Filed under: Amanda Lawford's Christmas Angel
I blogged about Amanda Lawford’s Christmas Angel that I started in September 2023 periodically until I finished it in January 2024 https://melitastitches4fun.com/category/amanda-lawfords-christmas-angel/. In summary, it was for a woman who had started it 40 years ago and wanted it finished, but she just couldn’t find time to stitch and preferred to spend her leisure time elsewhere. So, I stitched it and she sent me a photo of it finished. I would have loved to see it on top of the tree, but I was happy to get any photo! It turned out great. She was thrilled, and so am I. Ignore the little piece of the background above her left wing that, for some reason, will not be erased even with Photoshop.
Filed under: Amanda Lawford's Christmas Angel
I’ve learned that Vallerie Needlepoint Gallery now owns the Amanda Lawford line of canvases. I didn’t see any tree top angel canvases, but you can contact them directly.
Here is the back of the angel with her gold trim done. It used an unlabeled wooden spool of Kreinik from my stash and another new spool. I had 2 new spools, and one was a perfect match. The other seemed just a tad less gold. Overall, though, Kreinik seems like a very consistent product over the years.
Her back is all done.
I delivered her to the delighted owner, Linda in Media, earlier today. She got emotional because she started this over 40 years ago! It’s a shame the sparkle in the wings and trim doesn’t photograph well.
Thanks to Needlepoint Nation, I found a store experienced in finishing tree top angels and let Linda know about them.
Next time I post, it’ll be finished and on top of her tree. She promised to send me a photo.
The gold trim on the skirt and cuffs on her sleeves was done with a metallic thread that came with the other threads and was wrapped around a cardboard tube. There was half of the identification tag in a bag indicating that it was Balger #16 Braid Gold 002 from Kreinik. Interestingly, my stash has one unlabeled cardboard tube that I will use on the back of the angel (second unstarted canvas). I figured that was how Kreinik used to supply their metallics, and now it’s confirmed! Luckily, mine is a match because there is not enough of hers (mine is on the left and the original is the right tube in photo).
The yellow-gold of her left wing was done as well in #16 Braid and was a little tight using 6 strands of DMC Floss to fill in, but I want it to match what was already done.
I finished the front of the angel in about 6 weeks (not steadily working on it) but if I try to get the back done for the woman before my December monthly meeting in Media for the Needlework and Textile Guild of Media, I will have to dedicate more time to it.
I offered to send the woman a photo, and she was very happy to see it and said it looks fantastic! That makes me happy, too.
Thanks to Facebook’s Needlepoint Nation,
this is from Amanda Lawford’s old line, Les Nouvelles, circa 1970s/1980s. “Patty Paints Needlepoint” replied to tell me she worked as a copy artist for her, and she remembered painting this canvas. If you haven’t heard of Needlepoint Nation, you are missing a great resource.
Patty has also replied to my inquiry about a certain area of the canvas where I wasn’t quite sure what I was seeing. She graciously responded, and that issue has been resolved. I’m still not 100% sure about a couple of smaller areas and if extra stitching along the outer edge is needed for the finisher, but I’ll bring it to the next greatest resource I have, my chapter members from ANG Main Line Stitchers at our Stitch-in Saturday.
The angel came to me partially stitched belonging to a woman who started it 40 years ago. We met, and I have taken it on as my first stitch for hire project. Why? She is very nice, trying to establish a work-life balance, and can’t fit this in. And I don’t have a basketweave project to work on now. As soon as I agreed, she said she felt lighter. She did an excellent job on what she already did. She used 6 stranded DMC floss as is (not laying the thread). So, I will do likewise.
When I got home and looked more carefully, I found her threads were neatly organized in bags and labeled as to what areas they are to go to. I didn’t promise it’d be done by a certain date because I do have other projects. It wouldn’t be able to get finished by Christmas this year anyway. It’s coming into baseball playoffs, and football is back. So, I should make good progress.
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