April Arrives

Have been working diligently on my projects so let's get to it.

I have been working on my Chatelaine designs and am enjoying them more than I could have imagined.  They are complex and take concentration, but I love the designs and the threads.  I am even enjoying the beading.

First is Mandala 06.  The colors on this piece are so amazing.

I work a little on Mini Mandala 11b.  I am looking forward to reworking this piece on a better fabric and with the special threads that are specified.  This one, remember, I used all DMC substitutions and while I like it, I miss the variations with the different threads and the textures.  I may or may not finish this piece

Gardens of London is also coming along.  I hit a snag with a particularly challenging portion of the design, but I plan to knuckle down and work on it this week.  Thanks to some postings on this project I am a little less frightened of it.

I did work on Books Reading Books.  I am pleased with the way it is going which is a good thing since this piece is going to take a year or more at the rate I am going.

I have not touched the Buddha piece this month so no progress there.

I finished the bell pull I am doing for a friend.  This is a design by Ink Circles and it worked up rapidly.  Finishing this finish was a big of a challenge.  I would like to have better (or craftier) finishing skills. 

I have also started to put together the projects that I will take with me when we travel in a few months.  I have kitted up several of the Glendon Place dessert series designs.  I am planning on doing Pumpkin Swirl as a gift so will not post it until it is completed and gifted.  I also have others that are ready to go.  I think the Chatelaine Mandalas sort of got me into the symmetrical designs.  I am kind of stuck on them at this point.

I started a small piece just for a change of pace since my WIPs are pretty much all Chatelaines.  Well, the pieces I want to work on that is!  It is "Good Things Come to Those who Stitch" by Lizzie Kate.  Just a quick, small project.  I am using a piece of fabric that I dyed.  I will probably change out the pink on the right side for a gold/brown color as well as make some other changes to the pattern. 

 



 

Last but not least I did some more adventures in dying fabric.  I sure to love doing it.  I also dyed some thread for a tooth fairy pillow for my grand daughter.  Perfect timing as she lost her first tooth just after her 6th birthday.

 

 

That is it for this month's update.  We may be on the road in the next couple of months --- probably late May--so there WILL be road adventures!

Thanks for visiting

Have a great April!









DESIGN Post for October

I am participating in DESIGN which stands for Designer Everybody Should Instantly Get to Notice.  I found this through a facebook post, and it looks like it should be fun.  If nothing else, perhaps I will be more likely to post with a little more regularity than I have in the past.

I do a lot of kits, mostly because I am a little unsure about choosing fabrics and threads.  Since I discovered facebook I have been exposed to many  more options and am challenging myself.  I am also enjoying it quite a bit.  I have learned that there are a plethora of folks out there who design some incredible things for cross stitch.   This posting groups will definitely help me be more aware of the designers of the things that I do.

For this designer focused post I will one of my current WIPs.  It is a kit entitled Bay Dunes and is by StitchWorld.  The artist is Paul Brent. 

He has a website that shows some of his work:  http://www.paulbrent.com/

The kit I s dated 1998 and I am not sure where I got it. (knowing me I picked it up at a thrift store!)
 I notice that this piece is not listed on his site, but he does have some needlepoint designs listed.  When I opened this kit I was surprised to find that there is another one of his designs charted.  I like the beach and airy feel of this.  The colors are very soothing and it really has been fun to stitch. 

I have never stitched anything by Paul Brent before and I may do the other design that came with this kit.  Time will tell.   The two design would make a great pairing for a house near the water.  I really like the way it seems to extend beyond the border of the picture.  A little hard to explain, but it enhances the airy feel I think.

This kit has lots and lots of half cross stitches which makes it go pretty fast.  This kit is on 14 ct. white Aida and came with DMC floss.  The finished piece is 9"x13".

I am just about half way finished with it and hope to finish it this month.  I am coming into the more detailed part of the design, so it make take me longer.    Here is my progress so far.

 

Thanks for visiting.