Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Tootsiebubbles: Pinwheels & Whirligigs
I made quick progress on the pinwheels except when I had to cut out 3 rows on one of the smaller Bargello sections when I discovered that I missed the second dark row. Oh well, cutting out is quick enough. And, those rows aren’t as long as on the other Bargello section.
I found it easier to write down the step pattern for the first row of Bargello as a way to keep track of where I was I stitched. I have not done much Bargello & find the counting fraught with potential mistakes. How do you keep on track?
Getting the lighting right for the picture is very tough. I think this truer to my colors than the first blog posting.
Filed under: A Berlin Work Cardinal with Susan Hoekstra, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
Susan Hoekstra came to Lori’s house yesterday for an intimate class to pilot her 2014 Seminar class. Patrick and I rounded out the class participants – that’s individual attention. And, Lori made a delicious lunch. The day just flew by!
Susan finished her piece as a pillow and it really pops in person! My mom sure would have loved this piece and it would have been great on her couch. The vibrant red cardinal was her favorite bird, and the purple in the flowers was her favorite color! Apparently, cardinals are favorites across the country. It is the state bird of seven states, more than any other species.
Susan gave us a history of Berlin Work as we progressed through the key areas and we talked through each page. I remember seeing on the ANG Yahoo discussion list a conversation about the Irish stitch & we’ll use that for the background. Traditional Berlin stitches will be used with Vineyard Merino and Planet Earth Silk – both new threads for me.
I’m looking forward to working through the rest now! And, I promised to get it done by Susan’s 3rd Annual NJ Needle Festival scheduled for April 26, 2014. Susan reminded me that I began Crescent River at last year’s Needle Festival. So, that will be done by April too. Ample time to be ready!
Thanks for landing on my blog today and drop by later for progress (with permission from Susan to post pictures). FYI: I probably got the bird puns out of my system!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Tootsiebubbles: Pinwheels & Whirligigs
My ANG chapter, Main Line Stitchers, voted to do Brenda Kocher’s Tootsiebubbles: Pinwheels & Whirligigs. Independently, both I and Lori, our chapter President, decided to do this project. And, so we showed it to the rest of the group & everyone liked it.
There are 3 color ways presented. Lori bought the green color way kit but I decided to use my stash (my husband was thrilled). But, I still ended up buying extra Watercolous and Impressions to make sure that I’d have enough. And, I needed Splendor to go with the other threads I selected. I didn’t get my fill of using autumnal colors from the Crescent River (which I am still working on because between the stitch I’m using and the fraying Water n Ice, I needed a break from the water-Thread Zap works best so far).
I selected Petite Very Velvet V609 (dark brown), Watercolours 123 Spice (a minimally over-dyed brown thread) and 223 Rye (has yellow, orange, and brown), DMC Floche 433, 434, 435, 436, and 437 (a range of browns), Impressions 1106 and 1104 (light and medium orange), Accentuate 228 (brassy/brown sparkly filament), and Fyre Werks F9 (brassy/brown sparkly metallic ribbon).
As Projects VP, I wanted to get started to see if there were any tricky areas. And, we’re going to practice the Sprats Heads and Amadeus stitches at a meeting and make them into a small ornament if desired. Since mid-August, I made the 2 ornaments & progressed quite far on this piece. I haven’t done much Bargello before and that is what you start with in this piece. I find you do have to be careful counting. But, I have not had to unstitch much so far.
You’ll see that I am only sharing the start of this piece for now – I want to surprise my chapter members& I know a couple of them read my blog!
I am thrilled that I finally finished the Ort Box! At least 2 others from ANG Main Line Stitchers are mailing ours in for the special exhibit at Seminar.
I must admit I had quite a time with the bottom. I used a suede of some sort but it was fraying & had to turn a small edge. The tough part was connecting it to the sides. The holes seemed to shift out of alignment but I did it! After that, I took a short cut & used felt with adhesive for the triangles. But, the binding stitching has gotten easier with each side edge probably because the lining isn’t sewed in like the bottom. I used 2 threads of Wildflowers, Firecracker (154), an overdyed red,white, and blue thread. And, it took all but 24 inches of the 36 yards! That’s a lot of binding!
Well, I am finally constructing the Ort Box (subject of previous logs). A couple of others in my chapter finished it too. And, we plan on sending them to Seminar in CA. We need to send them out by Aug 22 in order to get there in time. Did you participate? I’m curious to find out how many get sent. I’m sure someone will get a photo (I’m not going to seminar) – it’ll be cool to see them!
This binding stitch is new for me & it took some getting used to but I finally got the hang of it. It shifts slightly and so it is important to keep the proper holes aligned. It took me hours today to get just the bottom attached!
Filed under: A Berlin Work Cardinal with Susan Hoekstra, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
This class will be rescheduled. More information will be provided at a later date.
Please join Main Line Stitchers on Saturday DATE TBD from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm for:
A Berlin Work Cardinal an ANG Seminar Pilot Class with Susan Hoekstra
Susan Hoekstra is a needlepoint designer and teacher (for the picture, please go to http://www.foxview.com/UpcomingEvents.htm). Susan organizes and participates in The New Jersey and New England Needle Festivals, is currently enrolled in the ANG master teacher program at the Senior Master level, and is piloting this for the 2014 ANG Seminar in Chicago.
‘A Berlin Work Cardinal’ offers a chance for the needleworker to work with a variety of Berlin Work specialty stitches in this one day, Intermediate Advanced class. This quintessential Illinois design focuses on the Cardinal and circles around to include the indigenous violets done in Raised work. The focal point of the Cardinal helps your eye flow around the piece to encompass the tree branches, trunk and violets. The fluidity of the branches creates movement within the piece.
There are two types of threads used in this piece in order to maintain historical accuracy – silk and merino wool. ‘A Berlin Work Cardinal’ is stitched on 18-count canvas measuring 12″ x 14″. The finished size of this delightful piece is approximately 11″ x 8 3/4”, including the cross stitch border.
Class Fee/Details: Class cost is $20 which covers the cost of the room and travel expenses (Susan kindly waived the teaching fee). This portion is non-refundable unless the class is cancelled. Once 25 students enroll, the cost will drop to $10 (cash refund at class). You may find a substitute to take your place in class. Please arrive at 8 am to get set up.
Kit cost is $70 which includes the instructions, threads, and 18-count white mono canvas with design drawn on canvas. If you can’t attend, you will NOT get the kit. Please bring cash or check (made out to Susan Hoekstra) to pay for the kit at class.
A deposit of $20 (non-refundable) is required to reserve your spot.
Register Now: Make your check for the $20 deposit out to Melita Glavin and mail it to: 4331 I Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124. Please include your contact information (email and phone number). You must pay for the kit at class by cash or check.
Location: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. GPS: 203 North Valley Forge Road, Devon, PA; Free parking
Lunch for students is not included. To replicate the ANG Seminar experience for Susan, we will have a 2-hour break for lunch (class runs from 8:30-11:30 and 1:30-4:30). You may bring your own lunch, we can order ahead and get take out from Primo’s Hoagies, or you may go wherever you want for lunch (such as nearby Minella’s). Not everyone will have to do the same thing for lunch!
Proficiency Level: Intermediate Skill Level; Pre-stitching Required: None
Guild Membership: Not required to be a member of ANG or the ANG Main Line Chapter
Please note: Students must supply their own stretcher bars (one set of 12” and one set of 14”), laying tool, regular stitching supplies (scissors), and lighting/magnifier/frame weight/stand if desired. Please arrive at 8 am to get set up. We are expecting as many as 30 people to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to pilot this ANG Seminar course.
Questions: Please contact Melita Glavin at glav257@yahoo.com.
This is on a first-come-first-serve basis. So, register now to learn this technique!
On behalf of ANG MLS Board, we look forward to seeing you in September!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Christmas Ornaments, Christmas Trees, Melita's Other Completed Pieces
I am ready for Christmas in July! Christmas Trees has a little roundness or puffiness on the front & is flat on the back (a nice deep blue cloth matching the cord edging. A nice touch was to edge the silver top with silver! Very classy. Thanks to Karen at Nimble Needle for arranging for the finishing.
I have discussed this ornament previously (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/christmas-trees-finished/)
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Or Nué Star Lily with Brenda Kocher
That’s a wonderful feeling! Take a class, learn a technique, and finish a piece. All in 3 days! Amazing. Now to framing . . .
Thanks again Brenda & all my classmates. Hope to see everyone’s at some point.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Or Nué Star Lily with Brenda Kocher
We met some wonderful people, had a great time, learned a new technique, shared interesting information, and made good progress on the piece during the class, Or Nué Star Lily with Brenda Kocher (http://www.brendakocherdesigns.net/).
Many thanks to Brenda for teaching us this technique and sharing her knowledge, our extra pattern, the magnet, and the drawing for one of her patterns. Nancy & Lori won the drawings (canvas patterns I donated). And, several folks took some sampler patterns that I had gotten from grab bags at In Stitches Needlework.
I took a couple of photos yesterday. I generally don’t put people on my blog nor mention last names. So, class photos only went to our attendees. I did ask Linda & Lisa if I could blog their pieces because I wanted to compare 2 couching threads to 3 and how this looked on black compared to white.
This is mine done with 2 threads on white. I can’t see well enough on dark canvas even with the best light to enjoy stitching any project. And, I can’t stitch as fast with a laying tool. So, I went with the 2 threads. And, I like that the appearance shows off the couching aspect of the technique.
Lisa’s 2 threads on black.
And, Linda’s 3 threads on black:
Carol T’s suggestion to lasso the thread was wonderful. I had to have Rosanne show me how to do that again. I had the picture Carol provided for how do do that but stuff is so much easier to see when shown in person.
My allergy attack finally ended with the rain last night. What a difference that made. I stitched some more last night!
Lastly I want to share Linda’s stand – look at the magnet (along bottom edge) that holds all those needles – it attaches to the Evertite frames and Karen had a small magnet plate placed between the canvas and her thinner bars. Excellent for all those needles!
Back to my piece. I like that it is small enough project – I might be able to get it done on this rather dreary day.
I can see now why this is a wonderful way to use your stash of threads.
At our last meeting, I exposed my ANG Main Line chapter (outside Philadelphia in Devon, PA) to the world of Fiber Arts by sharing the work of this artist, http://ingejacobsen-inge.blogspot.com/search/label/Sewing (thanks to Linda from ANG Yahoo group who shared this link a year ago for http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/hand-stitched-vogue-covers).
I thought it would be fun to have our members give this art form a try. So, I bought New American Paintings, a catalog of the fourteenth open studios competition, a juried exhibition from Feb 1998 at a flea market. The pictures were interesting, different, and colorful.
In advance of the meeting, I started stitching one to show them what it would look like in person. And, the one I selected is this fruit basket piece. I contacted the artist of the Fruit Basket, Stacy Thomas-Vickory (you can find anyone and anything with google if you try), and explained what I was doing & included a photo of the half stitched piece. I told her I’d like to blog about it with a photo of the finished piece but I wanted to be sure she’d be ok with that. I don’t want to violate any copyright issue. And Stacy, a professor at a College of Art, agreed saying, “I would be thrilled to have you make a needlework piece from my painting. If possible could you send me a large size jpg of the finished work, so I can have it for my records. The project with your guild sounds like a great contemporary twist on such an old form. I liked Inge Jacobson’s work as well. Thank you for opening my eyes to this direction in needlework.”
So, I’ll send Stacey the jpg & a link to my blog. Thanks again Stacey – I love your painting! And, next month when Mary Smull visits to talk about the Society for the Prevention of Unfinished Needlepoint (SPUN), we should have several examples of this fun fiber art form to share with Mary!!
As I told my chapter members, you could do this to any photo & it might really impress your kids & grandkids especially if you stitched some photo of them. I think the heavier weight paper makes it easier to handle. I didn’t block it. and I used a fine thread – you can do any stitch you want – no rules!! All I did was couching of a copper color metallic filament thread, Accentuate (228). I think it turned out great.
And, a close-up:
