My Main Line Stitchers chapter has been working with open canvas projects more this year. So, this month’s exercise will be to create our own pattern. I selected Pattern 37 from Jean Taggart’s Laid Fillings for even weave fabrics. 
The key is not only to start and end threads under other threads but move around the canvas under threads that are already in place. To show this, I placed a flashlight under the canvas. 
Here’s my pattern. 
Getting a different look.
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter, Pansy Secret Garden by Laura Perin
My ANG Main Line Stitchers chapter is stitching various designs from Laura Perin’s Secret Garden Collage series for our spring project. I couldn’t decide between California Poppy, Daffodil, Daisy, and Pansy. So, I bought several & am starting with this one.
I had a harder time remembering to stop for the small squares on the outer border than all the counting required to get the smaller areas outlined correctly! But, it is correct. And, Area 1 is done!
This is the best photo I could get because the colors of the boxes are dark blue & purple with a splash of green. We have been in a deep freeze (for Philly) & thinking about spring helps!
I forgot to post this & since writing that, I made progress on the pansy. This section reminds me of cross-stitch days when I had to pencil off what I stitch as I stitch it. Slows me down but increases my accuracy. Spring is even closer now that daylight saving time is here!
Filed under: "Faux-Berge" Orange Tree Egg by Michele Roberts, ANG Seminar 2014
The Faux-Berge Orange Tree Egg was designed by Michele Roberts. I enjoyed meeting her during a great ANG Seminar class in Chicago (2014) & it was fun to stitch. I have been enjoying it again now for a couple of weeks – good timing to be here for the upcoming spring & Easter. I wanted to show it to my ANG chapters before posting here. And, I am glad I waited to post because I came across a photo showing the real egg in a brochure from 2001 when a Faberge exhibit came to Wilmington, DE.
Karen at Nimble Needle took a great photo when it came back from the finisher who did a fantastic job! It has a little puff to it!! I really love that I had it done as a stand up piece. It uses a plastic stand that inserts into an opening at the bottom of the piece. It can be removed for storage. I first saw the stand used in a piece I bought at the silent auction in Chicago. And, Karen had it at her store!
The kit was given to me as a thank you gift from Michele Roberts (her design was to read “stitch on”) & I continued the thank you by stitching it for Roya (coworker) who gave me the Queen’s canvas. Roya has family in the UK & she knits (easily switched). So, this seemed perfect. And, she liked it!
The frame is from Michael’s.
The second clue in the Stitching Games 2015 run by stitcherie is “football” & why not – it was released on Superbowl Sunday!
I went through SuZy’s Portable Stitches & have 2 leading candidates heading to the Superbowl (a test canvas) – Fran’s Stitch (looks like a lot of footballs) & French Swag (looks like a gridiron). May the best stitch pattern win.
Fran’s Stitch was out of the running when I layer it out on graph paper because it was too large for the area.
I also went through Needlepoint Dictionary of Stitches on my Kindle & found Hex shape which looks like a little football.
So, I tried combining the Rhodes stitches from French Swag & the Hex shape (a slightly smaller one) with Stripes A (from Portable Stitches) but it was too many stripes & no contrast to the bamboo.
The part I like is the Hex. So, I decided to keep it simple and I made the top of what I see as a decorative vase all Hex shapes.
I used Kreinik (045) #4 for the footballs, #16 for the rim of the vase, & #32 for the sides. The thread has a bit of green that complements the bamboo. The purple comes from selected portions of Gloriana Seaweed #088.
Filed under: ANG Seminar 2014
The eye-glass case turned out great & Bill loves it. The finishers at Rittenhouse Needlepoint did a wonderful job. I took it to both my ANG meetings this week & wanted to post this on Valentine’s Day!
Filed under: Queen's Silhouette
The Queen’s Silhouette is traveling to Woodlawn for the 52nd Annual Needlework Show. She’ll be there for the month of March.
Before the Queen left, she was able to visit the people who I work with including Roya who gave me the piece. She brought it back from Tapisserie in London.
Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth wasn’t able to visit my ANG stitching friends.
Nancy & Murphy at the Artful Framer in Paoli did a fantastic job with the frame. They were very patient helping us (my husband & ) picking it & the mat out. I really appreciate their efforts. I really recommend deciding on how you will finish a piece before you finish stitching! I switched to an oval but not the same size oval as typical mats come in. But, they figured out a way!
It looks like it could fly away!
The wings were Alicia’s Lace (#8 045) outlined with Gold Rush (202C) & couched with Accentuate (024).
The body was padded first with long stitches of Crystal Braid (CR08) & covered by straight (satin) stitches Kreinik (#8 045).
The head is French Knots (#8 045). It has been 2 years since I’ve done one & they were a snap thanks to a Mary Corbett video for a refresher!
Initially, the small squares were going to be Rhodes stitch but Sharon G thought they wouldn’t compensate easily & suggested Double Leviathan but that pattern covers 4 threads & the square was 5 threads. So, I did my best with the Rhodes using Gloriana (#088 Seaweed).
Now, off to the framers & then, where will it land? Hmm
This is a 60th birthday gift for a friend, Terry V, who’s as cute as a button.
It’s on 14 count vinyl canvas. I didn’t start on this very early (I forgot about it until Tuesday & her surprise party was last night – fun time) so I kept it small (3&1/2″ square) to get done quickly (several nights & a day of binge stitching). A little DMC & Kreinik to add some sparkle. I have some decorative buttons that I have had stashed away & thought it looked good. And, because I used simple stitches, I got done quicker than I expected & decided to add the background for a finished 5″ square design. Whew!
Filed under: ANG Main Line Stitchers Chapter
These just arrived from needlepoint.com ‘s recent give-a-way! It includes Claudia hand painted cotton threads (3-ply), a brand I have not seen in Pennsylvania! The selected Impressions & Mill Seed beads match perfectly. I am Programs Chair for ANG Main Line Stitchers in Devon, PA (outside Philadelphia) & will figure out how to share this with them. Thanks needlepoint.com!
Melitastitches4fun's Blog 