Meet Cozy Toe #7

I'm slightly behind on my Cozy Toe commitment for this year. You may recall that I did six of these in 2008 and I was hoping to get started sooner on this year's allotment of 6. Number 7 is going quickly as there aren't many threads to strip. The purple is Soie d'Alger and is such a dreamy silk to use. PFOS distributed the kits for this series and has used all very nice threads. I've enjoyed using most of them with one slight exception, Sprinkles. I love the effect it has but it's not as easy to use as the other options. To me it's almost like stitching with shiny raffia. I began stitching on this last night during our raging snowstorm we had in Colorado. Hope to finish this today or tomorrow. Number 7 Toes uses Kreinik Braid, Soie Silk, Rainbow Gallery's Flair and beads. These have been fun in between projects that are part of my '09 stitching queue. Thanks for visiting today.

I LOVE.....

.....surfing the net. I sometimes wonder where I would be today (as a person) if I had been introduced to the world via the Internet when I was a child, instead of in my 50's. Basics such as the type of things I would gravitate to wouldn't change, I like what I like, but being exposed to seemingly endless knowledge on any imaginable topic, surely would have and has changed my path.

Speaking of paths, I've been down a few new ones recently that I would like to share and hope you enjoy them as much as I did. If you knew me better you'd understand why I've chosen to begin with my adventure to

http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/

http://www.terrymillerdesigns.com/

http://lrderien.canalblog.com/

http://nuido.blogspot.com/

http://theslowstitcher.wordpress.com/

http://worldembroideries.blogspot.com/

http://www.bargelloarts.com/

http://www.veroniquedeluna.eu/z-qui-en.php

http://www.casacenina.fr/catalog/index.php?cPath=25

Please don't forget to come back and visit my blog albeit tame by comparison, you could never be more welcomed than here. Have fun!

On Monday night....

...at my local ANG Chapter meeting, I learned a fabulously fun way to stitch up an eyeglass case. I'm nearly halfway done with it and I feel like I just started. The class leader advised that these would be addictive and lucky for all my friends and family, she was right. Hmmmm, stocking stuffers or Mother's Day for the Godmother. I'm already daydreaming about new color schemes.

I've used two shades of DMC #5 Perle Coton, one Krenik Braid #16 for a touch of sparkle, and the dark turquoise stripe is Vineyard Silk. Yippee no thread stipping! And using a large needle, #20 or #22 makes life very easy. It's stitched on 14 count Interlock so the needle opens up the holes leading the way for the thread to ease through the canvas.

Giving credit where credit is due, the project book, "Herringbone Eyeglass Cases, Scissor Fobs and Bookmarks" [Copyright April 2001, March 2008, October 2008] by BJ Carola with Diane DeNardo is not new. In fact in their Dedication they remarked that the first 14-page instruction booklet was published in 1987. And "By 2002 the booklet had grown to 25 pages and this edition has over 30." It includes several variations of the Herringbone Stitch, mirrored, non-mirrored, etc., and has simple directions on how to construct the actual case.

Let's see, future combinations might be, apple green, black and cream; red, white and blue; monochromatic pale aqua with silver.......

Hope this inspires you to get started on yours; would love to know if you've already made one of these. And if you're looking, they make a great class project for your group. For ordering the booklet email iluvmcega@gmail.com and write Herringbone Booklet in the Subject line.

Thanks for visiting today. Have fun stitching.

Mile High Hi

Been working on a few smaller projects this week including a new nametag gifted to our ANG Chapter and created by Caela Tyler. Using floss and Access Commodities' Accentuate, a variety of fun stitches were used, and a new to me technique using a special ink stamp pad to enhance the shading of the sunset. Fun. I like this concept of using applied color to enhance the design and envision it becoming a regular part of my stitching repertoire. You might consider checking out VersaMark or Brilliance to learn more about these products. Or you can google these trade names to find other resources.

Denver's skyline is featured on the nametag, including an outline of the Rocky Mountains. What could be more fitting for Mile High Chapter? Caela's clever choice of stitches including Nobuko, Alicia Couching, Criss Cross Hungarian, Bullet and Dotted Swiss to name a few, made this little project both fun and educational. Oh, and the Burden stitch. Although this is a basic, laid thread filling stitch, I should have checked out one of my many (and apparently dusty) stitch books demonstrating how to do this stitch. But noooooooooo, I proceeded to stitch without first reviewing and ended up frogging....twice. It was in every sense of the worde the burden stitch. Directions Madonna, always read the directions first.

Happily this only needs to be mounted and finished. Yippee!

Finished the Biscornu, etc.

This is my first biscornu. I love these charming gems and have plans to do a bowl full of them. This one is the design of Janice Wood who presented it as a local ANG Chapter program. I was at first perplexed as to how to finish this 8-sided piece, but found instructions out there on the web and was able to do it on my own. Now that this and my local ANG Chapter's new nametag are done, I feel very tempted to begin something new. You know, new as in, hasn't been started yet. I am resisting a little though, thinking about a few things I've got waiting.

My gossipy geisha kitties canvas is still on the stretchers; I continue to mull over frogging the tabby's head and going kabuki. I did hear from the designer who was good enough to give me feedback and among the kind comments a valid point about the kitty head was made, "For me personally, I like what you did to the right cat's face as far as its realism, but not for this project. I think it is too distracting from the symmetry/cohesiveness of the whole." She is so right about that, I knew something was amiss and now I know what it is. So I'm dragging my feet about getting it framed. To frog or not to frog.

My main WIP right now is the Renaissance project. I have that all set up at one of my workstations and can work on it as time/inclination permits; I always have a Cozy Toe going as a take with me project and can stitch these in hand if I don't want to take a frame. And then one or two additional projects that I stitch on now and then, always reminding myself that even if I only stitch as much as one or two thread lengths per day, I am still accomplishing something and avoiding adding to my UFO pile.

Coming up this week I have a new ANG Chapter program, Herringbone Eyeglass Case and Scissor Fob. This looks like loads of fun and I'll ask if I can feature it on my blog. It uses 3 coordinating shades of # 5 perle coton and should work up very quickly. I'll play by the designer's rule to start, but this looks like a good "gift" project where I can use up some of my existing stash. I'm hoping to learn how to finish an eyeglass case too.

Last night I read the instructions booklet for Ginny Morrow's Town Square. I've seen this done and think it's beautiful and challenging. Not sure I'm up for challenging, but it is very different from other projects that I've been working on lately and tempting. I also think I may have it in my queue for this year. Will keep you posted, I suspect it could just be a passing fancy.

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you have a wonderful week and are stitching something you love.

Kabuki and the Tabby?

Nearly finished. Couldn't put this down yesterday enjoying this little canvas immensely. But I was fairly bleary eyed by days end and now need to go back and tweak things. I sort of had a little trepidation about stitching Right kitty to look more realistic than Lefty. Maybe the two styles don't blend,etc. But that notion didn't really occur to me until I was nearly finished. Soooo I'm living with it for a while before removing it from the stretchers.

I will also remove a few of left kitties whiskers......looking like a little hormone overload with just too many whiskers. Will just remove about half of them and think that should do it. Have a few missed stitches here and there and will make corrections as I view the enlarged photo. But for the most part the geisha are done.

I do like the change made to the right background area. The lower half filled with dark teal was too much and looked like I just stopped stitching. I'm not going to fill it in as I do like the openness but thought I might add another symbol or two. Still mulling, I'll think of something. There's openwork and then there's open work. If I do leave it unstitched, I'll have to choose just the right color of mounting board. Think the unusual (IMHO) contrasting background colors on the original canvas may have thrown me off a bit; I like it, but it is a bit unconventional for such a rule follower. Then again, this style is often seen in Asian art.

Jane, thank you for your comments! I have kept the Santa's Beard for Lefty's paw and neckline and think you are totally right. I love getting feedback because in most art forms, even the written word, you look at something so long you end up looking right past it anticipating what you are seeing or reading. Does that make sense? Anyway, thank you all for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. BTW, I'm thinking of black framing for this piece. It's a gift and DD wants it to be framed instead of a pillow or other finishing.

Since you asked about it, I was more concerned about the interlock canvas in the beginning but as usual with me there was much ado about nothing. After spending many hours with this canvas, I can say that I do notice a big difference between interlock and mono; but there really wasn't much downside to it. It's inflexible, paint image seems much lighter and the canvas is much less sturdy than mono. But again it was much less expensive....about half the price. You really have to make your own determination on it's quality, but if I can't find something on mono, I would buy interlock again.

Why don't I write.....

when I have pen in hand and thoughts of you? I fell back into the mindset that I needed photographs to post and I haven't taken any that did justice to the stitching I've been doing. On the other hand, perhaps the photos projected the exact image they found. Alas, I will swallow my pride and share. So "left" kitty is on her way to being completed, lookin' like a kabuki, I fear. I used Whisper, two strands and worked in a random gobelin stitch on the horizontal. Still working out the shading. Outlining is done with a tweedy Burmilana overdye, which by the way is a dream to work with. Lefty's paw was done in Santa's Beard as an experiment. Santa's Beard is much thicker and glossier than Whisper. A little too thick I think. Since my last post I have completed the hair ornament and decided to use more beads.

Right kitty will have a little different look than Lefty; different color, different stitch and perhaps a different thread. Although I do have a lovely tanish color of Whisper in my stash. Tempting.

Other changes include Right kitty's obi, looks better in person and I am also trying something different on the right background area. I'm imagining it as a Japanese floor screen. Truthfully, the dark teal filling in Father B's Mongolian stitch was a bit too dominant, at least to my eye, to fill it in all the way; ultimately I'm pretty sure I'll remove the filling stitches altogether leaving just the pattern.



Here they are together. In the lower left area of this photo you can see the beginning of the second half of the yellow background stitch, using an overdye which has deepened the color. Think the deeper color blends better with the intensity of the geisha. This piece is going quickly, it just doesn't seem like it because haven't spent that much time on it this week.

I am making beautiful progress on Renaissance. There are so many clever stitches and wonderful threads used it is a joy to stitch. Nothing tedious here. I also saw (in real life) a project Marnie will teach at ANG's National Seminar in August, entitled "In the Mood" in Red. The photograph http://needlepoint.org/Seminar-09/classes/3day/33019.php does not capture the glorious colors used in the exquisite piece. Nor does it depict the beauty of the various embellishments used including a striking metal pagoda charm. Beautiful.

In closing today I am leaving you with a photo I took this morning. My kitty Tbear, aka today, mad boy puff puff. He is perturbed because he has a boo boo near his hoo hoo and must wear this soft tu tu around his neck. Seems to be saying, "What are you lookin' at?" Paparazzi....they're everywhere!