Lighthouse is Framed

I had company all weekend and didn't get much stitching done. However, I did pick up the Lighthouse from the frame shop. I'm not totally thrilled with the mats, but it will have to do. I think the blue mat is wrong and something else would have been better. But it is finished and I will give it to my husband in a few days for our anniversary. I think he will be pleased that I actually finished it!

New Designs on Website

Just a quick note to let you all know that I have finally added two new designs for sale on my website, www.lizartneedlepoint.com.

12 Days of Christmas is a 4-way Bargello which uses an unusual pattern.
4-way Butterflies combines needlepoint and Bargello.
Please take a look. Both are listed at the bottom of the Bargello page.

Mediterranean Tile by Ro Pace

My next "just for fun" project is Mediterranean Tile by Ro Pace. I got a good start on it over the weekend. I have seen Ro Pace's original piece and it is gorgeous!

Of course I have changed the colors. Mine will be in, guess what? Shades of aqua & brown! (I know how surprised you are LOL.) I have all the threads except the rayon floss which I will pick up sometime this next week. The really fun part of this project will be that Jan Fitzpatrick of Thread Medley will be doing it at the same time. Watch us both and see these gorgeous pieces develop! Here is my progress so far:

Zellig Tile is Finished!

Wow, that didn't take long at all! Zellig Tile, designed by Jan Fitzpatrick, is finished! I decided to use a modified Waffle Stitch for the center which I think turned out quite well. I really like the subtlety of the Watercolours for the border & background. The background is Sandstone, which is my most favorite Watercolours for backgrounds. It has a hint of tan and gray with the off-white main color and I just love the way it works up. I do have to block this piece though before I can do anything with it. All that Mosaic stitch distorts. I had it on a frame, but not fastened down good enough. Bad on me!

The Group

Here they are. The new pictures are hung along with the one that was already there. Left to right: Keiko by Jim Wurth, Mystery in a Corner by Gay Ann Rogers, Suzy Q by Ro Pace. They are all in similar colors and go well together. And they all go well with my bedspread and 2 cats, see below.

Zellig Tile Progress

I've made quite a bit of progress on the Zellig Tile. All of the framework is complete now and the center is almost done. I'm now working on the little windowpane sections, which are pretty but slow going. I took out the very center stitch I had done initially because it didn't cover quite as well as I'd like. I will redo that probably with one more strand of Splendor and maybe change the shape a tad to achieve the total coverage that I want.

Suzy Q and Keiko, Framed

Suzy Q (below on the right) & Keiko are now framed and waiting to be hung over the bed. I would have gotten that done, but the wire is in the wrong place on one & I can't unscrew the screw to fix it! Have to wait till DH can do it! Anyway, they turned out pretty nice. We decided to just leave some canvas showing around Suzy Q instead of a mat and used just a simple metal frame. Keiko looks nice with the dark green mat and the frame has a bit of texture. Once they are hung, I'll try to get a pic of the grouping.

Lighthouse is Finished

The Lighthouse is finished! I finished it last night. I was so happy when I put in that final stitch. This piece has been years in the stitching. I didn't work on it for a long time and vowed to finish it this summer. Happy Dance! I think it turned out pretty well for a kit, thanks to changing out most of the thread and adding textured stitches!

Stitch of the Month 2010, August

The August section of ANG's Stitch of the Month is complete. I did it in 2-3 hours last night while watching TV. It is just a simple eyelet, so wasn't hard, just took some time! It only used 2 strands of Splendor, so is pretty light coverage, I think I should have used 3. I have September's instructions too, so will try to get that done sometime this month.

Zellig Tile by Jan Fitzpatrick

I have started another "just for fun" piece, now that the Keiko piece is finished. This one is by Jan Fitzpatrick who you know for her stunning rugs. Follow the link and you can purchase her designs through her website. She does these wonderful little tile projects as well as the great rugs. Of course I have changed the colors! Big surprise, huh?

Vegas Nights, Progress #2

Vegas Nights is progressing slowly. I completed the border and the first few rows. I am having thread selection issues! I don't want the whole thing to be shiny, but I want it to be "Vegas" and so don't want too much Silk & Ivory either. This weekend I bought some more Neon Rays and Ribbon and will figure it out this week!

Keiko by Jim Wurth, Finished

Keiko is Finished! Sorry the scan isn't too good, the beads hold it up off the glass & it comes out a little blurry. This is still not my favorite piece, but it looks better than it did. I still think it is too busy. If I were to do it again, I'd use fewer colors, maybe just one, and either make the beads more muted or replace them with Smyrnas. I will have it framed & it will hang in my Master Bedroom as the colors fit there.

Lighthouse Progress #2

I have been working on the Lighthouse some, although not every Sunday as planned! Anyway, here is the progress to date. I finished all the flowers (French Knots), the fence, the rocks, and the path is complete across the bottom. Next I'll do all the green (grass), then the water and I work on the sky as I go along. There's some backstitching to be done too.