Six Degrees of Cirque

A little roundup of some pictures you've sent of beautiful finishes, six Cirques and four of their friends:

Cirque des Coeurs by Tara F.
She used 1 x 2 on 40 ct Colorscapes "Ale" linen with
Threadworx 10372, GAST Claret 0310 and Cherry Wine 0330

Anne E. stitched Cirque des Cercles
using Waterlilies Winter Wheat on Bone fabric

Cirque des Coeurs by Taynia

Cirque des Triangles by Taynia

Cirque des Carreaux by Taynia

Cirque des Cercles by Nancy M.
She used a custom silk from Carries Threads, both 1 and 2
strands for contrasts and Mill Hill Beads 2077

Close up of Nancy's Cercles

The Birds and the Bees by Rhonda B.

Love Letters: Fraktur by Rhonda B.

Rosetta by Rhonda B.

Here Comes Treble, Alto Gether Now,
and First Bass combined into a lovely
bellpull with added words and date
by Elizabeth E. for her musical daughter.

Wow! Are you also out of breath?  What an amazing group of finishes, showing so much style and personalization. I really appreciate being able to share all of your pictures. Happy Dances all around!

You've been busy

I've had some wonderful photographs of finishes show up in my inbox over the last few weeks!

Tammy used Old Maid of the Abyss from Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers to stitch up Cirque des Cercles. I LOVE that thread color. Vikki sure makes some beautiful silks.

Tammy's Cirque des Cercles

And Pam personalized this Cirque des Cercles to make it into a birth sampler for her new granddaughter Stella.  Beautiful frame and mat job to really set off the embroidery!!!  Pam used Gloriana's Fallen Leaves silk on Legacy's Oaten Scone 34 ct. linen.

Cirque de Stella

Lois, the owner of Nedlewerkes in Copperas Cove, TX, sent this photo of a Blackstone Fantasy Garden hat trick. She had been working on it using Carrie's Silks when I last saw her and it was just beautiful. They were having a stitch along at the shop.  It's nice to see the different framing options chosen.

BFG Stitch Along

Linda shares this picture of Peregrination. Very cool. That is a fun Celtic chart that I always liked, and we don't get to see too many of them. Peregrination means wanderings, which is precisely what those Celtic paths do.

Linda's Peregrination

 Lovely work, Ladies! Congratulations on the finishes - we're all Happy Dancing with you.

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.

Opposites Attract

Anita sent these pictures of her Cirque des Cercles and Cirque des Carreaux.

The Cercles were stitched over one on black Lugana using Dinky Dyes #98 Silver.  Then in a fit of inspiration, the Carreaux were stitched over one on Wedgewood Lugana using some original Needle Necessities #1721 Elaine's Black Tie Affair. She calls them "Opposites Attract".  

Her next 'trick' will be to get them framed so that neither one outshines the other -same frame, different mats, same frame, no mats??  The possibilities are headache-inducing but she is thankful to have an amazing needlework framer.

What an elegant pair. Lovely job, Anita.  So glad you shared.

Travelling in the Right Cercles

As I work on filing my state taxes this morning (yes, I know they are due today and that procrastination is bad,) I realize what a small fraction of my business is actually conducted within Washington State. It's truly a wonder of modern technology that I can participate in global commerce.  It is also a wonder and a blessing how the language of the craft transcends the language barriers; graph paper filled up with little symbols means the same thing everywhere.  I realize that not all stitchers have access to the same materials I used, but it is also true that not all stitchers would choose the same things anyway.  That in itself is a beautiful thing.

So let me present to you, two version of Cirque des Cercles completed at far ends of the globe. The first CdC is by Michelle in New Zealand.  She used Moonee Ponds silk from Dinky-Dyes. Such a lovely range of blues and purples.

And from Tanya in Kharkov, in the Ukraine, this elegant version done in metallic DMC on 18 count black Aida.  The beautiful framing job really makes this one sparkle. I'm not sure about that date in the corner - as I said, I procrastinate - but not THAT much. In any case, I'm so glad she shared it with us.



I offer a full-on Snoopy-style happy dance to Tanya and Michelle for their fabulous finishes.  Great job, ladies, and thanks for sharing these pictures!

A Bead Off

My mailbox has been overflowing with great photos from stitchers all over the world! 

I've been accused of being a bead off on occasion, but this is a whole other category.  These two I want to share with you are beaded versions of Cirque des Cercles. I am in total awe of these masterpieces.  The upper piece was stitched by Karen, done with 100% beads! The lower model was stitched by Maria, who used some lovely iris-finish beads to accent the motifs done in an overdyed thread.

Here are a few closeup shots:

Let's close this post with my saying how sorry I am I to those people who had just about made up their mind on how THEY were GOING to stitch up their Cirque des Cercles.  It's such a double-edged sword - being inspired vs. now more choices to pick from.

Thank you to Maria and Karen for sharing their fabulous photos.

Life's a Circus

Or, shall we say, a Cirque!

Here is Cirque des Cercles, as performed by the lovely Beatrice using only Navy Blue Jobelin evenweave, 4072 variegated DMC and her own bare hands!  Well, technically she probably used a hoop, a lamp, and a needle, but it sounds much more dramatic the first way.

And now, may I direct your gaze to the ring near the elephant cage. You may remember back in March when the daring Stefanie showed us her Cirque des Cercles and gave us a glimpse of diamonds to come?  Let us say the months of hard work and training have paid off.  Here, never before seen in its entirety, on this blog: Stefanie's Cirque des Carreaux!

Ladies and Gentlemen, won't you give these two ladies a hand, . Woot Woot! Now, watch as Gregor, the Human Cannonball prepares for this next death-defying feat.

St. Charles Ho!

(As, in "Westward, Ho" not in reference to street walking ladies from Missouri, and actually, it is a trip eastward for me.)

I've taken the plunge and am planning to have an Ink Circles booth at the TNNA St. Charles, MO show in September.  This is one of the big trade shows for the industry.  Lots of logistics to work out, but I am quite excited after having walked the Nashville show in February.

One thing that dawned on me, was that I didn't have my own stitched model of Cirque des Cercles.  I know I don't have to/can't bring models for everything I've ever done, but that is the first thing many people think of when they hear "Ink Circles." I had made arrangements to use Marc Davis's for the leaflet cover and there was no looking back. I've been working on this version now. It's on R&R antique cotton 40 count linen using a limited edition blue/black Carrie's Silk. I would normally never stitch a model with an LE, but this is a monochrome and has been on the market long enough that everybody has probably seen some version of it.  The color is way off - the linen is really quite golden.  Hoping someday to have my own done...

Pillow Talk

Judy is a repeat offender and the evidence is right there in her bedroom. 

She's stitched the Cirque des Cercles pattern three different colorways and has fitted them out as these lovely pillows.  Some friends have called her crazy for stitching the same design over and over. Those with a proclivity toward making bad puns might even go so far as to say that she has made her bedroom into a three ring cirque.

I personally think she did a brilliant job!  I know how difficult it is to pick color combinations for monochromes like these.  I change my mind and have second guesses every time I see someone's amazing personal version. With these charts, it almost becomes a different design when you change colors around. So, why settle for stitching it once?  As an aside, from the looks and scale of things, I would guess the little guy on the right is stitched over one thread and is stitched on black. Wow to all three!

Fortunately, we don't have to justify to anybody. Besides, Judy, your friends don't really think you are crazy - they are just jealous. :o)

Awesomeness Overload

I've gotten behind in sharing the wonderful photos you've sent me. Rather than delay further and dribble these out one at a time, I'm going to blast you with a full salvo of awesomeness.

Robyn finished her Namaste bell pull.  She found a lovely heart shaped end piece with a crystal in it.  People laughed when I had to admit that the "special findings" I used were actually just pieces from a cannibalized necklace from Pier 1. I'm still wanting to put one of these chakra mandalas on a t-shirt using waste canvas.

Carol was already a big HDF fan, so she did her Growth Rings in the recommended HDF colors then had this beautiful round frame added. She entered the piece in her guild's Annual Juried Show.  She was tickled to find that the piece won a Judge's choice blue ribbon.  Later she learned it also won the Stitcher's Choice Award!  What an honor to be recognized by both the ANG certified jurors as well as here guild peers.  Congrats, Carol!

Tanya just got her Cirque des Cercles framed up. It came out beautifully with the Hydrangea thread from Threadworx. She used Ocean Depths fabric by Sparklies.  I've not heard of that fabric company before ==> sounds like a mission!  I'll bet the combination is even more amazing in real life.  Great work Tanya!

And this is the second time in a week that I've heard of people using Sulky thread for cross stitch. As you can see, it works great!!!  This is Cirque des Carreaux by Lynn. She used Blendable 30 wt American Antique on Antique White 25 ct Lugana. It is one over one. If you click the biggify button, you can see just how lovely the thread variations came out.  Definitely a spectacular finish, Lynn!
Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Now, Christine finished her Growth Rings and it takes on a wonderful new look in her choice of colors.  It's so much fun to see the same pieces done up differently.  She used DMC variegated 4240 (dark blue - purple) and Anchor variegated 1325 (pink - purple), on antique white linen 36 count, 2 over 2.  Big happy dances with Christine!


Much beautiful work here, Ladies!  Thanks for sharing it all.

Joining the Circus

It's not really practical for most of us to run away and join the circus, but we highly encourage you to join the Cirque craze!

Stefanie started her Cirques circuit with Cirque des Cercles using Sassys Fabbys Bluebell 32ct lugana and a custom color HDF Single strand premium over 2 (2329/5141/5300).  This came out so beautifully!

After such a beautiful finish, she has moved on to Cirque des Careaux (CDCx) and shared this picture of her WIP.  She is using Sassys Fabbys Angel Dust 32ct lugana with another custom HDF single strand premium over 2 (6119/5141/5300).  This silk is such an amazing color, and it matches so well with that fabric.  Stefanie is going to have a lovely Ink Circles wall.

Thank you, Stefanie, for sharing your fab photos!

On a personal note, it became clear to me that if I intended to take the Ink Circles show to Nashville next year, that I would clearly be remiss if I didn't have a stitched model of Cercles myself.  The gold on black beauty on the leaflet cover was stitched by Marc Davis, who generously let me use his photograph.  So, I'm stitching up my version.  Let me just say that you [stitchers at large] made picking a color combo sooooooo hard. I have seen so many fabulous combinations paraded in front of me that I was almost paralyzed with options.  More on that later...

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*

Circling the Globe

Susan in Melbourne, Australia, reports happily that her Cirque des Cercles is done!  It was a Happy Dance heard round the world.  She used a variegated DMC on 22 count hardanger fabric. 

Did you know that stitchers in the southern hemisphere are required to stitch their Cirque des Cercles rounds in an anti-clockwise direction, whereas we in the northern hemisphere taken them on clockwise?  Unless of course, you are a south-paw!  The rules are completely reversed for left-handed stitchers.  Yup, those are the rules.  Seriously, some stitchers think there is a secret list of rules for stitching that include things like only stitching a piece in the colors shown, only stitching the entire piece, no personalization allowed - the list goes on.  Spoiler: there is no list; there are no rules.*

This would be a very boring blog and a very boring world without people like Susan to inject a little local color.

* Not to be confused with rules regarding copyright material. There are rules against copying others works and claiming it as your own, photocopying/scanning charts without permission of the author, etc.

Pat's Blue Ribbon Day

Pat in New Mexico shows us her version of Cirque des Cercles.  Isn't this a beautiful combination!  Well deserving of the Blue Ribbon she won in the Southern New Mexico State Fair.  Check out Pat's blog to see more of her stitching here.