Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward Scissorfish is ready for displaying! The tail and fin fringes weren’t too tough once I used a single, very long thread for multiple fringe lengths (6″, 5″, 4″, 3″, and 2″). That’s a lot of beads but easy enough to watch baseball and bead.
No more baseball for 2019 but basketball season is underway and it appears Philadelphia has a team in the Sixers!
It was good to go out of my comfort zone to try this beaded piece but don’t look for another. I’m not sure my fingers can take many more stabs! I feel a real sense of accomplishment. I’m sure if I did a second one, it would be easier and turn out better. But, nobody else is going to be noticing anything amiss with this guy as long as I stop pointing them out.
Thanks again to Cleo Robbins (Busy Lizzy) for all her guidance and holding a fourth class so several of us could get the lining in correctly.
Next up for Swirling Leaves was the blue bubbles which are also in the background. Janet Perry, NAPA Needlepoint during an online class, recommended a couple of options that would serve to bump up the glitz (from the white background) for the bubbles. So, I went with Silk Lame Braid Petite SP98 for the light blue area and a darker Silk Lame Braid Petite SP151 where the bubbles overlap.
The bubbles are in the background as they are lighter in color and not tied to the other elements. I stitched them as Janet recommended with basketweave. However, because my background was not open, my circles look round and I didn’t need to outline each with whipped backstitch.
The flash is allowing some of the sparkle to show.
Filed under: Swirling Leaves
Considering that this has leaves in the design, it is Fall, and we’re watching baseball, I decided to stitch the rest of the background.
To recap this piece, in 2015, I took Janet Perry’s cyber class about learning to create your own stitch guide. I submitted a picture of this canvas which she chose for one of the class discussions. It’s Swirling Leaves (DH3825) an Elements canvas by Dream House Ventures Inc.
Janet suggested stitching the background first so that the focal points are on top of the rest of the stitching. However, she suggested an open Tent Stitch pattern. And, I didn’t realize until it was way to late that I didn’t do it correctly. No wonder it took so long to stitch.
So, now it is the Alternating Continental stitch and still a non-directional pattern that she intended (just not open). I had plenty of Elegance E800 and plenty of time watching baseball.
I stitched all the stitches that went from lower left to upper right first. Then, worked the second pass in the opposite direction which went faster than the first pass maybe because I was distracted by baseball. I am glad that background is done.
Filed under: Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward got his lining today and the dagger beads on his tail. Thanks to Cleo for her help with the lining. She makes it look easy but she’s done 4 of these fish and does finishing as part of her business (Busy Lizzy). We saw lots of fantastic pieces done in all manners from the ones she has ready for customers and the multitude of needlework throughout her home. As much as I want to finish the fish, I enjoyed our classes and am sorry to see them end.
Now, for the tail and fin fringes!
Filed under: Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward Scissorfish has his lower face completely filled in (on bottom) and filled in with dark beads around the belly scales as I sewed up the center seam. The bugle beads are a bit wonky where they join but he’s my Edward and am happy to have him ready for our fourth class Wednesday at Cleo’s (Busy Lizzy). I need help with the lining. In the meantime, I will string tiny (13/0) seed beads for the tail and fin fringes!
One of my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter members asked about a thread substitution for Trebizond in Crescent Journey.
You wouldn’t want to use anything stranded (although as soon as I say it, I wonder what would happen except take a lot longer to stitch).
So, I decided to see how they work with the main stitches.
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Vineyard Silk Classic (gray) top
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DMC Perle #5 (brown)
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DMC Perle #8 (white)
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Trebizond (white) bottom
Here are my stitched samples.
One of the counted projects for my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter is ANG’s Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from 1999, Barbara’s Patchwork. I selected threads that DMC calls Topaz (Color A) and Raspberry (Color B). I was going for a Mustard and Scarlet combination.
I double counted each section in order to be sure that the grid was correct.
And, two more people signed up for my Crescent Journey!
We’ll begin discussing Vases, a Sharon G canvas, too. We have 3 different stitch guides.
Please join us tomorrow night, October 14 (always the second Monday of the month from 7-9 pm) at Starbucks in Wayne, PA (218 Lancaster Ave).
Filed under: General comments, Needlepoint Shops, Osterville Needlepoint Shop, Threads
The Osterville Needlepoint Shop in Mashpee, MA in Cape Cod has a great selection of threads and canvases. And, a wonderful staff. I don’t recall seeing Treenway Silk Cords and Ribbons. Love the color combinations.
Even after I said I had too many projects to purchase anything, I was invited to join the ladies to sit and stitch. Had it not been for my husband waiting in the car, I would have joined them. Two nice big tables, plenty of light, and such pleasant women. Another time! Good place for classes. And, lots more threads not seen in this photo.
Needle Me offered a summer stitching contest and while I was there getting a piece framed, Marcie had one canvas left. It looked enticing, wasn’t too big, and looked fun.
Here’s my entry. All I could think of was how many of the patterns from Sandy Arthur’s Shapes of Needlepoint books would I be able to incorporate. There are 4 ovals, 13 triangles, 20 rectangles, 5 circles, and 47 squares. The background is the woven stitch creating small diamonds. That makes 90 patterns in the 8 & 1/8″ x 2 & 1/8″ design area.
Having that much going on with stitches, I decided to use one color but with 5 values and intensities. The silk threads are Au Ver a Soie hand-dyed by Chameleon called Shades of Africa, Two Oceans. You can’t tell in the smaller shapes that all 5 values are overdyed threads. It’s not until I stitched the larger background did the overdyed effect show.
When I picked up my framed piece, I saw all the entries and there were some great entries. Well, the results are in and I came in tied for Third Place overall and First Place for Stitch Category. It was quite amazing to see all the interpretations of the small and simple canvas. Congratulations to Marcie on her 30th Anniversary and thanks for hosting the contest.
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