I Do Like Them Sam I Am

Dr. Seuss never names the grumpy guy that doesn't like the Green Eggs and Ham. We just know that Sam I Am is the one able to knock some sense into him.

For those folks who hadn't been fans, I share with you pictures from a stitcher named Sam who is doing her best to convince you to try an Ink Circles stitch. She stitched Blackstone Fantasy Garden with metallic thread outlining the knot, variegated within, and DMC colors for the blackwork.

And this is Cirque des Carreaux.  Again, metallics and variegated threads give this such sparkle and motion. What a great combination.

Thanks for sharing these photos, Sam!  What lovely work. I think we can all say we DO like them.

Disclaimer: although stitching on a train is highly recommended, the counter part, "stitching in the rain" is ill advised, particularly when using non-colorfast threads.

Third Pair of Cirques Is a Charm

Maybe they are like potato chips, and you really can't just stitch one. Or maybe it's just all of the subliminal text printed on the pattern sheets, or perhaps the deeply-addicting, readily-absorbed coating on the paper. It's just an odd coincidence that this is the third post in a row with two Cirques, and it shows once again how truly unique each one is.

In any case, Jill K. in Illinois has shared with me photos of her recent Cirque des Carreaux and Cirque des Cercles finishes.  She shops with Cathy and the other good people at the Inspired Needle in Lemont, IL. On my first draft of this post, I had just included the photos with the two framed, but I realized how that limits you in seeing what cool colors she used, so I added the detail shots. Jill did such a nice job and gets bonus points for actually getting them framed up so wonderfully.

Big thanks to Jill for sharing her photos and we join her in a double happy dance!

If you're looking for even more Cirque-ular eye candy, check out this recent post on Jill Rensel's blog.  So, are you still here surfing around on the internet? Don't you have something you should be stitching?

Another Pair of Cirques

It's always fun at the circus!  Here are two more Cirque finishes, and what I love best is that I could show you new finishes of these same pieces every day and they would look totally unique because of the wonderful floss and fabric combinations.

We have Cirque des Triangles here by Nicole from Northern Expressions Needlework.  I don't know how she finds time, given her own gallery of beautiful, original designs but I am totally honored that she does!  (Check her blog to see what's coming up next - a lovely band sampler on red.) Nicole used several shades of silk for her triangles, mostly of Gloriana.  She stitched it 1 over 1 on 28 count black Jobelan.  Believe it or not, she says it is even brighter in real life!! Those colors just sing out on that black fabric. I can imagine it looks like a chest of jewels IRL.

Claudia shared with me this finish of Cirque des Cercles during the online show last fall. My computer died mid-show, and her email was one that was imprisoned in the silicon jail for six months while I sorted things out and recovered.  Since I hadn't shared it yet, I thought I would post it now, as these pieces will never go out of style.  Claudia is self-proclaimed HDF (Vikki Clayton's silk line) junkie.  I haven't met too many folks that have tried HDF and haven't become junkies (although I don't think this is the kind of needle, junkie, or damage that Neil Young was singing about.) 

Edited to change out the photo -as time passed, Claudia had framed this and it looks superb!

This is actually the second time Claudia's stitched CdC. The first piece was left in the frame shop and a worker mistook it for trash and tragically threw it away. Edited to explain - it was accidentally dropped somewhere in Michael's when Claudia got an emergency phone call. Whoever found it put it under the counter with the other unclaimed dropped items (you know: Slurpee cups and pacifiers...)- apparently every few days they trash these things. She didn't realize it had been lost for a few days.  Sadly nobody unwrapped it enough to see what a treasure it was.  It was another one of these stories that just leave you shaking and gasping as you know the amount of time, energy, and money that we stitchers put into our work. Fortunately the solution is MORE CROSS STITCH - it's a stress-relieving therapy, you know!

Thanks go out to Nicole and Claudia for sharing their eye candy with us. Lovely job, Ladies.