Diamond Within A Square

Registration begins tomorrow for the Mad Miters workshop I am teaching for Cyperpointers.  Go here to see details.

I decided to work up another Mad Miters model.  This one will demonstrate a somewhat different approach.  I will post occasionally about this during the registration period.

So far, I got all the basting in which doesn't show up too well.  The canvas I'm using is a color called Perfect Pine.  I've had this awhile & decided to use it.  I don't like it, it is apparently hand tinted and has lost most of its sizing.  It was a real treat getting it on the stretcher bars!  I hope it will hold up through the stitching process!

I am using a unit pattern this time and working the outlines in the background first with Watercolours #140 Blackwatch.

Fractal Progress #4

I've made quite a bit of progress on the Fractal since the last time I posted!  Last night I completed another block of 10 rows all the way across.  It takes me 2 or 3 stitching sessions to do one of those blocks. 
I'm really pleased with the way this is turning out.  There are specks of metallic throughout, but they don't show up much in the photo.

Baroque Progress #4

Oopsl!  Not quite ready for the corner squares.  First I had to complete the diamond, adding the border around the last section.  First a row of Jessicas, then more stripes & aren't they pretty?!
Got a better photo this time, I remembered to put black behind it!

Mad Miters

One of my pilot stitchers, Evelyn Breed, has completed her first Mad Miters.  I think it turned out really pretty!  I especially like the way she used the metallics.  Great job, Evie, thank you!

Registration for this class through Cyberpointers opens April 1st.  You too can go Mad with Miters!

Baroque Progress #3

Another section of Baroque completed.  This one went fairly quickly.  The Rhodes stitches in Flair were a little heavy & I had to resort to a larger needle.  It looks nice though & the stripes are lovely.

Next up are the 4 corners.

From Molehill to Mountain

Yes, I am doing From Molehill to Mountain (FMTM) by Pamela Gardner, through Scarlet Thread.  I am using pretty much the same colors I did for Stars For a New Millenium, except I am not using the off-whites and have chosen kind of a khaki color for my accent color.
The first block has taken me forever.  First I had about half ot the basting done & discovered I had it turned the wrong way.  Out came the basting & back in. Once I started the block, I was goin' good & discovered I was one thread off from the basted square.  Well, I just ripped out that basting thread again, only this time I didn't put it back in!  I'll just count from one square to the next.

This is my first block.  I followed most of Pam's suggestions for the color placement, except:  I used the dark brown instead of the teal for the outlining on the pinwheel.  And the "color" in the 8 small squares was supposed to be my darkest accent color.  Well, my darkest khaki was too light, it was about the same "value" as the brown.  Not a good look!  Since there isn't a darker khaki in that family, I ended up using a Fyre Werks Soft Sheen.  It doesn't seem to be much darker than the floss, but it appears darker when stitched!  Finally, I'm happy with it.

Baroque Progress #2

Here is the center diamond of Baroque finished.  This is not a difficult piece, but it does require paying attention!  The picture is too light, but clear.  I need to remember to put something dark behind this for pictures, instead of the white wall. 

I even got the beads on.  After dumping the entire box!  Some went in my lap & those were pretty easy to capture.  But even with the help of DH, I think there are still a lot of beads rattling around in my recliner!

And yeserday DH discovered our cat, KC, playing with a needle!  No matter how hard I try, those vagabond needles do get away sometimes.

Fiber Cord

Sorry I haven't posted lately.  I have been busy though.
I have a gizmo called the Diva Fiber Cord Maker and I have been making a cord to go on a pillow.  I used some of the threads that I used for the needlepoint.  It works quite well, although it gets boring when you need enough to go around a pillow!  Hopefully, within a few weeks I'll have the pillow ready to show you.  (No, I'm not making it myself!)

I have also been stitching on a couple of projects I'll show you soon and one that is a gift for someone who looks at my blog, so I can't show you for a long time (a Christmas gift).

Menagerie, Blocks 3 & 4

Earlier this week I completed Blocks 3 & 4 of Menagerie.  This is Block 3, Eyelets.  I had fun with this one.  I did not want it to be right at the top or bottom, so I located it kind of in the middle on one side (see Whole Thing photo below).  I used the Wildflowers overdye (#001) and Splendor #S961. 

I worked the Algerian Eye border first and experimented with the sequence of stitching.  I found that the one that seemed smoothest to me was where I worked the 4 straight stitches first, and then the 4 slanted stitches

Next I worked the Round Eyelet, increasing the size a little.

Finally I worked the "irregular" eyelets.  I like the look of the overdye on these.    There are 2 almost regular rectangles.  When stitching the irregular ones, I found it best to skip a few holes to prevent it from being too heavy.

Next up, Block 4, Tied/Crossed Stitches.  I am amazed at how much you can pack into a 24x24 thread square!
First I did the corners in a Sprat's Head, using Splendor #S945.  The instructions had this stitch with the long side at the bottom.  Since I wanted a "corner", I went to the internet and found ANG's version which was just right, although mine is smaller.  The Splendor gives it a lovely sheen.
Next I decided to use a Rice stitch in one quadrant and a Double Leviathan in the opposite quadrant.  For these I used the Wildflowers #001 & tied them with #8 Kreinik #013.
For the center I used a Tied Windmill with the same threads.  I wanted to use a couple of the "spot" stitches for the other 2 quadrants & settled on the Squared Herringbone and the Herringbone Leaf, neither of which I had done before.  For these I used Splendor #S926 with just a touch of the Kreinik.  Finally I kinda filled in the "empty" areas with Smyrna Crosses in the Wildflowers. 

Here is what the whole thing looks like now:

And I am caught up with another project!

2012 SOTM March

The March SOTM is out and I jumped right on it and got it stitched up.  This is a composite pattern by Joyce Lukomski.  It stitched up quite quickly using the overdyed floss and Kreinik #8 braid.  I opted to use the #12 braid for the straight horizontal stitches.  The heart shape sure does create some interesting compensation!

Here is a detail of the March section.

Christmas Door Hangers

I have been doing some sewing lately.  These 3 little door hangers are my efforts to save money & make my own!  The cross stitched pieces had been laying around for several years.  The hangers turned out pretty well.  I did one more, but gave it away & forgot to take a picture of it.  Once I got the process down, each one takes about 2-3 hours to make up.  I am not a fast sewer!

Atlantis Rising, FINISHED

Here you go:  Atlantis Rising all finished!  I know a lot of you are drooling over the photos in the Seminar Brochure, and you will notice that my AR is slightly different than Ro's.  Ro kindly allows her pilot stitchers to personalize their projects.  I opted for adding a 3rd diamond at the top of the Bargello and used large diamond shaped turquoise beads I found at Michaels.  I think they work well.  My colors are very close to Ro's, but slightly different, and I think we used metallics in different places.  I also added bugle beads to fill the Jessicas in the outer border.

This is a spectacular piece and a class you will enjoy!

Baroque by Jean Hilton

Another new project that I've started is Baroque by Jean Hilton.  I have changed the colors somewhat.  Jean's was on dark green canvas & I am using dark blue (I didn't have enough of the green!).  I am using rusts & blues with copper accents.  I have completed all of the outlining and the center star.

This is a fun project and, so far, pretty mindless!  Just what I need sometimes :-)