Filed under: Explore and Design with Debbie Rowley
I realized that I didn’t post my Diamonds, Triangles, and More design probably because I wasn’t sure what I would do with it. I still don’t know but wanted to share it anyway.
The class, Explore and Design, with Debbie Rowley began in February earlier this year and I read through our booklet upon arrival and dove right in! I detailed my progress within the groups.io platform during the 6-session class throughout March and April. I mostly did this piece just to play with the variety of stitches in the booklet Debbie provided. It was a very extensive booklet. So, I have almost no repeated stitches. The motifs in yellow are larger than I usually stitch which is why I choose them. I used a thin thread to see the motif better. I might like this better if I used a colored canvas because canvas does show. I also learned that a continuous Herringbone border does not work our perfectly! Trust me I tried – more than once.
I am very interested in getting to my garden path, Flowers Along a Rhode. I have it diagrammed and just need to find time to start stitching.
Silken Sonata by Jim Wurth is done. I do love a counted project! Thanks again, Linda.
Compensation with 4-way Continental was tricky in the small areas.
The overlay stitches were new for me. It took me 2 tries to get them right. I looked at the piece the following morning and thought 2 were wonky. After carefully looking, I realized that 2 were wrong one way and 2 were wrong a different way! The smaller Jessicas are 3×4, and the large ones are 5×4 (which was oddly difficult for me too-not sure why). So, the overlays are off center on the large one, which is what messed me up. But, I got it. Those eyelet holes had to be that big to get the threads to lay around the hole.
Normally, I see Jessicas and think about filling them with beads. Now, I can about filling with 4-way Continental (or other small stitch) and/or overlays.
Silken Sonata by Jim Wurth is fun to work on. Jim must have been influenced by Jean Hilton. Between the Smyrna outline stitches and the multiple sized Jessicas, you can’t help but think of Jean Hilton.
Those 4 large Sprats Heads worked up quickly and look great. I hadn’t used Hi-lights before and probably won’t again because it is discontinued but I liked it. The Coronet Braid (size 8) I probably won’t use again because I didn’t like it. It’s stiff, and I didn’t like the feel of it. It’s polyester and rayon. But, it is iridescent and looks good.
Just look at all the fall colors in the tote!
Between the by Mindy bookmark canvas and the lovely fall colored threads, I am set for autumn. I can choose between DMC and Presencia Finca Perle! I’ll have plenty of thread left over for other projects.
The PHL is a cute magnet since I live in Philly.
Linda presented everything in a perfectly arranged, very handy tote. Quite the birthday bonanza!
Linda found another winner with the matching Mad for Plaid project bags (10x13x3 and 6x9x1) in the color, Pumpkin.
It includes a motif to stitch and various DMC Perle #5 threads to use. Or, I can do whatever pleases me!
The design is cute and would probably be less complicated than whatever I would think to do. I’m leaning towards using the design as supplied on the large bag and doing something else on the smaller bag. So, I have to ponder on this one for a bit!
As I recall, Jim Wurth retired when I was early into canvaswork and felt his pieces would be too difficult for me. But, I did like them. Now, I’ll finally get to stitch one of his designs, Silken Sonata, thanks to Linda. It’s a lovely 4″x4″ piece on a green canvas with copper and beige threads. It’s a lovely design with colors I love. Linda even included the needles! She’s so thoughtful. This is the second posting in my special Birthday Bonanza! The mug was the first.
For a small piece, it is packed with Jean Hilton type stitches, including Sprats and Jessicas of different sizes with Smyrnas and Eyelets. Some overlaying of threads is needed, which will be interesting as well.
I’m excited to start this.
I never posted the finished Patti Mann’s Nov Mums (9110), which I got at Rita’s Needlepoint. The stitch guide was from Betsy at Fireside Stitchery. It was finished through Fireside Stitchery, too – back in 2017. I gave it as a thank you to a friend and her husband, Ann and Ross, for letting us use their summer house in Texas for a week. I never posted the finished piece because I didn’t want her to see it before I gave it to them. Since spring is in the air as are April showers, I thought I’d post it now.
Filed under: Explore and Design with Debbie Rowley, Other People's Designs
Thanks to Marilyn O, I signed up for Explore and Design with Debbie Rowley.
As of now, there are still 6 openings (of 20 max) for her inaugural class on this topic. There will be 6 weekly Zoom classes between March 14 and April 18, and I have no conflicts!
Interested in joining the fun? Registration ends February 25 or when the openings are filled. Read all about it at https://debbeesdesigns.com/product/explore-and-design/
This is a collage of some of her designs on the cover of her booklet, and the bee sits on a green magnet. Very nice!
Filed under: Amanda Lawford's Christmas Angel
I’ve learned that Vallerie Needlepoint Gallery now owns the Amanda Lawford line of canvases. I didn’t see any tree top angel canvases, but you can contact them directly.
Here is the back of the angel with her gold trim done. It used an unlabeled wooden spool of Kreinik from my stash and another new spool. I had 2 new spools, and one was a perfect match. The other seemed just a tad less gold. Overall, though, Kreinik seems like a very consistent product over the years.
Her back is all done.
I delivered her to the delighted owner, Linda in Media, earlier today. She got emotional because she started this over 40 years ago! It’s a shame the sparkle in the wings and trim doesn’t photograph well.
Thanks to Needlepoint Nation, I found a store experienced in finishing tree top angels and let Linda know about them.
Next time I post, it’ll be finished and on top of her tree. She promised to send me a photo.
I got a lovely green trim at Joanne Fabrics to use instead of the green yarn supplied in the kit for the Christmas Lights Garland.
The last 12 bulbs are done.
And, the Garland is hanging. I’m surprised that a 6 foot trim isn’t longer when actually hanging, but that’s because of the droops.
They were fun to make. I almost picked up 7 mesh plastic canvas to make more, but I decided that other projects await me!
Then, at Fireside Stitchery, I found a skein of the DMC dark green yarn. It was being discontinued. So I got that, just in case I decide to make some another time.
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