Needlepoint Study Hall: August 2012

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Hug Me Company and Miss Malibu

Hi Everybody... Robin here.

One of my favorite sayings is Hugs, but did you know there is a company based in New Orleans, LA called Hug Me Company?

Yes, there is. The owner is Amy Yuseph. The Hug Me Company makes elegant bags and accessory bags for needlepoint, knitting, travel and general use.

I first met Amy while attending the TNNA Market. Her booth was filled with her fabric bags. Beautifully made; workmanship in the USA. Fabrics to envy. Quality craftsmanship. I'm sure your favorite needlepoint shop carries the Hug Me Company line. Knitting Shops carry them, too.

Recently, Vicky De Angelis did a wonderful blog about the Hug Me Company. With her permission, here are some of her photos from the Mostly Needlepoint blog:

I also have a Hug Me Bag to show you... a new envelope shape; just purr-fect for smaller projects; like the size of the Fab Firs by NeedleDeeva, for example.

Look at the inside. Love the fabric. Notice how the design of the envelope flap aligns with the body. It measures 13" W x 11.5" H and has a zippered pocket inside as well as a zippered closure. Nice.

(P.S. here's a peek of something I'm currently stitching for Ruth Schmuff. So cute. I will share it with you on another day.)

Here is the link for the Hug Me Company website: http://www.hugmeco.com/ There, you can see the styles and the fabrics available. Here are some screenshots from her website.

Which brings me to another, yet related, topic: the 2013 Miss Malibu contest. Question: What does the Hug Me Company and the 2013 Miss Malibu contest have in common? Answer: Arielle Yuseph, of course.

Arielle Yuseph is the daughter of Amy Yuseph. Arielle is a needlepointer and a knitter, and she is entering the 2013 Miss Malibu contest. How cool is that?

And... Arielle needs our help. This year, the 2013 Miss Malibu contest is noticing who get the most "likes" on the Miss Malibu Facebook page; the results will be part of the selection process.

Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/miss.malibu and scroll down until you find Arielle's entry. Then "Like" her photo as well as "Like" the Miss Malibu page.

The pageant takes place August 18, 2012 (which is this coming Saturday) so be sure to "Like" Arielle today and wish her the best success.

Until the next time... Hugs, Robin

Friday, August 10, 2012

DeriDolls: History has never been so cute

Hi Everybody... Robin here.

Summer heat, Olympic games, and DeriDolls. Those have been my pre-occupiers latetly.

What's that, you say? What is a DeriDoll? A DeriDoll is made by a very talented and creative person who goes by the name of Deri. I believe she lives in Portugal. Lucky for us, the internet brings her talents close for all to enjoy.

Elvis by DeriDolls

Thanks to Denise Felton from needlework.craftgossip.com who first opened my eyes to DeriDolls. Here is the link: http://needlework.craftgossip.com/?s=deridoll

From what I have read, Deri first began making these 3.5" felt dolls when she first became an aunt.

Here is what Deri said on her Etsy page:

In 2004 I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands and nothing to do with it. That's when I became more interested in crafts and decided to try out a few.

I tried a bunch of them: knitting, sewing, painting. Anything that caught my attention, really.

Then I found out I was going to be an aunt. =) That propelled me to try and make cute things in felt for my niece and it soon became evident that that was the craft that clicked. I still use the knowledge I gained from my previous experiments, but hand sewing felt dolls is what I love best.

What you'll see in my works is a mix of that recently discovered passion with an old time passion of mine: History. It doesn't matter what historical period or what part of the world, I love it and take great delight in journeying with my dolls to everywhen and everywhere.

What I love about her work is the attention to detail. The dolls are completely handmade from different kinds of felt. She uses beads and sequins to add embellishment. Fabric and trims are used to enhance the period costumes.

Historical DeriDolls. Tudor DeriDolls. Fictional Character DeriDolls. Modern DeriDolls. She does them all. Here are some of my favorites. I also like seeing her inspirational photo with the final DeriDoll.