Some of my past work

Yesterday I decided to take photos of some of the work I've done in the past. I've always known that photographing completed needlework is challenging, but wow, it's a pain! I had reflection problems, lighting issues, getting a good angle, and all done by a dufus who does not know how to use a camera on anything but the automatic setting. I did get some so here they are.

This piece was from a workshop I took from Marilyn Vredevelt at a CATS seminar in Riverside.  Marilyn called this center technique "lacis." Basically, you make the secure edge with a very tight cross stitch and back stitch, cut every other two threads, and weave the design like filet lace. There is more to it than that, of course, but that's the basic technique. I made a GLARING flaw in it that I didn't know how to fix, but I still learned a lot.

This is called "Heaven and Earth" by Pat Thode of Heartstrings. It was originally designed for DMC flower thread but by the time I found the chart and kitted it up DMC had stopped making flower thread. What I love about DMC is how the same color goes across so many lines so I just used regular floss. This sampler has quite a number of specialty stitches in it.

I liked making the willows with the long dripping leaves!

 The Happiest Celebration on Earth by Stoney Creek. Getting this kit was a challenge. Stoney Creek made up these kits for Disney's 50th Anniversary celebration that were sold only through The Art of Disney and I'm only 30 minutes drive from Disneyland, so I called the 1-800 number and arranged to pick it up. Then I found it it was only sold through the Orlando store! That would have been some drive. My son Tim was going through a roller coaster/amusement park phase and was  very happy I stitched this up.

 I Corinthians 13 Sampler by My Big Toe. This is stitched over 2 threads on 32 count fabric and still is 15" x 24" in design. It used only 2 threads, a blue overdye and a raspberry overdye from Weeks Dye Works. I love, love, love the frame that Bob from Needles & Niceties gave me. It looks like those rosewood frames from the 19th century.




Hopefully you can see this, it's a little washed out. Remember my photography issues? Its from the Abecedarian and has the words "With this work remember me when this mortal body doth decay and lie wormy in the clay to remain until the Lord doth bid me come." Macabre in the midst of a tame little sampler. The letters are all eyelets with a variety of other stitches beside cross stitch. This was actually my to-go piece, the keep-in-the-car-to-stitch-during-your-kid's-gymnastic-or-piano-lessons-or-sports-practice-or-when-they-just-won't-come-out-of-the-freakin-school-and-GET-IN-THE-STUPID-CAR-SO-WE-CAN-GO-HOME piece.

There are more pieces around and eventually I'll get a photo up of some of them. In the meantime I'm still working on that gift. Of course I also signed up for another SAL in addition to the Around the World in 80 Stitches so I'm crazy. But it's a good crazy.

1Corinthians 13 is framed

Here is the finished piece. I had it framed by Bob at Needles and Niceties in Upland, California. He really does a great job. I wrapped it up and gave it to my husband for Christmas.

A Finish!

I actually completed this in November. It's 1 Corinthians 13 by My Big Toe Designs and was a blast to stitch. I picked up the materials from Nordic Needle during a retreat there a few years ago and worked on this on and off for about two years. Now, every project (and needlework is no exception) has three parts to it: Preparation, Completion, and Finishing. Preparation is gathering the materials and planning out how you're going to begin the project, such as starting in the middle vs. in a corner, any color changes from the charted design, over 1 or 2 threads, etc. Completion is actually stitching the project. Finishing is getting the project into its final form, such as framing it or making it into a pillow or something else. It's interesting to me how many stitchers favor one step over the others, such as the folks with 20+ works in progress (WIP) because they LOVE starting a new piece, or the people who won't do any prep work but have their LNS pull the threads, mount the project on a frame, and even select a bag to store it all in (my guess is they are favorite customers). So many stitchers, however, seem to struggle most with the stage of finishing. So many of us have lots of stitched projects sitting in a box or drawer and completely unusable! So, here I am documenting the finishing stage of this piece.



Here it is, fresh and wrinkly from my hands.