A New Mystery UPDATED

Thanks to Diversions Needlepoint's June e-newsletter, I've learned about a new mystery set in a needlepoint store near Asheville, NC.  It's called One Sharp Stitch, by Allie Pleiter.  Ms. Pleiter has written mysteries centered on knitters and it looks like this is planned as a series as well.  

https://alliepleiter.com/books/nimble-needle-mysteries/one-sharp-stitch/

I read One Sharp Stitch last June and enjoyed it.  It's a great beach read, with a good cozy mystery obscuring who the killer is plus some interesting people, both important to the plot and peripheral to it.  The family relationships among the various characters are handled realistically and the author knows quite a bit about the social life of a needlepoint shop since she picked up needlepoint with the help of Stitchers Garden in Illinois, Two's Company in South Carolina and Po's Point in North Carolina (plus help from ANG's Queen Charlotte chapter.  If you can get this through your local library, it's worth checking out. I imagine more in the series is planned, and I'll be reading the second book when/if it comes out.

If you are intrigued, Lisa of BeStitched did an interview with Allie Pleiter on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/BeStitchedNeedlepoint/videos/1064489455713672

By the way, the fictional shop is called Nina's Nimble Needle, but it has no relationship to either Nimble Needle in New Jersey or Nimble Needle in Atlanta!

UPDATE:  Melita says there is a second book in the series.  It's called Two Purloined Pillows.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2025/08/18/ang-2025-seminar-in-new-orleans-la-welcome-favors-water-bottles-and-tote-bag/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright June 13, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Book for Sampler/History Lovers

Mary Corbet got her hands on the Witney Antiques 2024 catalogue "Choice and Precious Works," which besides being a catalogue of their sale, is also a wonderful historical examination of samplers and other needlework from the 17th and 18th Centuries.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2025/02/choice-and-precious-work-calling-all-history-lovers.html

I am not into samplers but this intrigues me.  You can buy it (plus volume one) at Thistle Threads but don't hesitate.  This is likely to sell out.

https://thistle-threads.myshopify.com/collections/books

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright February 5, 2025 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Breaking News: A Stitch at a Time is Out! UPDATED

Stefanie Chase's (aka The Joy of Needlepoint) new book is out!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDdI966xjSf/?img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDc_Q5wxAdn/?img_index=2

Looks like there are color photos of stitch examples plus diagrams.  I can't wait to hear more about it.  Apparently there is a chapter that links (through QR codes?) to videos.

UPDATE:  Melissa of The Wool and The Floss did two short video reviews.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEujOWaR2K3/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGJkmJPPnbL/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright December 13, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

"We Have Your Back Ground Stitches" by The Pointer Sisters UPDATED

The Wool and the Floss introduced a new book on Instagram:  We Have Your Back Ground Stitches by The Pointer Sisters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C66f5VRr-jt/?g=5&img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6q55BBMfr9/

This is the second book fromTimmy Schultz and Jan Dedrick, following on Pretty Stitches.

https://www.atpneedlepoint.com/shop/p/pretty-stitches-by-the-pointer-sisters-stitch-guide

Here is the link to pre-order from The Wool and The Floss if your local shop isn't taking pre-orders.

https://woolfloss.com/collections/books/products/background-stitches-book

UPDATE:  Homestead Needle Arts has a brief review of this book.  "...145 pages but at least half are graph paper."  "7X4 inches with wire binding."  "There are over 65 stitches with ideas for how to handle each one, for example using different colored threads or what size of thread to use."

https://mailchi.mp/43aed653da67/new-books-august-news?e=810b807e3a

https://www.homesteadneedlearts.com/catalog/books-charts-cds-magazines/we-have-your-back-ground-stitches-book-by-timmy-schultz-jan-dederick/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright May 15, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Third Edition of Threads Out April 2023

Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled just announced the third edition of Threads:  A Needle Necessity will be out soon.  This new edition will be called Inspired by Threads, and it will list all the commonly available threads, with notes about them, how many plies for what canvas count, etc. and will help you substitute if that thread in your guide is one you absolutely hate (or can no longer get).

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2023/03/coming-soon-2/

Copies should be available in early April, or about the time this publishes.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/inspired-by-threads/

Here's a bit about the book and how to use it.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2023/08/a-must-have/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 23, 2023 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Melita Goes Shopping

Melita Glavin is in Upstate New York, visiting Expressions in Needle Art.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/11/11/fiber-on-a-whim-at-expressions-in-needleart/

She bought fun books, saw some nice models and looked at a new overdyed thread.  Fun day!  

You can explore Fiber on a Whim's threads here.

https://www.fiberonawhim.com/shop/Threads-Ribbons--Needles.htm

Expressions in Needle Art doesn't have a website but they do have a Facebook page to explore.

https://www.facebook.com/Needlearts/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright November 11, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

More about Melita's Books

Melita reviews two more books in her collection--Father B's and SharonG's.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/10/28/books-in-my-library-father-bs-21st-century-book-of-stitches-and-sharon-gs-simply-essential-needlepoint-stitch-explanations-sense/

Father B's book comes in various editions.  Suzanne Howren (you know her as one of the authors of the Stitches for Effects series) has taken some of his best stitches and rediagrammed them for modern stitchers.

https://www.needlenook.com/product/a-father-b-sampler-stitches-for-the-21st-century/

SharonG's one of my stitching heroes.  Her SENSE book is small but fabulous and full of good information.

https://needlepointus.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SENSE

Neither book is large but both are worth having.

UPDATE:  Melita picks up Ruth Dilts' Needlepoint 101 and 202.  Both are good books, especially for a beginner at embellishing canvases.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2023/02/14/books-in-my-library-needlepoint-101/

UPDATE:  Melita has three of Carole Lake and Michael Boren's very useful books.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2024/09/27/books-in-my-library-painted-canvas-embellishment-an-idea-book-desert-island-stitches-volume-1-ideas-for-small-spaces-and-volume-2-ideas-for-creative-borders-by-carole-h-lake-and-michael-boren/

UPDATE:  Melita also owns a fascinating book from 1980, Edith Anderson Feisner's Needlepoint and Beyond:  27 Lessons in Advanced Canvas Work.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2024/10/08/books-in-my-library-needlepoint-and-beyond-27-lessons-in-advanced-canvas-work-by-edith-anderson/

UPDATE:  Making Needlepoint Landscapes looks interesting!  I have a copy of dede Odgen's That's Not Needlepoint and it's quite interesting for those stitching underwater ocean scenes.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2024/10/09/making-needlecraft-landscapes-by-mary-carroll-and-thats-not-needlepoint-by-dede-ogden/

UPDATE:  Melita owns a copy of Kathleen Whyte's Design in Embroidery.  I've seen it but it is mostly about embroidery design.  If that's a topic that interests you, you may be able to find a copy in a used book store.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2024/10/29/books-in-my-library-design-in-embroidery-by-kathleen-whyte/

UPDATE:  Anna Griffith's An Introduction to Embroidery sounds interesting.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2024/10/31/books-in-my-library-an-introduction-to-embroidery-by-anna-griffiths/

UPDATE:  Melita owns several of the A to Z series of books.  They are really good, especially the silk ribbon embroidery book to help you create flowers from ribbon.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2024/11/06/books-in-my-library-a-to-z-series/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright October 29, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A New Book from Jane Nicholas

Jane Nicholas has a new book coming out.  It's called Japanese Motifs in Stumpwork and Goldwork.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2022/08/japanese-motifs-in-stumpwork-goldwork-by-jane-nicholas-a-pre-review.html

I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

Is it November yet?

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright August 19, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Four Jean Hilton Books Reviewed

Melita talks briefly about four Jean Hilton books she owns in her latest blog posting.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/04/27/books-in-my-library-light-n-lacy-stimulating-stitches-needlepoint-stitches-and-borderlines-by-jean-hilton/

I don't think stitchers today realize the impact Jean Hilton had when she first started designing with "string art" type stitches.  None of us had ever seen anything like this!

I will warn you these are all older books (the latest was published in 1995) and the diagramming isn't as good as books today because when they were published,  the software wasn't available.  But these are amazing books, all the same.  Jean Hilton had an astoundingly creative mind.

If you are interested, I found several places online that carry Jean's books.  They are listed in the order I found them.  The last link is to the shop that owns Jean's copyright where you can also pick up her charts.

https://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Canvas_Embroidery/JHI/JeanHiltonBooks.html

https://nashvilleneedleworks.com/shop/books/jean-hilton-borderlines/

https://www.needlenook.com/product-category/designer/jean-hilton/

https://stitches-heart.com/jean-hilton-designs/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 27, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Reviews of Two ANG Chapter Publications

Melita has written reviews of two books published by ANG local chapters:  Golden Gate Canvas Workers' A Background Stitch Reference Book and the Lone Star Chapter's Grab and Go Stitches.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/04/10/books-by-ang-chapters/

Both are excellent reference books so keep your eyes out for copies in stash sales.  You probably can find copies ssold at the California or Texas shops, too.  Do note that neither book has numbered diagrams so these are probably not geared toward beginning stitchers unless they have stitching friends to help them figure out what to do.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 11, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Needleart Judge's Reference (Revised 2021 Edition) UPDATED

The National Academy of Needlearts (NAN) just annouced they have revised A Needleart Judge's Reference.  The original was published in 2013 and the revised edition is dated 2021.

https://needleart.org/publications/a-needleart-judges-reference/?fbclid=IwAR0PLlRmgC4S9oFvM5L942-fzmv5PiTmpPUPTO9AMTTI1TFuFE0ohw82IIY

This is a must-have for needle arts judges and a useful reference for those who want to improve their needle art for exhibit.  If you want a copy, I suggest you email the Director of Judges' Certification to see how to purchase a copy.

https://needleart.org/contact/

UPDATE:  Brenda's Needlepoint Studio has done a review of this book.  She thinks it is a fabulous resource for anyone who is involved in needlepoint exhibits.

https://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2022/06/a-needleart-judges-reference-by-nan.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright April 6, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Pet Portrait Embroidery: A Review

If realistic dog and cat portraits enthrall you, you'll want to look at Mary Corbet's review of "Pet Portrait Embroidery."

https://www.needlenthread.com/2022/03/pet-portrait-embroidery-a-fabulous-book.html

Note that this book is mean for those embroidering animals on ground fabric like linen, but you can use the same principals on needlepoint canvas if you switch to a small needle with a very sharp point.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright March 12, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Mini Review of Ann Strite-Kurz Books

Melita's been using several of Ann Strite-Kurz's books to help her finish various projects.

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/02/25/books-in-my-library-canvas-applique-diaper-patterns-and-potpoutti-of-pattern-encore-by-ann-strite-kurz/

Here;s Ann's website if you want to buy a book or two.

https://www.annstritekurz.com

Don't miss Razzle-Dazzle.  It's spectacular.

https://www.annstritekurz.com/ask45.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.co

© Copyright February 25, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Stitches with Hart UPDATED

Brenda Hart has published a fourth book, and I am thrilled.  I am a big fan of her books and use them more than any of the others in my collection.  But is this a book you'll love as much as I do?  Let's see, shall we?

The cover is on the left.  This is a 92 page book, plus three pages of introductory information and a three page index. As you can see from the photo, it is spiral bound with light cardboard covers.  Your local copy shop can remove, laminate and rebind the covers for you to help preserve them.

The cover itself shows what Brenda's diagrams are like--all in black and white with shades of gray.  The diagrams are not numbered, although Brenda sometimes tells you the proper order for multiple steps to execute the stitch.  In other words, this book is likely to be more helpful for the experienced needlepointer or someone who is willing to do a lot of test stitching on scrap canvas to figure out how to execute a stitch.

Brenda has written three other books in the same format.  None of her books repeat stitches, although you may find variations on a stitch you saw in an earlier book.  Most of these stitches are Brenda's creations she has dreamed up during her long teaching career so you won't see them repeated elsewhere often.  Most pages have 3-4 stitches diagrammed on them although some of the larger stitches are on a page by themselves.  I did a quick count to see how many stitches are included and came up with 341 diagrams.  I counted complicated stitches with three diagrams as one and didn't include the two diagrams Brenda added showing how to bead on needlepoint canvas, so this is only a rough estimate, but clearly you get a lot of stitches for your money.

I chose a page at random to show how the diagrams work.  Brenda occasionally adds suggestions for the working order as you can see above.  Most diagrams don't have such notes, however.  

The book doesn't have chapters although Brenda clusters like stitches together (borders, for example, or darning stitches).  The index in the back talks about shapes (diamonds, ovals) or sometimes gives the stitch name (t-stitch).  You can get a general idea if the stitch is what you want from that.

Brenda Hart is a master of light-coverage stitches so most of the stitches in this book are designed for this type of needlepoint.  Many can be adapted to full coverage by using thicker threads or by adding little tent stitches, cross stitches, or beads in the empty areas.  Most will make elegant and subtle backgrounds or complicated borders or scattered motifs.

I plan to use this book a lot!

Happy Valentine's Day to Brenda and of course all of you wonderful blog visitors.  

UPDATE:  Good news for shop owners:  Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled is now the distributor of Brenda's books.  If you need stock for your customers, check with Ruth.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2022/12/back-in-stock/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright January 29, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Needlepoint Book (Both Editions)

If you only can buy one needlepoint book, The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen is the one to get as it covers everything, although not all bits in detail.  There are several editions and Melita talks about them both.  

https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/01/11/books-in-my-library-the-needlepoint-book-second-and-third-edition/

Frankly, either is good, so look for a used copy of either for your stitching library or to gift to a friend.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright January 12, 2022 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Goldwork Book and Needle Painting Tips

Goldwork and needle painting are wonderful techniques when used entirely on their own but needlepointers also use them as accents on pieces.  So I was interested to learn that Mary Corbet loves the Alison Cole book entitled Goldwork Masterclass so much that's she's stocking it to sell.
https://www.needlenthread.com/2020/07/goldwork-masterclass-book-review-stock-for-you.html

I haven't seen this book but I adore Alison Cole's first book on goldwork.  She's a wildly talented Australian teacher and embroiderer.  Browse her website and see if you agree.
https://alisoncoleembroidery.com.au

Today I've also found a great blog entry from Margaret at The Sharp Needler.  Margaret has plenty of tips for doing needle painting, which is shaded needlepoint.  Her examples are flower petals and she shows how to handle setting up a petal, how to blend colors, and how to do shading correctly—and incorrectly.  It's invaluable information that I've not seen elsewhere.  If you have a needle painted area on your canvas to work, you'll want to read this.  Thanks, Margaret!  (As always, you might want to use a sharp needle like a crewel needle or one for beading if you are needle painting or shading on needlepoint canvas so you aren't limited to just stitching in the holes, but can put the stitch anywhere you need it, even though the needlepoint canvas threads.)
http://www.sharpneedler.com/2020/07/thread-painting-basics-flower-petals.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 22, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Mary's Whimsical Stitches: A Review

Mary's Whimsical Stitch, by Mary Legallet

Recently I was gifted Mary Legallet's brand new book, Mary's Whimsical Stitches, Volume 1.   As you can see from the above photo, it's a rather small but heavy book, spiral bound, with a plastic cover and back for durability.  Inside it is 287 pages, with three of them a short introduction, plus two stitch indexes.  More on the indexes in a bit.

Each page has one stitch diagram, so you have a lot of stitches in this book.  It's fat!  It's probably 3/4 of an inch thick.  It's small enough to put in your suitcase or tote bag if you travel much but it is heavy.

Sneak Peak inside Mary's Whimsical Stitches

Here is a peek inside the book.   As you can see, the diagrams are in colors and are numbered to help you follow the path to create each stitch unit.  That's actually my biggest quibble with the book.  I'm not sure the diagrams (mostly in black, gray, goldenrod and teal blue) are always legible if you have eye problems.  However, Mary's made a real effort to make them clear and the colors are more restrained than in the original diagrams Mary created for her blog.

Many folks have seen Mary's weekly online stitch diagram series.  If you haven't, here's a link—
http://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays

I know some folks are thinking why should they buy Mary's book when they can just look at her stitches online? The reason is that browsing her blog, although fun, isn't easy when you are looking for something specific.  The book has those indexes I mentioned.  They help you find a stitch for something quite easily.  The Stitches by Chapter Index lists all the stitches by chapter.  Since Mary organizes her stitches by Essential Stitches, Balanced Stitches, Border Stitches, Diagonal Stitches, Layered Stitches, Oblique Stitches, Small Stitches and Straight Stitches, if you are looking for stitches for a border, the index helps you locate anything that might work quickly.

The Decorative Stitch Index lists all the stitches in alphabetical order but it is in chart form.  The chart lists stitches by page number and by chapter,  but also by the sort of usage that Mary thinks the stitch is good for.  The usages are:  Animals (except for birds), Backgrounds, Beards, Birds, Clothing (Large), Clothing (Small), Floors, Flowers, Glass, Leaves, Roof, Sky, Snow, Tabletops, Trees, Walls and Water.  As you can see, that's most of what you will find on a painted canvas unless it's an abstract design.  So you can just flip to the back and look up Glass and find 38 different stitches that Mary uses for windows, drinks glasses, etc.  I think these indexes are really useful.

Another Peek, This Time at a Page with a Link

Another reason to buy the book instead of just browsing Mary's Instagram page or her blog is that there are a lot more stitches in the book than she's posted online.  However, probably half of the pages have a URL listed under the diagram.  These are stitches Mary has posted online. If you type the URL into a browser window, you'll see the diagram stitched.  Here's the URL for the diagram above.  
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK7KBpZDGi9/

This is invaluable for those who want to see a stitch sample in color.   Most books cannot provide this because it raises the price of printing to more than stitchers will pay, but Mary's found an ingenious way around it.  Typing the Tiny URL is a pain, but it does help you figure out if this is a look that will work for your canvas if you have trouble visualizing stitches from a diagram.

I do have another caveat for those who might be considering buying this book.  Mary likes open stitches.  If you object to canvases not being totally covered with thread, this book is not going to be as useful to you as to someone who likes having a bit of the original painted shading showing.  You can make most stitches more or less full coverage by adjusting the thickness of the thread but there is a limit as to how much coverage you can achieve with many of these stitches.

But if you like the idea of stitches organized by effect with clear diagrams that have a bit of color, and if you want to be able to look at colored photos of the stitches in action at least some of the time, this is a very useful book!  Mary doesn't sell directly but any shop can get a copy for you.  Just ask your favorite store for assistance.  If you don't have a favorite store, this is the first one that came up in a search for me.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/marys-whimsical-stitches/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 29, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

An Interview with Mary Legallet of Whimsical Stitch UPDATED

Needlepoint.com has a fun interview with Whimsical Stitch's Mary Legallet for us this morning.  You can learn a bit about Mary's background and read a mini review of her first book, Mary's Whimsical Stitches.
https://needlepoint.com/blogs/needlepoint-know-how/all-about-mary-s-whimsical-stitches

Here's Mary's website.
http://www.whimsicalstitch.com

She posts a new stitch on her Blog weekly.  There are links to her Pinterest and Instagram accounts in each posting if you want to explore Mary's world further.
http://www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays

Mary's book is on back order at Needlepoint.com, but it looks like Bedecked and Beadazzled has it in stock.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/marys-whimsical-stitches/

UPDATE:  Here's another interview with Mary, this time from The Wool and The Floss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUI0pZvmaYc

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 25, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Got Stitches Too? Size Matters (Book Review)

Needlepoint.com's blog has put up a nice book review of the latest book from Gone Stitching—Got Stitches Too? Size Matters.
https://needlepoint.com/blogs/needlepoint-know-how/book-review-got-stitches-too-size-matters?goal=0_6eed0b10d5-2430a6efa7-579725333&mc_cid=2430a6efa7&mc_eid=3a360cb48b

It's not a very thick book but it has colorful diagrams that are easy to read (assuming you aren't color blind) and also includes stitched samples of each stitch.  I think the series is very well priced, too.

This is the third book from Gone Stitching.  Got Stitches:  Multi-Layered Stitches for Needlepoint was their first book and Holey Stitches!  A Guide to Judaic Themed Needlepoint Canvases was their second. All three are the same spiral bound size with heavy stock paper and clear diagrams. The two Got Stitches? books have colored diagrams and stitched samples.  Holey Stitches is much shorter (only 19 pages) with simpler diagrams and a lovely charted Hebrew alphabet and no stitched samples.  The stitches in Holey Stitches are for things like a Star of Dave, doves, domes, challah, mountains, buildings, wine cups, a Torah, etc.   It is more a specialty book but if you need a Hebrew alphabet or ideas for a piece for a Jewish friend, this is a great purchase.

You can order directly from the shop if your favorite store doesn't have these in stock.
http://www.gonestitching.net/product-category/books/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright May 28, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Grab and Go Stitches: A Review

I just received a copy of the Lone Star Chapter of ANG's first book, Grab and Go Stitches, courtesy of Cynthia Thomas who is a member.  Thanks, Cindy!  You can pick up a copy at many of the big Texas shops and other stores are starting to stock it as well.  I understand that the first edition is sold out so you might have to wait for a second printing to be printed and distributed before you can get your hands on a copy.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b37ed75cef372bdd50ce75a/t/5d5fd5b6d7c1240001f8db49/1566561719109/Order+Information.pdf

The stitches were compiled by Lone Star's membership over a year, with everyone submitting hand drawn diagrams of their favorite stitches.  The only caveat (beside the fact that the diagrams had to be hand drawn) is that any stitch submitted should not be in Stitches to Go since this book was designed along the lines of Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson's classic.  Like it, the book is small enough to put in a tote bag or large purse and is spiral bound with a cardboard front and back.
https://needlepoint.com/products/stitchestogo

The book is divided into eight sections, according to the direction of the stitch.  The sections are:

Stitches That Read Straight

Stitches That Read Diagonal

Stitches That Read Oblique

Leaf Stitches

Laid Fillings

Blackwork

Darning Patterns

Lagniappe (basically anything that doesn't fit in the other categories)

The section on Straight Stitches is the largest.  There are not many pages of blackwork or darning stitches.  The other sections are medium-sized.  There's a three page section in the back called "Tips and Tricks" with some general information on things like how to create mirror images of a stitch.  All the pages are printed front and back, so "Tips and Tricks" is essentially six pages long, for example.  There is no index and the stitches are not named.  To find something you need to figure out if you want a straight or diagonal stitch (for example), then hunt through that section.  The editors suggest you refer to stitches by page number and position on the page:  "10 UR means page 10 upper right."  

It's 92 pages long plus an introduction.  Most pages (but not all) have six stitches on them, front and back, so there are a LOT of stitches. The diagrams are usually two inches square and in black and white (with gray stitches sometimes) without the stitch path numbered.  There are no photographs of the stitches stitched on needlepoint canvas.  There are no thread suggestions or ideas where to use any of the stitches—this book is just diagrams.  The online price seems to be in the $25 range, so this is a good deal.  (Stitches to Go is 64 pages with fewer diagrams per page and costs $20-25.)

Page Chosen At Random

Beginners won't have the skills to figure out how to stitch many of the more complex stitches without a numbered path, and folks who have vision problems may have trouble seeing the diagrams without magnification.  I leafed through my copy today and I don't see many stitches that I haven't seen often in other books.  Probably only a dozen at most are truly new to me.  If you have a large stitch library, you may not want this book unless you need a good reference book that is small enough to take everywhere with you.  

Don't get me wrong, this is a great little book!  Pair it with Stitches to Go and you have a fabulous collection of stitch diagrams in just two little books that are easy to carry anywhere.  It's just not suitable for every needlepointer because of the issues listed above.  

Cindy says they have enough stitches to do a second book if the first does well.  Keep your fingers crossed!  

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 5, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.