Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Laurel Burch Rainbow Butterfly by Danji
The background from my Sharon G Vases with Curly Bamboo used the T stitch and a very light blue floss because it appears very delicate almost invisible. She did not want to detract from the vases. I, too, did not want distract from the butterfly. So, that’s what I used to create the appearance of it flying in the sky. I used an overdyed thread with a slight color change. Don’t ask me what thread I used – I didn’t make a note about it and don’t see anything in my stash that matches! I’m slipping.
I made an outline on Velum (stiff tracing paper) of where I wanted the outer edge and used it to trace the shapes for the upholstery batting (obtained from Fireside Stitchery as recommended by Sue Parsons for finishing on the front side – it is fluffy on one side and thicker than the Pellon sew-in stabilizer) that I used for the fabric backing. A piece of magazine board was placed in between the front and back for some stiffness but it remains light and the single loop I placed on the back is sufficient.
Goal # 2 for 2025 is done!
I felt the urge to go for a Walk in the Woods. This is a Deborah Mitek design from ANG Seminar in New Orleans this summer.
The leaves on wooded stems included a variety of ribbon stitches with a few different overdyed green ribbons. The seed pods were tricky and are probably slightly different from Deborah’s but they are fine!
The ironweed flowers are next and I am excited about that!
Filed under: ANG Needle Pointer's Article, ANG Needle Pointer's Timeless Treasures From the Archives
Pat Mazu offered Needle Pointers (NP) a stocking design done with her take on Trianglepoint after rereading Sherlee Lantz’s book of the same name. It’s in the November/December issue along with an article by Patty W, the editor of NP reviewing the book and a pattern I stitched from the book.
I selected Persian Carpets Knots because of the 3D effect it creates and it was described as a “mysteriously interesting pattern”. It was a bit challenging especially the compensation. This grid helped keep me on track.
Here is is stitched.
And, placed onto a tissue box for the bathroom (with a vinyl cover held in place by double stitch tape).
Luckily, there was one article/project in a past issue featuring Trianglepoint by Nancy Perry that allowed me to include that. So, it makes for a lovely, coordinated splash on Trianglepoint in this issue of Needle Pointers!
You are missing out on some great information if you’re not a member of ANG, the American Needlepoint Guild (needlepoint.org). It’s easy to join. There are many free designs exclusively available to members.
The Needlework and Fiber Guild of Media met last night and we all really enjoyed making these icicles. Although not a fiber project, Kristen picked a lovely project to lead. We each got three kits if we wanted. The materials came from Solid Oak Inc and the instructions for these crystal/gold icicles are clear and easy to follow. There are 4 patterns you can follow. Six bead types were provided. Each one took about 10 minutes to create as advertised on their website which has lots of cute projects. I didn’t explore long enough to find something else I had to try!
Each ornament was individually kitted by Kristen with assistance from her husband to cut wires. I look forward to having them join my other icicle themed ornaments.
I decided to work on Walk in the Woods by Deborah Mitek for a bit. It was the first of the three ANG Seminar classes I took in New Orleans.
It’s on Congress Cloth and has a photo transfer that we’re embellishing. Not everything gets covered. Her husband took the photo of ironwood a few years ago.
Her kits are so organized and clearly marked. We got plenty of needles. Partial skeins help keep kit costs down. That takes some time but makes following her instructions even easier!
Deborah has excellent instructions and I started at the beginning by finishing the border and the background fern-like grasses and wooded stems.
Now that I’ve added the stems of the ironweed and seed pods, I can tackle the ribbonwork!
There is so much going on that you can barely see where it is stitched in the photos. It’s visible up close and under my light. The ribbons will pop.
Filed under: Daisy Delight Box with Mary Alice Sinton, Embroidery Guild of America, Fauquier County Chapter
Since the Daisy Delight Box by Mary Alice Sinton was working up so quickly and was such fun to watch develop, I kept on going.
Here’s the background done.
And, finishing was easy enough as the lid is padded and pops out of the box top. I did an inner (not pictured) and outer running stitch (seen in the upper right and lower left corners) to gather the fabric underneath. A little lacing to really secure it. Then, it popped right into the lid with the beaded circle falling in exactly the correct place around the lid. No glue needed.
Love it!!
Peace is the third in The Cabochons series by Susan Portra. It’s on a light pink canvas but the blue and purple save it from being too pink.
I forgot to get a photo of the threads first. So, you see the Rhapsody boxes.
Our ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter Stitch-in was Saturday at Fireside Stitchery. There were 3 men stitching and not either of the 2 guys from our chapter!
Linda and I searched for red threads for Bring the Joy Santa that is a painted canvas the chapter is working on. Then, I started looking for threads for a counted project we’ll be starting in March but couldn’t decide on anything. Then, I got to stitch the Fyre Werks into Peace which was easy enough.
Shortly after I got to the blue tent stitches, I realized that the basted border wasn’t going to hold the entire design as charted. I had to move the motif down by restitching the basted border. Luckily, I had enough canvas to move the border up 6 canvas threads. By then, it was about time to head home anyway. Four hours flew by!
Here’s the rebasted border and my progress.
Counting the tent stitch blue border requires more concentration than a Stitch-In allows with our conversation and distractions of lovely painted canvases and walls of threads!
Filed under: Daisy Delight Box with Mary Alice Sinton, Embroidery Guild of America, Fauquier County Chapter
After saying that I needed to lighten up on the beads, I didn’t. The blue/white and white/red in the right are loaded!
The pointed tip thin petal pink/white flower is less believe it or not. You can see fabric showing through the beads on the petals. The center is supposed to be padded. The white and the contrast to the skinny petals makes it looks bigger.
I like the flowers looking like they are in full bloom. So, only the pointed tip thin petals flowers are lighter.
Since this is working up quickly and is such fun to watch bloom, I am going all the way to completion.
Next up is background and finishing.
Filed under: Embroidery Guild of America, Mid-Atlantic Region, Nature's Palette THaP - Catherine Jordan
Catherine Jordan led Nature’s Palette a few years ago at an EGA Mid-Atlantic Region meeting (https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/09/17/thap-class-blackwork-on-natures-palette/). Catherine let us take extra leaves she had painted (acrylic paints). When I went to the two Guilds (I was so busy there are no pictures from either class), I had more fun painting the leaves than stitching them (https://melitastitches4fun.com/2022/11/02/painted-magnolia-leaves/). Catherine had given us a reversible blackwork pattern that was way above my pay grade.
Finally, I finished my second leaf which is just a grid and the third leaf has one small motif used in the first leaf.
It does make me happy to finish this. I glued (E6000) wooden dowels onto the back of each leaf and placed them in a vase for fall decor.
Filed under: Daisy Delight Box with Mary Alice Sinton, Embroidery Guild of America, Fauquier County Chapter
It’s not a race! That what Mary Alice Sinton told us when she showed the progress on another student’s Daisy Delight Box during the afternoon session. Good thing because I felt like I was all thumbs in the morning especially using the Koma but I think what I did by the end of class looks good. I understand how to use the Koma and just need to focus.
Mary Alice’s critique was that I don’t need to cram the beads together to cover all the fabric. So, I will continue on these flowers as I started but will adjust going forward.
First, I needed to finish the border of black tri-cut beads. I do love the Koma for couching beads! It took some practice and getting used it but as I neared the end, I would have liked to have more to do! The flowers don’t need the Koma.
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