It looks like it could fly away!
The wings were Alicia’s Lace (#8 045) outlined with Gold Rush (202C) & couched with Accentuate (024).
The body was padded first with long stitches of Crystal Braid (CR08) & covered by straight (satin) stitches Kreinik (#8 045).
The head is French Knots (#8 045). It has been 2 years since I’ve done one & they were a snap thanks to a Mary Corbett video for a refresher!
Initially, the small squares were going to be Rhodes stitch but Sharon G thought they wouldn’t compensate easily & suggested Double Leviathan but that pattern covers 4 threads & the square was 5 threads. So, I did my best with the Rhodes using Gloriana (#088 Seaweed).
Now, off to the framers & then, where will it land? Hmm
According to Sharon G, the background is supposed to look like rain but the notes I took during class didn’t have enough details especially considering that I waited years & not days to get back to stitching this piece. Ideally, I should have stitched some in each area or at least taken better notes!
Now, I realize that the note about the Damask stitch pattern on page 48 referred her book, Simply Essential Needlepoint Stitch Explanations, that I must have bought that day. I just found it while looking for another book. And, I realize that I stitched the whole background differently than Sharon had intended. This stitch pattern would have been on the green background but you can see it is more open & looks like rain.
Initially, I stitched the top row gold (using 2 strands of Accentuate) and thought it was too heavy. So, I tried 1 strand (bottom row).
And, I decided the 1 strand of the Accentuate was better! The green rows are the same thread, 2 strands of Peacock Blue (192) Gloriana. To prevent streaking, Sharon suggested alternating between 5 x 18″ lengths and reversing the direction of the threads. I have delayed posting this as I contemplated my options: (1) rip it all out & start over – I have enough thread, (2) cover some of the gold with or without adding some gold on top of the green, and (3) do nothing. Oh well, it doesn’t look like rain but I can live with this!! What would you have done?
I mentioned in my “Plans for 2015” post, that I had a Dragon Fly painted canvas. I knew it was from a Sharon G class I had taken at Nimble Needle but had forgotten it was a Kathryn Molineux painted canvas. Sharon provided the stitch guide.
Since that was the most completed of the works in progress, I decided to start stitching that piece & have been working on it for the past few days. And, I was shocked to read today that Kathryn passed away Dec 26, 2014. So, I am really glad to share my progress as a tribute to her memory.
Filed under: Queen's Silhouette
I finally blocked out time & applied the beads. The background just needed the small cross stitches in the Criss-Cross Hungarian pattern. I used 2 silk threads of Au Ver A Soie in a slightly darker blue (510). I just finished the last of that (there were a lot of them) & we are heading to The Artful Framer in Paoli today – one of the women in my ANG chapter uses them.
I went in Stitch Haus for a thread for my Crescent River on my way home from work today and walked out with a pair of sandals!
The sandals and 16 mesh canvas (BF413) are designed by Birds of a Feather and were on sale (more than on sale, on deep discount). Initially, I thought they fit me but now I realize they are too small (size 39 European or an 8 in US). I really didn’t think of them for me anyway. I wanted to stitch something for the auction for next year’s seminar.
So, if you are an 8, just you wait – these will aid your gait!
In case you didn’t see my blog Tuesday, my husband, Bill Glavin, is one of the finalists for this week’s The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest!! Please vote for his caption (golfer walking into operating room, contest #388) at: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/caption
I am thrilled to see that Pat Donaldson thought my stitched pilot piece was good enough to include in her booklet of instructions! The project was lots of fun. Read all about it: https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/patchwork-quilt-ang-correspondence-course-pilot-project/
The Queen is coming along nicely. Her head was done in basket weave using 1 strand of Trebizond (light blue, color 602). The background is Crisscross Hungarian using Silk Lame Braid (dark blue, color SL15). I thought I just had to add the beads but I see the background needs the cross stitch. What thread should I use?
You can see that I altered this from a square to an oval which I think is more appropriate for a silhouette.
Filed under: Queen's Silhouette
At the start of the year, I displayed many of my active projects. And, the one the most excites me is the newest canvas of the bunch! It is the Queen’s Silhouette from Tapisserie in London, England that was a gift from a coworker.
The store was kind enough to email me the PDF of the stitched model. They deviated from the painted canvas using beads for the crown. I love the Royal Blue background and powder blue profile. Since I didn’t have the same beads, I am modifying the crown to fit what I got at Fire Mountain Gems:
- 6mm Crystal Swarovski Elements Crystal Square Mini Beads
- 8mm Crystal Swarovski Elements Crystal Round Mini Beads
- 6mm Crystal Swarovski Elements Crystal Round Mini Beads
- 2mm Crystal Swarovski Elements Crystal Round Beads
I worked up a drawing and then stitched a model with the wrong color beads that I ordered, but I will use them for something else eventually. I still have a few changes to what I stitched below.
And, I wanted to use the Queen’s Stitch or Rocco using the method described in A Pageant of Pattern for Needlepoint Canvas by Sherlee Lantz with diagrams by Maggie Lane. It is unconventional & I spent an evening learning and practicing it just to decide that I didn’t like how it would look in this piece. The angle is not matching the angle of the crown. So, I will use some other background stitch. And, I am going to do the EIIR differently but will have to graph it & practice with beads and threads before I place it on the actual canvas. But, I am stitching the powder blue portion now.
Hopefully, everyone is safe, stays safe, and has something fun to stitch as we weather out Hurricane Sandy. I am working on the bookmarks for Christmas gifts. Who is going to get which one? Another stash project!
I had to make a trip for more Kreinik #4 braid 3228, a yellow gold with a hint of green for the single gold rows That uses a Van Dyke stitch over 1 and 4 threads. In between those rows are Alternating Mosaic using 2 strands of Gloriana #192, Peacock Blue which I am using a laying tool. It’s not may favorite thing to do but it looks sloppy if you don’t – even with just 2 threads. I love getting a section done! I think I’ll go back to the wings next. Alternate gold/green – Kreinik/Gloriana for variety.
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