Filed under: Seashells
I just found this picture & realized I never put it up on my blog. It’s a past (2001) housewarming gift for friends. They love the shore and we’ve been on multiple vacations with them – mainly near water (cruise, Wildwood, NJ, Seaside Heights, NJ). With summer here in March, it seemed like a good time to post it!
Unfortunately, I did not save any info from this piece. As I recall, it was a stamped canvas with a diagram to follow (mainly backstitch or cross stitch). Threads were included. If anyone knows, I’d love to find out.
Postscript: Lisa from my ANG Keystone Chapter saw my posting and actually has this in her stash – it a WIP. She brought it to our meeting Wednesday & it’s coming along nicely! It’s from 1986, called “Seashell Wreath Picture”, and was “NEW!” to have portions of the design printed in color on the Aida cloth (14 count, 14″ x 14″ design area). It’s by Candamar Designs, Inc. who are still around but I didn’t find this vintage piece on their website. Thanks again Lisa for sharing that!!
I wonder how that would look in a round frame? It probably could be a nice looking pillow too.
Filed under: Christmas Temari Ball Class ar Rittenhouse Needlepoint
Mindy from Rittenhouse Needlepoint demystified Temari Balls for me during a basic class yesterday. The ball was already prepared with 8 simple divisions. With just 2 hours, I wrapped around the 8 lines with DMC #5 and some Gold Rush around the equator. Then, I placed some green Kreinik between the 8 dividing lines & left a cord to hang it by. The examples of completed Temari balls makes me want to take the advanced class she may do in the fall. But, on the other hand, I don’t need another craft!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
This year’s ANG Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from ANG is Feuilles d’ananas, by Susan Hoekstra (Pineapple Leaves) – A Study in Values. I thought the darkest scarlet red was darker but it looks good with the dark pepper pot & Kreinik (#12 not #8 as recommended). I enjoy seeing it slowly grow.
This year, in addition to the main projects for the year, Trish has started the ANG Keystone Garden Chapter on a monthly mystery project designed to help us select threads to go with an overdyed thread.
Basically, there is Color A and B with a neutral. These are mine: Waterlilies 086 Tahiti, ThreadworX #8 Braid 710161, maybe Kreinik #8 Braid 012HL purple, Kreinik #8 Braid 850 dark green, maybe Kreinik #16 Braid 5982 medium dark green, Kreinik #16 Braid 102C gold, Splendor S1086, Splendor S932, maybe Mill Hill Seed Beads 02009.
They look ok on the Grey scale, a feature on my phone’s camera that makes checking so easy! I see light & dark values. And, the Waterlilies has some medium value to it.
And, this is January’s portion completed except for the beads which I will add last.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Seminar 2015, General comments, Gilded Acorns by Deborah Wilson, Three Leaves by Margaret Kinsey
I took 8 pieces (most but not all stitched in 2015) to the framer before Christmas. Linda helped me pick out frames along with Jim the owner of Repenning Fine Arts in Audubon, NJ. I’m very happy that Karen at Nimble Needle recommended him. Nice selection of frames, he has a good eye, and is reasonably priced. We had a lot of fun – it took some time too with 8 pieces! But, it was a successful group experience. Three pieces I can’t show yet – they were framed as a single. It was tough to get good pictures of the dark frames. But, they look really great.
Patchwork Quilt by Pat Donaldson
And, Tootsiebubbles: Pinwheels and Whirligigs by Brenda Kocher
Color Inspirations by Orna Willis
Three Leaves by Margaret Kinsey
Gilded Acorns by Deborah Wilson
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, ANG Stitch of the Month, 2016
This year’s ANG Stitch of the Month (SOTM) from ANG is Feuilles d’ananas, by Susan Hoekstra (Pineapple Leaves) – A Study in Values. I was so tempted to do it in Susan’s colorway too (see it at http://needlepoint.org/StitchOfTheMonth/2016/SOTM201601_Introduction.pdf). But, as soon as I saw the materials list, I knew that there were plenty of skeins of Needlepoint Silk from Mae Van Damm’s stash in a wide range of scarlet reds. Sure enough, I had 5 values & enough to offer them to our members at ANG Main Line Stitcher’s chapter.
So, I took them to Fireside Stitchery before our January meeting and found 6 Pepper Pot Silk colors and 2 Kreiniks to go with them (thanks to Linda for her assistance). I have them listed below. A couple of folks are going to do the piece in the reds. We all agreed it is a pretty design.
I had an easier way to stitch the 4-way Amadeus but glad I stitched it both ways. I could really see a difference! On the left, you see the easy way (stitch first the entire left side and then the entire right side) leaves a gap in the center which could be used if I went back and placed a thread or a bugle bead down the middle. But, I stitched it the way Susan charted it (one stitch on the left and matching stitch on the right with continued alternating sides one stitch at a time as it is built).
And, the 4-Way Arrow Amadeus was done for the meeting too!
.
Filed under: ANG Correspondence Courses, ANG CyberPointer's Chapter, Spirit of Jean by Kathy Rees
I’m glad I had time to get back to Spirit of Jean by Kathy Rees and finished in time to send for a critique! I used some threads from Mae, a past member of my ANG Main Line chapter; thus, the name, Spirit of Jean and Mae.
I expected both sides of the dagger Amadeus to have the threads line up and match. But, I am thrilled that the brown matched in the middle because the dagger is created by stitching the top half and then the bottom half up to meet the top half. I left the top one partially stitched and you can see the finished one on the bottom.
After I got started on the background, I realized I would run out of the thread which I then found out had been discontinued. So, I headed to Nimble Needle where Karen had more WDW straw (which surrounded the center waffle) and a different Thread Gatherer Silk to choose from. Both would have worked but Karen reminded me WDW is cotton & I had started with a silk which has a better shine to it. So, I evened up the 2 sides instead of ripping out & finished with the new silk.
The threads I used were:
Kreinik 080C, 031
Weeks Dye Works (WDW) Straw 1121 but The Thread Gatherer Silk ‘N Colors Toasted Marshmallow SNC255 or Shepherd’s Moon SNC097 was used when I ran out of WDW 1121.
WDW Bright Leaf 1227, 1333
Waterlilies Umbria 204
ThreadworX 130
Watercolours Raspberry Sherbet
Gloriana Fall Foliage 077
Neon Rays N26
As has happened before, I forgot to post it framed. Being under non-museum glass makes it practically impossible to get a good photo. But, here it is anyway.
Filed under: A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That by Linda Damiani, ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
Instructions for “A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That” by Linda Damiani was in the stash we got from Mae V-D, a member of the ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter who passed away in 2015.
A couple of members of our chapter remembered Linda was from our area but had moved away. I was able to locate her & I called her. She moved away from needlepoint to other crafts but was happy to grant us permission to copy & distribute the instructions once again to our members.
Again using Mae’s canvas and threads, we stitched 2 projects from the booklet.
A true stash buster using miscellaneous threads grabbed randomly. See how each looks slightly different using the same threads?
And, there was a lovely Florentine Star that I choose to do off center rather than locating the star directly center and making it a full 4-way bargello pattern. I had such fun doing these that I did them in multiple colors.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2012, Ruby Keepsake Box, Tar River Trail by Gail Stafford
Going back 4 years (where did the time go?), I see I never blogged after seminar about the classes I took.
I typically take a notebook class in order to learn & not have too many unfinished pieces following seminar. My first class was with Sharon G (Garmize) who talked about an “Anatomy of A Stitch Guide” including concepts regarding color, texture, scale, and perspective using some pieces students were willing to share.
Then, I took a 2-day class with Catherine Jordan for the Ruby Beauty – A Keepsake Box. It was a blast working with paint. We painted the canvas and box. The 3 bumps are pieces of Tyvek that were placed under a hairdryer to shape them that we then cut out to whatever shape we wanted and painted. We stitched it into place & then stitched around it. It was all “finished” by the end of day 2!!
Lastly, “Tar River Trail” which is a landscape piece from Gail Stafford but remains no further since class ended. I thought it was a great class & have meant to get back to it but time has flown by!
Filed under: General comments
Thanks to everyone from 88 countries who took the time to come and read my blog in 2015 (especially Brenda & Sue). According to WordPress, I had a total of 20,000 views with 370 hits in a single day! Read all about it at https://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2015/annual-report/
I followed my 2015 mantra, VISION, by using some of what I had in my stash but I brought in more new pieces some of which were finished & others were added to my stash. But, I’m happy looking back at what was accomplished. I finished 13 projects including 4 of my own designs (2 are not going to be shown here until they appear somewhere else which is very exciting), 2 goldwork pieces (1 ANG seminar class project and 1 ANG Main Line Stitchers class project which were with great teachers and I learned a lot) & 7 charted designs. I finished Walking the Water’s Edge with just 12 hours left before we rang in 2016! That’s more pieces than I realized I had done. Not only did I enjoy stitching them but also learned a lot.
Now, I am getting back to Spirit of Jean (hope to finish in Jan). And, I will spend time on another of my own designs and a small painted canvas. Since each one needs a particular mindset in order to do it correctly, I think I’ll go back to FOCUS as my stitching mantra in 2016. I think that has been a guiding principle since 2014 anyway. And, I don’t have to focus on the same piece every day until it is done. Rather, I look at focusing on finishing a particular section when I sit to stitch. That way I am accomplishing exactly what I want to do on a given day.
I did have to rest my hands for a couple of days because I was getting quite a bit of pain from too much stitching. So I spent the time cleaning up my camera & computer folders. And, I see I have been remiss in posting various stitching related items. So, the next couple of weeks will be catching up – starting with scissors. If you don’t have the proper tools, stitching is more difficult. I’ve been using the Friskar scissors for a couple years now (since Marilyn O recommended them). And, I have given them as gifts. But, I love the curved Gingham scissors I picked up using part of the gift certificate I got this year from my ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter for my efforts on projects & newsletters. It feels safer clipping closer with the curved blade. Both scissors are so sharp.
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 