Florentine Fancywork by Toni McKelley is progressing nicely despite some discrepancies. They are allowing me to make my individual interpretations here and there which Toni encourages anyway.
Other than making it a little longer, there are no overly evident differences in the Bargello Ribbon. Once you establish the first line, the rest is easy and fun.
I did select the thread portions of the Watercolours. The yellows are on the top and bottom smaller areas while the peach/orange areas are for the center three areas.
The dark areas are a brownish portion of Rainbow Tweed selected for contrast. Toni recommended 1 strand which is a little thin but 2 strands looked too heavy. Since it is on a brown canvas, I stayed with 1 strand.
The horizontal band if Hungarian Diamond or Pavillion stitch is larger than the way it’s diagrammed in The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christiansen and so I am calling it a variation.
Since my space is slightly wider (not sure why), I got full units which makes me very happy. Having one side differ from the other was not thrilling me.
Since Toni used a different overdyed thread from mine, I didn’t have enough of a blue portion in either skein of Watercolours 239 Wheat Fields I had and so I used more of the pink/orange portions than the yellow/orange portions used around the border. I’ll use the blue portion elsewhere.
Filed under: Florentine Fancywork by Toni McKelley, Other People's Designs
Once I determined my side border strategy for Florentine Fancywork by Toni McKelley, it worked up nicely. It is different from both of hers (stitched and diagrammed as they differ from each other).
By extending the band, I can fit 9 flower motifs but space them into 3 groups: 2, 3, and 4. Her stitched grouping of 8 was 3, 1, and 4 but more space in between each group. And the diagram was for 9 flower motifs with no spacing.
This is fun!
Filed under: ANG Chapter Book Projects, Chapter Book Project, Jeannie's Windmills
In 2014, I led the Chapter Book Project from 2013-2014, Jeannie’s Windmills by Pat Mazu for ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter and I never posted the finished bag.
Trish Vine finished this for me since she was still in our area back then and we were both in the ANG Keystone Garden chapter. She did and does fantastic work. It’s my fault it looks a little bumpy because I stitched it on interlocking canvas and used a fabric backing to hide the traveling stitches. I have several of Trish’s project bags including the one she made for MLS’s 40th anniversary gift. She’s on Facebook under Trish Vine Designs.
ANG has been and is releasing new pieces in the Chapter Project Book (6 in 2022, 2025, and 2026). But this and other wonderful past year’s projects going back to 2007 are still available and are free to chapters. Since it is for chapter use, the access to full instructions is limited to chapter leaders.
Filed under: Florentine Fancywork by Toni McKelley, Other People's Designs
There are opportunities in this piece to use color-matched portions of Watercolours 088 Mountain Meadow in the border. I enjoy doing that.
The flowers are the yellow/peach portions while the bottoms are the green portions. I worked from the sides to the center.
And, I have another full skein of Watercolours (different lot but very similar) for the rest of the design to use as it comes off the skein.
I started in the middle of the top border with the Periwinkle in case I had basted incorrectly. But, it was fine. I did make a counting error by not looking closely enough at the Master Diagram which I did correct (after some hesitation).
Normally, I would complete the whole border and Toni recommends the top and left side be done first. However, after looking at the Master Diagram and the stitched piece on the cover, I found definite differences. It took some studying to figure out what was happening because the overall size is the same or similar. Finnally, I saw the biggest difference is the 8 flower motifs spaced 3, 1, 4 on her original stitched piece versus the 9 evenly spaced flower motifs on the Master Chart. She probably thought it would be easier for stitchers to do the 9 but I really prefer the 8. So, I will stitch the side borders later just to be sure no more variations occur.
Also, the flower motifs were not diagrammed with the green stem extending into the flower. So, I am adding an oblong cross stitch over part of the flower in the center. Here’s half done, half not done yet. Which do you prefer?
Sue S and Kathy A got us primed for next month’s penny rug project by having us work on these hearts. The materials supplied were precut felt heart shapes, floss, batting, and a button. The buttonhole stitch allowed most of us to finish prior to lunch. I attached the loop to the batting before closing the two sides.
Unfortunately, I will miss next month’s project.
Filed under: Other People's Designs
My mother’s mother, Mae – Grandma to me was very crafty – into everything (rug hooking, crochet, knitting, ceramics, leather tooling)! Here she is at 62 and it would be about 10 years later when she’d be teaching me needlework.
I’ve posted some of her pieces but realized that I have missed a few.
These appear to be crewel embroidery. And, she probably did the finishing too. The oval ones are dated 1981 (2 years prior to her death at 85 years of age). The square ones are not dated but I think they would be from the 70s.
Great memories of our time together!
I had to cut out portions of Rhapsody to get enough of the purple color to span the top wide area. I used the lighter white portions on both smaller side areas below.
Again, I swapped out French Knots for cross stitches. The 1×2 alternating cross stitches fit nicely in the area with the top cross pointing towards the center as has been done throughout this design.
This is my progress after stitching during my EGA Brandywine’s Quarterly meeting, ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter Stitch-in, and football.
I’ll save the background for another Stitch-in.
Filed under: ANG Needle Pointer's Article, Sunflower Heart by Judyann Designs
Here’s the finished Sunflower Heart by Judyann Needle Art Canvas Design (Ginny Stapleton’s stitch guide is in the July/August 2025 issue of Needle Pointers). I used her stitches and my threads.
I used the thicker stabilizer with 1/2″ padding and magazine board covered with a fabric from Walmart but there is no brand name. So, I used Google Lens to search the bar code. Instantly, it’s identified as Fabric Editions Create It Texture Twilight Fabric Creative Cuts Fat Quarter Cotton (18″ x 21″) in blue, with a texture twilight pattern. Amazing what the internet can identify.
The cording is a bronze Metallic Soft Twist Trim Cord 1/8″ by Access Commodites. For attaching it, I found Bijoux, MMT425, Pyrite in my stash. I put a note in the cording package to use that Bijoux again. I used one strand and pulled pretty good without the thread breaking. The bronze color goes well with the beads and contrasts enough from the yellow. The thickness of the cording helped me round out the edge. I was surprised that I got the two ends to mesh as well as I did. Perhaps the thicker stabilizer helped.
I am very happy with the finishing!
Something bright as we experience near record cold temps at night – single digits! Mid 20s for highs. So, the last batch of snow hasn’t melted yet which is atypical for us in Philadelphia. I’m enjoying my time indoors!
It’s snowing here today and across a large part of the US according to the news. Luckily, we can stay indoors – no appointments ot plans this week except for a friend’s birthday dinner on Thursday. Fingers crossed we’ll make it there. In the meantime, football, TV, reading, and needlepoint will keep me happily occupied. In honor of our snow . . .
Here I used a wintery fabric with white, silver, and gold snowflakes for this Christmas Ball. I centered a large white snowflake on the back.
Working on a smaller piece isn’t easier! The ornament wasn’t exactly round to start with. I’d basketweaved aound the outer edge and had already stitched the outer gold ring thinking the cording would cover any irregularities but the cording is thin. One pucker is showing. I do like the loop which was stitched through the basketweave. I like the basketweave showing around the edge. But, the edges are a tad wavy. Overall, this one is ok but not as good as others. From the front, to most people, it’ll look just fine!
Stay safe all and hope you enjoy some time for stitching.
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 
Filed under: General comments, Woodlawn Needlework Exhibition
Bill and I made it to Woodlawn’s 63rd Annual Needlework Show on Friday. Not the prettiest of days but at least no rain. Sunny enough to make photography difficult in some parts of the house though some rooms are dark.
Nelly’s Needlers handled over 600 pieces for the show and baked 6,000 ginger cookies. One room upstairs held a non-judged exhibition from the Loudoun Sampler Guild and the ANG Northern Virginia Chapter. This one was my favorite in that room (a sunny room). It’s Stumpwork Iris designed by Michael Roberts.
The winners were posted beforehand & I had to look. So, I knew Flowers Along a Rhode won Honorable Mention (410). Tag numbers are in parens. I sent it down with other members of New Jersey Needle Artists. Sorry if I missed someone but I count a total of 11 members who submitted 31 pieces and won 8 awards. They all looked great! I think you can spot mine in the first room you walk into (far right, 2nd down).
Also on the wall in the center, 2nd down is Noelle Drolles (141). This piece was featured in the ANG Needle Pointers magazine in July/August 2025. It’s a painted canvas called Small Window Box #1 designed by Jean Smith Designs. The Editor of NeedlePointers, Patty Walcott, also stitched it as one of the features, A Tale of Two Stitchers, written by Linda Mosch (also from NJNA). Congratulations Noelle on your Blue Ribbon!
Speaking of Needle Pointers, there were 2 stitched Art Deco Trees. That was interpreted from a cross stitch pattern into canvaswork by Deborah Reichert, on the Editorial Staff of Needle Pointers for the November-December 2024 issue. The stitchers were Norma Hiller (205) and Eileen Kee (210). It’s so exciting to see pieces from the magazine being stitched!
Speaking of Norma Hiller, she put in 3 pieces and I love them – as usual – we have similar taste! The other 2 were Holly (221) by Dawn Donnelly and Klimpt Kimono (207) designed by Toni Gerdes. I’ve got to finish mine.
More exciting than seen pieces from Needle Pointers stitched is finding my designs stitched by others! I was double excited to find two of mine on exhibit. First, I saw Overdyed Spools (866) stitched by Paula Davis. This is an EGA Petite Project, free to all members. It’s also a free project for ANG Chapters through the 2017 Chapter Project Book. One skein of Watercolours is used, and the thread is manipulated to create the color flow in the upper left and lower right corners. She did really well.
Second, I saw A Spring Sampler (240) stitched by Sherri Gordon with the EGA Mollies Chapter in PA. They had 20 people who decided to stitch this. This is counted canvaswork and a pdf is available for purchase. If interested, leave a comment and I’ll contact you. Anyway, hers is fascinating and looks great. I love what the difference in values does to the design.
Back to other popular counted canvas designers. Toni Gerdes who was already mentioned for Klimpt Kimono (207) had more representation. There was Zelda the Zebra (222), Gertrude the Giraffe (224), and Monet’s Kimono (208) all by Eileen Kee.
Moon on the Water designed by Wendy Moore was represented 4 times (417, 561, 651, 792). It’s getting too late to type all the names of stitchers. Wendy’s Nola Lily (140) too.
Ginnie Morrow’s Nova (200) goes back awhile but is timeless. It’s a patchwork collage of 396 squares.
Debbie Rowley of DebBee’s Designs was represented by Angles (630), Starstruck (232), and Tribute (401 & 419). List.
There was Summer Fireworks (409), Perfect Squares 2 (402 & 418), Passages (407), and Versailles (406, 408) by Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes of BeautifulStitches. NJNJ stitchers! They hosted her for a workshop after Seminar in 2025.
Lorene Salt’s Laissez les Bon Temps (404) was there.
Patches by Susan Kerndt (223-Eileen Kee again). I have her Holiday Patches on my To Do list.
Instructions for Pieces of Eight (249) by Gayle Bicknell are available at Project Reprints – Needlepoint Now https://share.google/1ayOk01FlXDtXd6TP They are reprinted all in one issue for $18. I stitched this years ago (search my blog).
I never framed my Gay Ann Rogers Downton Abbey pieces because the way Deborah Logsdon (793) framed hers is how I would love to frame mine but I don’t have the space.
Jennifer Riefenberg’s More Color Play (443) was there. And, if you look back to the wall photo from the first room, you’ll see three of hers (442) – Beets, Carrots, and Radishes. Also, on the wall is a triptych (760) called Flowers in a Garden under the category Surface Embroidery. I digress from the counted canvas designs.
Joyce Marshall’s Mystic Convergence (403) is a lovely design and lends itself to various colorways. She’s a relatively new designer and her pieces are at joyous-designs(.com).
Gail Stafford’s Arrival of Spring (790) was fun to see. And, I love Dusting of Snow (791).
Lattice-Scape (698) by Kurdy Biggs looks complicated and interesting.
I saw pieces designed by Kathy Rees of Needle Delights including Ripple Rotation #2 (143) stitched by Karen Milano of Nimble Needle in NJ. And, Rainforest Revisited (627).
Speaking of Karen Milano, she also stitched Grace (142) designed by Orna Willis the members of her EGA Monmouth chapter did as a Stitch of the Month. Congratulations to Karen for a Second Place Award. My mother would have loved this colorway!
Obviously, that is my favorite category of needlework. But, I appreciate all types. So, here are my favorites in other commercial categories:
Surface Embroidery (560) Jacobean Design. Congratulations to Donna Pence for a Blue Ribbon.
Crewel, Enchanted April, designed by Elsa Williams (604) and is impressive at 10″ x 24″.
How could you not love this stumpwork butterfly (581)?
Counted Cross Stitch, Oyster Bay New York Landscape, Louis Comfort Tiffany (681).
Bill’s People Choice vote went to My Grandpa (836).
My favorite commercial design goldwork piece was Jubilation taught and/or designed by the Royal School of Needlework (631 and 128 just as pretty but not shown here).
It seemed like more Blackwork was present than in past years. There were geometrics Latitude & Longitude (772) that came as a pair at about 5″ wide and 18″ long, Save the Stitches (247), and Peppermint Purple 2024. The non-geometrics Avice Tyndall (233), Take Me to Church (704), and Crowned Crane shows that Blackwork can be any design!
Beadwork goes to a Panda Amulet (827)
I recognized Ornament Stack (823) designed by Alison Hodgkins as a painted canvas and think they should go in their own category. Apparently, from what I learned from Google, she wrote the stitch guide too. Love the background.
Charlie Harper designs are fun. There were Birds (326), koalas in Down Under (434) and my favorite Birrrrrrd Feeder (705).
I won’t post original designs on my blog but if you can go, be sure to check out:
There are still more lovely pieces but I’ve got to get to other stuff! A visit would be well worth your time and effort.