Brute force method

I tried to share a photo of the awesome version of Growth Rings that Jenn made by forwarding her link.  Sometimes Facebook thwarts me. This is worth sharing, so I've resorted to a more direct posting of the photo.  Thanks to Jenn (@jenn_ay_em on Twitter) - happy dancing with you!

Growth Spurt

I just love seeing the same piece reinterpreted different ways.  Here are three most excellent examples of Growth Rings that have been shared recently.

First up, Mary finished hers using Crescent Colours Cupid for the red, and Weeks Dye Works Noel for the multi. It is stitched on 28 count African Daisy. This came out just lovely and will be even more so when Mary gets it framed. She's planning on having contoured mats to bring out the shape of the design. 

Mary also sent in a picture for her friend Christie, who also just finished up the chart.  Christie used Threadworks green and purple fibers on 28 count white.  What you can see, is that she's outlined all of the sections in backstitching, which gives a look of Assisi embroidery to all of the green areas. What a neat idea!

This last photo shows the synergy that is obtained by combining the design with beautiful stitching talents with the most exquisite of framers, Jill Rensel.  (Seriously, how many other framers are a household name to needleworkers?)

This is Christine's version. Absolutely stunning. So, Mary (with the first pic) if you had any doubts whether contour framing would look cool, please rest assured that it certainly does!

I should think all three of these stitchers would be terribly proud of their beautiful work. I am!  Thanks so much for sharing your lovelies, ladies. 

Waya To Go!

My kids always complain, "That's not fair!"  They are quite familiar with my standard reply, which was a gem frequently used by my old XO. He'd say, "You're right. A fair is a place you judge pigs."

BTW, a fair is also a place that they judge cross stitch.  And it just so happens that Waya kicked some serious butt at the Tennessee Valley Fair this year. She entered three Ink Circles pieces and took home three ribbons - two of them First Place.

She stitched them all with the charted colors 1-over-2 on 40-count linen. "Growth Rings" won first place for Counted Cross Stitch on Linen. "Tanglewood" won first prize in Counted Cross Stitch, Novelty or Fantasy.  "I Still Do" won third place in Counted Cross Stitch, Primarily Flowers. 

All I can say is your work is beautiful, Waya.  Way to go!

Bonnie's Trifecta

Bonnie was gathering up her recent finishes to take to an open house at her LNS, when she realized that all three pieces were Ink Circles charts.   Blackstone Fantasy Garden, Kaleidoscope, and Growth Rings (which just happens to be available for purchase as a stand-alone chart now - it was previously only available in the magazine issue.)  What an awesome collection of finishes, Bonnie!

 So my final question: Was this Win/Place/Show ticket a coincidence or proof positive of the efficacy of the subliminal messages that are imprinted on every chart?

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.

In Full Bloom

I always thought it a shame that you could only see the growth rings on a tree once it was cut down.  These Growth Rings are not quite the same concentric ones we see in a tree trunk, nor does exposing them mean the death of the plant. Every little "cell" of this design is bursting with flowers, leaves, or seed pods.

This is Rosanne's version of Growth Rings.  It's done on 25 count black Lugana using Anchor variegated threads 186 and 1345.  She used 3 strands of floss to get good coverage given the large fabric count. Given that fabric count, the finished piece is roughly the size of a redwood trunk.  I'm not sure of her finishing plans, but table topper might be a good option. It's going to look fabulous no matter what she does.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful finish, Rosanne!  You did an exquisite job.

Folks looking for the Growth Rings pattern will need to get their hands on the back issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine (March/April 2009) or wait until later this year when the copyright flips back to me and I can release it as a stand-alone chart.

Enabling by Example

So, we have all seen the lovely hand-dyed silks by Vikki Clayton, right? It's been a bit of a recurring theme in this blog.  One of the hardest things for a stitcher, can be to visualize what a variegated thread will look like when it's all stitched up.  When Vikki decided that an old firehouse in Pennsylvania was going to be a new retail location for her silk business, it was only natural that she needed some examples for the walls. 

Carol in Edmonton, AB, stepped in to help her out.  This is Ink Circles's Growth Rings (available in the March/April 2009 Just Cross Stitch magazine.)  Carol used HDF Indigo Ocean and Ricordia on 28 ct Monaco.

Not that these silks don't sell well on their own, but this sure makes a nice hook.

Carol also made up the Croakworth and Quackworth pieces and finished them as quilted hangings.

These are both fun little pieces that can be done as monochromes or polychromes.  They'd be a great way to try a new color or use some of those left over bits of silk, or Detritus Bags (for those like me who collect those HDF carrots.)

So, if you're in the neighborhood gathering silk skeins, you can see Carol's pieces in person!

A Tiny Bit of Growth

Linda Barry stitched this tiny masterpiece on 40 ct. linen over 2.  Once again, Vikki Clayton's Hand Dyed Fibers steal the show.  What a lovely combo - it's Marque des Cercles and Garnet.  This chart is called Growth Rings and is currently only available in the March/April 2009 JCS Magazine issue.

After completing the delicate stitching, Linda cleverly repurposed a framed mirror from Target to create this bold finish.  It's always so nice to get such a high-end framing job look without paying through the nose!  Any stitcher I know has a few better places to spend their money. 

Trivia time: Did you know where the name  "Marque des Cercles" came from? Vikki's silks all get such interesting names!  This one is a tribute to Marc Davis and his use of DMC 111 in stitching the chart Cirque des Cercles.