Melitastitches4fun's Blog

I’m glad I practiced the Sprats Head because they really look nice without closing them all the way down the 2 sides of the triangle. I didn’t notice it on my ornaments until I’d stitched a couple in my practice ornament.

Initially, I planned on pulling out the orange of the overdyed thread but once I stitched the Amadeus, I wasn’t happy. I confirmed this with my chapter members who suggested going towards yellow.

Last Saturday, I made a trip to a Fireside Stitchery after a wonderful EGA Philadelphia Area Chapter luncheon in King Of Prussia as a guest to Carol T (ANG Apple NeedlePointer’s ).  Barbara Darlin presented her extremely entertaining program revealing Victorian fashion including undergarments (http://Unlacingthevictorianwoman.com). I would love to see her other programs too! What a delightful woman & so talented (she made many of her costumes). It was so nice of EGA to open it up to guests! Thanks again Carol!

And, I am so happy Betsy at Fireside steered me away from the yellow I initially selected in favor of the more golden yellows and a more subdued overdyed floss. I would have gone from too orange to too yellow. This is still yellow but not as yellow as I might have used. There are a lot of yellows to choose from! I got all the Sprats Heads done!!!!

Our last ANG Mainline chapter meeting was organized so that we could practice Sprats Head & Amadeus for Pinwheels. But, not everyone is stitching that to use those diagrams so I wanted a program for everyone. I was glad to see so much participation.

For those not stitching Pinwheels, members not able to attend, & any of my blog readers, I obtained the ornament directions for everything from the ANG website. You need a 4″x4″ or 5″x5″ piece of canvas & some thread.

Go to Stitch of the Month:

• For an Amadeaus Hearts ornament, http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2012/aug.php
• For Sprats Head ornament (stitch 4 in a square), http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2011/jul.php

ANG has started providing periodic web extras (http://www.needlepoint.org/magazine.php). The finishing and tassel making instructions can be downloaded:

• Point-to-Point joining technique
• Betsy’s cord and tassel making instructions.

While you are there, why not try the November 2013 web extra:

• Star in the Meadow – A Petite Stocking designed by Pat Mazu.

Mine were stitched using diagrams from the Pinwheels directions. And, I used the tassel instructions from The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen because I had it stitched before those website directions came out.