Glorious Framing!

I went by the framer and picked this up today! Bob and Maggie do such a great job! The gold fillet surrounds the piece with a red linen mat and then the gold shadowbox frame with the museum glass. The piece measures 15 x 15 inches. I love it! I took the picture from the side so you don't see my reflection.

Airborn!

Yes, he is officially flying! I cut out all the rest of the wired elements and attached all of them. The last thing was to do the wrapped stamens in the center of the two flowers. This is finished! Yippee!

The itty bitty wing

This is the foreground wing for the Hummingbird. I should have put a ruler in this picture, but I did not think of that until now. The total length of the wire from tip to tip is 7 inches so that should help. Anyway, more of the silver chiffon is ironed onto the interfacing after the pattern was traced on it. I then tacked the wire to the outline shape and then button hole stitched over it. Next was to outline stitch all but the straight lines on the right and they were done with a single straight stitch. Finally, I took my tiny sharpest scissors and cut away the extra chiffon. How cute is that little thing!

Hard to fly yet-Update!

I finished the tail and outlined the feathers, took out the beak and redid it so that it was narrower, and did one wing. He can't really hover yet, but almost. The back wing is a piece of chiffon with iron on interfacing. It is then chain stitched to the linen and then that is wrapped. The lines in the wings are done with the outline stitch. Tomorrow I work on the foreground wing.
The silvery chiffon is ironed onto interfacing and then cut out close to the traced pattern lines. By chain stitching around the outside edge, it secures the piece to the fabric.

Back to the Hummer

I put in the beak and then starting working on the tail. This is also working using a single strand of the silk in long and short stitches. I did not quite finish filling it in and I also have to do the outline stitches for the separations in a darker gray. Getting there though!

It is really hard to fly....

without any wings or a tail, but I did manage to cut out this little guy, stuff and applique him to the linen. So temporarily he is suspended. Tomorrow he gets his beak and tail next. We are close to having this one in the finished category! I looked ahead at the instructions and the wings are also stumpwork so he can fly a little better.....then attaching the leaves and petals. I hope to have him done this week!

Surprise!

The purse came back! This is the purse flap that I won by listening to Gone Stitching Blog talk radio a while back. Every week Renee interviews someone new and there is a contest that you can enter, so I did! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gone-stitching I finished stitching it and sent it back to them and Boots Bailey finished the purse with a black suede on the back, fully lined it with black moire, attached the shoulder strap and a tassel. I am thrilled with this and plan to carry it many times. There is a piece of silver lame behind the canvas to make all of the stitching pop. I had sent it along as I do this on a lot of pieces and everyone liked the idea.

Today I moved on to the Hummingbird itself. All but the red throat is worked in single strands of split stitch. The throat is worked with 2 strands of red and one of green in long French knots to give it a very textured look. I am glad you all like Mr. Spider....he is kinda cute!

Along came a spider

Yes, I put in the spider web with a single strand of DMC fil for the inner web and three strands for the bottom edge. The spider is split stitched, then padded satin to smooth him out and a french knot for his head with tiny little legs. The calyx on the honeysuckle were split stitched around the outside. Then, a padding stitch is added and finally satin stitches for the top layer.

Here they are!

All of the little petals are done! I filled in the last two colors of the long and short stitch and as you can see they are all lined up under the leaves waiting to go on the piece. Next up is stitching all the sepals on the flowers.

And a couple more

I did the wire attachment and button hole stitched it to the muslin and started the long and short stitch on the last two flower petals. Okay, so he is right, they do sort of look like strawberries, but tomorrow I will fill in the last two colors of red on all four of them I hope. When they are attached to the piece, I know they will look like petals! LOL (Don't tell DH I said they look like berries!)

No, not strawberries

DH looked at what I got done tonight and said "that looks like strawberries" and after I punched him (not really!, LOL), I explained that these are the Honeysuckle petals that will be added to the background petals I previously stitched. "Oh, sure" he says and wanders off while I just realize he also calls what I do "sewing". Anyway, I first tacked the 28 gauge wire to the line drawn patterns on the muslin. Next up is to buttonhole stitch all the way around and then using the same color thread, I started to long and short stitch the top areas. I will be adding two more colors in each of the four petals.....see the other two at the bottom of the hoop.....which by the way is a one inch deep hoop that can be seriously tightened. The fabric needs to be tight as a drum while working on it. See the little dips on the petal on the left? I did that while I was securing my ending thread on the back. I will retighten my hoop before I start stitching tomorrow.

Posie petals

I started with the back petals and did padded Satin stitch on all three of them. Then I did bullion stitches over the tops of them. Next the front three petals were all worked in the three shades of red using long and short stitches as well as padded satin. Tomorrow I will start on the wired petals that will get attached to the three foreground flowers. I am continuing to use one strand of Soie D Alger for all of the stitching.

Toodling right along

I finished filling in all the little leaves with the split stitch....aren't they so cute?!

Next, I added thorns to the vine curving on the right up to the left. These are done by first making a lazy daisy stitch and then adding two strands of a darker Soie D Alger in the middle. Next you lay in the long lines that will become the flowers on the vine. After laying in all the long threads, I came back and Button Hole stitched each individual ones with three strands in three different red colors working from the top down.

Changing gears

I am taking a little break from the Roses and Tassel piece. It is very large and I get a "crick" from working on it day after day. So I went through the WIP pile looking for a smaller piece, and this was what I chose! The Hummingbird and Honeysuckle piece by Luan Callery. I finished working on all the leaves around the bottom of the circle using a single strand of the different greens in Soie D Alger. Next came the stems holding them to the main vines.
Next, I traced the Stumpwork leaves pattern on a piece of muslin. I cut some 28 gauge wire and attached the wires to the shape using the button hole stitch as you can see in the two on the right. I then added an outline stitch vein, in a darker color, and then filled in the rest of the vein with more of the outline stitch matching the color of the button hole stitch.
Above the leaves you can see the flower petal shapes that will be worked later on!

Zip, zero, nada

Yup, that is it. No picture tonight and my most humble apologies for it! However, I was stitching on the Honeysuckle and Hummingbird piece. I did more of the fishbone stitch leaves and finished four of them. Not a significant enough progress to take a photo. Next time, I promise!

Fishbone Leaves

I put in some time on the Hummingbird and Honeysuckle piece by Luan Callery. I used a single strand of Au Ver a Soie/Soie D' Alger and did all the Fishbone stitch leaves you see. There are two colors in so far. Luan gives the color numbers to use Au Ver a Soie, DMC or Anchor.

No ripping!

Finally, a night without ripping out what I put in! LOL. I finished the stems with the chain stitch and then came back with two more strands of the dark green and whip stitched all of them. I also did the very first leaf in the very center. I think I have cracked the rip-it stitch marathon!

I will be posting a new photo on Friday of the Fireworks which will have a truer (is that a word?) color of the mat!

Hummingbird and Honeysuckle

This is another one of the new projects being added into the rotation. It is a cyberclass and it is designed by Luan Callery. Once again, Luan out does herself in beautiful photos, excellent instructions and stitch diagrams, and also is available through email if you have any questions. This piece is worked on a 15 x 15 piece of linen twill and tonight I mounted in on the Evertites and traced the diagram as instructed. I also started step one and worked chain stitch with two strands. Below is what I accomplished so far.


Designer has asked what are stash credits. Jane in Chilly Hollow and temarimath have started this. Each time I empty a spool, card, skein of fiber that I am using from my stash, I get one point. Each time I have to buy any fiber I will subtract a point....It is just an entertainment, but as we try to be frugal and reduce our stash before it collapses onto us, it will be a reminder to me to do so.

Hummingbird & Honeysuckle

I got a note back from Luan Callery today! She has given her permission to blog stitch this piece for all to see! I am very excited about this piece! The wing and some of the flower petals and leaves will be done in stumpwork. Do click on the photo and enlarge it so you can see the lovely detail and the gold spider web--and a little spider! I have made my list of supplies needed and hope to get them all this weekend!

In the mail

I received my Cyberstitcher's Hummingbird project packet in the mail! This is another design by Luan Callery. A while back I did her Fantasy Remembered piece with the lilies and butterfly. I have sent her a note requesting permission to stitch this piece on the blog. She was gracious to provide permission on the other piece so I am hoping we will share this one too!