A break in the action

I've finished stitching the 4th of July March, and I am now finished with the stitch guide.

I celebrated by finishing this little firecracker canvas by Kelly Clark. I especially like the turquoise and blue stripes. I laid 3 strands of Perle Cotton #3 horizontally and satin stitched over them vertically with Shimmer Blend Ribbon Floss (turquoise) and Sprinkles (blue).

Firecrackers from Kelly Clark

I'm having a blast stitching these firecrackers from Kelly Clark. I'm going to add Swarovski sew-on rhinestones to the red section. I've stitched over the outer edges of the circles--this way I can tell where to sew the rhinestones without having any canvas show.

Corn snake & skull witch hat

I've almost finished the Kelly Clark witches' hat series. I used the stitch guide as a jumping off point and then went my way.

I experimented with the 2 small skulls on the brim, beading them primarily with clear size 14 beads and Kreinik #4 glow in the dark braid. The effect was okay, but not great.

Effect I loved from the guide: French knots stitched with Boucle'. This would be great for trees, shrubs, moss, hair and more.

Effect I hated: French knots stitched with Boucle'. Lots and lots of knots and bad words, oh my!

October Heritage Ornament from Kelly Clark

Here's number 10 in Kelly Clark's heritage ornament series. I replaced the beads with Swarowski crystals for more bling.

I've enjoyed this respite from creating my own stitch guides, but I am itching to see what's new at market and see where the artists' visions can take my needle.  Tune in next week for news from Phoenix!

May heritage ornament by Kelly Clark

This is the May Heritage ornament from Kelly Clark--it's for my husband and self-proclaimed web lackey Chris. I'm trying to decide what to have monogrammed on the back to make it really special. At the rate I am finishing these, I'm going to need another tree next year.

Happy New Year!

March heritage ornament by Kelly Clark

I'm stitching these gorgeous ornaments by Kelly Clark at a rapid clip. I love the stitch guides, but I have added my own twist to them. Instead of using beads, I am adding Swarowski crystals in the appropriate gemstone color to each canvas. Bling!

Happy Holidays!

Third Witch Hat

My new ghost magnet is celebrating the finish of my 3rd Kelly Clark witch hat.  I am using the stitch guide that is available for the hats, with a few twists of my own.

For the background, I used 2 strands of Splendor and 2 strands of Accentuate for a brick stitch on the hat and skip tent on the brim.  My favorite thing: using beading thread from The Collection to couch the Kreinik Hot Wire and braid.  Whether I pierced the couched thread or looped over it, you can't see the couching stitches.

Tip:  Place the crystals for the spider bodies (I used hot fix Swarovski crystals) before you bead the legs.  (Do as I say, not as I did.)

Kelly Clark Pumpkin Hat

I've been indulging myself by stitching both of the recently released "Creeps" from NeedleDeeva and the 6 witches' hats by Kelly Clark.

I had reached the last step in the stitch guide for the Pumpkin hat by Kelly and I felt I was all thumbs.  No matter what I tried, I couldn't combine 7mm ribbon, ruching and beads in a way that made me happy.  Many bad words were used.  In desperation, I drove OTB (Over the Bridge) to the nearest Michael's for an easier embellishment solution.  I searched the ribbon section, almost giving up, when I spotted 2 possibilities:  a 3/8" black gimp and a 5/8" black gimp with black velveteen ribbon running through it.  Not having had the foresight to bring the canvas, I bought both of them.  I ended up using them both--the narrower gimp on the hat brim and the wider gimp under the pumpkin...ghoulish couture realized.

While in Michael's I also gathered what I would need to make a black feather wreath like the one Robin King is shown holding in the latest issue of Needlepoint Now.  Having put a Styrofoam wreath form,  black spray paint, 6 black feather boas, extra bags of black feathers and silk ribbon for the hanger in my cart, I did some mental arithmetic.  Adding in the time spent not stitching, I decided I should look for a ready-made wreath.  To hedge my bets, I bought 2 boas (I can always wear them in the shop in October) and some extra black feathers in case the purchased wreath is skimpy.  When I arrived home, I went straight to the computer and found the perfect wreath.  From JoAnn Fabrics, it is 19" in diameter and 50-% off  I can't wait to decorate for the howlidays.

Kelly Clark witch hats

We have Kelly Clark's trunk show in the shop and I am treating myself to the six witches' hats and the stitch guide created for them. I have started with the Pumpkin hat, adding a few of my touches to the piece. I am adding the large flat beads to the hat brim, as suggested in the guide. Because the stitch is a full coverage stitch, I am leaving the center stitch open to allow me to place the beads properly. I had a great time looking for beads and such on the Fusion Beads website (www.fusionbeads.com). They lured me in with a 20% off weekend sale and I stocked up on all things that glitter, especially in Halloween and Christmas colors. And the stash just continues to grow....

Mile High Kitty

I'm working on 3 large projects and I needed a quick, fun piece to fit in my "scheduled" stitching. This pretty witch and cat kept me entertained.

The sky is one strand of Impressions in the Irish stitch with Swarovski hot fix crystals for the stars. (That's not a red crystal, its a clear one caught in the sunlight.)

I used the Neon Rays + white glow in the dark thread for the ghosts and Kreinik glow in the dark for the green in the cat's eyes.

The witch's hair is Petite Fluffy Fleece, couched down with one strand of Splendor.

I love the witch's necklace. I used a product that is new to me--the clear beading thread from The Collection. I have always used Prisms and Sundance beading thread, but I'm open to anything that makes beading easier. The Collection thread was easy to thread through the needle eye and easy to knot. It behaved very well and I will definitely use it again (and again).

I ran the thread (doubled through the needle, knotted and anchored) through Sundance size 11 real metal beads. Once I had the right number of beads for the necklace I sank the needle at the other end of the necklace. I then came back up and tied down/anchored the necklace every few beads. Finally, I came up a third time and ran the needle and thread through the center of the entire string of beads. Voila! Bling!

Noah's snow leopards

These leopards are the first pair I have chosen to stitch from the series of 12 Noah's animals by Kelly Clark

These are large animals painted in a small design area on 18 mesh canvas.  The spots reminded me of a pointillist painting.  To keep the two animals separate from each other, I tweaked the colors of the leopard on the left, trying to use a slightly different palette.  Another trick I used was to choose the most distinctive colors on each coat, stitching one color at a time until the most difficult to see color was the only one left.

Since stitching these, I have completed the peacocks and I am now stitching the giraffes.  I have found it very helpful to Google photos of the animals I stitch to look for distinctive details.

Noah's Peacocks from Kelly Clark

I spent my Sunday afternoon working on my second pair of animals for Kelly Clark's Ark, Noah's Peacocks.  (I had to do something while I watched the Cubs lose to the Pirates.)

As I usually do, I started by Googling photos of peacocks and peahens to see what effect I needed to create.  Since the animals are small pieces, I can go all out on the main characters.

Most of my time was spent beading, using four different colors of Sundance beads.  I am working on a beading class, so I tried a few different threads and techniques to stitch the beads.

For the threads, I tried Splendor in lime green to intensify the color of the lime green beads, one strand doubled through a beading needle.  I also used YLI invisible thread, also doubled through a beading needle.  For other pieces, I have used Sundance beading thread.  The net:  they all have their place.  Using a silk thread (or a colored beading thread) allows you to manipulate the color of the beads you are using.   (From what I have read and heard in classes, silk is preferred over cotton floss.)  The advantage of a clear beading thread is that it can be used for all colors of beads, obviating the need for a different color thread for each bead.  Some say the nylon threads stretch over time, but I have not experienced that.  However, if I were stitching a piece that would get a lot of use, like a purse, I would use beading thread, like that offered by Sundance.  I love using beading thread when I can because it is so easy to use (nylon thread can drive you nuts).

On the peacocks, I used the "lasso" technique, I went through some beads twice, and I went through some beads only once.  I have come to agree with the experts at Sundance that the "lasso" technique is seldom required.  Its purpose is to keep the eye of the bead from showing and further secure a bead.  However, even if I went through a bead only once, if I used a tight tension and adjusted the bead angle with my needle, the beads stayed in the proper position.  Also according to the Sundance experts, if you are concerned about truly anchoring a bead, going through it twice is more effective than using the "lasso" technique.  I also stitched some of the tail "eyes" by anchoring the first bead, a middle bead and an end bead by going through them twice; the rest were only stitched to the canvas with one pass-through.  Basically, you should use the technique that makes you most comfortable with the end results.

If you are truly worried about losing a bead from a finished piece, you should stitch under the bead with the appropriate colored thread before beading.  I'm not that paranoid...yet.

Columbus 2011 day 2

Some of my favorite canvases so far
* A 3D crow by Melissa Shirley on 13 count canvas; he comes with a hat and a monocle.
* Also from Melissa, gorgeous orchid purses and fanciful startfish
* From Kelly Clark, 6 witch’s hats that are so wonderful, you want them all. They come with a stitch guide, too.

* Dede Ogden has painted two views from a sitting room. My favorite is a view of the Eifel Tower through the window of a pied-à-terre.  It reminds me of trips to Paris when we rented an apartment instead of staying in a hotel. The second view is from an elegant New York apartment with a fabulous view of Manhattan.
* Labors of Love has new clip on birds to add to our collections, all of them colorful and fun.

I started the day with a fun class taught by Cynthia Thomas. The canvas was a Halloween House by DC. I’ve had a couple of customers stitch the canvas and I wanted to see what Cynthia could do with it. She taught us a technique borrowed from gold work for two of the lollipops that I can’t wait to try on other canvases. Her stitch guide and instructions were, as always, top notch.

Tips from Cynthia:
* When working with Planet Earth Opal or Vineyard Silk Shimmer, use a larger needle to keep the metallic from coming up short at the end.
* Cynthia demonstrated how to separate Lorikeet, a 9 strand overdyed wool that gives many of us fits. She started by teasing the ends of the thread apart—you can see that it separates into bundles of three. The best way to pull the strands loose is to hang a weight (like the one from Puffin Co) from the end. The real key, though, is patience.

New threads—at least for me
* Rainbow Gallery has introduced 17 new colors for Silk Lame’ for 18 count and new colors for Neon Rays +. The very coolest new Neon Rays + is a white sparkly ribbon that glows in the dark.
* YLI has an organic cotton ribbon floss that comes in the 26 Painter’s Thread colors. I love the texture—a little primitive—and can see ruching it for great effect.

The Ark Monkey House

Hooray!  Except for the part where I ran out of my silk floss, the Monkey House from the Ark is complete.

I love the stitch I used for the red walls--I found it in Jane Zimmerman's "Canvas Embroidery" Volume One.  The inspiration stitch is a "variation of basic Scotch alternated with elongated Cashmere".  I reduced the row height by one stitch, used 3 strands of silk and the result looks like wood shingles.  The best part is that I only had to rip out one previous stitch to replace it with what I think is the perfect one.

Back to the rooftops of the Ark!

The Ark part 5

I've been watching the Dodgers play the Cubs at Wrigley Field, stitching away at the main roof.  (Da Cubs are losing.)  Next, to mix things up, I'll finish the turtles and snakes on the main deck.

I am stitching the teal roof line in two long rows of continental.  In several 3-D classes I have taken from Ruth Dilts and Joan Lohr, I learned a very important tip.  Keep your finisher happy--stitching corners that will be bent by splitting the stitches at the corner.  Stitching the teal areas in basketweave would make bending the canvas more difficult.  Hopefully, the continental rows will allow for a clean, crisp edge.

Ark part 4

The great thing about working on the Ark is that if you can't think of the perfect stitch for an area, you can stitch something else while your brain works on the  problem.  The other great thing is that 6 of us are stitching this together and we are bouncing ideas off each other.  The solution for the diamond area kept eluding me.  I tried stitching a Rhodes the same size as the nearby black rectangles in the pale green.  Boring!  A fellow stitcher suggested a black beaded rectangle in the center.  Since I was going to bead the painted rectangles, this turned out to be the perfect answer.

Ark races - second leg

I'm not sure how clearly you can see this, but I have tried two different threads for the same stitch.  One of them will be ripped out....  One side is Trebizond in the perfect colors, but I don't like the loft or the sheen.  One could argue that the roof of the Ark is wet and therefore shiny, but I want a somewhat more rustic finish.  I switched to 2 strands of Soy Luster which I love.  The strands lay perfectly flat, the color works and the roof doesn't overwhelm the windows.

Now back to the Ark race!

Ark races

I'm having so much fun with this canvas because there are so many different pieces to work on--I can't get bored!

For the main deck of the Ark, I've used an overdyed thread and a random width, random length Cashmere stitch.

The snakes are a simple padded satin with the top layer a Gloriana silk floss.

I will admit to obsessing over the turtles.  I started with the idea of beading them in their entirety, but I would like to finish this piece with my sanity (mostly) intact.  I did bead the black lines and then the obsessing began.  I tried a Kreinik #12 for the gold section of the turtle on right, but felt that it was too flat.  I left the basketweave with that thread on the two sides of the turtle.  For the center, I cross-stitched each thread for a higher profile.

For the turtle on the left, I bumped up to a Kreinik #16 and simple basketweave.  The result:  6 of one, 1/2 a dozen of another.  Maybe the next time I have turtles to stitch, I will bead them.  Maybe.  But only if Brenda Hart makes me.

Noah's Ark

At the end of Brenda Hart's whirlwind set of classes, I started Noah's Ark, beginning with the two largest pieces, the main ark itself.  So far, I'm working primarily in silk, using 2 to 4 ply.  For the squares, I'm choosing a stitch for each block color.  I've been  happily scouring Brenda's books for ideas for all of the ark.

I'm still in the honeymoon stage with this big project, with ambitious plans to bead a couple of fun areas.  And I've already decided to have a Plexiglas box built to house the finished Ark.  Alas for my poor brother-in-law's stocking....

Kelly Clark Needlepoint Project

Since finishing the Halloween March pillow, I’ve been fiddling with little projects, trying to find my next big exciting project.

One of the canvases I have stitched lately is the 1st in Kelly Clark’s 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. The baseball playoffs were on, and I needed (mentally) a fairly easy canvas. Kelly’s designs do much of the work, although you can glitz them up like crazy. My few special effects:

The outside border is Petite Very Velvet using a simple cross stitch over 2 X 2. It gives a very cool raised border

The inside border is done in Neon Rays and a very bright green Trebizond using the oblong cross stitch. I love the modern punch of color the green Trebizond adds.

That green is also used on the tips and edges of the tree leaves.
The pears are satin stitched with padding to within an inch of their lives using YLI Shimmer Blend Ribbon.

The partridge is done in random long and short stitch with a combination of Petite Peluche, Fuzzy Stuff and Wisper.

Only 11 more to go!