Project Updates

Here is the work so far on Celtic Christmas. I started with a 6″ hoop… it’s just too big of a design for that, so I moved to a scroll frame, and this is much easier to work on.

and Project #1 in the Trish Burr book

I’m not Entirely happy with the way the shading is turning out, but I know it’s a matter of practice, so I’m practicing!

I’m so far from being finished with Celtic Christmas it’s not even funny, but I am narrowing down my choices for the next project It might be this one or this one I know – I’m kind of weird, but I like complicated, challenging designs. And of course, I’ll choose another TIAG project to do, because she has 126 designs that I haven’t done yet!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Lately, I’ve been trying to fill in my missing DMC colors. Michaels gives out coupons and I use those when I can. I bought a bunch the other day when I had a 20% off Entire Purchase coupon! I thought, until now, that was my big haul. Last night, Mike and I went to Michaels to buy some DMC…I just needed a few colors for my Trish Burr book, first project. No, I’m not done with my lessons, but it couldn’t hurt to do a little leaf now, could it? Do you believe everything I say? lol….
So, I got what I needed, and as we were walking to the cash register I commented that on Thursday, I’d come in and buy the rest of the colors, so we wouldn’t have to do this ‘little trip to Michaels’ all the time. Mike said, “Let’s not wait for Thursday, we’re here NOW… ” and the rest is history. The next picture shows my birthday present for this year – it’s not quite here yet, but almost (Oct.1)

and here… lol… is a picture of the receipt, cause you know they ring up each skein separately…

Pouncing Problems

I know I said I had to finish the Long and Short Lessons before I could start my crewel work. But that doesn’t include Preparing for the crewel work Like a goof, I ordered my Quilt Pounce with WHITE chalk powder. Well, that’s never going to show up on my light tan Linen Twill. sigh.
Where there is a will, there is a way, right? Right! Because I didn’t want to be poking on the book page in order to transfer the pattern I made a copy of it to work from. I put a piece of tracing paper over the copy and started poking away on the design. When it dawned on me, why not skip the middleman? So, I cut a piece of tracing paper 8 1/2″ x 11″ and printed the design directly on the tracing paper. I put it over a washcloth for cushion and poked away.
That was when I realized the Pounce was not going to work, with the White Chalk Powder. So, I contemplated it a bit and then realized – The poking holes in the tracing paper, combined with my blue washable marker… Bingo! I put the tracing paper over my fabric (which had been washed and dried according to instructions) and put blue marks in each hole. Then, I simply connected the dots on the fabric, and there was my design!

Lavender and Lace: Celtic Christmas - Started!

Lavender and Lace: Celtic Christmas – started

September 17, 2009 by karengass | Edit

Well, I finally have all I need for my L & L Celtic Christmas and today, I took the day off work and started working on it. So far, so good!

I’ve been working on my Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons from Mary Corbett’s Needle ‘n Thread. I’m on Lesson 4, there are a total of 6 I think.My reward for finishing the lessons – working in this book!

I have drooled over this book for so long, and now I’m finally going to get to do it. I have always loved Crewel Embroidery, and now I’m going to learn to do it right!

Shopping Needlework Stores in St Louis

Shopping Needlework shops in St. Louis

September 16, 2009 by karengass | Edit

Well, we did manage to make it to two needlework shops in St. Louis during
the 2 days we were there. First and Last which was the first shop and where
I got some wonderful deals on threads – (I don’t know why it all jumbled up like this, I tried to make it neat…no go) I give up. Just enjoy the pictures

dmc broder medicis, 100% virgin wool

the top is overdyed cotton from neccessities inc and the 2 Bella Lusso is

100% pure merino wool and is it NICE!!!! the bottom green has no label

the top 4 are Vineyard Merino, 100% merino wool and
the red (which I just love, is the most gorgeous color red
is 50% silk and 50% merino wool from brown paper packages
in kentucky (LOVE this blend)

all are linen except the white which is strandable silk and
I wish I’d grabbed all of them out of the $1 bin. These 4
were in the $1 bin.

pure new wool from Australia called Daisies

Silk and Ivory – luscious blend of silk and merino wool…. ooooo…yummy!

Impressions by Caron, wool/silk blend…another yummy
I also bought some patterns from Shamrock Cross Stitch 2 Lavender and Lace patterns , a Just Cross Stitch magazine and a book of designs by Cathy Livingston that I really like.
Everywhere we went, there were beautiful flowers and landscaping. I’ll be adding these to my posts at the very beginning, until I run out of them Happy Stitching!

Giselle Update

So, I did the flower closest to the bottom. It’s supposed to be a carnation, but I think it looks like a thistle. Which is not a bad thing, I like thistles! (in needlework) The calyx is done in spider web stitch and it was fun to do, but I think it looks like a cactus. It would probably be better in a darker color. My ‘soft shading’ as it’s called in this book is not that great. Since I was going to use floss, rather than the pearle cotton I had been using, I thought I should use more strands than I usually do (2 strands) but I think that was the wrong decision. And maybe the colors are too far apart to be properly shaded. Well, live and learn, and learn what I need to practice on! I think it’s time to start on my Long and Short Shading Lessons from Needle ‘n Thread!
You know how you look at a stitch and see how it’s done, and you think, “oh I can do that!” so you don’t practice it, or even try it until you need it on a piece of fabric? Yeah, that’s me. So… off to practice!
I got a lot of good advice from the stitchers on the Marilyn Gardens yahoo list about keeping count on my cross stitch and it gave me the brilliant idea – it’s brilliant to me – to cut a 2″ square out of the middle of a piece of cardstock and place it over my chart. I put it right where I’m working, and it gives my eyes a place to land and ‘see’ the squares rather than a sea of marks! I also got out my pink highlighter and marked off the stitches as I went along. Being a highlighter I can still see the stitches for reference.

I wanted to stitch this little flower, to put into a card. I started by stitching the entire outline by itself. I wanted to see if my new wonder-method would work! I stitched around the entire flower, and ended up exactly where I was supposed to end up!!! I was so happy. I immediately emailed my list pals and bragged about it till I’m sure they are sick and tired of hearing it. A bit later I went back to stitch in the middle… and was totally dismayed to find that it wasn’t so correct after all! I’d done it completely wrong! I swallowed hard and tried not to cry…then I realized… it was upside down. sigh… Alls well in Karens stitching world

Update: Giselle

So, I did the flower closest to the bottom. It’s supposed to be a carnation, but I think it looks like a thistle. Which is not a bad thing, I like thistles! (in needlework) The calyx is done in spider web stitch and it was fun to do, but I think it looks like a cactus. It would probably be better in a darker color. My ‘soft shading’ as it’s called in this book is not that great. Since I was going to use floss, rather than the pearle cotton I had been using, I thought I should use more strands than I usually do (2 strands) but I think that was the wrong decision. And maybe the colors are too far apart to be properly shaded. Well, live and learn, and learn what I need to practice on! I think it’s time to start on my Long and Short Shading Lessons from Needle ‘n Thread!

You know how you look at a stitch and see how it’s done, and you think, “oh I can do that!” so you don’t practice it, or even try it until you need it on a piece of fabric? Yeah, that’s me. So… off to practice! I got a lot of good advice from the stitchers on the Marilyn Gardens yahoo list about keeping count on my cross stitch and it gave me the brilliant idea – it’s brilliant to me – to cut a 2″ square out of the middle of a piece of cardstock and place it over my chart. I put it right where I’m working, and it gives my eyes a place to land and ‘see’ the squares rather than a sea of marks! I also got out my pink highlighter and marked off the stitches as I went along. Being a highlighter I can still see the stitches for reference.

I wanted to stitch this little flower, to put into a card. I started by stitching the entire outline by itself. I wanted to see if my new wonder-method would work! I stitched around the entire flower, and ended up exactly where I was supposed to end up!!! I was so happy. I immediately emailed my list pals and bragged about it till I’m sure they are sick and tired of hearing it. A bit later I went back to stitch in the middle… and was totally dismayed to find that it wasn’t so correct after all! I’d done it completely wrong! I swallowed hard and tried not to cry…then I realized… it was upside down. sigh… Alls well in Karens stitching world   

I'm going to be Pouncing!

I have ordered some linen twill from Berlin Embroidery. This is the traditional fabric for crewel work. Tanja, the owner of Berlin Embroidery has been SO helpful to this newbie. First, let me share with you the info about the fabric, this is what she has written on her site -

“The Jacobean Linen Twill fabric is the traditional fabric used for Jacobean crewel embroidery and is woven in Scotland.

The Linen Twill fabric is naturally stiff and heavy traditionally used for drapes over windows and around beds to ward off the cold and can be used for pictures, fire screens and cushions. Before embroidery is begun the fabric should be washed by hand, in hand hot water, soaked for a while and then rinsed so that the stiffening is removed from the fabric. The fabric can be ironed dry on the wrong side of the fabric.”

And she told me - her manufacturer is in Scotland and still makes the fabric to the same specifications as the fabric that was made hundreds of years ago so it is the most authentic fabric that you can purchase.

I LOVE that part of it! The historical significance pleases me and I just can’t wait to sew on it!!

So, after I ordered, I got to thinking, how am I going to transfer the design? I can’t see through this fabric! So, I emailed Tanja, and asked her. She told me about the Pounce method so … I ordered one and I’m gonna be Pouncing!

I started looking for the Pounce, not having any clue how much it would cost. You know what kind of things come up in a Search for ‘Pouncing’? Well, never mind!

One of the sites was called The Find I’ve bookmarked it. It pulled up about 20 sites that sell the Ultimate Pounce and how much they sell for. I was able to quickly find the best price and buy it! For 12.99!!!  I didn’t have to search and click and go and re-search and UGH! Who has time for that? I might as well drive from store to store

I’ll keep you posted on my pouncing adventures

I'm going to be Pouncing!

I have ordered some linen twill from Berlin Embroidery. This is the traditional fabric for crewel work. Tanja, the owner of Berlin Embroidery has been SO helpful to this newbie. First, let me share with you the info about the fabric, this is what she has written on her site -

“The Jacobean Linen Twill fabric is the traditional fabric used for Jacobean crewel embroidery and is woven in Scotland.

The Linen Twill fabric is naturally stiff and heavy traditionally used for drapes over windows and around beds to ward off the cold and can be used for pictures, fire screens and cushions. Before embroidery is begun the fabric should be washed by hand, in hand hot water, soaked for a while and then rinsed so that the stiffening is removed from the fabric. The fabric can be ironed dry on the wrong side of the fabric.”

 

And she told me - her manufacturer is in Scotland and still makes the fabric to the same specifications as the fabric that was made hundreds of years ago so it is the most authentic fabric that you can purchase.

I LOVE that part of it! The historical significance pleases me and I just can’t wait to sew on it!!

So, after I ordered, I got to thinking, how am I going to transfer the design? I can’t see through this fabric! So, I emailed Tanja, and asked her. She told me about the Pounce method so … I ordered one and I’m gonna be Pouncing!

I started looking for the Pounce, not having any clue how much it would cost. You know what kind of things come up in a Search for ‘Pouncing’? Well, never mind!

One of the sites was called The Find I’ve bookmarked it. It pulled up about 20 sites that sell the Ultimate Pounce and how much they sell for. I was able to quickly find the best price and buy it! For 12.99!!!  I didn’t have to search and click and go and re-search and UGH! Who has time for that? I might as well drive from store to store  

I’ll keep you posted on my pouncing adventures

Update: 3rd Try on Giselle

It’s working… it’s working! Progress is being made! I’m starting to combine techniques. I didn’t want to do the padded satin stitch on those two lower leaves Again, so I moved on to the Fly Stitch, which is officially now my favorite leaf stitch! Love this stitch and the way it looks to form a leaf.
I also did the buttonhole stitch and the detached buttonhole stitch for the blue carnation. I didn’t really see how the detached buttonhold stitch would add anything but it did! I like it now.I think I should have drawn directions lines for the buttonhole stitch, it might have turned out better. Good tip for the next one!

For the flower calyx I did stem stitch, in rows right next to each other. This was harder than I thought it would be, and my rows aren’t as close as I think they should be.

I have decided that this IS the final try I won’t be drawing this again, so everything I try and everything I need to practice will be on this fabric. Good progress made today.

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Update: 3rd try on Giselle

It’s working… it’s working! Progress is being made! I’m starting to combine techniques. I didn’t want to do the padded satin stitch on those two lower leaves Again, so I moved on to the Fly Stitch, which is officially now my favorite leaf stitch! Love this stitch and the way it looks to form a leaf.
I also did the buttonhole stitch and the detached buttonhole stitch for the blue carnation. I didn’t really see how the detached buttonhold stitch would add anything but it did! I like it now.I think I should have drawn directions lines for the buttonhole stitch, it might have turned out better. Good tip for the next one!

I found this book at the library the other day,  55 Flower Designs For Cross-Stitch, Canvaswork and Crewel Embroidery by Jane Greenoff and Sue Hawkins. I love flowers in needlework, so I pulled this one of the shelf. They name a flower, then provide a cross-stitch pattern AND a crewel/embroidery pattern! Most of them are shown done up both ways. I love the versatility of this and they are just the right size to use with greeting cards, put on pillows, put in tiny frames, or make a pincushion.
I ended up liking the book so much, I ordered it from an Amazon seller for 1.58! There is the 3.99 shipping charge, but still, it’s a good price for a book I’ll actually use!