July zoom-bellishment is this weekend! One of the fun canvases in the mix is by Brooke Connor. This is Mustang Sally. Gee that’s a lot of background. Wonder what my ideas will be for that? LOL. That’s the fun of these classes, seeing where my mind goes with all the different canvases. It is a […]
Archives for 2024
C’est La Vie Cheetah
Let me begin by apologizing for the website acting up the last few days. Apparently I send out an email and the website has a nervous breakdown. We are working on that, but nothing is ever quick, so if you head to the website and it misbehaves give it an hour or so and check […]
Hoot is stunning
July zoom-bellishment is this weekend! Hoot by David Galchutt is one of the returning favorites for class this weekend. It’s a gorgeous gorgeous canvas. Liz stitched him following my guide and my oh my is he spectacular! He shimmers in the light. Thank you Liz for sharing. There are so many details in this canvas […]
July Zoom-bellishment 2024!
Let the games begin! July zoom-bellishment is this weekend! Kits are shipping and should be in everyone’s hands no later than Thursday! What does this mean for you my loyal readers? It means I am about to send you an email a day with pretty pictures of what we are stitching in class. Temptation abounds! […]
Cynthia Rutledge September Classes
Cynthia Rutledge will be with us this September via the magical powers of ZOOM! We are excited to announce three brand-new classes. They will have only been taught once, so you don’t want to miss out! All classes are intermediate level and are absolutely stunning in person. Coming to the End Cuff and Earrings – […]
Is it real?
Sunday was the second lesson of Chinchillin by Heather Gauthier and it’s all about the background. You knew that was coming, right? Heather’s work is grounded in reality but at the same time there’s a good bit of fantasy. Is our chinchilla floating in a coconut shell down a lazy river? But then wait, what […]
Vespers
Vespers by Dominic Bourbeau from Tapestry Fair is such a charming canvas. It’s 13.5 x 18″ (art area) handpainted on 18ct is begging for fun stitches. The colors are sweet and happy and now it has a stitchguide. Our nuns seem to be singing the songs of spring. If you would like to stitch our […]
Jazz Players!
Jazz Players is a fabulously unique canvas by Prince Duncan Williams and it has a super fun stitchguide! Sue finished hers as a standup for on the piano. What a clever idea. The beauty of this piece lies in the fact that it is a series of fun shapes to fill with stitches and beads. […]
A Glorious Frame
Let’s Fall in Love by Annie O’Brien Gonzales was a very long term Mystery with a Twist. It is now complete and back from the framer looking more glorious than you can imagine. I wanted an elegant gallery feel and I also wanted color. I think we nailed it. The filet edging the mat shimmers […]
Chinchillin
Ok, yes, he is a rodent, and yes this is the second rodent I have stitched but….. The first rodent was Fleur, a rodent wearing a tiara. Who could resist that. And now we are stitching a chinchilla floating in a coconut shell! This is Chinchillin by Heather Gauthier and it is just adorable. We […]
Fifi is Framed
As long as Johanna Virtanen’s art is close by in our memories I wanted to show you the super fun framing we came up with for Fifi in her Garden. This was a mystery class and now canvases ship with stitchguides. Thes are two slightly different interpretations of the same concept. My Fifi is very […]
Lady Jasmine
Dianne finished her Lady Jasmine and it is back from the framer. It is a stunner! She is an amazing stitcher and dove into this project with such joy and abandon. The coolest part is that Dianne had gorgeous fabric from Rowanda that we incorporated into the matting. There are tons of fun areas to […]
Who Wants to Play?
Do you want to play with texture and dimension in your needlepoint? This is the thread that will give you all that and more! Pure silk is wrapped around wire and that wire is coiled into a little tube. Work with it as you would any real metal, couching it in place, chipping it and […]
Welcome to the Jungle
Last weekend we finished the Blue Cat in the Jungle Mystery Class by Johanna Virtanen and it is just so darn happy! I’m all about happy canvases. You may have noticed, color and pattern is my thing. In the final lesson we focused on the flowers and a few tricks of magic. We created the […]
Birds!
And we’re back! It’s been nine days since last we met. I have things to share! Check out this fabulous canvas by the one and only Helen Heins Peterson. I’m in love with it. I own the original art. It was gifted to me for a big birthday by some of my best friends. Now […]
Kelly Clark Class!
Kelly Clark’s canvases are full of details and all sorts of fun techniques. Her Lemon Blues Tea does not disappoint! There is stumpwork and Or Nué, ribbon flowers and more. It is a classic design that will keep you happily stitching! We are so excited to host Kelly on Zoom as she walks us through […]
A polar bear in a snowstorm
As I look at photos from last weekend’s Panda, Zebra and Penguin class I feel like I should be telling a joke about a polar bear in a snowstorm. The canvas is black and white, but all about the subtleties threads can give us. Stitched all in Tent Stitch with one thread, and it is […]
The Cat!
I hope wherever you are today, it is sunnier than here. We are on day one of nine days of gray skies and rain. We will see how that pans out. Oh my, I love this cat. The second lesson of Blue Cat in the Jungle by Johanna Virtanen is complete and it’s all about […]
Heather Gauthier Joins the fun!
Yesterday I introduced our new Mystery Class starting in June. It was designed by our newest designer Heather Gauthier. Heather’s animals are elegant and quirky all at the same time. They look so fun to stitch! Time to get busy. In addition to Chinchillin our Mystery Class we have Paper Flower Tiger Le Chat Noir […]
Chinchillin
We have a new artist, and if you know me, you know I love launching new artists with a mystery class! Allow me to introduce Heather Gauthier. Her work is whimsical and quirky. I love that in an artist. This is Chinchillin! and he will be our mystery class for June and July. Class cost […]
Dogs
I feel like I have a million and one things to show you. New classes, new canvases, new artists and finishes!!! So allow me to show off two finishes that I apparently never shared. Sue stitched both of these Zecca canvases for her dog collection and I couldn’t love them more. Here’s Long Dog. The […]
It Takes a Village
If you follow #Akimberlydesign on Instagram you may have seen her post delightfully fun photos of her latest creation in progress. It Takes a Village is a 10 x 10 canvas packed full of fun elements and techniques. Check you calendar and join us June 15 and 16 from 11-4 pm on ZOOM. Dont miss […]
July Zoom-bellishment
Registration is open and filling fast for our July Zoom-bellishment class! Join us on the 13th and 14th from 11-4pm EST. Take your needlepoint skills to the next level. You will learn so much in this class. Everyone has a complete stitchguide plus you will learn from others in this shared experience on zoom. If […]
Blue Cat Background
Yesterday was the first lesson of Blue Cat in the Jungle by Johanna Virtanen. It was a lovely relaxing class spent with friends old and new from all over the country and the UK! The first lesson is always pretty quiet. We have to set the stage for all the things to come. The background […]
