Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Threads, Threads and Beads
When I saw Karen at Nimble Needle had a Silk Luster Leaf Exercise Kit at the 2018 New Jersey Needle Festival, I didn’t know why I needed it but now I do. This works right in with a thread project that I started in October for my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter.
Access Commodities has an instructional booklet on their website to go with the kit. The kit contains Trebizond TRA734, Soie d’Alger 2125, Soie de Paris SDP2125, Soie Gobelins SGS2125, Au Ver A Soie 100/3 SMS325, and Soie Perlee SPS325. Threads are all green. First, I made the outline using my “Purple Pen” with disappearing ink. I had carefully cut out the stem and the veins from a paper copy and used it like a stencil. That looked good. So, I used my ZIG Fabricolor green marker that I got in a previous class. Easy! The threads are green and I’ll be sure to cover the lines anyway.
Both the slipperier the thread and the more strands needed (3 or 4) for proper coverage made it harder to lay the threads. Working with Soie d’ Alger was the easiest. I’ll probably finish the leaf on a long wrapped wire and place in a bowl of artificial flowers.
Join us Monday, February 11 at 7 PM in the conference room at Starbucks in Wayne (218 Lancaster Ave). I’ll be sharing 2 new threads.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Patchwork of Peace, Threads
The part I like best about stitching this piece is having so many small areas to stitch which allows me to experiment with different thread combinations within a single square and I’m getting to stitch patterns I’ve never stitched before.
So far, my two favorite combinations are the first square on the right in the bottom row I just finished (Grounding):
and third row from the top fourth square in from the right (Escalator):
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Soie Perlee SPS694 and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 Blanc
2 – DMC Perle #8 B5200, Treasure Braid Petite PB10 (2 strands), and Wildflowers 000
3 – Designer’s Dream D02 and Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
4 – Wildflowers 118 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
5 – Soie Perlee SPS694 and Pashmina 261
6 – Elegance E800 and Sparkle Braid SK06
7 – Wildflowers 000
8 – Wildflowers 100 and DMC Floche Blanc
9 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
10 – Pashmina 261 and Kreinik #8 Braid 102
11 – Bella Lusso 001
12 – Wildflowers 000 and DMC Perle #12 B5200
13 – Gloriana 261, Elegance E800, and Sparkle Braid SK06
14 – DMC Perle #8 B5200
15 – Wildflowers 118 and Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
16 – Subtlety Y899
17 – Designer’s Dream D02 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
18 – Burmilana 3845 and Bella Lusso 001
19 – DMC Floche Blanc
I finished my 12″ square design from the class with Kathy Rees (it goes to the framer, then to exhibit at Seminar, then it’ll get posted on my blog). There are still enough threads to stitch another small design. But, it’s not enough threads to warrent storage in my Bohicket Road bag. So, I moved my white/ecru threads into it. Fantastic bag! And, it made organizing fun.
Row 10 white stitched:
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Crescent Journey, General comments, Melita's Designs, Organization
I finally recovered from a month long viral head cold to visit people this past weekend. We made up for lost time. I took multiple pieces to our monthly ANG Stitch-In Time sessions (please join us at Starbucks on Lancaster Ave in Wayne, PA on the 4th Saturday 10-2 through April). We had another great turnout. From there Bill & I headed to Delaware for a birthday party where I shared my needlepoint exploits (one is also a stitcher) and on Sunday got together with Linda, my stitching buddy.
Linda and I exchanged gifts belatedly. I am fortunate to be the recipient of her first attempts at new patterns. You’d never guess that by looking at anything I’ve gotten so far. And, these 2 project bags are no exception. The bags have beautifully coordinating colors, a zipper closure, a see through plastic front, and a handle! The backs are quilted. Stunning.
I just put one of my current projects, another colorway of Crescent Journey. The threads fit perfectly in the small bag. This colorway looks fantastic in these bags! Thanks again Linda. This is also the project that Linda is proofreading my instructions as she stitches a third colorway.
Hate to admit it but I stitched some adjacent to the previous row again. At least this time, it was only a partial of the first block. I wrote a note on row 10 instructions to skip a row to remind me when I pick it up again.
Even though there were more blocks in this row, it seemed to stitch up quicker.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Elegance E800 and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 (2 strands)
2 – Gloriana 261 (2 strands) and Burmillana 3845
3 – Designer’s Dream 002 and DMC #12 Ecru
4 – Wildflowers 000 and Pashmina 261
5 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands) and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
6 – DMC #8 B5200, DMC #12 B5200, and DMC Floche Blanc
7 – Wildflowers 118 and DMC #12 Ecru
8 – Pashmina 000, DMC Floche Blanc, and Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
9 – Wildflowers 100 and Kreinik #4 032C
10 – Wildflowers 000
11 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands) and Designer’s Dream D02
12 – Bella Lusso 001 and DMC Floche Blanc
13 – Wildflowers 000
14 – Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100 and Pashmina 000
15 – Elegance E800 and Wildflowers 118
16 – DMC #8 B5200 and Au Ver A Soie Blanc
17 – Burmilana 3845 and Subtlety Y899
18 – Bella Lusso 001
19 – DMC Floche Blanc and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
A few of my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter members are stitching this Alice Peterson canvas, Winter Scene Sleigh. We’re using the painted canvas as a learning experience as we’ve been doing with other painted canvas. We discuss the differences between two stitch guides.
We all agreed that a non-directional stitch for the sky would be good. So, I went with Parisian. Even though the stitches are placed vertically on the canvas, it is non directional because of staggered placement. A couple of others are going to use alternating continental with 2 threads which will allow some canvas to show through.
The trees are stitched with Trio (T02-white) in Double Stitch which was a stitch recommended for tree trunks in Stitches For Effect by Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson.
For the sky, I used Caron Waterlilies 74 Storm Clouds which is an overdyed thread with blue-green/grey portions. And, I used the greener area in the center and then reversed the direction of the threads in the outer areas to get a little more blue. Using 2 plies allowed the color of the canvas to show through a little. It’s subtle but I can see the difference.
I’ll have fun going through my stash looking for threads for the packages.
Here’s another heart that I will call Broken Heart for two reasons. At this time of year, I always remember the wonderful people, family and friends, that are no longer here to share in the holidays. So many good times bringing bittersweet emotions.
I made up stitches as I went along. There are 2 halves of a heart on each side pointing outward which is why I named it, Broken Heart. I’m still using Planet Earth Silk threads from Coffee Cups included here are Midnight 102, Port V171, Burgundy 170, and Lettuce V052.
Best wishes to all of you this holiday season as you go about visiting folks and making new memories!
I was trying to stitch a block a day. But, I ran into a snag. You may be able to see where I had to remove blocks 1 through 9 in between the 2 white rows. Yes, it took me 9 blocks to realize that I didn’t skip a row for the red stripe. At least I didn’t finish the row and the blocks restitched faster the second time around.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#11), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Wikdflowers 000 and 118
2 – DMC #8 B5200, DMC Floche Blanc, and Kreinik 032C
3 – Wildflowers 000 and Soie Perlee 694
4 – Gloriana 0057 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
5 – Pashmina 000 and Elegance E800
6 – Bella Lusso 001 and DMC Floche Blanc
7 – Pashmina 261 and DMC #8 Ecru
8 – Trebizond 125
9 – Burmillana 3845 and Au Ver A Soie
10 – Wildflowers 118 and Elegance E800
11 – Wildflowers 000 and Gloriana 261
I thought I’d try to stitch a block a day. At this rate, I’ll be done July 26, 2019. But, finishing on July 4 would be nice. Or, September 2, 2019 for Labor Day. I think Memorial Day would be overly optimistic. We’ll see how it goes.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#11), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – DMC #8 Ecru and DMC Floche Blanc
2 – Soie Cristale 0057 and Renaissance Delight Shimmerlite 01
3 – DMC Floche Blanc and DMC #8 B5200
4 – Designers Dream D02 and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
5 – Wikdflowers 000 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
6 – Trebizond 125, Pashmina 000, and Pashmina 261
7 – Renaissance Delight Shimmerlite 01, Bella Lusso 001, and Burmilana 3845
8 – Soie Cristale 0057 and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
9 – Subtlety 4899
10 – DMC Floche Blanc and Sparkle Braid SK06
11 – Gloriana 261 and Wildflowers 000
Most of the time, when I stitch over one canvas thread, I repeat the stitch for better coverage.
Very easy to follow the instructions from the supplements (Connie sells them at Nashville Needleworks) and a fun way to try different stitches.
I picked up the original book by Mary Clark Donegan and the supplements by Connie Camp a while ago. Now, Buff, one of my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter members decided to do it too. So, I got energized to start mine!
The original book is great mostly because it is like Stitches for Effect by Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson giving suggestions about how else to use a stitch. But, Connie’s is better for stitching the flag because diagrams are fully compensated and have been adjusted occasionally to fit next to each other better.
Each block is 16 x 16 threads. And, the design is 304 x 208 threads which is either 17″ x 11.5″ on 18 count or 12&3/4″ x 8&3/4″ on 24 count Congress Cloth.
However, working on larger projects isn’t as fun for me (add 2 inches on all 4 sides and it’s big). So, I decided to work on Congress Cloth which I’ve used a couple of times and isn’t as difficult to stitch on as I expected.
I found plenty of white threads in my stash (which I split into bright white and white) but almost no ecru! So, I headed to Nimble Needle in NJ and got ecru Congress Cloth and had fun with Karen picking up a variety of threads including some interesting ones that I use infrequently or never before (Pashmina, Subtlety, and Soie Perlee).
I think the ecru Congress Cloth will show the white threads better and will not be as visible under the red and blue threads as white Congress Cloth.
Instead of having the blue area of the flag be 7 blocks square, I’m going to make it 8 x 7 to more closely resemble the actual flag. I’d seen David L in the private Facebook group for this design expand the blue and really liked it better. I’m not painting the Congress Cloth with stripes of red or blue. I basted the center column to get me started correctly. Didn’t want to use pencil to grid it because of the white threads. And, didn’t want to waste time basting more of the squares.
One block of the 90 white ones is done (in the upper center area). There are a total of 247 blocks and a border. I won’t get too far ahead of you Buff (I do have other projects started) but you got me motivated!
Our Main Line Stitchers chapter meets this Saturday November 24th from 10 am to 2 pm for a casual Stitch-in Time at Starbucks (218 Lancaster Avenue) in Wayne, PA. Stop by if you’re in the area!
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, General comments, Patchwork of Peace, Threads
The white rows are completed! There are 24 threads used in the 90 different blocks.
Looking at the blocks up close allows you to see the different textures. But, from afar, you can only see the change in color from very white to white to ecru.
Starting with the block on the right (#1) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
1 – Elegance E800 and Soie Perlee SPS694
2 – Bella Lusso 001 and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
3 – Gloriana 261 (2 strands) and Gloriana 0057 (2 strands)
4 – Impressions 100 and DMC Floche Blanc (2 strands)
5 – Pashmina 000 (2 strands)
6 – Subtlety Y899 and Silk Lame Braid Petite SP100
7 – DMC Floche Blanc and Sparkle Braid SK06
8 – DMC Perle #8 Ecru, DMC Perle #12 Ecru, and Burmilana 3845
9 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands) and Impressions 118
10 – Soie Perlee SPS694
11 – Au Ver A Soie 100/3 Blanc (2 strands), Elegance E800, and Kreinik #4 Braid 032C
12 – Designer’s Dream D02 (2 strands) and Pashmina 261 (2 strands)
13 – DMC Perle #8 B5200, DMC Floche Blanc, and Treasure Braid Petite PB10
14 – Burmilana 3845 (2 strands) and Gloriana 261 (2 strands)
15 – Wildflowers 100 and DMC Floche Blanc (2 strands)
16 – Elegance E800 and Gloriana 261 (2 strands)
17 – Soie Cristale 0057 (2 strands)
18 – Kreinik #8 Braid 102, Subtlety Y899, and Wildflowers 000
19 – Wildflowers 100 and DMC Floche Blanc