This is also home

I also picked up the Venus Eyes by Threedles at the framers.  It is a beautiful silver frame with the lush amethyst mat.  This piece will hang in my niece's home!

Cat's eyes is framed

My framer sent me a photo of the framed Cat's Eyes.  The mat is amethyst and the frame is silver.  She will be keeping this for a while and putting it in her shop window as a display until I pick it up in January.

217 Bicones and 48 bugle beads later

 I finished the rest of the third layer and outer border and moved to the corners. The Diagonal Star Jessicas each got a bicone corresponding to the color of the Jessica.  I then placed the 1/2 inch blue bugle beads along side of the Plaited Rays.  The directions called for green but I only wanted the green in the Venus Eyes in the center and did mine in blue.  The green brought more focus to the corners than I liked and changed to the blue to finish this piece.  The finished photo is below and in both of these you can see that the canvas is blue.  I kept track of my stitching time as I always do and this piece took 75 hours.  Thanks again to Kurdy Biggs for a great design!

Starting the 3rd layer

I finshed all of the second layer beading and the second small border and moved into the third layer and final one.  At the bottom of the picture, there is an aqua bicone in each of the Triangular Jessicas and between the Large Rhodes and the Large Crescent and then two blue 1/2 inch bugle beads.  I have finished three of these patterns with one to go.  Each of the Diagonal Star Jessicas on the diagonal has bicone stitched in the center and I have completed three of those four as well.  The outer border is filling again with the pattern of bicones and I have six of the eight sides done!  And....only poked myself once so far!  LOL

Second Layer of Beads

In the second layer of beading, I added a DB inside each of the small stars by the Sheaf stitches, inside the star Jessica in the bottom of the Interlocking Crescent and inside the stars in the upper part and one one each of the large Crescent Stars.  Inside the Cat's Eye Jessicas are 1/2 inch Kelly Green bugle beads.  I have made it around six sides of this layer in the bicone pattern and three of the 4 pattern areas.  Yes, Jane, there are a lot of these and it takes a while......and the outer border pattern of 4 crystals will take even longer.

Crystals and Beads

We made it to the crystals and beads!  Starting from the center and working our way out, I am using a single strand of beading thread but going through each bead twice to prevent the dreaded wobbles.  There is one amethyst bicone in the center star, then inside the first layer, each star Jessica has a Delica bead color 178 which is an iridescent blue purple.  The large star Jessicas each have either a Fuschia, Olivine, Amethyst or Aqua bicone in it.  The small border has a Delica bead-here forward referred to as DB, and then the 3 x 3 Jessicas has a pattern of Fuschia, Olivine, Amethyst and Aqua all the way around--here forward referred to as the pattern.

Finished corners!

I have finished the corners!  I did the rest of the rounded Sprat's Heads with the 3 ply of Gumnuts--that is the turquoise....next the large corner Crescents are done with Bijoux.  It was supposed to be done with 439 which is Garnet and the color is that surrounded by the pin in the star diagonals above on the right....but I did two of them and ran out of thread.  Not willing to order another reel, I substituted 438 and started over.  Last Ray stitches are done over the Crescents with a single strand of Bijoux.......this completes the stitching part and we are on to the crystals and beads!!

Steps 52-54

 In this photo you can see I have finished the Sheaf stitches in step 52 using the Silk Lame 05 as the base and
then wrapping stitches in Kreinik #4 031-the red.  I then did Plaited Rays with 4 ply of Pebbly Perle and the centers are filled with Gold Rush 386C.  On the corner I have done one of the Rounded Sprat's Head stitches called for in step 54 by using 3 ply of Gumnuts in the turquoise.  I still have the other 3 to do as you can see
in the overall shot

I figured you might want to see it all again and did not put the white behind it so you can see the base of the
stitching stand too!  LOL

The rest of the Diagonal Star Jessicas

I finished the rest of the diagonal Star Jessicas using more Bijoux, Kreinik and Sparkle Braid on all four corners.  I have just started the Sheaf stitches across the top of the Jessicas using Silk Lame...You can see where all the crystals are going to go, can't ya?

Moving out again

I finished all of the Rhodes stitches in all of the colors!  I have now moved out and am starting
the corners that will square up the piece.  First with Frosty Rays, there are two Sprat's Head in each
corner.  Next I am working on diagonal Star Jessicas.  I have complete three on each corner and they
are done is Kreinik, Treasure Braid and two strands of Bijoux so far with more to come!

8 colors of Rhodes

So, in between all the 3 x 3 Jessica's are 8 different threads of Rhodes stitches....starting with the red Kreinik #4, then there are three colors of Bijoux done with two strands, then the turquoise Kreinik, another color of Bijoux, then Treasure braid and finishes up with two strands of another Bijoux....I have gotten this far around so far.....takes longer to start and stop then it does to do the stitch!  LOL

3 x 3 Jessicas

I finished all of the 3 x 3 Jessicas all around the outside using 2 strands of Bijoux 483.  I have also started step 47 which are Rhodes stitches in between the Jessicas and they are going to be done in 8 different fibers!
The first one shown is #4 Kreinik in 031 red.

Back by popular demand

I am glad so many people are enjoying this design.  I encourage you to work it...the instructions are clear with excellent diagrams, lots of fun stitches and fab fibers!  So, on with the work.  I finished all of the Sprat's heads on the last border with the Frosty Rays and Gold Rush for the last four stitches.  Next I did step 45 which is the large Crescents by the large Rhodes stitches using a single strand of Bijoux 483.  Step 46 is what I am working on--3 x 3 Jessicas around the outside border using two strands of Bijoux 483.

Fixed it....

Thanks to BF who noticed I had the top half of a Plaited Ray stitch placed incorrectly, so before I got going I fixed it.  I would have also caught it when I went to put in the Medium Sheaf stitches shown on either side of the top half of that stitch, but it is always good for someone else to speak up as we don't always see what is in our face......LOL, Anyway, I did the medium Sheaf stitches with 4 ply of Gloriana 066 and those are wrapped with 2 strands of Bijoux 483.  Next are the Sprat's Heads along the outer edge. They are worked first with Petite Frosty Rays and then Gold Rush 14 over the top for the last few stitches.

It is in the details

Step 40 is the Plaited Ray stitches that are worked in  4 ply Gloriana 161, the green.  Five square Rhodes stitches were then worked inside each of those with the accent stitches at the top and bottom with Fyre Werks in the red.  Next, Step 42 are the small Sheaf stitches along the inner border and they are worked with Silk Lame and then highlighted with Kreinik in 031.

Step 39 and counting

I completed step 39 which is all of the Diagonal Star Jessicas in the third layer border..These are all worked with either Bijoux, Kreinik #4 or Treasure Braid....I can see there are still several pages left in the pile, but I believe there is light down that tunnel somewhere!
By the way, thanks for all the nice comments and encouragement on this.....everyone thinks it is really hard, but it is a matter of following the excellent instructions and counting, counting and counting!

Jessicas

I finished all of the overlaying Jessicas on the Rhodes stitches all the way around, and am moving on to the side border.  The Diagonal Star Jessicas are all also worked with Bijoux 483, but this time with two strands and I completed all four of those.  More to come!

Step 36

The top photo shows the rest of Step 36.  All four sections now have the rest of the large Rhodes stitches with the last two I added in Neon Rays Plus for the red and Neon Rays for the turquoise.  I have also started added the Jessicas which overlay the Rhodes stiches with a strand of Bijoux 483.  From the top there is an open one, a partial closed and then a closed.  I have finished just this one and will resume working on those
tomorrow.

Working the third layer

I finished the last of the Triangle Jessicas using the Gumnuts.  Next up was to put in Ray stitches using Bijoux 439.  Last I have addred the large Rhodes Stitches in Neon Rays all the way around.

Triangle Jessicas

I finished the rest of the last border!  I have moved on to the triangle Jessicas and am stitching them with three strands of Gumnuts 468.