A Touch of Blush

I added the blush on Wild Woman's face using four strands of Splendor to match the painted canvas.  A bit heavy handed she was, but on the apple of her cheeks!  I need to add the shine on her glass lens and start the frames next.

The paper

The paper on the package is stitched!  Yippee!  I also started down the center band of the ribbon and the blue Marlitt is done and I am working on the cream. This is a single strand of Marlitt worked in basketweave to allow some of the beautiful paint which is opalescent to show thruogh.

Almost to the bottom

Today I am working on Sharon G's Gift of Love and worked on the blue Waterlilies Double Stitch background on the left side.  I finished one section clear to the bottom and then worked from under the ribbon down.  You can now see the little white heart there.  I will definitely finish this blue tomorrow and will start down the center ribbon section to get that completed.

Starlite

I finished the Lattice with Tied Oblong cross area today by working all the crosses in Madeira.  Madeira is a lot like blending filament weight and this is used doubled in the needle.  It is difficult to get a good picture of the sheen as with most metallics, but it is very pretty.  I then moved on to the top are called Starlite.  It is worked in one strand of Waterlilies Flamingo this far.  As you can see you vary the number of stitches as you move closer to the top to create the fragmented concept she has designed in this piece.

Lattice Stitch

I worked more on the Lattice stitch.  I took out the counting error I found and finished the left to right stitches in Needle Necessities.  The right to left segment is worked with two strands of Soie d' Alger and all of those are also complete.  Ready to fill in the centers of the trellis!

Happy Easter

I hope everyone has had a Happy Easter.  We had a great time with the great niece and nephew doing an Easter egg Hunt and dying eggs, of course!  I started working more on Aurora Borealis, but counted wrong so tomorrow I will rip it out and redo it.  Photos then of the progress.

Braids and all

First I finished adding in all the rest of the beads on all four corners.  The I used Perle 8 and dis the straight stitches in sets of five on all four side.  Using Pebbly Perle I did an overlay in a partial eyelet stitch on top of the straight stitches.  Last in the center of those five straight stitches  I created the sets of overlapping triangles using Neon Rays and Ribbon floss to create the braided effects in the centers.

Layering the O

I did not get to stitch yesterday.....spent a lot of time getting the printer to work....after the fourth new printer in five days, I have one that works again!  Argh!  Anyway, today, I started on the O in Noel.  Remember I have completed the outside box, the inner gold diamond, and the green box as you can see in the bottom of the photo on all the letters.  I started by using gold 1/16 Kreinik and laid in all the spokes and followed that with Evergreen ribbon floss.  On top of that is a single strand of Pebbly Perle which completes the inside of the gold diamond.  I then started putting the beads in the outer corners, but only completed two of them.....Yippee....more beads!

All done!

I finished putting in the Kreinik fibers and this is done.  The pattern actually calls for some squiggles to be worked with facets on top of the pastel bargello pattern but I don't want them.  This is called April from the Royal Millennium Collection by Catherine Coleman in 1999.  The design area is 5 1/2 inches across and the pattern gives the finishing instructions to turn it into a mounted ball.  I will be flat mounting it for a wall hanging instead.
Tomorrow, I will be working on the NOEL again!

The beading is done

I am a lot slower at adding beads than I thought I was!  I finally got the rest of the beading finished today.  All the seed and pony beads have to be double stitched so they remain upright and it took me forever!  Just a few final touches and this will be done.

Royal Millennium

The top photo show a picture of the Royal Millennium Collection-April that I started long ago.  I decided that instead of starting another new project, it was time to finish one.  I had put it aside as I did not like the blue Jessica in the center band.  I ripped it out today and put them back in with 032 Kreinik instead.  I also finished the bands of bargello on each end.  Tomorrow I will put in the beads.

A bigger X

Today I continued working smaller and larger Rhodes Diamonds on all four "legs".  The top right one shows where I finished working by adding yet another row.

Glitz & Glamour Diamond

Time to add another piece into the rotation.  This is DebBee's Designs, Glitz & Glamour Diamond and is a 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 inch design worked in all whites.  I started in the center of 18 count Opalescent canvas with Neon rays and did four Rhodes Diamonds.  Then using Anchor Marlit I worked smaller Rhodes diamonds around those.  Next Soft Sheen Fyre Werks in white pearl are done in the Rhodes Diamonds again, followed by more of the smaller  and repeated outward.

An adventure

Today, I ventured way outside of the comfort zone known areas where I now live and found my way to Peacock Alley Needlepoint in Ada, Michigan....only about 23 miles from my house!  Wow!  First, I met Michelle that works there on Wednesday and she is a very wonderful young lady that is very knowledgeable about all the goodies with our art.  I had talked to Sandy from there and asked her to hold a copy of SharonG;s Needlepoint Sense for me and I was dying to get my hands on it.  Since I can now find most everything I am looking for in the house it was time for some retail therapy.  There was a gorgeous Easter display in one window with lots of lovely pastel fibers and canvas.  They have a wonderful collection of Pischke Pockets bags and canvas as well as the trunk show with two tables full of Julie Pischke Designs canvas and they are just yummy. I saw the new Rainbow Gallery overdyed Very Velvet and the Kreinik Hot Wire, Easter Grass, and all the Kreinik candy colors.....lots of creative ideas for all of that.  I bought some purples for the hair on Wild Woman and some Painter's Threads for her dress.  I also had to get Sandra Arthur's new book called Shapes of Needlepoint.  So instead of stitching today, I am reading and getting some ideas to use in the next few days.....photos tomorrow!

And they are done

Yes, all the bottom leaves are done!  I also then worked on the Brick stitch and it is finished down to the ivory ruler on the right!  I like the subtle yet pleasant background of the Brick stitch on this piece.

More leaves

Br-r-r-d bath is back and I worked on the leaves on the bottom left again and completed two more.  I am using the four strands of Splendor and doing a stem stitch following the sketched on lines for each one.  There are now more done than undone....LOL  Maybe I can get them finished tomorrow!

Warmer days

I have no picture to show you of my progress on my stitching today!  It has been a very busy weekend and it was warm enough today to get some posies planted in the new yard!  The destashing blog has been very busy today as well as I uploaded a large number of new items there last night.  So, until tomorrow...happy stitching!

Eye Makeup

Wild Woman uses a palette knife to apply her eye makeup!  LOL.  Actually, I did the purple eyeshadow with four strands of Splendor and a single strand of Accentuate like I did on the turquoise so it would also have some sparkle to it.  Her mascara, eyeliner, and eyes are also all worked in four strands of Splendor.  Wild woman knows that eye makeup has to be striking to be noticed, and I believe she is quite noticeable!

All the skin

I finished her neckline tonight so all the skin tone is done.  I still have to do the rouge on her checks and more on her eyes, but all her foundation is on.  Like Dolly Parton says, it takes a while to get the make up on!

A little bit more

I worked on the Double Stitch a bit more and can see the bottom along with finishing under the left ribbon.  A couple more sessions and this part will be done.  But tomorrow it is time to pull another project out of the tub...what will it be????

Back to blue

Time to work some more on the Double Stitch Background using the two strands of Waterlilies.  I am still working down the left side and got quite a bit done considering I am in an area of a lot of compensation.  This is going faster than I remember!  Yippee!

Diagonal Upright

After stitching a bit, I realized I had miscounted on the diagonal upright stitches and ripped three rows out.  Drat.  I redid those but only completed the left to right section.  Diagonal counting can be somewhat more thought requiring than I was capable of tonight!

Finished Overnight

I did the finishing on Overnight Accommodations.  I must apologize for the slight blur.  My 3 year old great niece was taking pictures with the camera today and apparently a fingerprint is now on my lens!  LOL.  I will have to clean the lens in the morning but I will laugh for days about the things she says and does.....Anyway, I turned this piece into a door knob hanger for the guest room.  I wrapped the canvas around a batting covered piece of foam core and the back is a pink satin on a batting covered piece of foam core also.  I then glued those two pieces together and banded it with a maroon ribbon which I did an overhand knot in to loop over the door.  I think it will be a nice conversation piece for that room.

Back to Aurora

Today, I worked on Aurora Borealis by Marnie Ritter.  The center band is being worked first and I completed the Staggered Pavillions section.  Previously I had laid in the Kreink and tonight I finished all the Silk Mori pavillions.  I then used a strand of Madeira to zig zag backstitch between the Pavillions.  I then started the Lattice above that with Needle Necessities overdyed.  Reminds me of a tall firework with a double fuse.

I found the needles!

Well, we are pretty much moved in, unpacked, and able to find most things.  There are a few areas that need some tweaking but for the most part we are in and very happy with the new house!  It is colder here in Michigan than it was in North Carolina, but we are adjusting.  It was time for me to get back to doing some stitching!  Yippee!  So, today I worked on the Noel by Kick Back and Stitch.  I filled in all the rest of the Crescents in the single strand of Pebbly Perle and worked 3 in each corner of the design.  then I added six beads above the Very Velvet.  This one is all done except for the letter N!