Filed under: Swirling Leaves
Considering that this has leaves in the design, it is Fall, and we’re watching baseball, I decided to stitch the rest of the background.
To recap this piece, in 2015, I took Janet Perry’s cyber class about learning to create your own stitch guide. I submitted a picture of this canvas which she chose for one of the class discussions. It’s Swirling Leaves (DH3825) an Elements canvas by Dream House Ventures Inc.
Janet suggested stitching the background first so that the focal points are on top of the rest of the stitching. However, she suggested an open Tent Stitch pattern. And, I didn’t realize until it was way to late that I didn’t do it correctly. No wonder it took so long to stitch.
So, now it is the Alternating Continental stitch and still a non-directional pattern that she intended (just not open). I had plenty of Elegance E800 and plenty of time watching baseball.
I stitched all the stitches that went from lower left to upper right first. Then, worked the second pass in the opposite direction which went faster than the first pass maybe because I was distracted by baseball. I am glad that background is done.
Filed under: Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward got his lining today and the dagger beads on his tail. Thanks to Cleo for her help with the lining. She makes it look easy but she’s done 4 of these fish and does finishing as part of her business (Busy Lizzy). We saw lots of fantastic pieces done in all manners from the ones she has ready for customers and the multitude of needlework throughout her home. As much as I want to finish the fish, I enjoyed our classes and am sorry to see them end.
Now, for the tail and fin fringes!
Filed under: Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
Edward Scissorfish has his lower face completely filled in (on bottom) and filled in with dark beads around the belly scales as I sewed up the center seam. The bugle beads are a bit wonky where they join but he’s my Edward and am happy to have him ready for our fourth class Wednesday at Cleo’s (Busy Lizzy). I need help with the lining. In the meantime, I will string tiny (13/0) seed beads for the tail and fin fringes!
One of my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter members asked about a thread substitution for Trebizond in Crescent Journey.
You wouldn’t want to use anything stranded (although as soon as I say it, I wonder what would happen except take a lot longer to stitch).
So, I decided to see how they work with the main stitches.
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Vineyard Silk Classic (gray) top
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DMC Perle #5 (brown)
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DMC Perle #8 (white)
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Trebizond (white) bottom
Here are my stitched samples.
One of the counted projects for my ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter is ANG’s Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from 1999, Barbara’s Patchwork. I selected threads that DMC calls Topaz (Color A) and Raspberry (Color B). I was going for a Mustard and Scarlet combination.
I double counted each section in order to be sure that the grid was correct.
And, two more people signed up for my Crescent Journey!
We’ll begin discussing Vases, a Sharon G canvas, too. We have 3 different stitch guides.
Please join us tomorrow night, October 14 (always the second Monday of the month from 7-9 pm) at Starbucks in Wayne, PA (218 Lancaster Ave).
Filed under: General comments, Needlepoint Shops, Osterville Needlepoint Shop, Threads
The Osterville Needlepoint Shop in Mashpee, MA in Cape Cod has a great selection of threads and canvases. And, a wonderful staff. I don’t recall seeing Treenway Silk Cords and Ribbons. Love the color combinations.
Even after I said I had too many projects to purchase anything, I was invited to join the ladies to sit and stitch. Had it not been for my husband waiting in the car, I would have joined them. Two nice big tables, plenty of light, and such pleasant women. Another time! Good place for classes. And, lots more threads not seen in this photo.
Needle Me offered a summer stitching contest and while I was there getting a piece framed, Marcie had one canvas left. It looked enticing, wasn’t too big, and looked fun.
Here’s my entry. All I could think of was how many of the patterns from Sandy Arthur’s Shapes of Needlepoint books would I be able to incorporate. There are 4 ovals, 13 triangles, 20 rectangles, 5 circles, and 47 squares. The background is the woven stitch creating small diamonds. That makes 90 patterns in the 8 & 1/8″ x 2 & 1/8″ design area.
Having that much going on with stitches, I decided to use one color but with 5 values and intensities. The silk threads are Au Ver a Soie hand-dyed by Chameleon called Shades of Africa, Two Oceans. You can’t tell in the smaller shapes that all 5 values are overdyed threads. It’s not until I stitched the larger background did the overdyed effect show.
When I picked up my framed piece, I saw all the entries and there were some great entries. Well, the results are in and I came in tied for Third Place overall and First Place for Stitch Category. It was quite amazing to see all the interpretations of the small and simple canvas. Congratulations to Marcie on her 30th Anniversary and thanks for hosting the contest.
Not a fancy frame for the flag. Off-white mat and wood frame with a slight reddish tint in it. It’s not under glass.
But, getting a good photo is so tough. For this piece, my natural light works great for the color of the threads but reflects on the frame in a couple of places for an inconsistent look. Outside in the sun, the frame either reflected a lot or shows up as a dark brown. Outside in the shade, the reddish color in the wood shows up better but only on the upper edge and right side.
The framer is whoever does the work for Needle Me in Haverford, PA. Nicely done.
Needle Me offered a summer stitching contest and while I was there getting a piece framed, Marcie had one canvas left (the line drawn unstitched canvas is in the upper left corner of the image from her newsletter).
Please go to Needle Me (12 E Eagle Road in Havertown, PA) to vote for your favorites by September 28. I’m not going to tell which is mine until the results are announced.
Lotus Kimono by Lee (SPM 279) is a project that we discussed differences in two stitch guides at my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter. And, I’ve finished it!
At our Saturday Stitch-in Time in August, I finished the black seam lines using a variation of the Tramme (or Trame) stitch. I laid 2 long threads of Elegance E801 and selected a 1 x 3 cross stitch to go on top using one strand of Splendor S801. It appears that The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen would have you stitch the crosses first and then run the long tramme stitch under them. I preferred an elongated cross stitch (not spaced apart from each other) to alternating gobelin stitches so you could not see there were 2 laid threads and because I seemed to pull too tight with the gobelin stitches which pulled the long laid thread out of the well towards the shared canvas thread.
For the center of the flowers, I matched the painted canvas by using the same threads as the large leaves in a simple basketweave stitch. Both the French knots and the beads suggested by the stitch guides seemed too prominent considering how lightly I had stitched most of the canvas.
The gold along the bottom and side sleeves was also a tramme of 2 long laid threads of Kreinik #12 Braid 002V and one strand of Kreinik #4 Braid 002V with gobelin stitches placed evenly apart. I didn’t have the same problem pulling the laid theads out of the well probably because the #12 Braid is a thicker thread than Elegance.
The Kreinik #12 Braid 002V was couched with Kreinik #4 Braid 002V all around the leaves and flowers.
Now, do I flat finish the kimono and mount it, get a custom cut mat, or hang it through the sleeves? So many options! Thoughts?
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