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.

So I haven't picked up a needle in a week.....

that's right, had visitors here in cool Colorado from the ovens of Arizona. We usually get a lot of visitors during the Summer which is wonderful. So not only was my stitching interrupted but also I didn't have any "Stress Tabs" aka M&M's, on hand to get me through. Since I went on the sugar wagon about 3 years ago there's nothing in this house to rely upon anymore, sniff, sniff. But I did survive the stitching drought and am very anxious to get back to my Lite Stitches project and finish up Gay Ann Roger's Red Kitty Sampler (you didn't know about this, first mention) which is about half way done. Will try to get a picture up in the next day or so and then I need to get to stitching a few obligatory canvases.

It seems I never stitch anything for myself. Is this the same for you? I have a few things I want to do, but gifts, requests and classes seem to keep me busy all the time. Not to mention the fabulous enabling publication, "needlepointNOW" that has 3 projects calling to me in just one issue. It's ridiculous really, there oughta be a law, or rule or etiquette guidelines in place about putting so many fabulous projects in one place. No affiliation, just a great fan. Those wonderful Kimono ornaments on the front cover nearly stopped all progress on anything else. Thankfully I didn't have everything I needed to start the first one. Whew, that was a close call to deepening my UFO pile.

I guess I should get to gettin' if I'm going to stitch this afternoon. Hope you're working on something that brings you joy. Take care til next time.

Suzy Murphy's Lite Stitches Workshop

The technique known as "lite stitches" or "shadow stitching" is one that I hadn't tried before until a few weeks ago. Suzy Murphy came down to Colorado Springs from Wyoming to teach her class, "Lite Stitches," named for her book with the same title. Very, very fun way to learn something new. Suzy is an entertaining teacher and kept everyone "in stitches" throughout the weekend! Ahem.

Using fewer strands of thread than is traditionally recommended for the canvas gauge, along with a handsomely painted canvas, I learned how to achieve beautiful subtle color and textural effects allowing the painted design to show through the stitches. This method is used in conjunction with skipping over canvas threads covering only every other one. This way there is no need to blend threads and eliminates the painstaking matching threads to canvas paint.

An obstacle I encountered using this technique became apparent when I tried to hide my tails and away knots. You just have to use common sense where to bury or begin threads on an open canvas, if it shows through, it's not the end of the world but try again to hide them where they will be least noticeable.

So most of the stitching in the photos was completed during the first day of the class so you can see just how quickly using these methods show fast progress. The textures created by using metallics and skipping stitches are subtle but beautiful. Are you able to see the effect created when using a white thread over both the snow and into the the blue mountains? It's a great shading technique and so simple. To be continued soon......

Rio Rincon WIP

I continue to experiment with adding pictures. I was hoping I could just leave a link on the side of the blog where the pictures would be opened, but I haven't figured that out just yet.

Rio Rincon is a canvas designed by southwest artist Terry Medaris. There is a very large line of similarly painted canvases available and I have 3 more that when completed will be framed alike. I am nearly finished with this first piece and with Terry's stitch guide it has been a fast and fun project. I plan on using some of the same stitches for the other pieces in the collection. I particularly like the "Pattern Stitch" used in the sun with overdye. Other stitches include Padded Cross Stitch, Reverse Mosaic, Victorian Step and others. Threads used are metallic braid, ribbon floss, floss, overdye, Watercolours, Neon Rays, Fiesta, wool and rayon floss. Not much left to stitch, then I will tackle the beads. I don't really enjoy beading, the needles are so thin and sharp I end up wounding myself with nearly every bead!

Chinese Lanterns

The Chinese Lanterns needlepoint came from a charted graph in "Classic Stitches" magazine. It was a very fast project to stitch as it was done completely in DMC Perle Coton, so no stripping of threads. In addition it is stitched in only one stitch, straight Gobelin. I thought it was really neat using only one stitch to create a variety of textures.

For example the gold lantern looks like a layered stitch, but it is a very simple 2 vertical over one horizontal or 2 horizontal over 1 vertical, yet it creates a very textured surface.

"Classic Stitches" is a British needlework publication in which I have no financial interest, simply a very happy subscriber. The subscription is fairly pricey, I suspect because of postal rates coming from across the pond, but it is well worth it featuring several different forms of needleart in each issue. You can check it out at http://www.classicstitches.com/ just for fun.

Moving right along...NOT!

Well I definitely thought I would be much further along building this blog by now. Thing is, I am unfamilar with where everything is, like where do I get a counter, or more to the point, why do I get a counter??? I see other blogs filled with fun things to "press" and calendars and seemingly more options for formatting. Well, I'll keep looking.

Last night I went to a friend's house for dinner and stitching; together we are creating a needlpoint design of a place that we both have interest in. Neither one of us are designers so we are moving forward at a snails pace which doesn't surprise me. In general we both are fairly methodical in our approach and luckily have many other stitching projects to hold our interest when this get's bogged down. So far we have stitched the outline and have assigned symbols for each space in the design. More details to come.

I call my friend a turbo stitcher as I have never seen anyone stitch at a break neck pace before. It doesn't matter that she's working on 32 count, in the dark, with one hand tied behind her back, she's just plain fast. And good. Her work is quite amazing. I just don't have the discipline to do anything fast, except maybe gain weight.

Two projects, one I'm about to finish is Rio Rincon has been a fun project stitching up quickly. The other is completed, Chinese Lanterns, was also an unusually fast project to stitch. Since I got the chart out of a magazine this project came in under $10 total. No, not including the framing. The framing, yes that is a whole other price point.
So here's the latest submission. Thanks for visiting.