Fun, fun, fun – we have a new workshop you can sign up for by Vicky Witterschein of the Edwardian Needle. Pretti Petite Watering Can is 3.5 X 2.5 so it should be a fast item. The interesting part is you learn how to needle felt along with ribbon stitches, french knots, van dyke and a cute bee to finish it off with. Please let Ellen Briggs (ebriggs782 @aol.com) know if you are interested. The workshop is $35 plus shipping of $8.95.

Cyberpointers has several lovely projects that you can sign up for. The newest one I saw on their web site is Tumbling Stripes by Marilyn Owen, led by Gretchen Janesak Description:  This appealing counted canvas design is great fun to stitch – no boredom allowed because each stripe in the section is a different stitch! You can download the pattern for free or order the kit for $51. There are 3 colorways Red White and Blue – Mauve & Green – Coral & Silver

Needlefest – It’s now scheduled for August 28th and they have moved it to a larger venue with outdoor spaces and much larger shopping area to allow for ample social distancing if need be. The venue is still easily accessible from Routes 287 and 78.

FOMO ALERT !! If you want a floor light (whether you need it or not!) there is a new Mighty Bright floor light out there that is also a magnifier BUT it has 3 different settings for brightness AND a unique option to adjust the LED output from warm white eye-care light, to extra bright blue-white light. Tool-free assembly and a touch-activated power button, making it as easy to set up as it is to use. https://www.fleurdeparis.com/product/rechargeable-led-floor-light-and-magnifier-lamp/

Pantone has come out with the new color of the year !!! ULTIMATE GREY (someone I know’s favorite color !) Rainbow Gallery is happy to help with an array of wonderful threads to keep you in style.

Stitchers Garden in Fayetteville NY is closing their doors. Everything is about to go to 50% off and they will be closed by April 17th. After that they are having a Yard Sale which will include furniture and fixtures !!

M’s Canvas House is no longer going to carry Planet Earth 6 ply silk thread along with Felicity’s Garden thread. Until it’s gone her entire stock is 50% off.

Woodlawn Exhibit items – Last Call !! If your going to send anything down with Linda M you need to contact her and arrange to meet – time is running out !!

Needlepoint – yoga for the mind !

To start out this week we have to welcome a new member to our group, Helen D. Helen has known many of us for quite some time, glad you decided to join in the fun !!

Another of our members, Melita, along with a group that she stitches with, donated a canvas they all had a hand in stitching to a coffee shop where they met frequently. Since that place closed the canvas was moved to another store and is prominently displayed. What a wonderful gift to the store. Hope all the ladies can stitch again in person soon.

Speaking of stitching in person, ANG Seminar has decided to go virtual again this year. They were hesitant to have an in person event with registration way down and with many COVID variant strains creating spikes in various parts of the nation. They felt this was the safest way to go. They will be putting more information out soon but promise to have a robust program thru out the coming year.

Needlefest is going forward with their event in person on August 28th. This is put on by a wonderful shop, Needleworker’s Delight in Metuchen and is being held at the Embassy Suites in Berkeley Heights NJ. They are also having an Easter Sale – 25% off everything !! They have begun to have needlepoint trunk shows (as you probably already know from those FB Live events) and in the coming months you can look forward to the Princess and Me along with a trunk show of Accouterments needle minders – because we just can’t have enough of them !

The legendary Sandy Arthur has a new book coming – “Beards, Mustaches and Such” check it out at: https://sandyarthur.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-forecast-is.html

FOMO Alert – can you have too many scissors??? I think not ! Check these Cotton Candy Scissors out. They come in the color Lavender (and we know who loves all things purple ) You can spend hours looking at this web site !! ttp://www.embroidery.com/family.ec?efid=4146

Rainbow Gallery has a new thread line coming – Silk Lame Plus – a Silk Lame type ribbon

DebBee’s Designs has a Kit of the Month and this month is a cute “Rainy Day” though the 3 prior ones are adorable also. Each kit is 4X4 and contains everything for $40.(includes shipping) For another $10 you can get a kit to finish it yourself. The other nice thing is you can buy just one or how ever many you like, your not committed to a club. April – Rainy Day – DebBee’s Designs

A favorite shop in Houston TX is Chaparral Needle Works and there is a new owner – Heidi Henrichs – she has been a customer, employee and now owner of this shop that has been in business since 1962 when 5 friends opened it’s doors. She is lining up a lot of events and we all wish her much success !

And finally we have something I had to read 3 times to be sure I got it right !!! Diversions Needlepoint in CO on 4/1 put out that they have come up with a new class to offer inspired by Goat Yoga – stitching with Pygmy goats and Mary Lou. “Imaging how relaxing it will be to stitch a Tony Minieri stitch-guided piece with a cutie-patootie goat perched on one’s shoulder!” Other advantages are an ample supply of mohair for stitching beards, Orts are encouraged to be thrown on the floor for “recycling”, the goats have been trained to offer stitch and thread advice along with technical help as they know the difference between Cashmere and Turkey Work stitches and they are trained frame weights among other advantages. Sheer ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-gic

Needlepoint – Yoga For The Mind

Happy Holiday’s to all that are celebrating !!

Have you read the new issue of Needle Pointers magazine? The cover of the March/April issue is by our NJNA member Melita G, A Tale of 2 Stitchers features Noelle D and there is a feature story about our donation to the Bernards Township Library. Come join in the fun at NJNA – we are always active in the community and have more upcoming events. April NJNA is having Lois Kerschner and she will be talking about “Achieving Perspective in Stitching”. There is always room for new members !!

Woodlawn entries will be transported from our chapter by Linda M – please make the arrangements soon.

Have you read the blog for Serendipity Needleworks in Alabama ? Ellen Johnson has plenty of advice and ideas to offer in her blog and web site but the item I have not found on any other blog so far is “What’s For Dinner” !! I have tried one of her recipe’s and it made my dinner last night a success.

I know one person at NJNA (and I am sure there are more) is a fan of Zecca !! Bedecked and Bedazzled has a new club featuring Karen Hennessey’s whimsical birds. Included in the price is tree display to show off your work.

For those of you that are Shelly Tribbey fans, one of our local NPS, Needleworker’s Delight, is going to have a trunk show of her designs. ND has been doing Face Book Live events with contests making many of us stuck to our computer screens on Sat evenings (you know who you are!) For those grandma’s, check out the Jack In The Boxes – just too cute ! ND is going to have more trunk shows in the future for needlepoint giving us all just what we needed, another place to shop.

Barbara’s Needlepoint in SD has a new website https://www.barbarasneedlepoint.com/ For a store so far away from the NJ Shore – she has a canvas we can all relate too – Saltwater Taffy. Makes you feel like summer really is coming this year.

FOMO ALERT – New tools from Clover. The macaron is not only a magnet but it sharpens and smooths your needle. They also have an interesting beading needle for embellishment.

Needlepoint – Yoga for the mind !

Does everyone know we have a Face Book Page????? There is actually 2 with our name but one is no longer being used so the place to be on Face Book is “New Jersey Needle Artists”. Come join the fun as we are starting something new there – Work In Progress Wednesday’s. Everyone is invited to upload a picture of what they are working on each Wednesday. Ask a question, look for a stitch or just bask in the glory of everyone ooohing and aaahing at your work so far. We all love a good Show and Tell !!

Get your TV dinner and glass of wine ready – tonight is another needlepoint show starting at 6pm on Face Book courtesy of the lovely owners of Needleworker’s Delight in Metuchen NJ. They are once again putting up canvases for sale, one by one during their live event. On the side is a chat that you can claim that canvas as your own or ask a question. https://www.facebook.com/events/869382217187527

I have a correction from last week – The new store Needlepoint By The Bay is actually in Rhode Island. This makes it an even better road trip !!

One of our very favorite people is Trish Vine. You know her from those wonderful project bags she makes for our works of art. She recently moved and is in the process of unpacking BUT she is putting together a video tour of her “amazing new sewing space”. She has some new items and is updating the Pop up tray, Carry All case, Booklet Pouch and Needle Keeper. She also will be announcing a contest as soon as she gets the details together. Trish says that she will be at Needlefest this year ! We all look forward to seeing her.

Have you seen Raymond Crawford’s new web site? Home – Raymond Crawford Designs – needlepoint, where imagination lives! Very easy to navigate with nice clear pictures of his beautiful designs. The S’Mores and Berry Tart gives me cravings for summer time. If you watched New Stitch Monday by Stephanie at Ridgewood Needlepoint – she did his “Needlepoint” canvas, what a challenge !

Did you see all the contestants for the sweater contest going on at House of Needlepoint in Darien CT ? One was better than the next. Everyone must have had a fun time doing these as they had everything from the Grinch to Bernie Sanders sitting in a chair with his mittens. Can’t wait to see who is the winner as it was a hard choice.

The next meeting of NJNA – everyone will be Irish as it falls on St. Patrick’s Day ! Bring all things Irish to the meeting which this month will be a stitch in.

I read Brenda’s Blog today and she came up with an interesting gadget called a Graph Gripper. I have been doing a complicated background stitch and I’m referring back to the diagram often. This handy little gadget allows it to sit on my canvas so it’s easier to look at. Of course I had FOMO and it should be here in a day or so !! Thank you Brenda !!

Another favorite blog, The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure let us know that we have another new shop opening in our area. Needlepoint By The Bay is opening on 4/1 in East Greenwich CT – sounds like a spring road trip to me ! Thank you Jane !!!

If you like music and musical instruments have a look at Robbyn’s Nest Designs. Very interesting and rich colored canvases of instruments. They have lots of other subjects as well just as colorful and detailed but the instruments are eye catching.

So – how many ways can you use a belt canvas other than as a belt??? This week, everywhere I looked I saw another interesting idea. I read about someone using a belt canvas as the straps to a tote bag. Then you can have flip flops made with one as a friend of mind did. How about a tray made with one or 3 !! Wrap a fun hat for the sun or to hold your sun glasses. You can also have it framed and hang it over a doorway. A perfect stitch for traveling and using up stash. The uses seem to be endless ! Have you got one I didn’t think of? Comment and let me know !

Needlepoint – Yoga for the Mind !!

Members of NJNA are showing off their talents again – this time in Needle Pointers Magazine. First, an article on the Community Service Project done in memory of Pam Granick. Beautiful stitching of the Alice Peterson canvas “Children’s Classic Books” was donated to the Bernards Township Library. Then, Noelle was one of the stitchers in a “Tale of Two Stitchers” with “What R U Looking At III” – She did a magnificent job !!

Congrats to the ANG Auction – their goal amount was $11,000 and they collected $15,000 – looking forward to see what is up for bid in the next one in August.

Have you lost your MOJO to stitch? Did you fall into a needlepoint rut ? Try some of these suggestions in an article from Lycette Designs and maybe you will be back to full speed ! WWW.Lycettedesigns.com/blogs/news/stuck-in-a-needlepoint-rut

So, you have the desire back – now what? Need an idea to stitch something different? How about an Apple watch band? Bestitched Needlepoint is having a trunk show from Point 2 Pointe and they have multiple bands at 20% off. Need a gift – how about self finishing napkin holders? Quick and easy. What about a head band? Check out Stitch By Stitch for plaids and cute designs – let’s start an old is new again trend !

What about the canvases you have stitched already and are undecided what to do with them. What do you do ?!?!? Your already out of wall space and you look like the woman in the commercial that can’t sit on her couch because she has so many pillows !! We need some new and innovative ways to use all this stitching !! My contribution – sew together several stitched canvases and use them to cover a bench at the foot of your bed. Makes putting your shoes on so much nicer. You can also take those small words and hang them on a jewelry carousel or string them together into a banner. I know someone that rotates canvases based on season and holiday. If you give them as gifts how do you have them finished ? Let me hear from you if you have an idea as to what we can do with all this stitching. You may have an idea that we may not have thought of. I will put in the blog all your innovative ideas!!

It’s that time of year – time to get ready for the Woodlawn needlework show !! Everything is being done online, just go to the web site: Home | 2021 Woodlawn Needlework Show (artcall.org) and it will explain it all. NJNA is always a large exhibitor of our talents so come join in and have your work on display.

BEAD ALERT !! Swarovski will no longer be making crystals and beads for our use and others. It’s estimated that shipments will be stopped around Sept of this year. Hopefully another manufacturer will step in with a similar product but if you need any of their beads you better get them now.

A store that has been around for quite some time, Amy’s Golden Strand is going out of business. Amy Bunger is retiring from having a brick and mortar shop and everything as of now is 35% off. Hopefully she will have an online presence in the future.

Inevitably, a discussion always seems to become part of the conversation – What is your floor stand of choice? Is it the Lowery, System 4, K’s Creation … There are always opinions as to which is the better one. What is your choice? Let me know what you can’t live without. Oh, and – FOMO Alert – Lowery has a new toy, a carousel thread organizer !!

Our meeting in March will be a Stitch In. Come join the fun and see what everyone is working on. We will have our March meeting on Zoom in the comfort of your own home and you don’t have to take off your slippers ! You need to be a member for the fun so come join us. Don’t miss the discussion of upcoming chapter projects or make a suggestion. We are always looking for suggestions.

The Shining Needle Society has a new project coming up by Patricia Hartman called Magic Moments. With the colorway they show it looks south western but I can’t imagine the endless possibilities with a change of color. It’s a counted piece with all kinds of stitches like waffle, double sprat’s head, mirrored crescents, triangle Jessica’s and lots more. If you like a counted piece this sounds and looks like a very interesting piece to stitch.

BTW – I was asked if we still have some stretcher bars and the answer is – yes we do. Contact us for the sizes remaining.