Filed under: Uncategorized
This piece was done by my sister, Anita, for me. It is her own design. Very clever use of bargello to frame the sheet of music paper. The note pins are placed on the needlepoint on the sheet music corresponding to the notes B and A – which spells what my brother nicknamed me as a child, Ba, because he could not say Melita. My sister, Anita, is known affectionately as Na. I played flute & violin – thus the musical theme. My room at our childhood home was & is decorated in pinks/reds.
Although I see the piece daily (now it resides in a corner of my upstairs hallway where a pink/red piece works ok), I did not consciously link the use of pins in my needlepoint to this piece. Perhaps, this piece was my inspiration to begin stitching needlepoint specifically for a particular pin. So, if “Pinsations” ever becomes a “Sensation”, I’ll credit you, Anita, as my “Inspiration”!! Either way, love you & thanks again!
Filed under: Sun Flower with David McCaskill at Fireside Stitchery
I’ve got the background ready using 3 different overdyed thread colors. Occasionally, I even used just portions of threads to compliment the painted canvas which proved challenging. Now, I’m left with more of the green surrounding the petals & laying the dark thread on top & couching it. It is actually quite difficult to see in person where the dark thread should be placed – the pictures may actually help me figure out where to put the dark thread. I’m having a hard time photographing this piece – never seem to get the same amount of light. I’ll try outside daylight & see what happens.
I unearthed photos of the flag I did for our Chapter project (ANG Main Line Stitchers in Wayne, PA). I had the 1777 Maryland flag. Marnie sketched them for everyone. Not everyone has finished stitching & funds for the intended museum ran out. So, this is still an ongoing project.
Another flag-waving holiday! What better time than now to remember our soldiers fighting overseas, but also soldiers long gone – may they never be forgotten. Our ANG Chapter (Main Line Stitchers) is working on a project to donate to a museum of a piece with a soldier surrounded by different flags from the Revolutionary War. I forget what State mine was but it was a larger version of the one for my calendar. I used slanted Gobelin for the flag. All of the flags used a star pattern darning stitch for the background. I find darning patterns a difficult stitch to compensate (have to pay less attention to TV!).
Enjoy the holiday & family & friends . . . because soldiers made that possible.
Filed under: ANG Stitch of the Month, 2010
I had quite a time with this month’s stitch. I didn’t get the hang of that stitch until about the 4th corner. Then, I looked back over the previous 3 areas & realized just how many were wrong in just half or even just a quarter of the individual unit. So, I had to unstitch parts here and there. What a pain! Glad that this month’s is done. But, it looks nice & I think my lesson learned is to turn off the TV & focus on a new stitch.
Filed under: Vases
My last vase is a variation of my first 2 & is a “Pinsations” original design & stitch selection. I used a couple of chain stitch flowers to match the Pin. There are either French or Colonial Knots in the center of the 2 stitched flowers.
Filed under: Vases
This is also from my Vase series & is a “Pinsations” original design & stitch selection. As soon as I saw this Calla Lily pin, I knew I’d be doing the Arrow Amadeus stitch! As the vase was being stitched, it began to pucker or puff. I liked the effect & went with it by adding a small strip of bubble wrap to maintain an even effect. It adds to the roundness of the lines on the vase. It does seem, as I look at it hanging on my wall between 2 pictures, that I should have made the vase slightly smaller for the size of the pin/flowers. Otherwise, I really like this vase.
The background is the Ray stitch (a leaf stitch). The vase is done using straight stitches gradually climbing up & to the right with overdyed Waterlilies filled in with a white DMC Cotton Pearle #5 thread. Stitches are from The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen.
Filed under: Vases
This is also from my Vase series & is a “Pinsations” original design & stitch selection. I used a bone china pin as in the other vase. It is shorter & fatter. I used the same stitches & threads (just different colors). I used a fork with the outer tines bent back and the inner ones bent forward. It make a great stand!
Filed under: Vases
This is from my Vase series & is a “Pinsations” original design & stitch selection. I got the idea for the vase from looking at a clear glass vase of flowers because I wanted something that would allow the stems to be seen.
This is the first time I put a pin on the piece & hadn’t yet had the idea that when you remove it a flower or something decorative would be seen. So, while the pin can be removed, worn, & replaced, it’s not a stand-alone piece.
The leaves are various leaf stitches. The background is Split Gobelin. The stem is Stem Stitch. I just came up with the idea of weaving the threads back & forth. I worked it out on paper. The threads are DMC Cotton Perle # 3 and/ #5 and 1 thread of DMC Metallic for some sparkle. This was probably before I found the wider selection of threads at Fireside Stitchery.
Books used:
- Stitch Sampler by Lucinda Ganderton
- The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen
Filed under: American Girl
Speaking of Molly, she had an American Girl doll of a Native American girl. I took a picture of her outfit & I duplicated the necklace so she could dress up like her doll. I had the beads, & button (center), & some large hole plastic canvas. I just had to get the 4 decorative beads (just outside of yellow ring of beads), & a bandana to match.
In case you are wondering, you are looking at our “pet” doberman model the necklace for the picture. He’s really a life-size dog that is a statue & we bought a collar for with his name, Buddha, engraved on it. Repairmen are cautious when they first glance at him!
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