Ukrainian Eggs

I took Ukrainian Eggs a Cyber workshop by Michele Roberts from ANG (American Needlepoint Guild).  There is a picture of the finished eggs if you scroll down on this page.  The project included 7 egg patterns.  I have completed the stitching for 3 of the eggs.  I had a hard time working on the black in the winter months.  I hope to get these out and work on them over the summer when I have better light.  Each egg has the symbols explained in the instructions.  Michele Roberts writes very good directions. I would recommend anyone who likes needlepoint take her classes.

Hedgehog

I have a close friend who has a pet hedgehog.  I made this for that family.

Hedgehog about 2 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide

 The pattern comes from page 119 of Mary Waring's An Embroidery Pattern Book (Plate LVII).  I found the pattern on Pintangle. And I wrote about the book (and all the links I could find to it) here.

I used 2 strands of DMC floss in the following 3 colors:
840, 841, and 842
and Anchor 276 (the lightest shade).
I blended the colors by using 1 strand of 2 different colors. The body is worked in French knots with elongated tails. This is the technique that Gay Ann Rogers used for Elizabeth's hair.

The nose and eye are Delica beads I have labeled as 002.

Soutache necklace finished

I finished this some time ago and never blogged about it.  I decided the focal needed an edging. First I tried with the 15 hex beads I used in the focal. The date on that picture is early February. But they were too irregular. I set the piece aside until I could come up with something I liked better. I know I wore the piece in late February.

Edging test with size 15 hex beads - ugh

I liked this edging much better

Soutache again

I wrote not quite a year ago about taking a class in Soutache embroidery.  I wrote then that I was not planning to try it again.  But I had some left over soutache braid and some beads to play with so I made a focal.  I was thinking of making a pin, but I may add a chain and make another necklace.

An Embroidery Pattern Book

     Sharon from Pintangle posted about a book that she found on the Internet Archive: An Embroidery Pattern Book by Mary Waring. The hedgehog and mouse from page 119 of the book are particularly cute.  This page is also reproduced on Sharon's page.  Pages with larger animals (deer, lamb, pig) and other animals (frog, lizard, coiled snake) were not reproduced on Pintangle.  Pages 130 - 133 of the book show some Interlaced Knotwork patterns.  This book also has a page at Open Library where you can download a PDF.

    I am posting this partly so I can find it later. I enjoyed looking at the patterns in this book.

Betty Chen Louis Lacquer Grapes

I took this class at a regional seminar many years ago.  16 this summer I think.  I put it aside to work on other things and never got back to it.  It is a partly painted canvas worked primarily with Krenik metallic braid and cord.  I wanted to learn the techniques and never had a plan for the finished piece. 

Lacquer Grapes by Betty Chen Louis start

I worked on 3 of the leaves during the month of April.

Lacquer Grapes at the end of April 2014

closeup of new work

Elizabeth Finished

I finished Elizabeth some time ago, but had some camera issues.  So I am finally getting around to posting a picture.  I am still not really happy with some of the jewel placements.

Gay Ann Rogers Travel Journal

Gay Ann is doing a Stitching Travel Journal. There are printable pages to make our own journal. On Page 1 we were to pick 10 projects that we want to work on.  For Page 2 we are to choose the first 2 projects to work on, date started and how much left to do.  Page 3 is for setting time goals and tracking our work.  Hopefully I will get some pictures up here of what I am working on.

My first project is Lacquer Grapes by Betty Chen Louis.  I started it over 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my youngest.  I remember because Betty Chen Louis was concerned that I might have the baby at any moment even though he was not due for at least a month.  And he made a nice shelf to rest the canvas on.  I am about half done.  I have some work done on most of the leaves. My goal is 30 minutes of stitching a day. 

Soutache necklace

I am a member of Cyberpointers - an online ANG group.  We did an online class in Soutache embroidery with Amee Runs with Scissors.  I really enjoyed making the necklace.  Putting it together, not so much.  I am not good at the wirework parts of making jewelry.  I hate making centered loops.  I am glad I got to try this technique, but I think I will stick with seed beads.

Entire necklace

Close up of the center section

2013 UFO Challenge

Cyberstitchers is the online chapter of the EGA.  They are doing a UFO (UnFinished Object) challenge in 2013.  I added a page with the 4 UFOs I hope to complete in 2013 with a short summary of each one and a starting picture for reference.

I have done a bit of work on Elizabeth.  Her background step 2 is complete.  On to step 3 of the background.

Bead Soup Necklace

I got a bead soup in 2012.  I showed one necklace made from it in this post.

Bead Soup

I completed a 2nd necklace, but had some camera issues and never got a picture up on the blog.  I wore this for most of Christmas.  The clasp is based on Kate McKinnon's power puff.  The bottom part is strung on gold beading wire.  The side beads are peyote.  Pretty much everything came either from the Bead Soup or from stash.  I think I bought the bicones.

Green Bead Soup Necklace

Veil complete

I did take out the left side of the brown line of the veil.  I have now completed the veil.  The next step is the background.  I am getting close to adding the beads.

Veil redone

If you want to compare the new line and the old line, the previous post is here.

Happy New Year

Yes, I am still here.  The last time I posted about Elizabeth was in early October.  And she only had one sleeve complete.  I have a picture from mid October with both sleeves complete.  And I have a current picture with the background tent stitch, her skirt, and the beginning of the veil.  I am trying to decide if I like the line of the veil or if I want to take out the top (brown) edge and redo it.  Comments are appreciated.

Elizabeth with both sleeves shaded

Veil in progress

Veil closeup - the brown top line on the left needs to be higher I think

Bead Soup Necklace

For some reason Blogger hates me today and it is doing odd things with my pictures.  So you get the necklace first and the explanation after.

 I made a necklace using part of my bead soup.  I used the blue hexagon beads, 2 clear glass beads that I framed with cubic right angle weave (CRAW), and 2 of the diamond shaped beads.  I added beads from stash that actually were given to me by a lady who made wire bead flowers with them.  They are hank beads and I was concerned that they might not be regular enough to use for beading, but they did great.  The strap is St. Petersburg Chain.

Necklace made with Bead Soup

In September I got a Bead Soup from Beadlush in Charlotte, NC and Kalmbach Publishing.  I showed you a picture of my soup, but I am going to share it again. I sort of explained it when I put up the picture before. Lori Anderson wrote a book called Bead Soup.  The idea is for people to send leftover beads or beads they do not want to use or special beads they have made to another person and see what they come up with for these beads.  It started with the former idea.  For this soup, Kalmbach the publisher asked bead stores to put together a package of beads to be sent to beaders.  I have until the end of October to do something with these beads and email it to Kalmbach Publishing.  Oh look there is a Pinterest page too.

Bead Soup

WIP Wednesday

Work continues slowly on Elizabeth.  We have a contractor repairing some water damage at our house. I was hiding in the basement, working on Elizabeth, when I heard someone coming down the stairs.  It was the plumber who needed to get to some pipes from underneath through the drop ceiling in our basement.  Suddenly, before I knew exactly what he was planning to do, he was removing ceiling tiles very close to my stitching area.  And standing on the bar.  I was grabbing up the laptop and all its pieces parts and Elizabeth and quickly stashing them out of reach.  Luckily no damage was done except to the ceiling tile which cracked.

Elizabeth with one sleeve shaded

I will apologize for my poor shot of Elizabeth this week.  We are staying in the basement since they are going to start sanding the new sheet rock soon.  So no natural light for this picture.  I have done the blackwork pattern on both sleeves and added shading to one side. 

"Reproduction" Sampler

I do not do reproduction samplers.  Not my thing, never has been.  But this one tempts me.

 It is from InkCircles and can be ordered here.  The designer, Tracy Horner also has a blog where she explains what she has learned from studying the "original" sampler.  Here are the posts related to the Little Alien Schoolgirl sampler.  I will enjoy following her blog to learn more about the alien script and the end of the world as predicted by sandworms.

Little Alien Schoolgirl Sampler

I realized in reading back over this that I did not really explain what she did.  There is a whole backstory developing on the designer's blog.  About being called in to a secret government facility to see the original sampler.  It is a sci fi reproduction sampler. 

WIP Wednesday 9-26

I am mostly working on Elizabeth.  I have been doing the tent stitch background.  And I did the blackwork on the underskirt.  I have the main blackwork pattern on one sleeve.  Now I have to go back and add the shading - you can see where I have started this process just a bit.  The underskirt is done in the whole filled in pattern.  So the darkest areas of the sleeve will match the bottom pattern.

Elizabeth 9-26-2012

Elizabeth continues

It has been a full month since I posted any progress on Elizabeth.  I have worked on it.  We have also been doing some "renovations" (read fixing water damage) on our house this month.  So for part of the month Elizabeth has been packed safely away.  Her sleeves and underskirt will have blackwork on them.  The light gray you see in the picture is folds and shadows.  In the original, it was done in two different grays, but for the SNS kits the grays were too close, so we only have one shade.

Elizabeth WIP with gray shading

Bead soup from Kalmbach Publishing

And I got this in the mail from Kalmbach Publishing and Beadlush in Charlotte.  As part of the release of the Bead Soup book, they sent out some kits of beads.  Now I need to make a necklace with it and post some pictures.  I usually work with seed beads, so I have no idea what I'm going to do with this soup.

Kumihimo and Beadwork

I decided to play with something for the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash challenge.  Each month they post a color combo and the challenge is to use beads from your stash to make something and post a picture.  They also have a facebook page with lots and lots of eye candy.  The color combo for this month is blue and copper.  I did not have a lot of copper beads to play with and I have been wanting to try Kumihimo, so I decided to play with a paper plate and these 8 strand Kumihimo instructions.

My Kumihimo threads

 I started with one crochet cotton and Omega nylon from stash.  Lesson 1 - do not try to mix two different threads if you have no clue what you are doing.  The nylon wanted to slip and the cotton wanted to grip.  But I persevered.  Because I am stubborn like that.

Kumihimo braid

Wow I put a lot of links in that explanation.  And I am not done yet.  Another thing I wanted to play with is from a new beading book by Kate McKinnon and Jean Power.  The book is not out yet, but if you preorder the book, you can access some of the projects ahead of time.

The power puff ring as a clasp in progress

 I followed the power puff ring instructions but added the magnetic clasp at a corner. 

Finished necklace

My kids say I made myself a bow tie.

TAST update

 I have not done much on my Gingerbread house since I have been working on Elizabeth.  I have however made the base tree for that end of the house.  It is done in 1/4 Algerian eyelet stitches.

Tree super close up to show the eyelets

My husband says it looks like an arrowhead.  Maybe he won't be so critical when it is actually decorated.  And to be fair, I did ask his opinion. 

Tree or arrowhead?