See what I won on eBay. I let the first canvas listing get away from me and then the designer, Patt of Patt and Lee Designs, offered it again; this time on Interlock canvas instead of Deluxe Mono at a much reduced price. I hadn't planned on buying any more painted canvases for '09, but Jane of Chilly Hollow fame posted the eBay listing on her blog, which apparently is my hypnotic cue to check it out, I spied it and voila...MINE! Ya know, I've always heard she is the queen mother of enabler's and I do believe it to be true. Don't know what I'd do without all her good tips on what's available and where! Thank you Jane.
Not sure where it will land, but it's in for 2009. I don't think I've stitched on painted Interlock canvas before, it's definitely different from Deluxe Mono and the actual painting on the design seems much lighter. This is because the actual canvas threads are much thinner on Interlock, as explained by the artist. I'll give it a try and keep you posted on how it works up. I'm not sure if there will be any noticeable difference on the finished work, I hope not, or if I will choose my thread palette differently. These things will become apparent as I stitch, I'm sure. If any of you have any suggestions or experience with this I am most anxious to hear from you.
It's so delightful and is working up quickly. There is a hidden message in the design too! Thank you Caela and Mile High Chapter, ANG. Oh, and the third project from the Sept '06 issue of NeedlepointNow magazine. This very charming ornament, created by Pat Mazu, is quick and would already be finished had I not put it down to "do" Christmas!
Dare I say one of my New Year's resolutions is promising not to have a hick-up in my blogging; to plan ahead for such delays and always have something readable to publish. There, I've said it. Thank you to my readers for being patient with me, I will do my best to earn back your valuable time. Happy New Year everyone!
I love everything and am looking forward to next year's exchange. Many thanks for sending such a lovely ornie and for surprising me with the charts, thread, card and chocolate!
I received a great gift, a charming, mini tote. I hadn't seen these before and think it will be ideal for keeping handy the stitching items that I need, but don't want to keep in my regular stitching bag. Thank you Sandy! Isn't it adorable with the leopard lining.....it's so me! LOL!
On your left is my St. Basil's mini sock that I stitched last year; a glorious canvas designed by Shelly Tribbey. I enjoyed working on it using a variety of stitches and threads, and the tassel was great fun to create. I didn't have a stitch guide but managed because of the intricity of the painted design. Thank you Ms. Tribbey.
After completing the stitching in July, I decided to send St. Basil off to be finished into it's final form; not as a stocking, but rather as a front design on a box pillow. There was to be a variety of fabrics contrasting in color, texture and pattern, cording, a shirred gusset, tassels and the stocking was to be positioned slightly tilted clockwise with a tassel hanging from the upper left corner. I basically wanted a whimsical feel not unlike the color and pattern variations characteristic of Mackenzie Childs http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/. Between my suggestions and website examples of their work, I felt confident. 
Often times in life we don't always get what we expect and this was the case here.
MAGIC project #2 is done, finished. No, I didn't stitch it in two different colorways, just playing with my photo software. It's been about 7 years since I first purchased this canvas. I had such high hopes in the beginning that it would stitch up quickly and that I would miraculously find just the right stitches and threads to use. Didn't happen that way. As a much less experienced stitcher 7 years ago I didn't know about the wonderful stitching support groups and lists and all the help available through them. Thinking it was a gorgeous canvas worthy of fine threads and stitches, and with Jo Ippolito's 300 stitches dictionary by my side, I thought I was prepared.
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!
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.
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!
Mission Accomplished!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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