Beth's Needlework Stash

Santa has Eyebrows

2012-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Before brushing

After brushing

I was able to add eyebrows to my Santa. After they were done, I carefully brushed them and the mustache trying not to disturb my other stitching. Now on to the hat!

I am trying to finish my Cityscape Hearts into ornaments. Right now I am working on my white one. Will try to post a picture when it is done.

Snow Globe Santa needs a Mustache

2012-01-31T10:15:00.000-08:00

While I was so sick, I did not feel like counting. Snow Globe Santa needed his face put in which was in basketweave so I worked on him. Now I need to finish his mustache. I think he is so cute!

Tiny Bit of Love Stitched

2012-01-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

Ta da! I finished the tent stitch around the edges and put the beads on. It is supposed to say "Tiny Bit of Love" around the beads, but I never cared for that. Lots of love maybe, but not a tiny bit. Anyway, Gay Ann Rogers is a wonderful designer. Her charts are excellent and easy to follow.
I now have three hearts to finish into ornaments. I an still fighting my cold so will wait until I feel better to attempt any ornament making. I had planned on giving this to my mom for Valentine's Day, but my dd looked very disappointed...

Feather One Done

2012-01-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

I managed to finish outlining all the feathers on Softly Feathered yesterday. I even managed to get one feather done! I need to be more careful laying my threads so as to get better coverage. Hopefully I will get to work on it more later today. Still coughing and it is difficult to concentrate. May end up working on something else so as not to do too much ripping.

Snow Charmer Finished

2012-01-27T10:50:00.000-08:00

Pine Tree Snow Charmer by Mill Hill is ready for Christmas. I can see why my daughter loves him. Down he goes with the Christmas decorations. What will be my next small project?

Why I've Not Been Stitching

2012-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

My ds shared a really bad cold with me. I have even decided to see the doctor because I feel so bad. But besides not being perky enough to count to stitch, I have tags to make. Lots and lots of tags to make. 450 to be exact. The picture shows 50 of them. Last night a group of friends helped me make quite a few more. Sorry, I am too tired to count them! They are for our church to give away as random acts of kindness for Valentine's Day. I am not exactly sure how they are to be used except people are supposed to put a gift card in the little pocket I made on the front. Hopefully I will feel like stitching again soon.

Snow Dyeing

2012-01-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

The local library was having a dyeing workshop and although I did not need any fabric, I decided to do some snow dyeing. It was fun! Now I have to think of a project so I have a reason to try this again. My dd helped. Can you guess which fabric is her's?

Spring Splendor Outlined

2012-01-23T12:20:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that doing an outline would take so long? And I am still thinking I did it wrong! The paper needs to come off-can you tell I am scared to do that? Then I need to start stitching. But that will have to wait until I meet with the rest of my group on Saturday.

What I am Stitching

2012-01-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

Softly Feathered by Carol Algie Higginbotham is my big piece right now. I am having a terrible time counting it. Hopefully it will go faster when I start putting the stitches in the feathers.

This little guy is my take along piece. He is the Pine Tree Snow Charmer by Mill Hill. I can see why my dd has claimed him.

January 14 and 15-Buzzy Day and Spring Splendor

2012-01-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

I must admit that I am glad that I am not starting anything new tomorrow!!! I think I prefer starting something when I have finished something....
Buzzy Day is a Mill Hill bead kit that goes on a little picket fence. I love this one as it has bees and my oldest son keeps bees.
Spring Splendor by Kay Stanis is becoming a problem. I need to re hem the fabric and frame up. I am still counting it as a start as it must be done this year. It will be framed up on Tuesday, the Lord willing.

January 12 and 13-Butterfly and Costumed Kitty

2012-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

January 12 I started Butterfly by Alessandra Adelaide. Just a few stitches, over one, but it is a start.

January 13's start is Costumed Kitty by Mill Hill.

When all the Crazies have been started, I will start a rotation of some sort...

January11-Snow Globe Santa-Janet Zickler Casey

2012-01-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

I really want to work on this Santa today. We are getting snow and he would be so much fun to stitch. Downstairs he goes....

January 9 and 10-Crazy January Challenge

2012-01-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started Snowflake, a Mill Hill bead kit. I thought I would have lots of time to stitch, but I was helping my dd in an all day sew-a-thon at our local library.

Today's start was this Paisley Coin Purse by Stitch and Zip. I had planned on starting Spring Splendor today, but I ran too many errands and am expecting the plumber at any minute. That design will require peace and quiet to start. Tomorrow, maybe?

WIPocalypse January 9

2012-01-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

These are the 3 WIPocalypse pieces I am currently working on. There is a method behind my madness. The Snow Charmer from Mill Hill is my carry along project. When I have a wait at the doctor's office, piano lessons, or where ever, I work on small Mill Hill kits. Solar Flare by Ro Pace is the piece I promised myself that I would finish last year. My dd loves it and so I have started working on it a little at a time. It is complicated and uses silk, so some days I only get one "stitch" in, but it is slowly getting done. (Compare this photo to my header...) Softly Feathered has a due date, so I work on it every chance I get. The problem is that it is difficult to count and I need quiet to stitch on it. Hopefully it will move along faster after I get the outline in.

January 8-Miss Chessie's Tuffet

2012-01-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

This design is by Chessie and Me. I had a few minutes before serving the teens their meal at church.

January 7-Western Boot by Mill Hill

2012-01-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

I was able to stitch the boot heel while waiting for my breakfast. I also got some work done on my WIPocalypse project. But photos for that will have to wait a few days...

January 6-Noel Heart Charmed Mitten by Mill Hill

2012-01-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

I started my sixth start for January. It is a Mill Hill ornament. Back downstairs it goes because I need to finish the Snow Charmer first.

January 5-Softly Feathered

2012-01-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

For those who are keeping count, this was not on my original list of Crazy January Challenges.

This is Softly Feathered by Carol Algie Higginbotham, a group correspondence course through Cyberpointers. Here is the problem: it is due in 2 months if I get an extension and it is a huge piece. 15 by 20. Will I get it done?

January 4-Pine Tree Snow Charmer

2012-01-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

I was too busy yesterday to post and I didn't get much done. But I did my start!

January 3-Coq au Pins

2012-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is a design that I have had in my stash for years. It is by Twisted Oaks Designs. My ds started it and ran into a problem counting it which is my other reason for working on it. I am using some of my own hand dyed threads-Painted Desert-to stitch this piece. Got to use that stash!

January 2-B by Wee Needle

2012-01-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

I put my first few stitches in my next challenge piece. Then I took it downstairs and put it back in the box. Why? Did I not like it? No! I love it! But I am committed to finishing things this year. So any extra stitching time today will be spent on Winter Woods or Solar Flare or Tiny Bit of Love. And I doubt I will have much time as the Christmas tree is coming down today!

Serpentine Finished

2012-01-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

I put the last few stitches in Serpentine by Ro Pace last night while watching tv with my family. It was fun to do, but I am glad it is done. Now it is off to be critiqued!

January 1- Winter Woods

2012-01-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is my first start for the Crazy January Challenge 2012, Winter Woods by Mill Hill Bead

You may have noticed that it is not on my original list. I decided to add it when I received it for Christmas. Little did I know that it is solid stitching....

I have been wondering how I am going to rotate through all my stitching. I am guessing that after I start all these new pieces, most will go back in the box that I am storing them in and I will work one or two at a time. For instance, I am going to return to Serpentine today once I get a chance.

WIPocalypse Projects

2011-12-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

I realized I could add lots more WIP's to this list, but I decided to work on the ones that I really want to get done this year. (WIP-works in progress) The above is a project I started with my local guild last year. It is called the Agecroft Sweet Bag by Catherine Jordan. The pattern is from NeedleArts, the Embroiderer's Guild of America's magazine March 2011. I have not gotten much done, but that is about to change!

Solar Flare by Ro Pace. I love this piece! I got sidetracked from finishing it last year because of Serpentine...

Illinois canvas with my hand-dyed threads. I almost pulled this from my list as my dh does not like the piece. Also, I will need to dye threads and do the background for this piece. But I enjoy working on it and want to see it done.

Box Top of Ukrainian Nyzynka by Phyllis Maurer.. I am very close to finishing this. It looks like cross-stitch in the pictures, but it is a running stitch done on the back of the piece(in black), then "flowered" with all the color. It is supposed to be reversible, but mine is not! My stitching is less than perfect on this piece and I am not sure what I will do with it when I am done. A small purse? A box top? I do love the piece and hope it will be done soon.

Double Fan Doubled

2011-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

I got my Double Fan Doubled done-all of them! They need another layer in silver, but I hope to get that done tonight.
Also, I will post my WIPocalypse pictures tomorrow. At least, that is my plan.

Journal 21 2011

2011-12-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

Every year I vow I will art journal at least once a week and every year I fail. My friend Cheryl is thinking of trying to do a page a week in 2012 and I am thinking of joining her. But the other day I realized that I have done some art journaling every week. My Journal 21 is where I play with my watercolors and try to write one thing about the day. I also write my to do list here. It is truly a journal of my year, things I have done and wanted to do.

Another Finish!

2011-12-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

OK, it is just a Mill Hill bead kit, but I got it done and I am posting it!!! It was a gift for my kids' music teacher, but it is a little late for that. I think I will just give it to her at the next lesson.

Waffles in Corners Complete

2011-12-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

I finally did my four corners and managed one Double Fan Doubled. Will I get done before the New Year?

Tiny Bit of Love Progress

2011-12-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Gay Ann Rogers is going to post a picture on her website( http://www.gayannrogers.com/ ) on Christmas Day of a new heart she is designing. Thought I would post a picture of mine that I hope will be done for Valentine's Day.

This Year's Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

I finally finished these three ornaments for my tree. Two were supposed to be pins, but I don't wear pins.
All are Mill Hill bead kits. Holiday Tree Snow Charmer is the snowman. Next is Kris Kringle and then my favorite, Joyful Angel.

I, like a crazy woman, joined the Crazy January 2012 challenge. The idea is to start 15 new projects on the first 15 days of January. Hey! I could have done 31 new projects! But when I finished these three Mill Hill projects, it made me realize that this challenge is not so crazy. I do finish things and I have gotten close to 15 done this year. (I don't count things as done until they are framed or finished into something. That is why I haven't listed my Promise of a Mystery as finished yet.) I may have to change my definition of finished for this challenge, but we shall see. I hope to list them on a sidebar today.

Almost done with the Border

2011-12-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

After doing some major ripping last week and waiting for replacement thread, I finally have a photo of my progress for Sepentine by Ro Pace. Most of the silver waffle stitches between the darker blue crecents had to come out. I miscounted them all! (Except for the first 3 I put in.) Boy, was I frustrated. The silver ribbon could not be reused and I was busy with holiday baking. But they are done. I did realize that I started all my borders wrong, but that does not bother me as I cannot see it. Ro may comment on it when I send it in for evaluation, but I am not ripping those borders out!

A Tiny Bit of Love

2011-12-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

Stitching time has been very limited as I have been busy making toffee, fudge and peanut brittle. I have several more batches to make, but my dh is working on my kitchen. (Yeah!) It will look fabulous when done, but I can't cook while he is working...So I did some very neglected housework and plan on stitching tonight.
I have not been doing 12 stitches a day on Tiny Bit of Love by Gay Ann Rogers, but I hope to change that this week. I also found that my Cityscapes need some basketweave or tent stitch around them so I can finish them as ornaments. (Thanks Pat from http://www.needleartnut.blogspot.com/ !) I have tried finishing before, but want to attempt it again. Will keep you posted.

Ornament Exchange

2011-12-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is the ornament I took to my EGA's ornament exchange. It is a design by Karen Buell that my SIL gave me. It stitched up quickly and I was able to finish it myself.

Speaking of finishing-the lady who does my finishing normally is Arnetta Flower out of the Quad Cities in Iowa. If you want her phone number, send me an email so I can give it to you.

Finished Cityscape Hearts

2011-12-08T14:51:00.001-08:00

Well, I finished both hearts. I have been busy with Christmas programs and haven't been able to do much stitching. Hopefully that will change next week and I can get working on Serpentine again.

15 Minutes on a Heart

2011-12-04T04:55:00.001-08:00

After removing my mistakes, I continued stitching on this heart. Some days I did more than 15 minutes while on others, I did not work on it at all. Still, it is coming along.

Rip, rip, rip

2011-12-02T10:51:00.001-08:00

I am still trying to get Serpentine finished. I am so glad we have an extension! I keep having to rip out and redo the last border. Some things just require lots of concentration on my part. Must be my small mind.

By the way, the Santa I put up is a design by Janet Zickler Casey that my son stitched. It is the Candy Cane Santa through Shining Needle Society. Cute, isn't he?

Mistake

2011-11-27T18:22:00.001-08:00

I had to take my boys to youth group and so I have an hour or so to stitch. (I try to get up and walk around a little.) I thought all was going well until I realized that I made my last building too long. It has a building in front of it so I need to do some reverse stitching. Could I leave it? Maybe. But I think I wouldn't be happy in the long run. So tomorrow's 15 minutes will be frogging....

This Week's Progress

2011-11-26T16:24:00.001-08:00

I have made some progress on my black Cityscape. And I have only done 15 minutes a day! Hopefully I will have a progress report on Serpentine soon. I am getting bogged down on the border.

2011-11-23T13:18:00.001-08:00

Here is a list of the colors I have used for Serpentine.
All Kreinik is #001 Silver
ThreadWorkx- 1015 (but I may have chosen a different overdye if I had seen all my colors laid out)
Soie de Paris-114 and 3333
Finca perle cotton- #8 #3810(lt blue),#2615(purple),#3822(dk blue)
#12 #3810,#2615, #2606
#16-Either 3810 or 2606
I have my beads, but I am uncertain which one I will choose. Having to order everything online makes a huge difference. Also, the Finca has different tints and some are quite different within color numbers and sizes.
Also, I think it would change the piece to put a light purple (2606) inside the dark blue crescents (3822) instead of the light blue (3810). Moved the purple color out more, although there is still another woven border on the edge of the piece..
Changing the Kreinik would be fun too. Mine is very shiny because of the silver, but I wonder if there would have been a different Kreinik or metallic that would have worked better-something in light purple? You do need #8,#4 and #1/16.
Hope that helps everyone!

Cityscapes Heart-Black

2011-11-22T11:40:00.001-08:00

This is the stitching I was able to do on Saturday. It doesn't seem like much, but being on black congress cloth I have a difficult time seeing where my needle is to land. I am trying to limit myself to 15 minutes a day on the piece although I find that difficult. Why? It is fun to see the buildings to develop and I want to start a Gay Ann Rogers heart...

100 Flowers has Arrived!

2011-11-21T13:14:00.001-08:00

My package arrived from Gay Ann Rogers with 100 Flowers. I loved this piece since the first time I saw it in the EGA National Seminar brochure. But, sigh, I cannot start on it yet. Serpentine is not done and it has a due date. I will look through my stretcher bars and make sure I have the right sizes and I may frame it up as a Christmas gift for me...Maybe those of us who got the piece could start a yahoo group SAL.
To see a good photo of the piece go to http://www.gayannrogers.com/ and look at the E-week sales. I believe it is under samplers or early morning sales.

And for those who asked: I will try to post my colors for Serpentine next time I post progress on the piece.

White Cityscapes-Finished

2011-11-19T13:53:00.001-08:00

I finished my Cityscapes Heart by Betty Chen Louis yesterday. Now on to the black one! Will wait for a sunny day to photograph it.

Serpentine-Almost Half of a Border

2011-11-18T11:00:00.001-08:00

I did not realize how big this piece was until I started working on the border. Once I get my waffle stitches in, I will count the border as half done. Why? Because it makes me feel like I am making progress. If not, I just feel like I am going in circles with all the crescent stitches.

Squaredance-Framed

2011-11-15T14:09:00.001-08:00

This is my framed piece Squaredance by Orna Willis. It was a Cyberpointers workshop. Lots of fun and great colors. I can also say I finished my local EGA challenge. Yeah!

12 Stitches a Day on Serpentine

2011-11-10T07:34:00.001-08:00

I have managed to stitch a little every day on Serpentine. I try to do at least 12 stitches a day. The braided fan is difficult for me and I need to rip out the one I started.

A Slightly Different Waffle

2011-11-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

I tried the silver #16 Kreinik in the center with the Perle Cotton on the outer edge. I am not sure what I like best. My dh says to leave them both in. Perhaps he is right.

Waffle in the Corner

2011-11-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

I finished a waffle stitch in one of my corners. The piece calls for Kreinik 16 braid and then the smaller #4 Krieinik. I think it needs purple in the corner, but I'm not sure I like this. It is #8 perle cotton with the #4 Kreinik. I think I will try the wider silver braid in the next corner with the purple where the silver currently is.

15 Minutes a Day-Cityscapes

2011-10-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this over the weekend. But I did stick to 15 minutes a day and got a fair amount done. I am resisting starting another project until I get Serpentine finished.

Can You Help?

2011-10-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

My local EGA had their biannual needlework show yesterday. My dd worked the show with me and had her eye on this piece that one of the gals was selling. My dd thought it was gone, but found it in the trash can and rescued it. It needs some work and it looks old. Can someone point us in the right direction for repairing and cleaning this? (Sorry for the bad pictures. It is raining here and I wanted to get this posted.)

All It Needs is Beads

2011-10-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

I finished my last Promise of a Mystery. Hopefully I can find the right clor of bead in my stash to put in the crescents...

Freida Pretty Purse

2011-10-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have started another Pretty Purse with some fabric I bought while on vaction in New Mexico. I think she will need beads, lots of beads.

I did some work on Serpentine, but not enough to show a picture. Hopefully by tomorrow it will show some progress.

Cityscape Hearts-Beginning

2011-10-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ann at Stitch Gay Ann Blog suggested stitching 15 minutes on our Gay Ann Rogers stash. I thought it was a great idea except I did not have any 8 inch stretcher bars to start a piece on. But I did have Betty Chen Louis's hearts framed up, one black and one white. I have started stitching for 15 minutes a day on the white one. My reasoning for starting something new is that I am very close to finishing my Promise of a Mystery and I do want to see how much I can get done in 15 minutes a day. I will try to post my progress weekly.

Braided Fan

2011-10-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

I managed to put in one braided fan in my piece this morning. It was difficult to find the proper holes. It is less than perfect. I hope with more practice, I will improve.

Back to Serpentine

2011-10-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am trying to be diligent in my stitching on this piece. Because I changed the colors, I want to do one corner before I stitch all the crescents. I know my Kreinik silver choice will work. I am worried about the purple....
Someone in Cyberpointers mentioned doing it in pinks and oranges. At least I believe that was her color choices. I think it would be stunning! I would love to do it in reds....Could someone loan me some time?

Promise of A Mystery-Ran out of Thread

2011-10-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

I was working on my border when I ran out of Kreinik #12. Thanks goodness my LNS is getting some in later this week.

I did not do the couching stitch that Sue Reed suggested. I did a satin stitch in my overdyed thread.

Serpentine -A Few More Stitches

2011-10-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying this piece although it has been challenging. I need to contact Ro Pace and get an extension. There is no way this will be done on time....

Way Behind

2011-10-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

I am trying to catch up with Cyberpointer"s GCC Serpentine. I will have to ask for an extension for this one. Don't even ask about Softly Feathered.

I Want to Start a New Project but...

2011-09-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

I need to finish Promise of a Mystery for my EGA meeting in October. My dd wants to know what I'm going to do with this one.

I have no clue, but I think she is hinting that she likes it.

An Experiment Gone Wrong

2011-09-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

I was trying to dye some threads for Softly Feathered, an ANG Cyberpointers group correspondence course. I like the colors, but the threads are not solid. I will have to find another project for all my new threads.

Serpentine Progress

2011-09-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my projects, I just have not been able to post any pictures. I like how this is coming out but I need to pull the blue into the next section.

Some Finishes

2011-09-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is my dd Brazilian Embroidery Purse. It was a group correspondence course that we took through EGA.

This is my ds Candy Cane Santa. He had it stitched a while ago, but I finally took it to the finisher.
These are my Gay Ann Roger's ornaments. I was going to finish them myself, but .....

Last Photo of August

2011-08-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have had some good stitching time and made real progress on Serpentine. I won't finish before the Ocotber deadline, but I will be close!

Not Much Progress

2011-08-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

My dh took the kids to the drag races on Friday so I finally managed to get some serious work done on Serpentine. I have been canning salsa and pickles and therefore too tired to do much stitching. Hopefully I will have some time tonight while I wait for the boys at their youth group meeting.

Another Change for Serpentine

2011-08-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

I decided that the darker purple in the center did not work, so I ripped it out and replaced it with Finca 2615. I think it works better with the Finca 2606 and Soire de Paris purple that I am using in other areas. I spend more time ripping than I do stitching. Why is that?
Now that I think I have my colors finalized, I will start finishing sections off.

Serpentine-A little section

2011-08-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

This is what I had done on Friday night. I ripped out the blue Finca and replaced it with a purple (2627). I liked the blue (3822) for the corner crescent pairs and stuck with the 114 Soie de Paris for the arms.

The little hearts are 1015 Threadworx and I am trying the 3333 Soie de Paris for the diamond pattern. Next comes a silver kreinik, which I think will work.

I decided to do a quarter of the pattern at a time as I want to be sure I like the colors I am using.

Serpentine Color Problems

2011-08-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have started work on Serpentine by Ro Pace. It is an ANG group correspondence course through Cyberpointers. Anyway, I changed the colors and I am having trouble deciding what I like. The upper right blue "arm" looks good to me, but I think I may end up with too much blue. The "arm" at the bottom to the right is the color I started with -Soie de Paris 3335. To me it looks wrong with the Finca Perle Cotton #2615. The half "arm " was stitched with soie d alger #3312. It looks better, but not right. When I have time tonight I will stitch another corner crescent in a different Finca color and try the blue Soie de Paris with it. Or maybe blue with the Finca #2615. Something has to work, right?

Squaredance is Done!

2011-08-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have been spending my spare time putting Ultrasuede squares onto this piece. It looks nice finished. Now I just need to get it to the framer. I really like the marblized canvas Orna chose.

Squaredance with some Ultrasuede

2011-07-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! The Ultrasuede really changes the appearance of the piece. My stitching is not the best, but I love the affect. I am trying to finish it before my local EGA meeting August 9.

Pretty Purse Finished

2011-07-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

With all the rain we had yesterday, I had time to put the zipper in my Pretty Purse. I sewed up the edges and added the dorsett button I had made as decoration. My dd likes it.

More Dyeing

2011-07-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is no ghost, but me holding the back of my daughter's quilt. She wanted it to be tie-dyed.
Here it is in the dye bath.

My son is also working on a quilt. He is dyeing flannel for the back of his quilt. It was so big I needed a bucket to do it in . He thinks it will need more color-lime green. That may be a challenge....

This is why I have not been working on Serpentine. Hopefully I will have a picture of my completed Squaredance soon. Putting the little ultrasuede squares on is a pain.

Starting Serpentine

2011-07-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

I framed up my brown canvas for Serpentine yesterday. Then I took out my instructions and started reading and looking at the photo that Ro Pace sent. The brown canvas would not work with my thread choices. I then remembered that Ro suggested I use eggshell, not white, as my canvas color. No eggshell in the stash, but I have a nice light blue. It shows as white in my picture, but it looks much better with my color choices.

It looks like the piece has canvas showing in one area-a lot of canvas. If my blues "clash" at that point, I will do something to make the canvas work.

Now on to basting...I hate basting!

September Promise is Done

2011-07-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

It is so hot here that I could not go weed. My veggies will have to fend for themselves.... But I did manage to get some stitching in.

Maybe by tomorrow I will have my Pretty Purse sewn up. I need a little help from my friends as the instructions for finishing don't make sense to me.

Promise of A Mystery-Continued

2011-07-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have been stitching, but there isn't much to show. This is the September stitches and I find it very tedious. Goblin and tent stitch. I will put a yellow Kreinik in the center, but I'm not sure what I will couch it with yet. I really want to work on Serpentine by Ro Pace, but I must get this done.

Serpentine Threads

2011-07-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure which of these photos woulds come out the clearest, so I posted them all. I won't be using all these threads and the overdye may be too dark, but I think I can frame up and start on my piece. I will hit my LNS on Thursday to see if I can find a better overdye.

Here are the colors: Finca Perle Cotton (in 16, 12 and 8)-2606, 2615, 2627, 3810, & 3822

Soie deParis-114, 3335, 3333
Kreinik Braid-001

Old Needle necessity(?)-183

Workshop Progress

2011-07-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

I really learned a lot at Deb Forney's Paisley Passion workshop. If you get a chance, I would recommend taking a class from her. I just got started on adding my appliqued Ultrasuede which is more difficult than it looks. I will miss class tomorrow, but I think I know how to finish this piece. But it must wait its turn as I have a few pieces that need to get done ahead of it!

Pretty Purse

2011-07-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

The local library is doing Melanie Testa's Pretty Purse. Instead of using a single piece of fabric, they decided to make crazy quilts. For some reason my photo did not show colors very well. I am mainly using

fabric I have dyed myself. It is not close to done although it shouldn't take long as the project is small.
It needs some beads. Lots of beads.

Pre-Work Done!

2011-07-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

I was able to complete all my pre-work for Paisley Passion. My dd loves the color-it is called Mango. Thank goodness my mom is computer illiterate as she would be wanting the finished product which I think may be a purse. Maybe.

Getting Ready for Workshop

2011-07-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am getting some work done on Paisley Passion before the class begins. I love the colors. The piece has a lot of sparkle because it calls for lots of Kreinik braid. I love sparkle!

Stash Enhancement

2011-07-01T11:14:00.001-07:00

I should be working on Ro Pace's Cyberpointers GCC Serpentine. I ordered the kit but did not like the colors. (They are beautiful-just not me.) My LNS tried to help me pick new colors, but they could not order Finca perle cotton, so I ordered it myself. Then she emailed me and said the thread I need in silk would not work. Sigh. So several days ago I picked a silk color I liked and then ordered more Finca perle cotton. The LNS is ordering more Kreinik Braid and silk. Hopefully something I have ordered will work! If not, I have done a ton of stash enhancement! Thank goodness I can use the Finca on another project!

I've Been Published!

2011-07-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

I was published in Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine which is a mixed media publication!!! I did their fabric swap and they picked one of my fabrics to publish. It isn't much, but I am excited. Their webpage is www.clothpaperscissors.com although I don't think you can read the magazine there. I don't have a picture of the fabric, but if you can find a July/August issue of the magazine, I am on page 82.

Paisley Passion

2011-06-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a note from Genevieve (Orna's helper) saying she could send me some Ultrasuede to finish Squaredance. And since I have nothing better to do (ha, ha!) I started a new project. That is not exactly true. My local EGA is having Deborah Forney teach Paisley Passion on July 9-11 and I have pre-work to do. Hopefully I will get some serious stitching time in soon as I have a lot to do!

I'm an Idiot

2011-06-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I was able to finish all my stitched squares on Squaredance, but I made a huge mistake. I was cutting the ultrasuede that goes between the stitched squares and I did not read the instructions properly. I cut them too big!!! Now I am shy half the ultrasuede. Sigh. I think I will email Orna and see if she has some scraps she could send me. Or if need be, new pieces to cut.

Moral of this story: Always read the directions carefully!

Ukrainian Nyzynka

2011-06-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

When I need something to stitch, I bring this along as it is easy to stop and start. I am past the counting part and it is just adding color now.

I even took it camping as it will need to be wished when I am totally done.
This was a workshop class that I took with my local EGA. I believe I am the only person in my guild who has worked on it. Too bad as it is a fun piece.

A Finish and More Promise

2011-06-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

I finished this a few weeks ago and gave it to a friend. It is a Mill Hill Bead kit called Hot Stuff. She tried to stitch it herself but said it was too stressful. I found it lots of fun. I am trying to get more done on my Promise of a Mystery. The ladies in my EGA said they wanted more than one stitch this month. My goal is to get June, July and August done. That should keep them busy!!!

Continuing the Squaredance

2011-05-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

My piece looks messy, but it is slowly getting finished. I love the color combinations and the layers of stitches.

But I never did get the hand of the Weave Ring. I managed two, but decided to wait on the third one. I have a feeling it will have a different stitch in that square.

Some cool Fabrics

2011-05-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

While in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I went to Santa Fe Quilting. It was a wonderful shop with a helpful staff. I highly recommend a stop there if you are in town.
I was mainly looking for fabric by Terrie Mangat, which they did carry. This is Bee's Knees which I bought because my son is a bee keeper. This one compliments it and has the most beautiful flowers on it. I see beads, lots of beads.

This last fabric is Frida's Garden from the Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection. I have no clue what I plan on doing with it, but I had to have it.

Promise of a Mystery-June

2011-05-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

I was on vacation and although I stitched while away, I have nothing "great" to show. Maybe I will take a photo of what I did and post it tomorrow.
My EGA is stitching Promise and I need to keep one month ahead. I used a different color family than suggested and I like how it turned out.

The main thing I did on vacation was buy some fabulous fabrics! Now those I should post. Manana.

Echoes of Elizabeth Needlecase-Finished

2011-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

I love how this turned out! Gay Ann Rogers gives excellent directions and I highly recommend any of her pieces.

Promise of a Mystery-May

2011-04-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

I had some time so I stitched the cresent stitches for my May Promise of a Mystery.

I have tons of projects in various stages of completion....At least this one is caught up for now...

Echoes Needlecase:Just needs Assembly

2011-04-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

I finished the front of the needlecase while my family watched Finding Nemo.

I think I am having a real date night with my hubby. If not, I will try to get this assembled tonight during Gay Ann's Date Night with stitching.

Back of Echoes

2011-04-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

I finished the back of my Echoes piece today. I still have a bit to do on the front, but I hope to post a picture of it soon.

Getting Closer on Echoes

2011-04-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have a little more tent stitch to complete on the back of Echoes (piece on right), but wanted to start on the blackwork. I can't wait to see what the beads look like on this piece.

Squaredance Step:Sashay

2011-04-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

I started the next lesson for Orna Willis's Squaredance although I never did my Weave Ring stitch.I haven't decided if I will attempt it again or do a different stitch.

Echoes Progress

2011-04-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

When I can't concentrate on a more difficult project, which is a lot lately, I work on Gay Ann Roger's Echoes of Elizabeth needlecase. There is a lot of tent stitch on this piece. Great for times when I can't count or can't think or both.

Nancy Eha Beading Classes

2011-04-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

I am back from Cincinnati and the Quilt Festival. This first picture is of my dragonfly from the Dragonfly and Sashiko beading class. No sashiko on it yet, but I am planning on doing some... This is from the Organic Beading for Art Quilters class.

Not great pictures but the class was excellent.

If Nancy is teaching near you, I highly recommend her. She is great!

Art Quilt

2011-04-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

I am going to the big Quilt Festival in Cincinnati, OH. I was lucky enough to sign up for a class with Nancy Eha who is a great beading teacher. (I good friend, Linda, recommended her.) The name of the class is Beaded Dragonfly and Sashiko. I hope to get into another class of hers that I wish I had sign up for called Organic Beading for Art Quilters. http://www.quilts.com www.beadcreative.com I am too computer illiterate to take you to a photo directly.

Because I have Nothing Better to Do...

2011-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

I decided to bead a necklace to hold my glasses. It stitched up quick, but I should have been working on something else.

But I wanted them for the Quilt Festival!

Trouble with my Squaredance

2011-03-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

I have been working on Orna Willis' Squaredance. The next two photos are Star Walk variations. They were fun and not too difficult.

I am having trouble with Weave Ring. It is a woven stitch and I keep snagging the Neon Rays and it seems to sagging in the middle.

I am going to try it again in a different spot. Maybe with a little practice...

Saturday Stitching Day

2011-03-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

I was able to spend all day Saturday working on Solar Flare. I made less progress than I hoped as I did a lot of visiting. Solar Flare needs to be carefully counted. Now I need to get Squaredance out and get my homework done.

A Few Finishes

2011-03-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

My son and I finally finished a few Mill Hill bead kits that we had laying around. He did Proud Penguin while I did Downy Dove and Tree Snow Charmer. Only the snowman will be an ornament. My dd has taken the dove as a pin and ds put a magnet on the back of the penguin. Sigh. I still need two more ornaments for Christmas. I had hoped to have that job done early.