Jul 31, 2010

Ruth Schmuff, Stitch Guides Included UPDATED

Many of Ruth Schmuff's canvases  come with a stitch guide included in the price.  You can see them all on her Tis The Season website.  A canvas that comes with a guide will be marked "complete with stitch guide" in the description you get when clicking on a thumbnail photo that interests you.
http://www.tistheseason.org/

UPDATE:  Ruth has updated her store website (Tis the Season is her painted canvas distribution company) with a list of available guides.  Some are for her canvases and some are from other stitch guide writers.
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/needlepoint/--a-21.asp

Several folks also write stitch guides for Ruth.  You will really enjoy viewing Sheena's work on the Computer Pixie.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2012/01/what-minx.html

Ruth also writes stitch guides for classes she teaches at her shop. These guides are for other designers' work.
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/clubs.php

http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/mysteryClasses.php

Here's the latest guide from Ruth's shop, from Brenda Hart.  The canvas is from Eleanor Grosch, one of the graphic designers whose work Ruth distributes on needlepoint canvas.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2014/04/bye-blue-finches.html

Ruth occasionally mentions stitch guides for her designs on her blog.  Here's an example.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2011/03/add-little-sunshine-on-otherwise-gray.html

Melissa Shirley has just added a profile of Ruth to her MSD website since Ruth not only writes guides for Melissa's canvases, Ruth also occasionally uses a MSD canvas for a class taught at Ruth's shop.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/galcol/index.cgi?index=1309717414_16695&col=158

Jul 29, 2010

Warning: Thieves Steal Stitch Guides Too

I stumbled across this message from a cross stitch designer in my daily blog readings.  It points out just how much money is lost to thieves who copy and distribute charts among their friends.
http://mymarkdesigns.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/do-the-math-2/

This is happening with stitch guides, too.  Recently Cynthia Thomas posted a message to the ANG email list stating she'd found someone selling multiple xerox copies of her stitch guides on eBay.  Many painted canvas designers have had their designs copied and sold on eBay as well.  I know of a company that copied the designs of at least five well known painted canvas designers and was selling them on eBay until the lawyers caught up with them.

I've also seen prominent painted canvas designers use images that they don't have copyright permission to use.  Folks like J. R. Rawlings and the Disney Corporation come down on copyright violations like a ton of bricks but many other folks don't pursue thieves to such an extent.  Don't buy anything you think might be copied, ok?  If a thief can't sell what he or she has stolen, there's no incentive to steal again.

If you buy a guide (or anything else) on eBay and it seems to be a copy, let the designer or author and eBay know.   If someone is selling multiple copies of something, try to figure out if they are the original author or artist selling off old stock or a copyist trying to steal other folks' work.

Jul 25, 2010

SHEAR Creations Canvases with Guides UPDATED

Bet you are familiar with the Stitches for Effect books.  Did you know the authors (Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson) also sell painted canvases, most of which come with stitch guides?  Their company name is Shear Creations.  They specialize in small designs with large empty spaces, perfect for embellishment.
http://www.artistscollection.net/Artists_Collection/SHEAR_Creations_Gallery.html

UPDATE:  Pocket Full of Stitches posted photos of many Shear Creations canvases on their as part of a trunk show in the shop.  Since many of the photos show the stitched versions which have guides, I thought I would add the links here.  Enjoy!
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-artists-collection-trunk-show-shear_8094.html

http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-artists-collection-trunk-show-shear_5.html

http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-artists-collection-trunk-show-shear.html

Pepita Needlepoint and Stitch Guides

Many of Pepita Needlepoint's canvases have stitch guides which are available for an extra five dollars.  Canvases with guides are clearly marked on their website.

This is the Stitch Guide page.  It shows a sample page for their guides and states they will do custom guides for stitchers.  There is contact information as well as thumbnail photos of some of their canvases with guides.
http://www.pepitaneedlepoint.com/stitch-guides.aspx

Jul 21, 2010

David's Kindergarten Nativity (and Custom Guides)

Labors of Love has a new Nativity set out.  It features kids dressed up as characters in a Nativity pageant and all the canvases come with stitch guides by David McCaskill.  The link below shows the plain canvases which are adorable.   There's an ad in Needlepoint Now that shows these finished but it's not a good enough photo to tell much about how they are done.  However, David McCaskill is a dynamite stitcher and knows tons about threads, so I don't think you'll be disappointed.  Besides, the stitch guide comes with the canvases for free.  Here they are unstitched.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/gallery.php?category=66

David himself does custom stitch guides.  His website contains information (including general pricing) and examples of a page from one of his guides.  Don't miss clicking on More Examples to see, among other things, his fabulous guide for the Opera Singer which won all the major awards at the 2007 Baltimore ANG Seminar.
http://www.dbydstudio.com/stitch/index.html

Jul 18, 2010

Stitch Guide Heaven (French Knot)

If you have explored my Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Stitch Guides site thoroughly, you've already visited French Knot to view its Petei stitch guides and other guides for their monthly clubs.  The site has been redesigned with emphasis on all the stitch guides they have available so French Knot deserves its own posting now.  The latest guide is included in a kit for the Susan Portra class on Red Bird Santa by Melissa Shirley, although this doesn't seem to be on their website yet.
https://theneedleworks.com/product-category/canvases/stitch-guides/

French Knot has been writing stitch guides for their monthly club series and for their customers for at least five years.  They have an extensive library of stitch guides and write:  "Stitch guides are available for almost all stitched models, and if one doesn't exist now in our extensive stitch guide library, we will be happy to write one for you."

The shop also will write custom guides.  They currently cost $10 per page.
https://theneedleworks.com/services/

So explore their website and if you see a stitched model that makes your stitching heart beat a little faster, email them to see if the guide is available and what the cost might be. It looks like they sell guides without your having to buy the canvas and/or threads in case you own it already.  Guides are written by Diana Bosworth or Paula Fehleison from what I can discover on the French Knot site.

Canvases with guides are available from designers such as Alexa, Boots Bailey, Canvasworks * Traditions, Danji, Joan Mahaley, Melissa Shirley, Petei, Princess and Me, Strictly Christmas, Quail Run, Raymond Crawford, Rebecca Wood/Susan Roberts, Share One's Ideas, Shelly Tribbey, Tapestry Tent, and The Studio. Something for everyone, in other words.

Here's an interview about Diana Bosworth that I republished on my other Blog, the Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure. It's always fun to meet stitch guide writers who create such amazing roadmaps for the canvases we enjoy.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/04/introducing-diana-bosworth.html

Jul 15, 2010

River Silks Ribbon Painted Canvas Guides

Rishfield Designs
If you have never tried silk ribbon embroidery on your painted canvas, the silk ribbon company River Silks has kits you might want to try.  The kits include the canvas (usually painted but occasionally line drawn) and the ribbons, plus stitch guide, practice canvas and ribbon and a needle.  The stitch guides are also available as downloadable PDF files on their website.

Designers include Boots Bailey, Anne Brinkley, Anne Cram, Changing Woman Designs, Raymond Crawford, Danji Designs, Jean Smith, Julia's Needleworks, Keri Designs, Leigh Designs, Napa Needlepoint (Janet Perry), Pease on Earth, Rishfield Designs, Barbara Russell, Kate Schofield, Sophia Designs and Tapestry Tent.

To see the finished designs, go here.  There is a link at the top to the Stitch Guides PDF page.  They are listed alphabetically there.
http://www.riversilks.com/kitstogo.html

The stitch guides are basic.  If you need an introduction stitching with silk ribbon, read this.
http://www.riversilks.com/stitch_instruction.html

Jul 6, 2010

SharonG Stitch Guides UPDATED AGAIN

Many of the latest SharonG canvases come with stitch guides which your shop can order from you via the SharonG website.
http://www.sharong.com/

Some of the available stitch guides are from SharonG herself.  Others are by other stitch writers. Here are links to the canvases with guides I know about, listed by stitch guide writer.  To find out if your favorite SharonG canvas has a stitch guide, consult the designer herself.  A few guides are listed on her website but many many more are available now.
http://www.sharong.com/stitchguides/index.html

UPDATE:  SharonG is going to be represented by Fleur de Paris starting in the Spring of 2014.  Sharon says they are going to bind her guides and use a new numbering system for them to match what they use for all their artists in their catalogue.  Once everything is on their website, I will add a link to the SharonG page here.
https://www.fleurdeparis.com/product-category/canvas_designs/sharon-g/

SharonG
Maria's Door (from the Positano Landscape Series) -
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/architecture/images/D31MariaPositanoDoor.jpg

Dragonfly 6x6-04 (from Insect Triptych, parts of which can be used on the other two canvases)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTFex4D4y_6adK7sf3g2-3qRiUMe7ZjssgzrklDzI-sWiWJ8VvYKgsHjSB8JoilO2l1sQ8QMln9NYsO0iZgSLqrMdtgHQuau9428bEx8dkhnZ-jAyLqglhg1soG7vzE52MWBEKyJsb1Ag/s1600-h/6x604+complete.jpg

http://sharongneedlepointdesigner.blogspot.com/2010/07/dragonfly-butterfly-and-ladybug.html

Horses from the Rear BH 02 (from the Graphic Girls series)
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-from-columbus-does-this-stitch-make.html

Fish Out of Water
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/landscape/images/CT24FishOutWater.jpg

Intersections
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/misc/images/CT06Intersections.jpg

Triplets II "Koi" (from the Triplets Triptych)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqelRoFXkLUGblShIUUHvSt3-q_3C41J_xNSyCcTL-MMQdoUoQyDOeKPsaIww3_F5uWGPgvymmuS1TpWQEVJkTDkDb7mtDNhBBsozJ9IZbr2VR5NtauEUYNvcUbyUFo2Sn-iQ8PpMbB6hK/s1600-h/koicropped.jpg

http://rittenhouseneedlepoint.com/index.php/books/triplets-ii-stitch-guide.html

Riveria (from the Tuscan Landscape Series)
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/misc/images/CT08Riveria.jpg

Terrace (from the Tuscan Landscape Series)
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/landscape/images/CT25Terrace.jpg

Five Vases with Curly Bamboo
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dsdnHR3VMFKNVM-MPdkYl7IOP_G6VGCQceR_73TIpVYKiTnHfObaBuyznPeKI0mBaX2YNDyDZhmIj1HuD1DdCSBIw0BI2qolL8K9sUlYkautEa79MVZHYbJMp443IUs97QmVUUKlaeqr/s1600-h/Vases01.jpg

Roulette Wheel Bra and Tap Pants Lingerie Set
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=bt81_69

10-2-4 Cat and Fish Tripytch (Side Panels Done- Center Panel UNDERWAY)
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/landscape/images/10-2-4.jpg

I believe some of SharonG's ball gown canvases and some of her fountain pen series have stitch guides but I have not been able to find specific information online.  Ask SharonG if you are interested.

Here are other authors of guides for SharonG canvases (besides Sharon herself).

Birthe Cacciatore
LunaCity

Carol Courington
The Vintage Geometric Series
http://www.sharong.com/stitchguides/index.html

Marianne Frost
Red Ribbon with Hearts Rectangle - I understand this is no longer available (February 2019).
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/giftbow/images/GFT07StitchGuide.jpg

Brenda Hart
Catwalk
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/landscape/images/CT22Catwalk.jpg

Carole Lake
Lavender Fields (from the Tuscan Landscape Series) - This was a cyber class that is retired but you may still be able to buy class instructions.  Contact Carole Lake for more information at second link below.
http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=ct07

http://www.carolelake.com/

Tony Minieri
Electri City
http://www.sharong.com/catalog/misc/images/CT01%20Anthony%20Mineiri%20Stitch%20Guide.jpg