Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Our Heart III by Marnie Ritter
At our ANG Main Line Stitchers meeting we did our Christmas exchange (steal) (back in December 2015). I do like hearts & haven’t done a Marnie Ritter design yet but did feel bad stealing it from Buff, our gracious hostess!! And, thanks to Linda who destashed this from her stockpile of needlepoint.
I am still playing catch up with my blog as I clean up some piles at home! These projects, even the little ones, pile up faster than I can stitch them up!!! UP, UP, UP goes the stash.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
This year’s ANG Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from ANG is Feuilles d’ananas, by Susan Hoekstra (Pineapple Leaves) – A Study in Values. I thought the darkest scarlet red was darker but it looks good with the dark pepper pot & Kreinik (#12 not #8 as recommended). I enjoy seeing it slowly grow.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Seminar 2015, General comments, Gilded Acorns by Deborah Wilson, Three Leaves by Margaret Kinsey
I took 8 pieces (most but not all stitched in 2015) to the framer before Christmas. Linda helped me pick out frames along with Jim the owner of Repenning Fine Arts in Audubon, NJ. I’m very happy that Karen at Nimble Needle recommended him. Nice selection of frames, he has a good eye, and is reasonably priced. We had a lot of fun – it took some time too with 8 pieces! But, it was a successful group experience. Three pieces I can’t show yet – they were framed as a single. It was tough to get good pictures of the dark frames. But, they look really great.
Patchwork Quilt by Pat Donaldson
And, Tootsiebubbles: Pinwheels and Whirligigs by Brenda Kocher
Color Inspirations by Orna Willis
Three Leaves by Margaret Kinsey
Gilded Acorns by Deborah Wilson
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
This year’s ANG Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from ANG is Feuilles d’ananas, by Susan Hoekstra (Pineapple Leaves) – A Study in Values. I was so tempted to do it in Susan’s colorway too (see it at http://needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2016/SOTM201601_Introduction.pdf). But, as soon as I saw the materials list, I knew that there were plenty of skeins of Needlepoint Silk from Mae Van Damm’s stash in a wide range of scarlet reds. Sure enough, I had 5 values & enough to offer them to our members at ANG Main Line Stitcher’s chapter.
So, I took them to Fireside Stitchery before our January meeting and found 6 Pepper Pot Silk colors and 2 Kreiniks to go with them (thanks to Linda for her assistance). I have them listed below. A couple of folks are going to do the piece in the reds. We all agreed it is a pretty design.
I had an easier way to stitch the 4-way Amadeus but glad I stitched it both ways. I could really see a difference! On the left, you see the easy way (stitch first the entire left side and then the entire right side) leaves a gap in the center which could be used if I went back and placed a thread or a bugle bead down the middle. But, I stitched it the way Susan charted it (one stitch on the left and matching stitch on the right with continued alternating sides one stitch at a time as it is built).
And, the 4-Way Arrow Amadeus was done for the meeting too!
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Filed under: A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That by Linda Damiani, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
Instructions for “A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That” by Linda Damiani was in the stash we got from Mae V-D, a member of the ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter who passed away in 2015.
A couple of members of our chapter remembered Linda was from our area but had moved away. I was able to locate her & I called her. She moved away from needlepoint to other crafts but was happy to grant us permission to copy & distribute the instructions once again to our members.
Again using Mae’s canvas and threads, we stitched 2 projects from the booklet.
A true stash buster using miscellaneous threads grabbed randomly. See how each looks slightly different using the same threads?
And, there was a lovely Florentine Star that I choose to do off center rather than locating the star directly center and making it a full 4-way bargello pattern. I had such fun doing these that I did them in multiple colors.
Filed under: A Hilton Holiday by DebBee's Design, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
Our December project for our ANG Main Line Stitchers was A Hilton Holiday. I finished mine before the meeting in order to show everyone. I love how it turned out. It was a free design for signing up for DebBee’s Designs emails. I used the suggested threads.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Gilded Acorns by Deborah Wilson
Gilded Acorns was a great follow-up piece allowing me to work with different types of gold.
It might be fun to add some gold to a future piece. I’ve got some leftover after finishing the second leaf, adding the thinner veins in both leaves, and building the second acorn.
I’m heading to the framer on Saturday with both recent goldwork pieces.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Gilded Acorns by Deborah Wilson
Yesterday ANG Main Line Stitchers joined with EGA Brandywine to host Deborah Wilson (a recent Woodlawn winner & author of the goldwork chapter in Amy Bunger’s Cookbook). Linda & I were fortunate to have visited Woodlawn the day Deborah was demonstrating. So, we saw Gilded Acorns on display & thought it would be a great piece for our chapter.
Class got off to a flying start when I learned about my Elan lap stand from Nancy who had one too. She showed me how the base expands (out to 29″). I have had this stand for at least 10 years & never knew about this feature!
It was interesting to learn slightly different techniques from different teachers. Deborah stretched the pearl purl by holding the end with a pair of scissors instead of by her fingers. And, she couched the end about 3 twists in but gently twisted the pearl purl to make the couched stitch on the first twist. Very cool. I learned that the tweezers I bought was really a burling iron. And, I had the opportunity to work with different types of gold including broad plate, whipped broad plate, bright check purl, and wire check purl. A wonderful follow-up class to the one I took at seminar. Deborah will be teaching a wonderful piece at NAN in 2017. Watch for that!!
We got a lot done despite the fact that we had to stitch the leaf first with Waterlilies. I wonder if most beginners of goldwork start with leaves. Both of my goldwork pieces are leaves. Or, maybe, I was drawn to them because they are leaves – fall is my favorite time of year! I am so excited that the 2 goldwork pieces are not so tough or large that I will finish both. They will look nice framed.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
Thanks to Linda for walking the Main Line Stitchers through some goldwork basics at our first meeting of the year. I feel better about being prepared for a one-day basic goldwork class at seminar & the November one-day class our chapter will be taking. We used 2 weights of pearl purl, several check purls, and smooth purl.
I can see some canvas where I didn’t carry the gold piece far enough. But, that takes practice.
I’m more curious about than interested in goldwork. And, I’m sure that the 2 classes will allow me to appreciate that much more every one else’s goldwork.
Most people think needlepoint takes patience but I think goldwork takes much more. And, working with tweezers under a magnifier using a small, very sharp needle with a tiny eye isn’t relaxing. Tapestry needles with blunt points don’t hurt. As with most things, once you get used to it, it becomes easier!
I finally made a trip to Needle Me to use my gift certificate from our Christmas exchange. I found a purse half off (& with the gift certificate was half off again). While the piece of needlepoint isn’t a perfect fit. It will be fine for a while.
And, look at what 40 yards of Watercolours looks like!
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