Thursday, June 30, 2011

Iris Opulence

BH&G A Cross-Stitch Christmas (2011) arrived in the mail Monday and I fell in love with the last design in the book so sat down and stitched it immediately, but, this little thing has been a nightmare! It was designed for mono canvas, which I don't have and don't have easy access to either.  So I decided to see if it could go on 18 ct Aida instead.  Sometimes canvas designs will and sometimes some stitches just do not do well on aida or linen-type fabrics.  Well, apparently this one works pretty well on regular fabric, but it wasn't all that easy.  The outside row definitely needs a couple of compensating stitches and until you figure out where, there is a lot of frogging, grrrrrrrrr.  There are a couple other places with compensating stitches, and of course, you stitch from the center out -- and I would not advise anyone do that any other way! -- so that last miserable row at least leads you to a nice finish.

iris pinwheel_posted

Here is what the original from the book, stitched on canvas looks like:

iris o_proj photo2

The book design is done with some specialty fibers: Rainbow Gallery Velvet, which is a flat ribbon type and some metalics too, so then their description of the piece says it shows a lot of "texture" and "glitter".  I hate working with RG Velvet, unless it's a really special piece I just don't like using a laying tool and since I knew this was a 'practice' piece I also skipped the metallics.  So I'm not 'textured and glittery' but it's a decent piece anyway, I think.

The original is also done as a flat fold but I think with this aida one I'm going to make it a pillow.  One reason I fell in love with this design is that I like the flat fold because it makes a nice gift piece.  I will do this again, probably in reds to give to my neighbor as a Christmas gift.  I'll do her's as a flat fold and give it in a special made box so that she can display it or not as and when she pleases and have it's own storage box.  I don't mind that you don't display my gifts all day every day, but I do get antsy if I think you're just throwing them in the box with the other ornaments, so I always try to add a box that fits the piece when I give gifts to friends.  I know, that's kinda anal, but hey, most people really like having a good box with their 'special' decorations.

Ok, I said I'd show a couple of my WIPs, so here goes:

noah

Noah's Ark from a fairly recent issue of Just Cross Stitch, I'll have to look up the issue info I don't have it right here.  This needs only an elephant and a palm tree in the upper right corner to be complete.  This will be a sofa pillow for DD, she actually has the piece right now so she can shop for her backing fabric.


I finished "Stretch" by Teresa Wentzler recently, gift for a friend.  This is 32 count coffee-dyed linen and I didn't use any metallics, it's a bookmark and will be handled a lot!

stretch


Michael Powell is one of my favorite designers and I finally got someone to get me one of his designs for my birthday this year.  I'm about 1/4 of the way through English Village I (and hoping to receive EV II for Christmas LOL).

engvil1

I can't decide if I want to do the backstitch as I go or wait until the end, there is sooooo much backstitch in his designs!  I'll probably do more stitching before I decide.  But MP tends to use a lot of long stitch rather than plain backstitch and since I'm doing this in a hoop, I don't I want to distort the long stitch so I may just have to wait.  (Hubby is supposed to be working on a really cool lap frame that would allow me to use a larger Q-snap frame, waiting, hoping, sigh...)

Ok, that's it for now.  I hope you find time to take a stitch or two today.  I'm off to read some of your blogs to see what you are working on.

Happy Stitching
Moonlander

breastcancer2

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Moonlander

This is my new blog.  Daffycat says one must have a distinctive avatar and since I chose Moonlander as my blog I figured the space suit photo would make a 'memorable' avatar, he he he he he. What do you think?  I know, silly, but that's what a blog is for, to play with!
Some background info for you.  I'm 64, married to Mr. Perfect (meaning he's the perfect guy for me not that he is actually perfect himself!) and together we have 6 grandchildren, whom we do not see enough of!  I stitch and he goes fishing, we're both retired so we have lots of time, just not enough money to fill it all up.  I have a back and hip problem which confines me to two canes or a walker for longer distances so I do not get 'out' much but stitching can be done anywhere so that's my thing, as they say.  Hubby and our two children take lots of photos for me and I play with the photos making them 'look good' or 'cute' or 'funny', it gives me the impression that I was involved.

Here are a couple of my most recent finishes....that does not always mean framed and finished either.  Finished just means the stitching is done, when some money comes in I might squeeze out enough to 'finish the finish'.  I have recently learned to save cereal boxes and things like that so I can make flat folds, ornies magnets and such out of things that I used to frame -- but you all must know how expensive framing has gotten, my goodness!  I've also got my kids searching out garage sales and antique stores for older cheap frames.  My daughter in law is really really good at it, too, she gets lots of nice little frames for fifty cents!  So, the work.....

Be the Kind of Stitcher
That kind of stitcher by Cherry Wood Design Studios.  18 ct white aida.

Heartfelt Harvey
Heartfelt Harvey

I don't remember the designer but it was a freebie, 28 ct cream pearled linen. This is top of a round box, but I haven't finished the inside of the box yet.

Homespun -2
'Homespun' first published in a very old BH&G

This was recently presented as SAL on one of the French blogs.I don't speak French but I did manage to get one of the English speakers to send me the charts.  Lots of fun to stitch this one, I'm thinking of making a pillow out of it if I can find a good backing. 18 ct white aida.


Venice Bridge
Venice Bridge by Michael Powell

I guess it's 14 ct aida I think that's what his kits have.  If you have the patience to do all the backstitching Powell's charts are a lot of fun. This one will be finished as the front of a Journal for my son --- at his request, which I thought was kinda cool.

And last but not least is Pere Noel from Isabelle Vautier.  I finished this in March but I really want to get a nice frame and have it professionally framed so it's still sitting here.  I'm hoping the kids will give mom a couple bucks for her birthday (LOL).

Pere Noel
Pere Noel by Isabelle Vautier

Pere Noel is on 28ct perle linen over 1 and stitched with a Gentle Arts overdyed thread that I can't remember the name of, possibly Cranberry. I really loved stitching this one. Toward the end I found I had an error which mis-aligned the upper right quadrant, but I couldn't find the original error so I compensated instead-- oh, that's makes mine 'one of a kind' (LOL).

I have some photos of current work but I'll hold them for the next time.  I have a ton of WIPs and several UFOs so I hope you're looking forward to what's coming.  Now that I have a blog and an ID I can start leaving comments on those blogs I've been visiting, so if I pop up, don't hesitate to say hi.


Happy Stitching
Moonlander