Flowering Maple with Celeste Chalasani at National Needlearts Academy (NAN), Leaves

July 20, 2025, 9:37 pm
Filed under: 2025, Flowering Maple with Celeste Chalasani, National Academy of Needlearts (NAN)

Flowering Maple with Celeste Chalasani began in March at National Needlearts Academy (NAN). I worked on it some in April but then it took a back seat until now.

It moved up in the queue so that I could get my 12″ bars available for ANG Seminar classes in August. If I can’t get it done, I can thank Linda’s Boutique because she let me know she has them available!

I am reminded why I prefer canvaswork after working on this over the past few days. I’m using one strand of floss in a small embroidery needle, size 10. The repetition of pressing against my middle finger hurts so much I had to pull out a finger pad. I’m stitching through 2 layers. The background fabric is silk shantung and we were instructed to stitch it to a cotton backing as part of our pre-work assignment. It not really thick it’s just that the needle keeps pressing the same spot.

I like previewing the direction of the stitch and placing them along the route and going back to fill them in – good tip from Celeste.

A rainy weekend, the PGA Open Championship, Phillies, and PBS Sunday night TV (Patience and Grandchester) makes for great stitching time! I needed this time because Seminar is less than a month away.

The small needle was starting to bother my index finger too. Petals are next but I’ll give my fingers a few days rest. I did 3 in class and need 6 more. Then, there is cutting (the scary part) and attaching them.