Two Sophisticated Socks Done

I have completed the January and February Sophisticated Socks. They were a very quick and easy project. The thread selection is really what makes them pop. I have March to stitch but it will have to wait awhile.

Last week I signed up for Amy Bunger's Nativity Home Study Course. The first canvas arrived on Thursday and everything else is on hold until I get this stitched. My daughter and I are both doing the Nativity and we want to get the first three pieces stitched by the beginning May. We have our first canvas already started, Baby Jesus. Mary will arrive in March and Joseph in April. Provided there are no bumps in the road we should reach our deadline. The reason for the deadline is that we want to give the finishing to Amy and we will be going down to Memphis in the middle of May for a class with Amy.

I already have one small bump. On Friday, I start an Initial Ribbon class at my LNS. Jennifer, my daughter, has a small bump also. She is going to Italy for 10 days in April. I am confident that we will reach our goal. Jen is a fast stitcher and I will just have to find more time in the day to stitch.

I will keep you posted on our progress.

Linda

Feel Like I've Built a House

Here's a photo of the current progress on my mantle canvas. I apologize for the shadow in the upper right hand corner, I think that was caused by the flash bouncing off the magnifier off to the side.

For this section, the actual fireplace itself, I completely ignored the stitch guide which accompanied this canvas.

Hopefully, you can see that there are quite a few stitches here intended to simulate an architectural effect. I spent a lot of time researching what I was trying to achieve. First of all, we don't have a fireplace in our home, which worked to both my advantage and disadvantage. The advantage was, I had no idea what my real fireplace might look like, and just how much detail there might be. On the other hand, I could be putting in way more detail than ever could exist in real life. What I was trying to demonstrate was a beautiful, carved wooden mantle, with lots of detailed woodworking. Some of the stitches I used here were the Quick Stitch (from my Stitches for Effect books, Robertson & Howren), various gobelin variations (made up on my own), elongated tent & reverse elongated tent (from 176 Stitches to Unlock Creativity, Snyder & Hardin), and Triangular Rhodes & Rectangular Rhodes, again from the Stitches for Effect series, Roberston & Howren). There is also a cashmere variation for the floor; my inspiration was Amy's Cookbook for Stitchers. I spent time looking through all my books, and my old Needlepoint Now Magazines, searching for ideas that would work. I hope it all works. Certainly, should I ever GET a fireplace, I have plenty of thoughts about the woodwork!

I have now started on the inside of the fireplace, where the fire is. Here, I find myself going back to the stitch guide. Now that I have (hopefully) conquered my cold (with the help of a lot of sleep this past weekend and modern medicine), I think I will be done with this canvas soon, so you can see the completed work.

Later, D

Tiny Mitten

I am working on a couple of large projects, so I needed a small one that I could finish quickly for a bit of instant gratification. Last year, when Linda & I and our daughters went to Fireside Stitchery, my daughter & I signed up for their Tiny Mittens & Socks club. So far, we've received 10, and my daughter did one; I've finished seven. There are two still to come and two in the stash. These have been fun to do, as each comes with threads, a very well written stitch guide and a couple of photos of the completed project for reference. I've actually finished all of them myself, having learned how to do this at an excellent class I took in Syracuse with Pat Mazu (big wave to my friends from the ANG Lake Effect Chapter!)

As I hope you can see, there are well chosen stitches on the mitten. There was some diagonal cashmere, diagonal mosaic, backstitch, cross stitches. van dyke, & a little beading. I've acually learned a lot doing this club, particularly about stitch selection. These canvases have very small areas to cover; despite that, there is little compensation. Stitches were carefully selected to fit into the counted areas. Impressive!

Tonight--if I can fight off this cold--back to the mantle.

D

Completed Purse

Here is a picture of my completed purse. Tomorrow I will take to my LNS to be sent out for finishing. It was a very long six weeks. After the second week, I was going crazy doing straight basketweave.

I am now going to start my January Sophisticated Sock. Am looking forward to doing decorative stitches.

Will post pictures of my progress.

Linda

Limoge Box

I was working on this limoge box a few months ago, but couldn't post the finished product as it was a gift and didn't want to ruin the surprise just in case the recipient wandered over to this blog! So here it is.....

The inside is finished in pretty lavender raw silk. There are tons of french knots, some Parisian stitch...scotch stitch too. And, tent stitch to rest the eyes!

STITCH Designed by Ruth Schmuff

Here is my completed canvas. Stitch was not only designed by Ruth but she also wrote the stitch guide. I just love working from Ruth's stitch guides. They are just a pleasure to stitch.

Ruth and I have put our heads together and came up with an absolutely fabulous idea for the finishing of Stitch. I will give you one hint. The feet for the finishing will be antique spools of thread. My friend, Kathy, offered them to me and I just could not turn her down. I have such wonderful friends. Now you will just have to sit back and wait just like me to see the finished product.

Linda

My "Stitch" Box

Linda asked me to post a photo of my completed Raymond Crawford "Stitch" canvas, which I had inserted into a beautiful HP Designs black lacquer box. The stitch guide was one of the best I've worked with, by Ruth Schmuff. The guide was very precise with diagrams of stitches and hints about where to be extra careful in counting. I keep this box in my family room, although I don't actually keep any stitching items inside it.....I use it to hold scented tea candles for my many candle holders (I mostly use tea candles around the house because of the kittens; I get the lovely scents with a small flame that stays inside the candle holder).