This is a 60th birthday gift for a friend, Terry V, who’s as cute as a button.
It’s on 14 count vinyl canvas. I didn’t start on this very early (I forgot about it until Tuesday & her surprise party was last night – fun time) so I kept it small (3&1/2″ square) to get done quickly (several nights & a day of binge stitching). A little DMC & Kreinik to add some sparkle. I have some decorative buttons that I have had stashed away & thought it looked good. And, because I used simple stitches, I got done quicker than I expected & decided to add the background for a finished 5″ square design. Whew!
Take 2 for the bamboo. I knew I had to redo it after Bill asked me what the other version was (after I told him 3 times). So, I studied images of bamboo & realized my color was way off & had to figure out how to make it more realistic. Hopefully, you’ll agree as does Bill, “It looks like bamboo. ” What will clue 2 be?
The first clue in the Stitching Games 2015 run by stitcherie is “pickle”.
I had an idea of a tea tray getting a Chinese motif of either a bonsai tree or bamboos. And, with pickle being green either would work. As you can, I hope, I selected bamboos.
Is there any chance you can see this? I can redraw the design & redo it – I have the whole month. Thoughts?
Ok, I have a serious problem. After just making up a list of all the pending needlepoint projects I have, what do I do? Get started on something new. Why? It sounds interesting. Although I’ve read the rules, I am not quite sure what will happen in the Stitching Games 2015! on stitcherie!
My design is 6″x9″ (minimum 6″x6″) & we’ll get a one word clue or image every month (for 10 months) & use that to inspire us. In Nov, you can finish any other areas. Declare any “background” areas & stitch all year long. Since I have so many projects, I decided just to make a design with 10 areas. After finding out what complicated canvases others are doing & that I am only one not using a painted canvas, I’m not sure if this will work but hopefully it will!
The only finishing item in my stash at least 6″ is the tea tray. So, that’s how I determined the size & here’s my line drawn canvas.
Filed under: Gentle Waves
The background of the waves didn’t blend as I expected. Maybe I used too many blues. And, I think the waves are too symmetrical.
In the positives, I like the surf and sand stitch. I’ll round out the heart next time.
Yes, this will be redone with lessons learned. But, I’m finishing another project as I think about what all to do to improve this design. Thoughts?
Filed under: Melita's Designs
Now that all these have been delivered, I can post this. Just like snowflakes, no two are identical!
They were intended for photos but once I figured out to use perforated paper, it was easy to cut to fit.
I’m encouraged by folks who came by yesterday at New Jersey Needle Festival & commented on how much they like this design. Thanks to Susan (Foxview Needlepoint & Rug Hooking for hosting the event), Trish with Trish Vine Designs (love my project keepers), Karen from Nimble Needle (who brought stuff I hadn’t seen in her shop!), Anne from Mrs. Stitches (I got a signed copy of her design, Florentine Fantasy, which is an advanced class she teaches in Florentine canvas embroidery, pattern couching, and basic composite filling patterns), and other vendors who brought wonderful items (I need to retire so I can stitch more)! Met new people, enjoyed old friends, learned a tad about smocking, and loved seeing all the wonderful needlework and various crafts being done in person.
It’s probably more difficult to see from the photo than in person but the sand near the surf has a slight glimmer to it because I am using Planet Earth Silk Opal (Calm 103 & Oxygen 098 with hints of brown on the beach side of the surf and Cloud 097 which is white on the ocean side of the surf) & that has sparkles throughout the thread. Then, for the dry sand I’m using Rainbow Linen (R405) which is a bit rough. I’m going to go back next & fill in open areas of the water & the sand (the open x space in the Criss Cross Hungarian pattern from SuZy’s Portable Stitches). Can you find the heart draw in the sand!?!
I still have water on the brain. Perhaps that is due, in part, to the 2015 ANG Seminar being in Myrtle Beach!
This is the basic pattern of the water for my next original design. I saw someone use the pattern on Facebook’s Needlepoint Nation for snow and liked it immediately for water! It is the Snow 20 from Stitch Landscape which is almost identical to the Water 25 pattern except that water is completely symmetrical. No wonder I saw water even though it was “snow”! But, I prefer the asymmetrical Snow pattern because water is more unpredictable.
I practiced making a sample which I gave to our (ANG Main Line chapter) charity gift tag effort.
I tried the pattern with basketweave but the threads, Petite Facets and Kreinik Micro Ice Chenille, that I wanted to use isn’t appropriate for that stitch. The threads are too thick. But, I wanted a bumpy effect for part of the waves so I switched the stitch pattern. It was still difficult to stitch with for 2 reasons.
One, the Petite Facets didn’t go through the eye of the needle easily but occasionally it was a little easier. I thought maybe I was imagining it but that is what I just read in the tip from the Portable Stitches app (that I found quite by accident). There is a larger opening on one side of the needle making it a tad easier to go in on that side.
Two, even using a large needle (#13 tapestry), I am opening the hole in the canvas with the tip of the laying tool in order to decrease the wear on the thread especially for the Kreinik Micro Ice Chenille which sheds easily.
I also used Planet Earth Silk Opal that has little sparkles throughout which you can see better when you click on the image and see it larger.
The close-up allows you to see the variations in threads which you can see better when you click on the image and see it larger.
Crescent River returned from the framer. I used The Great Frame Up in Wayne, PA this time. My husband, Bill, & I with one of the employees spent quite a bit of time selecting it. Bill has a good eye & commented that the grooves in the frame made the piece continue outward on all sides just like I hope you think when you look at the piece – it spans a vast area but you are seeing just a small part.
And, by now, it should have floated down to Woodlawn for the 51st annual exhibit! They want an artist statement but only allow 50 words & I have a lot more that I could have said but settled on this:
I kept seeing a river from the sky in my mind. The crescents added motion to the waves of the river on a hand painted surface of blue. The bumpy, random mix of Smyrnas and Rhodes became the rocks banked on either side by grass or eyelet flowers.
Looking forward to March already. It is always a fantastic show with hundreds of pieces – each one just fantastic.
Postscript, no ribbon at Woodlawn but 3rd place ribbon at ANG Seminar 2014 in Chicago!
Filed under: Melita's Designs
I started a needlepoint piece for a friend who we are seeing next weekend. I selected a jewelry box from my stash of finishing pieces which I picked it up at a flea market. I love flea markets! With a small heart opening, I knew I could get it done in a week. But, unfortunately, my husband was sick on New Year’s Eve (day & night). Because we stayed in yesterday & today (he is feeling better now), I focused on this piece AND it is done in just 2 days!
My friend Kathy loves wine. So, I thought grapes would be perfect. I decided on a circular Rhodes because it was round and would have dimension (raised center like grapes). I made a rough draft on graph paper & would adjust as needed. Not making the stitch complicated helped me get it done quickly. And, I allowed myself to be more random as grapes would be in nature. I am not sure how accurate this diagram is now compared to my finished piece.
Next, I selected 4 threads from my DMC stash because they shared the same shade within the purple color family: 3834, 3835, 3836, & 3837. For the grapes on the left, I did a mathematical thread blending as follows:
A = 3834 x 6 threads
B = 3834 x 4 threads & 3835 x 2 threads
C = 3834 x 3 threads & 3835 x 3 threads
D = 3834 x 2 threads & 3835 x 4 threads
E = 3834 x 6 threads
And, the same with 3836/3837.
Initially, I tried compensating the Rhodes in between the full grapes but it was looking messy & the full size grapes were disappearing when I used 3 threads of 1 of the 2 matching colors. So, I decided that basketweave with a color from the other bunch of grapes would make enough contrast. Then, I added in some branches & leaves (3051/3053). I did attach an extra layer of canvas around the edge so that the needlepoint wouldn’t shift in the insert. But even that wasn’t enough. So, I added a square of white felt which worked perfectly!
It was a shame Bill got sick but I enjoyed stitching!
