Bristly Thistle Needlepoint News

These cubes are wonderful as little packages under a table top tree, or finished as ornaments to hang on your holiday tree. And they work up quickly, always a good thing!

See the newest ones in the store on the Bristly Thistle website.

I was enchanted by these thistle canvases and the tobacco leaf canvas at the San Diego show. The thistles I like for obvious reasons; the tobacco leaf canvas is a favorite motif of mine and is so beautiful it drew me into the booth.

You can see the thistle canvases on the Bristly Thistle website.

This canvas is so much fun to stitch! I’ve completed the hat body, the shirt, the apron bib, the bucket and the leaves. I have stitched the basketweave that lies under the sunflower petals. Next: complete the border and the bunny’s face. You might notice that the stitches used for the shirt and the metal bucket are very similar, but the effects produced by using different threads make them look completely different.

This project is going quickly because the stitch guide keeps you from getting bored!

I have never been a big fan of charted needlepoint, but these gorgeous patterns inspired by Tuscan designs won me over. The artist had put together quite a collection of antique buttons over the years and was looking for a way to use them. She created a series of charted stitch guides that feature a unique antique button combination as the focal point. Although she suggests the thread colors you can use, you can easily change them to suit your décor. Best of all, you can finish this project in a couple of evenings. The design size is roughly 5 ½” by 5 ½”, perfect for framing with a mat or without, or for use as a pillow center.

Cooper Oaks Design canvases are very evocative of coastal living and many of the things we treasure. Their designs include water and beach images, Quimper-inspired designs, Provencal tapestries, colorful florals, and whimsical animal portraits. They also paint a line of signs and sayings—my favorite is “Welcome to the Make Your Own Bed and Breakfast”. You will have a hard time picking just one canvas to stitch! Visit us at the store or online at the Bristly Thistle.

We love this line of canvases—talk about fun! Voila paints gorgeous belts, purses, shoes, dog collars and leashes with tropical colors and fun, fashionable prints. Their finishing is beautiful and the belt options include traditional (with buckle), slide, grommet and double buckles. Our Portuguese Water Dog, Morgan, has his very own leash from Voila! C’est une belle collection!

Julia’s Needleworks has some of my favorite needlepoint designs. If you have been in our store, you have seen the too cute Limoges boxes for all the holidays and seasons. Any day now, we will be receiving their newest designs for Depression glass jars. The jars come in clear, pale pink and pale green. Where’s the needlepoint, you ask? The canvases are rounds that fit in the lid of the glass jars. They come in two sizes and are perfect for keeping candies, dog treats, or cosmetic goodies for your vanity. The trunk show is in the store in June and canvases in the show are 20% off. See more sale items on our Julia’s sale pages. (posted by Michele)

I collect boxes of all types from all over the world. Last week I added a lux line of lacquer boxes that display finished canvases from the San Diego show. These beautifully constructed boxes are finished with a traditional Japanese-style lacquer finish, but the color choices are anything but boring. In addition to basic black, they do a number of gorgeous colors, burled wood and gold or silver leaf finishes. The basic boxes accommodate 4” x 4”, 5” x 5” canvases, but they also come in larger squares and there are several rectangular versions. These elegant boxes would be perfect on display, on coffee or end tables, or on a desk. (I bought a burled rectangular box with a safari style canvas for my husband—don’t tell him!)

I just finished the very best needlepoint class I have ever had at a TNNA conference! The artist (Denise DeRusha) calls the canvas “Sunny Bunny”, and the class guide teaches dimensional stitches. I can’t wait to finish the model because I will be teaching “Sunny Bunny” in May at The Bristly Thistle. Stay tuned for photos of the finished model and the class dates.