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Category Archives: animals
It’s Beach Week at Needlepoint.Com!
It’s beach week at Needlepoint.Com!
I just love the ocean. James and I were lucky enough to get away to Myrtle Beach earlier this summer. It was so relaxing. I know fall is just around the corner but I don’t want this summer weather to end!
We have some wonderful beach themed canvases still in stock. And you won’t want to miss out on this sale. All in stock canvases are 25% off.
Below I’ve rounded up some of my favorites!
1. I love this shell bowl by Melissa Shirley
2. This boating scene is so stunning!
3. These pippin sand buckets are just adorable!
4. I’m dying to stitch this banana palm frame
5. You could do so many fun stitches on this Mermaid Crossing canvas
6. Love these mini versions of Charlie Harper designs!
7. This blue background is gorgeous
8. This Kate Dickerson piece would make such a fun throw pillow
9. Love the colors in this crab piece!
So many fun options. How can you choose?
You can shop the whole sale online here!
Voila Needlepoint Shark Belt
Whenever I’m working on a super detailed project, like the Kirk & Bradley Nativity I’ll be teaching at Needlepoint.Com’s A La Carte Retreat, I like to also have a simpler project going simultaneously. Having something mindless like this really helps me relax and just enjoy stitching, without having to worry about keeping track of all of my threads and writing up a stitch guide as I go along. For the last few weeks I’ve had this cute little shark belt in progress. I just finished up the last few remaining stitches the other night.
The canvas itself is by Voila Needlepoint. They have a ton of fun belt designs to choose from. I’ve been working the canvas in Basketweave using Vineyard Merino Wool- a personal favorite of mine for belts because it is so durable! The background color isn’t quite as bright as it looks in my pictures- it’s called “Tomato”- for anyone who is interested. I definitely want the belt to be used when it’s finished, and not have to worry about wear and tear.
I ended up having to stitch a whole lot more of it than I intended, because of a dye lot issue! Moral of the story… buy more thread than you think you need for big open areas of background. Who knows where the three extra skeins I originally bought went (Charlie?!) but when I got to the point I needed them, they were nowhere to be found! I asked the finisher to send back the extra stitched canvas, so at least I could have it made into a keychain if I wanted.
I added a simple monogram to personalize the project which will be right by the buckle when it’s finished.
New Staffordshire Dog Ornament
It was such a sweet surprise to come home from Christmas break to find a holiday package in our mailbox from Jessica of Lycette Designs! She had sent a new ornament size version of her ever popular Staffordshire Dog canvas, which will debut at TNNA later this January.
I could hardly wait to start stitching this Staffordshire Dog… and once I did could hardly put this canvas down!
For those of you interested, here is what I did:
Thread List:
Anchor Floss #1, 55, 57
Petite Silk Lamé Braid #SP41, 57
Sundance Size #14 Beads #471
Sundance White Beading Thread
The Collection 9mm Bell
I chose an open background stitch that somewhat resembled wallpaper called “Modified Trellis Stitch” and stitched that using 1 strand Petite Silk Lamé Braid #SP57.
The dog’s body was stitched in a horizontal Slanted Gobelin 2 over 1 using 4 ply Anchor Floss #1, 55 and 57 to reflect the colors painted on the canvas. Stitch over the top of the dog’s tag in Anchor Floss #1.
The dog’s face was stitched in Tent Stitch using 4 ply Anchor Floss #1, 55 and 57 and 1 strand Petite Silk Lamé Braid #SP57 to reflect the colors painted on the canvas.
The dog’s ears and the fur on the top of his head were stitched in Alternating French Knots and Basketweave using 4 ply Anchor Floss #55 and 57.
The chain around his neck is done in Horizontal Cross Stitch Beading, using 1 strand Sundance White Beading Thread and Sundance Size #14 Beads #471. To make the bottom row of beads lay perfectly straight, I ran my beading thread back through the row of them once they were all attached and strung them together.
In place of beading or stitching the tag on the dog’s collar, I attached a 9mm bell from The Collection. A fun little embellishment to add some extra character!
Such a simple project, but definitely a fun one! I can hardly wait to see it back from the finisher!
If you would like to order this canvas for yourself, you can place a preorder with Needlepoint.Com by calling 919-828-5538. We will have canvases in stock after market!
Staffordshire Dogs Giveaway!
Hey everyone! Happy Saturday! I’ve got a real treat for you all this weekend. Today on Stitch Style I’m giving away this adorable Staffordshire Dogs Canvas.
I was so excited when Jessica from Lycette Designs got in contact with me about doing a giveaway. She’s a new needlepoint designer on the scene and I especially love that she’s a “millennial” like me! It’s so wonderful to see new faces in the industry!
One of Lycette Designs’ most popular pieces of needlepoint is this Pink and Orange Staffordshire Dog canvas. This is one of my favorite needlepoint designs, and has long been on my personal stitching bucket list. We’re constantly selling out of it at Needlepoint.Com! I love that she has just come out with “Pink and Green” and “Blue and Orange” versions of the original.
Which version is your favorite? I don’t think I can decide!
All three versions are definitely calling for an open background stitch- I think a stitch that resembled wallpaper would be so fun! Then, stitch the Staffordshire dogs themselves as mirror images of each other. Whatever stitch you decide to do on the right dog, do the reverse on the left. Maybe try a Gobelin Stitch for the body, and a Chain Stitch for the chains hanging from their collars. The collars themselves would look great beaded!
Here are the steps you need to take to win this “Pink and Green Staffordshire Dog Canvas”
1. Follow Lycette Designs on Instagram
2. Like Lycette Designs on Facebook
3. Subscribe to Lycette Designs Mailing List
(found in the upper left hand corner of her homepage)
4. Subscribe to Stitch Style Blog in the box on the right
It is important to note that this giveaway is for both old and new subscribers.
Once you have completed these steps (even if you have done so at an earlier date!), send me a message here on my contact page to enter.
One winner will be chosen at random one week from today on Saturday September 17th, 2016. Be sure to enter by Friday September 16th to ensure you are considered!
Blast from the past
Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great Labor Day Weekend. I’ve got a funny little blast from the past for you all today!
My parents are currently moving out of our childhood home. My parents bought this house together the year I started Kindergarten. Of course, it is full of memories…
As my parents sort through their basement and attic, every once in a while my mom sends a box of things she thinks I might like to hang on to for the future down to North Carolina. Well, turns out she stumbled upon my first needlepoint canvas ever!
Needless to say… perhaps not my best piece of work ever haha. Funny thing is that I’m sure my mom and grandmother bought it for me at Needlepoint.com. As you can tell the canvas is not in the best shape… Edges are unraveled… It’s stitched in DMC 3 and Paternayan Wool… I vaguely remember spilling a glass of iced tea or something on it at one point (Yikes!)
In my defense, I was also probably only about 9 or 10 years old when I started it. Who would have thought that more than a decade later I would be working for the same company that started my passion for needlepoint?
I had a pretty good laugh when I opened up the box to find this but I wanted to show you all this canvas today to bring it all back to the beginning. I’m sure you all can recall the piece of needlepoint that got you started. Maybe your mom taught you to stitch, or maybe it was a grandparent or a dear friend. Even though some people may look at this canvas and think that it belongs in the garbage, I just can’t quite bring myself to toss it out!
Shop the Birds of a feather trunk show before it’s too late!
Every time we get a trunk show in at Needlepoint.Com it’s like Christmas morning. Our staff is always so excited to see what each different designer has sent us in their box of goodies. The Birds of a Feather Trunk Show certainly was no exception to this rule!
I have had more fun the past few weeks helping customers kit their trunk show finds. Most of the Birds of a Feather designs have tons of room for decorative stitches with their big open areas of color. They are painted so well that they also make great beginner pieces- with many designs on 13 count canvas.
There are so many fun canvases to chose from right now… here are a few of my favorites from the Birds of a Feather Trunk Show at Needlepoint.Com.
1. This “French Lesson” boat (and the rest of the series!)
2. Fox Trot
3. You could have so much fun with different stitches on this Sleigh Canvas!
4. Shorebirds would be such a great addition to any beach house
5. This reindeer is one of the sweetest canvases I’ve ever seen
6. Red Rose Sampler- such a classic!
7. How precious are these little otters?
8. This Kit has everything included to start stitching straight away!
9. We have a customer stitching 3 of these angels and framing them together for her children! Such a great alternative finishing idea to ornaments as they can be enjoyed all year round.
