January 2010 Stitching Update

I used to be really good about setting needlework goals... then I finished all of my projects and thought stuff was all under control. Well, now it seems I'm starting more projects then I'm finishing! So I am going to re-inventory my stitching drawers and see what has snuck in.

Stitching Review - Here are the ones I have in progress:

Amanda Lawford - Royal Santa (huge)
Carlene Harwick - "Royal Wind" charted canvaswork design (Workshop-by-mail)
La-D-Da - Eve cross-stitch
Melissa Shirley - Easter Egg painted canvas - bunny with boat
Melissa Shirley - Easter Egg painted canvas - bunny at house
Needlepoint of Back Bay - Fruit Rug (Square 2 of 12) painted canvas with wool threads
Painted Canvas - unknown designer - Craftsman design (working on this as I buy the wool for the rug)
Summer Truswell own design - Sunshine & Shadow charted canvaswork
Summer Truswell own design - 1st house line-drawn canvas embroidery picture
Summer Truswell - purple gift box


Kitted and ready to go:

David McCaskill - By The Sea Line Drawn canvas +threads
Mirabilia - Sleeping Beauty (needs fabric)
Red Owl Stash - Cupcake Ornament (charted canvas +threads, etc)
Shepherd's Bush - Winter Dreams Sampler
ST - Moss Circles - needs canvas (Only stitching if class proposal is accepted)
ST - Drunkards Path - (only stitching if class proposal is accepted)
Summer Truswell - Whitework Ornament
Teresa Wentzler - Noah's Ark
Santa with Bears Christmas picture (kit)

Painted Canvases to be stitched: (no threads)

A Collection of Designs - Snowmen decorating tree star ornament (6" tall)
Amanda Lawford - Nutcracker Santa (18")
Amanda Lawford - Floral with black pillow
Blue Dogwood Designs (Kay Fite) - Ferry Ornament
Blue Dogwood Designs (Kay Fite) - Pike Place Ornament
Chameleon Design - Round "Hunt" pillow - 16" across?
Chameleon Design - Heart with Key pillow - 12" across?
Elizabeth Turner - Christmas Photo Frame
Mary Engelbreit - Christmas Heart ornament
Madeline Lake - Snowman
Madeline Lake - Blackbird
Madeline Lake - Sailboat
Madeline Lake - Rooster
Needlepoint of Back Bay - City Frog frame weight (large)
Needlepoint of Back Bay - Monkey eating fruit
Needlepoint of Back Bay - Celtic Knot
Needlepoint of Back Bay - Iris Four-Way
KS Designs - Washington Miniature Stocking Ornament (with whale doll)
Unknown designer - botanical fruits rectangle (for bolster?)
Unknown designer - Hanging ornaments
Unknown designer - Woman with boy and spyglass
Unknown designer - Paisley pillow
Unknown designer - sports cumberbund (to make into an ornament)
Unknown designer - stained glass egg #1
Unknown designer - Floral motif repeat
Unknown designer - stained glass egg #2
Unknown designer - phoenix egg

Ok, I will note that most of these painted canvases were bought in two places. The first was the "yard sale" at the ANG Milwaukee 2009 seminar, where they were selling for between $2 and $10 a canvas. The next is that I bought two lots off ebay. One was the entire Needlepoint of Back Bay Rug, and the other was the other Needlepoint of Back Bay lot.

Now, to think about upcoming goals. Usually I think things through the year, and then break it down into month, then week. This time I don't have anything that is truly pressing, so I will go ahead and set yearly goals, and then weekly goals.

I am also going to add something called "First Friday Finishing". The first Friday of every month I will devote entirely to finishing, by which I mean actually sewing up the pillow or ornament or whatever. It can be for my customers (no, I'm not accepting new customers, sorry), or for myself. This is brought upon by the fact that I have several dozen pieces that are stitched and unfinished. (Shhhhhh)

I also want to get back to stitching an ornament a month - these can be painted canvases or charted, whatever. Just as long as I get that wee happy dance in!

2010 Goals: Keep up with the MTP program. Finish Melissa Shirley egg works-in-progress. Make progress on all other works-in-progress. Finish Eve UFO.

February Goals: Finish Royal Wind.

March Goals: Finish both Melissa Shirley Easter egg work-in-progress canvases.

2011 Goals: Finish MTP Program, receive Journeyman and Fellow levels. Finish large Royal Santa.
2012 Goals: Teach final class at MTP, receive Master level.

There! I feel more organized already!

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #9

The crown is just about completed; there are two larger jewels that will be added later in the process. The gold outline is fill cross-stitch in Kreinik 1/16" ribbon. The gold silk is Trebizond. Beads are fire-polished jewels.

I've also started on the background. I'm using Woven Stitch and one strand of cream Impressions. Lots of background to stitch - I'm making myself switch back and forth with 45 minutes of background, then 45 of other stitching, then 45 minutes of background... It's a big background. :)

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #8

"Santa has a brand new bag..."



This is stitched in Medici wool, Caron Snow (in gold curls), Rainbow Gallery Fyre Werks (the mosaic variation in the center goldwork). The Scotch stitches on the stripe are done in two colors of Medici wool, then instead of tenting gold around them I worked long Satin Stitches with tacking stitches at each intersection. Think Trellis Stitch.

He also has a snow globe!



The silver underneath is tented in Kreinik 1/16" ribbon. Stitched over that is Rainbow Gallery Water 'N Ice. The flash makes it appear more translucent but in person it looks solid. Weird camera.

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #7

The top right corner is completed. This includes "The List", the gift box, and the frog.

The stitches used in these areas were tent stitch (basketweave where I could), Diagonal Victorian Step on the package top, and Brick Stitch on the background of the paper. Threads used include Soie d'Alger, DMC Floche blended with Accentuate, Kreinik #12, Rainbow Linen, Rainbow Gallery Fyrewerks for the package top, DMC floss for the green package, Trebizond gold for the frog's belly, and Rainbow Gallery Flair for the frog itself. Flair is a tubular mesh thread that is sparkley and transluscent.

I've been working on Santa's man-bag. The red so far is Medici wool. The squares are Scotch Stitch, and the red on the bag is basketweave. There are two strands used, so it is easy to blend them. Stitch all the darker areas with two strands of dark wool. Stitch all the lighter areas with two strands of red wool. Fill in and stitch all the areas in between with one strand of each.

A note about the stitch guide: I've received a few e-mails about the stitch guide. I did give credit before so I'll do it again. :) This stitch guide is by GeorgaDee MacLeod. She designed our ANG chapter nametags. GeorgaDee works at The Needlepointer, a shop up in downtown Everett, Washington. She is a neat lady and has a great sense of style for canvases. GeorgaDee is actually the person who taught me how to use a laying tool!

I don't know if this stitch guide is purchaseable without taking the class, but I do know that she's done quite a few stitch guides for other canvases and every one I've seen has been fantastic. The stitch guide I have for Royal Santa includes what thread, the amounts, and what stitch should (could) be used in each section. She also has stitch diagrams for unusual stitches. It makes it very easy to break down a large piece into maneagable suggestions. I will confess I skipped the line where it said "Stitch Background" and gave stitch and thread suggestions. I need to buy thread for that and will do that when I can. My kit came with a cream silk n ivory and I'm not sure if I want to do white or a light green.

I am really enjoying stitching on this piece - I have a small Melissa Shirley easter egg I've been stitching on and it is much slower than this large design. Funny how that works.

Snow, again...

I am really disliking snow the older I get.

Last night I picked up the Royal Santa again. I am working on the present box at the top of the design. Another stitcher e-mailed me this link to the Nutcracker Santa and he is just wonderful. So now I don't know which one I want more, the Nutcracker or the Wreath Santa. I would be thrilled with either.

Of course, I'm not getting either. For about the same price, a little less actually, Brad and I are getting new interior doors for the house. Yay! What great Valentine's presents for each other! :) We're buying white 6 panel doors and getting them milled so the bevel and the cutouts for the hardware will all be completed. I am truly excited. Of course, I'll have to paint them and Brad will hang them but it's still great.

Madeline and Travis were playing hide and go seek yesterday. We have a small house and there are not many places to hide, especially when your sibling counts to ten as fast as they can and are running after you before you've had a chance to climb onto the washer [again]. Victoria, dear Victoria, slammed her door on her brothers hand this time. Brad took the door off the hinges and it will stay off until the new ones come. Her new handle will lock so she can read in peace without the smaller ones coming in to bother her. It's just going to be a button lock - she does need some quiet time without people underfoot and if that means a lock it's fine. I'd rather she was in her room hiding out reading than in the only other rooms that lock, the bathrooms.

This snow is going to kill my new bulbs.

When we first moved in the pine trees were big, but not THAT big. They've all really grown. Some of my full-sun areas are now part shade. I'm planning on expanding out the back beds again this spring as well as laying down some pavers on the side of the house. I also need to either replace the side fence or add taller posts so I can have a trellis at the top for the expanding clematis.

My parents are coming up for a quick visit over the weekend. In the meantime we have a visit to the childrens museum planned, parent homeschool meeting tonight, homeschool Valentine's party tomorrow, ballet, swimming, nothing on Thursday for the kids but I have guild that evening, and Friday we're to go ice skating with the homeschool group. Whoo! At some point in there (probably Thursday) I have a couple things for finishing and then I have to make some fabric car-headrest/DVD player covers for my dad so he can take them home with them. Very exciting.

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #6

Just a quick update... it's coming along. Brad is trying to make a bet that I'll finish it by the end of March but I'm pretty sure that won't happen. There is lots done but LOTS of background. :)

The quiver is stitched in Diagonal Mosaic in Impressions with the scrolls stitched in tent stitch with floss and Kreinik metallic. The top border is Rainbow Gallery Soft Sheen Fyre Werks in a diagonal Gobelin. The arrow feathers are stitched in long straight stitches of Caron Watercolors. The bow is stitched in Caron Snow in a random stem stitch. The string is couched Snow.



The jester is finished - lots of fun stitches on this guy.



Want to see what four hours of french knots looks like? These are stitched in #12 Kreinik metallic.

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #5

Quite a bit of stitching has been going on with this beautiful piece!

Right now I'm working on the jester. He's primarily in basketweave.



I finished the knight to the left of Santa's shoulder. All I could think while stitching him was various Monty Python songs. The plume is in Rainbow Gallery Very Velvet and Medici Wool. The feather is Medici Wool. The knight's armor is stitched in Kreinik metallic threads.



The belt buckle is comprised entirely of size 14 seed beads in six different colors. It is framed in gold metallic thread. The belt is long stitches laid in lighter Anchor threads.



The bottom of the coat is stitched in oh, goodness, what's that stitch called... Cashmere stitch.


The opening of the cloak is stitched in the same way. Note how blending the colors in the needle gives a completely different look in shading.



Right mitten - stitched in Silk N Ivory with Encroaching Gobelin.

Left mitten, same stitch reversed, same thread.

Another Amanda Lawford Santa...

I so want him. He would be SO MUCH FUN to stitch. Look at the cute snowman! And the gingerbread cookie! And the lovely wreath! The scrollwork on the cloak! 18 mesh means he would take a good long while to stitch, too. :-)

http://www.needlenookoflajolla.com/storedir/proddetail.php?prod=7023

Even with their Christmas sale he still would come in at over $300. *sigh*

I'm making progress on my Royal Santa, which is why I've been eyeing the others in the series. I stitched the staff pole yesterday and worked on some of the red opening in the cloak. It's lovely!

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #4

Stitching update:

Yesterday I finished stitching the blue cloak. Whew! I've been working with this Appleton wool for what seems like weeks.

Last night I went ahead and stitched the gold on one cuff. It is a combination of tent and Blanket (buttonhole stitch) with three plies of gold Soie d'Alger silk thread. The gold is #16 Kreinik in 002. This has great texture on the curves.

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #3

More stitching on the coat - this is in 1 strand of Appleton's Wool.

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #2

The trunk is completed:

I've started on the cloak. It is stitched in one strand of Appleton Wool in a Diagonal Beaty Variation. One day progress:

Two day progress (canvas is dipping as I didn't remove from sidebars):

Royal Santa by Amanda Lawford #1

I can't remember if I've already discussed this needlepoint design. This piece is called "Royal Santa" and he is painted and designed by Amanda Lawford. The design is about 30" tall. He is so gorgeous and I love him!

Anyway, Royal Santa came to me in April of this year. Out of all the beautiful canvases I've sold for Denise the Wonder Organizer on eBay this is the only one I bought for myself. :-) The lady who owned him originally took him as a class so there were little itty bits of the piece started. There is a binder stitch guide and a huge bag of threads, all beautifully organized. I love it when it's ready to just jump in!

He is so large that I'm working on a lap stand. This is my first piece on a lap stand and it's working out well. The piece is so heavy there is no way I could hold it up.

The first thing I stitched was his skin on his face. This is Soie d'Alger silk floss.

Then back down to the bottom to work on the treasure chest. The gold scrolls and silver and completed with Kreinik metallic. The black is Trebizond Silk or Caron Impressions. The wood slats are Caron Watercolours. Right now I'm working on the wood of the chest. It is in four different colors of floss.

Last night's update of the wood treasure chest:



I have no idea when he'll be done. No goal setting for me on this one! Maybe next year? :)