Filed under: A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That by Linda Damiani
About a year ago, my ANG Main Line chapter played with “A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That” by Linda Damiani. I had so much fun choosing threads from my stash for the Florentine Star, a 4-way bargello pattern, that I decided to make enough of them to give to my Philadelphia Quartet Club shuffleboard members. And, I’ve been stitching them periodically over the year getting a good number of them done on our vacations this year. They traveled well.
I love the off center star rather than locating the star directly in the center. Each one has an overdyed thread (or two) and then one or two solid colors. No two are identical. I used fusible interfacing to cover the bottom. Then, I placed each in an acrylic trivet that can withstand temps up to 350 degrees. I got the trivets from AllStitch. We followed the Secret Santa rules which allowed people to pick a preferred color scheme. And, I was very happy that everyone loved them. Great times at the PQC!!
A few weeks ago, Doug Kreinik shared with a group of ERA & DVSHG folks what you can do with the various Kreinik threads. One of them used the cording tool.
The basics are that for the length of desired cord using 2 threads, you need 3 times as much thread to start with. If you twist 3 or more threads, add 3″ for every extra thread.
He recommended using a dark green Chenille and red Petite Facets to make a wreath. And, that was the “project” for my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter Holiday Celebration this past Monday night. Here are my samples. Each one is about 1&1/2″ in diameter. I put one-sided adhesive felt on the back to make a small ornament. But, it could have couched onto a Christmas design or stocking too.
A couple of my ANG Main Line Chapter members started Metalforms designed by Jeff Kulick very shortly after we got the publication but I didn’t have time to start then. The first 2 members selected the silver on black colorway. Another member started a few months later with the copper colorway on white sparkle canvas. And, I finally got started with the copper colorway on green canvas.
When I initially ordered threads from ABC Stitch Therapy, I only got half of them (pictured below) – the rest were on back order. I knew the bright pink thread, Frye Werks Soft Sheen FT9 was wrong. And, there was a typo – it should be Fyre Werks Metallic Ribbon F9. Trebizond 3637 has been discontinued; so, I will try 3639 or 3635.
This is step one of the outer border, a pattern of mosaic stitches, using Fyre Werks FT44. Next, I’ll fill the open areas with Flair F508.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2012
Another finish within a calendar year! This was started in September of last year as a year-long project for my ANG Main Line Chapter. It’s the ANG Stitch of the Month from 2012, the 40th Anniversary Heart. Stitching was done in 9 months. And, thanks to Nimble Needle of NJ for another great pillow which will look cute on my guest bed next to a white puppy.
It was tough getting the hang of the heart-shaped background pattern but it was a good choice. I matched the color of the thread to the canvas. So, it fades in the background and doesn’t conflict with the patterns in the large heart.
Filed under: 2017, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Color Inspirations by Orna Willis, New Jersey Needle Festival
Another wonderful day yesterday, seeing old friends, meeting new people, looking at what everyone is stitching, and shopping at New Jersey Needle Festival (NJNF).
I took my pillow – the finished Stitch of the Month, Feuilles d’ananas by Susan Hoekstra. Several of us had finished the piece and several others are still working on it. It’s fun to see what colors everyone selected.
I picked up 2 large project bags from Trish Vine Design. There are a couple of pieces that will take some time.
I had hoped to finish my second Color Inspirations at NJNF but it took most of Sunday too. This is my second piece from our Orna Willis class. All done now! The stitched piece (right) is supposed to reflect the colors from the magazine page (left). I’m very happy with the outcome.
Patrick (far right) joined us for the first time. And, from left to right some regulars: Lori, Rona, Ginny, and Buff. There I am in the bottom photo (left).
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Vases with Curly Bamboo by Sharon G
Vases by SharonG began in 2012 with my Mainline Chapter from a Saturday summer class which 7 of us took at Nimble Needle in NJ from Sharon. We all voted on what canvas to stitch so that we could work through the stitch guide during the 1-day class. For me, this came too close after the other SharonG class I had taken & too soon before the 2012 seminar in Philly to permit me any time to work on it. But, I absolutely love the canvas. And, since I want to stitch on painted canvases this year, I started working on it again. I can’t believe it has been almost 5 years since the class.
Sharon’s stitch guide allows canvas to show through. It’s a beautiful canvas so I am glad the shading of the painting will be seen too. It was a lot of diamond rays to stitch on Vase 1 or the Green vase but it turned out nicely. The painted shading was enhanced by Gloriana that had some color change in the thread but not too much. And, I love working with Bijoux, my new favorite thread. The feathers took a couple of attempts before I felt like they were realistic.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2012
Progress continues on the ANG 2012 Stitch of the Month. What’s also interesting about this design is each area was designed by a different person to celebrate ANG’s 40th Anniversary. And, I’ll finish stitching it in the year when Bill and celebrate our 30th anniversary!
Area 4 to the right of the heart is a tortoiseshell filling stitch. I filled in all of the octagons with vertical running stitches mainly because the area seemed too small to leave just some voided. But, by doing so, the pattern is not as evident.
Area 5 is the small heart. I really didn’t think it was large enough for the Trellis pattern. But, by centering the design, it compensated on each side uniformly as it was supposed to!
Area 6 is immediately left of the heart (& a small section at the bottom right side of the small heart). And, this is the Victorian Step. It gives an interesting pattern just discernable in this solid purple.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
December’s portion of Susan Hoekstra’s Feuilles d’ananas (Pineapple Leaves) was lots of couching which was all finished yesterday.
Instead of coming in and out the center hole of the daisies to place a small Mill Hill glass bead (10106), I pierced the canvas thread on the left and right of the center hole on each one. I matched the thread to the Daisy (Needlepoint Inc Silk, Scarlet, 501A), used beeswax to strengthen the thread, and went through the bead twice to secure each bead. The beads laid consistently done in this manner and it worked up quicker than I expected. Well worth the extra effort. A Happy New Year indeed!
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share my stitching adventures in 2016. And, thanks to designers such as Susan who share their designs at no charge. ANG Stitch of the Month (SOTM) is available to anyone with access to the Internet (needlepoint.org under the Education tab) even if you are not a member of ANG.
I am looking forward to 2017!! Hope you have a Healthy, Happy New Year too.
Filed under: ANG Keystone Garden Chapter, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Christmas Ornaments, Christmas Ornaments, Melita's Other Completed Pieces, Santacicle
Here’s Santa’s row – they are so cute together hanging in the hallway. The one on the left is my Santacicle by Janet Casey Ziegler from a class at my first ANG seminar.
Linda’s Snow Globe Santa by Janet Casey Ziegler is in the center.
Peg Dunayer’s Triangle Santa ornament from Needlepoint Now (Nov/Dec 2007) was finished through Nimble Needle and I absolutely love it! The sparkles just make it a little more special. My ANG Keystone Garden Chapter stitched as a project in 2014 and when I got it back I forgot to post it too – been slipping on my blog.
Wishing one and all a happy holiday and a healthy New Year!!
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 