Patty Paints Nutcrackers

The designer Patty Paints has a wonderful series of monthly nutcrackers, each with their own stitch guide.  I stumbled across them on the Fireside Stitchery website.  The series starts at the link below and continues on the next page.  (By the way, Fireside changes around their pages a lot so if this link doesn't work, try a search for Patty Paints designs, then look through all the results.)
http://www.firesidestitchery.com/fs/handPaintedCanvas/index.cfm?fuseaction=hpCanvasSearch&searchString=nutcracker&showStart=1&groupNo=1

The nutcrackers are also on the Patty Paints website.  Click on the thumbnail photos to see a larger photo of each stitched.
http://pattypaints.net/Designs%20with%20Stitch%20Guides.htm

Just in Time for Halloween

Ruth Schmuff has done a stitch guide for her Silly Witch, just in time for Halloween 2013 (and just in case you need a holiday project to stitch while awaiting trick or treaters).
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/10/the-silly-witch-is-here.html

This is the small version of Silly Witch.
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/needlepoint/Silly-Witch-Small--b-4063.asp

If you want Big & Silly Witch, ask Ruth if the stitch guide for the smaller piece will work for her big sister who has a border, a cat and a quarter moon.
http://www.bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/needlepoint/Silly-Witch--b-4062.asp

The Needlepointer's Kits-To-Go

The Needlepointer in Washington State has lovely classes and retreats, which always make me drool. While browsing their newly revamped website, I realized that they are now making kits (which include stitch guides, the canvas and the supplies) available from past classes for those who live thousands of miles away like me.  They call these Kit-to-Go projects.  The range currently available are listed here.  I feel that I need to warn you that some class pieces are harder to follow when the teacher isn't present than others, so ask before you buy if you can get help if something isn't clear in the stitch guide.
http://theneedlepointer.com/classes/

WARNING! WARNING! DANGER! UPDATED

Now that I have your attention, let me assure you that this is just a heads up for stitch guide writers who use Apple's Pages word processing to create their stitch guides and stitch diagrams.  As many Mac owners know, Apple has released a new operating system called Mavericks 10.9 in October 2013.  This is an upgrade to the Mountain Lion operating system from last year.

When you upgrade your computer or laptop, there is a new version of Pages and it is totally different from Pages 09.  Many of the commands have been renamed and the toolbar has been totally changed.  It means learning to use Pages all over again and it's not going to be a quick and easy process.  HOWEVER, it appears that on many computers the new Pages doesn't delete the old Pages. I  think that we can still use the old version of the word processor.

To try this, go to Applications and look for a folder labelled iWork 09.  Open that folder and you will find the old Pages.  Drag that icon to your toolbar and I think you can continue to use the older software.  YOU WILL BE ASKED if you want to upgrade to the new version.  If you click yes, the new Pages will be loaded instead.

I have icons for both versions of Pages on my toolbar and plan to use the old Pages 09 for my stitch diagrams while I try to learn the new Mavericks Pages for stitch guides.  Stay tuned to see if this works!

By the way, some of us are using older versions of Pages than Pages 09 so your word processor software will be somewhere other than a folder called iWorks 09.  I don't know if this will work for you preferred word processor, but it is worth a try if you have upgraded your machine to the Mavericks operating system.  You can always not download the new Pages.  I think it is not part of the Mavericks upgrade if I remember correctly.

UPDATE:  I have discovered that I cannot edit any documents created under Pages 09 any more.  They have to be opened and edited with the new Pages.  However, I can create stitch diagrams in Pages 09 which is what I will continue to do as I try and learn how to use the new version of the word processing software.  Wish me luck!

Another Lady of the Night (UPDATED with More!)

Pat Miller (The Needleart Nut) has just released the stitch guide for Morgana, one of Leigh Designs' Ladies of the Night series.  Are they vampires?  Or just very very odd?  I am not sure except I know she likes candles and spiders and wine!
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2013/10/morgana-stitch-guide_23.html

AND Pat has done three other stitch guides.  One is for Painted Pony's Sand Castles and Seashells Angel, one for Patty Paint's ABC Schoolhouse (and its cute sheep), and the last is also from Patty Paints. This one is the Princess Sleeping design with the cute little girl napping on her bed.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2013/10/other-stitch-guides.html

Pat has been busy, hasn't she?

Guides for Christmas Stockings

Ruth Schmuff thinks Christmas is in the air.  She is busy creating stitch guides and fixing up kits for Christmas stockings from Melissa Shirley and  Rebecca Wood for her customers.  I don't think these are exclusives, so a phone call or email can add one of these beauties to your Christmas stitching for 2014.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/10/ho-ho-ho-merry-christmas.html

Swirly Flower Stitch Guides

Hilary Jean Designs has been busy stitching Swirling Flowers.  They look great!  The guide for the first flower will work for all the others, but Robin has promised a guide for each of the series.
http://www.hilaryjeandesigns.com/1/archives/10-2013/1.html

You can see the entire flock of flowers on the Hilary Jean website.  Pick your favorite colors and threads and start stitching!
http://www.hilaryjeandesigns.com/flowers.html

Just in Time for Halloween...

Just in time for Halloween, Sharon Quick has finished a stitch guide for Esme from Leigh Designs.  Esme is one of the Ladies of the Night series (second link).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=600191160045507&set=gm.545852585491904&type=1&theater

Hopefully Sharon will make this guide available through Leigh Designs.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp513x.html

Cupcakes and Topiaries from Melissa Shirley Designs

Melissa Shirley just announced on her Facebook page that now that the monthly clubs for her Sweetheart Cupcake club and her Fancy Forest Topiary are over, they are available as stitch guides.  Laurie Walden created the guide for the Valentine-themed cupcakes while Rebecca Booth of the Knotted Needle created the topiaries.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151970441264252&set=a.10150103192084252.304722.370199729251&type=1&theater

The Pink Santa Stocking

Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled has collaborated with Julia Snyder on a stitch guide for the Magic Santa from Tapestry Tent/Susan Roberts.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/10/just-little-something-pink.html

I think of this as the Pink Santa because of the pink ribbons, the pink castle in his toy sack, and of course the pink rose trim on his robe and at the top of the stocking.  Have you seen what Jane Williams did with her version?  It's lovely and beautifully finished, too.
http://janew1102.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/10/time-to-pop-the-cork.html

http://janew1102.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/12/even-bigger-surprise.html

If you need a feminine Santa stocking in your life, this might be perfect.

A Geisha Named Sakura

Sandra Vargas' newest design is a geisha piece, distributed by Ruth Schmuff.  There's a stitch guide (writer unknown) for this design in case the big eyed figure tugs at your heart.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/10/sakura-by-sandra-vargas.html

Just in Time for Halloween...

Just in time for Halloween, Kirk and Bradley has announced a Ruth Dilts stitch guide for their Spider Hallowe'en Cupcake.  Here's the design.  To see the finished piece, check Kirk and Bradley's Facebook page.
http://www.needlepoint.com/spider-hallowe-en-cupcake.html

Susan Portra Stitch Guides

Susan Portra's new website has a section that lists stitch guides she's written that have been published in Needlepoint Now.  Susan is a very talented teacher and along with Brenda Hart and SharonG, one of my stitching heroes.  I just love her stitching style and her ideas!  But unless you are lucky enough to live in California and Florida where she teaches regularly, her classes are too far to travel to.  Published guides from her work are a real treat!
http://www.susanportra.com/published-stitchguides-nn.html