Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, Tree Ornament Vicky Witterschein
My EGA Brandywine Chapter hosted a class earlier tonight with Vicky Witterschein so she can gain experience towards her teaching certification with the National Academy of Needlearts (NAN).
Many thanks to her local needlepoint shop, The Edwardian Needle and Pam, for donating 20 kits to each of EGA’s 5 regions. It consists of 5″ x 5″ piece of 18 count canvas, Santa Fe Sage, 2 mm ribbon, Kreinik, pearls, needles, and beading thread.
Vicky led us through the stitches, had video demonstrations, and several of us finished the project during the 2-hour Zoom class. She is well on her to being an excellent teacher.
It could be done as a diamond like I did (2″ x 3″) or a Christmas Tree. Any ribbon thread will work, if I want to make up another. It’s great that the stitches work up easily into 2 different designs.
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward Scissorfish is ready for displaying! The tail and fin fringes weren’t too tough once I used a single, very long thread for multiple fringe lengths (6″, 5″, 4″, 3″, and 2″). That’s a lot of beads but easy enough to watch baseball and bead.
No more baseball for 2019 but basketball season is underway and it appears Philadelphia has a team in the Sixers!
It was good to go out of my comfort zone to try this beaded piece but don’t look for another. I’m not sure my fingers can take many more stabs! I feel a real sense of accomplishment. I’m sure if I did a second one, it would be easier and turn out better. But, nobody else is going to be noticing anything amiss with this guy as long as I stop pointing them out.
Thanks again to Cleo Robbins (Busy Lizzy) for all her guidance and holding a fourth class so several of us could get the lining in correctly.
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward Scissorfish grew a lower face (on the sides/bottom) during our second class and an afternoon ballgame the following day (I forgot to post this earlier). After a break from beads for a couple of weeks, I went back to belly scales. Lots of them! Had my belly full of them.
Just a few more required for sewing up the seam of the belly. I’m ready for our third class tomorrow at Cleo’s (Busy Lizzy).
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
My chair may have a few beads in it after this project! Good thing Cleo gave us a lot.
Getting both sides of the eyes and large scales to match was tough but once established, it went well. I loved how the dagger-shaped beads stood up after the surrounding beads were stitched into place.
The back 5 large and 13 small scales took a toll on my left forearm. Apparently, my left arm is gripping the fish too tightly. Got to take more breaks from working on it. With the scales done, that completed Areas 1 and 2. There are 5 more areas to cover and add the lining. It’s good to try new things. Right!?!
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Fortunately, I am taking this class from Cleo now as it is the last time she’ll be kitting it (too time consuming). Thanks for your efforts Cleo! It’s an “encore” piece from 9 years ago which several members hadn’t finished yet and others were working on a second or third one in different colors (purple, green, or red). Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder is from Beadalot, L. A. Hall Designs.
The beads are brighter than pictured. I just can’t get over how many beads we got! Cleo said we have plenty of extra beads. The fish is about 4 inches long without a tail.
We cut out a paper pattern as the foundation and sewed it together and turned it inside out. There are some basic areas marked for us to follow on the wrong side. We’ll stitch right over the paper. I got further on the left eye. It moved along quickly under Cleo’s direction. We’ll work on our own until our next class on July 31. It’s coming along swimmingly!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Brandywine Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, Fiber Art
My EGA Brandywine chapter had a challenge to stitch on paper. I had saved a print from New American Paintings, a catalog of the fourteenth open studios competition, a juried exhibition from Feb 1998 at a flea market. Many of the pictures were interesting, different, and colorful. I did Fruit Basket by Stacy Thomas-Vickory last time when I had suggested stitching on paper to my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter (search ‘fiber’ on my blog). This time I have a print of leaves by Jamie Brunson, an artist in Oakland, CA. I used 1 strand of DMC 935 to stitch the veins on some of the leaves. The rest of the leaves won’t be stitched.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Brandywine Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, Name Tag
For quite some time now I’ve had my ANG Main Line Chapter name tag stitched but not finished. Now that I’ve joined the EGA Brandwine Chapter, I stitched their name tag. So, I finished both yesterday. One was on Aida (EGA) and the other (ANG) on canvas. I went through my finishing supplies and found Peel n Stick Fabric Fuse. It’s a roll of 5/8″ permanent adhesive. I mitered the corners, pressed the tape across the back, and applied ultrasuede to the back. I bought a package of 10 pieces of various colors from Adorn by Orna’s website quite some time ago. They are each about 3″ x 5″. It’s not easy to find ultrasuede in a variety of colors and in small amounts. And, it’s so soft and not too thick so you can get a needle through it had I decided to use a binding stitch to attach it.
The EGA one has a pin clasp attached. And, I bought the lanyard from Trish Vine also quite some time ago. I sent her a picture of the ANG name tag and asked her to match the colors. She found the perfect fabric. It reminds me of train tracks and a conductor! We are lucky to have Trish in our ANG Keystone Garden Chapter. That reminds me, I don’t recall ever getting a pattern for their name badge. Only EGA requires that we wear one. I have the ANG Golden Needle Society name badge left to stitch. Here they are.
Filed under: Blue Bonnet Stitching Retreat 2017, Brandywine Chapter, Bronze Purse, Embroidery Guild of America
Thanks to my ANG Main Line Chapter member Patrick who is also President of the Embroidery Guild of America (EGA) Brandywine Chapter, our members have been invited to attend a talk by Doug Kreinik if we join EGA or Delaware Valley Historical Sampler Guild (DVHSG).
Today, I joined 8 EGA members at a Stitch ‘n Chat at Shirley H’s house. Among all her beautiful needlepoint, I recognized her piece, Roses, from seeing it a few years ago at the Rehoboth Needlepoint Exhibit. It won Best in Show! All the ladies were nice and welcoming.
They were all working on different projects which is fun to see. And, I got quite a bit done in the 4-hour session excluding our lunch break. This is the Toni Gerdes Bronze Purse that I started at Blue Bonnet in February. Today, I finished the bottom left corner including the dark brown laid stitches with the sparkly diagonal cross stitches. And, I finished the honey bronze diagonal wavy Smyrna pattern. I’ll add beads in the open spaces later.
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Filed under: ANG Keystone Garden Chapter, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Brandywine Chapter, Christmas Diamonds by Kurdy Biggs, Embroidery Guild of America, Finishing, General comments, Tree Ornament Vicky Witterschein, Winter Scene Sleigh
Well, I channeled Cleo, of Busy Lizzy, a professional finisher, who works on multiple ornaments simultaneously. I saw her in her workroom during a Zoom meeting working on at least 6 ornaments. I have all the supplies on my dining room table but am working on a tray table in the living room going step by step. My husband is very tolerant of the mess. One more odd shaped ornament after these and then I will clear the table for Christmas.
Step 1. Make copies of the ornaments at 100 & 135%. Two diamonds are the same size. The Winter Sleigh is a painted canvas by Alice Peterson that ANG Main Line Stitchers discussed using 2 stitch guides in 2019 just before the shut down, the 2 large diamonds are by Kurdy Biggs from Needlepoint Now November/December 2015 issue that was a 2018 project with ANG Keystone Garden chapter that I finished in 2019, and the small diamond is by Vicky Witterschein which was stitched during a Zoom class in 2021 with my EGA Brandywine Chapter.
Step 2. Cut out paper templates and cut ornaments out of canvas allowing about a half-inch larger than the design.
Step 3. Using the larger of the 2 templates, trace and cut out fabric backs. All will get the new silver fabric and was an opportunity to use my Karen Kay Buckley micro serrated scissors (which stops edges from fraying). The right tool for the job helps.
Step 4. Cut the Skirtex and fusible web slightly smaller than front design for the fabric backing.
Step 5. Iron the fabric backing onto the Skirtex with fusible web (like that better than glue-much neater-as long as I make fusible web smaller than the smallest side).
Step 6. Using the exactly sized template, cut a piece of magazine board.
Step 7. For the sleigh, I cut 4 layers of felt smaller than the magazine board to make it puffy, tacked the felt in place, placed the magazine board on top of the felt. There are 2 layers of felt on the 3 diamond ones.
Step 8. I found my Wonder Clips and used them to hold the folded-over canvas while I laced the canvas side to side with invisible thread. One spool has 2,200 yards. I’ll never need another!
Step 9. Attach hanger for the 3 diamonds. I used a Kreinik #16 Braid which I tied into the felt to start and finish but run it up through the canvas and back down right in the center. Very easy! I am reminded of a Brian Regan joke sarcastically saying “you’re breaking some new ground there, Copernicus”. It’s probably not a new way to add a hanger but I can’t recall seeing it suggested anywhere.
Step 10. Get my Thimble Pack out because my index and middle fingers only made it through 2 ornaments. Using a small Crewel needle pushing through Skirtex and sometimes magazine board was tough on my fingers!
Step 11. I sewed a cord on the edge for the sleigh simultaneously with the backing but cord is not needed on the others. The others look fine with just raw edge I guess because the design has some open canvas. I’m very happy with the results and see improvements with each one. Reminds of the old adage, “Practice makes perfect”. I still prefer to spends the hours stitching.
Step 11. Hang and enjoy the ornaments!!