Melitastitches4fun's Blog

The background worked up quickly at Saturday’s ANG Main Line Stitchers Stitch-in because there are once again long laid threads with couching stitches. I love how the long laid threads lie on the true diagonal while the couching stitches are spread out and move on an oblique angle.

Previously, I mentioned that I disliked working with Tiara so much because it seperates terribly that I switched to Kreinik. However, I had recently learned that purple glue sticks are acid-free and safe for archival use. So after cutting the thread, I lightly applied the glue to both ends. It improves the thread enough to work with but it’s still tricky and can catch on the canvas if you’re not careful. When I anchor the thread on the back into other stitches, I can leave a tail and cut the glue end off anyway.

Later that night and the following day, the bugle beads and Cabochons were applied.

I’ve done what I said I wasn’t going to do. I completed stitching an ornament without finishing the previous one. So, now I have two to finish. I know why I procrastinated. The shape of the previous one is difficult (5-armed star). But, I will persevere!

Back to Faith from The Cabochons Series by Susan Portra at my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter Stitch-in Saturday. Over the last 2 months I got working on our Santa canvas and so not much to report on this lately. Our Bring the Joy Santa designed by Marjorie Sarnat is done and heading to the framer. It looks great. The photo will be released by Fireside Stitchery on social media once it’s framed and then will hang in the store. In the meantime, I know 2 people have requested the threads and stitch guide and maybe a third. It was a chapter project discussed montly at our meetings over the past (almost) year! But, I digress.

I’ve been replacing French Knots with cross stitches or onlong cross stitches depending on the configuration. But, they didn’t work out so I laid a long length of Petite Very Velvet and couched it. The silver Fyre Werks is picking up the mint green from the Petite Very Velvet more in the photo than in person. Photographing needlework is really difficult.

The large side areas and beads/Cabochons are all that’s left to do on Faith. August 22 is the next ANG Main Line Stitchers Stitch-in.

Next up is Faith from The Cabochons Series by Susan Portra. It’s on a lovely Lavender canvas. Most of the thread colors are in Rhapsody. The blue Fyre Werks is the outlier but all work together nicely.

I got the center column of Rhapsody in before Saturday and added the outlines during our Stitch-in. I would have gotten more done except for having to remove my first outline row on the right side. It didn’t become apparent until I reached the bottom and was off by one canvas thread! Oh well. I was back on track soon enough and finished later that night watching a classic 1940 sci-fi horror film Dr. Cyclops presented by Svengoolie on MeTV, our usual Saturday night.

Part of my fascination with this series is seeing so much fit into a relatively small area and how everything fits together in a cohesive design.