Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
It took about 2 months to get back to finishing the other 2 Bargello ornaments from Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts (an ANG Correspondence Course). It’s available under Distance Learning on ANG ‘s website. Michele’s are all done using only 4 gold threads so they are all color coordinated. Mine are all different colorways for seasonal display. Tedious work but I completed the finishing on them! This time I used a binding stitch.
I had pulled out my Kreinik Custom Corder. It’s loose but ok for the hanger. Since my threads were already cut, they weren’t long enough to go around the whole heart. Step 1 is to interlock the 2 threads. Step 2 is wind. Maybe I didn’t twist enough?
Step 3 is to remove from cord maker, bring both ends together, and allow them to twist together. It was tighter initially but then loosened during that process. Since even 2 lengths weren’t working, I abandoned the cord maker.
There was still a decent gap between the back and front due to a 5 mm soft foam core that I used. So, I went with a “binding” stitch and it took way longer than I am sure a professional finisher would take to do it. Bending the monocanvas back results in a less than desirable rounded shape. But, that stitch covered the gap and turned it back into a smooth heart shape. I prefer stitching over finishing but am happy with these.
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, Bargello Project, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
The second turned out the same as the first. I used Silk & Ivory threads maize 241 for the Palestrina stitch on the edge. The whole process seemed easier. Less angst anyway. It took about 2 hours to get to the edge and 3 hours to stitch it. Still slow going with pliers to pull the thread through on the edge. I’ll probably switch to cording which should be easier and faster to attach. I have too many more to spend that much time on each one. Based on ornaments that I have had finished professionally, it looks like they must have used something thinner which would decrease the area between the front and back sides making cording work better. What do you use for the solid backing?
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Bargello Project, Finishing, General comments, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
Practice is supposed to make perfect. We’ll find out. This one is by no means perfect but I’m happy with my first attempt. “Finishers” really earn their money. Since I have about 8 ornaments and an eyeglass case to finish, I will not be sending them out!
I have multiple sets of finishing instructions from various sources. So, I have used some techniques from each.
I sewed the edges down on the left and Sewline stick glue to attach the ultrasuede to the foam board on the right.
They lined up adequately.
There was a pretty decent gap between the front and back. I had just seen Mary Corbet’s post on finishing an edge with a Palestrina stitch. I am not adding any beads. But, the stitch was perfect for covering the gap. However, I had stitched 2 rows around the design because one finisher said that having long stitches on the edge would make finishing more difficult. Bargello is long stitches. Well, stitching through basketweave, folded back canvas, and ultrasuede was not easy. I pulled out my jewelry pliers. That helped pull the needle through. This first one took much, much longer than I had hoped. I did take breaks but it had to be around 6 hours.
Part of my break during the day included a stop at Michael’s to use my 40% off coupons. Two of them! With one, I got a cutting mat. Self-healing! I’ll be testing that. Hope it can survive.
The Wonder Clips are working wonderfully.
So, I am going in the edge between the two rows of basketweave and canvas. Picking up a little of the ultrasuede for the decorative edging using the same Silk & Ivory 86 Shamrock that was used on the design.
Once is was done, I was happy with it and really felt a sense of accomplishment. So, I encourage you to give it try – if you have plenty of time and want to save money. Otherwise, send it to a professional!
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Bargello Project, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
Hearts of Gold is an excellent ANG Correspondence Course that includes 20 Heart-Shaped Bargello Ornaments by Michele Roberts and is available under Distance Learning on ANG ‘s website. Michele’s are all done using only 4 gold threads while mine are all different colorways for different seasons.
This Swirl Burden work ornament has horizontal laid threads or trame lines with burden work showing exposed thread. Boy is this stitch named appropriately. What a pain it was. I wanted to try it and I am not likely to stitch anything with it again. Although it was getting easier the more I did it, it was too tedious. Turned out pretty but I didn’t find it enjoyable. What’s your experience with it?
This ornament is red and white to join our Phillies sports and Valentine’s Day decorations. The laid thread is Snow 00 White. The bargello pattern includes YLI Ribbon Floss 142 Red, YLI Shimmer Blend Ribbon Floss 023 White/Opal, Flair F502, and Fyre Werks F38.
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Bargello Project, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
Hearts of Gold is an excellent ANG Correspondence Course that includes 20 Heart-Shaped Bargello Ornaments by Michele Roberts. It’s available under Distance Learning on ANG ‘s website. Michele’s are all done using only 4 gold threads so they are all color coordinated. Mine are all different colorways for seasonal display.
This Diamond and Stars Bargello ornament adds non-Bargello stitches inside each diamond. I thought magenta would be good for a fall flower color but adding pink makes me think Spring and Valentine’s Day decorations. I have plenty more of the 20 heart designs left to try. So, I will probably do another heart for fall. I’m sure that I have enough threads!
These threads are Vineyard Merino M1014 Grape Wine, Silk & Ivory 185 Cosmopolitan, Silk Lame Braid for 18 Ct SL26, and Kreinik 1/16″ Ribbon 024. The diamond Bargello pattern seems like an easy pattern but the over 6 canvas thread stitches were tough to remember. I would get into the over 4 repetition and forget the over 6 (too often).
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
Hearts of Gold is an excellent ANG Correspondence Course that includes 20 Heart-Shaped Bargello Ornaments by Michele Roberts. It’s available under Distance Learning on ANG ‘s website.
Michele describes this heart as a “classic tiny pattern” of shadowed boxes. The stitches are all over 2 canvas threads. It can be stitched in as few as 2 colors and as many as 7 colors. I love the 3 dimensional effect with this pattern.
To say “spring”, I selected a rainbow of Silk & Ivory threads including yellow=maize 241, orange=clementine 215, red=tamale 199, dark purple=sugarplum 117, blue=delphinium 70, green=lime 56, and light purple=shrinking violet 116.
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
Hearts of Gold is an excellent ANG Correspondence Course that include 20 Heart-Shaped Bargello Ornaments by Michele Roberts. It’s available under Distance Learning on ANG ‘s website. Michele’s are all done in golds but I wanted seasonal hearts.
I began my first heart with the Greek Meander Bargello pattern which is best worked in two colors. Mine is done in green and white (Silk & Ivory in 86 Shamrock and 01 Natural) for St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas.
The over 6 stitch is tricky because it falls in a different place with each color. The two colors fold into each other. Once I got to the first full row of white I started seeing the rhythm. Michele diagrammed the whole heart including compensation although it didn’t quite match mine because I tweaked the top center a tad to make the dip in the center deeper.
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, Hearts of Gold by Michele Roberts
Back in March of 2020, ANG Cyberpointers offered Hearts of Gold: 20 Bargello Ornaments by Michele Roberts as a group Correspondence Course. It’s still available for individuals to sign up for. I didn’t get to it until now. Thanks to my ANG New Jersey Needle Artists chapter who has 42 of 53 members working on a bargello project, I plan on stitching 4 of them in the next couple of months. Five members are working on my Bargello Bowls!
The heart ornaments are not only great designs but Michele Roberts teaches classic techniques of stitching Bargello and combining different patterns.
I backstitched the heart shape with Londonderry Linen LNS #8085 Beige 80/3. It’s almost the same color as the sandstone canvas. The extra dip I added in the upper center portion defines the heart a little more. These are little hearts at 3″ x 3″.
The golds would be pretty but I want to have “seasonal” hearts. Green and white for St. Patrick’s Day, red and white for our Phillies and Valentine’s Day, multi-color for spring, and magenta for other times.
Since this project should have started in March, I will start with the green and white threads, Silk & Ivory in 86 Shamrock and 01 Natural.
Filed under: ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, ANG Seminar 2021, Secret Window by Kurdy Biggs
The top and bottom upside down crescents and rounded Jessicas in the center dome window of Secret Window are done except for the beads which will be added last.
Filed under: ANG New Jersey Needle Artists Chapter, ANG Seminar 2021, Secret Window by Kurdy Biggs
The center was squared off with Two Tone Sprats Head (Entice and Bijoux). For the eight crescents, I used Harmony, a natural-dye (explained on the Treenway website), 6-strand silk floss (from a particular silk worm also described on their website). I didn’t try to color match the skein (find the repeating color pattern). Instead, I used 4 of the 6 strands and started on the top on each side by working 2 strands counterclockwise to the left and 2 strands clockwise to obtain matching color movement.
I love the shape of the blue Plaited Ray’s between the Sprats Heads in the corners.
The 2 tiny Diagonal Sheaf stitches use 4 strands of Accentuate. It’s not my favorite thread and I realize that I have 2 spools of it. Each spool is 50M. I better learn to like it! But, for now, I was given the option to add some sparkle on the last 3 stitches. So, I did and used 2 strands of Bijoux in the center for the last 3 stitches.
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