Summer Stitching

There are lots of people who travel in the summer and prefer to work on small, portable project like belts and ornaments. But there are other who spend the time in a summer house, and they look forward to working on a large project. Either one of these delightful primitives would be fabulous as a summer project. I love the movement within the Farm scene. It would make a great footstool, or perhaps a large pillow.

And the Harbor Scene is also great. Just look at all the activity in the Harbor. I think this would make a great pillow or picture for a summer house near the shore.

Fabulous Melissa Shirley Canvas

This is a stunning Melissa Shirley Canvas featuring a T'Ang horse. The border is stunning. I imagine doing the  doing the flowers in a combination of velvet, silk and flair, using some modified Eyelet stitches. I think I would also use some light stitches for the background behind the horse so he will stand out even more.

We have only one of this canvas in stock!

Travel Books

Although I do have some books on my kindle or IPhone, I really prefer to find my stitches in a book. I like Suzy's books because they have lots of stitches, and they are very portable. Sometimes, I can even find the stitch diagrammed in two different directions!

We have both in stock so if you will be traveling, these are great stitch books to add to your traveling bag. Suzy also includes tips and funny sayings in her books. These two Portable books are based on Suzy's larger books -- Suzy's Small Stitches, Suzy's Surpize Stitches (Portable Stitches, Volume I) and Suzy's Lite Stitch and Suzy's Mini Stitches (Portable Stitches, Volume II).

Christmas Onraments from Barbara Bergsten Designs

We received some wonderful Christmas ornament canvases from Barbara Bergsten in our trunk show. I love having a trunk show with samples because it helps me to visualize what the finished canvas will actually look like.

The polar bear's hat makes quite a statement with its Byzantine stitch done in holiday colors. But it also lets the simplicity of the polar bear stand out. I've also included a picture of the unstitched canvas so you can compare.

There is a whole series of penguin ornaments, on either #18 or #13 canvas. Again, to help you visualize, I've shown the painted canvas and the finished sample. You could easily do a whole family of penguins.

Painted Stitches

This is one of our favorite Barbara Bergsten canvases. The top canvas is the painted canvas while the bottom one is the finished sample. What is so intriguing about Barbara's Painted Stitches canvases is that you can actually see how the stitches will work before you start stitching. Of course, there is also a stitch guide available for the "Painted Stitches" canvases on her web site.

This particular canvas calls out Florida house to me. The colors are just great. And when you have finished, you'll know more stitches plus have a delightful pillow.

Signs from Barbara Bergsten Designs

Barbara Bergsten Designs has some wonderful canvases based on sayings. For example, the perfect gift for a ski house owner or beach house owner is "Guests of Guests May Not Bring Guests."

The "I'm not Bossy, I just Have Better Ideas" comes in red or black lettering.

 Meredith liked the next one  "If I agreed,  we'd both be wrong."  She thinks it would be great for work.

The "My name is No No Bad Dog" canvas is actually one of our favorite canvases. It's perfect for the family with a disobedient dog. You can easily change the color of the dog's fur to match yours'. I'm going to make my dog look a little more like my Apricot Standard Poodle, Marlowe. Sally is going to make the dog a black dog to look like Sadie, her Goldie-Doodle.

Happy July Fourth!

We went through our canvases looking for Patriotic themed ones. We have canvases of Patriotic Santas, Washington DC, the political symbols of the country plus lots of other canvases that would work with a Patriotic theme. We are off today too while we celebrate the Fourth of July. But we will be open again tomorrow! Come see the Barbara Bergsten trunk show while we have any of her canvases left.

The Fourth of July Weekend

In Ridgewood, the Fourth of July is a big deal.  Every year there is a big parade.  Starting  on Friday, there have been chairs left on the parade route so that people can save their spots.  By the time the Fourth is here, all the spots will be taken. Decorated floats are the big hit.

We also have fabulous fireworks in the town field.  I love seeing the fireworks, too.

Summer

To me, July 1 is really the start of the summer in spite of what my great grandmother said. (Mum used to say that the summer was over on July 4th.) But I went to NYC public schools and didn't get out until the very end of the month. So really, there wasn't much opportunity to go to the beach, to vacation or even to swim until then.

What does summer mean to you? To mean, it definitely has a beach theme. In spite of my need to stay out of the summer (fair skin), I love to go to the beach. These ladies obviously have to be careful about the sun, too. This delightful canvas from Barbara Bergsten designs comes in several different sizes and meshes -- so it could be ideal for you. (Yes, we did receive the Barbara Bergsten trunk show this week. We have hung many of the canvases and the early birds have already picked their favorites. But there are many canvases to looks. One of the best things about this trunk show is the range of mesh sizes. In addition, the canvases are beautifully stitch painted --- many are perfect for a beginning stitcher. We also have some designs on #10 mesh).

On the Jersey Shore, you need a beach tag to get onto the beach. So this delightful canvas can be framed with a cork mat so that you and your guests can stick beach tags on the cork.  We asked for these to be done for the Jersey Shore Crowd.

To me, hydrageas are summer.. I love the fullness of the flowers and all the different colors. We've been helping several customers work on hydrangea canvases. We use a modified eyelet stitch  so that the hydrangeas really resemble the actual flower.  Sometimes, we even add a bead to the center of the flower. And of course, we use luscious threads to help get the results.

Fireworks

I love the fireworks on the Fourth of July. This great series of canvases features fireworks in different cities (Washington, DC, NYC, Boston etc). It also has fireworks over different baseball stadiums.

Stitch Landscape Going LIke Hotcakes

I sold the last copy of my new order yesterday.  So if you want me to get the book for you, please call (201-612-7770) or email us.  I've placed an order for five but two are already spoken for.

Stitching Glasses

Frequently, customers complain that they have trouble seeing their needlepoint.  Unfortunately, the reality is that as we age, our close-up vision often gets poorer.   And needlepoint is actually closer work than reading. 

 But with stitching glasses, you can still stitch on smaller mesh canvas.  I recommend taking your needlepoint with you to your eye doctor's office to show what you need to be able to see.  (Tony Minieri takes 40 count silk gauze and #13 mesh canvas and explains that he wants the silk gauze to look like the #13 mesh.)

First, don't wear progressive lens when stitching.  The benefit of progressive lens is that the focal point changes -- but that is not a benefit when you are stitching.  (It is also not a benefit when reading in bed!)  Instead, you want the straight line bifocals.  The American Needlepoint Guild recommends a  flat-top or straight line bifocal, preferably 35 MM wide (if smaller frames, 28 MM). This person also recommended that the bifocal line should be set at the margin of your lower lid.  She also recommended that the bifocal be +.50 stronger than your regular reading  glasses .

.

Professional Symbols

A new designer, Melissa Prince has these great canvases that make perfect gifts for the medical school or law school graduate. It would be easy to add the name and/or date to these designs.

Over the years, we have searched for interesting canvases with a professional theme. We like these two very much. They could easily be finished as a pillow, or be framed. And I know that next May seems like a long way away, but it's time to start those graduation gifts now.

Stitch Landscape

We sold out of our original order of this great needlepoint book. We just received a new order of four copies (actually five but one sold already). It's a great book -- very portable and with suggested stitched and tips for landscapes.

Kids Kits

The public schools in our area closed for summer vacation this week. As I saw the kids swarming the streets, I remembered that it was in the summer that I learned to knit. (Alright, I really never knit well but it was a summer learned skill. I also took basketweaving.)

We have some great kids kits that come with the canvas, threads and directions. Sometimes, it's great to have a surprise activity for kids to do. The kids have many different themes including a seahorse, crab, mermaid, football, lion and lots of animals.

Seven Species

Every once in a while, a customer has a request that takes a little research. Sometimes, I can find the requested items -- sometimes, I can't. But I do enjoy these requests when I end up learning something new.

Our customer was looking for a Judaic canvas with the theme of the seven species. I didn't know what the seven species were. (If you aren't sure either, they are: wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranate, dates, figs, olives).

I did find two canvases with the theme although the designer of the top canvas left out the dates.

The top design is 14" x 12" ( tallis bag size) while the bottom design is 19" x 14". (It's a challah cover.)

If you like either of these designs, just let us know. We'd be glad to get either one for you.