I looked through a half dozen books and settled on the Balloon Stitch from Sharon G’s Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations for the background. Perhaps I was influenced by her saying it has a bit of an Oriental flare to it and suggested it for a kimono. Several Lantern stitches from Keys to Canvas Embellishment by Julia Snyder were nice options too.
It’s a dark blue thread, Impressions, which makes seeing the pattern a little difficult in the photo (used 1 thread). The black collar, cuffs, and hem are just a Satin stitch using 4 strands of Splendor.
Interestingly, one of the stitch guides recommended a lovely open composite stitch. It looks really nice but since it is for a background, I wonder if it might distract the eye from the focal point. So, I selectd a completely filled in pattern that will certainly remain unobtrusive.
My ANG Main Line Chapter got canvases, threads, and a stitch guide from Fireside Stitchery and one from Amy Bunger for 4 canvases. Three of us, Buff, Linda, and myself, selected Lotus Kimono by Lee (SPM 279). I selected a second canvas but it will have to wait. I didn’t get the other 2 canvases because I don’t have time to do every project (bummer).
Linda and Buff are going to bring the threads and stitch guides they got to a couple of meetings and discuss the differences or similarities. It’s an excellent learning experience even for people not stitching the piece.
Today at Rittenhouse Needlepoint with input from Linda and Buff, I picked my threads. We had a great time looking at all the threads. Thanks again to both!
I’ve got Splendor S801 for the trim; Elegance E801 for the black seam lines; Kreinik #4 and #8 Braids 002V for gold; Gloriana 185, Gloriana 048, and Silk ‘n Colors 1068 for the trumpet flowers; Gloriana 288, 096, and 117 for the lily pads; Chameleon Shades of Africa Two Oceans (Au Ver a Soie) for blue lotus flower; Needlepoint Inc Silk 877, 571, 501A, and 501 for the salmon lotus flower; and Impressions 7011 for the navy background.
Apologies to the staff at Rittenhouse because I had a dozen combinations of greens out before I settled with what I have now. They didn’t want me to put the threads back! I’m so fortunate I had that many options.
I’ve been looking over my books tonight to select stitches. I’ll be doing the background first. Does anyone want to make a suggestion? I have 2 in mind but would love to know what you’d select!
Here’s an update to a program that we introduced to my ANG Main Line Stitchers group for a coffee cup canvas that we will all stitch and give to Starbucks as a thank you for letting us use their conference room for free. Come join us any second Monday of the month at 7 pm at 218 Lancaster Ave.
I’ve just stitched 3 more cups including the bottom right green cup. I wanted a full coverage because the canvas wasn’t painted correctly. So, I used alternating mosaic. I like adding a sparkle with Kreinik to that green. It’s odd that the handle is one of only 2 cups with a red handle. I stitched the other cup with the red handle in the upper right corner. For this cup and saucer and the white cup with red saucer near the bottom center, I tried 3 different wavy stitches that I found in Desert Island Stitches, Vol 1. These can be done vertically or horizontally. The wavy stitch in the grey cup was a little tricky but I like the look. Only 8 cups left to go and nearby backgrounds. This is a fun canvas to stitch!
I’ve progressed through Part 4 of Metalforms. These areas, the center 3 interconnecting areas, went along easier. The hardest part is establishing the correction place to start for an interrupted area. But, I counted around the shapes and double checked when TV was off and there were no distractions.
Just an FYI and I did share this with Needle Pointers in case they want to issue a correction to Metalforms: The image Element J in Part 4, pg 24, is inverted like a mirror image. You can’t just rotate it to the correct orientation. But, the instructions and other pictures are enough to figure it out.
Just one more part to go but I’m taking a break from it.
Filed under: ANG Keystone Garden Chapter, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016, General comments, Woodlawn Needlework Exhibition, Zentangle
Another cold March but the nor’easters decided to give us a couple of sunny, nice days. So, Bill & I did get to Woodlawn this year. We also stopped at a huge magic store outside Baltimore and saw Tony Kornheiser record his sport talk pod cast in Washington (2 of my husband’s favorite things, magic and watching/listening to sports).
Woodlawn had fewer judged pieces this year (407 listed in the handout; numbering starts at 100 and ends at 660 but large blocks of numbers were skipped in between). However, there are 2 special display rooms. One is Japanese Needlework from students of Antonia Evans. Other businesses shown below were also sponsors of the exhibit. They do beautiful work. Oops, there was a sign saying no photography in the Japanese room (so, I removed them from my blog).
And, there were a variety of wonderful pieces from the family of Mary Duckworth, once a longstanding member of Nelly’s Needler’s.
As usual, there were some great entries from all over the country. Winners of ribbons are listed on the website now too at: http://www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org/annualneedleworkshow/ . And, that brings me to my review of select pieces. I will comment mostly in order by entry number (in parens). And, if the entrant is a designer that I know has his/her first & last name on the web or is listed as an award winner on Woodlawn’s website, I’ll cite both; otherwise, I cite full first name and last name initial letter only. I didn’t get photos of other people’s pieces. Docents there today said just photograph your own piece. But, I didn’t think that included the special exhibits as no docents were in those rooms.
Catherine Hicks had amazing original embroidery with stumpwork pieces including a likeness of Diego Rivera’s Frida and Salvadore Dali with a handlebar moustache done in stumpwork (100-103; multiple awards including a Judges Choice Award).
I do like seeing pieces from designers I know like Jennifer Reifenberg’s Colorplay done by Patricia Tector (112; HonorableMention), Catherine Jordan’s original map of Florida celebrating 500 years since Ponce de Leon landed there (135; 3rd place), Long Dog’s ‘Death By Cross’ with 363 x 447 cross stitches over 1 thread on 52/60 count linen done by John Kazmaier (157; Pope-Leighey Award, 1st Place) in a reddish brown color, Deborah Merrick-Wilson displayed 10 stunning pieces either goldwork or canvaswork original designs (227-236; multiple awards including 1sr, 2nd, 3rd, Honorable Mention, and Eleanor Custis Lewis Award for Best in Show), a large version of Drawn Threads Forest designed by Catherine Jordan and stitched beautifully by Margareta MacGregor (305; Judges Award, 2nd Place), Imari Collage designed by Debbie Stiehler stitched by Rosie Lunde (418; 3rd Place) and by Donna LaBranche (507; 3rd Place), and Come Dance With Me designed by Orna Willis and stitched by Maria B (469; no ribbon but well done and this a piece that I stitched too).
Some other pieces that really caught my eye because they were stunning or amazing or both: Susan Baldassano’s fish on gauze (237; Honorable Mention), 2 large coy fish with 32,000 beads stitched by Katherine Ludlow Callahan (489; 2nd Place), Shirley Hutton’s large ribbon embroidery piece won 4 awards including
,
,
, and
(503; she’s a member of my new EGA chapter and was at Woodlawn the same day as Bill and I); 9 fuchsia ribbon flowers on a muted background of stitches reminding me of a trellis stitched by Shirley Mucha (554; 2nd Place), Mary Vantyne used 324,025 cross stitches to depict Napoleon Bonaparte sitting on top of a horse that looked like a photograph (565; Honorable Mention), and an original design with lots of flowers using surface/Brazilian embroidery stitches by Karen Maier (Woodlawn award and 1st Place).
My red pillow designed by Susan Hoekstra for ANG’s Stitch of the Month in 2016 was in the Christmas room (415; no ribbon but a docent said she heard people complimenting it). And, there were 5 other framed SOTM pieces in various colors including yellow, gold, blue, and 2 greens. The centers were different in at least 2 of them including a beautiful beaded flower (600; Mary V) and another with a stumpwork flower (602; Mary W). It would have been nice to see them in the same room.
And, my original design is a Zentangle piece that I drew first and then interpreted in threads (416; Honorable Mention).
Drawing:
Another inspiring exhibit! Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Stitched:
Three more sections done in the upper left corner. I established the pattern for the block of diagonal rectangles and bars before stitching the band that goes across the whole piece. It made it easier to establish the proper pattern. I wish I would have done that for the other 2 sections that pass behind the band. Oh well!! That diagonal pattern was so tough to see that I diagrammed it on my computer before stitching. I finally got the rhythm as I stitched it. The other 2 sections were easy especially the 9 columns of Fern Stitch.
Just remembered that I can add some backstitch outline. Then, I’ll switch to Embracing Horses for awhile.
The upper right area around the Jessica circles is Encroaching Gobelin. It took forever (up 2 over 1) which made it perfect for doing as I watched football including our Eagles win twice (albeit not overly impressively last weekend but much better yesterday)!
The new lower left area is Rhodes Half Stitch stitched with Vineyard Silk Shimmer. That thread was surprisingly difficult to work with and felt awful. It’s 100% silk but it doesn’t feel like silky – it feels wiry. It twists up into knots and the ends keep coming apart. Using a shorter length helps. However, not everyone has the same experience – some do and some don’t. Odd!
I hope our Eagles experience the same type of playing in 2 weeks as they did yesterday!!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Brandywine Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, Name Tag
For quite some time now I’ve had my ANG Main Line Chapter name tag stitched but not finished. Now that I’ve joined the EGA Brandwine Chapter, I stitched their name tag. So, I finished both yesterday. One was on Aida (EGA) and the other (ANG) on canvas. I went through my finishing supplies and found Peel n Stick Fabric Fuse. It’s a roll of 5/8″ permanent adhesive. I mitered the corners, pressed the tape across the back, and applied ultrasuede to the back. I bought a package of 10 pieces of various colors from Adorn by Orna’s website quite some time ago. They are each about 3″ x 5″. It’s not easy to find ultrasuede in a variety of colors and in small amounts. And, it’s so soft and not too thick so you can get a needle through it had I decided to use a binding stitch to attach it.
The EGA one has a pin clasp attached. And, I bought the lanyard from Trish Vine also quite some time ago. I sent her a picture of the ANG name tag and asked her to match the colors. She found the perfect fabric. It reminds me of train tracks and a conductor! We are lucky to have Trish in our ANG Keystone Garden Chapter. That reminds me, I don’t recall ever getting a pattern for their name badge. Only EGA requires that we wear one. I have the ANG Golden Needle Society name badge left to stitch. Here they are.
One program that we introduced to my ANG Main Line Stitchers group is a coffee cup canvas that we will all stitch and give to Starbucks as a thank you for letting us use their conference room for free. The store manager loved the canvas and was very pleased to know we wanted to do this for the store. Since September, we’ve been meeting there still the second Monday of the month at 7 pm but at 218 Lancaster Ave and love the better seating and lighting, the coffee, and treats! Come join us if you have the time.
This design is from The Point of It All and is called “Coffee Cups”! We got it on sale at 45% off from the Seminar shop, Needlepoints West. It is a 13-mesh canvas with a design area of 12¼” x 12¼”. The chapter bought the threads. Linda, Buff, and I chose the threads – single strand Planet Earth silks and matching Kreinik for most of the piece. And, DMC #3 pearl is being couched with one strand of DMC 310 floss on all the curved outlines of the cups. We’re all taking turns passing around the piece stitching 2 cups each. Each person can use whatever stitches they like. I did write up some general guidelines for consistency across all the rims, handles, and coffee in cups. And, I offered some suggestions for a few open laid patterns to allow the canvas to show through some.
Linda stitched the top left white cup/saucer, the top right purple/white cup/saucer, and corresponding backgrounds. I added the green one below Linda’s purple one. And, the green/white cup below Linda’s white one. I used an open pattern on the green one in order to allow the colors of the canvas to show through. Kathy stitched the red cup in the middle and the black border. Patrick stitched the white cup and green (another great open pattern) cup on the bottom right. Everyone is picking great stitches. Who’s next & what will they pick?
Filed under: ANG Keystone Garden Chapter, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Metalforms
Both my ANG chapters, Main Line and Keystone, are working on Metalforms by Jeff Kulick. I’m doing the copper on green colorway.
The border is done except for the backstitch on the inside of the border which I’ll do after stitching the adjacent sections.
I adjusted the coiled cable by separating them by one thread in order to have the paired horizontal cables flow out of each coil symmetrically. My partial diagram is shown. This was a very interesting composite stitch.
P.S. Oops! Just noticed, I forgot to repeat St. Margaret Stitch (horizontal and vertical Gobelin stitches) on the right side of the spring stitches.
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