A Needlepoint Love Story Chapter Three Starts Today!

This year's needlepoint exhibit at Thistle Hill in Fort Worth officially kicks off today with a champagne reception at the mansion! I'm hoping that all of the needlepoint angels who bring this event to life will be there sipping bubbly and receiving many, many accolades for all the hard work they have done already and all they still have left to do.  They will be presiding over the show all weekend, and come Monday, they have to carefully re-pack all those treasures and get them safely back to their homes again.

Here's a look at the commemorative ornaments available for sale this year. All proceeds go to Historic Fort Worth to help with the preservation of these beautiful properties.  

This ornament commemorates last year's snowstorm that nearly cancelled the show:

 

This year's ornament shows the beautiful front gates:

The inaugural year's ornament showcases the front doors of the house:

Hope you can make it to this year's show, it's the biggest one yet with almost 800 pieces on display!  See you there!

The Kringle Belles Stitched!

Linda S. has stitched all three of my Kringle Belle elves and they are SOOOO cute!!  Enjoy!

Package Delivery Elf 

Tree Decorator Elf

Candy Gathering Elf

Home Again (For a Little While Anyway!)

I had a fantastic time in Glen Rose, Texas at the annual Fancy Stitches Retreat (which has been going on since the late 1980's, making it one of the most long-running retreats of it's kind in the country!) I even finished two things, but I can't show them off here yet, sorry!  Great company, great food and great stitching, what could be better?  Thanks so much to both Fancy Stitches and my retreat buddies for all the gifts and goodies that they showered us with all weekend too!

Here is a photo of the 300+ year old Live Oak outside our stitching room:

I do have some stitching to show off though, since I haven't had time to stitch on Mod Ornaments lately, I have a couple of photos from Mary Ann who has done a great job stitching two of her ornaments:

I'm off to Charleston, SC this weekend for a little trip with my hubby, (who I have barely seen this month), but I'll have some new finishing pictures to share next week!

A Week of Retreats!

I went to two needlepoint retreats in one week and now I need a vacation! Needlepoint Nation Austin 2015 overlapped with a trip to Memphis to Rent Amy, so what was I to do?  I managed to do a bit of both.  Wednesday and Thursday was spent in Austin visiting with that great group of gals, who I did not get nearly enough time with.  Here is a couple of shots of the host shop, The Needle Works--  not great pictures but you sure can tell how big and well stocked it is!

Friday through Monday found me in Memphis with the gang from Needlepoint Now, taking a weekend of classes with Amy Bunger.  Amy's shop is fabulous too, both inside and out.

First of all, what could be better than a needlepoint shop with a Sonic next door?

The neon "Amy's" sign is pretty spiffy too, I think.  Amy's is actually a small compound of buildings consisting of the store, classroom and the wholesale business.  Amy's very sweet husband, Bob, has decorated the inner courtyard with his collection of farm antiques and signs:

I think Bob's courtyard may be the best classroom view of any shop, any where!

And yes, Amy's has tons of threads and models too:

As I said, now that I'm back, I'm pooped!  Even so, I've got one more retreat left, this weekend I take off towards north Texas to Glen Rose for the Fancy Stitches retreat.  Stay tuned for those photos next week! 

Hot Off the Press!

I was so surprised and happy when I received an advance preview copy of the new edition of Jo Ippolito Christensen's The Needlepoint Book direct from the publisher, Simon & Schuster!  It's called the Needlepoint Bible for a reason, as this is one big and seriously heavy book, printed on beautiful paper in hardcover.  This new edition has a much larger section of color photos than ever before, plus is fully updated to cover all the new advances in needlepoint (including an app, of course!) since the last edition.  It could not have come out at a better time either, as it seems that needlepoint is on the cusp of a serious revival.

  

This book has made me even more enthused to see what excitement this year will bring the needlepoint world!

Trunk Show at Fireside Stitchery!

My trunk show is available this month at Fireside Stitchery and they are offering some great deals for you!  The canvases are 20% off and if you order threads to go with a canvas, those will be 10% off-- great deal!   To go directly to their trunk show page, click here.

Getting My Ducks in a Row

I've been in the process of reorganizing virtually everything I own since I moved late last year, and really, I think I may spend more time managing my stuff than I do actually working and/or playing with it!  Plus, there are so very many organizing goodies out there that just deciding between the options becomes another project in itself.  

To round up my fabrics, tools and such, I have them all in these cute pink and green bins that I found at IKEA:

They stacked up along the floor of the closet really nicely, plus they all have casters on the bottom so they are easy to move.

At one point, I was participating in so many needlepoint clubs that I had to have a list to keep up with them!  Originally, I had each kit in bags stored in plastic tubs, but the canvases and guides started getting wrinkled, so I took the kits apart and put all the stitch guides and canvases in a chest of drawers.  I put the work-in-progress canvases in there too: 

I took all the thread kits and (making sure that every kit was marked as to which club canvas it belongs to) put them in smaller bins that I moved over to the area where I keep my thread collection:

I keep the rest of the threads in this large chest of drawers, also an IKEA find.  I took this photo when I was organizing the drawer where all the solid-color silks are stored:

Most of the time though, I have to admit that there are almost as many threads sitting on top of the cabinet as there are inside:

One or two large projects plus a trip to the LNS is all it takes to create this mess!  It builds up quickly.  

Looking forward to getting it all squared away so I can get back to actually using it!  I also tackled the "great bead mess" a couple weeks ago.  You may remember the photo I posted last year of the "bead soup" that the movers had made of my bead collection.  That is all sorted out as well (took a couple weeks and two seasons of Downton Abbey to get through it all) and I'll post some pictures of that later on.

  

Thanks for looking, hope your week is off to a great start!

Stitching Games Fun!

It's been a while since I've updated all the fun canvases being stitched over on Stitcherie as part of our year-long project, the Stitching Games.  If you recall from my original post, we are stitching along on our canvases, interpreting a different "clue" each month.  Last month's clue was "Pearl" and I stitched the skirt of my canvas, Patty Paint's "Little Witch" in a pearl color silk.  (I am not nearly as creative with my clues as my fellow stitchers are, as you will soon see!)

The clue for April is "The Seven _____".   Barbara's aquatic themed canvas was perfect for this clue, she stitched the wave portions of her canvas as a reference to the Seven Seas:

Mary stitched her landscape area, referencing the Seven Hills of Rome, each in a different stitch pattern:

Susan went with a literal interpretation, stitching the seven dots on either side of her yummy cupcake:

Judy has her Asian Rider traveling through the "Forest of the Seven Bamboos" (I told you we had some folks who are really creative with their clue interpretations!) 

The Games continue to evolve each month, becoming ever more fun!  We have a monthly participation prize, and the winner's name is drawn by none other than Ruth Schmuff's UPS man, Sterling!  This is him, drawing the name of the March winner, Kelly Clark (yes, THE Kelly Clark!) How fun is that?? 

That's just a few of the highlights for this month, come on over to Stitcherie if you want to see the rest of our canvases.  I need to get to work on my own canvas, but I seem to always be the "last minute" person, stitching frantically on the last night of the month!  Still not sure what I'll stitch, as I'm a bit put out that my witch's skirt has eight black stripes and not seven-- drat!  It would be so easy, if not particularly creative, if that were the case! 

Thanks so much for looking, and until next time, Happy Stitching!

New Designs Part Two

Earlier in the week I posted the first batch of my new for Winter 2013 designs and today I'll introduce you to the rest.  I have a couple more florals and a few new cats in the line up.

Again, my pink/orange/brown color obsession continues!  I'm calling this one "Floral Brocade" although I really should call it "Gold Rush" as it has at least six different shades of gold metallic, one for each of the four backgrounds and other gold highlights throughout.  In person it is very shimmery!  This is 8" x 8" on 18 count.

It's been a while since I had painted anything "Lilly" inspired so I added this-- "Lilly Damask", 8" x 8" on 18 count.  This is everything I like best, pink and green, swirl patterns, and of course just that fun preppy Lilly Pulitzer feel.  

And last but not least, more designs for the fans of black cats (of which I am one, of course!)  This one is "Purr More, Hiss Less" and I like how fierce the eyes are-- it looks like that kitty needs to take that advice!  This one is 3.25" x 5.25" on 18.  It is sized to fit the Lee leather bags numbered 44, 45 & 52.

Also sized for the same bags is this one, two black kitties on a vibrant lime green background:

These last two kitty groups are sized 4" x 8.25" on 18 count and they will fit the Lee leather bags numbered 26, 46 & 47:

There you have them!  You should start to see these in your local shops soon, as most stores are placing orders this weekend during the Needlework Market.  If you see something you "have" to have, be sure to contact your favorite needlepoint source and make sure they order for you!  Happy Stitching! 

First New Designs of 2013!

It's time to introduce my first new canvas designs of the year!  The first TNNA needlework market is gearing up and shop owners across the country are getting set to place their orders for new designs, so here is a preview of my new offerings.  If you see something you can't live without, contact your favorite store to have them order one for you!

My recent move really threw me for a loop, so my new line for this year is a little smaller than in years past, with twelve new designs total.  Here are my four new Christmas and Holiday designs:

I was really in a "Mod" '60's state of mind for some reason this year, so I painted "Mod Ornaments".  This is 9" x 9" on 18 count.

And then came "Mod Merry"!  This is 7"x9" on 18 count.  Lots of room to try out fun stitches on this one!

I had to call this one "It's a Mod, Mod Christmas", but several people have told me that not only is this an overall pattern design that could be appropriate for all year, but with a simple color change it would also be a great design for Hanukkah.  This is 7.5" x 9" on 18 count.

This little fellow snuck into the mix somehow, probably because I have cardinals on the the brain as I am lucky enough to have a whole flock of them at my feeders every day.  I posted this on my Facebook page and he quickly became the winner of "viewer's choice" with the most comments of any of the designs.  Guess a lot of you also love cardinals, and I think I see some more cardinal designs in my future as well!  This is a small canvas, 3.5" x 5" on 18.

I was also in the mood to paint florals too and added four new ones into the line:

This is White Peonies, 8" x 8" on 18 count.  I am really into this aqua color, it seems to be everywhere these days!

And this is Rose and Butterfly (clearly I was stumped for whimsical titles this season!) and it is 6" x 6" on 18.  Orange, pink and brown is a color scheme I continue to be obsessed with-- the dark chocolate color on the butterfly is a regular brown paint, but the other browns are actually several different shades of dark gold metallics, which give the canvas a nice sparkle that doesn't show up well in the photograph.

I'll leave off with this half of the collection for now and show you the rest later in the week.  Until then, Happy Shopping! 

Spring Garden Humbug, Plus a Decision Has Been Made!

The January/February 2013 issue of Needlepoint Now should be arriving in your mailboxes and at your LNS too, so I thought it was high time to share some extra photos of my latest project to be found in this issue.  Spring Garden Humbug pincushion is the companion piece to the Biscornu pincushion from the previous issue.  You will be pleased to see that the Humbug uses all the same materials as the Biscornu, plus just a couple of additional threads and buttons that I think you will like.

Here is the finished Humbug, viewed from the side:

To better orient you as to how this piece is stitched and assembled, here is the piece stitched and flat, prior to finishing:

A Humbug gets its shape from being stitched together along its shorter edge, making a tube, then having each of its ends closed in different directions:

The photo above shows the whip-stitch technique I use for assembly-- the needle is slid cleanly under each pair of chain stitches and the edges are pulled firmly together.  The edge at the bottom of the photo has already been closed, with the far corners folded inwards to meet the center.

In the photo below, the stuffing has been added, and the edge is being closed, this time in a simple fold right down the middle, with the far corners meeting each other:

Here is that same edge from the photo above, closed and finished:

Here is the finished Humbug, viewed from the backside:

And finally, the bottom side:

I hope you will enjoy stitching this piece, and as always, if you have any questions, please do email me here at the blog.  And please do share photos with me of your finished pieces, as this is a very adaptable design and I would love to see how it would look on different canvas, with different threads and buttons too!

Additionally, if you read my last post, you will recall I was trying to decide among five canvases to work on for the Stitching Games over on Stitcherie.  I did finally choose one, after much deliberation-- I'm going with the Patti Paints witch design.  Her corset seems to be the obvious starting point, since January's clue is "shape up", now I just need to get to work.  Meanwhile, we have had loads of stitchers joining in on the fun, with 22 official entries thus far and quite a few of those participants are stitching celebrities in their own right-- Kelly Clark, Sandy Arthur, Sheena James, Janet Perry, Sharon Crescent (of Crescent Colors fame) and Ruth Schmuff-- quite a distinguished group, right?  There is still plenty of room, come on and join us, or just cheer on your favorites-- it's all good!  Hope to see you there! 

Decisions, Decisions...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I want to join in the new Stitcherie "Stitching Games" fun, but now that I've finally trolled through my stash canvases, I cannot make up my mind between the five (FIVE!) I've narrowed it down to.  I found canvases that I didn't even realize I owned, and worse, I searched for canvases I was sure I had bought but apparently I didn't!  (Please tell me that you have done this too!)  

Anyway, here are the contenders-- Raymond's Pink & Green Tree, 5x7 on 18 count.  I'll bet this is Raymond's all-time best seller, I see it everywhere, and practically everyone I know has it in their stash-- do you?? 

Next up, one of Melissa's fabulous Pagodas, this is 7x7 on 18 ct.  Love these colors, plus since the January clue is "shape up" I've already thought about what I would stitch on this one-- the clouds!  Why?  They're pretty fluffy, like me, especially now after the holidays, lol! 

I really love this next canvas, it's part of a set of four from Patti Paints, size 5x10 on 18.  It's the little black kitty swatting at the strings from her magic wand that made it a "must have" for me.  I'm feeling partial to this one but I'm not sure if it's enough to keep stitching on for 10 months.

Now for something totally different, an abstract design from Amanda Lawford.  This one is a biggie, 8x10 on 13 count.  This would be a good finish for me, as it would make an excellent pillow in my living room which I'm decorating in this color scheme. (Or at least trying to-- already some pink and orange have found their way in there!) 

Last but certainly not least is another abstract-style biggie, a fantasy forest scene from Birds of a Feather, 10x10 on 13 count.  I love, love, love BOF designs-- I think I have more of their canvases in my stash than almost anybody else, but they are all unstitched.  They are so pretty that I have been happy just displaying them on the cork boards lining one wall of my hobby room.  They are artwork, after all, and deserve to be out on the display at least even if not stitched.  

So here they all are-- what do you folks think?  I think that have to make a decision and fast!  The month is halfway over and I need to get something on bars and get some stitches on it-- February's clue will be here all too soon!  Decisions decisions... I promise I'll let you know which one it will be by the end of this week!  In the meantime, Happy Stitching!