While driving from Lake Lure to Pusgah Inn along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we stopped at Sandy’s X-Stitch On The Go in Hendersonville, NC. It’s so much more than a cross stitch store!
What a lovely lady and lucky one to have a needlepoint store connected to her home. She focuses on counted projects and has great designers such as Kathy Rees, DebBee’s Designs, Brenda Kocher, Laura Perin, and lots more. Several are kitted and ready to go. And, she’s got a nice selection of threads in various rooms. Her classroom has great light and plenty of room. She has several classes a week! A finishing class has 17 people. I’d love to take that class.
I wouldn’t mind being adopted and moving in with her!! There really wasn’t anything I needed except a very small travel piece. Buying more right now than I can’t find time to stitch would only cause me anxiety. So, I got a Stitch & Zip small purse for the plane flight to Houston for ANG’s Seminar in August. I’m so glad I didn’t miss meeting Sandy and seeing her store – all because I didn’t judge the store by its name.
Filed under: General comments
A member of the Apple Needlepointers chapter of ANG (American Needlepoint Guild) in central Pennsylvania wants to spread the word: One of our longtime members needs to liquidate his massive stash and we are helping him sell it. This sale includes embroidery floss, many types of threads, tapestry and Persian yarn, canvases, kits, patterns, and magazines, as well as finished pieces. Items are priced to sell and there are incredible bargains. The sale is at 10AM on July 27 at the
Monaghan Presbyterian Church
1185 Gettysburg Pike
Dillsburg, PA.
Please help spread the word to anyone you know who does embroidery and needlepoint. Thank you.
Filed under: Uncategorized
If interested, leave me a comment and I will get you in touch with the organizer.
Maybe because these rows of blue are shorter but I find myself planning what threads are used more carefully than what I did for the red and white rows. I don’t want to clump colors or thread types together.
The Reverse Cashmere (Block 14, 3rd blue block from the right) creates small diamond shapes where you can see the holes. You can’t see through them as I made sure my pathway covered the holes from below. It’s another very subtle pattern and the opening could fit a small bead, if beads were desired. There won’t be any beads on this piece.
The Diagonal Scotch/Byzantine Variation (Block 15, 4th blue block from the right) needs a larger area to better appreciate the pattern. Only the center diagonal stripe shows it.
The Giant Rice pattern (Block 16, 5th blue block from the right) could have been stitched in 2 contrasting colors rather than just 2 contrasting fibers to show off the pattern more.
Starting with the blue block on the right (#12) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
12 – Kreinik #12 Braid 051HL and Merino Wool 98L/45622 (2 strands)
13 – Elegance E862 and Bijoux MMT427 (4 strands)
14 – Soie Crystale 7041 (2 strands)
15 – Pebbly Perle P07 (2 strands) and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 SMS510 (2 strands)
16 – Entice E212 (2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments removed) and Bella Lusso 540
17 – Entice E255 (2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments removed) and Splendor S965 (2 strands)
18 – Wildflowers 0076
19 – Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1105
Filed under: General comments
A few more people are needed to bring Gail Stafford back to Pennsylvania (Buck County between Doylestown and New Hope) to teach her Arrival of Spring – the lovely companion to A Dusting of Snow.
Location:
Buckingham Township Bldg, 4613 Hughesian Drive, Rt 413
Filed under: Ort Box
Best of luck to Patty as she approaches her 1-year anniversary as owner of Stitch Stash in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Buff, Kristen, and I had a wonderful time there although it wasn’t the same without Linda! Next time!!
Patty is a very nice young woman and has some lovely canvases, a good selection of threads and beads, and all the other needlepoint stuff (bags, trays, etc.).
I selected Impressions for The Folding Ort Box with A Twist by Marilyn Owen. It’s got pockets and this one I’ll do in 18 count. My first was on 14 count and is bigger than I want.
Using 1 strand on 2 blocks in row 3 really turned out nicely because a little bit of canvas shows through. Otherwise, it would have been a solid appearance because I didn’t contrast the colors. I wonder what using 1 strand in more squares back in the red and white blocks would have looked like. Maybe I am getting more comfortable with open stitches.
This Cashmere Variation (Block 16, 5th blue block from the right) incorporated a Smyrna stitch using a single strand.
This Couching Variation (Block 17, 6th blue block from the right) used 2 strands to couch but the stitches were offset creating some open space.
The Sleeping Oblong Cross is particularly attractive with one thread. I used 2 initially but made a stitching error, ripped, and restitched with a single strand.
Starting with the blue block on the right (#12) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
12 – Splendor S858 (2 strands), Elegance E862, and Bijoux MMT427 (4 strands)
13 – Bella Lusso 540, Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1105 (2 strands), and Splendor S965
14 – Pebbly Perle P07 and Wildflowers 0076
15 – Entice E255 (2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments removed) and Entice E212 (2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments removed)
16 – Bijoux MMT427 (2 strands) and Au Ver A Soie 100/3 SMS510
17 – Splendor S1002 (2 strands) and Kreinik #12 Braid 051HL
18 – Splendor S965 (2 strands)
19 – Pebbly Perle P58 and Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1106 (2 strands)
We didn’t enjoy watching the Phillies slip into 3rd place in the division. So, that made the opera singer who sung the National Anthem the highlight of the game! I did take a break from the game to sit outside on my front steps and watched some fireworks including some of the higher ones from Penn’s Landing. Happy 4th of July!!
Filed under: Uncategorized
The Dusting of Snow piece from class with Gail Stafford is fun to stitch. I couldn’t put it down until I finished the bushes and grass. It really is coming to life.
Just leaves and sky left to go!
In honor of 4th of July, I’m posting an update today and will be working on the next row! Thanks to all the service members past and present.
The wavy part of the Couching Variation (Block 12, 1st blue block from the right) was fun to stitch and I like the effect of the pattern. More than just a little bit of the canvas shows which I didn’t care for. So, I added a single strand of Splendor under the laid thread which helped a little. The wavy part used differently could be even more interesting. Maybe fill areas with beads or staggered to look like water.
Then, the adjacent Slanted Gobelin Variation (Block 13, 2nd blue block from the right) looked too heavy using Entice as it comes off the card. So, I removed 2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments from the strand (gently pull each out separately). I did the same thing with Entice used in Block 18, 2nd blue block from the left.
The Alternating Oblong Cross (Block 19, 1st blue block from the left) has just a little canvas showing a non-direction pattern.
Starting with the blue block on the right (#12) moving to the left (#19), I used the following threads (1 strand unless noted):
12 – Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1105 (2 strands), Au Ver A Soie 100/3 SMS510 (2 strands), Merino Wool 98R/45622, and Splendor S965
13 – Entice E255 (2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments removed)
14 – Splendor S1002 (2 strands) and Bijoux MMT427 (4 strands)
15 – Bella Lusso 540 and Soie Cristale 7041 (2 strands)
16 – Elegance E862 and Wildflowers 0076
17 – Splendor S858 (2 strands), Pebbly Perle P07 (2 strands), and Kreinik #12 Braid 051HL
18 – Entice E212 (2 rayon and 1 polyester filaments removed) and Splendor S965 (2 strands)
19 – Planet Earth 6 ply Silk 1106
Filed under: Brandywine Chapter, Edward Scissorfish Scissors Holder, Embroidery Guild of America
My chair may have a few beads in it after this project! Good thing Cleo gave us a lot.
Getting both sides of the eyes and large scales to match was tough but once established, it went well. I loved how the dagger-shaped beads stood up after the surrounding beads were stitched into place.
The back 5 large and 13 small scales took a toll on my left forearm. Apparently, my left arm is gripping the fish too tightly. Got to take more breaks from working on it. With the scales done, that completed Areas 1 and 2. There are 5 more areas to cover and add the lining. It’s good to try new things. Right!?!
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