Solar Flare, #4 Progress Report

Finally, the center of Solar Flare is finished. Working with all that ecru thread was hard on the ecru glitter canvas. It should be very pleasant to work with darker thread now!

It warmed up to nearly 50 today here in Reno! Very pleasant.

NEEDLEPOINT NOW

Merry Christmas!

I got great news in the mail the other day: My advance copies of the Jan/Feb issue of Needlepoint Now.

I am proud to announce that my series of Bargello classes begins with this issue. Your Local Needlework Shops should be getting this issue soon, and then of course those of you who subscribe will get yours! This first issue is an introduction to Bargello and then the next several issues will have lessons in 4-way Bargello and other fun techniques.

Happy Stitching New Year to us all!

Boink comments

I am in Reno now and it is very cold, but not snowy yet. Snow is forecast for tonight.

Boink comments:
Yes, I think the little square looks like owls too, which is part of the reason I don't like it!

The canvas I used is just 18-count eggshell, but I painted it brown, using watered down paint and a sea sponge so the color has kind of an overdyed look. I will post the threads when I return to Vegas after the holidays. I didn't bring that project with me.

Boink Square 3

Yesterday I completed the 3rd square on my Boink piece. I am pleased with the resut. At first I thought I'd be able to use Square 1 to set my color key, but once I started Square 3 I realized that wasn't going to work. There would have been way too much metallic. So, using the color palette I have selected, I'll have to arrange the colors as required by each square. I will set up a spreadsheet to keep track!

I also have decided I don't like the 2nd square, the little one, and will take it out and redo it. I used all overdyed thread for it and there is just no definition.

Solar Flare, #3 Progress Report

I have completed one quadrant of Solar Flare and the 4 center cells. Now I can work from the center out which should go much faster.

Wed. we are going up to Reno for 2 weeks for the holidays. I will take Solar Flare with me to work on. I have found a tote bag that is tall enough to fasten when it contains a piece on a frame! Much easier travelling!

Solar Flare - 2nd Progress Report

Yesterday and today I got quite a lot done on Solar Flare. It is going faster as I get the hang of it.

Boink Square Two

Last night I got my Boink out and finished Square Two. It is all in one color of overdyed floss, although I did manipulate it some. Now I will work on getting more of the border outlines done as I do not plan to stitch the rest of the squares in order.

I'm also working some everyday on Ro Pace's pilot class piece, I'll post a pic when I complete a section.

Today a friend and I went to the LNS and I purchased some threads and the two (!) Mirabilia charts, Maidens of the Seasons. I may never get the time to stitch them, but they're really pretty!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday, with my sister-in-law & brother-in-law and their two Australian Shepherds. We did fun things and had lots of good food! One of the fun things we did was to go see the Cirque d'Soleil show, "Ka". It was magnificent, awesome, etc., etc. I hope everyone had as nice a holiday weekend as we did!

At last, I have completed my "secret" needlepoint. I will post pictures after the intended recipient has opened her gift!

Now I can get to work on all the projects that have been on hold, including Ro Pace's pilot class piece, and the Boink project, among lots of other things! I will get some pictures posted as soon as I make noticeable progress on something!

Take the Quiz here!

RO PACE's Pilot Class

This past weekend I participated in a pilot class with nationally known teacher, Ro Pace. We worked on "Memories of" which is a new class that she will be teaching next year at ANG Seminar in Milwaukee. I definitely recommend this class for anyone who is going to that seminar!

The class is definitely advanced, no tent stitches in sight! There are four color ways and I chose Solar Flare. There are lots of Hilton stitches. The design is based on Tessellations so it is composed of repeating units, but depending on the color way, each unit can appear very differently.

Here's my progress so far.

FINALLY!!

Finally, time to post!

I did start on a kangaroo cross stitch on our trip to Reno. This is a DMC kit that I bought on one of our trips to Australia. I didn't get a lot done, but it's a start! I plan to do the flowers in metallics, but I'm not sure about the greenery.

Updated Header

Today I added a picture to my header. It is the view from our Reno house and a little bit of the front yard. It's part of why we love this place!

NO PROGRESS!

Well, here it is Oct. 22 already and I haven't done an update. That is because I haven't worked on my BOINK since I posted the last picture. I probably won't work on it for awhile!

I am working on a "secret" piece for my girl friend for Xmas. I can't talk about it cause she'll see it here! I am not working on anything else. Well, this weekend I will as we are headed to Reno for a long weekend and my secret project won't fit in my suitcase!

I think I'll kit up a cross stitch project to take with me. I have a whole lot of patterns I got in Australia. My husband had to be in Sydney many times for work, and I went along 3 times! I have stitched a map of AU already so I'll post that! It was a killer to stitch: linen with lots & lots of partial stitches! And cross stitch isn't my first love. I'm really a needlepointer. So that is why there is a pic of Australia at the beginning of this post!

BOINK SQUARE ONE

I went to a retreat yesterday and got a good start on Square One. I finished it this afternoon and really like it. It is hard to tell from the picture, but some of the aqua is FyreWerks SoftSheen & looks really cool.

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

BOINK CORNER KNOT

I also wanted to add a Boink note: Here is the chart for my corner knot, in case anyone else would like to use it.

LOG CABIN SAMPLER

I am also working on Ro Pace's Log Cabin Sampler, which is an ANG Cyber Workshop. I am ahead of schedule as I wanted to finish the first part before traveling to our "winter" home. So this piece is "resting" until the class starts the frame part, at which time I will take it up again.

I changed all the colors and threads, which was quite a challenge! I am pleased with the results. The next step is the frame which I think will go quickly. I just hope the "finishing" will not be too hard!

BOINK

This is a brand new Blog and I am a brand new Blogger! To begin with I will be documenting my progress, and sometimes lack thereof, of my latest needlepoint project: Book of Ink Circles. I should mention that this design is a cross stitch design, but I am doing it in needlepoint. You can see it at www.inkcircles.com.

I began last week when I painted the canvas using a variation of a technique published by Gay Ann Rogers. I used a sea sponge and acrylic paints.

First I marked the perimeter of the design area, and the center, on the canvas with a Sharpee fine point marker. Then I fastened my canvas to stretcher bars, nice & tight. I put the "right side" on top as I didn't want to risk getting paint on my stretcher bars. This way I only need to paint the area I will be stitching. I mixed my paint to just a little darker than the desired color. I added water till it was about the consistency of thin syrup or cream, maybe a little thinner. Then I wet and wrung out my sponge (a small one I got at Aaron Bros. for about $5). I gingerly dipped the sponge in the paint and *wiped* it across the canvas (if you daub, you may just get spots) and generally smeared it around. If you get a thick spot or a too dark spot, just wipe it with the clean side of the sponge and it'll clear it right up. It is easy to do swirls, almost solid, corners, whatever. I found that, as a non-painter, the small sponge is much easier to control than a brush.

I am thrilled with the results! It is exactly what I wanted and so easy! There are no ripples in the canvas - I think putting it on the frame first is the key! Of course, my paint wasn't real watery either, so that might make a difference too. If you decide to try it, be sure to experiment first on scrap canvas so you can find out what the right consistency is for the paint and check the color. I will always do this, every time I paint a canvas. And I'm sure I'll do this again!!!!

Next I decided I didn't like the Cat design at the corners of the pattern, so I worked up a knot pattern that would coordinate with the ones at the centers of each side.

Finally, time to start stitching. I have completed part of one side and am pleased with the results: