Filed under: ANG Seminar 2024, Treasures from the Great Lakes - Dawn Donnelly
I was worried about asking a framer to handle this, and so I contacted Meghan from my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter, who is a professional framer and now also a teacher. She gave me great guidance discussing lacing and pinning to foam board.
This shadow box frame was perfect at 11″ x 8.5″ and grey to pick up the color of the stones. Once it arrived (from Amazon in 2 days), I only had one option. There was no way to fit a second foam board in the frame or another layer of anything because the back is a foam board with a soft white felt back attached to the back. So, I attached the needlepoint to the foam board with small nails every 1/4″ piercing Congress Cloth threads as much as possible around each inner edge. I used three white pearl push pins they sent to hold it in place after I centered it. I was tempted to leave one in place near the large stone so it wouldn’t sag from the weight of the stone but I think the weight of the stone is dispersed across enough of the Congress Cloth that it won’t be an issue.
Then, I cut the Congress Cloth at the outer edge, which is about 2-3 threads from the nails. The pressure of the fasteners on each side is applying pressure as well.
The shadow box came with tempered glass which does have some glare depending on the lighting. Meghan did suggest that I could get a framer to order museum glass to fit this frame. But, where I have it hanging, there is no glare and I even got a decent photo.
Thanks, Meghan. I am thrilled with how it turned out!
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2024, Treasures from the Great Lakes - Dawn Donnelly
One of Dawn Donnelly’s comments in her Treasures of the Great Lakes class was, “know when to say when with embellishments.”
I have enough stones, seaglass, driftwood, and shells to make another one!
But, this one has enough treasures. I did use all the beads. Each of the 7 threads was used as well. It only took about 4 more hours to add the finishing touches (the rest of the beads, long armed French knots, French knots, and feather stitches), and yet it’s kind of hard to tell the difference from the last photo.
It measures 8.5″ x 5.5″. I was asked if it needs to be finished flat. No. I can turn it over, and nothing falls. During the stitching, a couple came loose, and I had to reinforce them. I don’t plan on shaking it, though.
Goal #6 for 2025 is complete! That’s the third and final ANG Seminar class from September 2024. Yeah!! I’m very happy. I sent a photo to Dawn, who appreciated seeing it.
It was fun, I love it, and I am glad I did it, but I am looking forward to my counted pieces. The ort boxes need my attention. And, I haven’t touched the two pieces from National Academy of Needlearts.
Kathy has framed Byzantium. It looks fantastic, and we’re both happy Byzantium has a home!
Note: Gifted to Kathy in March 2025.
Goal #7 was to finish Heart Swirls by Janet Zickler Casey into an ornament. The stitching has been done since October 2024.
The backing fabric is left over red fabric from my Magic Quilt Poinsettia. I used Peel n Stick Fabric Fuse along the inside edge to hold the fabric in place. Two long pieces of Peel n Stick across back kept the front and back sides together just enough, allowing me to stitch the cord in place while cinching the 2 sides together as I went. I don’t like clips placed all around the edge because they put dents in the stitching.
There are a few layers of wool felt (not craft felt) to give the front a little thickness. I tried building it up in the center, and although it’s still flat, the edges rounded really nicely.
I found a fantastic cord at Fireside Stitchery a few months ago and decided that I was ready following my success with the Silken Sonata ornament. The cord is Passementerie 3/16″, Vatican Red (PAS-31642). There are a couple of colors of that cord. I’ll be using it whenever possible. The finished size of the ornament is 4.75″ wide by 4.5″ tall without the loop.
I should have taken a picture of the loop attachment. I cut exactly the length I wanted for the loop with about an inch inside to sew/tack in place on the Craftex. Then, I cut enough length of cord to wrap around the edge. So the end of the cord doesn’t ravel, I taped around the end and cut through the center of the tape.
I aligned the long length of cord snugly up against the one side of the loop and sewed it in place by attaching it to the Craftex and the adjacent loop. Then, I sewed the cord in place with red beading thread (perfect color match to the cord) passing the needle through the center of the cord, making the stitches invisible, catching the backing fabric and the canvas. Once I got further around, I tucked the other cord end into place. I couldn’t sew that end of the cord to the Craftex, but I did secure it to the adjacent loop.
I don’t think that I have ever done exactly the same thing twice when finishing. Partly because each one reacts a little differently in the process. These last two finishes have to be my best finishes yet. I’ve even put away the threads rather than stockpiling them. Hope springs eternal! Now, back to fun stitching.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2024, Treasures from the Great Lakes - Dawn Donnelly
Back to Treasures of the Great Lakes by Dawn Donnelly, one of my ANG 2024 Seminar classes.
The ribbed Spider seashell uses Watercolours 001 Sandstone but the length in my kit had no color variation.
So, I purchased a new skein and am much, much happier.
With Dawn’s piece, Blue Hills, from my ANG 2022 Seminar class, we were supposed to include a fake bullion across the whole design which was 6″ (requiring 72″). I elected to use an alternative thread, Woolly Whites. This time, the bullion only had to be 3-4″. So, I added it. DMC Pearl Cotton #5 is tacked down which required about 38″ to create the coil.
This will not get done before my next class with Dawn Donnelly. Oh, well but I am happy with how it’s progressing.
It took a while to do 92 Jessicas and fill each one in Byzantium by Lorene Salt, but it’s worth it! It turned out great.
I’ll probably recreate the 16 spoke center for myself. Although that would be adding to my list of 2025 goals, and I was trying to avoid that!
My cousin Kathy picked it up yesterday, and she absolutely loves it. She’s right. It looks better in person. I’m glad Byzantium has found a good home!
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2024, Treasures from the Great Lakes - Dawn Donnelly
The third class from the ANG 2024 Seminar in Kansas City, MO was Treasures of the Great Lakes by Dawn Donnelly.
I want to finish this piece before heading to the National Academy of Needlearts in mid-March, where I am taking 2 classes.
The eyelets, for bubbles in the waters edge (top), were tricky because the thread carry couldn’t pass behind an open hole. I did finally get the swing of it. I can’t see much of a difference between the #8 (towards the bottom) and #12 threads (towards the top), but I am happy, especially with my random placement.
The Pulled Stepped Backstitch for the bubbles on the sand (bottom) was more difficult, probably because the areas were so small, and it has to follow a pattern going 2 different directions. Again, the thread can’t pass behind the holes.
It took a couple of extra days to finish stitching needlepoint for Bill’s Lee Credit Card Case. Apparently, one square inch per hour isn’t my speed.
At one point, Bill inquired how I was coming along with the pips. That’s when I learned that pips are the small symbols on the front of playing cards that indicate the card’s suit and rank.
If you look carefully at my earlier post, you may notice a difference between that wallet and this one. Apparently, at some point Lee stopped placing their name on the inside flap.
After giving it to him prior to Christmas and before I finished stitching it today, the original wallet disappeared. Unfortunately, Bill wasn’t able to make it reappear! We’ll never know for sure what happened to it, but fortunately, a replacement arrived today. Who knows, the original may magically reappear one day. Love the self finishing aspect. I’m really glad I stitched 3 extra rows on each side. Bill’s thrilled with it!
At this year’s ANG Seminar in Kansas City, MO, they had an auction where you could bid on items and some stuff for immediate purchase in a Grab ‘n Grab area. I was thrilled to see this Lee Credit Card Case (BAG05, Black) because my husband dabbles in magic and has several card tricks. This will hold a few of the ones that don’t require a full deck. Buff and Kristen, I know what you’re thinking!
Unbeknownst to him, he picked out the red he wanted for the hearts and diamonds when we stopped at Nimble Needle in NJ yesterday. I already had Pepper Pot Silk (PPS) Pepper 001 and PPS Salt 02. OMG – that’s salt and pepper! There were a few other reds – all different numbers but so close in color that I could not see any difference. The one he selected was PPS Mercury 250.
Because it was snowing yesterday, he’s not feeling 100% because he’s got a head cold, and he said it felt like Christmas, I suggested he open the one gift early. Bill loves it. Then, he had his choice of 3 designs, and he liked the simpler one because it looks most like the suits on cards.
The cross stitch design (found online) translates well to basketweave. I measured and figured out placement using my computer. I had the proper sizes of Evertites bars available and the canvas in my stash.
We have lots of football on TV before Christmas, but will it be enough time to finish the 5″ x 3.25″ (90 x 58 canvas threads) design by Christmas?
Many thanks to Kristen for reminding me that I’d bought this!
It’s been two months since I last worked on Byzantium by Lorene Salt. Time flies by!
There are 6 purple wavy crescents and one Ray on each side. I love how the crescents nestle up next to each other in the center of the 3 crescents to create a denser area and tapers off on either side. The movement and weight variation are visually interesting.
I completed the 4 corner and 4 center side Ray variation stitches before tackling the alternating blue and purple ones.
Next up are quite a few Jessicas.
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