Friday, January 29, 2010

Three Sides to Every Triangular Story

This is Vicki's Cirque des Triangles.  Isn't it so amazing - the colors just sing on that black!  I've had fun watching this one grow in person. Every so often I have the chance to go over the moutains and see friends in Portland.  We always meet for a little stitching and Vicki shows me a few more completed triangles.  And now it is done.

She's done an outstanding job - I can't wait to see the framed version on my next trip to the wet side. It's so inspirational to see how every single version of these Cirques stitches up so differently depending on the fabric/fiber choices.

Most excellent work, Vicki!
 

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Lucky Penny

Karen's turn to show off!  She's finished up her Cirque des Cercles and it came out just beautiful.  She used DMC 4130 on 32 count Copper Penny linen (2 over 2).  I think that it must have been Lucky Penny linen that she found, since things came out so well!  Thanks so much for sharing your finish .  *Insert Happy Dance Here*

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Looking for (Frames That I) Love in All the Wrong Places


I did a double take when Bobbie told me where she found this cool frame for Beau Leggy.  I must say it is the absolute perfect match to her choice of fabric (a OOAK from Thread Gatherer)!  She chose to leave off the cactus, which would have been a bit unnerving where it was placed anyway.

This was a Christmas gift for her Dad and word is that he was quite pleased.

I must say I was tickled when she told me she had picked one of my patterns to stitch, as she happens to be THE Bobbie of Stitching Bits and Bobs and has access to just about every chart on the planet.

Oh, yeah - the frame came from Tractor Supply!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Santa's Nine Plus the Understudies


We all know that there was more than one Lassie.  It only stands to reason that Santa would have a few reindeer in the back pasture just in case Dancer was off auditioning for Dancing With the Stars.  Or perhaps Vixen were to be picked up by the local vice squad for holding down a street corner.  And Dasher maintains a fairly busy marathon calendar.  Do we need to go on? (Some Twitter buddies and I spent a whole afternoon speculating why there were only 8 reindeer in The Huddle.)  Besides, what IS the natural lifespan of a reindeer?  I guess there is nothing natural about them, so perhaps that thought is moot.

Kathy gives us good glimpse of Santa's stables.  Each ornament has 9 reindeer - she added one to the back of each, along with a grandchild's name.  We're not going to tell which reindeer is which, but each kid gets a complete set.  Thanks for sharing your picture of your beautiful finishes. They really are a treasure that will be enjoyed each year by those lucky, well-loved kiddos.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

She's the Tops


Vanessa says she's running out of wall space to show off her cross stitch finishes.  A common problem, eh?  Some of us move up to higher fabric counts to get tinier pieces or give everything away.  Others, like Vanessa, opt for more creative, non-framed finishes.

She's made this fantastic table-topper from the Bramble and the Rose pattern.  It's stitched on Picture This Plus's Crystal Shale Belfast and fabulous silk from Hand Dyed Fibers in HDF Examplar Black Iris Bud & Bloom.  The fringed edge makes this a perfect, elegant addition to the room.

Thanks for sharing your finish, Vanessa!  We join in your well-earned Happy Dance... And we forgive you in advance if you become a little militaristic about where visitors set down their wine glasses.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Black Beauty


Nicole stitched this Cirque des Carreaux over 1 on 28 count black Jobelan with Gloriana's Silk Floss.  I just love the mix of solid color pastels with the multi in the same shades, and in such a nice color layout.  The colors just sing on that black.  What a beautiful job.  Hats off and a big happy dance!

She tells me she is working on Triangles next - I can't wait to see!

A Little Hanky Panky

Anne said she liked the way these different motifs fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Spot samplers like this ARE fun to stitch because things keep changing before you can get bored.  This sampler is Hanky Pysanky, inspired by the Ukrainian art used to decorate eggs.  She stitched up the full sampler on black 25-ct linen using a variety of silks from Needlepoint Inc and the Fiber Addict.  The Fiber Addicts silk was actually marketed as a binder yarn for spinners (think of the strong core that holds mohair yarn together) but that didn't hold back Anne.
Sometimes it's the best fun just to play around with different fibers and color combinations - try new things to see what works and what you like.  Stitching "smalls" is a great tool for test driving combos.  These are some of the ornaments and tie-ons that Anne made using motifs and improvisation.  The smaller ones can actually be worn as pendants - how clever is that!
The sampler is off at the framers and the smalls found their ways to Anne's friends and family.  What a wonderful job with a delightful outcome.  Thanks for sharing, Anne!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Another Bloomin' Finish


Shannon picked out alternate colors she knew would match well to her mom's decor, then finished up her Bloomers into this sweet tea tray by Sudberry House.  Sudberry makes a number of high quality wood pieces for finishing needlework like boxes and tea trays that are a fun alternative to framing.  It's such a cool way to finish a piece after putting so much time and love into it.

Shannon's Christmas gift to her mom will be treasured.  And I thank her as well, for sharing such a beautiful finishing idea with us.

So, have you done something nice for your mom lately?  Make her a little gifty - I'm sure she will love it!