I began stitching this 3-inch diameter insert for a “golf tee holder” Sunday night. But, I didn’t get it done for my husband Bill’s birthday which was today because we’ve been celebrating.
He mentioned recently that I’ve never stitched anything for him. I finally remembered that I’d cross-stitched bowling towel that he used for years. But, as far as needlepointing him something, I hadn’t done anything for him.
It was so fitting that my husband saw a sign for Nimble Needle on Saturday for Nimble Needle in Haddonfield, NJ when we went to Omaha Steaks (instead of our usual Chestnut Hill store)! I had totally forgotten it was in Haddonfield. So, we walked around the corner, down a couple of blocks & stopped in for a visit.
Eventually, my husband mentioned I’d won a couple of national awards & I had already said I was with ANG Mainline Stitchers! And Karen Milano, the store owner, said “Are you Melita Glavin, the blogger??” Amazing!
So, we were having a nice chat while I was looking around, with no intention of adding to my projects, when I spied the change purse with a golf logo & asked if it was big enough to hold his tees in it. He already has a bag for his long tees but he likes to carry short ones too! And, so, I began stitching using threads from my stash. I’m using the tent stitch & it is working up quickly.
As a wonderful by-product, Karen has agreed to come to one of meetings to teach a class on a simple finishing technique for a small round ornament. So often, we want to stitch a gift for friends but the cost of finishing can be so high that you can’t give them away as casual gifts. I had a lesson a year ago & it really helped me appreciate all the work that does go into finishing needlepoint. So, now when I do pay $60-$80 per piece, I realize that it is worth it. Our group will be thrilled.
Although her concepts aren’t complicated, the class at Rittenhouse Needlepoint with Joetta Maue was way too short! At least 4 hours were needed to really pick her brain. But, we reviewed her & some other’s styles of embroidery. Reviewed how to transfer a photo using a light box, a window, and a projector. She traces the important lines – not all the details.
I own a lightbox (got it with a 40% coupon at AC Moore/Michael’s) for about $50. And, I found a projector like she used online for $60 at www.nextag.com/Artograph-Tracer-Projector-581432582/prices-html.
We used a water-soluble marker to trace & the ink came right out with water. I know because when I came home I washed my first tracing out & redid it. I needed a smaller tracing because I just don’t have time to do a large piece.
Then, we reviewed her basic stitches: split stitch, back stitch, & satin. Be creative is her only guideline! She stitches some fascinating pieces on antiques linens (http://www.joettamaue.com/ & http://littleyellowbirds.blogspot.com/).
I’ll be interested in seeing how mine turns out!
I decided to stitch the orchids again (https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/orchids/) for today’s class. It isn’t a large piece or complicated by a lot of colors & I know it can be done much better. This will be different as well because it is embroidery. But, I expect the concepts to translate to needlepoint.
Filed under: Melita's Adaptations, Monet's Poppy Field, Needlework in Progress, Poppy Field
Thanks to a combination of stitches including padded satin and freestyle stitching I am happy with the oranges areas. I combined 3 Bark (WDW) for the padding. Then, 2 Hazlenut + 1 Bark or 1 Bark + 2 Hazlenut for the top layer. Plus, a little freestyle stitching on the top.
Santa is back from the Fireside Stitchery finisher. I’m so ho, ho, ho, happy with it! As it turns out, I picked him up exactly 6 months before Christmas. I have to leave him out for a little while & enjoy it. I’m so glad Kelly suggested I add a few rows of white around the edge.
And the back is great too.
Filed under: Melita's Adaptations, Monet's Poppy Field, Needlework in Progress, Poppy Field
The strip along right side that is blueish green worked up quicker than last time when I used Diane’s Stitch on that side!
I used the blue portions of one strand of the overdyed thread, ThreadworX 1067, but switched to two strands of a darker overdyed green thread from Weeks Dye Works named Lucky (medium greens). You should be able to see the difference between the Blue patch I added yesterday & this one.
Filed under: Melita's Adaptations, Monet's Poppy Field, Needlework in Progress, Poppy Field
The blue patch among the dark green grassy areas needed to be angled & upright. So, I found Zig Zag Stripe but did a variation of it by off setting the stripe. And, I filled in the empty spaces by a single cross stitch. It increased the denseness of the stitch & added to the slope.
I mainly used the blue portions of the overdyed thread (ThreadworX 1067) but also switched to some green from the same overdyed thread combined with blue & up close you can see the differences.
My shoulder has been bothering me but seems to be better now. So, I hope to make up ground on my Poppy Field while I can – kind of a pun!
I’m looking forward to a photo embroidery class with Joetta Maue at Rittenhouse Needlepoint on July 16. Joetta is an artist (http://www.joettamaue.com/index.html) who loves fiber & embroidery among other things. Stephen talked about her work earlier this year (http://rittenhouseneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2011/01/joetta-maue.html).
We’ll use our own photo, transcribe it into a drawing, & then stitch it. I have a month to look through my photos to decide what to take. It can’t be very complicated – it is only a 2-hour class. And, I can’t start a huge project anyway. Always fun to learn & get inspired!
Filed under: Melita's Adaptations, Monet's Poppy Field, Needlework in Progress, Poppy Field
In the 3 very dark green grassy areas, I wanted to use different but related stitches. So, I selected Criss Cross Hungarian for the left patch because of the denseness of the stitch & the longer length. The Woven Trellis is in the center patch because it is about as long a stitch as the left patch and because they are on about the same distance. And, Serendipity was selected for the right patch because it is farther away than the other 2 areas and is a smaller stitch.
The darker the thread (still using Sampler Threads 7042 Raven) the less of a stitch pattern is evident but up close you can see the differences.
For the top long row, I used the 3 threads layed in the same direction to get a few patches of light green from the overdyed. But, in the smaller 3 areas, I layed 1 in the opposite direction for a more solid dark effect.
In case you forget what Monet’s look like by now, here part of it is again.
Filed under: Melita's Adaptations, Monet's Poppy Field, Needlework in Progress, Poppy Field
For the large medium dark green grass area, I used one strand each of Weeks Dye Works overdyes named Grasshopper (yellow-green), Collards (dark green), and Moss (medium green). The stitch, Diane’s Lace from Suzy’s Portable Stitches, was difficult to get the hang of but especially slanting up & to the right (on the left side). The other angle, slanting up & to the left, just clicked for me. Odd how the brain sees some things better than other. It’s a good stitch for full coverage & looks somewhat random (especially using overdyed floss).
The little dark blue-green area in the center (with arrow pointed to it) used a portion of the 2 threads with the blue portion and 1 thread with the green portion in an encroaching gobelin stitch.
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