The last leaf

I finished it tonight!  The last leaf is done and it creates a great balance in the design.  There is just a bit more gold trellis to put in place and that is next on the schedule.

On a sad note, Judy Harper passed away today from heart problems.  Her Possibilities and Elegant Whimsies were frequent stops on my nightly blog cruising.  I stitched some Halloween napkin rings for her a while back and she just recently added some new designs.  Take a trip through her blogs as I am not sure if they will be maintained.

Starting the final leaf

The very top and final leaf lays in next to the top poppy and I worked on the base of the leaf tonight.  While it is done with two strands of floss, it is slow to cover in stacked outline stitches, but well worth the effect on the presentation of the piece.

Thanks again to all of you who are enjoying watching this piece evolve.  Pat Van Cleve's design is a joy to work and her instructions are excellent.  I also love the "trellis" look of the gold blackwork in the background.  It surely makes this piece pop!

   More tomorrow....

In a couple of days

I walked around the yard today as the sun was shining and look!  The crocus are popping out of the leaves, and in a few more days the daffodils will cover the mulch area in the front yard!  The Hellebores are popping out as are leaf buds on the roses.  The Hyacinths are poking their heads up and so are the day lilies.  I hope that this is  going to be an early spring and not just a way too early sign that they will be frosted over later.  Poppy progress tomorrow!

Two down, one to go

I finished leaf number two tonight and actually started a bit of leaf three tonight.  My guess is a few more evenings and this one will be ready for the framer!

Poppy update

Tonight I finished the gold Fil on the lower right.  I then moved onto the next leaf under the middle poppy and worked on it a bit.  This picture is truer to the background color of the green and yes, Beth, the poppies really do pop on this piece.  It is going to be a very elegant, striking one for sure.  Thanks for following along!

If you have not heard, Judy from Possibilities-see my blog roll-is in the hospital.  Please keep her in your thoughts.

One is done

The bottom leaf is finished as of tonight, so then I moved over and started working on the goldwork on the bottom right section.  It is close but not quite finished.  DMC fil is very slippery and the single strand requires
a bit of patience and persistence but is well worth the effort.

Much better

I worked on the bottom leaf some more tonight.  I did not quite get it finished, but almost!  I am using two strands of Crescent Colors and doing the outline stitches so it will be slow go on the leaves for a bit, but they are working out much better this way.

Deviating....again.

Okay, I did it again.  Last night I worked more of the straight stitches on the bottom leaf for over an hour.
I did not like how it looked.  Using a Crescent over dyed, it was a splotchy, sloppy looking thing.  I spent the rest of my stitching time pulling it back out.  I am doing the leaves with the same thread, but doing an outline stitch instead.  I like the flow of the leaf better and the color looks more like a leaf to me. My stand by saying....My piece, my prerogative.   I worked on that some tonight and also filled in the left side with the black work pattern in the DMC fil.
Oh, and this is going to be a framed piece when it is finished.

DMC Fil

I went to the rotation canvas and looked through to decide where to start and the Oriental Poppies won!  The reason being is this is so close to being finished, and I love the color in this one.  So I started out with the single strand of DMC Fil and worked more on the background black work pattern on the left.  I then decided to put in the veins on all the leaves following the instructions.  Last, I started filling in the bottom leaf with the long stitches called for.  I am using a variegated thread so the leaves are going to be varying in color.

Thanks for all the nice comments on the Lace Fan.  I appreciate reading all of them and am very pleased this piece was interesting to everyone.

The final touches

I finished the back stitch and whip stitching across the top between the petals. I then moved below the flowers and did two rows of the braided chain stitch in Snow.  That separates the fan itself from the spokes.  The final touch was to make the twisted cord tassel and adding the bead and then anchoring it through to the back of the piece.  It will go to the framer tomorrow and you will see what magic they work when I get it back.  Thanks for watching this one and for the appreciation of Marilyn's designing skills.  It was my pleasure to create this piece and I enjoyed the different elements to this piece.
When I started this piece, I knew this would be one for my own collection.  I have stitched a couple of other fans, have my husband's grandmother's wedding fan framed, and will hopefully create a new arrangement with all of them.

Last of the Spokes

I finished the applique of the last spoke, and then Kreinik swirls that are couched in place and then some seed beads.  Next, I moved over and back stitched the left side of the fan to finish off the edge of the Alicia lace.  After backstitching I whipstitched over that to create a small neat edge.  I am working my way across the top to finish over the edges of all the spaces between the flowers and will have that done tomorrow night.  Only two other things left to do and this one will be finished.

This is going to be framed and hung in my house:  it is not a gift for anyone else.  It will be matted and framed so all the away pin stitches or cross stitches will be hidden by the mat and never to be seen again.  I did the away waste knots like this intentionally.  Lacquered Jewels is a very slippery thread.  I could not do a pin or L stitch  anywhere in the design as it would have been very obvious.  Some of the beginning/ending threads are buried in the back of the white flowers too.     Do let me know if you have any other questions, and I am glad you are all enjoying this piece.

Ultrasuede!

Yes, I have been working with Ultrasuede.  Marilyn provided the paper pattern outlines for the the eight
spokes piece and the long blade on the end.  I traced the outlines and then cut each piece out very carefully and
got the spokes  appliqued in place.  I also had to cut out a piece of white felt for the long blade and basted it in place.  I then started stitching the long blade in place, and have set it aside so you could see my "construction".

Fini Chinese Stitch

I made it all the way around and even had quite a bit of the fiber left!  Tomorrow I will start the center spokes of the fan.  Stay tuned as we are close to being done!

Almost there

I got out the turbo needle but did not quite make it all the way over the top!  This is a done deal for
tomorrow!  There are just a few more touches after the Chinese stitch so I am anxious to put this on the done list!  It is a wonderful piece and I can't wait to see it framed!

Starting over the top

I started on the left and am working my way over the top of the fan in the Chinese Stitch.  I think this was pretty good progress for tonight!  I can see light at the end of this tunnel!

Made it!

I finished the lower right outside border!  I wasn't sure I could get that much stitched in one evening but I made it!  Now I will start the top outside curve.  Did you notice all the away waste knots?  Lacquered Jewels is a fine thread and then it is also slippery.  I am doing L and X stitches to secure the start and end of each thread to secure them.

Center Crescent

As you can see, I worked on the center crescent at the base of the fan.  The Chinese Stitch is a fairly quick stitch even if working on the diagonal and I am able to get quite a bit stitched in one sitting.  I hope to complete the lower right side tomorrow night!

Chinese Stitch

The outside area is worked in a sing strand of Lacquered Jewls in the Chinese stitch.  After frogging a bit on the left side where I had miscounted, I resumed working the stitch along the bottom and up into the center where the fan blades will also be.

From yesterday:  This will be framed and hung in my home--it is actually for me!  Second, yes the beads are quite the illusion, and they are all "seated" in the holes of the Alicia Lace stitch, both the black and the white.

It is beaded

I finished all the beading.  The same beads are used on both the white flowers and then dotted here and there in the background.  Note that the beads are the same size although they look larger on the background than they do on the flowers! 

Illuminations

This is a Needle Art Kit in Illuminations on Color, designed by Orna Willis.  I saw this on her Etsy site in other colorways and contacted her asking for one in blues and she created a thread pack for me!  How cool is that?   Her Etsy site is http://www.etsy.com/shop/Ornaw?ref=pr_shop_more and I just checked and the pattern is on there now in Lilac but there is another blue thread pack available.  This design is about two by three and I added on to it.  I added Delica beads in the open areas of the design and also did blanket stitching all the way around the outside.  I may turn this into a piece of jewelry or put it on a box top or make it a closure on a vintage purse, or stitch it on a piece of clothing, or lastly frame it.....so many possibilities don't you think?

While traveling...

We have been gone for a week.....DH decided it was time for a cruise so off we went!  We sailed from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Cayman, on to Cozumel and returned to FL and then drove home!  It was in the eighties, sunny, and breezy!  Lots of entertainment, sun time, and of course, some stitching time in the car.  I finished this piece that fits in this 4 inch round box top.  This is a present for a future birthday gift.  I also worked on a couple of other pieces.