BIG NEWS!

I am so excited to announce that there are now stitch guides available for Sloe Gin Sadie and Champagne Corliss!  Both canvas are by Leigh Designs and are part of the Floozies series.   You can see them here:

http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp489x.html

or, you can look on the right side of blog and find the posts as I stitched both of these on the blog.  The guides have more detail along with thread and material lists.You can purchase them through your shop when you buy the canvas or you can purchase them directly from me.  They are a PDF file that I can email and you print at home or I can mail it to you.  If you are interested, send me an email at ndleartnut@aol.com.  I accept checks and paypal.

 Email prices:

Champagne Corliss will be $30.00.    Sloe Gin Sadie will be $20.00.

US mail prices:  Add $10.00 to each  for paper and postage.

And, if that is not enticing enough......I will be doing another guide real soon!  Stay tuned!

She's home!

Sloe Gin Sadie by Leigh Designs is back from the framer.  Fast Frame in Asheville, NC did the framing  She has a black filet next to the silver mat which is next to a red silk mat and then surrounded by a black frame that is trimmed in silver.  As always, Maggie does a "fab" job!

The final touches

Sadie got the final touches.  I added a strand of blending filament to the ice in the glass for a little shine.  Next using sheer red ribbon, I added a frill to the top bud and then stitched the calyx and stem using YLI silk ribbon.  The back leaves are also stitched using YLI ribbon.  Next a piece of wired sheer red ribbon to pull one side and scrunch along to create a small center bud and large outside frill.  Last more sheer ribbon that I gathered in the center and then stitched down with black bugle beads for the cuffs.  I made the choice not to stitch the lavender canvas but leave it as is.  Sadie is ready for framing!  Thanks again to Leigh Designs for
permission to blog stitch the piece!  She is an amazing Floozy! 

And it is a bar!

The bar is finished!  All of the black and white Neon Rays stitches are in!  Woohoo!  Just a few more things to finish.....

Almost done

I am still working on the bar.  I am almost done....just a bit on the right is left to be filled in with the Neon Rays.

The Bar

Since Sadie is leaning on the bar preparing to take a sip of her Sloe Gin, it is time to get the bar filled in.  I am using black and white Neon Rays and doing Gobelin stitches to create the checkered bar.

Sadie's stole

Sadie's stole is finished and I brushed it with the Bunka brush, so it is nice and fluffy!

And it grows.

I am still stitching on the Boa.  Basketweave takes some time and a single strand of Wisper is covering nicely.  I have brushed some of it with the Bunka brush so you can see the effect. I am using 60, 61, and 88 by the way.....back to it

The boa

After auditioning many fibers and many, many stitches, I finally made my decision.  I don't want the boa to jump out at you, but should be a secondary point due to the size.  I wanted fuzzy or furry as they are.  I finally chose Wisper in three shades.  It brushes up for some fuzzy but not overwhelming.

Cuffs and

So first I did the rings since I was doing jewelry!  They are each a silver backed rhinestone in the center and then Mill Hill silver lined clear beads around them.  Next I stitched the cuffs in Splendor 821 and the shadows are 1005.  I did not do the black as I am thinking beads there and want to get the boa done before that.

Let's do Jewelry!

To do Sadie's necklace, I decided to try the Wonder Ribbon in Titanium.  I ordered the 6 mm a while ago and this is great stuff!  I got mine from All About Stitching and while I was there also picked up some neat beads.  http://allaboutstitching.com in case you want to check it out!  Anyway, the ribbon was too wide for the necklace so I started playing.  #1 above is how it comes off the spool.  #2 is when you take your nails and splay it apart.  #3 is where I cut it to size for the base of the necklace.  Using a size 20 needle, I took the first length to the back and tacked it down with Kreinik cord 001C which I also used to attach the Magnica 1001 beads at the painted intersections.   A necklace fit for a Floozie!

That's a dress.

Today I finished Sadie's dress.  I used Neon Rays + in 26 for the shading areas, Kreinik #12 in 003 HL for the squiggle lines, and Gold rush 14 in 46C for the rest of her dress.  On to the cuffs!

Some of this n that

First, I finished the glass.  I used more Flair in  502 and 517 and stitched that in basketweave.  Next, time for some lipstick!  I used Splendor 825 with three strands for the red, and then just black and a little white for the highlight.  The collar on her dress was next.  Neon Rays + in black and I used the Upright Cross.  It really does sparkle but hard to get that to show here.  Next is her dress.  I started with Neon Rays + in 26 for the shading by her arm.  The darker color is being done in Gold Rush 14 using 46C and then the squiggly lines are being done in Kreinik #12 003HL.  All the dress is being worked in basketweave and only about one inch square is done as I wanted to make sure I was getting the effect I wanted.  More on that next time.

All the hair!

Sadie's hair is all done.  I finished the diagonal Wave stitch variation with the four strands of Weeks Dye Works overdyed Kohl 3900 and the tent stitches in 3 strands of black Splendor. I then painted her fingernails with #8 Kreinik in red 003 just using tent stitches.  I started on her little beverage by stitching all with Flair, the colored beverage--Sloe Gin! in 579, 512, and 511.  I will get the top of the glass done next.
I know you are all wondering about the posey!  I can't do the detail on that yet because of what I want to do and it has to go on last....so just be patient!  LOL

Starting the hair

I have started working on Sadie's hair and finished the right side.  Since it appears wavy to me, I am doing a diagonal Wave stitch variation.  I am using Weeks Dye Werks with four strands of the overdyed.  In between the wave stitches, the tent stitches are filled in with black Splendor.  I chose the overdyed due to the grey streak in her hair on the left side and think that will help with the starkness of the streak.

That's a hat!

Sadie is now fashionably struttin' her pill box hat!  I did padded satin stitch with two colors of Flair to create the perky little pill box.

Sadie's back

 First, I finished all of the red Splendor on the flower that I am going to stitch right now.  I then did
a tracing of the pill box hat.  Then I cut out two shapes from felt, one smaller than the other.

 Next I stitched the larger one in place and added the pointed shape at the top right.  Next, I stitched
the smaller one on top of that.  You can see where I am going with this now, can't you?

Eighty percent

I thought I would finish all of the red today, but no such luck!  The top bud is all in red, and I am figuring eighty percent of her hat flower is finished with the basketweave for the first step. 

All red

I stitched basketweave on the red flower on the top of Sadie's hat in red Splendor...I am doing almost all of it as you can see by looking close to the center.  This is the preliminary step I need to do so that I can add more to the flower later.  Boring, but necessary!

A long neck

I finished the rest of Sadie's neck.  Under her chin is Splendor 925, then 924, then one strand of 924 and two strands of 900 blended, and then all 900.  I am using three strands on all the skin areas. I have the hands done except the shaded areas.  Her nose outline is done in 924.