This design was my first attempt at an all Scotch stitch design. But, I almost didn’t finish this design because of the reversed heart pattern in the corners. It was a tricky pattern that I needed to chart out for each corner because the hearts remain upright. I couldn’t rotate the canvas.
For the rest of the outer border, I used Scotch and Smyrna stitches.
The center flower used a Watercolours, Baby Breath. The skein is from the stash of a deceased member. It has a hand written dye lot but no color number assigned. So, it’s quite an old skein. I love the colors and was particularly careful to have the threads color movement match on each side. And, it goes with peach and teal/turquoise very nicely including Crystal Braid CR17, Vineyard Silk Classic C-079 & C-184, Trebizond TRA701, and Splendor S818 (I’m not sure what Kreinik threads I used). I charted the center using offset scotch stitches over 3, 4, 6, and 7 threads before stitching.
I put the piece away quite some time ago and just recently found it. So, I decided that my own design wouldn’t beat me! And, it didn’t. It’ll make a nice companion piece in our recently repainted bedroom.
If I were to do this again, I wouldn’t be so particular about the color movement in the center flower. And, I would use a Mosaic stitch on the sides instead of all Smyrna stitches just for variety.
Filed under: Come Design With Me by Orna Willis
All framed and ready to hang. I need more walls!
This is from the online class with Orna Willis, Come Design With Me where she explained how she designs a piece as she goes. Orna set up a private Facebook group where we could ask questions and share our progress. It was interesting to watch this design develop and have her explain her thought process. At the end, class members named the design, Come Dance With Me. The instructions are on sale at her website Adorn By Orna. Use your stash to make your own colorway.
Thanks again Orna for taking us on that journey. It was an excellent learning experience.
Metalforms Part 5 and the last had four areas to stitch. However, I added a fifth area which is near the upper left middle because it seemed too big to leave empty especially after remembering Linda stitched the Jagged Linking Block larger. By the time I thought about it, it was too late because the edge had compensating stitches. So, I added the small mosaics (over 2) above both the Triangular Scotch (over 3) and the Scotch Cross Corners (over 5). Hopefully, what I added blends in because I related the stitch to the surrounding stitches and made them smaller. I used Silk Lame Braid SL52.
This was challenging at times but that’s a good thing.
A beautiful piece of stumpwork greeted Linda and I as we entered Fort Hunter Mansion in Harrisburg, PA. Then, we enjoyed meeting and joined Judy and Joanne from Reading, members of ANG Apple Needlepointers, for a tour of the mansion by a lovely docent. We missed you Carol T! Feel better soon.
There were so many more pieces than I expected. Because some had multiple components, there had to be close to 150 items on display. They were distributed in all the rooms. We were able to get close to them. And, there were antique pieces of needlepoint throughout the mansion too!
Participating guilds include Apple Needlepoint Chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild, Molly Pitcher Stitchers, Susquehanna, Nittany Valley, York White Rose and Lancaster Red Rose chapters of the Embroiderers Guild of America. The pieces represented about 2 dozen forms of needle arts including beadwork, blackwork, canvas work/needlepoint, counted cross stitch, counted thread, crewel embroidery, goldwork, hardanger, hock swedish weaving, Japanese embroidery, lacework, petit point, pulled thread, Rozashi, surface embroidery, stumpwork, thread painting with machine, and wool felt applique.
We were allowed to take photos without flash. But, there were so many and I’m only going to post a couple of the exhibited items and a couple of vintage ones.
Stumpwork
Pulled work. Notice that the right in all white is the same pattern as the one on the left stitched with colored threads. Thanks to the docent for pointing that out to us.
These are excellent stitchers and the participating guilds should be commended for putting on a stellar exhibit.
Antique firescreens
Vintage sewing box and tools. Having the spools draped across the front makes such an efficient use of space and is pretty.
And, we can’t go that far without stopping by Half Moon Handwerks. While Debbie helped Linda find fabulous fabrics for her quilt projects, I drooled over the Chameleon threads which I have only found here. Chameleon Threads are hand dyed in Africa and are wonderful. I especially love the Shades of Africa Two Oceans. But, they also have amazing colors in Perle 8, 12, 16 (not in this store but according to what I found online), Soie d’ Alger, Soie de Paris, Au Ver a Soie, and stranded cotton.
I looked through a half dozen books and settled on the Balloon Stitch from Sharon G’s Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations for the background. Perhaps I was influenced by her saying it has a bit of an Oriental flare to it and suggested it for a kimono. Several Lantern stitches from Keys to Canvas Embellishment by Julia Snyder were nice options too.
It’s a dark blue thread, Impressions, which makes seeing the pattern a little difficult in the photo (used 1 thread). The black collar, cuffs, and hem are just a Satin stitch using 4 strands of Splendor.
Interestingly, one of the stitch guides recommended a lovely open composite stitch. It looks really nice but since it is for a background, I wonder if it might distract the eye from the focal point. So, I selectd a completely filled in pattern that will certainly remain unobtrusive.
Filed under: The Thistle
The Thistle by Carole Lake and Michael Boren is a free project from my ANG Keystone Garden Chapter. We got an antique blue canvas (8″ x 8″) and similar colored threads from what’s listed in the instructions from Needle Pointers magazine (Sept 2014).
The thistle was stitched first and I made the green leaves bigger than I realized. So, I had to make the border a little longer causing the side gold areas to be adjusted to fit the open area. Turned out fine. The design is not large-only 3″ x 4&1/2″.
I switched the navy DMC floss to the navy Impressions 7011 mainly because I didn’t want to lay the two borders of backstitch. And, I’m very happy that I did because it made wrapping the backstitch borders so easy and gives a very uniform appearance.
And, instead of the muted lavender blue overdyed Watercolour 162 provided or the baby blue white overdyed Thread Gatherer Silken Pearl 15/3 SP5 081 recommended, I used Thread Gatherer Sheep’s Silk Lilac SPS075 for a more imposing realistic appearance.
The chapter encourages participation in projects by awarding points toward a gift certificate. The more completed, the more money. This is my first completion for one point this year (June 2018). Larger projects are worth 2 points. And, showing up for our meeting during the busy month of December gets you one point.
It took me until June 2022 to frame it as a gift for our friend Debbie. Hopefully, a flower will perk her up after losing her 18-year old dog, Ollie.
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