We’ve just had a British Invasion at The Point of It All! New artists Kirk and Hamilton from London have sent a brilliant (I’m really getting into this British thing!) trunk show. Check out their website by clicking here.

The canvases will be here until October 8th. All of them are 20% off. Browse the designs and come by the shop or drop me an email!

Happy stitching,
Susan

Front view of the hip belt from Colors of Praise…I received sooo many compliments today!

From the back

From the side

From the other side

I think this belt would also look great with a pair of dark blue jeans and a little t-shirt and adorable flats!

Happy stitching,
Susan

I drove up to Baltimore yesterday for a Cash & Carry market…I handed over the cash and the artists handed over the canvases! I got great canvases from Jean Smith…a symphony of florals. I’ve clipped them together so you can look through them like a mini trunk show…come by the shop! Or if you are far away, peruse her website to see her sophisticated take on flowers.

Lots of new pieces from Amanda Lawford too…this wonderful Santa (see above) has to be ordered but it is SPECTACULAR! Really a show stopper. I can’t wait for him to arrive. Absolutely stunning.

Terrific canvases from Sue of Cooper Oaks…as always.

Time for a new canvas? Yes! Happy shopping…Happy stitching,
Susan

Look at this unbelievable work of art! A wonderful customer, Dr. Milt Nichaman, stitched a Chuppah panel for his granddaughter’s wedding. A chuppah is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony.  I’ve read that a Chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will build together. Dr. Nichaman and his lovely wife Rhoda actually have seven granddaughters so this needlepoint will be used again and again.

Dr. Nichaman stitched the panel on 18 mesh (yes, 18 mesh!) in less than a year. He designed the canvas with an Israeli artist and then Dr. Nichaman transferred her design onto the canvas by laying it out on the dining room table and carefully tracing. He used a combination of Appleton wool and perle cotton #5 (for the background). The lettering across the top reads “I will be betrothed to thee forever.”

It was a pleasure to work with Dr. Nichaman and see his vision take shape into a completed Chuppah. I look forward to seeing photos of the future brides with this magnificent heirloom.

Happy stitching,
Susan

PS I have a larger picture in the shop if you would like to see the incredible detail in this piece.

Hello stitchers! We have a wonderful trunk show from Whimsy & Grace…specifically her Napoleonic Bee Collection. All canvases are 20% off. If you see and need (yes NEED) any Napoleonic Bee canvases on her website, I would be happy to order them for you.

The trunk show will be at POIA until Saturday, August 20th.

Happy stitching!
Susan

FYI I am stitching the bee napkin rings (not yet pictured on the W & G website) in the coral and butter colorway, using Claret Trio (stranded) and vintage gold balger #12 from Kreinik. I’m doing 12 napkin rings and yes, I *am* crazy. I can’t seat 12 people at my current dining room table but I bet I’ll have a bigger dining room at some point and I need to be prepared!

I’m back from the needlework market in Columbus, Ohio! It was GREAT! I bought so many terrific canvases…it’s hard to know where to start in telling you about them! Here are the highlights:

*Colors of Praise…be still my heart! What an amazing celebration of color and pattern. I almost couldn’t contain myself in her booth! I’m definitely doing a lamp shade. And I got a buckle for my hip belt. Just look at her beautiful birds? I am so excited!

*New styles of purse from Elizabeth Turner Collection and Clara Wells Needlepoint. Big surprise that I was able to find a purse, right?! The new CW purse is a little box…not on her website yet. Stay tuned. ETC is showing the Opera Bag…click here to view.

*Patti Mann had a bunch of new bunnies…whimsical and fun! I can already envision the fabulous finishing.

*New to me: Labors of Love. Awesome. Totally awesome. Love their three dimensional birds that clip onto the Xmas tree. Their Nutcracker series was AMAZING. You must click here. Scroll all the way to the bottom.  I also liked the chocolate Easter bunny with a bite taken out of the ear.

*Doesn’t everyone need a magic wand?! YES. I got Kathy Schenkel’s Abracadabra one. I think I will attach the star to a dowel and add lots of ribbons and froufrou. Watch out…I’ll be granting wishes right and left.

*Canvas Connection showed an adorable Alice in Wonderland series of little stand ups. Not yet pictured on her website. Objectively adorable though.

* I couldn’t stop chuckling in the Stitch-Its booth…I love Barbara’s signs.

So many canvases…so little time to needlepoint…I’m going to blow off the laundry and stitch instead! Apologies to my sweet Chris and his dirty clothes.

Happy stitching,
Susan

Hip Belts: Do I mean a belt you wear on your hips or do I mean a super cool belt??? I mean both! I love, love, love these fashion-forward belts from Colors of Praise! Marie’s juxtaposition of pattern and color is awesome. I’ve just started stitching #751 and am really enjoying it. It’s fun to change threads all the time. I’m using Silk & Ivory, which is usually a no-no for belts but it’s rather tight on 14 mesh and frankly I’ve got tons of the colors in my stash.

Won’t I look adorable in my hip belt? I’m picturing white jeans and a white tee…cute needlepoint shoes, too!

Happy stitching,
Susan

St. Albans is the high school my husband Chris attended…the Battle Family has lots of Bulldog Pride! The artist behind the And More needlepoint line will paint any sports team in the appropriate colors. We also have in stock Go O’s and Go Redskins (someone has to cheer on these teams, right?!) I did a different stitch in each box: Hesitation, Milanese, Horizontal Parisian, Slanted Gobelin, Byzantine.  The fibers are Trio by Brown Paper Packages with accents of Neon Rays from Rainbow Gallery.

For the finishing, I used a St. Albans athletic t-shirt…I thought that was clever, if I do say so myself!

Be thinking what teams you support: your kids’ high school, your college, your hometown…

Happy stitching,
Susan

Stitch now for a stylish summer! For the whole month of May, all in-stock belt and purse canvases are 20% off. You will be the envy of all your friends in your snappy needlepoint belt. Your girlfriends will be dying to know more about your stitched purse. You will be THE trendsetter this summer!

Ladies, start your engines (or at least point your needles)!

Happy stitching,
Susan

If you are an out of town On Point reader, email me what belt/purse you would like and I’ll see if I can find an in-stock canvas.

Keep calm and carry on: that’s my best advice when faced with a stitching conundrum. For instance, I am stitching this Black-Eyed Susan to be appliqued onto a Queen Bea Studio purse. I thought it would look really sharp and be perfect for summer. So I thought about what to do with the background…I wanted some punch! I started with a rainbow of colors for the stripes (see bottom)…thought it looked chaotic and jumpy…moved to classic black and white stripes. I like it…it will go with all my cute summer outfits. I’m also still considering the yellow stitch: basket weave or diagonal mosaic.

Always evaluate your stitching…do NOT finish the whole thing and then realize a stitch or a color doesn’t work. Keep calm and ASSESS, then carry on.

PS Don’t tell my 9th grade geometry teacher, Mrs. Bynoe, about that pathetic circle I drew. She could draw a perfect circle free-hand. Impressive.

Lastly, I love the Keep Calm and Carry On expression…check out these canvases from Unique NZ Designs that riff on wonderful British humour (English spelling in honor of Will & Kate).

Happy stitching!
Susan