Amy Bunger Opens Her Stitch Guide Library

Amy's just announced that she is soon going to release 8-10 years' worth of custom stitch guides she's written for purchase.  The details are in Amy's September 2011 newsletter.
http://www.amybunger.com/f/Amy_s_e-newsletter_September_2011.pdf

Amy's done a lot of guides over the years and many canvases may be no longer available, but since you might have one she wrote a guide for hidden away, waiting for just this opportunity, make sure you check out the lists (which will be PDF files you download from her website that are updated periodically) when Amy makes them available.  The process will be for customers to email Amy asking about a guide in case it uses a lot of threads which are no longer available.  She'll have to update the guide in that case and might even have to borrow your canvas to do this.  The guides will be available for purchase with the purchase of the canvas or the thread kit, or both, just like the new custom guides currently listed on Amy's website (link below).
http://www.amybunger.com/custom_stitch_guides.html

ABS Designs Stitch Guide

The Ring Bearer Pillow

Anne Stradal has just announced a lace ring bearer's pillow she showed off in her column in the July/August 2011 issue of Needlepoint Now has a stitch guide by Sue Dulle available.  The gorgeous "lace" border is based on Judy Harper's lace patterns and is just fabulous, whether you have a wedding in your future or not.
http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2011/08/stitch-guide-news.html

Why You Should Collect Stitch Guides

The Front Range Stitcher's using a stitch guide by Tony Minieri she found in the July/August 2011 Needlepoint Now to stitch a very similar Mindy canvas.
http://frontrangestitches.blogspot.com/2011/08/mindys-whimsical-christmas-flowers.html

I collect stitch guides just for this reason--to use the ideas on similar canvases. Not many of us will be lucky enough to find a guide for a canvas very much like our own, but we all can use great backgrounds, hair stitches, a really cool clothing idea, etc. on our own designs.  Stitch guides are done by folks with a lot of experience.  Why not tap into that expertise by collecting guides from folks whose work you admire?

PFOS' New Stitch Guide

Pocket Full of Stitches has just posted photos of the newest finished canvas done from one of their guides.  The elephant canvas is from Maggie and it's wonderful!
http://pocketfullofstitches.blogspot.com/2011/08/maggies-elephant.html

Smilin' Jack Stitch Guide Available

Smilin' Jack

I've finished the first of three Fash Insert canvases from Leigh Design and a stitch guide is now available.  Smilin' Jack is his name and charm is his game!
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp761x.html

Smilin' Jack in the Lee Nylon Tote

The Fash Insert line is a series of 8 1/2 by 4 inch canvases on 18 count meant to be used in Lee's nylon totes. But of course you can finish these canvases any way you like.

Leigh specifically asked for simple but elegant stitch guides, so all three of the Fash Insert guides I plan will be significantly shorter and cheaper than my usual stitch guide.  To make Smilin' Jack elegant I used lots of beads and silks and metallic threads.  He's a pretty quick stitch, too, and is meant to be a seasonal touch for your purse to be switched out for a new design once Christmas is here or spring time makes you want something more pastel and feminine.

Email me at sgfromchnp at gmail dot com to order a Smilin' Jack guide.  If you are a shop, wholesale pricing is available.

Aristeia Stitch Guide Tidbit

Several years before the Chilly Hollow Stitch Guides Blog was born, I did a quick review of the stitch guides that Wendy Harwood of Aristeia did.  Here's the link. There's a random photo of a page from one of Wendy's guide in the slide snow.
http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com/2009/04/interview-with-ruth-dilts-plus-stash.html

Amy Bunger Guides on the Cheap

Stitch guides from Amy Bunger are pretty expensive, but she's started doing short guides that are only $15 with the purchase of either the canvas or the thread kit (or both) for the double-sided clip on bird canvases from Labors of Love.  The bird canvases themselves cost between $60-75, depending on how large they are and whether they come with a Tony Minieri stitch guide.  (Amy's working on some that don't already have a Tony guide so there's no overlap, sadly.  Having both Tony and Amy working the same bird would be a great treat and quite an education! )  Here's Amy's announcement.  She's done the Baltimore Oriole already and is starting on the peacock.
http://www.amybunger.com/f/Amy_s_e-newsletter_August_2011.pdf

Here is the eagle.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155195579662200&set=gm.1385233351553819&type=3&theater

If you want to see the entire flock of canvases, visit the Labors of Love website.
http://www.laborsofloveneedlepoint.com/gallery.php?category=53

Reviewing Robin King's Stitch Guides

Robin King kindly sent me a PDF version of her stitch guide for Kelly Clark's Katt Z. Witch canvas from Kelly's Halloweenies series for review.  This little Halloween witch is 7 3/4 inches high by 5 3/4 inches wide on 18 count canvas.  I've seen the bare canvas in person as well as a hard copy of the stitch guide and I must say, Robin's stitched details add a lot to the teenaged witch's personality.  The stitch guide is printed on white paper and is inside a large plastic bag to keep it pristine. The shop I saw it at sells both the canvas and the guide for one price, but your local shop may sell them separately.
http://www.amybunger.com/catalog/item/6292564/7740392.htm

The guide is twelve pages long.  The cover page has a large full color picture of the finished model and the last page lists all the threads and other supplies needed to follow Robin's instructions grouped by manufacturer.  This makes it easy to buy all the threads you don't have or to have the canvas kitted up for you by your local shop.

Of the remaining ten pages, three are crammed full of stitch diagrams which are large and easy to read.  Not all the diagrams are numbered, however, so some stitches such as crescents will have to be looked up in another stitch book if you don't already know the thread sequence needed to create them.  There are good diagrams for unusual techniques such as picots and needle weaving but Robin also directs stitchers to the "How You Do That?" technique DVD #7 called "Techniques of Needleweaving" from Amy Bunger/Kelly Clark for more information about how to weave sections of your canvas.  Could an experienced stitcher do needleweaving without buying the DVD?  Sure, unless you happen to be one of the folks who learns from watching others.  Then you will certainly want the DVD but it will be helpful for anyone who wants to try this on other projects.
http://www.amybunger.com/catalog/item/6256888/7437353.htm

The instructions themselves are clear and concise.  They cover 6 1/2 pages and would have been shorter except that Robin includes plenty of close-up photos of each section to help you work it properly. (I counted 27 small close-ups.) The last page of instructions has a complete list of stitches used and a reference section of helpful books and DVDs, most of which are by Amy Bunger.  (Robin works for Amy and is part of the production team that produces Amy's DVDs.)

Each section of the guide tells you what to do where and with what thread.  This is important because 64 different threads, silk ribbon, memory wire, 22 gauge wire, invisible thread, three colors of beads plus two findings are needed to exactly copy Robin's stitching.  The instructions will enable you to replicate the wonderful portrait Kelly Clark created and Robin King brought to life, however.

If all Robin's guides are this quality, they will be wonderful additions to your stitching library, whether you actually stitch the canvas they describe or not.

For more information about the stitch guides currently available from Robin King, read yesterday's posting on her guides.
http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2010/06/robin-king-stitch-guides.html