The Return of the Cozy Toes 6

CUTE!
My Cozy Toes found their way back from the finisher today. I am very pleased with how they turned out. I especially like that the cording wasn't glitzy because the stockings themselves are full of sparkle. Though you cannot tell it from the photograph. These were so much fun to stitch and the finisher enjoyed adding her touch as well. Do I hear sleigh bells? I hope not. The next 6 will not be even thought about until 2009! CUTER!

Now don't forget the kits came from PFOS in good ol' Lubbock, TX.

Mission Accomplished...

NOTE: Now don't ask my why the first picture won't enlarge. I did them all the same way. Whatever! Computer stuff... there's always something!

more or less. I have to add more age cracks on the mission, clean up a few things here and there but it's basically done. I ran out of Shimmer Blend ribbon while stitching sky scallops, was able to locate at a LNS, thankfully; I was, however, prepared to take out what I had already stitched and substitute as there isn't much to it. I finished the wispy clouds by laid long stitches underneath whipped Whisper. I still need to brush them so they appear wispier. The missing Burmilana thread was found, retrieved really, so I was able to finish the desert ground in the Victorian Step turned on it's side. I have given my assistant a well deserved sabbatical. This will be all of the triptych that I will do until my MAGIC projects are completed. I am still waiting for Rio Rincon to come back from the framers. Thanks for stopping by today and don't forget to set aside enough stitching time this weekend.

A Little More Progress and My Assistant

Outlined the mission with black medici and filled in the moon with yellow Petite Sparkle Rays and one strand of Highlights. Currently I'm working on the wispy clouds and then the sky. The clouds will be stitched with white floss and white Whisper. The desert ground on the left side of the canvas has yet to be stitched I, or my assistant misplaced the thread. Still deciding on the sky. My assistant, Teddy Bear, is a wonderful Ragdoll mixed with a bit of PITA qualities. My dear friend that keeps me aware at night if there were to be a moth or monster invading his space...the reaction is the same. Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you're stitching something for YOU!

Desert Mission by Terry Medaris

I began stitching on the Desert Mission canvas this evening. This is the largest of the tryptych, measuring 4.5"x5"x, and will set the standard for threads and stitches used for all three canvases.

Starting on the mission, I used 3 different fibers in 3 coordinated colors. Soy silk in both Solid and Shadows and Amy's Burmilana. These threads were sometimes blended for shading. The stitch is the Hungarian adding a subtle pattern and is an easy stitch to follow. Next I'll do the doors and windows of the mission.
Mission Accomplished!
Nearly. This has been a delightful little canvas to stitch. Using the same threads inside the windows as the body of the mission, and outlining the windows with laid Petite Very Velvet. Love that turquoise color. The black outlining is done with perle coton. Greenery is DMC floss, then using NN Overdye for the flower knots. Either Krenik braid or slippery Fiesta for the panes. Watercolors was tent stitched on the door with Krenik braid "bars. Next, the magenta desert and purple mountains.

My Roots are Showing!

Southwest roots, that is. Raised in Arizona I cannot help but be attracted to just about anything southwestern. Here are three companion canvases to Rio Rincon (see May 18 posting). I am very anxious to get started on these friendly canvases, painted by Terry Medaris at Sundance, while Rio is at the framers. My plan is to have these framed as a triptych. Incorporating many of the same stitches and threads used in Rio, I am hoping these will look even more like they "belong" together. I'll be using beautiful threads from The Pure Palette, Soy Luster Solids and Shadows; more Amy's Burmilana wool/acrylic blend; Gloriana 12-stranded silk; J.L Walsh silk wool and bits of other accent threads.

It is a total indulgence starting these without first having finished my Magic rooster http://frontrangestitches.blogspot.com/2008/07/studio-time.html, which is the final of three pieces I have to finish before the November deadline. I have that piece well under control and just need to play with something else. It's been a while since I've started anything new and have been quite diligently about finishing several of my WIP's this year; there will be more evidence of this in the next week or two. I had planned on giving myself permission to start something new on my birthday in September; but the birthday God's had something else in mind: car trouble. Not to worry, I didn't have to leave the house for new threads or anything, had everything on hand to get started. Will keep you posted on their progress and meanwhile know that I am clam happy with anticipation that the framer will be calling any minute now.

5 Geisha Standing in a Red Lacquer Tray!

I was very lucky to find this canvas painted by the late Anne Jerlow, finding it about a year ago up on a wall in a small out of the way shop. Painted more like a line drawing than a fully decorated canvas, left much to the imagination when contemplating thread and stitch choices.

Brain storm! I know, I'll try to locate a stitch guide and I did just that. So proud was I when I came across the guide on Susan Portra's website, http://www.bringyourcanvastolife.com/ and wasted no time in ordering it. You might say I was all over it like a spider monkey!

Sent promptly, I was thrilled to get started. Which unfortunately didn't happen. Other priorities taking over, the guide was kept in it's express mail envelope and later discarded as empty. What?!? What!?! Felt like forgetting to buy a lottery ticket and your numbers came in. Despondency immediately setting in, I thought of re-ordering it, but that would have been what any normal thinking person would have done. I, on the hand, decided it was a lesson better learned if I just figured out the stitches on my own. Well this always holds up my progress and it took working about 6 months off and on to complete the project.

I knew I wanted to put it in a large Sudberry tray I had purchased earlier because they were on sale. At that time I didn't have anything particular in mind for the trays, yes, I said trayssss. Two separate mats were then cut and purchased, a black and red, and it turned out that the black was the best choice. The red perfectly matched the tray, but it was just too much red.

The wall background was stitched in #5 perle coton, the geisha's hair was all done in either Medici wool or #3 perle, all bodices used Sparkle Rays and all hair decoration was done in Flair. The "floor" was stitched in Silk and Ivory.

The green/black figure was stitched using, NN Floss Overdye, Neon Rays+, and Medici for the star shapes; Petite Very Velvet, Krenik braid, Razzle Dazzle, Mandarin Floss, and Soy Lustre Shadows for the 2nd geisha; the center figure was stitched using mostly perle coton, some Pebbly Perle, Sparkle Rays, and a little Treasure Braid. For geisha #4 I wanted to use Gloriana's 9 strand wool because I had it in my "signature color" which is turquoise. May not have been the best choice or else I could have used a different stitch where coverage would have been successful. Also used on the 4th geisha was Razzle Dazzle, Flair and Petite Very Velvet for the obi and red accents in Sparkle Rays. The purple geisha has Mandarin Floss, Sparkle Rays, couched Krenik Fine Braid Overdye and Treasure Ribbon.

These were really a blast to do, I was held up mostly because I wanted to find tiny little hair things (look like chopsticks but aren't). I scoured around all the scrapbooking supplies where there are always miniatures of real things but had no luck. So I used a variety of metalics and velvets instead. The geisha's final resting place will be on a black chest located in my daughter's upstairs guest bedroom; happily entertaining her overnight guests. Hmmm.

I am so excited this is done and I will have Rio Rincon up when it returns from the framers and as posted earlier, my pesky kimono should be constructed over the weekend. Wooooooooo Hoooooooooooooo. I am sooooooooo looking forward to playing in my 2009 queue! If you made it down this far to what must have seemed like an unending blog entry, I thank you very much for stopping by today.

Finished/Framed/Finally

I've been waiting for the mat to be cut so I could frame and finish this piece. I took this as a class by Suzy Murphy from her "Suzy's Lite Stitches" book. The canvas was beautifully painted by Liz at Tapestry Tent Designs, making it difficult to mess up on this project. (You may refer to my post of 5/28/08 for more information on the class).

A variety of threads were used including, Impressions, Flair, Balger Braid, Petite Very Velvet , NN Overdye Floss, Rainbow Gallery HiLights, and Anchor Floss. Stitches used are Tent, Random Long and Short, Encroaching Gobelin, Double Twill, Hungarian Bargello, Double Hungarian and Horizontal Parisian. With the exception of the Elk, the stitches and threads were chosen to let the painted design show through.I have never used a bunka brush before and I can see that I could have used a little heavier hand on the body of the Elk. I am overall pleased with how it turned out and will present to my husband for his home office. I had planned on putting this in a box top but the finished size of the design is 5.5" x 6" making if difficult to fit into a standard box top so I decided it would have to go into a frame. I could have extended the stitching except for the painted part of the design. I do wish designers might consider standard sizes when determining their designs' size; however, I understand that the creation takes priority, finishing second and I am sure this is a consideration when possible. Thanks for visiting today.

EMPEROR'S GARDEN

designed by Josephine Payne. Do you remember her? She hosted a series on public television out of the University of Georgia back in the mid 90's. I was very impressed with her style and invested in her books, video, and pamphlets. Her specialty at the time was bargello, but not your everyday bargello.

Emperor's Garden is considered a 4-way pattern and is one of the most involved designs I've seen including the 12-sided center medallion. I must have been better at counting back then because I don't know that I would tackle this project today.

It was done with Persian yarn on 12 mesh bargello canvas (at least that's what they called it back then and I think it's still available today). I remember it was brown and very rough. Two strands of wool were required for adequate coverage. This particular pattern called for using 5 shades of one color family which was restrictive as not many wools have a dark, medium dark, medium, medium light, and light range in many colors. Obviously green was one of the Paternayan wools with the necessary variation.

What is so fascinating to me about bargello is that, in the case of 4-way, your chart shows only one quadrant of the whole pattern which is repeated four times making it much simpler to execute than the finished piece looks.

I finished this into a pillow complete with mustache fringe. I am proud to show it off on my blog as it has loyally adorned a wing chair in the guest bedroom for all these years.

Upcoming Chapter Project

This geometric design, Golden Reminiscence, is from the ANG Project Book. It was designed by Carolyn Mitchell. I will be leading this program at our local ANG chapter meeting in Jan/Feb 2009. The idea of the project is to feature a piece of vintage jewelry or other adornment on a canvas. It was fun going through the back of my old jewelry box and finding that vintage pin. In the case of the pillow, the colorway was suggested by the designer. The piece on the left was stitched using materials from my stash. I chose threads that were of compatible weight and characteristic as those recommended by the designer. The pillow is from a group of self finishing products called, "Plumpers" from Trail Creek Farm http://www.trailcreekfarm.com/. It's one of the finishing pieces I got from my spree at PFOS.

I didn't use jewelry on the framed piece; I used beach glass collected by a dear friend long since passed. In case you cannot tell, the green stuff in the lower right corner is a stylized angel made from the beach glass.

The framed piece was done first just as a "dry run" to get familiar with stitches, etc. before trying to lead others in a teaching program. I took notes and made observations about various stitch and thread nuances. Was quite fun and worked up very quickly at only 5.5" x 6". I had been wanting to get it up on the blog, but needed to wait until it was first displayed at our Chapter meeting.

I didn't have much trouble except when using the Antica, a Caron metallic, that is used to stitch the Van Dyke around the perimeter of and across the design. It easily unravels and you really have to use your fingers when dealing with this particular thread. The pillow was embellished with an old sentimental pin that I've had for many years. In each case I chose to embellish with something that has personal significance for me.

Next up: I have completed the stitching and expect to have the Lite Stitches Elk framed and up by next week. I am also anxious to show you what I've done with my Halloween Fairy canvas, and the kimono is at my sewing machine as I write. Tomorrow I will volunteer in the morning and hope to make some progress in the afternoon. Keep coming back.

Say Hi to Lucy, Desi, Laverne, Shirley, Sonny and Cher

This year's Cozy Toe intentions are coming to a close. Close of the toes. I am not sure how their names were chosen, but they are all identified by first name. Five are complete and off the bars, one last sock to whip up! I loved these tiny projects, they work up in a couple of days, a mere weekend and that is for a slow stitcher like yours truly.

I know I thought I'd get all 12 done this year, but I have a clear conscience and can only afford to have 6 finished anyway. Perfect. Excuse me a moment while I add the next 6 to my 2009 queue. Hmmm, getting crowded in there.

These have been a joy to stitch for a number of reasons, first of which is that they were expertly hand painted, the stitches were all tested in advance and appropriate for the space, likewise, the fibers were also well chosen to accommodate the space and design. They all came taped up, individually packaged with threads, instructions, photo of finished piece and stitch diagrams. No wonder they work up in just days. All that arriving monthly from PFOS in Lubbock, TX. They sure know how to do things in Texas and in a big way too. Since the yearly series has closed you can buy them individually.

Now marching off to the finisher, well as soon as I get the last one off the stretchers.

PFOS and Home

First, the date on this post should read September 4. Like most people when they've been away from home for a few weeks, they have a little anxiety about returning to reality. On the road trip traveling back to Colorado, this very thing hit me too. Oh, I wasn't worried about the house, the mail piling up, or even being invaded by squirrels or mice (a very real possibility here on the high prairie). My mind was on my stash closet. Where would I put everything I found on my trip? Will I have room without crowding? Do I need to expand into the linen closet in the nearby hallway? Maybe take over part of my husband's home office? I just wasn't sure. Would there be resistance if an expansion was necessary? And then as one thought led to another it dawned on me that I may have to re-arrange the projects in my stitching queue; something I hadn't anticipated as I was perfectly happy with the content of my queue drawers, before my trip. That was then, this is now.I never said discipline was my middle name, new stuff comes out all the time, it's not my fault. I knew you'd understand. Well it turns out it wasn't THAT dire. Just a little juggling and layering and voila, all in! I do know how to have a good time.

The two MSD canvases are painted on 14 ct, something I've not worked on in a while. Seems I've been doing a lot on 18 or congress. I have books about beards, fur and feathers for consulting but I'm always open and begging for stitch and thread suggestions. The design size is approximately 8x8" and should work up quickly once they weedle their way into the queue. On my travels I found and will try a few threads that are new to me: Gloriana, a French silk and Walsh, Ltd. silk perle should also be interesting. Got a boxed set, Happiness (Pink) from Krenik, irresistible when all together. Was happy to find a few packages of BOHIN tapestry needles from France. I read recently these were the best and wanted to try them. Also going to add to my stash black and white with with silver glitter canvas for fun. Of course my new "straddle paddle" is pictured and I do love it. Really. How do you like the customer appreciation gift from Pocket Full of Stitches? It's the pink and brown tote, very well made and aptly name, Stitchers Anonymous! Thank you PFOS, you didn't have to do that. There are a few finishing items not shown but will be later once I have something to go with them. Oh, I also added Evertites and beads to the mix too.

I'm also proud to say that my DH was with me the whole time, he was hungry too, but didn't utter a peep throughout the whole time at the shop. We'll be celebrating 39 years married in December, do you think he might be used to this? He is, plus I let him win at cards.

Greetings from Carlsbad!

Well the standoff between my husband's laptop and my media card reader continues; doubt I'll have any photos up until next week. In the meanwhile I have been stitching like an Olympian during my "retreat" in Carlsbad, NM. It's been a great place to concentrate on my stitching projects without distractions. So far I have finished beading the kimono, stitched the ANG program model, finished stitching the Halloween fairy and the Lite Stitches Elk, another Cozy Toes and made great progress on my Rooster. I feel I've accomplished most of what I set out to do while here and can now proceed in good conscience to my stash closet when I get home. I will also be focussing on getting things to the finisher/framer. Can't wait.

If you ever go to Carlsbad you had better bring your own entertainment. Once you see the Caverns, the Living Desert (don't forget to adopt a reptile or two) and the Pecos, you're pretty much done. The people here have been great, very nice indeed and welcome outsiders. Lots of Texas accents here too. I guess because Carlsbad is situated on the verge of Texas, depending upon which direction you're traveling, Carlsbad is on the way to El Paso (going West), Lubbock (going East) and Midland, TX (going South).

Saving the best for last, I wanted to tell you that last Saturday we went to Pocket Full of Stitches in Lubbock. When we arrived we were met with a generous gift certificate from my dear daughter; naturally after all was said and done, I had matched her funds and then some as I tried to focus on various accessories rather than on painted canvas. Was I succesful? No. Without divulging here what they are because discussing them on my blog is like a sacred promise to start and finish, and I'm not ready to place them in my queue yet let alone stitch them. All I'll say for now is Melissa Shirley. Woooooooo Hoooooooooo!

As I've related in the past, PFOS has it all. Terrific, friendly, knowlegable staff; every frame, stand, light, magnifyer, book, canvas, thread, boxed sets, finishing items, trays, boxes, pillows, chart, canvas of all types and much much more. One thing I decided to buy, after trying it in the shop, was a lap frame that you sit on. It's like sitting on a wooden paddle but is not at all uncomfortable. I love that the clamp is situated directly in front of you and you can adjust it's closeness to your body depending upon the size of canvas and, of course, you. The trick is not to laugh yourself silly as you begin to "mount" this thing. It must look hysterical as is surely feels that way. You slip it between your legs and then sit down it. Then and only then are you able to compose yourself to begin stitching.

Speaking of which, it's time to get back on my paddle and stitch!
Madonna
Having a happy day in Carlsbad

CATCHING UP!

Hi all! I have missed my blog. Thank you for not giving up on me. I've been stitching and making progress on my WIP's for the past few weeks and have other things going on preventing me from making a contribution here. I've been reading and enjoying yours, however. Currently I am not in Colorado but have traveled to NM to visit family. I drove so I have Teddy with me plus 6 stitching projects. I'll be here for a few weeks but didn't bring anything new to work on. That took will power. I had nearly self-talked myself into the "you're on vacation, take a new project" mentality, but I overcame that idea. Well actually my daughter reminded me that I would be making a side trip to PFOS. Dilemma resolved. :)

Before beginning this blog entry, I took photos of everything discussed; however, I have been unsuccessful in downloading and, therefore, editing my photos on the laptop I'm using. I will add them later once I figure out the picture software. It may also be an incompatable memory card.

Stitching priorities include my MAGIC projects; I've stitched 2 sides of the border and am working on the third of the Rooster; also finished the chicken wire fencing. I only have until November to complete the stitching; I think I'll do it. I'm using Silk and Ivory for much of the piece which is so nice to stitch with and no separation of plies.

As pointed out previously, I am nearly done with the Halloween fairy piece....if I don't do the background. I'm seriously considering mounting the design into a round box top. It's 7" in diameter so that may not be as easy as it sounds. I also need to think of how I want to address the fairy wings that extend outside the circle. Think I have that covered. This leaves me with 3 fairy canvas's incomplete for my MAGIC commitment. Lastly, I don't like to bead, but think a few additions to my Japanese Kimono would be a nice improvement.

Here is another project I finished but haven't framed; it's a prototype for a program I will lead early in 2009. I pulled the threads from my stash to do a test run of the stitches, etc. The point of this project is to feature a piece of jewelry attached to the geometric design. Instead of jewelry, I decided to attach beach glass in the shape of an angel, collected from the beach off Long Island Sound in the 70's. The glass has great sentimental significance since my close friend that collected it has since passed on.

I have completed 99% of the actual program model in exactly the fibers and colors suggested by the designer. This colorway is much more subdued than my bright stash piece. This will be presented for sign-ups at our meeting in September

I have also been involved with the SNS (Shining Needle Society) Stitch project given by Beth Robertson and Suzanne Howren; It's the first in a series of three notebook classes of stitches. I have enjoyed this type of "cyber" class and highly recommend this method of learning as there is no travel involved, you have benefit of fabulous national teachers and you can proceed at your own pace and in your own time. I don't think I should include a photo.

Lastly, but not least I have brought the remainder of my Cozy Toes to work on if I finish all the other projects. So I have my work cut out for me while I'm on vacation and better get busy.

Thanks again for bearing with me over the past two weeks during my period of dormancy.

Yours always in stitching!
Madonna

Good Grief, what haven't I done!

To understand why I've posted these fun fairies, you need to read Cyn's comment on my MAGIC projects. I wasn't going to put up any pictures, and now one of the 4 has already disappeared somehow. Cyberspace.Oh well here I am shaming myself, but I'm among friends, right? Since you asked, I pledged all 4. :0 Now before you go questioning my judgment or worse yet, my sanity, I really didn't think I would be able to finish these fluttering fairies in time for November's meeting. I planned on writing a check for them all along...."yes, that's the ticket," all along! I tried getting the Easter season done, but, alas, not this year. These not so little projects are very cute and you really do learn several techniques. I liked the materials used too; they're fun, I just have found other things I want to do. I am glad my good camera's memory stick was full otherwise you'd really get a gander at how these orphans haven't been in the most protective environment. I think these are from '03. Here's a thought: I could just stitch the central motif and matte the rest? Would that be cheating?By the way, if you need something to stitch, I'll pay the postage! As far as the other pledged projects, believe me, I've counted how many lines I have to stitch daily on that rooster to ensure completion! Don't ask! LOL! Wish me luck.

MAGIC: Producing results...

through mysterious sleight of hand influences or unexplained powers and the charms, spells and rituals so used. Hey, that sounds like what I need to help dwindle my 2008 UFO pile. Where do I sign up? In reality you and I know it will take more than a little abracadabra or even a miracle would be more likely to help plow through my stash of undone's. Or so I thought.

Last Fall our local EGA group was challenged to sign up for Barb Loftus' very inventive MAGIC program. MAGIC (My All Good Intentions Contract) was created as an incentive to help members reduce their ever expanding accumulation of UFO's.

Here's how it works. Members were asked to identify 3 projects they would like to finish and present them at our Chapter meeting. Yes, you had to stand up and pledge your intention (s). A paper contract was filled out for each project stating a self imposed dollar amount to be donated to the Chapter, if the UFO wasn't completed in one year's time. In our case, it was Fall 2007 to November 2008. The monies raised, if any (yeah, right, anyway), will be added to our Chapter's Outreach program funds. Members generously pledged several hundred dollars and it's now nearly August. Wonder how everyone is progressing?

As for me, well, I've completed the stitching on a kimono, after 7 years of picking up, putting down and ripping out, I'm glad it's done. Next up is the Rooster seen here in the blog Archives (July 3, Studio Time). Then I have a set of 4 canvases in varying stages of completion. These were from a class I had taken at an ANG seminar in NM, Four Season Fairies with Dorothy Lesher. I learned a lot in this class which is justifcation enough for being gentle with myself if I don't finish them. The main objective for taking classes is to learn, not to finish. Right? Right. I think I'll need to get my checkbook out for these. Well, that's okay, it's going to a very good cause.

Okay Chapter members, you know who you are; how are you doing?

It isn't as if I....

....need to go any further than my own stash closet to find a new project; however, as I was enjoying my first cup this morning I "tuned in" to PFOS for a little Christmas in July temptation. Look what I found: http://www.pfos.com/ChristmasClubs/Kelly%20Clarks%2012%20Days/KellyClarkTwelveDays1.HTM . Thank goodness I still have my Cozy Toes to work on and at least some semblance of constraint even though this particular club doesn't begin until January 2009....... Well this series is indeed extraordinary and I take no responsibility in the event of relapse. Anyway, I already have my 2009 projects lined up. OCD? Probably, but I think I'm just organized and motivated.

Here are two of the 2004 Cozy Caps series. I had PFOS finish these as I wanted to ensure that they turned out like their models. I found these after the series had ended and picked two favorites. After further investigation this morning I see there are a few more I "should" add.

Well, that's it for today, hope you're stitching something you love. Even just one line or one thread length daily will finish off those UFO's.

Finished!

Cozy Toes #7 is complete and ready for finishing. I am happy to report that I did not stab myself during the beading process; encouraging. Going on to #4 next.

Last night I attended my ANG Chapter meeting. The program was a witchy Halloween canvas by Mile High Princess, complete with custom stitch guide created for ANG by Mary Lou Kidder of Diversions. Julie Storick taught the 16+ patterned stitches for this piece intended to be finished as a box. It is a darling project and I regret not participating. Suffice to say we cannot do everything we desire to in this life and that includes stitching projects.

The Chapter has a Show & Tell segment each month which is one of my favorite aspects of any meeting as I am always inspired by the work of others. Some Chapters have one meeting annually devoted to Show and Tell, I like monthly better.

I showed a piece designed by Leigh. Didn't come with a stitch guide but since the piece was small it wasn't too bad deciding which stitch to put where. The eyelashes were created by looping Kreinik cord in and out of the upper half of the eyelid, then snipping the loops and unraveling the plys. It was fun, stitching was completed earlier this year. As it was lying around waiting to be sent off to the finisher when I decided to take matters into my own hand and actually made it into a pillow.

It was fun putting it together although I do not recommend using the fringe used around the perimeter, it tangles, gets caught on everything and slowed the whole process down.

About finishing. I have done my share and most of the time I am disappointed. I certainly appreciate the labor involved and actually do believe the expense can be worth it. I have had my finishing disappointments even at reputable places, so I am never sure which route to take when it comes to finishing. Framing, I have no expertise or knowledge so I always farm that out. I am still contemplating finishing a kimono myself. The fabric is purchased but I haven't found any instructions on finishing these. Mine is the 10x12" version and is to be hung on a stand instead of framing. I am looking for suggestions, advice or recommendations. Thanks for stopping by today, hope you're stitching something new!

Made progress

on Cozy Toes #7 yesterday. The Saturday morning stitch group arrived and since they hadn't been to my home before I had a great time taking them on a brief tour. But the best kind of tour in my opinion is self guided. Now you can do that with trusted friends, non-judgemental friends that is. We also had a show and tell where finished items were given a well deserved ogle with ensuing ooooooohs and ahhhhhhhhhhs! Truthfully, talent abounds in this group, awe inspiring talent. I wish I could show you some of their exquisite projects; whether complete or in progress it is not possible as some are going to be taught at NAN, ANG or EGA and these gems are not mine to share. But be on the lookout in future posts where I will alert when they become available.

You may recall in an earlier post I referred to the turbo stitcher? Well G, we'll call her, was also at breakfast, creating a breeze with her needle motion. I will ask her if she'll let me post a photo of the piece she was working on, breathtaking! In fact, I will seek to showcase her talent on this blog; if she agrees you will be in for a fabu treat! Stay tuned. I mentioned I did make some progress on my stocking. Quick stitching with tent or diagonal mosaic. I changed from using Flair to Perle #5, call me lazy, it's okay. I get easily annoyed with all the twisting that seems to occur when I use the flat ribbons as they persist in defying my laying tool. Moistening may help, I'm not all that familiar with which threads can or cannot be moistened. Next, completing the lower half which includes sewing on a few beads. Hmmm, where are my band-aids?

STITCHIN' WITH MY PEEPS

No, not those marshmallow things. My peeps, as in people, are in this case, my stitching friends. This Saturday is my turn to host our local ANG stitch group for breakfast and stitching. There are 11 of us that get together once a month at a member's home. I love this little group, I learn so much and it's a good time to just be together stitching. We are all very diverse and stitch at different levels. These are the times that I will visit in my happy memory bank years from now.

One of the best things is getting a tour of the hostess' stitched pieces, stash collection, stitching stations, etc. Fun. I'll only have 7 this time as it's Summer and people are gone or otherwise engaged. I will be working on one of my Cozy Toes from PFOS canvas of the month club. They're small and work up quickly with all the threads and stitch guide provided. This club subscription was a gift from my daughter Julie, who really knows how to treat her mom.

This is stocking #7 out of 12. The canvases are small and to keep the cost of the kits down, PFOS consolidates the various threads used throughout all 12 canvases. I like that. They also used a wonderful variety of threads and patterns to keep it interesting.

So after my volunteer obligations this week I needed to get some hou... hou... housework done. And while a clean house is not mandatory, or even expected, I felt I should do at least a little dusting and fluff the pillows for my "peeps". So that is what I'll be doing for the remainder of the week. How about you, what are you doing?

FLORAL PROGRESS

I'm back from Seminar and enjoyed every minute of my stay in Denver. Even though I'm local I decided to stay at the hotel; was afraid I might miss something! Along with packing up the kitchen sink, I also brought along my cat, Tbear, aka, Half White Face or One Pink Toe. (Taken with camera phone in room, already claiming table)

Nothing like trying to duplicate the creature comforts of home. This is why I don't like to fly to my stitching events. And with the airlines charging for baggage, ugh. My compliments to those that fly with all their stitching paraphernalia, stands, lights, stash, oh and luggage, for they are brave and honorable souls. I also felt it necessary to bring my own 4-cup coffee maker. This hotel uses those coffee pod things in the room.....I think those are really meant for tea drinkers. There was a fridge for my half & half, making for a leisurely breakfast waiting for class to start. I love to stitch while on vacation. Time away from home, the bills, the daily grind allows for stitching well into the night and up before dawn to stitch before class...before breakfast! All in all it was a delightful 4 days.
Now on to project progress. As usual I stitched as much as I ripped out and someone happily pointed out that only good stitchers rip out. Oh? Well that's a relief, if that is the litmus test then I must be an expert. Although I do get their point and agree. The first day I worked on the Elsa William's floral. I have completed the basket and am pleased with the use of the Burden Stitch. I used 3 strands of Amy's Burmilana wool blend in two colors to cover the 14 ct. canvas. I also used 2 Burmilana and 1 strand Soy Silk to help shade and texture. I also used Medici wool for the flowers and NN Overdye for the long leaf. I am researching a stitch to do the oak leaf and the large tulip next. Any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by today.

STUDIO TIME

with Caela! Okay, I am really excited. Next week at this time I will have the good fortune to be in the company of many fabulous needleartists. I'm attending the EGA Rocky Mountain Regional Seminar held in Denver. The class choices this year are fabulous and it is such a treat to have the Seminar held in my own back yard, so to speak.

As a member of the hosting Chapter I will have certain volunteer duties but the rest of my day will be spent with national needlestar Caela Tyler. I've opted to sign up for her Studio Time and plan on taking full advantage of her expertise and wisdom. Studio time is where you bring any stitching issues you may be having or canvas problems, etc. to an expert to help you work out solutions. I will be seeking her help in how to go about making either of these major canvas/thread investments the best they can be. The rooster is 14"x14" by CanvasWorks. It is a handsome canvas that my husband bought for me several years ago. I have been perplexed as to how to stitch it and have tried a few things here and there, just to give DH the impression that I am actively working on it. He is thrilled that I will soon have help and is imagining a light at the end of the tunnel.

This is the other canvas and I've been saving it for over 20 years! It's by Elsa Williams and originally came with her tapestry wool. Well I am so glad I held off doing this, can you imagine all the different thread and stitches that can be used now? It's fairly large but so light and airy I think it will work up fairly quickly. Don't you? I want an open back ground but will defer to Caela before making a final decision.

For those of you that know Caela's work you understand why I jumped at the chance to sign up for her Studio. Having viewed many of her finished works in person, all superlative adjectives worthy of a fine artist come to mind, but there is one thing that stands out to me. I am talking about what I refer to as her light handed touch.

When I first began stitching I believed that heavier thread and stitch usage would be more dramatic and, quite honestly, I was never really happy with the end results but didn't know why. After seeing Caela's exquisite work, so intricate, light, showing fine detail, I learned right away that this is a far more effective way to enhance the design. Unfortunately this style does not come naturally to me, but I'm learning and hoping for a little osmosis action to take place at Seminar. I'll keep you posted.

Treasure found!

I am so excited. I found this poster-sized needlepoint hidden away in an antique mall in Denver. I often look for completed pieces, but this gem, the largest I've ever purchased, was irresistible at $20.00. It's wool, probably stitched on Penelope canvas in either tent or basketweave. I am sure the trained eye would be able to tell by looking which method was used. The framing is a little dated and semi-professional but the work is pretty impressive. Certainly the size alone deserves commendation.

I wonder about the identity of the stitcher? Is it their one and only piece? Or one of many prized projects? It's regrettable the family wasn't able to keep it. Maybe she was the last in her line? Maybe she was a he.

Obviously, I'll never have the answers which raises a good point. Do you document your work or carefully provide any information you'd like to be known in the future about your stitching? Perhaps keeping a journal including photos, anything to show providence? This is not something I have done with much regularity in the past, although I often keep project notes which usually includes stitches used and materials. It would be easy when writing my notations to take it a little further. Thankfully my family does appreciate my efforts to leave a little beauty behind in this world, and I can't see any harm in including a little lore about each piece.

If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas on how you keep a record of your work, please feel free to leave a comment here. I and others would love to know how and what you do. Thanks for stopping by today.

Babble Without a Cause

Apparently I am going to have to get over thinking that I must have a photo ready before I can write something on my blog. I just don't have one today. I have been stitching (obviously not enough to photograph any progress), hosted two sets of visitors, volunteered and had house "issues." I also attended an EGA meeting this week where fellow stitcher, Jennifer Riefenberg, taught us about the color wheel. Jennifer is such a great teacher because she is so relaxed and non-intimidating; putting everyone at ease thus creating a very receptive environment for learning.

I thought I knew the color wheel, you know, red, yellow, blue. Well evidently it would be more accurate if I stated that I recognized a color wheel when I saw one. Knowing it is quite another thing. So most everyone knows that the wheel depicts the primary colors and variations thereof; but did you know about the tertiary colors? Yes you did, you just knew them as a combination of the primary and secondary colors. Well then, what about shades, tints, tones, values and color dominance? Hmmm, do you know about those? You better get a color wheel, it's all right there...and it's fun. You don't need to invest in the mack-daddy of all color wheels to be able to learn, although having said that, all wheels are not created equal. A great basic wheel with plenty of options and explanations is here, http://www.dickblick.com/zz049/15/. Then again this one here, http://www.dickblick.com/zz049/60/ might make a good case for more is more. Naturally you wouldn't want to be without this shown here, http://www.dickblick.com/zz049/47/. And when you determine how one might use this, http://www.dickblick.com/zz034/03/ let me know.

There's so much out there on the web about color wheels, lots of useful tools, and how to's, but if you don't have access to your computer 100% of the time, you need the real deal in hand. My recommendation is the pocket model, the size of a CD it's easily kept with your regular stitching supplies. Thank you Jennifer for supplying it with our class materials.

Yes, I've used links to one particular art supply website but there are many more out there. I have no affiliation with Dick Blick Art Materials, but I have ordered successfully from them in the past.

Keeping it short and sweet in Colorado. Thanks for stopping by today.

Plaid: Having a pattern or colors, checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another

HUH? Never mind, sounds complicated...NOT!

I love plaid, always have since parochial school! But I had no idea how it was achieved with a needle and thread. Until last night at my local ANG meeting, I learned. Our program, taught by a local talented and gifted teacher/stitcher, Jennifer Riefenberg, showed us just how it's done. And in record time. After the general meeting we had just over an hour to learn and practice the technique. I loved it! If you haven't given stitching plaid a try, please do. It's as relaxing as basketweave or tent but with a much more interesting effect, IMHO. Depending upon your choice of color and the number of colors used, the effects can be as different as anything I've seen in needlework. Thanks Jennifer for sharing your photos.

Hmmm, I'm already thinking of ways to incorporate plaid into my projects, current and upcoming.

An interview with a very special lady!

It is my privilege to have accomplished needleartist and friend, Janet Perry, stop by on her virtual book tour. I first "met" Janet when she served as the celebrated Needlepoint Guide for the well known information site, www.about.com. Janet shared her expertise for 5 years on that show and continues to provide a wealth of information on her own website, www.napaneedlepoint.com. I would love to bottle her energy and I have never known her not to willingly share the knowledge of her craft with both expert and novice alike. The new book, "Bargello Revisited" is her latest example of Janet's mastery and skill as a writer and advocate for the needlearts. Enjoy!



What inspired you to write Bargello Revisited? I have been wanting to write a book on Bargello for 20 years and have started to do so at least twice. But this time instead of trying to cram in big projects and lots of theory, I decided to go for lots of little projects and find ways for people to be able to unleash their own creativity.

There seems to be a renewed interest in Bargello, to what do you attribute this? I think it's because Bargello gives you a big bang for the buck. It's incredibly easy to do and the results are so lovely that you feel it must be harder than it is. Besides all that it's less expensive than many other kinds of needlepoint and it is very portable, once the base line is in place all you need is the canvas, a needle and your thread.

Do you have a favorite needle artist that specializes in Bargello? I think I have every Bargello book out there and I love so many of them, but my all-time favorite is Elsa Williams. It was my introduction to Bargello and her designs are so classic and so wonderful, they never go out of date. For a wealth of information, I love Barbara Snook's books. There aren't many pictures of projects, but there are dozens of lines charted.

What pattern do you most enjoy stitching? I love stitching basic scallop patterns, they are so soothing.

What pattern would you consider the most challenging?Four-way Bargello is not my best thing. I always find them challenging. I think that is because the pattern only becomes apparent to me once you get to the larger rings. Since I always start in the center, I'm confused for awhile.

What type of Bargello project would you recommend to a beginner. Look for a simple line pattern, not one with closed shapes. Pick a thread which is easy to use like Silk & Ivory in a color family you really love. And start by making a small project. Once you've finished it, find another line you like and another set of threads and make another small project. With every project you will gain more confidence.

Can you reveal your strategy for putting pattern to design? In other words, how do you decide what Bargello pattern would most compliment any given design, such as a stocking? Some of the shapes I like, such as the mini-socks, mittens, and ornaments can take almost any pattern as long as three repeats can fit across the widest part. But other items, like the 3-D Christmas Tree quite simply wouldn't work with a line pattern, the joint would look weird.

Mostly to decide, I tend to pick the pattern first and then decide what to make from it. So if the item is large, then I know I can pick a bigger pattern.

Is there a rule of thumb for determining how many colors should be used and how many shades of each color? I have a few Bargello pieces which use three colors and one which uses two and I think these look very modern. Pretty much I think Bargello looks best when 3-5 colors are used. If you get too many more than that the object will need to be large so you can see the whole span of color.

Does Bargello look easier than it actually is? Or just the opposite?? Easier. It's just one stitch, grouped in different ways. That's what makes it so fun, the patterns look complex, but they aren't.

Is your book available through your website? Where can we find a copy? I don't sell from my website, but you can order it from Amazon.com, although they are a bit slow. If you want it fast you can order it from your local needlepoint shop, who can get it through my distributors, Rainbow Gallery, Unicorn Books, and Nordic Needle. If you don't have a local store, you can order it from Needle in a Haystack (http://www.needlestack.com).

Coming Soon...

to a blog near you. Have several things that I will put up over the course of the Summer starting with my, "Anatomy of a Sampler" as I call it. At the time it was stitched it was probably the most challenging thing I had done. I'll also finish up, "The Legend of the Defiant Kimono" and "Hey, there's 5 Geisha Standing in a Red Lacquer Tray!" "The Cozy Toes 12" and "La Petite Biscournu" are calling to be included in this Summer's plan as well, so now that I've put all this in writing I will get on with it and leave you with the following:

THE SECRET to bringing to fruition our dreams of project completion is, no not time, but inspiration. When inspired enough, we find the time. When not, we find something else. But where do we find such motivation that will take hold and not let go? I usually need to be bombarded with visuals but after reading a close friend's book I only need to think of her spirit and inspiration finds me. Not just inspiration to stitch, but to live, to do what I am meant to do here.

The book, Thai Odyssey, is a lightening-quick read and extremely well written account of where inspiration might take us if we allow it.....at any age. The author, Loretta Dunbar, has been a positive presence in my world since I met her 15 years ago, and she stitches, weaves, writes and, best of all, plays Mahjongg with abandon! Loretta never makes excuses, she just acts. Seems like I always let something get in the way of or sidetrack me from my mission of the day. So when I think of her courage and willingness to experience life unconventionally well into her 70's (sorry Ret), I become inspired to set and achieve my own goals.

"Madonna, get to gettin'and don't waste one more minute on anything that doesn't count in your life." I can just hear her say that. Pearls she has given me. Since reading about this one woman's later-in-life adventure, I think I have it in me to finish an UFO or two or three, and stitch a prototype for a class (twice), learn something new and on and on. Instead of thinking, "I want to, but....", I can accomplish is my new mantra. And so can you. Oh, BTW, Loretta is promising her memoirs!!!! Believe me you will not want to miss those; I know from whence I speak. Motivational? Not sure, but I know they'll give me some good ideas! Yours in Stitching, Madonna

Anatomy of a Sampler

A year long project published in ANG's Needlepointers beginning in late 1997 continuing to September 1998 turned out to be my most challenging undertaking at that time. The mere size, 9x25" (168 threads wide by 450 long), was daring by my standards; would I ever finish it? I did learn what bankers clips were and how to use them when working on large pieces such as this. I had never tried a band sampler before and figured that it would be a fun way to learn a variety stitches. There are a total of 16 separate bands, designed by individual teachers each featuring their favorite sampler pattern. A combination of floss, overdye, braid and a few beads were used. There are 10 identical dividing bands worked in elongated padded cross. I've tried to highlight some of the details but recommend reading Needlepointers for more information. Also worth mentioning that I had never heard of a laying tool back in the 90's!

BAND 1-Florentine Trellis-by Susan Kerndt stitched in 5 steps including a. Foundation row; b. Hungarian point variation; c. Trellis; d. Diamonds; and e. Beads.

BAND 2-Wheat and Diamonds-by Estelle Kelly. Another 5 step band which included wheat variation, fishbone, running and straight stitches. BAND 3-Composite Stitch-by Gayle Bicknell using floss, overdye and braid. Stitches are sheaf, upright cross, elongated cross, slanted cross, eyelet variation and some straight stitches for the background. BAND 4-Florentine- by Debbie Stiehler suggested finding the vertical center and working the top half of the band across then turning the canvas 180 degrees and finishing the rest of the pattern. Eyelets were stitched inside the diamond motifs. BAND 5-Sunburst-by Pat Morse. A variety of straight stitches following the chart forming a wave with large sunbursts and small smyrna crosses. BAND 6-Satin Stitch-by Lizbeth Napier. Following the chart using straight satin stitches to form butterflies and pinwheels. A running stitch was also used and a small smyrna cross inside the pinwheels. BAND 7-Beaty Stitch and Heart-by Sandra Reddell using beaty stitch, double tent and straight stitches following the chart to form the "hearts." BAND 8-Balloons- by Louise Meier. What a fun band featuring 4 different balloon styles. Stitches include half Rhodes, longarm cross, slanted gobelin,smyrna cross, brick filling, tent, dillon, mosaic, straight, cashmere, eyelet, woven, and reverse tent.

BAND 9-Herringbone and Eyelet-by Mary Clubb. Stitches include herringbone, half-eyelet, backstitch diamond adding a bead. BAND 10-Cloud-by Peg Laflam. The rounded cloud form is actually 2 pairs of interlocking chevrons. BAND 11-Floral Motif-by Ilsa Altherr using alternating scotch, gobelin and outline stitch. BAND 12-Herringbone-by Sandy Rogers. Using a 4-trip herringbone, eyelet, straight and zigzag straight stitches this band was one of my favorites.

BAND 13-Laid Work Tied with Woven Cross-by Joyce Lukomski beginning with metallic brain and overdye with long horizontal and vertical laid stitches working the woven cross over. BAND 14-Satin Flowers and Eyelets- by Sara Lee J.-Allen. Stitches include Satin, eyelet, diamond rhodes, cross, double cross and upright cross. BAND 15-Tied Cross-by Jean Taggart using upright cross and oblong cross.
BAND 16-Shaded Gobelin-by Nannette Costa using very carefully laid upright straight stitches and through the use of color shading made this final band a perfect choice for the bottom of the sampler. Well this is it, it's a lot to take in but I did enjoy sharing it with you and hope to stitch another sampler one of these days. Thanks for viewing.

What was I thinking?

I have no idea what I was thinking when I said I was going to finish my Red Kitty project before proceeding onto other things. I must have wandered into some alternate universe when this "pie in the sky" notion came to me because no way can I place this darling redwork project so high up in the first queue. Yes, I said first queue which to me is nothing more than a wish list of items waiting to be checked off as done, finished, abandoned. You know, did that, that, wanted to do that, thought I'd do that, nope, not doing that.

I once had a single queue whereby my projects in waiting were prioritized but soon I realized that it was necessary to add a queue to my queue. A place where when I finished something I could rotate a new project from queue-2 into the coveted queue-1 slot. Made sense to me and then it dawned on me how much more organized I would be if I would actually create subsets of each queue. In plain English, Q-1 stores my projects to be finished in the current year; Sub Q-1 defines the order they shall be completed. Q-2 is filled with this year's hopefuls, like Red Kitty, and Sub Q-2 defines, you guessed it, the order they shall be moved into Q-1 status. Red Kitty was high up in Sub Q-1 status but has now been downgraded so to speak to a high ranking spot on the Q-2 list.

Now, what all this Q-ing has done for me is it keeps my projects in front of me; changing them around is like changing the furniture, a new outlook and enthusiasm without making another purchase. A subtle reminder of things I have to look forward to and work toward. Ahhh, the stitching life is a good life.