Four Way 4-Way, Summer

I recently started "finishing" the Four Way 4-way series.  Summer is the last of this group and I'm doing it quite different than the other three, using a Hungarian pattern and reds, salmons & pinks (not my colors!).  Here is Section 1 completed.  Using overdyes in Bargello is great fun and especially with the Hungarian patterns.  The pattern changes quite a bit.  I've found that overdyes are best in Bargello if there is more than one row.  I usually do at least 3 rows of overdye.  This particular one isn't giving me the variation I usually like, but it is kinda pretty anyway!  By the way, the canvas is kind of a pink/salmon color. 

Stars For A New Millenium

Like so many others, I am going to do Tony Minieri's Stars For A New Millenium.  I finally have accumulated most of the threads.  Of course, I changed the colors (I know you're surprised :-) ) and am returning to my old favorites aqua & copper.  I had quite a search to find the "right" shades & threads, but I think I've got it now.  I'm sure I'll be making changes as I go along. 

Next will be to get the eggshell canvas cut & mounted on stretcher bars & to figure out where I want to start!  I'm thinking of starting with the first square rather than the borders, but I have to study it some more now that I have all my threads. 

I don't know when I'll be able to start stitching this, and Jan (Thread Medley) is going to stitch one at the same time, like we did with Mediterranean Tile.  I imagine it'll be a few weeks or a month at least before we can get started on it.  Jan will be using a different color scheme too!

Malachite Maze, Progress #1

I did get a start made on Malachite Maze.  It is soothing to work on!  I started with the center Bargello section which is in floss, Neon Rays & Watercolors.  I would say this section is not quite half done.  I probably won't get to work on it very often, for awhile, but will let you know when I do!

Digits, Progress #3

Digits is coming along.  I worked on it some last weekend while we were travelling as it was the only project I had with me that I could stitch in less than bright light!  The San Diego area was overcast (May Gray, which is just like June Gloom) and darkish the whole time we were there!
I like the way this is turning out, but it does get tedious with so many color changes.

Calico Cat Progress #2

As promised, here is a Progress Report on Calico Cat.  Kitty is all done and I'm pleased with her.  I used Watercolors 219 for the main part of the hat, Neon Rays Plus NP22 for the topknot and brim.  I did a sort of half Waffle for the topknot and I like the way that turned out.  Kreinik #12 braid, #061, plus some silver, completed the trim around the brim.  The mittens are #5 Pearl in 498 with the Kreinik 061 for the trim, stitched in a horizontal knitting stitch.  The scarf is in a weaving stitch in the same #5 Pearl.  I do like her much better in all red!

I have decided to have this finished with an easel back, so have to do some background.  I thought there should be a "floor" under kitty so she isn't just floating in midair!  But I think the bricking looks like a wall so I'll be taking that out.  Maybe a pattern with a slant to it would look flatter?  What do you think?

Catching Up

My goodness, what a busy week and weekend!  I have gotten so far behind, I will just write a bit to play a little catch up.

Last Thursday was such a fun day, meeting Jan (Stitchlady).  We met at the LNS and had a wonderful time choosing colors & threads for Jan's version of Vegas Nights which will be shades of brown and copper.  I am soooo looking forward to watching her progress and seeing how it looks in such a different color scheme from my original design.  You can watch her progress too on her Blog, just click on Stitchlady above. Then we went practically next door to a Greek restaurant for a yummy lunch and conversation.  It was so much fun to meet a Blog Buddy!!

Then DH and I were off to San Diego.  We drove down Thurs. night.  We spent the weekend visiting friends & family and I won't bore you with that.  But I did get to go to Needle Nook of La Jolla and Stitcher's Treasures in Escondido. 

I am accumulating threads for Tony Minieri's Stars For A New Millenium and Needle Nook is Thread Mecca!  It never occurred to me to snap a picture or two with my cell phone, my bad!  I must have spent an hour studying and pulling threads.  I didn't even get to the back room where all the canvases and patterns are.  Next time! 

Stitcher's Treasures is a charming little shop in Escondido (North San Diego County) and the two women working there were very nice and most helpful.  They even special ordered a thread for me right then & there!  I should have it in a day or so!!!  AND there is a lovely little wine bistro nearby where we enjoyed a glass of wine & a terrific chocolate mousse cake.  Mmmmm.

I now have almost all of the thread for Stars and hope to get started on it soon.  Of course you will be kept posted on that!  It will be slow going though as I have a lot of other work to do.

I promise to post some progress photos of my projects later this week!

Calico Cat by Dede Ogden

Some of you may remember last summer when I bought the 3 Dede Ogden kitty canvases.  I stitched one for a friend for Christmas (finishing it in February).
Now I am working on the Calico Cat.  I learned a lot from the first one.  For that one I used too many colors & stitches.
So, Calico Cat will be all Tent stitch in Petite Very Velvet. 
The only decorative stitches will be the wreath, hat and mittens.  I have finished the wreath, in kind of a random Leaf stitch, using a dark green Watercolours.  And I just have the white on kitty to finish.
The hat & mittens will be all in shades of red, not the pinks & lavendars as painted.  I haven't figured out the stitches yet!

Here is kitty today:

(Sorry for the blurry picture!)

Note:  This was supposed to have posted last week.  Apparently Blogger had some problems & I was away for the weekend.  So, here it is now!  I have since made some more progress & will post again soon.

Magnet Minder

For many years, I have been trying to figure out a way to store my many magnets.  As they are indispensible for stitching and I often have several going at once, I have a LOT of magnets!  Of course, they often end up in a pile of magnets which are very hard to separate!  Well, here is my solution:  The Magnet Minder.  The idea hit me a couple of weeks ago and I finally got it made up.  I think I'm liking it!

Here's how to make one, if any of you are interested.
(Sorry about the pix. I couldn't get them to arrange any better.)

Materials List

Fusible Bonding Web
Ribbon – Twice the desired length
Ring big enough for ribbon to go through without wrinkling

My ribbon is grosgrain, 1-1/2” wide, about 50” long

Ring is 3” diameter

Directions

Fold the ribbon in half & turn under the ends.  Press.

Run the ribbon through the ring, match up the ends. Pin together at the top just below the ring.
Cut fusible web to fit between the two pieces of ribbon, from the pin to the bottom. Fuse the pieces together, following manufacturers directions.

I added a couple of decorative buttons just because I saw them in the store & thought they were cool!

Hang on the wall and place magnets, one in back, one in front! 

Please do not hang your Magnet Minder over your computer!  Best to put it across the room.

You probably do not want to hang the Magnet Minder while the cat is watching or she’ll be playing with it from then on!

Malachite Maze by Laura Perin

This past weekend I decided I needed another project (smile).  Something that does not require a lot of thinking on my part!  So I pulled this one, Malachite Maze by Laura Perin.  The pattern was given to me as a gift a couple of years ago & I had already cut the canvas (aquamarine 18-count) and pulled all the threads.  I only changed the colors a little bit, going more towards the aquas instead of quite so green.  My overdyes are Evergreen & South Pacific although the pic isn't very good.  The scanner just doesn't do a great job on things as 3-D as threads!  I expect this  project to go quickly, unless, of course, I get seriously sidetracked!

Digits Progress #2

I have been trying to work on Digits at least a couple times a week.  It gets tedious, changing colors all the time and trying to keep my tension loose enough!  But it is coming along, it is almost half finished now. 

ANG Stitch of the Month

A couple of days ago, I received an inquiry about ANG's Stitch of the Month.  My emails to the sender have all bounced, so I am going to post an answer here and hope she sees it!

Every year, ANG does a Stitch of the Month project.  They are often “mystery” projects, in that you don‘t know what the finished piece is going to look like till the end!  If you go to the ANG website and click on “Educational Opportunities”, there will be a drop down menu.  Click on “Stitch of the Month”.  You will find years’ worth there!  This year’s started in January & so is just about half done.  I think if you click on December for any given year, you will see the finished piece.  It looks to me like only the last few years have been mystery projects.

Have fun!

SOTM 2011, May

ANGs stitch of the month for May is the Chilly Hollow stitch, worked in 2 colors.  It works up quite quickly once you get the rhythm going.  I used Wildflowers 173 and Pebbly Pearl P65.

Digits Fractal by Kerry Mitchell

As some of you know, I absolutely love fractals.  And I am particularly fond of those designed by Kerry Mitchell.  I have adapted several of his designs to needlepoint, one of which, "Sunset", won a ribbon at the Tucson ANG Seminar several years ago.  The picture on the left is Kerry's design, the picture on the right is my needlepoint version.

 About Christmastime 2010, I adapted another of Kerry's fractals. 
It is called Digits (shown on the left) and I am making it into a Kindle cover.  I got the prefinished Kindle cover and have a good start on it.  I am using DMC floss and a bit of #12 Kreinik braid here & there.  It is mostly tent stitches and I reverse direction frequently to try to keep it straight.  I occasionally throw in some Scotch, Cashmere or Mosaic stitches, just to keep from getting too boring!  The prefinished cover is 14-count and interlock canvas.  I'm not fond of that, but oh well.  It requires all 6 strands of floss, and a pretty loose tension to cover well. 
Here is my progress so far: