Filed under: Matilda the Moose
It’s been a year already since we went to Alaska. It was beautiful. We did 10 days, including 7 with the Alaskan Railroad. Our last day was spent with the family that owns & operates Indian Valley Mine outside Anchorage. They were so kind & went out of their way for us, making us a wonderful salmon lunch on Memorial Day. The youngest even went around trying to collect more moose turds for my husband. He wanted a jar full because a dozen wasn’t enough! While they are quite hard & don’t smell, I was quite happy when the little girl returned with just 3 more placed in a small gift box such that they looked like 2 eyes & a nose with a smile drawn on a piece of cotton. It was so cute!!
So, when I returned from Alaska, I needlepointed this piece & mailed it to them as a thank you. Yes, what’s what you think it is depicted in brown on the ground behind the moose!! I used the outline of a moose pin my husband bought for me. The moose is done in a Byzantine stitch (I think) with Gold Rush 14 Variegated, 202C. I threw in some background mountain straight stitches & was done.
I used a 14 count vinyl canvas with DMC Perle #5. The canvas is available from www.crafterspride.com (under Fabrics). And, I shouldn’t tell you but this but the frame is a dollar store frame! I paid one dollar for it.
Wow, May 1 already. I love vases & so I stuck pretty much with this design.
I used:
- Diagonal Leaf & Leaf # 3 for tree trunk
- Woven Spider Web for flowers
- cross stitch for lower portion of vase & 3×3 cross on upper portion
- darning pattern for background (which you might not be able to see b/c it is a light colored thread – it is a simple diamond pattern)
- 6-trip herringbone for outer border
Stitch books used:
- The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen
- Stitches To Go by Suzanne Howren and Beth Robertson
Easter always meant Easter egg baskets as a kid. So, I switched the design entirely on this one. The eggs are my own design.
I used:
- square chain stitch for tree trunk
- whipped running stitch for tree branches
- cross stitch for eggs
- straight stitch for white background
- diamond ray for purple background
- 6-trip herringbone for outer border
Filed under: Penguin Family
A good friend, Deanne, asked if I could stitch a penguin for her daughter, Kayla. So, I adapted a photo (found at http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/photos3.htm) that I found on the internet of an emperor chick and parents to create a Penguin Family (on the right).
I utilized a xerox machine to enlarge the photo to the size I wanted & then a light box that I bought from Michael’s (watch their internet site for 50% off coupon any 1 item) to trace the rough design. Mainly, I used Split Encroaching Gobelin of varying lengths and at different angles to aid the visual flow of fur with a thread called Trio (from Brown Paper Packages in various values) & on top placed varying lengths (and angled) with Fuzzy Stuff (by Rainbow Gallery in various values). The sky is straight stitches of random varying lengths in an overdyed thread.
In honor of winter ending, I proudly present, The Penguin Family . . .
I should have started posting these monthly needlepoint calendars back in January when I first started blogging. I’ve been using this same calendar since 2006. How’s it possible I kept on using it year after year? Keep on reading!!
In 2005, I received a 12-month calendar (published by Accord Publishing LTD) as a Christmas gift from a co-worker. I attempted to stitch one month ahead of time the first year so each month would be ready to display & was late only 2 months of the 12. Then, I created a 2006 calendar as a Christmas gift for family, friends, & co-workers. I spent a small fortune in color ink jet & high quality paper that year but everyone loved them. Each subsequent year, I have taken a Word document, made 12 tables the exact size of the bottom half of the calendar, enter dates in the appropriate cells, cut, & tape them on the bottom half. It works out great!
The calendar came with the color photo of what it should look like, canvas for each, charted directions, needle, & a coordinating paper matte suitable for framing each month’s piece – everything except the thread. Each was primarily cross-stitch with a few other simple stitches designed by Kam Snyder & Barbara Stark. However, it may come as no surprise when I say I stitched most of them with different stitches (probably from The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen or Stitches for Effect by Suzanne Howren & Beth Robertson) because I no longer desired to do cross-stitch. And, in a few instances, I made up a new design for a month.
January (photos for pattern & needlepoint, respectively): I don’t know all the stitches I used in the top half of the cup even with the aid of a magnifying glass. In the bottom of the cup, there is a pattern of large and small crosses along with Rhodes & leaf stitches. I think the steam is a stem stitch, the black background is Upright Crosses & the inner border is Smyrna Crosses & the outer border is a Six-trip Herringbone.
February (photos for pattern & needlepoint, respectively): In place of the cross-stitch, I used a small Jessica, Woven Trellis Variation, and Kris Cross Hungarian. In place of the Smyrna Cross border, I used a Wheat Stitch.
March (photos for pattern & needlepoint, respectively): This was one of the radical diversions I took from the pattern & used a Looped Turkey Work for the sheep. The flowers are a Star Octagon with a green leaf stitch. The sheep turned out a little bigger than perhaps his little legs can hold! But, he’s cute & furry like a sheep. The background may be a darning pattern. Again, the inner border is Smyrna Crosses & the outer border is a Six-trip Herringbone.
I’ll continue to post now on the first of the month. I have a similar embroidery calendar to do in my pile of projects. Someday!!
Filed under: Orchids
I sketched it.
And, I stitched it.
Filed under: Overlooking the Valley
Not that this is by any way a masterpiece or anything close to it but I was looking through my box searching for something else & found more notes from Mary Shipp’s classes. I had said it was my design but I was wrong – it is an adaptation. So, I thought I share how I made it.
I collected photos (this has a white fingerprint smudge on it-sorry) as Mary suggested to see learn about color & perspective.
Then, I sketched it. Drawing isn’t as difficult as it may seem. I took her advice & practiced techniques in Betty Edwards’ book, Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain.
Then, I mapped out the areas.
Lastly, I selected stitches for the various areas.
And, then I stitched it. Not going to win any prizes but much was learned.
Filed under: Overlooking the Valley
Shortly after I finished the fireplace, I started “Understanding Design” taught by Mary Shipp. As with the previous course, I wasn’t disappointed with this one. The class materials were extensive & Mary’s critiques were very instructive. As I look back over the materials, I see that there is much more I can learn from them on my own. Even though I didn’t have to stitch my lesson, I wanted to as I looked forward to taking the “Understanding Color” class!
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