I am 8 months late celebrating a 10 year anniversary of my blog! I’ve been posting less photos this year trying to decide what to do about moving forward because my 3 GB of free space was just about used up. Do I start a new blog? Do I go back through over 700 posts and delete pictures to open up space? Do I upgrade and pay for more space?
Well, I have upgraded. Now, I have 13 GB of free space which means that I have over 30 years of space for more pictures and God willing that’s about what I need! Can you imagine 30 more years of stitching? I sure hope so.
So, now I can use up precious space and show my rematted Sisters piece. I had Pam at Romeo’s cover up the stitched silver border which emphasized that the canvas was warped. You can’t see it with just the background unless you really scrutinize it.
Before.
After.
So much better!
I may have to take a class to learn how to use all the other upgrades that came with the extra space but for now I am happy to be able to post as many photos as I want.
Filed under: ANG Delaware's Seashore Chapter, Crazy Quilt/Ribbon Embroidery, Sisters
In the before time (pre-coronavirus days), I had dropped off three pieces to get framed at Romeo’s Fine Arts in Lansdale, PA and a couple of weeks later three more pieces at Repenning Fine Arts in Audubon, NJ. Several of my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter members recommended Pam and Dave at Romeo’s and I decided to try them. But, I’ve been happy with Jim and split my framing between both stores. Note to self: Get pieces framed as you finish them. It feels harder on the pocketbook but it’s really the same. Anyway, . . .
When Romeo’s called saying that the pieces were ready for pick up, I was thrilled. The weather is gorgeous this week and we needed a reason for a road trip. It’s normally an hour going with usual traffic but not today. And, since we were out, we drove further north to a Giant (food store) in Allentown for Lusitania bread and rolls that’s from a local bakery that we like. Pam and Dave met us at the front door for curbside pick up with the pieces wrapped in clear plastic so we could see them. And, we got the last two loaves at Giant. Got steak sandwiches from Pudge’s in Lansdale on the way home. They were still a little warm when we got home but threw them in the oven to heat up and they were fantastic! What a great day.
The one I had framed for ANG’s exhibit at Seminar won’t be posted until after Seminar. But, I will say that Dave did a special mat for the piece and it looks great.
The Crazy Quilt was finished in April of 2018! It was from a class at Edwardian Needle with Betty Pillsbury. I’m very happy with the white and purple mats in a simple white frame. The piece pops. The black you see is shadow from taking the photo outside in the sun.
Pam had a hard time with Sisters, from the pilot class with Nancy Cucci and the good people at ANG Delaware Seashore chapter in Rehobeth, DE. In retrospect, I should have just started over on a different piece of canvas but I didn’t because I thought blocking would fix it. The left side of the canvas was warped oddly. So, despite trying 3 times to block it, the edges don’t line up with the mat on two sides. Pam said if I can’t live with it, she’d try again. But, she got it better than I expected. Now that I look at it, if the outermost silver stitched row were covered, it might be better. What would you do?
Since both pieces had beads, I decided to splurge for museum quality glass. You can’t even tell there is glass in direct sunlight. Photos in the sun are really tough to get with regular glass. I don’t always frame with glass but when I do, I may use museum glass more often. And, I am excited to hear from Jim so we can make another roadtrip.
Sisters is a Nancy Cucci piece from a 2016 pilot class held by our southern friends in the ANG Delaware Seashore chapter. Linda was there too and finished hers awhile ago. It was a great weekend with some outlet shopping too!
Nancy is known for having beads in her pieces! The interesting thing about this piece is that depth is achieved by using beads and threads in the three largest /closest areas, Kreinik and thread in the medium range areas, and threads only in the smallest/furthest areas.
I finished it a few weeks ago but almost forgot to mention it here. Between this and the fish, I have applied a lot of beads lately.
Made great progress in the week after class (Sisters by Nancy Cucci). It’s so fun watching a piece develop. The bead buddy worked great.
A wonderful group of stitching sisters met in Rehoboth Beach Delaware for a 2-day pilot class of “Sisters” with Nancy Cucci. Thanks to Roseanne J for organizing this event, we all had a great experience. But before class . . .
My husband, Linda, and I headed down on Saturday. We got some shopping in on Saturday (for summer sandals) & again on Sunday (at the outlet shops) when my husband golfed in some of the most perfect weather ever.
Then, Linda & I enjoyed the Needlework exhibit at the Rehoboth Museum on Sunday. What’s great about this display is that tags mention the stitcher’s name and name of the piece making it easier to track it down if you like it. I did track down some of the cross stitch pieces for you thanks to 123stitch.com.
It’s always fun to see Patrick B, our current chapter President, showing his pieces: Autumn (love the colors) and Tortoise & Hare (a cute scissors sheath). And, I loved seeing the piece my mother stitched for my husband “Irish Blessing” (I didn’t note the stitcher’s name – sorry) – “May the road rise to meet you . . . and until we meet again <> may God hold you in the hollow of His hand.”
Roseanne J won 1st place in the Beadwork category for BEADazzled and in Canvaswork for Golden Opportunity, and a 2nd place for Winter Crystals (all Nancy Cucci designs).
Brenda C’s “Let It Snow” (designed by Toni Gerdes) got 2nd place and “Beachcomer’s Booty” (designed by Ann Strite-Kurz) got 3rd place both in Canvaswork .
Geri W did well too in Canvaswork with Summer Surf (designed by Nancy Cucci) (2nd place), Walking the Water’s Edge (designed by Diane Herrman) (3rd place), and Three Santas (designed by Janet Casey Ziegler) (Honorable Mention).
The other category’s were well represented too! I’m only mentioning a few of the lovely pieces.
- Counted Thread:
-Shirley G’s “Tiramisu” (1st place) – reversible blackwork band sampler displayed so at you could see both sides – I found it is 29″x 10″ & was an EGA Correspondence Course by designer Dakota Rogers.
-Shirley G’s “Metamorphosis” by Ink Circles (2nd place) – a medallion worked 7 times from top to bottom with more added to the design as it progresses down & becomes darker.
-Patrick G’s “Four Seasons” by Janlynn (1st place) – 4 cross stitch designs of the seasons must have taken multiple seasons to complete but worth it.
-Ann S’s “Fish Tank” (2nd place) – with 3 fish finished on wooden dowels of different heights making it look like they are swimming in a fish tank with rocks & seaweed.
-Agnes C’s “Winter Reindeer” by Dimensions Gold Collection (I think it was on a cover of a magazine last year or so). Stunning. - Embroidery:
-Janice C’s “Camellias”, a piece of Brazilian Embroidery (2nd place), was lovely – pink & white flowers with green leaves. - Heirloom Sewing/Quilting
-Patricia S’s “Mom’s Enmeshed Embellishment’s” was interesting because the tools, such as a pair of scissors, curved basting pin, round items, buckle-like things, and keys (sorry, I forgot to ask Linda to identify them for me as she is also a quilter).
-Ludmilla M’s “Endless Possibilities” (1st place) was very impressive – lots of curves & there were areas not sewed down (I can’t explain it very well – again, sorry). - Miniature & Sampler categories were nice but not my area of interest. Jean T & Theresa B are names I see year after year here & at Woodlawn – both do lovely work.
- Shirley H won Best in Show for “Roses”, a piece of lovely ribbon embroidery.
My husband golfed again & did his own shopping on Monday & Tuesday after he dropped us off at class. In no time at all I realized that I’d forgotten my Elan needlepoint stand (for holding my piece on bars). But, I find it difficult to get much done in class anyway. I like to read, study, and digest the instructions before I dive in but you can’t do that in class. And, nothing is in the right place like it is at home. So, I was unstitching some on both days – my count was off by one thread once and I applied too many beads in every row instead of every other row in another area. But, I wasn’t the only one who did that (I won’t name names Dana!). And, some got more done than others especially those who went home & stitched until midnight! Roseanne reminded me that after the Nancy Cucci class in Oct 2011 (Stitches in Sterling which still isn’t done), I went to a bar & stitched in the evening! But, I needed to rest my eyes, back, and brain in the evening this year (everything is almost 5 years older now!).
And, as Linda said, “It’s not a race.” I really enjoyed learning about how Nancy designed the piece with beads, Kreinik, and floss in different areas to obtain depth. It’s a great piece – very pretty (being taught in New Orleans at ANG Seminar in Aug 2016). I’m making progress on Block 1 now that I am back home in my comfy chair! This is what I did just while I was in the 2-day class. You can see Nancy’s finished piece at: http://needlepoint.org/Seminar-16/classes/images/20105-Sisters-NC-6508.jpg
The Cheer Center makes a nice lunch & tables are set up in the back so we could all sit & chat for an hour! I enjoyed seeing people I usually only see rarely such as Janice G and Christine L at ANG Seminar; Roseanne J, Brenda C, Geri W, & Pat vdA when I get to Delaware Seashore Chapter; Kathy B, one of the owners of Richmond Virginia’s The Stitching Studio where I’d stopped in May of 2015 (sorry it was without you Linda!); & I enjoyed meeting Dana, a recent new FB friend along with all the other stitchers from 7 area states (4 of the women stopped at Nimble Needle in NJ & enjoyed meeting Karen). Of course, spending time with Linda & my husband is always tons of fun!!
I didn’t get everyone in the picture but here’s the class hard at work!
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 