COVID-19

This is the weirdest thing I've ever stitched.  It will be my COVID-19 piece. I actually started it before all this began. I wanted to combine several of the abstract coaster designs by Cresus into one and wasn't having any luck. I just couldn't make anything work. So I just kept stitching. Connecting lines, curvy mostly, my favorite colors of course. Tried out DMCs new grays. It became vaguely humanoid. It's not very big. On 18-count about 3-4". Anyway, I don't know what it is, but it's finished. I doubt if I'll do anything with it. No, I don't know why the red triangles are there or why they are positioned that way.

Geode Bargello

I tried to make a Bargello geode. It may have gotten away from me a bit. Ya think?  Not quite my usual tidy Bargello is it?  Well it is done and will go into a Sudberry House tray. Here it is pre-finishing:  if the recipient doesn't like it I will make another, more traditional Bargello for her.                                          Here it is in the tray

Sorry about this messy post. Blog does NOT like it when I post from my iPad!

Anniversary key rack

During these crazy times, I have been stitching to save what sanity I have left!  This is a key rack - there's a row of holes across the bottom for the hooks. The plaid is derived from the anniversary of the recipient. It was a satisfying stitch.
I know it's a little crooked, but it's good enough!
All pearl cotton.  (How have I acquired so much pearl cotton?!?)

I have another finished piece that I hope to get finalized in the next few days.

Pansy Elephant by Dede Ogden

This beautiful Pansy Elephant designed by Dede Ogden began her life in 1981.  She was introduced to me in a workshop with Dede in San Diego.  I don't remember if it was a seminar or an EGA workshop (there was no ANG chapter yet there). I also don't remember if it was painted or line drawn. Definitely not counted.

She was moved many times, in various states of unfinished-ness, finally ending up in Reno.  Sometime in the early 2000's I finished stitching the Elephant but didn't know what I wanted for a background. Back in the drawer she went.

2008 I was again inspired and decided she should have an oriental Rug behind her. I adapted a design from a book Needlepoint Designs from Oriental Rugs by Goethe Sorensen.  I designed the borders.

Ok, so the stitching was done but even though I had used a frame, it was somewhat distorted. Especially the white part of her blanket which is pulled work. That was pretty bumpy. I think I tried to block it out.  No success so she sat around in the drawer again for a long while.  But recently I showed it to an old friend who thought she could fix it and would make it up into a pillow as well. So here you have her!  My nearly 40-year-old elephant!  

Houndstooth

This is one of my rare forays into painted canvas. It's really hard!  But she perseveres!  I don't know the artist, but it is Houndstooth Tablet Case from Dream House Ventures.

It's about half done. It's hard to see, but there's a lot of metallics and most of the black is Pearl cotton. Too much black uurrggg. 
Anyway, the 2 areas marked (upper left and right corners) have me stumped. Does anyone have any ideas about a stitch or stitches to use?
The yellow with gray circles I plan to do with nested Jessica's. The black wedge I want to try to use waffles, with lots of compensation. 

Candy Dish

I saw this design on Facebook several times and finally decided I wanted to try it.  The design area is 5x5 and I have several finished pieces that size.  Sooooo, if I liked it, I could make candy dishes.  

I finally found the pattern for sale on Etsy and bought it.  Surprisingly enough, I happened to have most of the materials in stash and was easily able to find a substitute for the other. I would make one, per the pattern, and go from there.

Here is the result.  With and without candy.  It's ok, but not ok enough to make any more.  The finishing instructions are a bit vague and I suspect I didn't do it quite right, but it was a PITA in any event!  One of my substitutions was the backing fabric.  I used felt, which did not make a nice edge.
Oh well.  It's done  First 2020 finish!

Suitings framed

Suitings is finally truly finished. I decided to frame it after all and am pleased with the result. It is awfully small though. I have a wall going along the stairwell that is pretty much black/ white/ and red, so it is added to that.

Emma

"EMMA" is the companion to the "HOME" I posted last time.  Emma is the daughter of the recipient of Home.  They will get these tonight. 

I love these little prefinished pillows.  These are the last 2 that I had in my drawer.  Gradually using up stash.  Stitched with Silk & Ivory and Watercolours.  Used an Alphabet from a book and my favorite Bargello pattern.  I use a little fuseable webbing between the fabric and the needlepoint to hold everything in place.

Quickie Gifts

This is a very small piece, about 3" x 5" that will go into a little prefinished pillow.  It is  a welcome "home" gift for a new resident to our neighborhood. I'm also making one for her daughter and will show them both to you soon I hope, and finished.

Suitings

It all began with a birthday plaid.  Right away there was trouble!  Instructions?  I don't need instructions, I've done tons of these.  Yes dear, said the little voice, but that was 20 years ago.  No problem I said and began to stitch.  Before long unintelligible mumblings could be heard, ending with where's that damned book.  My first effort at this was so bad I actually threw it away and started over!  I had the brilliant (NOT) idea of a little sampler type thing of men's suiting fabrics, all black & white with just a touch of red.  There sure are a lot of stitches in a 5" square!!
Anyway, it's finished now.  I think it will become a standup with easel back--all in red.   Yes, I see that the long threads in the red,black,white windowpane need to be straightened. 
My design, mostly floss and pearl cotton. 18-count. No, the pattern will not be available

Ornaments

 I can't believe how long its been since I posted!  Is there anyone left out there?  ; -)  In my neverending cleaning out of drawers, I came upon 2 of Laura Perin's Mini Mystery Monday free designs that I had not stitched.  So here they are, not only stitched but finished!  Of course, I changed all the colors, and some of the stitches.  These can be ornaments or door hangers.
The one on the right was from Sep 2012.  I changed it a lot  
The one below Feb 2013. Both worked in Watercolors and #5 pearl cotton and Kreinik.  Completely from stash.
I hung these at an angle so you could see the braid my finisher used around the edge.  I've used this before and it makes the perfect easy edging for ornaments.

A Surprise Jody House Design

I found this pattern languishing in the back of a file. It had apparently been there since approximately 1982.  Just what I needed:  A simple (wrong) little piece to relax (wrong again) with in front of the tv.  
This was meant to be worked entirely in floss.  Well we don't
do that these days much, so I gathered up a variety of threads, including floss, in my favorite colors and a piece of aqua canvas that was cut to a good size and settled down.
Well, let me warn you:  It isn't always easy to substitute just any old thread for floss!  
I used FyreWerks for the center and ripped it out over and over because it is so shiny I couldn't tell what I was doing!  And it went on from there.  I think I ripped more on this little 4" square Than on anything I've ever stitched!!
There was supposed to be another row of Double Leviathan all around, but I didn't want the extra size.
Anyway, it'll make a nice ornament.

Kintsugi

"Kintsugi is a Japanese art form in which breaks and repairs are treated as part of the object's history. Broken ceramics are carefully mended by artisans with a lacquer resin mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. The repairs are visible — yet somehow beautiful. Kintsugi means "golden joinery" in Japanese.May 7, 2015" from Wikipedia.

I recently learned how to do Kintsugi.  It is easy and fun and inspired me to create a needlepoint based on one of the pieces created by the teacher.

This was truly a free style piece, being worked way outside my box!  I quickly charted the heart/leaf shape, pulled out all my gold Kreiniks, and began stitching like a mad woman.  The legs I put in mostly as loose guides to make sections, but then decided to keep them and actually added a couple more. Since the legs were backstitched in varying lengths, I later "whipped" them to smooth them out a bit.  The white is all Medici wool which I found a bunch of in a drawer.  Stash begone!   Its about 5" square. The inspiration is pictured below. I'm happy with it and so was the teacher when I gifted it to her.

When Memories Fade

This is what I've been working on lately.  When Memories Fade from Sundance,

stitch guide by Brenda Hart.
The background, in Woven stitch, is slow going. I have changed the colors quite a bit and have not followed the stitch guide very much.
I still don't know what I'll do with that pot. It won't be gray that's for sure. Her hair will be last as I will use Very Velvet. I'm thinking about adding a braid of some sort.
Anyway, this painted canvas has been in my drawer for several years and I'm feeling righteous to get it out and finish it!

Framed

Two more back from the framer.

Holiday Wreath by Laura Perin and River Dance by me.  Happy with them both!

(Blog refuses to put them side by side!)

Cool Cat

 My husband plays guitar (really well!!) and we both love kitties, so when I saw Cool Cat by El Gato Gomez, I had to stitch him for DH for Xmas.  Here is the result.  Stitched on 18 with Petite Very Velvet, Silk & Ivory and Threadworx overdyed floss.

Inspiration

Christmas Reindeer

This charmer was cross stitched by a friend and put into this very cool snow globe-y thingie.  Is this the cutest or what??
The design is available, for cross stitch or needlepoint, on the website.  You're on your own for the snow globe though 😊.

Retirement

Yes!  I am retired!  As of today, I have retired from the business side of needlepoint. 
From now on I stitch just for fun. 😊  Not that I haven't been having fun!!  Needlepoint is my passion and always will be, but no more deadlines, no more pressure (except for Christmas of course!).  Thank you all for your past business.  It has been a joy to see my designs come alive at your hands.

I have turned over my website to my dear friend, Rinda Just.  Some of you will know Rinda as past-president of ANG's online chapter, Cyberpointers.  Rinda is now your contact for my designs and will be handling orders, keeping the website going and my designs available.  Please continue to check the website from time to time!   www.lizartneedlepoint.com

Blog will continue, sporadically, as I get around to reporting in and taking photos of works in progress.  I will have lots to show you soon.

Bargello Mask

I have been stitching quite a lot, but can't show you 2 of the finished pieces until after Christmas!

This piece, my Bargello Mask, has been a WIP for many years.  I think I started it before I started this blog!  It was inspired by pictures of Balinese masks in a catalog.
The center square is all basketweave in floss and the Bargello is done in Orchidee wool tapestry yarn (which has been discontinued for a long time).  

It was a WIP forever because my original plan was to surround the center square with beads.  Bugle beads were my first choice, but they were too irregular in size to play nice!  Next I tried several rows of seed beads, but they were just not laying perfect enough to suit me.  
So it lay in the drawer.  

Now I am on a mission to complete these ancient WIPs.  I pulled this out, tried a few other bugle beads, but none of them were right.  They were even, but not long enough.  So, I decided to just satin stitch it with FyreWerks Soft Sheen, laid over a crocheted-type metallic for padding.  Voila!  DONE!  I'm happy and another WIP bites the dust.

S for Sunflower

I keep forgetting to post!!  I am stitching, I promise.

I stitched up this Letter S from the Gardener's Alphabet (see website, Counted page) for a good neighbor.  It fit, just barely, into an acrylic trivet that I already had.  Instant finish.  Love those!!