Bar Carts (Morgan Julia Designs)

Morgan Julia's Bar Cart series has been very popular and there are digital guides for many of the designs, too.  Just check Morgan Julia's website.

https://morganjuliadesigns.com/collections/bar-carts?_kx=_J_rdnNvxpl-p5ox0M-sxKe_dW8vBdau0gAV5QbqAX3Q5z_adzzshb4gk-wH2HbP.RWeQns

Christmas Floral Vase (Love You More and Tony Minieri)

Park Avenue Needlepoint shows off a customer's floral still life, a design from Love You More stitched using a Tony Minieri stitch guide.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcenv5tJxBh/

Sunflowers (Patti Mann and Terry Christopher Castillo)

Terry Christopher Castillo shows off a student's finished "Sunflowers" by Patti Mann.  Terry wrote the guide for this beauty.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1699932552133174&set=a.512546717538436 

Colors of Praise Letters (Colors of Praise and Diane Stegherr-Blinn)

Cheryl just finished two letters in the Colors of Praise alphabet, using guides by Diane Stegherr-Blinn of I of the Needle.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/28067469349570190/

You could ask Diane if she has other guides for other letters if you don't want to stitch A or C like Cheryl did through her Facebook page or I of the Needle.

https://ioftheneedleakron.com/

French Sunflower (Painted Pony Designs and Fireside Stitchery)

Susanne's sunflower is very French--and very pretty!  This is a Painted Pony Design.  Susanne used a guide by Fireside Stitchery.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10240081542527821&set=gm.28050436264606832&idorvanity=108537025890131

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Constance Coleman and Laura Taylor)

Linda's portrait of a spaniel is fabulous!  Design by Constance Coleman and guide from Laura Taylor.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10236604490586877&set=gm.28055345277449264&idorvanity=108537025890131

Three Easy Ways to Embellish Your Canvas

Poppy Monk has three easy ways to embellish your all tent-stitched canvas:  use light coverage stitches, add a border, and use surface embroidery.  Learn more and see examples on their blog--
https://poppymonkneedlepointkits.com/blogs/the-5-minute-needlepoint-blog/needlepoint-revolution-unleash-your-inner-stitch-master-with-poppy-monk

Whimsical Stitch's Stitch Plan Tutorial for Ornaments

Mary Legallet of Whimsical Stitch has posted a short tutorial on creating a stitch plan--that's Mary's term for stitch guide--for ornaments on her Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DckccC4hGzR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DckdolXAQpz/

Christmas Tree (Needlepoint by Sharese)

Needlepoint by Sharese's "Christmas Tree" will be available in Feb. 2027 and there is a waiting list if you'd like to reserve yours.  It comes with a guide by Lynn Mason.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/27950218547961938/ 

Floral Designs: Help with Stitches (Backgrounds)

Today is the final installment on my series about stitches that work well on floral designs.   I've been using Judyann's "Magnolia" and Ann Wheat Pace's "Red Floral Heart" as examples of the typical flower designs you'll find.  One is more realistic, the other is more stylized.  Both (and almost any other design you'll see) have backgrounds, so let's cover easy backgrounds for florals next.  

Of course you can go with an all tent stitched background. This might be a good choice for the Red Floral Heart because there are so many flowers, stems and leaves breaking up the background.  It can be hard to stitch a background across all that distraction.  A lot of folks pick skip tent for this reason--it gives you the smooth tent stitch look, there is no counting of the rows and it is faster than tent stitches.  

People also love Nobuko Stitch for backgrounds.  It is full coverage which many folks prefer.  It would look very nice on the Magnolia's background as it gives texture but not too much.  On the other hand, it would be hard to count around all the bits and pieces of flower on the background of the Red Floral Heart.  

I like trellis stitches for floral designs because they are easy to do and I associate the latticework look of trellis stitches with gardens.  Trellis stitches need some space to show off, though.  Neither of these small designs have much background area, which means a trellis stitch really won't work well here.  

An easier alternative is stripes.  You can create stripes from similar or contrasting colors, vary the width so you have all your stripes 3 stitches wide or go for 3-5-3-5 widths, or any other count you like.  The variations are endless but since the stripes are usually worked either in all tent stitches or in combinations of tent stitches for one stripe and something like corduroy stitch for the next, you can do all sorts of fun things with it.  I think stripes would work very well on the Red Floral Heart since there are stripes in the bottom of the design.  Just make your striped background even with those stripes and you have a great look.  The Magnolia doesn't seem to have enough space for stripes to work, though.  I'd go with either all tent or Nobuko there.

And there you have it--five ideas for stems, leaves, petals and backgrounds that will work on most any flower canvas.  Good luck and have fun!

Floral Designs: Help with Stitches (Petals)

Let's talk flower petals!  First, remember we are using two floral designs on 18 count, one realistic (JudyAnn's "Magnolia") and one stylized ("Red Floral Heart" from Ann Wheat Pace) as our examples.

I know you will be shocked to hear we can use tent stitches on both designs' petals.  But tent stitches are the backbone of needlepoint so don't skip using them because they are boring and take time.  It is the one stitch that wears like iron and beautifully conveys shading, so keep tent stitch in the back of your mind always.  It's never the wrong choice.

The petals on Magnolia are very realistically shaded.  You can capture this by using skip tent if full tent stitches aren't your thing.  However, I would go with satin stitches.  A little planning is in order if you go with satin stitches.  First you need to find all the shades of white that were used.  I counted five looking at the photo in close up:  stark white, cream, dark tan, light tan and light gray.  Next you need to make a copy of your canvas.  A black and white copy will do.  Take a pencil and draw a line down the center of each of the petals.  That's your establishing line.  You will work from that midline to the left side and then to the right side when you stitch.  (Or you can work midline to right instead--it doesn't matter.)

Now draw a few lines on each petal from the base of the petal to the right (or left) side.  Work your way up the petal, adding lines from the base or midline to the side.  You don't have to have many lines, just enough that you know the direction your satin stitches will slant.  Don't like how the lines look?  Just erase and redraw.  It will take a while (there are lots of petals here) but this is your planning phase and will make the satin stitches go just where you want to get a realistic look.  

If satin stitches seem too hard, then you can use Diagonal Mosaic.  This is a very versatile stitch since it can slant left or right, or even be stitched as a vertical column.  Here's a diagram to show what I mean.

Diagonal Mosaic Also Done Vertically and Horizontally

Diagonal Mosaic is a stitch that is very easy to compensate.  The only drawback is it is somewhat harder to shade with it.  You might want to combine it with tent stitches and do the shaded centers of the petals in tent, then the outer edges in Mosaic stitches.  If you prefer to use all Mosaic stitches, play around with the thickness of your thread.  If you use 1-2 plies of silk instead of your more usual 4 plies, some of the underlying paint will show.  This is an easy way to add shading while using only one color of thread.  (If you go this route of using one color of a thin thread so the paint shows, pick the medium shade of the colors in the background.)

However, if light coverage stitches aren't your favorite, try Double Stitch, which works very well in small spaces.  It is a little harder to shade with Double Stitch, but you can break the long skinny cross stitches into four \ and / stitches, then add the tiny cross stitches later.  If you want to go fancy, you can use a metallic thread for the tiny cross stitches.  You don't have to use metallic on every petal--just pick out the most prominent petals, the ones that aren't partly covered with other petals, and use the metallic there for a little extra attention on those petals.  Here is Double Stitch for those who aren't familiar with it.  

Double Stitch

Note in the diagram I've shown it with either tiny cross stitches or beads as the second step.  You can also simply skip the cross stitch or bead for a more open look if you want a bit of shading to show.  

So now we've talked tent, skipped tent, satin stitch, Diagonal Mosaic or Double stitch for "Magnolia."  What about the much smaller petals on "Red Floral Heart"?  Well, of course we can go with tent stitches here but the quickest way to go is with either Lazy Daisy stitches for each petal or try something called Long and Short or Needle Painting.  For Lazy Daisy, you can do one big oval and fill in with smaller and smaller Lazy Daisy stitches to cover the oval or horseshoe shapes of the petals.

Long and Short is a satin stitch variation but done a little differently.  You work from the outside edge of the petal toward the center point.  Here is a tutorial.

https://crewelghoul.com/blog/long-and-short-stitch-embroidery-flower-tutorial/

Note that in embroidery the outline of each petal is done first in split stitch.  This gives you a slightly raised edge.  These flowers are small so you don't have to do this here.  Next you work a row with the darker color (we only have two shades of pink in these flowers) coming up outside the edge and going down. Work a long stitch, then a shorter one half the length, then a long stitch, a short, etc., alternating the length of the stitches in this first row.  That's why it is called Long and Short.  In all the other rows your stitches will be the same length but because the first row has two lengths, all your other rows will have the same zigzag look.  Note that when you work Row #2 and all the other rows, you come up at the end of where your stitch will stop and you go down through the middle of the stitch in the previous row.  This helps blend the stitches (and colors) together.  It's more natural to come up through the previous row's stitches but it doesn't give you a smoother effect, so come up at where each stitch ends, then go down in the middle of the previous stitches.  When you get to the lighter color, change to the lighter thread.  This sounds hard but it is not as diffiult as it sounds.

You can also just do satin stitches across the petals.  You'll have to fill in a bit where the satin stitches don't touch because of the petal slants, but that's easy to do.  

If all of this is Too Much, let's do Dotted Swiss.  It's very easy and gives texture.  To work the stitch, first do skip tent all over dark (or light) pink of the little pink flowers.  Now go back and fill in the skipped stitches with tiny cross stitches.  You get a slightly raised effect.  You can use two different textures or threads here for more visual interest if you like.  I often use a metallic for the cross stitches. Dotted Swiss is easy to do and easy to compensate and you can have a lot of fun playing with thread texture and color here.

So for the "Red Floral Heart" we have tent stitches (of course), Lazy Daisy stitches, Long and Short, satin stitches, or Dotted Swiss.  

However, if you want something really fun and your petals are a bit larger and regular in shape, visit Mary Corbet's tutorial which combines split stitches, straight stitches for padding, and satin stitch.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2026/09/blackberry-bramble-blossoms-lesson-3-the-blossoms.html

Next we'll talk Backgrounds because every floral design has one.

Floral Designs: Help with Stitches (Leaves)

 

Today I'm continuing my essay on good stitches for floral designs by talking leaves.  I'm using JudyAnn's realistic "Magnolia" design (above) and Ann Wheat Pace's "Red Floral Heart" (below) as my examples.  Both are small designs on 18 count canvas.

Leaves and petals are a little harder for stitchers to master because they are usually fairly realistic.  "Magnolia" has very realistic leaves with lots of shading.  I think I see three shades of green in the photos of the canvases.  The "Red Floral Heart" has small leaves that are more stylized, making them a little easier.  

Of course, we can use our old standby, tent stitches, to work the leaves.  That allows you to capture the shading as it was painted.  If you choose a silk for Magnolia's leaves, the natural shine of the thread would also help convey the sheen on real magnolia leaves, which are glossy in real life.  I would use a cotton thread or maybe a wool or synthetic with a wool-like look for the smaller leaves on the Red Floral Heart.  That would allow those leaves to recede and make the pink flowers the stars of the design.  

Tiny leaves (and even buds) can be worked with Lazy Daisy stitches.  Don't worry if the Lazy Daisy stitch is empty in the oval it creates.  You can fill that with a straight stitch in a matching color or if your leaf has a vein, use a slightly darker shade to fill in the Lazy Daisy's empty middle.  You'll have a nice oval leaf next to your stem that looks like a leaf but doesn't overwhelm the flowers.

If your leaves are bigger, either satin stitches that completely cover the leaf shape or fishbone stitch which will have some gaps looks good.  I personally would use fishbone stitch for Magnolia's leaves and use the paint that shows between the stitches to create more dimension.  You can, however, add a tiny straight or slanted stitch in the empty spots to cover the bare areas if you prefer.

Fishbone leaves a ridge in the leaf middle, but you can also do a little back stitch line to create a vein on top of either the satin stitches or the fishbone.  It depends on whether you want the leaf vein to be prominent or not.  If back stitching worries you, just couch a perle cotton (probably a size 8 or 12) down the middle of the leaf following the vein.  

If you want to work leaves in satin stitches, read Mary Corbet's tutorial for her Blackberry Brambles and Blossoms design.  It explains the process very well.  Mary is working on linen but if you use a sharp needle, you can place your threads exactly where you want them instead of having to find the nearest hole.

https://www.needlenthread.com/2026/08/blackberry-brambles-blossoms-lesson-2-the-leaves.html

These are the five main leaf stitches I use.  I'll talk further about satin stitch next time when we talk about stitching flower petals.  

Floral Designs: Help with Stitches (Flower Centers)

To recap, I'm discussing two smaller flower canvases and their elements and giving you options for various flower parts you'll see again and again in floral canvases.  Our choices are "Red Floral Heart" from Ann Wheat Pace and "Magnolia" from JudyAnn.   Today I'm talking about the centers of flowers.  JudyAnn's magnolia blossom has a center that's seen from the side.  It is darker at the base.  The little flowers on the red heart are more stylized and all one shade of yellow.

When it comes to flower centers, figure out first if there is shading and just how much room you have to work with.  If the space is small and especially if there is a lot of shading, tent stitches are a great choice.  I'd also consider tent stitches for the magnolia just because the center is less important than the flower petals.  The red heart has a lot of flowers but the centers are tiny, probably only 4-6 stitches each.  Tent stitch is also a good choice here.  

But let's say you want to add a bit of sparkle and drama to your centers, which would be fun on the red heart canvas.  Beads or metallics are the answer.  You can use a metallic thread in a tent stitch no matter how small your flower center is.  Beads are more tricky.  Size eleven beads will cover more ground.  I'm guessing but I think you could only add 3 size eleven beads to the red heart's centers. If you have size fourteen or fifteen beads, you could possibly add 4-5 beads in the very heart of your flower.  Let me be clear--I'm talking about attaching the beads with tent stitches and going through the center of each bead twice to keep them from wiggling.  Beads are very wiggly things!

Not everyone likes beads, either.  Remember, you can always substitute a tiny cross stitch for a bead. That gives texture although it's not as raised a look as a bead gives.  Tiny cross stitches would work nicely for the floral centers in both of our designs and you can do shading with cross stitches, too.  

You also might consider French knots (or Colonial knots, which are made differently but look very similar).  This gives a raised texture to your flower centers.  I think that would look wrong for the magnolia since it is a side view and might fight visually with the flower petals, but would work very nicely for the more stylized little pink flowers on the red heart.  You can shade with French knots, too.  Just have a photo of the unstitched canvas handy so you can see where to change colors as French knots tend to spread out and make it hard to see the subtly of the painted design.

So for flower centers we have tent stitches (again), beads, metallic threads, cross stitches, and either French knots or Colonial knots, depending on which you find easier to create.  

Floral Designs: Help with Stitches (Stems)

JudyAnn's "Magnolia"

I browse the Internet each morning, looking for content about stitch guides or general needlepoint to add to either the Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure or this blog which is about stitch guides.  There are lots of tutorials and tips, but it struck me that there's not much to help you tackle a category of designs and give you tools to stitch that category successfully.  So I thought I'd attempt it using the category of flower designs and two examples. 

The first (above) is JudyAnn's "Magnolia," a printed design that you can pick up on Etsy or on JudyAnn's website.  Links are below.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1015718026/magnolia-needlepoint-canvas-flower

https://judyannneedlepoint.com/product/magnolia-needlepoint-canvas-4/

"Magnolia" is available on 18 count canvas as either a 4 inch round or a 6 inch square.  I'll talk about the cheaper and smaller 4 inch round.

Ann Wheat Pace Designs' "Red Floral Heart"

The second design I'll be discussing is "Red Floral Heart" from Ann Wheat Pace Designs.  This is a hand painted canvas on 18 count canvas that is roughly 5 inches wide and 5 inches tall.  Link is below.

https://woolfloss.com/products/red-floral-heart-240b?_pos=226&_sid=6c0bcf89b&_ss=r

Both designs have flowers with petals, leaves and stems.  The flowers have yellow centers in both instances.  What stitches work well on such elements?  Let's start with stems which are fairly stylized in both cases.  They aren't fat or thin stems, just regular stems that aren't that important when it comes to the design.  You could go old school and tent stitch them.  That might be a good choice for Magnolia which has very little stem.  However, the red heart has six stems so it might make sense to use stem stitch (ha, get it?) there.  Stem stitch, especially done in rows packed tightly (it's called Packed Stem Stitch if you do rows) with a brown perle-type thread gives you a slightly knobby texture that mimics woody plant stems.  If I am doing several rows of Packed Stem Stitch, I like to offset the rows so that each row's stitch starts and stops in a slightly different place than the previous row's.  That adds to the texture. 

Does learning stem stitch seem overwhelming?  Then let's couch a thread over those stems!  Couching is easy.  You come up at the top (or bottom) of your stem, hold the thread roughly in the direction the stem goes, and using a thinner thread in a matching color, couch the main thread with little stitches that go over the main thread.  Space the couching stitches fairly evenly.  It's a little fiddly handling two threads at once but you can use magnets to position the main thread while you couch.  When you get to the end, plunge both the main thread and the couching thread to the back side and tie off.  (I don't like to drag threads from one stem to another across all that background personally but you do what makes sense to you.)

The trick with couching is to pick the right main thread.  Good choices are single strand threads like wool, perle cotton, bamboo or even a metallic if you can find the right color and want to add subtle sparkle to your design. I normally use one ply of a matching color of cotton floss to tie down my main thread because cotton floss is a) cheap and b) comes in a ton of colors so matching colors is fairly easy.

If your stem is fat and has a lot of bend, you can try using Diagonal Mosaic stitch.  You may need to do lots of compensation if this is your choice, though.  A simpler but similar look can be achieved with long slanting stitches. These are called satin stitch.  Just adjust the width and slant of your stitch to cover the painted stem, but check after you finish a stem to see if you need to add another stitch or two to get complete coverage over your stem.

So there you have five stitches that will work on any stem in a floral design:  tent stitch, Packed Stem Stitch, couching, Diagonal Mosaic, and Satin Stitch.

Next time we'll talk about the center of the flowers.

Black Tie Affair (Beth Hunt and Amy Bunger)

The adorable "Black Tie Affair" lady has turned up on eBay, complete with Amy Bunger's stitch guide for the canvas.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/237057578016?itmmeta=01M3HBEXBPMFNK4TSA3S60ZP5H&hash=item3731bb9420:g:CaIAAeSwu7NqoCB6&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xBAs0kfCj9xKmhLjsVpLZzV%2FO7Jbl8KLSgkw1m18Vb0qrdM%2BzC8MIc5YhdQitVoTNlPHkOilwNxrgSvYbr%2BwIpJw85W2mqlc5ObkjfN3QolwuDBwtelOmj1fACtTzjwcMEsrHsmREevkbdieR7g%2BW%2ByrxXIt8B2udiKaxoYRe8Hpdw%2F6b553rAP7rGqaI5NNAgvUilg95sk2dsZcGUSVId1bEMDaUlplocwZhitON5qwIVWKqvoRymLGJIHCS0QJW8Wp9zPy6rY%2FPMYyQ%2F3RBl1%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bWu6ucaA

This is one of Beth Hunt's people, many of which have Amy guides.

Candyland Christmas Tree Farm (Eye Candy and Ruth Schmuff)

Ada Hayden's "Candyland Christmas Tree Farm" canvas and stitch guide had turned up on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/237057568457?itmmeta=01M3HBEXBPV3RMZTRMJ6E76MRT&hash=item3731bb6ec9:g:zPIAAeSwKCpqoB4f&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xCr0rT8W0ujgkaqI1hCUHICboj51PrbrFjjxbCVip3fpw4Ez75yjs%2BNtyDy%2FKs%2Fa27%2FWdRs9q6LjQ%2BPzO8XwAnb2qdghxx1CszbEnb9i%2BZl2r4q%2BgxKC%2FRQ79HyVSkINZEaPcVS2DoI9g7FFEnk7YMTW9Xzx7uiTn14PjYk9zNrWncneUYPomDpYdZlPLqSHAViRsHQ6myph%2BzylJsMJIKt2QfDKmvJFefWYhLy4BjP4cqAeDqz2WOQaZc%2FGcEjPIXaa2kjl4tc%2BbU%2BWAxY2vGq%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bWu6ucaA

Ada's designs are available under the Eye Candy name. I believe the guide is by Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled.

Cherry Blossom Ginger Jar (Colors of Praise and Pam Miller)

Beth did a lovely job with this Colors of Praise canvas, using the stitch guide from Pam Miller which was published in the January/February 2025 issue of Needlepoint Now magazine.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=29541225035464209&set=gm.28395106160139839&idorvanity=108537025890131

Rainbow Toucan (Needlepoint by Arlene)

Needlepoint by Arlene has a wonderful toucan available (with Arelene's stitch guide) at Bedecked and Beadazzled which distributes Arlene's designs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdHtUX_mTfc/

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/toucan/

Oysters on the Half Shell (Morgan Julia)

Morgan Julia now has a digital stitch guide available for their oyster platter.  Currently a kit including the beads is also available.

https://morganjuliadesigns.com/products/stitch-guide-for-oysters-on-the-half-shell-1?_kx=_J_rdnNvxpl-p5ox0M-sxKe_dW8vBdau0gAV5QbqAX3Q5z_adzzshb4gk-wH2HbP.RWeQns

Trellis Frame (Coco Frank and Inslee)

Coco Frank has posted a very basic stitch guide for Inslee's "Trellis Frame" on her website.

https://cocofrankstudio.com/blogs/blog/mini-stitch-guide-trellis-frame

The guide is very basic, but free.  Note that you'll have to figure out the Double Woven stitch on your own as the only diagram is for Triple Woven.  I think this will work, though.

https://www.unwind.studio/blogs/needlepoint-stitches/double-woven-stitch

Fall Shoppers (Ruth Schmuff and Anne Marie Carr)

Linda's shopping ladies and their dogs is finished and it looks grand!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10233090083530312&set=gm.28158286707155120&idorvanity=108537025890131

The canvas is from Ruth Schmuff at Bedecked and Bedazzled.  Linda used a guide from Anne Marie Carr. I think Ruth herself has a stitch guide for this canvas, too.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2012/12/a-day-for-shopping/

Elephant (Love You More and Connie G. Camp)

Judith's elephant is finished and framed--isn't it wonderful?

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10234957440903482&set=gm.27881331981517262&idorvanity=108537025890131

The canvas is by Love You More.  Judith used a stitch guide from Connie Camp of Nashville Needleworks.

Ruth Does Dogs

Ruth Schmuff of Bedecked and Beadazzled just posted two styles of dog canvases that a student stitched using guides by Ruth herself.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/08/for-the-dog-lovers/

I love "Can We Go Out Now?" from Connie Haley but Zecca's "Sitting Pitty" has the most adorable face.  Like real dogs, all are wonderful but a special one is likely to catch your eye.

Dogs and Squirrels (Cindy Lynch and Cheryl Schaeffer)

This charming piece featuring Scotty dogs asking squirrels to come play is a Cindy Lynch design with stitch guide from Cheryl Schaeffer.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10236395265674549&set=a.10213384650103541

Your favorite shop can order from Cheryl Schaeffer.

Louise Butterfly (Inslee and Coco Frank Designs)

The pastel butterfly from Inslee at Coco Frank Designs has a mini stitch guide now.  Note that the underlined stitches in the guide have diagrams on the Coco Frank website.  Just click on the underlined name.

https://cocofrankstudio.com/blogs/blog/mini-stitch-guide-louise-butterfly?_pos=3&_sid=6dda0aedf&_ss=r

Ice Cream Bars (Pippin Studio and Linda Watkins)

Anne's ice cream bars are delightful--but make me hungry!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=28874164048850862&set=gm.27817203911263403&idorvanity=108537025890131

This is a Pippin canvas, stitched using a guide from Linda Watkins.  You can get the guide (called Ice Cream Social) from Linda at Lake Girl Needlepoint in Birmingham, Michigan. The shop was formerly The Needleworks.

Limoncello Spritz (Morgan Julia)

Morgan Julia's new "Limoncello Spritz" design also has a stitch guide available.

https://morganjuliadesigns.com/collections/limoncello-spritz

Tower of Animals (Alice Peterson and Linda Corirossi)

Sue's tower of animals making a forest Christmas tree is finished and looks grand.  This is from Alice Peterson, and Sue used Linda Corirossi's stitch guide to work it.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=28431341809792212&set=gm.27732582736392188&idorvanity=108537025890131

Becky with Pink Ribbons (Damarj and Amy Bunger)

Some of the first stitch guides were written by Amy Bunger for Damarj Designs.  This is one and a charmer, too.

https://store.apneedlearts.com/066211.html 

African Woman (Hue & Mi & Sangita plus Ruth Schmuff)

Ruth of Bedecked and Beadazzled shows off a student's "African Woman," a dazzling patterned piece full of charm and color.  Ruth's stitch guide comes with the canvas and you can buy the materials kit also if you wish.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/08/a-stitchers-playground/

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/african-woman/

Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis (Madeleine Elizabeth and Pam Arfaras)

This charming abstract of the northern night sky is a Medeleine Elizabeth design, with a Pam Arfaras stitch guide.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336702655763?itmmeta=01KYZTDA7JZ4BSYFJWM783NM01&hash=item4e650acd13:g:eq8AAeSwwnxqYP38&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAAwGfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xBHX8xahW2wGpMMIdJNaQ%2FJcrTtLODl97YID1gSocM0aZg6obgcbZI160%2BJiWBlyHqT9wKb4cZrD2KHvsdQP450q%2BFO1X%2BGjpwGN%2F0mynKG18ZGyptOb6F8SyjmAIqCCG4T8%2FUV1SqNWnfK%2BsXi2Wmlao51zx4Fw9PeRjCW0uEIY4mCD7ByPjoeHUDMqDcUx7eyuTtHl23Z4bQoFwSm88C5UwD%2FbDjsYURQGxzHHYPYgQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_yjtfr3Zw

Nest with Baby Birds (Julia and Susan Portra)

Susan Portra hand wrote a stitch guide for Julia's charming "Nest with Baby Birds," which I stumbled across on eBay.  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/236969256001?itmmeta=01KZK6S5BY4DTD4X290KMWJBH1&hash=item372c77e441:g:XwkAAeSwgPtqaQP3

A classic, for sure!

Sunflower and Bees (Kate Dickerson and Terry Christopher Costello)

Terry of 2 the Point Needlepoint Studio shows off a pillow featuring a Kate Dickerson design, stitched by one of Terry's students using Terry's stitch guide.  This was done in all light coverage open stitches, by the way.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1667098208749942&set=a.512546717538436

Morning Bright (PLD Designs and Laura Taylor)

Nancy's gorgeous landscape was stitched using a Laura Taylor guide.  This is a Louise Marion design, distributed by PLD Designs.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=28132556723004339&set=gm.27595065180143945&idorvanity=108537025890131

Coral Butterfly (Inslee and Coco Frank Designs)

Coco Frank shows off the new mini stitch guide for Inslee's "Coral Butterfly."

https://cocofrankstudio.com/blogs/blog/mini-stitch-guide-coral-butterfly?_pos=2&_psq=stitch+guide&_psid=5319682e2&_ss=e

Noel with Three Santas (Curis Boehringer and Janet Alter)

Emily's Noel Santas is delightful, isn't it?

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10243832463490879&set=gm.27551731471143983&idorvanity=108537025890131

This is a Curtis Boehringer design, stitched using Janet Alter's stitch guide.

Ted Lasso (Moore Stitching)

In honor of the FIFA tournament that just ended, Moore Stitching just posted a free stitch guide for their Ted Lasso canvas.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1801961694510541&set=a.738778117495576

He's just a sweet character.  If you have access to Apple TV, you should check out the show.

https://moorestitching.com/products/ted-needlepoint-canvas

Summer Bouquet #6 (Jean Smith and Ridgewood Needlepoint)

I was quite excited to see that Ridgewood Needlepoint has a stitch guide for one of Jean Smith's florals, since stitch guides for these beauties are rare.  You can buy just the canvas from Ridgewood but if you buy the thread kit, the stitch guide is free.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/jean-smith/

The Count of Cape Cod (Rachel Barri and Lynn Mason)

This Cape Cod-themed nutcracker was beautifully stitched by Lynn Mason of Needlepoint by Sharese.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3945330829095801&set=a.1444052322557010

The canvas itself is by Rachel Barri.  The guide will be available from Lynn's Etsy shop August 8, 2026.  It comes with the embellishment package.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4360635810/the-count-of-cape-cod-nutcracker-stitch?ga_search_query=cape%2Bcod&ref=shop_items_search_1&crt=1&logging_key=d2c9ccfe3c8c36b9baf1686acf70460d515c0021%3A4360635810

Lone Star Cracker (Rachel Barri and Catherine Kiel)

Lynn from Needlepoint by Sharese shows off the cowboy nutcracker from Rachel Barri that Catherine Kiel has stitched.

https://www.facebook.com/lynn.mason.289669/posts/pfbid026gJpkA8n7AkonmbJr94WXSjDeaRvybsHi92nVaAScthYMy43gti9tj6yAySYguLml

Catherine's stitch guide is available by emailing her at Catherine.kiel@gmail.com.

CT 39 (Triptych Right Side) - SharonG

This fascinating abstract is the right side of a triptych by SharonG, who also wrote the elaborate and detailed stitch guide.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/317441954250?itmmeta=01KXVY6CCA3153KDCKW7ZZ4MJR&hash=item49e903d1ca:g:OVkAAeSw14Bo9o02

The canvas can be ordered via Fleur de Paris, which owns the SharonG line.

Starry Night (Juell and Brenda Hart)

This lovelt Asian design has a magnificent Brenda Hart stitch guide.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/236927918586?itmmeta=01KXVXTFSX4A1MVMZEAN4BT0ZQ&hash=item372a0121fa:g:8IwAAeSw~M9qUAvT&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAAwGfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xBEE8NJpcQOIPCyWgJTAgiWJRvH%2BI063KvoF6pG2DMaIAUAlYSfAxHeOQey%2FFzkziCx%2BdMPp8W%2BF8yK4f24ttonitEGd0rSkMWdBIvWVjMcEzdKaHdlTjAGpZmQvE8bF4L%2Bx%2B1txMaTx4%2B8NJqLmk%2BUF3Fn%2Fy3qlZ5M4zbFLJKyXLRXA%2FdYYQ%2BULrdbyF7sQWsk6jAP7xDfB4pIroU3ZZK24dNF2l%2F82H1OtBDSo7IMCw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7D96f3uZw

Pink Pagoda (Blue Waters Needlepoint and Gretchen Viggiano)

Ridgewood Needlepoint shows off "Pink Pagoda" from Blue Waters Needlepoint. The shop has a stitch guide by Gretchen Viggiano for this lovely Asian design.

https://ridgewoodneedlepoint.com/blue-waters-needlepoint/

Floral Clutch (Arlene Steinberg)

Ruth Schmuff shows off Arlene Steinberg's latest, the "Floral Clutch," which comes with Arlene's stitch guide.  Note that this is a 13 count canvas, as are most of Arelene's newest designs.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/07/not-everything-has-to-end-up-on-a-wall/

Elephant (Love You More and Connie Camp)

Judith's "Elephant" turned out great.  This is a licensed design from Lanre Adefioye distributed by Love You More.  The stitch guide is from Nashville Needlework's Connie Glenn Camp.

https://www.nashvilleneedleworks.com/products/lym-elephant?_pos=15&_sid=91a008caa&_ss=r

Note Judith had problems with the all silk background getting fuzzy so she took out what she had done, put the stretcher bars on top of the canvas and stitched it "in the well" without issues.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10234525696790149&set=gm.27456276957356102&idorvanity=108537025890131

The Wine Rack (Scott Church and Terry Christopher Costello)

Terry of 2 the Point Needlepoint Studio has a guide for Scott Church's hilarious "Wine Rack."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1646804290779334&set=a.512546714205103

Only Terry could make a moose elegant!

Lynn's Been Busy

Lynn Mason of Needlepoint by Sharese has been busy.   She has stitched and written a guide for her own new design "Snow Angels" from her Faith and Grace series.  Then she taught stitched JudyAnn's "Miss Piffany" and has a guide available for that fun Easter piece.
https://www.facebook.com/lynn.mason.289669/posts/pfbid0svYk5RQLHL6s9xsL6tCmz32DGGHj5Z4grynTDzsinWkzzcmSE4dqUh9T6fbMoXCl 

"Snow Angels" will be available at the end of August, 2026 but "Miss Piffany's" guide is available now through the Needlepoint by Sharese Etsy shop.  Note that the bow and glass eyes are included with the stitch guide for the Easter bunny's embellishment.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4493527055/miss-piffany-sugar-egg-stitch-guide-with?ref=shop_home_active_2&sca=1&logging_key=4a4d1e75345ae9733d91b1f1f55b59f099f3fa80%3A4493527055

Nutcracker Christmas Stocking (Liz Goodrick Dillon and Julia Snyder)

It's Christmas in July with the Tapestry Tent "Nutcracker" Christmas stocking!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/27331678369815962

Fredna did a lovely job, ably assisted by a Julia Snyder stitch guide.  The canvas is available from Victoria Whitson, who owns the Liz Goodrick Dillon line now.

Frankie (Barbara Basso and Ruth Schmuff)

Ruth of Bedecked and Beadazzled shows off a student's version of the Barbara Basso canvas "Frankie."

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/07/frankie-has-arrived/

It's adorable and complex and the best dinosaur EVER.  And it is stitched using Ruth's stitch guide.  Kudos!

A Stitch in Time (Needlepoint by Sharese)

Chris' cute needlepointed version of the A Stitch in Time shop is by Needlepoint by Sharese, who also did the stitch guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10233546159262429&set=gm.27293633083620491&idorvanity=108537025890131

Great way to immortalize the shop you patronize!

Hydrangea (Leigh Designs and Rosanne Fleming)

This classic Leigh Designs floral has a stitch guide by Rosanne Fleming.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/286903444420?_skw=leigh+designs+needlepoint+mad+hatters&itmmeta=01KW4JWZCA8RYMS965X53XWG0T&hash=item42ccc723c4:g:cN0AAeSwPL5qAz~Y&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xBUwYuEqUQ4nMnVMeu1G9Xb4n1ilOj%2FDyvjcEH9oZe%2FiMTQ6aqUjWDkZJikPHkfgtUYGPxfkmNECux%2FG6AL5pBv2k%2FLoj%2BitDcumX3OcsqrXSAmfn%2FQxZ07AgeEt9KIyDc0kFazONpEZRXKu4JyGTn1xLcV8gARraudn0pBqWYukx4lhjupxowaZ2CyvPLCczcu4MBLp0mxQrSyN8vKrnbhfRi%2FkqZFWf%2BhIA35fSk%2BOfzkO%2FNrkf8fqKA696FYiuXTUm69%2FTRiK1D6jc44Yl97%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6z285LhZw

Hagwarts Spooky Carriage (Rebecca Wood and Sherry Bray)

Patricia's spooky carriage and ghostly horse are adorable.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/27283630351287431 

This is one of the small pieces from Rebecca Wood's "Hagwarts" design, stitched using Sherry Bray's guide.

Funky Pumpkins #3 (Kate Dickerson and Lee Cox)

Kristal did a magnificent job stitching this fancy pumpkin using a guide by Lee Cox.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/27271526425831157/

Check out the heavily beaded pumpkin!

Seaside Houses (Melissa Shirley and Terry Christopher Castillo)

Terry Christopher Castillo shows off a student's "Seaside Houses" piece, a beautifully stitched design by Melissa Shirley, stitched using Terry's guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1634094785383618&set=a.512546717538436

Raccoon Dracula (Danji and Nancy Yeldell)

Recently I stumbled across this wonderful finishing of Danji's Dracula Raccoon on Instagram, courtesy of Island House Needlepoint.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZvsH3FtwzK/

Pretty spectacular, isn't it?  I discovered that this canvas has a stitch guide by Nancy Yeldell although I can't tell if Island House's Dracula was stitched using it.  Looks like Dracula Raccoon is part of a Halloween series from Danji but I'm unable to find others in the series.  It might be new.

https://theneedleworks.com/shop/raccoon-dracula-w-sg-series/

Boating Stitching Girls (Gayla Elliott and Terry Christopher Castillo)

The boating "Stitching Girl" was stitched by Chris C. using a guide by Terry Christopher Castillo.  This is from Gayla Elliott's "Stitching Girl" series.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1622264743233289&set=a.512546717538436

Alphabet Sampler (Alice Peterson and Cynthia Thomas)

Cynthia Thomas shows off a student's "Alphabet Sampler," which is an Alice Peterson design stitched using Cynthia's stitch guide.  So cute!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=27862358590022404&set=a.509405429077756

Spell Caster's (Needlepoint by Sharese and Ginny Stapleton)

Carrie's fun Halloween piece shows three witches at a bar.  Wonder what brew they order?  LOL

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=36070613142583581&set=gm.27037600162557119&idorvanity=108537025890131

The design is from Needlepoint by Sharese and the guide is by Ginny Stapleton.  Both are available from Etsy.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/248353320/halloween-spell-casters-the-happiest?ref=shop_home_feat_3&sts=1&logging_key=9632546919710912aff206e0e8960e2534ca1c16%3A248353320

https://www.etsy.com/listing/794334182/spellcasters-the-happiest-hour-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1&crt=1&sts=1&logging_key=01ed5a77d5de4bbf384a23602cbcdc1ff1fc621e%3A794334182

Stitch Guides without Photos of Finished Piece

Often stitch guides don't have photos of the finished example.  Ruth Schmuff answers the question of how a stitch guide can be written without the author having stitched the piece.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/05/what-do-i-see/

Basically, with experience you have a good idea of what will work and what won't.  And Ruth's had a LOT of experience!  She's also right, once you start seeing stitches and texture, there is no returning from that.

Mountain Summer (Pippa Designs)

Pippa Designs has announced the digital download stitch guide for their "Mountain Summer" piece is ready for purchase.

https://pippafraumeni.com/products/mountain-summer-stitch-guide?se_activity_id=160032293052&syclid=d8hbc1isatbc73b5f760&utm_campaign=Mountain+Summer+Stitch+Guide_160032293052&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email

You can see the entire canvas on their website.  It's part of their popular Seasonal series ("Euro Summer," "New England Summer," "Palm Beach Winter."  Note that "New England Summer" has a stitch guide available, too.

https://pippafraumeni.com/products/mountain-summer-pillow

Too Fluffy to Hide (Heather Gauthier and Ruth Schmuff)

Ruth Schmuff's latest stitch guide is for Heather Gauthier's "Too Fluffy to Hide," a parrot portrait with flowers and vases-and a fun party hat!

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/06/too-fluffy-to-hide/

The Guard Nutcracker (Damarj and Susan Portra)

Joanne's nutcracker is a classic from Damarj, stitched using Susan Portra's stitch guide.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10163541208607968&set=pcb.26948102841506852

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1564867507/nutcracker-needlepoint-the-guard-damarj?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

Arctic Animals (Rebecca Wood and Fancy Stitches)

Shannon's stocking cuff is Rebecca Wood's "Arctic Animals," stitched using a guide from Fancy Stitches, which also designed a coordinating name tag to match.  Great work, everyone!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10241810914148182&set=gm.26935412749442528&idorvanity=108537025890131

Purple Bird (Zecca and Laura Taylor)

This cheerful bird is a Zecca design, happily stitched by Linda using a Laura Taylor guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10235443203555427&set=gm.26932567039727099&idorvanity=108537025890131

Happy Halloween Witch (Painted Pony and Sandy Sluneka)

Stephanie's witch is finished AND fabulous!  This is a Mary Engelbreit design, available from Painted Pony.  Stephanie used Sandy Slunecka's stitch guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10239632336681824&set=gm.26935627946087675&idorvanity=108537025890131

Guides from Stitch Style

Jinny B. McAuliffe's Stitch Style website now lists not only her designs, but her stitch guides for many designers' canvases.

https://www.stitch-style.com/collections/stitch-guides

Partridge and Pears Round (Coco Frank)

Coco Frank's "Partridge and Pears" round now has a free mini stitch guide.

https://cocofrankstudio.com/blogs/blog/mini-stitch-guide-partridge-in-a-pear-tree

Four Seasonal Welcome Doors (Meredith Collection and Suzie Vallerie)

Leigh Ann has finished her four seasonal Welcome doors, using Suzie Vallerie's stitch guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=36727966830123615&set=gm.26891758483807955&idorvanity=108537025890131

This is a canvas designed by the Meredith Collection and it is a charmer.

Pink Blossoms on Red Kimono (Lee Designs and Tony Minieri)

This gorgeous red and pink kimono is from Lee Designs.  I think it is the large version. (Many of the Lee kimonos came in small, medium and large sizes.)  Debbied used a stitch guide from Tony Minieri.  Beautiful!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/26857978733852597/

Rocking Horse (Coco Frank)

Coco Frank has just post their free "mini guide" to their rocking horse canvas on their website.

https://cocofrankstudio.com/blogs/blog/mini-stitch-guide-rocking-horse?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=Mother%27s+Day+Stitch+Guides&utm_id=01KR1C6DMWJSWJ0N3SSBHQ5C6Z&_kx=fpwRhZR6oWBP-QRpljb7pZMDJB9SEzHyKJegAKdmP8-TPQzDcjAtm1ktAvh5CV4x.XYMb7E

If you aren't familiar with corduroy stitch, here's instructions, including a video.

https://www.unwind.studio/blogs/needlepoint-stitches/corduroy-stitch

SIlk Ribbon Stitch Guides (River Silks)

River Silks' website has something called Kits to Go, which allows you to buy a canvas and the ribbons needed to dress it up.

https://riversilks.com/kitstogo.html

Their website also has stitch guides for each of the kits, which is a lovely touch.

https://riversilks.com/stitch_guides.html

Shopping for Mrs. Claus (Rebecca Wood and Robin King)

Elizabeth has her finished stocking back from the finisher and it looks fabulous.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/26604435419206931/

This is a Rebecca Wood design. Elizabeth used Robin King's guide except she changed one item to refer to her favorite shop, Nimble Needle.

Easter Egg Series: The Rabbit (Susan Roberts and Lale Verhurst)

Kristal also stitched "The Rabbit" from Susan Robert's Easter egg series.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=26701818182781233&set=pcb.26510135991970208

Lale Verhurst wrote the stitch guide.

Winter Welcome (Mary Charles and Sherry Bray)

Kristal has finished and framed Mary Charles' "Winter Welcome."

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=26701817782781273&set=pcb.26510135991970208

Kristal used a guide from Sherry Bray.  This design is available from Painted Pony Designs.

Miss Piffany Sugar Egg (JudyAnn and Lynn Mason)

Lynn Mason of Needlepoint by Sharese has finished stitching JudyAnn's "Miss Piffany Sugar Egg."  Her guide and the embellishments she used are now available in her Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4493527055/miss-piffany-sugar-egg-stitch-guide-with?fbclid=IwY2xjawRYXxFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeTxGv5Wyo6jCaYhf5Mm72jDpSLtdoMiJGZcWW0FLm5ynyhjt3O_5SgWj8OkQ_aem_b7_W3bAC_wBiaGeKeLQhXQ

Three Fish (Zecca and Tony Minieri)

Anne's "Three Fish" from Zecca is finished.  This was stitched using a guide by Tony Minieri.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=27504346982499249&set=gm.26477394178577723&idorvanity=108537025890131 

There is another Zecca piece called "Three More Fish" with a guide by Julia Snyder.  

Toy Store Advent Calendar (Kirk and Bradley)

Needlepoint.com is now offering their Toy Store Advent Calendar as a canvas only, or as a kit, or just can just purchase the guide.  Use the drop down menu to choose.  Stitch guide writer unknown.

https://needlepoint.com/products/toy-store-advent-calendar-kit?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=2026_04_18%20Toy%20Store&utm_klaviyo_id=01EY909FHC6PR7KJ94JR0X7ZVR&_kx=spGqMUEEs3Pe26tF9Jkghd_FvizqCNqZrcu-EtTsuNa-X-jY5kdJAFI_-tT2BvST.TxAVmM

Playful Still Life (Arlene Steinberg)

Arlene Steinberg's happy still life of a vase and flowers is now available from Bedecked and Beadazzled. Arlene hersel wrote the stitch guide, and don't you just love that background stitch??!!  Way to go, Arlene!

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/04/one-for-when-you-want-to-play/

Year of Champagne Ornament Series (Kirkland Design Studio)

Kirkland Design's new Year of Champagne ornament series is coming out this month and the stitch guides for the series are ready.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWrPtaYERqO/

The ornaments and guides are distributed by Gingham Stitchery.  Sorry, I don't know who wrote the guides.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWXD_gRjyUW/

Houston Skyline (Painted Pony and Needlepoint by Pam)

Nimble Fingers in Houston is offering the Houston skyline as a kit with stitch guide or as a class.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1393579626142385&set=a.417816490385375

The design is by Painted Pony and the guide from Needlepoint by Pam.

Wedding Day Angel (Painted Pony and Terri Dudley)

This charming wedding angel was stitched by Sheren using a guide created by Terri Dudley of the Tinsmith's Wife.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122250774494144580&set=gm.26276964071954069&idorvanity=108537025890131

Three Pumpkins (Needlepoint by Sharese)

Margaret has finished her autumn pumpkins using the stitch guide from Lynn Mason of Needlepoint by Sharese, which is also the designer of the canvas.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10215138619135155&set=gm.26239859118997898&idorvanity=108537025890131

It turned out great!  Lynn's canvases and designs are available on Etsy under the Needlepoint by Sharese name.

Why Use a Stitch Guide? (Atlantic Blue)

Atlantic Blue posted an interesting article on their blog back in February explaining what a stitch guide is and showcasing some of their favorite stitch guides for their own designs.

https://www.atlanticbluecanvas.com/blogs/blogs/our-newest-needlepoint-designs-with-stitch-guides

It's a good explanation of what basic stitch guides are like.  If you are a fan of Atlantic Blue's designers, here are all their currently available guides.

https://www.atlanticbluecanvas.com/search?options%5Bunavailable_products%5D=last&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&options%5Bfields%5D=title%2Cvendor%2Cproduct_type%2Cvariants.title&q=stitch+guides

Catnip Party (Lulu My Pink Turtle and Ruth Schmuff)

One of Ruth Schmuff's students has finished stitching "Catnip Party" using Ruth's guide.   It's adorable!  The canvas is from Lulu My Pink Turtle.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/03/more-is-more-3/

The Rose (Carole Lake)

Carole Lake's design "The Rose" and the companion "The Rose Motif Sampler" stitch guide (also by Carole) are both available on eBay this week.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336470994213?itmmeta=01KMTQM9T660X7FE7099JR5H28&hash=item4e573bed25:g:ZBkAAeSw8AZprwU0&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xA8DJsT0IDpVgG5kyNgc50VM1nUFPBN%2BY4ywwxw20mdVpHAYhAqSvm7iDI0d1GzYindvmaqx3Zqqy7Wf9HKNiYG7l%2BQZQvRmLrjeYewV%2Ba3qjBdTSzsOORkmSUH3ptCfGMaMetrvBEO768638YLsJqOZU2kZyGzfXPZomTslUyxXJhhE%2F7TpTJKwh%2BfspGU%2BdLzZN42cIAqBop7K20zxzSG31VaFZfT0kSI8K9u%2FcaL53UcdPvcdWPe7BpZGNBAXf0%2F7pWDsYgOgQTZAFH3jmng%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6qd0demZw

Children of the World (Ashley Dillion-Davis and Laura Taylor) UPDATED

Brenda's "Children of the World" is stitched and it looks wonderful.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26449451064673941&set=gm.26188756427441501&idorvanity=108537025890131

She used a Laura Taylor stitch guide to work up this cute Ashley Dillion-Davis design from her parade series.  The canvas can be ordered from Victoria Whitson if your favorite shop doesns't have it in stock.

UPDATE:  Here is Julie's version, also using Laura Taylor's guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10238207651882443&set=gm.26849083001408837&idorvanity=108537025890131

Splendid Bunny (Love You More and Lisa Kessler)

Jeanne's rabbit on gingham from Love You More is finished.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10242182893772749&set=gm.26095506016766543&idorvanity=108537025890131

She used a guide by Lisa Kessler at BeStitched.

PE115 (Colors of Praise and Anne Marie Carr)

Linda has finished her portrait of a lady and her dogs and it looks great.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10231133910827217&set=gm.26092867433697068&idorvanity=108537025890131

This is a canvas from Colors of Praise.  Linda used a guide from Anne Marie Carr.

Googly Eyes (Sandra Gilmore and Cynthia Thomas)

Gretchen's hilarious pumpkins portrait from the clever mind of Sandra Gilmore (Once in a Blue Moon) is finished.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6522190778026301&set=gm.26086672360983242&idorvanity=108537025890131

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6616851915226853&set=gm.27091464207170714&idorvanity=108537025890131

Gretchen used a guide by Cynthia Thomas.  The canvas can be ordered by your favorite shop from Fleur de Paris.

Irish March (Ashley Dillon-Davis and Terry Christopher Castillo)

One of Terry's students just got her "Irish March" back from finishing.  Don't you just love the clothes and the leprechaun's beard?!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1535335191926245&set=a.512546717538436

The canvas is available from Victoria Whitson, the distributor for Ashley Dillon-Davis' designs.  The guide is from Terry at  2 the Point Studio.

Chickadee Wreath (Melissa Prince and Fireside Stitchery)

Katherine's chickadee and bells wreath looks great!  She stitched it using a guide from Fireside Stitchery.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=34107924818823246&set=gm.25920656947584785&idorvanity=108537025890131

Christmas Polka Dot Package (Alice Peterson and Connie Glen Camp)

Audra has finished this cute Christmas present design from Alice Peterson using Connie Camp's stitch guide.  Isn't it darling?

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10233812717485899&set=gm.25912894868360993&idorvanity=108537025890131

Panda, Penguin and Zebra (Eleanor Grosch and Ruth Schmuff)

Ruth of Bedecked and Beadazzled just posted photos of the finished black and white "Panda, Penguin and Zebra" design by Eleanor Grosch stitched by two students and framed very differently.  The guide is from Ruth, of course.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/02/framed-and-fabulous/

You can order the canvas and guide and the thread kit if you wish from her shop.  

The Letter N (Colors of Praise and Chris Tirey)

Debbie stitched the initial N from Colors of Praise, using a guide by Chris Tirey of Nimble Fingers.  Isn't it pretty?!
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26279696301663144&set=gm.25846716458312168&idorvanity=108537025890131 

A Peony for Your Thoughts (Pippin Studio and Terry Christopher Castillo)

Terry Christopher Castillo shows off a student's finished Pippin pillow, beautifully stitched using one of Terry's guides.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1516244907168607&set=a.512546717538436

A Listing of Available Patricia Sone Stitch Guides

Patricia Sone writes a lot of stitch guides for her designs on 18 count.  Usually they are free with the canvas.  You can learn a bit about how her guides look here-

https://www.instagram.com/p/DU1DPUIFdWa/

Patricia also writes guides for other designers' work.  Currently there are nearly 300 guides available for other designers.  You can see the list here on her website.  If you are interested, use the contact form on her website to request a guide or inquire about its price or email her at sonehome@swbell.net 

https://patriciasone.com/pages/stitch-guides

Birdie Garden (Arlene Steinberg)

Arlene Steinberg has just posted a free stitch guide for download for her popular "Birdie Garden."

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/product/birdie-garden/

The canvas and guide are only available through Bedecked and Beadazzled, Arlene's distributor.  The cover of the guide has a photo of the finished design, which is very nice.  You can see what it will look like if you follow Arlene's footsteps exactly.  But you don't have to.  Arlene wants you to have fun with this cutie.  By the way, her Sky Stitch is amazing and useful on many backgrounds.  Check it out.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BirdieGardenguide.pdf

Knock Knock (Sandra Gilmore and Robin King)

B.J.'s white rabbit from Once in a Blue Moon is finished and it is adorable.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26861366446785241&set=gm.25815996414717506&idorvanity=108537025890131

The guide is by Robin King.  This canvas can be ordered from Fleur de Paris.

Ruth's Gone to the Dogs (Hui & Me and Sangita)

Ruth Schmuff shows off two finished dog pieces from two of her designers at her shop, Bedecked and Beadazzled.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2026/02/they-called-it-puppy-love/

Both "Blue Dog" and "Golden Retriever" come with Ruth's stitch guides.  

Harlequin Pumpkin (Heidi and Tony Minieri)

Maggie's beautiful pumpkin was stitched using a guide by Tony Minieri.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26319277777664031&set=gm.25760385890278559&idorvanity=108537025890131

This is a design from Heidi.

Love Letter in Blue (Coco Frank Designs)

Coco Frank's "Love Letter in Blue" now has a free stitch guide on the Coco Frank website.  It's very basic, just a list of recommended threads and recommended stitches, but every little bit helps!

https://cocofrankstudio.com/blogs/blog/mini-stitch-guide-love-letter-in-blue?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=Mini+Stitch+Guide+%2B+Silks&utm_id=01KGMNXYYEXT9S82BEYK30S6Z4&_kx=fpwRhZR6oWBP-QRpljb7pZMDJB9SEzHyKJegAKdmP8-TPQzDcjAtm1ktAvh5CV4x.XYMb7E

Snail on The Urn (Zecca and Terry Christopher Castillo)

2 the Point Needlepoint Studio shows off a student's "Snail on Urn," stitched using Terry Christopher Castillo's guide.   Your favorite shop can order the canvas from Zecca.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1497741275685637&set=a.512546717538436

Free Guides for Kirk and Bradley Travel Rounds

Needlepoint.com is offering free digital stitch guides with the purchase of many of their Kirk & Bradley travel rounds.  Not every design has a guide so check the details carefully before you buy.  Once you purchase the travel round, you'll get an email with instructions on how and where to download your free guide.

https://needlepoint.com/collections/kirk-bradleys-travel-rounds?size=96

Tall Tail (Charley Harper and Jill Rigoli)

Renee has finished this stunning roadruner portrait by Charley Harper using Jill Rigoli's stitch guide.  

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10242663058931876&set=pcb.25550566941260456

Charley Harper designs are available from the Meredith Collection.

Faith and Grace Stitch Guides for "Leaf Peep'n" and "Smell the Roses"

Lynn Mason of Needlepoint by Sharese just announced stitch guides are now available for two of her adorable Faith and Grace cat canvases.

https://www.facebook.com/lynn.mason.289669/posts/pfbid028C7uUYKRkPphgEUkA9inF2yJHUSx1y6TTYweYfG6VbCaQr7dDADGp7hYWyixAoMal

Gingham Star (Nicole Tamarin and Terry Christopher Castillo)

Terry shows off Marget's star and cotton bolls pillow, stitched using Terry's guide.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1487230740070024&set=a.512546717538436

The canvas is by Nicole Tamarin/Painted Pony Designs.

Night Birds (Chris Roberts-Antieau and the Art Needlepoint Company)

 The Art Needlepoint Company sells a stitch guide with their "Night Birds" design from Chris Roberts-Antieau.  You can also buy the threads if you wish.  Note that "Night Birds" comes in two sizes.

https://www.artneedlepoint.com/?s=night+birds+small&post_type=product

Market Day (Lowell Herrero and Laura Taylor)

Lila's used Laura Taylor's stitch guide for this Cooper Oaks reproduction of one of Lowell Herrero's paintings.  It looks great!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/25512950361688781/

Christmas Village Church (Le Point with Hanging by a Thread)

Amanda has finished stitching the Christmas Village Church from Le Point, using a guide from Hanging by a Thread.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/25460711660245985/ 

Free Guide for Three Trees with Pink Bows (A Poore Girl Paints)

A Poore Girl Paints offers a free guide for this new pink Christmas design.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSknYDkgIq0/