This new layout is not linear, as my former theme was. That can make it harder for some people to read. You want something simpler, that allows you to see and read the blog in that same linear fashion.

I understand because there are blogs I follow that I can’t read.

To solve this problem and to get the blog in a linear format, use a blog reader. The one I use is Google Reader. You can get the feed from almost any blog, organize them into folders and read them without any of the other stuff on the blog.

The posts are presented simply, with the pictures (something I’ve never been able to do in RSS) but without the widgets, ads, or surrounding theme. In other words, just the facts. The blogs to which you have subscribed are listed, by folder, in alphabetical order along the left. If a blog has a new post, it is in bold with the number of unread posts after it in parentheses.

There are a number of other features, most of which I don’t use.

If you want to see the post on the blog, click on the title. If you want to see the blog from its home page, click on the blog title.

I love Google Reader and use it daily to keep track of everything from LOLcats to lots of needlepoint blogs. It organizes my reading, makes my bookmark file simpler, and saves time.

Related posts:

1. ALERT! This Blog Has Been Hacked!
2. Making Nuts about Needlepoint More Useful
3. Back Home & Needlepoint Blog Update
4. Blog Link — Doodle Needlepoint
5. ABS Designs New Blog

It’s as simple as pie to do. With it you can create a blidget for your own blog. While you’re there you can search for tons of other widgets as well. In fact, most of this week we’ll be exploring some cool widgets you can use for needlepoint.

To see the bliget for yourself go to http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/nuts-about-needlepoint.

Once there you can grab the code and add it to your site. Here’s what it looks like running:

This week and next I will be highlighting some other cool widgets I have found which will he;[ with your needlepoint. If you have created a widget that has something to do with needlepoint, let me know about it through email and I’ll check it out and write about it.

Related posts:

1. Pic2color – another great widget
2. Create Color Schemes with this Widget
3. Free Needlepoint Chart – QR Code
4. ALERT! This Blog Has Been Hacked!
5. Needlepoint & Social Networking

I’m very sorry about that.

I have spent the entire day thinking today was the 20th and that tomorrow was the 21st. So I thought I had another day.

With lick, I’ll get the canvas scanned and the post up in the morning.

Sorry about that.

Related posts:

1. Needlepoint & Social Networking
2. Oops!
3. Twinchy — Monthly Needlepoint Challenge
4. New York Post Covers Seen in Needlepoint
5. The Morning After – Stitch Along with Pierrette

I learned about this little award earlier this week and I love the idea. You give it to the blogs which are your favorites. The originator of the award is Mel whose blog is Stitching with Camels.

Here’s what she writes about the award “Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.”

Here’s my choices, so pass it on to your favorite blogs.

1. POSSIBILITIES, etc. – Judy Harper probably has more needlepoint she’s forgotten about than I will ever have. But I love her musings about how she revives old ideas, embellishes canvases, and finds inspiration all around her.

2. Independent Needlework News – I love Heather’s blog for finding out about what it current in the needlework world.

3. Stitch Amaze – I am always floored by Rosalyn Cherry-Soliel’s creative approach to needlepoint. This site will set your stitching on fire.

4. Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Club – A fantastic blog and so much instruction there from a truly wonderful stitcher.

5. Stitching Hands and Happy Hearts – My friend Tish’s site, I love her charming canvases.

6. Needleart Nut – Pat’s blog is another great needlepointer’s blog.

7. Margaret’s Needlework Nook – This blog, while mostly about stitching, also covers lots of other things.

8. Needle in a Haystack What’s New blog – This blog, from one of my “go to” shops has postings about what new threads, books, and other products which have come into the store.

9. Two-Handed Stitcher – Designer Laura Perin’s blog is a wonderful look into her process of designing.

The last one isn’t stitching related, but I look at it every day.

10. Ten Thousand Places — This blog about all sorts of things is by my eldest daughter and keeps me up-to-date.

Related posts:

1. Stitched with Stories Update
2. Shay Pendray’s Inventive Needlework – book review
3. Shakespeare’s Peddler – Web Site Review
4. Preview Promenade – TNNA January 2008
5. Needlework Gazette – Website Review

To welcome in 2008, I have changed the overall look of Nuts about Needlepoint. I saw this charming bird yesterday and just fell in love with it. If I was able to design something for myself, it’s just what I would do.

I love the clean lines, the pale blue and brown color combination and the mid-century modern look.

You’ll notice that there are a couple of other changes. The list of categories has been replaced by a category “cloud” This is a more visual method of organizing categories. The more entries there are in a category, the bigger the word in the cloud. To go to the posts in a category, just click on the word, that hasn’t changed.

The order of information in the sidebars has been rearranged somewhat as well.

The static pages are now all listed in bolder type in the upper right corner.

Currently the feeds, subscriptions, and web rings are missing, but I plan to add them as soon as I can.

Finally there is a new “about” are on the right (under the pages) which summarizes the site.

If you have ANY problems viewing the new site or posting comments, please email me (napaneedlepoint @ gmail.com – remove spaces).

Related posts:

1. Making Nuts about Needlepoint More Useful
2. All about Needlepoint News
3. Lani Enterprises – Web Site Review
4. Needlepoint Bookstore
5. Napkin Rings Using Hearts & Bargello Pattern

Jane is an amazing stitcher and doing a pehnominal job of blogging her way through needlepoint.

Are you wondering what’s new? She points out often, wonderful new things, great stuff which is on eBay and stuff which is coming out.

Do you want to learn how to do needlepoint? She has just finished an amazing tutorial starting with a blank piece of canvas and ending with a finished design.

Do you want to get ideas about needlepoint? She blogs about her current projects.

This kind of on-line diary of a stitcher’s projects and passions is quite common in the knitting world. Some people have become well-known, starting from their blog as a base.

I wish the needlepoint world had more folks like Jane and more blogs.

Related posts:

1. Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Blog – Tour Stop
2. My Canvas Embroidery Notebook – book review
3. Japanese PC (and I don’t mean Politically Correct!)
4. Shay Pendray’s Inventive Needlework – book review
5. The Joys of Starting a New Project

As a bonus there is also a listing of companies and some of the ribbons and ribbon threads they make.

Look here for postings on the future stops on my Virtual Book Tour.

Related posts:

1. OOOOOH The Essentials of Silk Ribbon Embroidery – book review
2. Silk Ribbon Embroidery for Flowers
3. Stitching a Painted Canvas – Virtual Book Tour
4. An Insight into Bargello Revisited – Virtual Book Tour Stop
5. Craft Gossip Feature

I interviewed her about stitching.

Stop by and read the article at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-SdV.HQc_f6pLU98VOwP6AEahDZ5zEw–?cq=1&p=672.

And keep your eyes peeled for the other stops on the tour.

Related posts:

1. Bargello Revisited — virtual book tour
2. Virtual Book Tour
3. My Life in Bargello — Virtual Book Tour Stop
4. Stitching a Painted Canvas – Virtual Book Tour
5. Creating Bargello – Virtual Book Tour Stop

Circumstances, a child starting college Back East, cost, do you know how much plane tickets cost?, and the fact that my DH and I actually like driving vacations, have conspired to have us going coast to coast (Calfiornia to the bans of the Chesapeake) and back in a little more than 2 weeks.

So what does this have to do with needlepoint?

Actually a great deal. First off I have a new series of designes coming out in January and I have to figure them out and stitch them. They’re small so they are perfect for doing in the care. Second, I am stressed beyond belief, with too much to do to stitch much, even though I need (and want) to. Twelve hours of being in the car with scenery to look at for a break gives me the time I need to relax, and to stitch. Third, stitching also gives me time to think. In this case it’s three books in the works, several new stitch guides, and a couple of new ventures.

I found that getting away from the stuff of everyday life makes a HUGE difference in my attitude and in my ability to see the forest instead of the trees. I learned this when having kids and surgery made me take nice stretches off from work. I would relax and be able to plan and put things into perspective.

Even a short mental vacation by working on a project you truly love will be enough to find you refreshed and rejuventated.

So watch my smoke when I come back on Labor Day!

Related posts:

1. Stitching on Vacation
2. Needlepoint Vacation
3. Vacation
4. Distracted Stitching
5. Stitching Order & Open Stitches

Yes, it’s finally here and you can order it from Amazon.com.

I have a great story about this.

The downside of shopping on-line is that when something improtant comes, you think it’s just that thing your ordered. That’s what happened to me yesterday. I had too many things to do, too many people needing to be different places, and one too few cars.

So who’s left not getting lunch and waiting for forever to run errands — me!

When I got home from the non-errand running, there was a box. I thought it was one of the three books I had ordered and wondered idly where the other two were.

Imagine my surpise when I opened the box and my book fell out!

I am so excited and so happy that this dream I’ve had of being a published author has finally come true!

You can order the book from Amazon by clicking on the link above or you can get it from your favorite needlework store.

Related posts:

1. Bargello Revisited — available to pre-order
2. Bargello Revisited Back in Stock
3. Organizing your Needlework Books
4. Needlepoint Bookstore