I wanted to post this closer to Christmas and almost forgot! I shared the comprehensive review that Pat Mazu provided on my two submissions as part of the ANG Correspondence Course, “I Can Do It” with my ANG Main Line Chapter at a previous meeting. Pat discussed that while the center motif of the stocking was visually joined to the background with a continuity of color, the center motif would have been more emphatic if the pearl metallic and the silver metallic were switched. The pearl metallic tends to vanish into the white canvas. This makes the four, blue double cross stitches the focal point of the motif. Excellent point. Another interesting point was that I correctly allowed the shading to fade out towards the toe which is an area of the stocking, in Pat’s opinion, that should not become dominate. And, as a service to students of her courses, she offers her finishing service at very affordable rates. I took advantage of her offer and love how she finished them. Thanks again Pat for the time you took to comment on each piece and to answer my finishing questions.
The “I Can Do It” booklet is about 45 pages and will serve as a wonderful resource for additional pieces. There are templates for various shapes and she breaks down designing into very simple terms. I used exact or slightly modified stitch patterns located in the booklet. Yes, I Did Do It and You Can Do It too!!
This is the mini-stocking (4″ by 6″) and the light bulb (2″ x 5″) I designed.
I finished stitching Zapotec Rug designed by Toni Gerdes back in February and now it has been “finished” into a rug through Nimble Needle of NJ. I may get an acrylic tray to display it. For now, I will use an easel display stand.
It’s still available to stitch through the ANG Correspondence Courses. Loved working with the wool threads.
Filed under: ANG Correspondence Courses, ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, Spirit of Jean by Kathy Rees
I’m glad I had time to get back to Spirit of Jean by Kathy Rees and finished in time to send for a critique! I used some threads from Mae, a past member of my ANG Main Line chapter; thus, the name, Spirit of Jean and Mae.
I expected both sides of the dagger Amadeus to have the threads line up and match. But, I am thrilled that the brown matched in the middle because the dagger is created by stitching the top half and then the bottom half up to meet the top half. I left the top one partially stitched and you can see the finished one on the bottom.
After I got started on the background, I realized I would run out of the thread which I then found out had been discontinued. So, I headed to Nimble Needle where Karen had more WDW straw (which surrounded the center waffle) and a different Thread Gatherer Silk to choose from. Both would have worked but Karen reminded me WDW is cotton & I had started with a silk which has a better shine to it. So, I evened up the 2 sides instead of ripping out & finished with the new silk.
The threads I used were:
Kreinik 080C, 031
Weeks Dye Works (WDW) Straw 1121 but The Thread Gatherer Silk ‘N Colors Toasted Marshmallow SNC255 or Shepherd’s Moon SNC097 was used when I ran out of WDW 1121.
WDW Bright Leaf 1227, 1333
Waterlilies Umbria 204
ThreadworX 130
Watercolours Raspberry Sherbet
Gloriana Fall Foliage 077
Neon Rays N26
Filed under: ANG Correspondence Courses, ANG CyberPointer's Chapter | Tags: Spirit of Jean and Mae
Because we have the ANG CyberPointers meeting over Labor Day weekend & because I am anxious to get back to stitching Spirit of Jean, I am dedicating what stitching time I have this weekend to this piece. After reading the meeting reports Saturday morning, I finished the 4 diamond pavilions. Then, we enjoyed the afternoon at the Arden Fair & killer Golden Margaritas over dinner with our Delaware friends!
The members leading CPs certainly do a fine job. And, this is one of the Correspondence Courses they voted to do as a group.
Sunday morning I worked on the Smyrna stitches. I got to this point and realized that I had missed the inner ring of Smyrnas. So, I ripped & started restitching it Sunday. And, Monday, I got back to where I was!
I’m glad I had to redo it. I didn’t have enough of the thread for the diamond pavilions. So, I found a better match in my stash! And, I rethought my upcoming planned thread placement & made a couple of changes. The over dyed Watercolours was from Mae’s stash & the length was fantastic to match the pattern symmetrically. I found the center green & stitched outwards to all sides. I’m very happy!
Great weekend with friends & for stitching!
Filed under: ANG Correspondence Courses, ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, Spirit of Jean by Kathy Rees
The ANG CyberPointers chapter voted to offer Spirit of Jean by Kathy Rees, a current Correspondence Course, to our members & I signed up! Recently, I obtained some great stash from Mae V-D, a past member of my local chapter, Main Line Stitchers, who passed away. So, the basis of the colorway came from her threads. Plus, Mae is my middle name & my grandmother’s name!
You can see in the upper left side of the photo the Watercolours tag that has the color and lot number handwritten – now that’s old! And, I’m not sure what the overdyed floss is on the far left but it goes with the Watercolours perfectly. It is amazing that all the threads are over-dyes and makes it more challenging to select threads.
I met Ginny, another CP and member of my other local Keystone chapter who signed up too, at Fireside Stitchery the weekend that the instructions arrived in the mail (thanks Candy for all your work) to select our threads. But, I used some Weeks Dye Works with very little variation to get what I wanted. I was thinking how much easier it would have been to select the optional kit but I love these colors. It’s been very fun stitching although it requires very careful counting!!
I used Jean Hilton’s Stimulating Stitches to put together a matching design to Pat Mazu’s Diamond in a Square and finally got them into a pair of bookends for my current manager. That’s the fifth set of bookends!
This stitched design used both blues. It works! But, I must say, it happened again. I had a heck of a time following my own pattern. It didn’t help that my color markers were random. But, I finally decided it was better to work the dark red rows along the middle then do the light red above it before tackling the blues.
Liz provided great insights into Bargello. This was a fun project & the booklet will remain a great resource.
I finished the last of the two sections, 3 and 8, to place them in bookends. I enjoyed the project although I did find following the patterns more difficult than I expected probably because I was too distracted by work and by watching TV when I stitched. But, they turned out fine. It certainly wasn’t the instructions from Liz Morrow – they were clear and very detailed. It is a great resource on Bargello. And, I have been inspired to try my own small design now! That’s as much my goal for doing a project – learn & grow.
The pattern had either an M or a W depending on which way I inserted the design. Since I gave these to my husband, Bill aka William, it appears as follows:
I like the collage type frames & decided that these individual pieces would look great in one. And, it saves me a ton of money. Framers do excellent work but they are so expensive.
I still have 2 more square designs to stitch & they will fit in bookends! Yes, I still have more of them (I couldn’t resist the sale).
Sections 1 and 5 worked up quickly. Although again, I zoned out on Section 5 when I didn’t make the stitches of row 1 and row 2 the same stitch. But, the pattern is still staggered as it is supposed to be.
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