisted silk. The vest is a strandable cotton or wool in a cashmere stitch.  The white shirt in a cotton floss with a simple stitch like an upright cross with less strands so appears to be on the bottom.  Satin stitch the bow tie in the strandable silk used on the dress, padding the middle part of the bow to give dimension.  For the buttons I would see if I could raid my button box and find something that could be attached.

 

His Hat in a black silk, satin stitched horizontally in vertical rows to make columns around his hat, the brim in tent stitch or something simple.  The black band again a silk, but satin stitch vertically to be the opposite direction as the top.

 

Lastly the background.  Since the rest of the piece is mostly silk, I would switch to a single strand of cotton floss in some light coverage stitch.  The letters would be couched to get the best looking curve on things like the 'O' in maybe a twisted silk or a perle cotton.

 

That's it!  This was a tough canvas for me since it is completely unlike anything I have stitched.  But that is part of the challenge and fun of these monthly canvases we stitch only in our minds!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

January Canvas of the Month (Jane)

For this month's canvas, Bonnie and I are doing a stitch plan for one of the Vogue magazine cover designs available from Studio 2.  I don't know the canvas count for this piece but we'll just pretend it's 18 count and go from there. It is a 10x15 design called "DECO-03 Vogue 1928" and comes with a little pearl dangle to attach as the lady's earring. You can see the canvas on the Studio 2 website, but you'll have to go to the link and then click on Vintage Posters on the left side of the page. It's in the third row, right.
http://www.studio2ltd.com/studio2index.html


Jane's Deco Vogue 1928:

I'd start with the faces first and tent stitch the skin for both with either a silk or cotton floss, using 3-4 plies. Then work the lady's neck and the bit of her collar bone showing until you get to the top of her dress. Do the bit of the gentleman's neck that is showing also.

The eyes and lips come next. I would leave a gap between the lady's red lipsticked lips by not stitching the inner mouth at all. Once the eyes are in, use stem stitch for the nose lines and eyebrows, the lady's bit of hair visible and the gentleman's hair and mustache. I'd use the same silk or cotton floss for the features that I used for the skin, by the way.

I'd also tent stitch the hands and then add stem stitch shadow lines to each. I think the lady is also wearing a glove but you could use the same thread as her skin if your lady is gloveless. I think I'd stick to a floss type thread for these, and use the same cotton or silk brand you used for the faces and features for the gloves. Now let's tackle the gentleman's monacle. I like using Water N Ice for a glossy effect. Just do long horizontal stitches and a laying tool to make sure they don't twist. Make sure you come up and go down inside the outline of the monacle. Once the Water N Ice glass is in, stem stitch around the monacle to outline it, using the same black thread that you used for his mustache.

Continuing the gentleman, use continental to outline the brim of his hat with your same black thread used for the features. Then do packed stem stitch for his top hat band (or you could couch lengths of black Very Velvet for an elegant touch). I think I would find a soft grey thread in a silk/wool blend for his top hat and elegant suit. Choose a thread that has a slight sheen to it. This is an expensive evening suit after all! Use tent stitches in your chosen thread for the brim of the top hat, then use brick stitch for the top of the hat. I think I'd then outline his gray suit with a perle type thread in an very pale gray, couching it with a matching color of floss (one ply). Forget about the buttons for now. First stitch the right half of the collar and suit in Interlocking goblein that slants /. Next do a mirror image interlocking goblein that slants \ for the left half of the suit and collar. If the canvas is large enough, you might be able to attach baby buttons in mother of pearl for the suit buttons.

Now tent stitch the white shirt front, using the same thread you choose for the gloves. Once that is done, it is time to work on the vest and the shirt collar points. These seem to be four shades of peach here. Since the bow tie is also peach, choosing threads is going to be tricky here. You need light peach for the shirt collar ends, medium peach for the vest collars and a darker medium peach for the vest around the buttons. You need darkest peach for the center of the bow tie and to reuse the darker medium peach for the bow tie wings. Since there are a ton of shades of Splendor silk, I believe I'd try to use Splendor here. I think I'd tent stitch everything (except the buttons again) except the bow tie. I'd do the wings of the bow tie in long laid, padded diagonal stitches and and then pad the center of the bow tie with long laid vertical stitches. Make the bow tie's center padding a little higher than the wings of the bow tie.

Once the vest stitching is done, you can do the buttons. This time, try either a big French knot with the same peach you used on the vest proper or do a very small circular couching. Splendor has matching colors in the silk perle size 8 line called Elegance. If you can get a little of that in the matching color, I'd use it and couch it down with the vest stranded silk. The way you go depends on the actual size of the vest buttons.

Now that the gentleman is out of the way, let's do some simple background. The perfect stitch would be something that looked vaguely Art Deco in a nice wool that exactly matches the blue shade. There are a great many Pavillion stitch variations. I like Pavillion Variation #6 from Brenda Hart's Stitches for the Millennium, page 103, but any vaguely diamond shaped stitch will look lovely here. You want a medium-sized stitch that looks Art Deco to you.

Did you make a color copy of your canvas? You'll need it because you need to completely cover the lettering and date with the background, then couch on top of it. If you can get DMC's memory thread, I think their silver would look great for the letters. Couch it down with silver blending filament or Accentuate. If you can't get memory thread, try using a silver or light gray Silk Braid in tent stitches. Even a metallic braid (size 16?) will work.

For the lady's hat, use whatever thread brand you used for his suit and top hat if you can match the red color. You want her hat to have the same texture as his, so use brick stitch for her hat also, including under the brim. Once you finish, couch a thread or two right above her eyes to show the tiny brim. You might want to continue this couched line right over the top of the brim from the left side to the gentleman's chin.

Now for the lady's clothing. She wears a dress with fan shaped sleeves and a see through net neckline. The colors are darker versions of the gentleman's vest so choose two even darker peaches than you had before for the dress proper and for the edging of the fan sleeves.

Use skip tent for the netting top of her dress, then tent stitch the darkest peach shade. Skip the gold lines that outline the netting and that are at the top of her arm at the shoulder. Go back and couch down a perle type thread in gold here. I think I would like Silk Braid as the gold is subtle. You might find a similar peach in Silk Braid with gold threads woven in. That would look very elegant but be subtle. I think the arm you see is also covered in netting so work from the shoulder to the solid part of her sleeve and cuff in skip tent again. The sleeves themselves should be tent stitched inside each fan wedge. Use more of your gold couching to outline each section and then top off the sleeves with a double couched line of the darkest red-peach color. There is an area behind her right sleeve that I don't understand. More sleeve? Regardless, tent stitch it. There is the same unexplained stuff in the left lower corner. Tent stitch it also in the right colors.

Attach the pearl earring or perhaps attach hot fix crystals to give her a dangle rhinestone earring in an Art Deco pattern.

Then frame this and think of a wonderful evening out in the late Roaring Twenties!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Bra Background

I posted a photo of the bra and it's memory thread coat hanger yesterday.  I'm reposting it so you can compare a Before and After photograph to see how a background changes the design.

I used a crochet filet lace pattern I found on the Internet for the background.  Whenever I want to use a darning stitch-type pattern I look at SuZy Murphy's Darn Stitches first.  If there isn't a pattern there, I look at Brenda Hart's books as they usually have a few included. If all else fails, I use Google to search for "free filet lace crochet" designs. You'll find many such patterns, including "small deer" which is what I used, here.
http://crochet.about.com/library/blfreecharts.htm 

I still need to finish the top partial row and then do another column down the right side.  Hopefully I'll finish that tonight.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Announcement from Gay Ann Rogers

I saw this message in Gay Ann Rogers' classroom this morning.  I am quoting her in full here so you can pass the information along to any friends who have stitched her The Flowers of Spring.

Gay Ann said, "I have taught The Flowers of Spring at two seminars: EGA Pittsburg last fall and at Callaway this year.  At Callaway Lee Courtney discovered a mistake on page 80 of the instructions.   One of the reasons for my website is so that I can post corrections to my instructions and I have duly posted the correct text for page 80.

If you know anyone who was in my class at EGA's Pittsburgh seminar, would you do me a favor and alert her to the correction? She can print the corrected text off my website.  Click on The Flowers of Spring."
http://www.GayAnnRogers.com

Please pass the word around.  Gay Ann thanks you!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Tidbits

I have several tidbits of knowledge to pass along this morning.  First, the Cyberpointers Chapter of ANG has a new class available that mixes beading and blackwork--Copper River Canyon by Mary K. Campbell.  You can learn more (and see two alternate colorways) here.
http://cyberpointers.org/copper.html

To take the class you have to be a member of the Cyberpointers, which costs $18 a year in dues.  Here's the link to the sign up form for Copper River Canyon.  If you want to join Cyberpointers, click on Join, also at this page.
http://cyberpointers.org/copper-form.html

Remember O'jishi, the Noh Theatre mask I just finished?  Thanks to Leigh Richardson, I've got a photo of another stitched mask from the Japanese mask series to show you.  It was stitched all in silk ribbon by the late Paul Krynicki of River Silks.
http://www.riversilks.com/Site/Site6/FINISHED_SILK_RIBBON_PROJECTS.html#37

Here is the series of painted canvases so you can see the Before and After.  Isn't this an amazing interpretation of Karura, the legendary bird?!
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp467x.html

Finally, while looking for something else, I noticed that Ro Pace has a new look to her website. It sets off her amazing geometric patterns very well.
http://www.designsbyro.com/needlepoint_designs_by_ro/Welcome_2.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Beaded Tap Pants

Here is a photo of the totally beaded tap pants.  Don't they look great?!  It's a unique look to have a canvas covered in bead "ice."  I've put this aside for a bit as I am working on the bra's background.  More on that tomorrow as hopefully I'll finish Step One of the background tonight.

I like to do backgrounds first but on this project I didn't have a frame yet so I beaded the tap pants while looking for frames.  I intend to frame these two canvases separately in identical frames.  Once I found frames, then I decided on a background for the pieces and started working it around the bra.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Bead and Stars Tidbits

Lots of folks who have stitched or who plan to stitch Tony Minieri's Stars for the New Millennium have emailed me, many with interesting tips.  Amanda, who has seen many versions of this design stitched, remarked that she thought darker colors showed up well.  In fact, she changed her planned colors slightly when she realized one of her originals was too light a shade.  My preference has been for darker versions of Stars also, particularly those that have a lot of contrast between colors.  I'd love to see an all -pastel version, though.  In fact, if you have finished Stars, send me a photo and I'll post as many as I can get here.

Amanda used Trio and Vineyards Silks on her Stars, and discovered that when she had to split these for stitching, the plied threads had lots of fuzzies.   It was frustrating for her, so you might want to be careful about choosing these new threads for your version.

I'd also like to direct your attention to the Needlepoint Study Hall blog which is intended to be a gathering place for stitchers working on Amy Bunger's new Halloweenies class which will start in a few weeks.  Right now, Amy's staff are posting about interesting products and their current stitching.  Beads and a SharonG lingerie set are among the blog entries.

Robin King is stitching her own SharonG bra and tap pants set there, the kitty one.  You'll want to see how she added beads to her tap pants. It's totally different than the two techniques I'm testing.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/01/bead-lesson-with-geography.html

Peggy mentioned a new kit from Sundance that has a variety of beads and a project to stitch with them.  It's a great introduction for new beaders.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/01/since-we-are-talking-about-beads.html

By the way, I've finished beading the silver dog tags on the bra canvas and using DMC memory thread, have shaped a long length into the black coat hanger.  I couched the coat hanger wire down with matching black DMC cotton floss.  The hardest part was enlarging the canvas holes enough to thread the memory thread through under the bra straps, but it looks quite nice.

I am going to wait to do the dog tag chain until I bead the rest of the canvas.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Selecting A Canvas to Bead All Over

My SharonG canvas looks pretty good covered in beads but it is rather detailed with some of the realistic shading the artist is known for.  Look at the center of the tap pants.  See how the ivory shades into ecru there? I used ivory and ecru threads to attach the beads in these areas, but you really can't see the shading very much at all with the beading on top, despite my using clear beads and matching thread colors.  The "ice" effect of the beads mutes the color difference.

See the dark green camouflage spots?  They are actually two shades of green, with a slightly lighter shade of green around the perimeter and a very intense and dark green in the center.  You can barely see this in the photos.  I only used one green thread to attach beads over the green areas since I could barely tell the two greens apart before I stitched the canvas. I was pretty sure I'd not tell the difference after all the beads went on.

If you want to try this yourself, I think you should look for canvases without much very subtle shading.  However, this is what I think, and not a Rule.  After all, SharonG's canvas is gorgeous even though I can't see the ecru and ivory shading well!

Your canvas doesn't need to be cartoon-like, but if you have more than 2-3 shades of a color in it, these may not show well under clear beads.  Even then it'll be best to have distinct color differences.  A canvas with a very light blue and a light blue may not have enough oomph between the colors for this to show up.  Let me show you some examples to help see what I mean.

There are quite a few Melissa Shirley canvases on this shop website.  See the tiny ornaments at the top?  They will look great beaded.  The colors are strong and will show up through bead "ice" very well.
http://www.stitchtherapyneedlepoint.com/newreleases.php

The stockings further down the page are lovely and if they were smaller, would look nice "iced" but I think they are a little too big to bead.  An 11 x 22 inch stocking covered entirely with beads would be way too heavy.  Just bead the top perhaps, or maybe bead some of the ornaments.  In other words, size matters as much as shading when you are selecting a canvas for this technique.

Don't go too small, though.  You'll miss the subtle details if you cover them up with beads.  The four inch round Pond Ornament is really darling but if you "ice" it, the man and the Christmas tree he's carrying might look so muddled you can't tell what it is.  The wooden stakes marking the edge of the pond and the pond itself might disappear.

This ornament, the same size and on the same 18 count, might be a better choice.  If the details blur, they still will look like a jewel under ice.  By the way, it's from this page.
http://www.stitchtherapyneedlepoint.com/newreleases.php?page=8&

Overall, I think something with high color and contrast that isn't too large will work better entirely covered with clear beads.  Try something small like the 6x5 inch Dog Tribe above the next time you have a canvas you thought you have to tent stitch.  Go head and tent stitch it, but use beads and cotton floss!
http://www.stitchtherapyneedlepoint.com/newreleases.php?page=9&

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Needlepoint and Thread News

Caron has added photos of their newest Watercolours colors on their website.  Aren't they pretty?  I really "need" some pale pink Sandalwood 262!
http://www.caron-net.com/tcolorV_newJan2010.html

Janet Perry posts photos of other new colors for Bella Lusso and Planet Earth silks on her revamped site.  We've seen the new Silk & Ivory colors already but they are great to see again.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/new-colors-in-bella-lusso-silk-ivory-and-planet-earth

Needle Works in Austin has added two new Nativity sets and a bunch of Texas A&M and UT canvases to their store.  The little slatback floral chairs are new to me also.  Remember, they change the front page of their catalog frequently so if you are slow in checking the link, these may be somewhere else.
http://www.theneedleworks.com/catalog/

AP Needle Arts is having a Petei Santa trunk show.  There are a ton of little Santas on sale there.
http://store.apneedlearts.com/trunkshows.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Frosty Pants

I have almost finished beading my SharonG tap pants.  Don't they look nice?  In person the canvas looks as if it is coated in ice.  This technique takes a lot of beads.  See the right leg?  I worked it from the bottom of the leg up to the black spot when the leg bends using one tube of Sundance beads. That is a little less than 2 square inches of 18 count canvas.  I estimate that this small canvas (4 inches high and 5 across at the widest point) will take 4 tubes of Sundance beads.  The bra will take another tube and perhaps a bit more.  All these beads are certainly increasing the weight of the canvas, too.

The scan above shows bare spots but I think the beads were just moved aside by my hand pressing down on the canvas to take as good a scan as possible.  The bare areas weren't there when I looked at the canvas just now.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Stars Progress (or Lack Thereof)

The photo shows how little I have done on Tony Minieri's Stars.  I spent a lot of time outlining the canvas, counting, recounting and sorting threads, especially since finding "shades" of black is going to mean going with textures and finishes instead of working with black, charcoal and gray (which I thought about but discarded).  However, the tip to work your sashing as you go to prevent undo wear on it as you work the star squares means I probably will start working the first star before I get much more border and sashing done.

We'll see.  I am running out of beads on the SharonG lingerie project and will have to order more.  That means I'll be picking this design up shortly.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More Callaway (with Pictures!)

There's a little bit more about the Callaway Needle Arts experience available online from the Needleart Nut who has added more about what she did there to her blog.  Here's the first new section.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2010/01/more-about-callaway.html

and here is the end.  Doesn't it sound like fun!?!  If you missed Pat's earlier postings, you can find them by looking in the right hand column and clicking on Callaway Gardens, then going to the bottom of the page and reading toward the top.  Blogs always have the latest entry at the top and the first at the bottom.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2010/01/last-part.html

If you are tempted and curious about the classes for next January, Gay Ann Rogers has posted both photographs she took of this year's activities and photographs of the class models for 2011 on her website.  Click on a thumbnail and explore.  Note that there is a link to the registration form and also a listing of classes, too.  The Callaway website will have everything in detail later, but Gay Ann is treating us to a glimpse to tide us over until the official site is ready.  Right now the folks who run Callaway are lying on the floor moaning....
http://www.gayannrogers.com/site_2/Callaway_2010.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Stars for the New Millennium Colors

Yesterday I posted the errata sheet I have from the ANG email list to help those who are working this piece, along with a note from the folks at Needlepoint Etc. (a Yahoo Group) who worked this piece.  Hopefully it will be useful for us stitchers working this right now.  If you belong to Needlepoint Etc. look at their files for color choices, a blank form to use to make up your thread list and this same errata sheet.

The first step in working this piece is to choose your colors.  Five are used in the piece.  The first thread you choose is an overdyed silk or cotton floss thread with at least 4 distinct colors in it.  The overdyed thread is used here and there on the design, mostly in the middle border between the outside large border and the inner sashing. The bulk of the design is worked in four colors (Tony calls them A, B, C and D) chosen from the overdye's colors and used to pick your other threads.  Tony recommends your four colors be distinct from each other to bring the pattern to life.

To help guide stitchers in color choices he explains that colors A and B are quite dominant in the piece.  A is used in the outer border and B is used for the sashing that divides each star quilt square form the others.  He also lists twelve different color combinations that his students used when he taught this piece and includes his model colors in the list.  Most stitchers choose from these colors although I think Silk n Colors Morning Garden and Spring Frocks have been discontinued.  This chart book was published in 1999 so many threads we have available today were not used, but that doesn't matter. Tony tells you that you need things like  "Medium Round thread choices," which means a medium shade of threads like pearl cotton, Patina, Trebizond, etc.  This makes it easy to pick threads when you want to substitute for something on one of the thread lists or when you choose a color and can't find the equivalent shade for the stranded cotton or whatever you need.

Choosing threads and colors is a threadaholic's delight!  I had a blast with this part of the design, aided by my friend Linda C.  who was a color genius.  Above you see my choices:  Violet (A), Black (B), Terracotta (C) and Copper Metallic (D).  There is no overdyed skein in the photo because there is no overdyed silk or cotton thread that mixes these colors, so I faked my overdye.

The design goes on a 15x18 inch piece of 18 count canvas.  The color doesn't matter since it doesn't show through the threads anywhere.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Stars for the New Millennium Errata Sheet

Errata Sheet for Stars by Tony Minieri

An unknown source posted this on ANG email list many years back.  I can't vouch for its veracity.  Note many of the problems listed were due to the number of plies recommended.  If you didn't use one of Tony's recommended color schemes, this may not apply to you.  The Needlepoint Etc. Yahoo Group also posted this information (and a blank form to fill in your colors) with a note that they had no problem with the number of plies and that they were advised to do the sashing as they worked to minimize wear and tear on these areas.  If you do this, you have to count very carefully the whole time you work the piece.

page 26 of Vivien Leigh - Do not end off the B-7 as you can carry it to Area 2.

page 27 there are two number 6s in the diagram - the one in the lower left corner should be 5

page 34 of Marlon Brando, step three- I used 4 plies of D-3 for this, as I thought it was too skimpy with only 1 ply.

page 35 - Area 3 - I used 4 plies of D-3 here also.

page 48 - Area 5 of Cary Grant - I used 3 plies of D-2.

page 71 of Ava Gardner - Area 2 - My book says use 4 srands B-11 but that color was not listed on the cover page for this square. I determined that it was supposed to read C-2 by looking at the pictures and the master chart for that square.

page 77 of Humphrey Bogart - I used 2 plies of A-11 for the first step, as again I thought it did not cover well.

page 80 - I used 5 strands of A-9 to get good coverage

no page number - Ingrid Bergman - This was the most difficult to get to look good. Areas 1 and 2 became very thick and it was hard to lay the Neon Rays nicely.

page 84 - Pull the Mistake Stitch tightly to reveal the Smyrna underneath. Mine got buried and I gave up and just left it that way.

page 85 - Do the D-4 stitch after Afrea 6. Then you can carry the thread without a stop and start.

page 88 - Gary Cooper - Page 88 left off B-11 which was required for page 91.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

What Size Beads for What Size Lingerie Canvas?

Yesterday I noticed that Judy Harper recommends size 14 beads for 18 count needlepoint canvas and size 11 beads for 13 count.  She's got several examples on her blog of lovely beaded effects using the skip tent method of beading and varying whether she uses sparkly or less sparkly beads.
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/2010/01/beads-with-needlepoint-and-plaid-egg.html

Her recommendation much matches what Fireside Stitchery used to post on their website:
18 count canvas:  14/0 or 1.25mm
13-14 count canvas:  11/0 or 1.33mm
12 count canvas:  10/0 or 1.35mm
10 count canvas: 8/0 or 6/0;  3-3.5mm
7 count plastic canvas: 5/0 or 4mm


Remember that bead sizes are written either 11 or 11/0--it's the same thing--and that the smaller the number, the larger the bead.  (Judy also points out that the term "seed beads" can mean any size.  A seed bead isn't always a tiny bead.)


So how come I'm using size 11 beads on size 18 needlepoint canvas?  Easy!  The totally clear beads I want to use don't come in size 14.  So I have to use a bead a little larger than I should.  Besides, I've noticed that the shape of the bead also effects what size bead fits what size canvas.  My Miyuki beads are also size 11 but they are smaller than the round size 11 Sundance beads.  Their shape is a cylinder so they fit together better on the 18 count canvas than my other size 11 beads which are rounded.  The Miyuki beads are't much larger than my Sundance size 14 hex beads!


In other words, depending on the effect you want, you don't have to stick to the recommended sizes.  Of course if you plan to completely cover a canvas like I'm doing, you probably wouldn't want beads much larger than one size above the recommended one.  But beads vary A LOT, so you have a little leeway on what you do. 


If you want to put a bead at the end of a coil of DMC memory thread to make a hat ornament, it probably doesn't matter what size it is as long as it looks good with the design.  In the photo above, the belt buckle is covered with rows of size 14 beads, and the belt area to the right of the buckle is covered with size 11 beads.  You can see the sizes are pretty similar.


In the photo above you see one leg of the tap pants iced over with beads.  The black area near the crotch has a missing bead because I didn't get them packed in tightly enough.  I'll go back and add that later.


I started out adding beads in horizontal rows, sort of like doing continental tent stitches.  I normally work from the top down but rapidly discovered that this hides the bead hole I should go down in.  So I have changed my working method to beading from the bottom of an area up.  This makes it easier for me to see where things go, especially if I start my stitch at the top and go down in the hole nearest the row of beads under where I am working.


I worked most of the leg this way and then realized it was even easier to work beads on the diagonal like basketweave.  So I am now working on the other leg from the bottom up along diagonal rows, switching thread colors when I move to another area in my stitching path.


I'm still using one ply of DMC cotton floss and going through each bead twice.  When I finish this canvas and move to the bra canvas, I'll try doubling my thread in the needle and attaching each bead in two passes--one through the bead and the second with a thread on either side to hold the bead steady.  I want to compare how easy the two methods are before I make a recommendation.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

All Beads Are Not Alike

Before I started this project, I thought of beads as items that are attached to needlepoint a few at a time, preferably with a doubled strand of silk (for strength).  Judy Harper uses beads on her canvases as accents, to bring sparkle or a bit of shine to her designs.  Her way of working is similar to the way I've used beads in the past.  You can read about Judy's use of beads on her blog.  This entry is a good explanation of how she works.
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/2009/11/beads-on-jeweled-bracelet.html

But like anything else in needlework (or in Life), there are many ways to go about beading.  I decided it was time to take a serious look at the beads themselves.  With the help of Nandra at Sundance Designs and Pat in North Carolina, and a few visits to bead sources in my area, I collected a ton of clear beads to examine.  What you see in the photo above are beads from Sundance, from Tojo, from Mill Hill, from SJ Designs, from Miyuki and from unnamed sources.  Each is different.  Some are larger than others; some have different finishes; some are different shapes.

Generally speaking, beads come in frosted, regular, or iridescent finishes.  Beads also come in various shapes such as faceted hex beads, square cubes, oval drop beads with holes near one end, round glass beads, or column shaped beads that are rounded cylinders like a cut up length of spaghetti.  They also can have their holes lined with paint, sometimes with silver and sometimes with gold (the gold lined ones seem to be called Gilt Lined).

I knew I wanted clear beads that would allow the painted canvas below to show and also that would allow the threads they were attached with to show.  That removed frosted beads and beads whose holes were lined from the equation.  Since I'm working on size 18 NP canvas, I knew I wanted beads that were size 11 or the smaller size 14.  So I tossed out all the beads that didn't meet my criteria and ended up with three contenders.

Here they are, with a photograph and then the description of each below.

Sundance hex beads #250 (size 14) with an iridescent finish -  The 250 beads are very sparkly because they are six sided and the sides act as facets, reflecting the light from the iridescent coating.  An area stitched with them looks a bit like candied fruit.  If you haven't seen sugar-coated citrus slices, or coated grapes with egg white, rolled them in a dish of sugar and then frozen them, here is a link-
http://www.mattplappert.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/fruit2.jpg

Sundance round beads #160 (size 11) -  These are completely clear glass beads that are round.   An area stitched with these looks like it is covered in a coating of ice.

Miyuki Delica beads #4054 (size 11) with a slight iridescent finish - These are not as iridescent or sparkly as the Sundance #250 beads, probably because they are cylinder-shaped without facets.  Their shine is intermediate between the two other bead types.  An area stitched with them looks icy but reflects the light more than the Sundance 160s.

I decided using the Sundance #160 beads (the round glass ones) would give me the look I wanted but I probably will also use a few Miyuki #4054 beads on the dog tags and belt buckle to give that area a bit of a special shine.

If you are interested in seeing more bead colors and finishes, explore Sundance Designs' website.  First, head to the link below.  Then using the drop down menu header, choose Beads as the "Product Type."  The clear 160 beads in size 11 I'm using are at the bottom of the first page.  Click on any photo to see a larger image and the list of sizes that color is available in.
http://www.sundancedesignsonline.com/catalog.php

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More TNNA News

There's still more TNNA news appearing all over the WWW.  Needle Works has a special TNNA newsletter out featuring the new canvases they liked best.
https://www.theneedleworks.com/newsletter/2010marketedition.pdf

Bristly Thistle has photos of the new Silk and Ivory colors.
http://bristlythistle.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/new-silk-ivory-colors/

The Nimble Needle has added photos of the new Kreinik holographic threads and of a new clip to hold your rolled canvases.
http://thenimbleneedle.blogspot.com/2010/01/tnna-long-beach-show-part-ii.html

I also have some new monthly clubs to show you.  First up are clubs from Family Arts Needlework in Arizona. Their newest club which is called Bottoms Up and is shoes or feet isn't pictured.
http://www.familyartsneedlework.com/Clubs.html

Needle House has announced a new club called All That's Christmas from A Collection of Designs.  It is holiday ornaments, a snowman, Santa, a wreath, a nutcracker, etc.  They have done lovely monthly clubs over the years, especially last year's All That Glitters which was sparkling glass ornaments.  You can see prior clubs by going to their website and clicking on Projects to Go.
http://www.theneedlehouse.com/jm/

Anyone who knows either shop, tell them to get photos up on their sites pronto!

I'll continue to post updates as I find them.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

You Know Me

Regular readers of Blog know exactly how I start each painted canvas project--I make a color copy of each canvas and if I plan to finish it myself, I also make a black and white copy.  I use the color copy to see where details I've covered up with other stitches are so I can add them later on and the black and white copies are used as paper patterns to cut out lining or backing or both.

My next step is to look at the design carefully and then figure out what this is like in real life to help me choose threads.  Looking at the shapes on the design help me pick out threads that are also that shape.  Then I look at what is prominent on the design and what isn't to help me refine the threads and stitches I started out with (no shiny threads on the areas that should be in the background, for example).  These are rules I normally work by.  But they are my rules--not THE rules.  They define my style, not describe the only way to work a canvas.

I know this and am always interested in what other people decide to do with their canvases.  I treat any needlework show I am lucky enough to visit as a seminar.   I read Needle Pointers and Needlepoint Now cover to cover.  Doesn't matter if I like the projects or not.  I'm there to learn from other stitchers, not add to my project list.  I even study the ads carefully.  I look online at stitching blogs and store sites to watch other stitchers work.  I always learn something.

And occasionally I am able to take a class.  I eagerly signed up for the SharonG Network (the elegant lady above is Sharon Garmize herself) and rummaged through my stash of 20 or so of SharonG canvases to find one that had me puzzled. I asked SharonG what to do with the camouflage bra and tap pants set and she came up with something that totally surprised me--

I sm going to bead it.  Totally. Every inch of the painted canvas will be covered in beads except for the coat hanger.

!!!!!!!!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Franklin Speaks, We Should Listen

This morning as I read new blog entries I came across this hilarious posting from the knit designer, artist, and writer Franklin Habit.  Someone gave Franklin a collection of old stitching magazines for Christmas and he's been exploring them.
http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-propagate-stereotype-1968.html

Once I quit laughing, I started to wonder what we needlepointers, designers and shop owners are doing to perpetuate the myth of needlepoint as a stuffy and boring craft?  Instead of the vibrant participatory art it can be, I mean?

Food for thought....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Evertites Warning

I got an email from Amanda this morning with a warning for folks who use Evertites.  Amanda accidentally ruined one of hers pulling it apart after a project.  Here's what happened, in her own words:

"I wanted to tell you about a small problem I had with Evertight frames a few weeks ago. I ruined a pair of bars. I had completed a piece and removed the canvas. I had turned the screws fairly far to tighten the piece when it was on the frame. The screws were extended far. I started pulling the bars apart and the screw of one bar embedded itself in its right angle pair. I had to pull very hard to remove the screw from the other piece and it pulled out of the wooden part. It was unusable. If I had screwed the screws back to the starting position, I would not have damaged the screw or the bar. I have never seen where anyone else had had a problem like this but I was wondering if you might want to put a tip on your blog sometime so others won't have this problem. I don't think I pulled the bars apart abnormally. I always pull my bars apart like this. I think I could happen again if I were to leave the screws in an extended position. I hope this makes sense to you."

It makes perfect sense, Amanda. I'd already realized when taking my Evertites apart when I finished O'jishi that the screws needed to be retracted before taking the bars apart, and posted an update to my Evertite review article.  But this is important enough that I wanted to quote Amanda so that all Evertite users or friends of Evertite users know to untighten the sides first.  We don't want any more Evertites ruined!  They are too wonderful a tool.

(I've updated my Evertite review article with this information in case anyone finds that in a search or has it bookmarked.)

http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2009/11/evertites-review.html

Please tell your friends about Amanada's warning.

We may hear from her again soon, as she just finished stitching Tony Minieri's Stars for the New Millennium and I've asked her for tips to help me stitch my version.  By the way, Amanda used Thread Gatherer's Halloween Confetti # 974 as her overdyed thread to choose colors from so her version is periwinkle, teal, orange and gold.  She says the colors are vibrant.

http://www.threadgatherer.com/SNC%20page%205.htm

Now Amanda's looking for a framer willing to cut the mat out to shape around the little diamonds that stick out from the border.  Anyone have a recommendation of a framer that cut your Stars mat this way?

Thanks for the tip, Amanda.  Evertite owners everywhere thank you!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Camouflage Lingerie Threads

This photo shows all the threads I plan to use for my SharonG camouflage bra and tap pants.  It's almost all DMC cotton floss (although I think one of the khaki colors is Anchor, I'll have to check that) except for a skein of Medici and one of Burmilana and for the DMC memory thread spindle.  I'm using that for the black coat hanger.

Why all the DMC cotton?  Well, that's SharonG's fault and to be revealed later....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

News and Monthly Clubs

I have a random assortment of news to mention so I'll just toss everything in this blog entry.  First, the large Thanksgiving designs from Melissa Shirley that someone saw at the trade show and greatly admired in gold frames are available to see well on this site.  Three are at the bottom of this page and the last is the top item on the next page.
http://www.stitchtherapyneedlepoint.com/newreleases.php?page=4&

Thistle Needleworks is doing a monthly club of small seasonal canvases that you are supposed to stitch from your stash.  Here are the canvases.  The ones that are stitched look like a lot of fun and Thistle says they'll work up in just a weekend.
http://thistleneedleworks.com/products/ads/OrnamentOfTheMonth.html

I've mentioned Barbara Elmore's Cinderella's Closet club that Needlenook of La Jolla is running but you must see the photos of the first six finished shoes.  (Another six will be released this year.)  Barbara, you are endlessly inventive!
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/events/cinderella/index.html

What's the Point? has added new models to their Santa clubs and their fur and feathers club.
http://www.whatsthepoint.biz/clubs.php

Creative Stitches and Gifts has a Raymond Crawford hat of the monthly club. You'll also want to see the lovely Betsy B ornaments that are being taught in house.  I don't know if you can take this class by mail but I think it would be a lovely option.
http://www.creativestitchesandgifts.com/

A Stitch in Time Needlework has released their newest "pail" club. This year they are doing a child's bucket full of eggs.  They still offer last year's bucket of hearts and also have a nice Christmas ornament club from Kelly Clark.
http://www.needlepoint-knitting.com/los_angeles/index.php

My last monthly club is from The Needlepointer, who offer miniature houses to build your own stitched village.
http://www.theneedlepointer.com/monthly_clubs.php

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Counting Threads (Or Holes?) With Tony

I mentioned a day or two back that I have several small painted canvas projects I plan to work over the next several months before I tackle another large project and that I also want to work another charted piece.  I've always wanted to work Tony Minieri's "Stars for the New Millennium" and actually started the framework for the star quilt blocks 4-5 years ago, but put it down and never picked it back up again.  So that is what I plan to work on between painted canvases.

Before I show you links to the design, I should mention I got a nice note with tips on stitching counted thread designs from Gini this week which she's allowed me to post here.  She wrote:

"You mentioned that you have a tendency to come up short by one when you count holes. Here's how to prevent that. The first hole is 0, not 1. In effect that means you're counting threads, but I find that it's easier to count because your needle just naturally wants to count the holes as it slips off the thread and into the hole. Put your needle into the hole where you want to start counting. That's 0. Then begin counting with the next hole as 1. You'll come out correctly because each time you increment the number, you've moved over a single thread.

Now, just to confuse things, if you're working from a cross stitch chart, each square represents 2 threads each way... But I begin counting (hole 0) just above and to the left of where a vertical ground thread is on the top of the intersection and count each second hole.

Hope those tips help."

I am sure they will!  Thank you, Gini.  I'll see how this works as I get into Stars.  For those who aren't familiar with this design, the 96 page booklet has alternate colorways listed that Tony's students tried as he taught this at The Edwardian Needle.  Here is his original model, done in greens, purples, and ivory with a touch of yellow.  I've seen several colorways in person but this one is magnificent and my favorite! The photos of the booklet cover don't do it justice.

http://www.stitchamaze.com/gallery-guest/tonyminieri.aspx

Here are several other color schemes.  I believe all are from the lists in his chart book.  They are lovely, aren't they?

http://store.apneedlearts.com/stofnewmi.html

http://www.ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/index.php?p=stars

Locally the Scarlet Thread stitching group is working on this project.  Sara Leigh is blogging about their progress, starting approximately January 11th.  Good luck, everyone!  I'm sure you'll move faster than I will since it won't be my only project.

http://remedialstitcher.blogspot.com/

I'll talk about my Stars color scheme once I've introduced my SharonG camo lingerie set and started working on it.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Camouflage Bra and Tap Pants Set

As you probably guessed from yesterday's posting, my next project is one of SharonG's bra and tap pants sets. You can see many of her lingerie items on her website.  My camouflage bra and tap pants canvases are on page 4.
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/bras/index.html

The above designs are on two 9x9 pieces of 18 count canvas.  I've owned these two canvases for a while.  They're a sort of joke as Chilly Hollow is very rural and in the middle of a mature oak forest. This means we are plagued by trespassing hunters almost every fall out to shoot deer.  I've been wondering how to frame the set (two matching frames?  a big frame with two-holed mat?) and how to stitch them the whole time I've owned them.

Then last fall an incredible resource opened up in the shape of a SharonG cyberclass on stitching her canvases sponsored by the Shining Needle Society.  The class is an ongoing one and is called The SharonG Network.  You can sign up for three month's worth or the whole year for a discount.  Head to the SNS website to join the Shining Needle Society and their Yahoo Group to see details about the class.  The next quarter should start in February.  I'll post details here when registration for the second quarter is open.
http://www.shiningneedlesociety.com/

I signed up for the year and my first quarter's canvas was my camo bra and tap pants set.  SharonG has fabulous ideas for this canvas and with her help and encouragement, I'm coming up with more.  She has graciously agreed to let me stitch-blog the canvases here as I buckle down and stitch it.

Let me just say, what she suggested is about the last thing I would have thought of....

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Go Sign Up, NOW

ThreadworX, famous for their overdyed threads, is starting to produce a bi-monthly newsletter. It's just out this week, and is something you really really REALLY want to sign up for.  The first newsletter is full of thread news, including photographs of their new colors, where to find stitching books for your Kindle or iPhone, an interesting idea of how to organize your threads, a review of a cheap stitch charting program, and three small projects, one of which is the first of their Birds of the Month.  An especially nice touch is that the Cardinal Bird of the Month project is both charted and a line drawing to transfer, so you can work from your preferred method.  You can sign up for the newsletter at their website by clicking on the link in the upper right hand corner.
http://threadworx.com/

The newsletter is really good, beautifully laid out and colorful, with lots of stitching news.  But it isn't all you get for signing up.  ThreadworX is sending subscribers a bonus stitch guide.  The first guide is for a Raymond Crawford painted canvas of Snow, which is a design incorporating the letters S N O W and snowmen heads.  The stitch guide tells you how to stitch this project with ThreadworX fibers, diagrams stitches for you and is a great resource for snow and snowflake stitching ideas.  You'll want to collect all these "stitch guides" and use them for brainstorming.

Disclaimer:  After I signed up and then accidentally told ThreadworX I didn't want to receive the newsletter, Beth from their offices contacted me to make sure.  We got to talking and I ended up going over the newsletter and stitch guide for her to make sure everything made sense from a stitcher's viewpoint.  She's sending me two skeins of their overdyed Kreinik metallic for one of my upcoming projects as a thank you.  I would have mentioned their newsletter regardless, as it is a fabulous resource, but you guys get full disclosure here as Blog becomes more well known and I occasionally am given products to use as I stitch for it.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Hints (Painted Canvas Project)

This is a hint about what canvas I plan to stitch next.

Actually, I have four small projects I plan to work over the next few months, alternating them with a counted thread piece.  This is just the first of the four.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Kimberly Laying Tool Case Tips

After I finish each project, I like to look back and think about what I learned from it.

The Kimberly Design laying tool case was a counted thread piece, and I'm not as practiced working charted items as I am with painted canvases.  Remember how I didn't stitch all the little straight metallic lines in the original arched border because I didn't notice they were anywhere except in the corners until I had started on the designs in the middle of the front and back?  That is a reminder to me to read and re-read all instructions over and over again when doing counted thread.  You might pick up all the subtleties of stitching a counted thread piece right away, but I don't.

The arched border was the hardest part of the design for me as it had to be counted exactly.  I forgot and counted holes when I started this piece and had to rip out and restitch the original outline of the design.  It is important to count threads when you are laying out a piece because if you count holes, you will short yourself by one.  Don't ask me how this happens, but I have noticed over and over again that it does.  So I'll have to remember to count threads for my next counted thread piece.  Which I will start soon....

The final hint I need to remember when I am stitching is about complicated stitches like the ones that make up the arched border on this piece.  Let me direct you to this diagram of a Jessica.
http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2008/feb.php

I've discovered when stitching complicated stitches like this that often the previous stitch covers where the next stitch should start.  So I often come up at 1, go down at 2, and then don't pull my thread all the way snug against the canvas until I come up at 3.  That way I am not covering up 3's hole.

Does anyone else have great tips for counted thread stitching?  I'd love to hear them in the Comments!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Kimberly Tool Case Is Finished

The Kimberly tool case is done!

I sewed my lining first, making a finished edge first, then folding it up and stitching the central vertical line, then all the pocket lines and finally the edges.  The sewing was easier, even through two layers of Ultrasuede, than I expected but I did take the precaution of clamping my piece together with banker's clips instead of pinning as I was afraid I'd make pin holes that would not come out. Anyone with more experience sewing on Ultrasuede than me may have suggestions in the Comments.

Then I carefully hand stitched the lining to the case.  That took hours because the sewing thread would catch on the bead edging so I had to work slower than usual--and I am not the world's fastest hand sewer at the best of times.

It looks great, though.  Here is the inside.  You'll notice I put all sorts of tools inside, not just scissors and laying tools.  I think this will be a traveling tool case and we need to take many stitching tools with us when we go places.

By the way, I asked Kimberly if the bead set is still available for this counted thread piece.  She says no, but now most folks can buy 14/0, 11/0 and triangular beads and choose their own colors.

Thank you, Kimberly, for permission to blog stitch this piece and post photographs!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Bead Shopping Results

The photo shows the results of my bead shopping yesterday.  I'm sorry it is a crappy scan but all the beads are lifting the NP canvas off the scanner bed and making it impossible to get a clear photograph.  The next photos I post will be real photographs.  They won't be as detailed but at least they'll be better quality!

Anyone who has been paying close attention to earlier pictures will have noticed that I moved the loop from the left side of the case to the right side.  I noticed yesterday when studying the Etsy photos of Kimberly's own design of a later case she sold there that she'd switched the loop to the right hand side instead of having it on the left as the instructions say.  Since she has stitched her laying tool case several times, I decided she must have concluded that having the loop moved made it easier to open and close the case so I cut off the original loop and moved it to the right.  Then I added my new beads.  The loop bead is a glass cylinder filled with cinnamon colored sparkles and the closure flat round bead is a polished agate. They are both very pretty and in colors that go well with my thread palette.  The other beads in the loop and closure are the same ones I used for my inner bead border.

I've already cut my piece of Ultrasuede for the lining.  Today I hope to get it stitched into pockets for the tools.  The Ultrasuede is almost 4 inches longer than the case is tall. That length is folded up and stitched with vertical lines to make the pockets.

Before I forget, there is a great new place to buy small pieces of Ultrasuede.  Orna Willis offers packs of 5 assorted but related colors for only $3 plus shipping.  This are small swatches of around 4x3 inches, but that's enough to finish small ornaments.
http://www.ornadesign.com/shop/product.php?productid=114&cat=1&page=1

I have already trimmed my needlepoint canvas to 10 threads out from the edge, clipped the corners and pressed the raw edges under.  Once the lining is finished, I will hand sew the lining to the NP and the case will be finished.

Everyone please cross their fingers that my sewing machine behaves!

Jane, signing off from CH where Evil Sewing Machine lives

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

More TNNA News

Now that the January TNNA show is over, folks who went are back home, unpacked and blogging about their experience.  The most elaborate description of the show (with tons of pictures!) is from DMC's new blog.
http://dmc-threads.com/?p=299

http://dmc-threads.com/?p=319

Robin King (from Amy Bunger's operation) wrote a charming ode to her TNNA nametag on the new NP Study Hall blog, which details Amy's new Halloween class, with a few other things about her shop and the folks who work there thrown in.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-miss-my-badge.html

Janet Perry continues her updates about new products with a list of the new colors of congress cloth available.  Thanks for telling us what colors like "Vintage" look like, Janet!
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/new-congress-cloth-colors

By the way, at least two shops already have posted photographs of new items, including things from the January show.  Here they are in alphabetical order.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/whatsnew/index.html

http://www.theneedleworks.com/catalog/index.php

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Woodlawn Deadline February 11

The deadline for sending needlework to Woodlawn Plantation for their March 2010 show is February 11.  Show information, hours, and a link to the brochure application that has to accompany each entry is at this URL.
http://woodlawn1805.org/2010-needlework-exhibition/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Second Bead Border

I've finished the second beaded border around the edge of my laying tool and scissors case.  It looks very pretty, even though it is not done with the triangular beads that Kimberly's model used.  Here's a link to one of Kimberly's versions done with the beads she intended so you can compare the looks.
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=13661646

At one time there was a bead kit available for this piece, but I don't know if Kimberly still is able to furnish one.  I will email her and ask.  However, it doesn't matter whether the kit is still available because you can have a blast at a bead shop looking for alternatives that look good with your own color scheme.  It took me a little while to work out how to arrange and space the beads to cover the edges evenly but it is fun to play around with beads.

Sorry the photo above is a little blurred.  The beads are raising the piece off the scanner so it is getting hard to get a clear and detailed photograph.

The next step is to use my paper pattern (from a xerox of the design) to cut a piece of Ultrasuede for the inside lining and pockets for scissors and laying tools.  I also plan another bead shopping trip to pick out the closure beads.  The Potomac Bead Company didn't have anything that I thought looked great with my colors so I am hitting another bead store today to see what I can find. Here is their website.
http://www.beadartist.net/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

January 2009 Chilly Hollow Newsletter Article

When we are trapped inside in bad weather, but are not in the mood to stitch, it is nice to browse the Internet and learn about new techniques or tools to enhance our stitching.

Ever heard of tubular mesh?  It looks fascinating and makes wonderful leaves.

http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2010/01/ill-serve-no-vine-before-its-time.html

Interesting in crewel embroidery?  Watch Mary Corbet as she designs and stitches a crewel rooster as a way of testing various wools and embroidery stitches.  This is the latest posting as I wrote the newsletter.  Check the end of the article for earlier postings or search Mary's site using "crewel" to read more.

http://www.needlenthread.com/2010/01/wooly-feathers-more-tail-progress-on.html

Want to learn some new techniques on CD?  I've already talked about the Amy Bunger How'd You Do That? series but there are two new CDs out on needle painting by a master of this art.

http://www.trishburr.co.za/kits.htm

Janet Perry just reviewed black metallic canvas for those who are interested in trying this type of canvas.

http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/black-metallic-canvas-product-review

Judy Harper shows photos of the new DMC memory thread and satin floss colors on her blog.

http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/2010/01/dmc-memory-thread-and-satin-floss-new.html

Finally, if you are just in the mood to sit and watch someone else stitch, Madonna's working on a gorgeous elaborate Caela Conn Tyler project called "Red Kerchief".  Note what she says about using Angelina, a product I've never heard of!

http://frontrangestitches.blogspot.com/2010/01/here-we-go.html

All this will keep us busy until Valentine's Day!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow