Filed under: 2024 Summer Stitch Camp, Serendipity - Stitching Club with Ellen Johnson
It was a fantastic day to join Ellen Johnson from Serendipity for a day-long stitch camp (in AC) because it was too hot to do anything else yesterday!
The kit arrived on Tuesday and was filled with lots of goodies. That Zee Zees was tasty.
We dove into 6 stitch families, and I earned my first badge as I used the day to stitch 3 rows of the first 3 stitches Ellen discussed.
Today, I earned 2/3 of a badge by finishing off both sides.
Besides teaching stitches, Ellen discussed which stitches combine well together. Very enjoyable day.
It’s 13 count canvas and I used DMC Perle #3 and Silk Lame Braid for 18 ct (about 3 and 1/2″ round).
Silken Sonata by Jim Wurth is done. I do love a counted project! Thanks again, Linda.
Compensation with 4-way Continental was tricky in the small areas.
The overlay stitches were new for me. It took me 2 tries to get them right. I looked at the piece the following morning and thought 2 were wonky. After carefully looking, I realized that 2 were wrong one way and 2 were wrong a different way! The smaller Jessicas are 3×4, and the large ones are 5×4 (which was oddly difficult for me too-not sure why). So, the overlays are off center on the large one, which is what messed me up. But, I got it. Those eyelet holes had to be that big to get the threads to lay around the hole.
Normally, I see Jessicas and think about filling them with beads. Now, I can about filling with 4-way Continental (or other small stitch) and/or overlays.
Silken Sonata by Jim Wurth is fun to work on. Jim must have been influenced by Jean Hilton. Between the Smyrna outline stitches and the multiple sized Jessicas, you can’t help but think of Jean Hilton.
Those 4 large Sprats Heads worked up quickly and look great. I hadn’t used Hi-lights before and probably won’t again because it is discontinued but I liked it. The Coronet Braid (size 8) I probably won’t use again because I didn’t like it. It’s stiff, and I didn’t like the feel of it. It’s polyester and rayon. But, it is iridescent and looks good.
Filed under: ANG Needle Pointer's Timeless Treasures From the Archives
This is a Romanian stitch executed differently in the 2 halves. Read all about it and explore 11 basic stitches with two variations, a background, and a border, including a corner for each basic stitch by Mindy English. How & where? You’ll have to join the American Needlepoint Guild (ANG) since I discuss it in the Timeless Treasures from the Archives article in the current issue of Needle Pointers (July/August 2024). Read about all the ANG member benefits at: Click here.
I made it into a coaster with 3 tent stitch rows surrounding the 2 areas, Craf-tex liner, cork backing, and a 3 strand cord glued into place (process has been explained in more detail previously in my Compensation Coaster post).
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2024, Byzantium - Lorene Salt, Heart Swirls - Janet Zickler Casey, Treasures from the Great Lakes - Dawn Donnelly
If you are buying tickets for a Kansas City Royals ballgame during Seminar, you may want to know:
- You can save on processing fees for tickets by purchasing them over the phone (816-504-4040).
- A limited view of Crown Vision means you won’t be able to see the whole big video board which is a key feature of the park (but still have a good view of the field). More than likely, the top portion would be out of view because your seats would be under an overhang (good if it rains). I’m betting on no rain and went for the view from Section 224. Looking forward to spending the night with Sue, Kristen, and my husband Bill.
I got my 3 class letters yesterday and actually had the proper bars unused in my bin! That’s a first.
I’ll be taking Byzantium with Lorene Salt, Treasures from the Great Lakes with Dawn Donnelly, and Heart Swirls with Janet Zickler Casey. Leave a comment and share what classes you are taking.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in KC!
My oldest unfinished ANG Seminar piece is from another Gail Stafford class from 2012, Tar River Trail. It is a lovely autumnal scene.
The pre-class letter says only a few stitches are used with a variety of threads. The 18 count canvas was supplied as a line drawing with some areas painted for reference. The kit has 9 Weeks Dye Works skeins of floss, 1 skein of Waterlilies, 3 skeins of Watercolours, 15 skeins of DMC Floss, 4 skeins of The Gentle Art Sampler and Simply Shaker Threads, and 3 skeins of ThreadworX floss. That’s a lot of threads.
So, this is my starting point. I left my spaghetti threads from class all this time. It still looks challenging! But I am confident that I can do it.
My first task was to transfer the canvas from the very thin bars to Evertites. Then, I reread the instructions, and now I am excited to see the scene develop.
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, Landscape Features: A Notebook Class by Gail Stafford
I used the distant trees/mountains on the right to explore 3 more stitches.
There is the Pine straw and mulch at the bottom of the tree on the left and around a tree on the right.
There are several grasses and grassy clumps. The tall grasses didn’t encroach enough on the right side. I think part of the problem is that I separated the threads, so most look laid, and 2 of the 3 greens are too close in color to each other. Plus, I kept rows too uniform and horizontal. Then, on the left side, I didn’t separate threads, angled more, and encroached more, and it looks better to me.
This was a very useful class. I still have areas to test more stitches at a later date.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Fibonacci Swirls by Olivia Hartshorn
My ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter is going to start Fibonacci Swirls by Olivia Hartshorn.
During covid lockdown, this grandmother living in Devon, UK, designed it. Luckily, someone in ANG must have contacted her because the instructions appear in Needle Pointers Mar/Apr 2022 issue. If you’re not a member of ANG, you can join (needlepoint.org) anytime and get access to all the old magazines online. Tons of great articles and projects.
ANG Central Jersey Chapter and Cyberpointers chapter have already done it and I’ve seen about 2 dozen different colorways. Linda M is leading this project for our chapter.
I’ve pulled 2 colorways. One is on Congress Cloth and the other is on 18 count canvas.
I will switch locations for two stitches and selecting a new one for one area.
The one for Congress Cloth is using The Thread Gatherer’s Sheep’s Silk Autumn Bouquet SPS099 (I have 3 skeins) and several Presencia Finca threads depending on what works best #8 #12 7720, #12 7726 (maybe double it), and DMC #8 738. For this one, I will cut the mat to fit the shape, and so no canvas will show. The Kreinik is 153V, a bold burgundy! The muted colors in the overdyed thread seem to become brighter by putting it with the brighter solids. I’m getting contrast! The original instructions call for 3 overdyed threads, but I want to try it with one. The threads should look familiar-they were posted as part of the Birthday Bonanza from Linda M!
For my colors going on the 18 count canvas, I’ll be using ecru canvas and plan on adding background stripes as was done by Linda W, a Cyberpointer. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. (Oscar Wilde)
Linda M and I found 3 Watercolour skeins in our stash from what Debra got from a friend of hers. One skein has the old handwritten name and dye lot. Linda helped me pair them up with Entice. I’m very happy!
As I was checking out, there were charms. I almost picked up a horseshoe and 4 leaf clover, but the green didn’t quite match. The threads remind me of a flower garden, and so I got the flower in a pot.
Linda M finally got to stitch some after helping Patrick, Lisa, Lori, Kathy P, Kristen, and me pick out threads! She was very helpful and patient. Looking forward to seeing these develop.
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Crewel Wreath by Lucy Edmison, Embroidery Guild of America, Petite Projects
A hot start to summer seems like a good time to post this.
Members of my EGA Brandywine chapter gathered to stitch The Crewel Wreath by Lucy Edmison in mid-March. Joann had gathered all the materials for the kits, which were given out free to members. And, I led folks through the EGA Petite Project, although they really didn’t need much guidance.
Joann supplied Appleton wool, which is the preferred wool for crewel. I used it and it worked ok but I am just not a fan of it or wool in general. In the 3 hours I got pretty far along but Barbara was almost done! I know it’s not a race. Barbara said she just allowed the stitching to flow and that is how you should let random placement progress. I used up almost all of the wool. So this one is a little fuller.
I am particularly happy with how the bow turned out. Joann shared how bows were made from “Sandy’s Finishing Touches” by Sandy Higgins. It took me 2 attempts to get the correct size. Joanne had given us plenty of ribbon.
My first wreath is on the left and my second on the right.
I did the finishing myself.
Crewel Wreath 1 was posted previously at https://melitastitches4fun.com/2023/12/03/post-dec-6-crewel-wreath-by-lucy-edmison-from-egas-website-for-the-brandywine-chapter/
Filed under: ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, Landscape Features: A Notebook Class by Gail Stafford
Lesson 3 of Gail Stafford’s Landscape Features class moved us through water, distant trees, and bushes. I tried out 3 water stitches, 6 stitches in the distant tree line on the left, 2 bushes on the left, a large bush, and 2 trees on the right.
Two grasses are stitched on the right, but we will cover even more ground as grasses are up next in Lesson 4 (pun intended)! And I’ll probably do something in the distant mountain range on the right. I didn’t notice it until I posted this photo. I still have a lot of areas left!
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