What do you think?

I am trying to identify and even obtain if possible this pattern by Loretta Spears....I saw it several years
ago on ebay and did not bid on it at the time.....The description said a gray/mauve Victorian stocking kit work on 9 x 12 18 count canvas with Kreinik, floss and perle.  If you have any info, please send me an email
at ndleartnut@aol.com.......Thank you all so much!

Beth in NY please email me at ndleartnut@aol.com about your Zecca.

Framed, up close

We just returned from a trip and I picked up the three Charley Harper cardinals from my framer in NC!  This is the third and final one you have not seen framed.  Maggie does a beautiful job picking mats and frames for the designs every time.  This has a black inner mat, then the red on top of that and the frame has a bit of a pattern to it.  If you enlarge it, I think you will be able to see the pattern.  They are all framed in the same mat and frame and I will try and get them hung up very soon.

Almost there

I worked quite a bit on this one, up until I ran out of Kreinik.  I filled in lots of the rows with the overdyed and also came back and filled in the Kreinik blocks with DMC floss...but I am out of Kreinik and am looking to see if I have more so I can finish this....it will work out to form a square and then be ready for finishing.

A few more rows

I got a few more rows in on Spring today.  Not much difference to show but a little.....the original threads are shown below

The canvas is a Sage green and the Needle Necessities is 135, The Anchor is 185 and the Kreinik is 829. 
I am using white 18 count, Needle Necessitiers 110, DMC 800 and Kreinik 014.

This one is called Spring

Today I started on Spring which is another one of the Loretta Spears Designs that will be an ornament.  This one is worked on 18 count canvas.  I t calls for Anch and overdyed floss and #8 Kreinik.  I changed the colors to work with what was in my stash, but they are not much different.  I have completed two of the diagonal rows of interlocking squares using the Kreinik and then worked Byzantine step stitches using three strands of Overdyed Needle Necessities.

Brilliance

 Brilliance is another one of the Loretta Spears Design ornaments.  This one is 2 inches across.  I worked it with the fibers the pattern called for but,of course, changed the colors.  I used Kreinik #12 in 003 instead of 012, and gold cord to attach the red beads.  Below is the photo on the original pattern.

The Snowflake

The Snowflake is by Loretta Spears.  This piece is
about  2.5 inches across.  I worked it on 18 count as directed and the pattern called for Flair in 557 and 558.  I used Flair but used 561, the darker, and 566 the lighter.  The Kreinik I used is was 014 when it called for 032.  The one on the top is the one I stitched.  The one on the right is the pattern picture.

And something else

 And something else means I started other new things.....Above is a picture of the Watercolours thread in Fiesta along with the Apricot canvas that came with my October 1991 Christmas Heirloom Club ornament by Lorettta Spears.  The lady I got it from says it is called Fiesta Cube.....Now those are definately not my colors but I want to start working some of the ornaments....so of course I changed the colors.  I worked my on 18count white canvas and used Watercolours in Holiday and used gold Mill Hill beads. The quarter gives you size perspective of how little this cube will be when I stitch it together....that will be another day

Publish Post

Pattern 8, Aurora

 Pattern 8 started out with Soie d Alger over three in blue and then seafoam over four in the vertical rows.  I then laid in the Trebizond and couched it down with two strands of Madiera....lastly, cross stitches over the center vertical bars.  And then for perspective, here is the overall shot of what is complete.

Aurora Borealis, Pattern 7

Today, I got out some of the rotation pieces....this is Aurora Borealis by Marnie Ritter.  It was presented in the May June 2001 issue of Needlepoint Now.  I cropped the photo so you can better see column two.  When I last worked on this, I did the bottom turquoise pattern and today I did the pattern above it, #7.  First I laid in the Kreinik Braid and then worked vertical rows of stitches in Waterliles.  Last one strand of Soie d Alger distorts the vertically laid metallic so it looks wavy.  This pattern is actually Revisited.....I got it from Ms. Ritter at Callaway Gardens in order to get all the different fibers already kitted.

Layers

Building in the center, I added Star Jessicas in the copper Kreinik between the Crescents I did yesterday.  then using Gloriana silk, so yummy!, I stitched Plaited Rays between the Crescents.  Look between the Plaited Rays to see the blue Kreinik in the center of each of the Rays.  Last,I did loop Crescents inside the large Crescents with Mandarin floss and filled in the center straight lines with Sparkle Braid.

Smyrnas, Crescents and Snow

So, I finished both borders of Smyrnas in the Nutmeg Waterlilies....love it!  Next, using more Nutmeg I worked all the Crescents, again using 3 ply of the Waterlies.....I forgot to mention, this is 18 count canvas and it seems huge after working on the 24 count and that this design area is 11 1/2  x 11 1/2 so the canvas is on 20 x 20 stretcher bars.  I have it on the huge oak floor frame and it is working very well.  For those of you who have pulled up a chair with your drinks and popcorn.....looking only....no touching!
And, we are up to ten inches of snow since Thursday....big fluffy flakes of the stuff...great to look at from the window!

Snow Day

 So it started snowing last night and then most of today....just about six inches so far....this is the view out the back door....with me inside....warm...dry...so I picked up the chart and the needles. I am working on Cat's Eyes. This design won a 1st place ribbon at the Woodlawn Needlework show last year . It is just one of the beautiful designs by Ms. Biggs and if you have not had the opportunity to see her others, go to  www.threedles.com and check them out.   She has graciously given me permission to stitch this on the blog, and ask if I have any questions.  I had ordered the pattern and all the fibers a bit ago.    The pattern pack consists of 43 pages of instructions, charts, graphs and a lot of color in those.  She has provided three different colorways to choose from and I am going to stitch the Cleopatra colorway shown in the photo yesterday....with one exception.  I am working it on blue canvas not tan.....Areas of the canvas will remain open and I preferred the blue...you know me.  So today, this is what I did:

First, a Smyrna cross circle is worked with Waterlilies in Nutmeg....how pretty is that?  Then, Petite Frosty Rays formed the star pattern and is overlaid with Kreinik cord to create the star on the star.  Last, I moved out and started a border of two rows of Smyrnas using the Waterliles again. 

Odds n ends

 I took another picture today of #10 and put it on yesterday's post.  It is a better and closer to color picture.  Then I sat down and cruised my new book (all of these were from Christmas) by Sandra Arthur....the second one in her series.....I got a little carried away looking through it and did not look at the last DVD from Amy's collection that I did not have....I may have to look at that tomorrow.  Then I spent some time looking at the new pattern I got from Threedles....It is called A Different View and this is the cover photo showing the design done in black by Kurdy Biggs.  I had to spend some time looking at this one because....

this is the one I put on the frame!  I got this quite a while back Cat's Eyes....while I was working on Dorothy Lesher's Snowbird and could not even think about working on it.....then the Noel had to be done, and the Mystic, and the Loretta, but now.......let the needles fly!

#10 Fini-new photo

 I managed to find enough orts to fill in the lower left corner....trust me....six little pieces of thread and we made it!  I then went ahead and dis the center design.  It is also worked with Needle Necessities, Marlitt, a row of metallic (which was done with a very close substitute, so I could finish the piece today) and then the background stitch with more of the second color of Kreinik.....I had been using 3221 and used 3232 to finish it.  Below is a closeup of the center motif.....I will try and get a picture tomorrow with the sun shining so I can try and capture the colors better.  I am not putting the perle around the outside of the piece as called for in the pattern.....I like it just fine like this!

Make a note....

If you are planning on working this design, write this down......I am not done with the design but I used 2 skeins of Marlitt (will have some left), one skein of Threadworx (will have some left), and not using the Perle to go around the outside with the four sided stitch, and now look very closely........I was on the second spool of Kreinik #4 and on the home stretch of finish all the background around all the outside of each motif.....duh?!  I ran out again......Write this down......3 spools of Kreinik.....not one, not two,    but 3........so I am going through the ort bag....yes, really.....I am going to find enough in there to finish that tiny area on the bottom left or else.....stretching it has come to mind.....standing up and pulling all my hair out has come to mind.....and a lot of new swear words.......back to ort bag diving.....a new art!

More on Lesson Five

 I am working on the pattern around the outside of all the motifs and got a little more than half done.  It is all done with a single strand of the Kreinik #4 and does not show up well in the overall picture, but

this is a very closeup and I modified the color so you could see that it is creating little boxes all over!

Back to the Mystery

Yippee!  Stitching again.....I finished the Kreinik metallic in Motif #4, bottom right.  I then went and finished the side triangles that are worked with the Needle Necessities and the Marlitt, so those are finished!  I am moving right along again!

And the winner is.......

Random.org has chosen Cyn in Windy Meadows as the winner of the fibers and donut.....Hope you have
fun creating with them Cyn.....send me an email at ndleartnut@aol.com with your address and I will get them in the mail to you!

And to all of you for not only following the blog, but commenting......thanks!

blog Giveaway

A while ago, I mentioned we are close to 200,000 page views since I started the blog.....first on Yahoo then here.  I asked you to leave a comment if you would like to be entered in a drawing and.....drum roll....the
drawing is going to be for 2 skeins of Hyla"s High Cotton, one is Sky 519 and the other is Pacific 524....there is a stone donut with the colors of the fibers and then above that is Crescent Colours in Deep Fennel and Blue Moon......have you left your comment to be entered?  Drawing will be done tomorrow....Thursday....check back to see who won!

3 side patterns

So I worked on the side patterns.....in between the corner patterns....but only the Needle Necessities part!  I did get the thread in the mail this afternoon, but decided I had gone this far without it......so I will finish all the NN and then come back and do the Marlitt.....right after I finish filling in the Kreinik #4 in Motif 4......all of a sudden, I feel like I am a long ways behind on this??!!
 Pattern availability:  I will let you know again that this pattern is no longer available....I am sorry to say....unless you find one on ebay or request one through some of the chat lists and can get it, I don't have any other ideas/options for you.....mine was spoken for a long while ago as is Lara's.  This is the unfortunate part of Loretta's patterns...they are very hard to come by......Good luck with the hunt.

Squaring the design

I got all four corners stitched to start "squaring" the design area.  Each corner is worked in alternating rows of Milanese with either two strands of the NN or the Marlitt.  I will also run out of the Marlitt, so if you are planning on doing this design, buy more than one skein....I have not done any ripping out so you know, it just takes more than the pattern calls for.  I started each corner area in the center of the design and worked out so that they would all be perfectly lined up.
Barbi commented that this is much like Samarkand Tiles by Anna Pearson....
here is the link.....take a look and see what you think...scroll down the page a bit!
http://www.needle-point.co.uk/design_catalogue3.htm

A lot of hither and yon

Yes, I actually stitched today but not enough progress to show you anything of measure.
Today is my mom's birthday--Happy Birthday again!  It finally decided it was going to snow
in Michigan so the party for Mom got cancelled....yes it finally is snowing, quite pretty actually...but
then I am inside!  Anyway, so I started taking down the holiday decor, doing laundry, packing and
shipping from the destashing blog, watched it snow, stitched a bit, and here it is ten o'clock and not
much to show for it.....Photos tomorrow!

Oh, and......have you left your comment for the prize yet....maybe I will get that photo taken tomorrow too....
If you have already left a comment, your name is in the pool!