Sugar Skull (Sandra Vargas and Ruth Schmuff)

Ruth at Bedecked and Beadazzled shows off the new "Sugar Skull" from Sandra Vargas, complete with a Ruth Schmuff stitch guide.  Spooky!  And full of hearts....

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2025/09/let-spooky-season-begin/

The Flowers Remembered (Zecca and Ruth Schmuff)

If you adore Zecca or want to do a spectacular piece to honor those who have died, you might be interested in the stitch guide Ruth Schmuff wrote for Zecca's "The Flowers Remembered."

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2024/03/zecca-flowers-remember/

Despite the size, this looks like a fast, fun stitch.  And Ruth promised lots of videos to explain how to make the flowers!

Le Dama Elegante (Manual Salas and Tony Minieri)

Elizabeth has finished her stunning "La Dama Elegante," a Manual Salas design (now discontinued) from Tapestry Fair.  The stitch guide was by Tony Minieri.  Note the special embellishments added which are explained in the comments.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/5289184534491995/

Day of the Dead Fisherman (Ewe and Eye plus Terry Christopher Castillo)

Ewe and Eye shows off their Fisherman, stitched using Terry Castillo's guide.

https://www.facebook.com/225824790785970/photos/a.634387109929734/5147852955249771/

White Day of the Dead Sunflower Skull (Mary Lake-Thompson and Terry Christopher Castillo)

Terry Christopher Castillo did the stitch guide for this Mary-Lake Thompson Day of the Dead sugar skull.  Canvas can be ordered from Melissa Shirley Designs and guide is available from Terry's 2 the Point Needlepoint Studio.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/4428777680532689/

Baron in Bloom (Love You More and Ruth Schmuff)

Love You More's "Baron in Bloom" is a fun take on Day of the Dead skulls.  Ruth Schmuff has just done a stitch guide for this cutie.

https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2021/10/baron-in-bloom/

Day of the Dead Cover for Needlepoint Now (Love You More and Sherry Bray) UPDATED

The next issue of Needlepoint Now magazine will be mailed later this week. It will have this cute Day of the Dead couple and their chicken on the cover.  The canvas is from Love You More and the issue will have the stitch guide from Sherry Bray to recreate this look inside.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2024402184278517&set=pcb.1861842373892912&type=3&theater

UPDATE:  Terry Christopher Castillo also has a guide for this charmer.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1032605765532526&set=a.512546717538436

Last Tango (Tapestry Fair and Tony Minieri)

Denise showed off her "Last Tango" on Facebook recently.  This piece is a Tapestry Fair design, based on Manuel Salas' artwork and stitched using a Tony Minieri stitch guide.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1946277768919977&set=gm.1500147430062410&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Yolanda Has a Guide

Sandy Arthur continues to have an "exciting" life this year.  (She broke her leg last winter.)
http://sandyarthur.blogspot.com/2014/08/living-with-technology-what-week-i-have.html

When you get over the sympathetic shock (and stop worrying about YOUR devices), note that Sandy's mystery class using the Day of the Dead Yolanda from Tapestry Fair is over and the stitch guide will be available from Sandy shortly.  So if you didn't take Sandy's class, you can still participate via Sandy's guide.  Here is the finished model.  The guide is now (November 2014) available.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=775651792499665&set=gm.751067534970407&type=1&theater

After all, we all need a sombrero and beads like Yolanda's!

Halloween Beauty UPDATED

Halloween Beauty, Going Out on the Town?

Manuel Salas' "Belleza de Halloween" is finished and the stitch guide is ready for distribution!  This is a Tapestry Fair canvas (11x14 inches on 18 count), part of a series of adaptations of Mr. Salas' Day of the Dead paintings.  You can see them all here on the Tapestry Fair website.

http://www.tapestryfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=1

The guide itself is sixteen pages long with an extra three pages of materials and a full color photo of the finished piece.  The guide covers needle felting, 3-D needle weaving and two kinds of beading (basketweave and brick stitch).  It costs $30 retail with wholesale pricing available for shops.  Just email me at sgfromchnp@gmail.com to add a bit of Halloween Beauty to your stitching!

Quite a few folks have done guides for these Tapestry Fair canvases.  Tony Minieri has done "Rosa" and "Lupe."  Contact him via Edwardian Needle (second link) to purchase.

http://www.tapestryfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=73

http://www.theedwardianneedle.com

Sherry Bray has done "Un Pocito de Color" which is the more traditional Mexican version of Belleza above.  You can reach Sherry via Queen Anne Stitches' Facebook page to order.  

http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2012/11/sherrys-pocito-guide-is-ready.html

BeStitched Needlepointhas stitched both Pocito and Belleza in shop classes.  I believe the class notes are available as a stitch guide but you will have to ask.  

http://bestitchedneedlepoint.com/classes/day-of-the-dead-class-1/

Whichever guide you wish to follow for any of these Manuel Salas Day of the Dead pieces, I can assure you of a great time stitching a Day of the Dead masterpiece.

UPDATE:  Brenda Hart and Ruth Schmuff helped a stitcher work on another version of Belleza in classes.  Here's the end result--a mirror of fabric and trim!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/03/barbaras-belleza.html

Sugar Skulls

Robin King has posted photographs on Stitcherie of the covers of her latest stitch guides, the Sugar Skulls by Needle Deeva.  Very sweet for Halloween!
http://stitcherie.ning.com/photo/sugar-skull-group-a-c-d-e?context=latest

Sherry's Pocito Guide is Ready

Sherry Bray's Pocito Finished But Unframed

Sherry Bray has finished her version of one of Manuel Salas' Day of the Dead ladies and the stitch guide is now available.  Sherry choose to work Pocito, whose full name translates to a Little Bit of Color.  (If the piece looks familiar, I am stitching Pocito's sister Belleza.)  You can see Manuel's artwork translated onto needlepoint canvas at the Tapestry Fair website.
http://www.tapestryfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=1

One Day of the Dead lady canvas is so new she's not on the website yet but you can see her on Tapestry Fair's blog.
http://tapestryfair.blogspot.com

Tony Minieri has done guides for Pocito and Belleza.  You can see them here.  If you are interested, email him at the address listed.
http://www.tapestryfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=73

BeStitched has done classes for both Pocito and Belleza so you might be able to buy class materials from them, but ask if everything needed to stitch the canvases their way is included in the guide.  I've been told that class materials sold as stitch guides later don't allow access to the videos that class members get to help them with unusual stitches.  Just be sure you know what you are getting before you buy, ok?
http://bestitchedneedlepoint.com

If you are interested in Sherry's stitch guide, talk to Queen Anne Stitches Needlepoint via their Facebook page of the exact same name.  This was a class that Sherry taught for them.  The shop is in Santa Clara, CA and their phone number is 661/286-1248.  I believe they are open in the afternoons except for Sunday but they don't have a website so I am not certain.

Palma and the Day of the Dead

Brenda Stofft Day of the Dead Cat

Fireside Stitchery has announced their latest monthly club, a series of six Day of the Dead cat designs from Brenda Stofft.  The club will start in January 2013 but what makes it worthy of notice here is that the stitch guides will be done by Palma Seljan, who is extremely talented at mixing various threads and ribbons and beads and more.  Take a look at the first cat, which features a (mother of pearl?) button for the nose and beaded eyes.  The full series of cats are shown on Brenda Stofft's website.
http://www.brendastofftdesign.com/#!home/mainPage

I'm hoping this is just the first in a long series of stitch guides by Palma!