The morning of Day 2 of Walk in the Woods with Deborah Mitek was spent practicing ribbon leaves. I will practice more – probably with the River Silk ribbons and save the ones in the kit for the piece.
In the afternoon, I worked on the border. There was a party going on last night into the wee hours that kept me up and we are on the 27th floor! It’s New Orleans so nothing you can do. So, I was fading and the border was easiest. It really it first to be stitched anyway.
Eight of us from ANG Main Line Stitchers and Bill and Jean had a lovely group dinner right across the street at The Creole House. We had to dodge a parade to get back for EXPO!
The local ANG Streetcar chapter had a table with a partially stitched Dorothy Lesher piece. I may have to rip out what’s there because no threads are included. I’ve wanted to try one of Dorothy’s designs and this suits me. The little ornament rounded off the purchase nicely.
It looked like a good turn out for Expo!
There is music again outside our 27th floor. Not as bad at 8 pm as last night. Did I mention that I am not a huge fan of New Orleans? HOT and noisy.
For the 2025 ANG Seminar exhibit, I submitted Flowers Along a Rhode, an original design, Professional. It won a Second Place Ribbon! I was happy to see that.
The first award of the evening at the Welcome Banquet was the Creative Inspiration Award and I won it too. What a surprise and an honor! The special ribbons were designed and most of them stitched by Deb D. They are all lovely!
The design is slightly smaller than the 10″ x 8″ mat opening and is framed (16″ x 13″).
Here is my Artist Statement, a requirement for this category.
Debbie Rowley challenged us to be experimental during her “Explore and Design” class. In her 153-page booklet, she not only provides hundreds of stitch diagrams but explains how to understand the stitch so you can alter it when needed. Debbie had no input on my design.
The first section in Debbie’s booklet had 20 Rhodes stitch diagrams. That is when I envisioned a cobblestone walkway for my design. I ended up with more than 20 Rhodes stitches by searching through other books for more shapes and even making up a few of my own shapes. To line the far side of the cobblestone walkway, I saw stylized flowers made from the Waffle Star, Milanese Pinwheel, Walneto, layered Jessicas, and a combined Arrow Amadeus while the round Amadeus made bushes to line the nearside. The stems came from various sections of her booklet. And a flower garden would not be complete without butterflies buzzing around!
I did modify some motifs to my preferences such as placing the diagonal stitches on top of the straight stitches in the Waffle Star. And I shrunk two of the round Amadeus stitches and made small butterflies to add to the perspective. I added additional stitches to fill in the bushes carefully sliding the threads under the center line of the round Amadeus to maintain the characteristic appearance of the base.
Both the grass and the background combined an overdyed green thread and a matching middle value solid green to tone down the shifting color while conveying a breeze.
I enjoyed creating this contemporary garden stitched on 18-count canvas with a variety of threads.
End of artist statement. Additional information for further reference. Based on one of Debbie’s butterfly diagrams, I created the other four.
The grass and backyard stitches come from ANG Lone Star’s booklet, Grab -n- Go Stitches. The patterns have no names. These came from the section “Stitches That Read Straight”.
I have requested a critique and will post that and my scores once I get them after they are shipped home.
Debbie Rowley was so happy for me! And, another of her students won the Founders Award for the 4 colorways of a design of Debbie’s. That was quite an undertaking and they look great. Well deserved honor.
By the way, this completes Goal #4 for 2025.
Additional information is also available on the Judge’s Score and critique at https://melitastitches4fun.com/2025/09/02/flowers-along-a-rhode-the-judges-score-and-critique/
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2025, Flowers Along a Rhode, Melita's Designs, Walk in the Woods with Deborah Mitek
My first class for the ANG 2025 Seminar in New Orleans, LA is Walk in the Woods with Deborah Mitek.
A lovely photo transfer was already on Congress Cloth (Deborah explained her process). A gorgeous array of threads and ribbons greeted us. What a beautiful start to Seminar.
We started off with an easy square leaf stitch for the border.
Next, using a chenille needle proved tricky! I did this twice while stitching the ferns. It’s a good thing I don’t use the sharp needles often.
As usual, it doesn’t look like much is done but this is partly because the ferns blend into the background alot (left side). The stems are showing (also left side).
We watched ribbon demonstrations and will again tomorrow. Then, I suspect I will practice them in the extra wide border she gave us.
We were able to secure a table for our Main Line Stitchers at the Welcome Banquet. Good food and great company! The first award of the evening was the Creative Inspiration Award and I won it with Flowers Along A Rhode. What a surprise and an honor! I will publish my artist statement which explains the inspiration for this stylized garden.
The special ribbons were designed and most of them stitched by Deb D. Lovely!
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2025
While Bill went next door to the Sazerac House for a distillery tour, a wonderfully organized team of 2 ladies from ANG HQ checked us in for Seminar – no waiting. I had forgotten about ordering the tote bag and the water bottles. I love this style of bag and it’s HOT here – need plenty of water. I didn’t need to bring last year’s tote. Oh well!
Two packs of River Silk Ribbon this time! A fantastic magnet and a sundry of other items was provided. I think I will turn the yellow ANG plastic medallion into a magnet when I get home. I have cutable magnetic strips with one sticky side.
I noted my classrooms and browsed the list of 254 attendees (not everyone elects to be listed). I love trying to meet a few new people each year. This year I hope to find Mary G and Diane L! I can look up what classes they are in and at least pop in briefly.
The speaker at the Farewell Gala Banquet should be good. She’s Allie Pleiter, author of a variety of books. One Sharp Stitch was followed by Two Purloined Pillows – A Nimble Needle Mystery, both are a “cozy mystery” which I love and I have not read them yet. Perhaps they will be for sale at Expo! or at the banquet. Allie is a knitter and needlepointer, lives near Charlotte NC.
Bill ran into most of the Main Line Stitchers gang checking in. Glad everyone is arriving safely. I am ready for class tomorrow!
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Cross Stitch and Beyond by JoAnne Westerhaus, Embroidery Guild of America
The EGA Mid-Atlantic Region hosted JoAnne Westerhaus at Camp Wannastitch in January 2024 for a Take Home Project (THaP) class. THaP classes are open to the member who will be taking the project back to the chapter as a program. It’s supposed to be inexpensive and easy to teach. And, it allows someone an opportunity to try their hand at teaching.
Sue from my EGA Brandywine Guild attended the Camp Wannastitch class and taught it in March 2025 to Brandywine members. I was away, but Patrick picked up the instructions for me. I decided to use the leftover variegated Heather skeins from other designs from Beautiful Stitches/Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes. I’ll probably still have a full skein leftover and the solid colors.
JoAnne suggests it can be a needle book, coaster, sampler, or bookmark. I will make it a little differently at 4″ x 4″ when folded rather than 3.5″ x 5″. I’ll add 2 rows to make it longer. To make it wider, I made sure it was divisible by 4. I’m using eggshell Congress Cloth.
I basted along the left side because there needs to be 4 empty rows between each stitched row to reach 4″ x 4″.
The top row is a slanted cross that I can not recall seeing before. The diagonal stitch goes in first and then the upright stitches. About twice as much thread gets used on the upright stitches, so the color shift is quicker.
This was not one of my goals for the year. So, it’ll take a back seat and is good for travel. I stitched one band just to have it ready.
The second band was stitched during a Zoom talk given about making technology work for you as you age such as using Uber, setting reminders to get up and move, grocery/meal delivery services, and alert service if you fall in your home.
The next two bands were both the same and stitched Saturday with ANG Central Jersey Chapter at their May meeting after I demonstrated finishing for a round coaster. For Band 3, I went left to right and right to left with the same thread so the colors do not align as they do in Band 4. I started both trips across Band 4 on the left and started with the color matched other end of the thread. Remember that these skeins are symmetrically dyed. You know how much I love symmetry!! So, both bands are the same stitch but both bands looks different.
I got through some of Band 5 during the business portion of my last EGA Brandywine Guild Quarterly Meeting and finished it later that night.
It’s now August and I joined ANG CJC yesterday for the day to stitch on Band 6. I needed to pick up the kit for Winter Lights by Jennifer Riefenberg who is having 2 Zoom sessions in September. CJC is making it difficult to not add more projects to my list! They have a dozen projects with interest sign up sheets. I’ve already stitched one and do like a couple of the others but I resisted (for now).
The linings are attached. I used white thread to attach the black ultrasuede on the Folding Ort Box which matches the canvas and is not seen from the front. However, it did show on the inside. So, I used a black marker to color the thread. Can you spot the one diagonal row not done yet?
I love the colors with black and the overdyed thread.
For the Ort Box with Pockets, I have a green border, green ultrasuede, and green sewing thread. So, no marker needed.
I’m ready for assembly.
This will make a good travel project (small and no bars). I plan switch between reading and stitching during the 3-hour flight to New Orleans. I have gathered my stuff to take with me. One of Debbie Stiehler’s riffs during her talk at the NAN dinner was on who brings needlepoint to stitch on to an event where you will be taking needlepoint classes. Guilty!
Filed under: Books in My Library, Needlepoint Books, Traditional Silk and Metal Thread Techniques on Canvas by Jane Zimmerman
As the title implies, Jane Zimmerman discusses Traditional Silk and Metal Thread Techniques on Canvas.
I don’t do much goldwork but this goes over enough to answer any questions I might have for that technique.
Even better, Jane provides hundreds of stitch patterns that can be used with any combination of threads. In fact, the 2 projects indicate that Kreinik can be substituted for the gold threads. But, I do have a box of leftover gold threads which I would love to play with but not now since I still have a few more 2025 goals to work on.
Maybe it’s too well known that I was looking for Rhapsody! But, thanks to Kristen and the great Ebay deal she found that I couldn’t pass up, I now have enough Rhapsody to keep making another set of these ornaments in a variety of colorways!
Eventually, I will need more cabochons. I bought more rimsets because some were bent. The 10 mm (also sized 45 ss whatever that means) pointed rimsets in silver were not available so I got them in 40 ss hoping they would work but they do not. So, I will have to find slightly smaller cabochons. But, that should be easier than finding Rhapsody or rimsets!
Luckily, I was able to unbend the existing silver rimsets and got extra gold 10 mm rimsets. I remembered seeing a jewelry tool for enlarging rings and found a pen to substitute allowing me to reshape to round with a little the help of jewelry pliers.
It’s funny that as much as I love overdyed threads I know one woman in my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter who hates them! On which side of the thread aisle do you gravitate towards? Overdyed or not and can you explain why? I’m intrigued by the combination of colors and seeing how the color shifts.
Filed under: 2025, Flowering Maple with Celeste Chalasani, National Academy of Needlearts (NAN)
The petals on the silk shantung were done the same way as the leaves – long short in 3 colors.
The 3 Calyx were already stitched (https://melitastitches4fun.com/2025/03/18/flowering-maple-with-celeste-chalasani-at-national-needlearts-academy-nan/) and now they’re attached. I cut away as much fabric as possible but it still bunched up on the bottom raising them to 4 mm. More French Knots filled in the gap.
The sepals have been inserted but are not secured until the rest of the petals are placed.
The stumpwork petals are attached and sepals are secure!
I found a lovely little display frame (6″ x 6″), used piece of felt to pad a foam board, attached it with Nickel Tidy Pins by Loops & Threads, folded back the edges, and pinned it to the cushion backing.
Here’s a great shot too.
Goal #17 is DONE. And, I have 2 sets of 12″ Evertites ready for ANG 2025 Seminar classes.
Nights in White Satin by Jennifer Riefenberg had a little pre-work. The tent stitch outlines inner motifs and for the border outline, I chose to do two wide.
This 2-day class is only 3 weeks away! It will be my third class of ANG’s 2025 Seminar consisting of canvaswork stitches – my comfort zone.
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