Take a look at the front page of Sandy Grossman-Morris’s site. Notice anything familiar?

Yep, that my license plate there, front and center.

Thanks to Sandy for highlighting it.

Related posts:

1. Halloween Crzy Pl8 Update
2. Halloween License Plate
3. Front Range Stitches – Virtual Book Tour Stop
4. Needlework Gift Enclosures
5. How to Make Needlepoint Fit Ready-made Frames

I’m not much of a Halloween person but I just love the vintage Halloween decoration from the 20′s and 30′s. Gail Hendrix of Squiggee Designs has just introduced a flock of them (one of them is pictured here) to her wholesale line.

Pop over to her recent blog post to see pictures of several of them.

I could seriously get into this.

Related posts:

1. Happy Halloween Advent Calendar
2. Halloween Crzy Pl8 Update
3. Halloween & Mask
4. Halloween License Plate
5. Needledeeva Stitch Guides Available

I’m particularly delighted with the new Melissa Shirley designs because the have such an integrated (and lovely fall palette. There is a series of Christmas crackers in gold and white that I wouldn’t just get out for Christmas, along with another series of Halloween crackers. For Debbie Mumm lovers, there is a trick or treat series from her in several sizes that includes a fantastic Halloween house.

In the style of her many Victorian and Edwardian figures, there is a Series of Fairy Tale Witches. And adding to her whimsical flowers there are some canvases in great Halloween colors.

She has also added many canvases to her Seaside series, including three new starfish. But what I like best in this series is the fish. The colors are just what you would find in old color plates in books. There are some shells in this color palette as well.

From Jelly Bean Stock there is an eclectic mix, arranged by month of release. There are several different tallit bags in different colors, all with a lovely restrained classes style. They also have several dog canvases, often with witty sayings or poses. I’m also very fond of the two baskets of pansies canvases, each in different colors (but I love pansies).

There is also plenty for the Halloween lover from trick or treat canvases, to a couple with a Bela Lugosi-style vampire.

Whatever your taste, you are sure to find something fun here.

Related posts:

1. New Canvases from Kathy Schenkel and Melissa Shirley
2. Big Melissa Shirley Sale at The Needlepointer
3. Melissa Shirley Birds
4. Sneak Peek — Melissa Shirley Designs for Summer
5. All Those Lovely Canvases!

Dinky Dyes has announced lots of new threads as well. There are 6 new silks: 187 Halloween, 188 Toni’s Texas T, 189 Evergreen, 190 Quicksilver, 191
Stringy Bark and 192 Mocha Mauve. There are also 5 new ribbons both 4mm and 7mm: 67 Jacob’s Ladder, 118 Ironbark, 187 Halloween, 190 Quicksilver and 192
Mocha Mauve. Finally, there are four new silk perles in three different sizes: 174 Persian Jade, 175 Dragon Fruit, 182 Dusty Rose and 183 Blue Ice.

Rainbow Gallery has also brought out a new thread – a thinner size of Silk Lamé. There are 26 colors out. Color numbers match those of Silk Lamé but the prefix is SP instead of SL.

I asked how it differs from HiLights. It’s slightly thicker with a three-strand braid which makes for a stronger thread. It’s meant for light stitching on 18 mesh, blackwork, or cross stitch. I’m excited to try it.

If you are looking for some great canvases. Kelly Clark has pages of the new canvases she brought out this summer. There’s lots to delight you here including some great patriotic canvases.

If you are looking for something fresh in the way of traditional florals, take a look at the new designs from The Collection (seen in a slide show). There are lots of great flowers in vases.

Leigh also has a great new Halloween series out. Called Skulls & Bones, they are on black 18 mesh canvas and feature skulls in colorful hats and accessories all dressed up to go out. They are witty, fun, and not at all your traditional Halloween piece.

Needle Delights has several new chart packs out and Kathy blogs about them (scroll down for the pictures). I got Funky Hearts and Lollipop. I’m thinking about doing Lollipop as a stash buster project to use up more of my huge quantity of Watercolors.

Related posts:

1. Needlepoint Market News – June 2011 (Part 1)
2. Needlepoint New Products – March 2010
3. More New Products from TNNA
4. News & Notes – September 2010
5. New Needlepoint Products Coming Down the Pike

I’m in awe of Jeff’s wonderful pieces and his stunning stitching. In the interview you’ll see lots of wonderful pictures of his work and get some great ideas for innovative things you can do with your own stitching.

I’m really looking forward to seeing more of his designs in print (my top choice would be that Log Cabin in different sizes).

Related posts:

1. Designer Interview – Janet Perry
2. Janet Perry Interview on SewingBusiness.com
3. The Princess & Me – Designer Interview
4. BlogTalk Radio Interview Available On-line
5. Daphne Goodyear – An Amazing Stitcher

We wanted so real contrast in extures between the two witches. This was achieved, as you can see, by picking radically different textures for the threads.

The white witch is stitched in Fyre Werks, a very sparkly thread. The wicked witch is stitched using Petite Very Velvet, about as matte a thread a you can get.

I think the combination is very effective.

Velour threads of any kind are so fun to use for needlepoint. They are matte, but not lifeless. The other thing I love about them is the way many stitches “disappear” when stitched with this thread.

The first time I used one, it was for a background. I was on an extended business trip and needed something to stitch. I picked a set of fruit coasters and wanted them to look as if they were on cloth. The shopowner sold me a velour.

I couldn’t believe the result, the background, done in Basketweave, looks just like fabric.

The black Very Velvet here has the same effect. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but it’s stitched in Woven Plait, a stitch with a strong texture, although small.

With this thread you get only a slight and unrecognizable texture. I’m so excited I can’t wait to stitch!

Related posts:

1. Plaid Scottie – Sneak Peek
2. Silk & Metal Purse – Sneak Peek
3. Square Mini-egg Sneak Peek
4. Rooster — Sneak Peek
5. Attic Windows II – Sneak Peek

This week I came across two delightful needlepoint patterns.

The first is a Flickr gallery of patterns from an antique needlepoint book.

These books are old, out of copyright, and fantastic sources of needlepoint charts. I particularly like their border ideas.

The second is a Halloween (I know it’s a little late) set from Laura Perin of a bat and a cat. They are at the top of her Free Patterns page. They are made from Scotch Stitches and are just adorable. If you wanted a Christmas cat, just change the colors of the borders to Christmas colors and get a great design. I like that idea so much I think I’ll do that.

Happy stitching!

Related posts:

1. Lots of Free Plastic Canvas Patterns
2. Two Christmas Needlepoint Quilts – Laura Perin Free Patterns
3. Wonderful Resource for Free Patterns – About.com
4. Blackwork Patterns by Laura Perin – book review
5. Kreinik – a Great Source for Free Patterns

I was able to get some more of the mask done, but I’m most excited about the work I got done on the Stitch Maps for Needledeeva’s small Halloween figures (http://www.needledeeva.com). They are just too adorable, little kids in Halloween costumes. The batch I’m working on are the 0460 series and I just finished the draft of the books on the Bitchy Witchies ( 0417, 0421, 0423, 0424, and 0426-0428).

This morning I am working on the guide for Pumpkin Boy and he will be great. I’m just about done with Frank and I think Kool Kat is next. They all have lots of texture, different threads and stitches, even though the designs are small.

The other thing on my agenda this morning is to clean off my desk, which has piles of books on it. Ialso have a meeting this morning and need to be looking at designes for the next step in my EGA Master Craftsman in Color. It requires the same design done three different ways showing different kinds of contrast, so I need to find a suitable design to play with.

Related posts:

1. Leaf Mask
2. Happy Halloween Advent Calendar
3. Halloween Crzy Pl8 Update
4. Needlepoint Start on Halloween
5. Vintage Halloween from Squiggee

What makes it cool is that we’re trying something different. I want a piece which looks good both under normal light AND under black light. This is ending up being more of a challenge than I thought. Why?

First there is the problem that I can’t use only glow-in-the-dark threads. Then it wouldn’t look good in normal light and it would be boring. So I wanted to mix in some other elements. The mountains are done in Criss-cross Hungarian with crosses. The Hungarians are Watercolours and the crosses will be glow-in-the-dark, so I’ll get a pattern of dots under black light. The sky will be T Stitch using a glow-in-the-dark thread so that will be a different check pattern. Some parts, like the gray line of the mountains, the numbers and the tree, are done in threads which won’t glow, so they will be dark against the other areas.

For the tree I’m using Water n’Ice and Basketweave, so it really stands out. I’m also hoping it might glow a little bit.

But the real kicker is going to be the letters. I want them to be black and I want them to stand out under black light. But no one makes a glow-in-the-dark thread which isn’t light.

So what’s a person to do?

I’m planning on outlining each letter using Whipped Barckstitch and a white glow-in-the-dark thread.

I’ll let you know how it works out.

Related posts:

1. Halloween Crzy Pl8 Update
2. The Ghostly Treater
3. Halloween & Mask
4. Happy Halloween Advent Calendar
5. Vintage Halloween from Squiggee

The show officially opens tomorrow morning, so expect lots more good stuff in the next few days.

DebBee’s Designs has a wonderful new chartpack, full of, well, Good Stuff (also it’s name). There are 49 distinct areas in this piece with lots of different threads used. It’s 12 by almost 15 inches and has three colorways in the book.

Handblessings has a charming charted spring fantasy in bright pastel overdyes.Melissa Prince Designs has a lovely painted canvas of the medical symbol in neutral colors. There is one for lawyers as well. She also has a really lovely holly purse with eleborate front and less elaborate back. It’s one of a series of six bags in the series.

Julie Mar has a bright piece with three striped tulips Speaking of flowers, Jean Smith also has some lovely new ones, including an amazing bright pink peony (mine should look so good!).

The Christmas Reflections Collection from Whimsy & grace has 30 lovely and elegant designs for ornaments including a stunning and complex gold brocade. Jelly Been Stock has some new canvases out, including some charming Jewish designs.

I’m really excited about Barbara Bergston’s new designs, especially by her charming, small and easy to stitch “Kisses.” Shaped like the popular candy, they feature a single word and two different painted stitch patterns. And they come in Barbara’s signature bright colors.

Related posts:

1. Needlepoint Market News – June 2011 (Part 1)
2. New in Needlepoint – June 2010
3. New Canvases at TNNA (Winter 2011)
4. New Products in Needlepoint – February 2011
5. TNNA Round-Up, Part 4