Our second year-long project at my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter will involve each member choosing a small painted canvas and bringing it to every meeting. Each member will have an opportunity to ask the rest of the group to suggest stitches and threads for a specific area of his/her canvas. I look forward to watching and learning from each other’s canvases. Then, we can stitch the area discussed before the next meeting. At the end of the year, each member will have a completed piece based on the suggestions of the group. We’ll also explore selecting background stitches.
A review of some tips on canvas embellishment for painted canvases will be shared at October’s meeting to kick off our painted canvas project. I have Julia Snyder’s new book “Keys To Canvas Embellishment” and “Painted Canvas Embellishment: An Idea Book” by Carole Lake and Michael Boren. If you have books specific to this topic, please leave me a comment & let me know your favorite book(s). By all means, if you are in the area, please visit us! At 7:00 pm on October 10, 2016 (second Monday of the month) at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. GPS: 203 North Valley Forge Road, Devon, PA. For those who can, please join us for dinner at 5:30 pm at Minella’s (320 W Lancaster Ave).
I don’t know who the designer of this canvas – if you know, please leave me a comment. And, if it’s not a snail shell, please let me know! And, if you’d like to make suggestions for an area, please do!! I haven’t done many painted canvases (mainly do counted designs) & hope to learn a lot this year. I have a few painted canvases & want to do something nice with them.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
September’s portion of Susan Hoekstra’s Feuilles d’ananas (Pineapple Leaves) is the Nobuko. It’s a great stitch and easy to compensate once you get the pattern established.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
August’s portion of Susan Hoekstra’s Feuilles d’ananas (Pineapple Leaves) are the Brighton and Thread Couched with Crosses. It’s always interesting to see composite stitches come together.
July’s portion of Susan Hoekstra’s Feuilles d’ananas (Pineapple Leaves) are Triangles. Coming along nicely.
June’s portion of Susan Hoekstra’s Feuilles d’ananas (Pineapple Leaves) is the Giant Brick Stitch.
I decided to compensate over 5 canvas threads instead of stitching twice over a single canvas thread.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Canvas Swatches from Fireside, Forest Glen, General comments
While vacationing in Maine this past week, I wanted a small project to travel with and something not too difficult. And, Forest Glen, a design from Kick Back & Stitch by Terry Gifford was perfect.
I used Santa Fe Sage canvas (6) instead of the Victorian Green canvas (11) – samples are from a package with 25 colors that I bought from Fireside Stitchery (3 x 3 swatches). I do prefer to work on a lighter canvas.
And, I used the same white Kreinik (032), DMC #5 (502), and DMC Floss (369, 368, 320) as suggested. But, I couldn’t find Leah’s Overdyed Perle 12 (243). So, I picked up Wildflowers Jade (066) which I figured out looks darker than the lighter green/white Leah’s overdyed thread from the picture. And, I didn’t find the DMC Perle #8 (320).
So, I was in Maine needing threads for a project. Luckily, Mary Jo Cole, owner of Needlepoint America in Kennebunk was open & suggested a yellow Kreinik which she generously gave me from her stash. She has tons of hand-painted canvases including lobster belts and other Maine memorabilia. She also carries a unique line of canvases, mid 1800s floral designs of William Morris that look timeless. I have reached a level of stash that must decrease before I buy more & resisted all urges!
And, these lovely musical crib hanging ornaments. These were tough to pass on but I can always order one online!
I decided to use the yellow Kreinik just in the 4 corners of each eyelet to add some sparkle. And, I used the light yellow portion of Needle Necessities Pearl 8 overdyed (866) that I found at Grace Robinson & Company in Freeport. Good thing I am not a knitter! They have tons of beautiful yarns. Some painted canvases and threads (in drawers behind a counter). I told Meghan what I was looking for and the one she found came the closest but I decided to avoid the rust and green in the overdyed thread and just use the light yellow for 8 prongs of the eyelet. And, I filled in the remaining 12 prongs with the lightest and medium colors of the green DMC Floss. Now, the yellow Kreinik actually looks like it is yellow-green. That left me to use the more interesting overdyed Wildflowers on the outer border in place of the solid medium green DMC Perle #8.
All caught up through May on Susan Hoekstra’s Feuilles d’ananas (Pineapple Leaves). What fun it was to stitch on 18-count canvas after a month working on 24-count Congress cloth (for a pilot class that I can’t share yet). The holes look huge!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016, New Jersey Needle Festival
Great weekend! Buff & I headed for Beyond Knits & Needles in Caldwell, NJ on Friday morning. I got some threads & Buff found a canvas. Wonderful store. Anne Marie is very nice and has friendly, helpful customers (Jane). Love the selection of canvases & threads. Incredible light in each of the 3 rooms.
And, then we headed to Edwardian Needle for more threads & EdMar needles (me) and another canvas & threads (Buff).
A fantastic dinner and conversation with Buff, Brenda, Ginny, Rona, and Rosie at the Red Oak Grille. It would have been nice if Linda had made the trip too.
After a good night’s sleep, we headed to the New Jersey Needle Festival (my 4th time I think). It’s so much fun to see everyone & what they are stitching. I think a dozen of us are working on Susan Hoekstra’s Stitch of the Month, Feuilles d’ananas.
We had a great group at our table! Sitting/standing left to right: Sylvia, Rona, Melita, Brenda, Lori & Ginny, Buff, Margaret.
And, the vendors saw robust sales! I found an eyeglass / cell phone case made by Trish Vine & Karen from Nimble Needle had the lamp I wanted. The cute bag from Susan was too cute to pass up.
Although I didn’t finish April’s portion of the design at NJNF, it was done before I went to bed Saturday night!
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.
