Wednesday, October 28, 2009

CHRISTMAS REINDEER


Here is the second design I am offering for sale.
Christmas Reindeer is a Beginner level counted design suitable for needlepoint or cross stitch. The pattern includes complete instructions and full-color charts as well as a chart with symbols.
The finished project on 18-count canvas, with an inch of background added all around, is 7" x 8-3/4". The stitch count for the design area is 91w x 123h.
This pattern is available as a .pdf download or printed & mailed. Please email me for pricing and ordering information at lizboatay@hotmail.com

White Orchid Progress #2


I finished the White Orchid last night. So far this piece is coming along nicely. I didn't have to rip anymore! Now on to the bargello background. I hope to get that started tonight. I have not yet settled on the background colors. I have two families of Silk & Ivory that I have to choose from. One is pinker than the other.

I think it is interesting that every time I do a scan of this piece, the colors are different. Next time I'll have to go to the camera as it will become too large for the scanner. I wonder if it will be yet another color! The canvas is actually Eggshell, not blue or pink. The sort of center of the flower is a medium purple shade, not pink.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Happy Halloween


She's gonna get you!
I couldn't resist sharing this Halloween Kitty pic with you!
For once, I don't want the Red Eye out!

Friday, October 23, 2009

White Orchid Progress


I have made progress on the White Orchid. I did have to rip out the Kreinik & orchid colored floss as I had them backwards! But I got that fixed and got quite a bit more done.

The White Orchid is the 2nd in a series of three. The first, Vanilla Orchid, you can see by searching this blog on "Vanilla Orchid". The next one will be a "black" orchid. All 3 have a Bargello background. They are all the same, except for the colors. Once all 3 color ways are finished, I will be offering this design for sale. I had hoped to have it ready by the end of the year, but it may be a few months longer!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

White Orchid


This past Sunday was the annual Stitcher's Retreat here in Las Vegas. I went last year for the first time, so was an "old hand" this year. It is just a fun day. About 30-40 stitchers having a lovely day stitching, chatting, lunching, show & tell, door prizes. All in all, a terrific time.

I started on my next Orchid, the white one, to work on at Retreat. The shading is quite subtle and won't show up too well till the background goes in so there will be some contrast. The canvas is Eggshell. I had planned to use a light pink canvas, but I didn't have a big enough piece. It is coming along well and goes fairly quickly considering it is all Basketweave.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Double Up Progress Report #5


I've started working on Double Up again, inspired by the progress of Stitchlady. She is waaaaaay ahead of me! Anyway, I have completed the center square and did several of the Jessicas in the outer triangle. I did 4 and there are 14 to go. Yikes!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Spring, Four Way 4-way, Finished


Yea! The Four Way 4-way, Spring, is finished. The very center of the piece is worked in the overdye and the stitch is "Not a Walneto" stitch. The Walneto stitch count fit the area, but I did it without the overs & unders, so it looks nothing like a Walneto! then I decided that I didn't want anything fancy in the centers of the quarters so just filled in with the bright turquoise. One more Four Way 4-way to do.

Friday, October 16, 2009

New Stuff


Yesterday I went to my LNS. Although I was not looking for patterns, I found this darling Charley Harper pattern. It just jumped right into my arms! I love Charley Harper's designs and had not seen this one before. It would be really fun to stitch with a variety of threads & stitches.

What I really went shopping for was materials for my next Bargello - Twelve Days of Christmas. The canvas is a really dark green, which didn't photograph well laying on a white table! I won't use all of these threads, but I couldn't decide on the darkest green so I got several different things to try.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Exploding Diamonds Finished


Hurray! It's finished! I just put the last stitch in about 10 minutes ago. Now I'll have to figure out how I want it framed. I'm thinking of multiple mats with little cut outs to mimic the pattern. In the meantime, back to Bargello....

Monday, October 12, 2009

Exploding Diamonds, Progress #4


I got tired of working on the bargello piece all the time, so dug out Exploding Diamonds for a day or two. Made good progress, just need to finish the rest of the border!

Jan asked "How did you come up with it? What inspired it?"
I'll try to answer. It all started with a picture of a 1920s evening bag that I found. First I made a design of concentric diamonds, but while it was nice, it didn't make me want to stitch it. Then I took the center small diamond and tried putting a bunch of them together, elongating some and separating them. A nice design, but still not quite "it". Finally I repeated the small diamond nine times, added border stitches, then thought it would be fun if some of the elements of each diamond were separated & "getting away", so I moved a square here & there into the spaces between the diamonds. Eventually it turned into Exploding Diamonds, which is almost finished!

I don't know if that answers your questions, Jan, but it is the best I can do!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sweet Pea in her Las Vegas Home


I don't have any stitching to show you today, although I have done some it just isn't enough progress to mention. So I'm showing you Sweet Pea in her new Las Vegas home. She is settling in really well. Today she discovered a "decorative pot" that proabably has a dead bug in it. Must investigate! Cats are such fun!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Four Way 4-way Bargello "Spring" Progress #3


Thanks to all of you for your anniversary wishes. It was a busy day!

Back to work on the Spring Bargello. I decided to do one row all around in the bright turquoise, and then started filling in the "diamonds" between the 4 sections. I only completed one, but I think you get the idea! I think I will fill in the outer edges all in the turquoise. Then will be the fun of figuring out what to do for the centers.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog. What a fast year! I can't believe it has been that long already. I do so enjoy being a Blogger and I am very thankful for the wonderful Blog Buddies I now have.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, today begins the start of e-commerce for me. I am selling my designs! Just one to start, but more will follow, at least one per month, sometimes more often.

This first design is Bargello Sampler. It is a beginning Bargello piece, no miters, basic patterns, but there is compensation. The pattern includes complete instructions and full-color charts. The finished project on 18-count canvas is 10-7.8" x 8-1/8". It is available as a .pdf download or printed & mailed. Please email me for pricing and ordering information.
lizboatay@hotmail.com

I don't know if it'll be up by the time you read this, but I will be adding a slide show and text about the patterns that are for sale.

Thanks to all of you for making my blog a success!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Barbara's Ravine


Barbara's Ravine was inspired by a photo my sister-in-law took of wildflowers in a ravine near her home. This was so much fun to stitch! I drew out the main areas from the photo and then filled in with a variety of bargello stitches. I don't remember what thread I used for this, but it is all wool. The pattern was in Needlepoint Now, March/April 2008.


Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of this Blog! Be sure to check back tomorrow to see what I have for you!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Four Way 4-way Bargello, "Spring" Progress #2


Last night I finished up the overdyes and the Silk & Ivory. Now for the fun part! I will start filling in between the 4 motifs. I haven't decided yet on the color arrangement for that part. Stay tuned!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

DeGrazia's Merry Little Rider


This is such a cute piece, I thought you'd enjoy seeing it. I stitched this a year or two ago for my sister-in-law. It was from a cross stitch chart, but I did it in needlepoint (natch!). The canvas is an 18-count overdye, kind of marbled. I used a variety of stitches and threads. The most fun was the mane & tail which are in a Watercolors overdye and I stitched them in sort of a cross between Long & Short and an Encroaching Gobelin. I love the way it turned out. I added some real feathers and tassels to finish it off.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

SOTM Section 9


October's Stitch of the Month is finished. Not too much more and this piece will be complete. This month's stitch is quite pretty and easy enough to do. Four layers, but goes quickly.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Four Way 4-way Bargello "Spring"


Back to work! I have been working on another Four Way 4-way. I'm calling this one "Spring". It doesn't show very well in the photo, but the "outline" of each section is a Fyre Werks Soft Sheen, kind of a pale lime green. I almost finished the overdye rows last night.
This month's SOTM is out, so I'll work on that tonight.