Monday, March 31, 2014

Sporadic posting begins again

Home projects are in full swing now so posting may become sporadic.  Below are my mini and midi stockings.  





Saturday, March 29, 2014

I love cats

New from Painted Pony
My dear sweet neighbor gave me a very generous gift certificate to The Needle Works for taking care of her cat for a few weekends.  Needless to say, all the Swans want to babysit Josie the Kitty.  This is my first treat.  Hearts afire!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

The Painted Pony Wing Stitch

Painted Pony Angel Wing
This is one of my favs to use here.  Do a long stitch between the dots with a ribbon type thread.  Here I used Petite Sparkly Rays.  In the middle of each diamond stitch a double upright cross with a smaller weight thread.  Here I used size 8 Kreinik.  The next step will be beads on the green dots.

Good stitch

Medallion stitch
I love this stitch.  The diagonal stitches are done in stranded silk.  The upright crosses and regular cross stitches are done in Neon Rays.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

More help from Amy

Kelly Clark's Creche with guide by Amy Bunger
For those of you stitching this piece, you may get my frustration.  I could not figure out how that magnificent straw roof on the stable worked.  Here is the first step.  You do get this messy looking padding.  This is my second time going over it with a satin stitch composed of four strands of floss.  Helpful hint from Amy:  For the first layer of satin stitching, work from the center out to the left, come back and work from the center out to the right.  The other layers should be from left to right completely.


Here's where the roof goes
Overview

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Too long without a post

I had a marvelous time in Memphis.  I always do.   Elizabeth and I met at the airport in Atlanta and went from there.  Rent car was no problem and since the hotel was empty, we both got upgraded rooms.  My people here should be glad I came back.

View from my bed

View from my kitchen

Melissa Shirley's Pink and Green Acorn

We did some bedazzling at Amy's suggestion.  These little crystals were ironed on to cover the little pink squares on the round.  Ready for the finishers.

The equipment


If you don't have a little iron like Amy, she recommends gluing them on with this glue which has a precision tip.  I brought some home with me.

Valentine's Heart from Heartstrings

Swedish Christmas from Shelly Tribbey
And, of course, a little stash enhancement.  More tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

One more thing before I go...



I got another pear from the club at The French Knot.  A cutie!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Blog Break/Melissa Shirley's Cream Farmhouse

There will be a blog break this week.  I have to get ready to go to Memphis!  Woohoo!  Yes, I am going to see the one and only Amy Bunger.  In the meantime you will be seeing some oldies but goodies.  More when I get back.



Add caption





Melissa Shirley's Cream Farmhouse with guide by Amy Bunger



Saturday, March 15, 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014

A new beginning


New stitch I tried 

A morning's worth of stitching

Thursday, March 13, 2014

We interrupt the AT green heart for a major post

I wouldn't show this to y'all if Painted Pony Designs had not started selling Petei Designs.  You would have died from wanting this incredible nativity set.  One of my fellow swans did all 16 pieces!  And finished them herself.  

Angel

Animals

Holy Family with sheep in the background

Wisemen

One of three camels
Incredible, isn't it?

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

She's almost got it

 I finished the floral stitch.  Fantastic stitch.  I stitched the blue and red line to the right in Triple Cross.

Far left
I started the far left section.  The stitch is an eyelet variation which I found scribbled on a piece of paper.  A bead goes in the center but I'm not sure.  Hmmm...

Monday, March 10, 2014

Green Heart from Associated Talents

Overview

Better than yesterday's pics
I like these pieces with little sections.  You get a great sense of accomplishment in a short period of time.  This is the Floral Stitch from Ruth Schmuff's Volume One of Stitches.  I think it is so cute.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

A little weekend stitching

AT Green Heart
 This may be my new favorite stitch.    It's from The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Canvas Embroidery, Volume 2, p.33.

Add caption

Finished except for the doodads

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Melissa Shirley Pink and Green Acorn

Background is finished
Three stands of floss in the four way continental over one.  Fix my booboos, stem and dots should do it.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Guide for my Texas Painted Pony Angel

My stitch choices were inspired by Carolyn Baird at Chaparral in Houston, Texas. 

 

T-stitching
 I stitched the sleeves and the body of the dress outside the diamond are in the T-stitch using one strand of Impressions.
Overview

Face
 I basketwove(?) her face using floss to match the colors with a cross stitch for the lips.
Star
 I stitched the Lone Star using the Howland star diagram courtesy of The Needle Works in Austin, TX. I used white Flair.
Collar
I used white Neon Rays to satin stitch the collar.

Hair
 I used four strands of floss or silk to satin stitch her hair
Bluebonnet
 I stitched little French Knots using matching thread.  I did little Cross Stitches for the greenery.

Boot on the right
I satin stitched the boot in opposing angles with Neon Rays at the front and Metallic Ribbon Floss on the back.  Tent stitch down the middle.   Tent the sole and heel in black floss or silk.



Wings outline
 I outlined the wings in metallic gold ribbon following opposite directions on each side.
Heart
 Small Rhodes Heart in Neon Rays.

Body of dress
 I think this is a made up stitch by me.  It's a form of reverse scotch with long crosses between the black dots.  I used one strand of Impressions.



Black dots

 
I attached black beads over the black dots.

Wings
 The wings on the right are done in the Woven stitch using three to four strands of silk or floss to match the colors.  The background of the left wing is done in Serendipity with blue silk.  Probably four strands.
Hat
 The hat is stitched using Petite Very Velvet in the Parisian stitch for the top and long stitches to cover the brim.  The band is stitched in upright satin stitches following the paint.  I went over it twice to create volume.  I stitched the medallion of her necktie with metallic ribbon floss in a double cross stitch.  The strands are tent stitched with black floss or silk.  It's not shown here but the silver beads at the bottom were stitched in a small French Knot with silver metallic ribbon floss.



Texas State shape and silver star
 I used the basketweave stitch on the state shape using four strands of silk to match.  I did the star in a free form stitch using metallic ribbon floss.  Also I did basketweave on the scalloped hem using a size 8 Kreinik to match the metallic ribbon floss.



Halo around the hat
 In order to make it easier for the finisher, I created a halo around her hat.  I used a vanishing pen to draw it and stitched the area in T-stitch using a size 8 Kreinik.   At this point I changed her collar to alternating continental.

Yellow Rose, the Alamo and the Armadillo
The yellow rose was stitched in a Woven Spider using DMC Perle cotton for the spokes and Yellow silk ribbon for the flower.  I used green floss to tent stitch the stem and Lazy Daisies for the petals.  The Alamo and the Armadillo were tent stitched with floss to match the paint.  Also you can see here how the vanishing pen marks vanished!