Stitch Some PRAIRIE FLOWERS!

 

  

Earlier this year, Nordic Needle in Fargo, North Dakota asked if I would be interested in designing another panel piece they could use for their new canvaswork club.  Their previous club project was the very popular NORDIC PANEL I designed for them using bright primary colors and geometric Nordic patterns.   This time around, I wanted to stitch something with summery colors and happy floral patterns.  Here's what I designed for them, called PRAIRIE FLOWERS PANEL:

Oh, boy, it was so very fun to stitch, with all the different flower patterns!  I was inspired by the pinks, yellows and golds of prairie wildflowers and tried to keep that in mind as I created different stitched flowers in each section.  Here's a look at it up close, with the "fantasy flower" section highlighted for you:

Doesn't that look like fun?!?  Each floral section is so colorful and fun to stitch - nothing too hard or too complex - honest!  And you even have the choice between two colorways: PINK or BLUE, as the handful of threads show below.... and yes, the kit includes the cute little bee button, too!

This new club project will be starting in October and run for six months, so you have plenty of time to stitch and enjoy it, especially during the dreary winter months.   If this piece appeals to your gardening fancy, please buzz on over to the NORDIC NEEDLE website: www.nordicneedle.com to find out more about joining the club....( you can also see what the blue colorway looks like, since Jessica, one of their employees, stitched up that model!)

Happy Stitch-Filled Weekend!!

Join the Club!

Nordic Needle's Counted Canvaswork Club, that is....

Nordic Needle is offering the very fun NORDIC PANEL project again in 2015.  And they've added two more colorways besides the original red/blue/green version: one is in summery blues and yellows (glimpsed on the left side of the photo), and the other is in holiday reds and greens (as seen on the right side of the photo.  Here's a closeup of some of the stitch patterns:

So if you want to work on a fun (and not terribly hard) project for the next few months, please visit Nordic Needle's website to find out all the particulars....

And.... HAPPY FRIDAY!

Join the Club!

I've been meaning to tell you about a special project I designed for NORDIC NEEDLE, in Fargo, North Dakota.  You all know about Nordic Needle, right?  About their fan-tas-tic  store, website, and catalog??   If you haven't visited them, go hop, jump, skip over to see their amazing range of stitching merchandise -- virtually everything that the stitcher or embroiderer could ever wish for!!

Well, a few months ago, they asked me to design something really special: an exclusive project that they could use for their first-ever CANVASWORK CLUB!  They've got a Hardanger Club and a Cross Stitch Club, and they wanted to start a canvaswork club too.   So I did some super-marathon stitching and worked up a really fun 10-month project that uses fresh, festive "Nordic" colors of red, blue and green.  Here it is, and it's called NORDIC PANEL:

It's a long piece, about 7" wide by 18" long, and each section has a different and very fun stitch pattern to work up.  I specifically used different canvaswork techniques, such as bargello and blackwork, so the stitcher would get a taste of lots of interesting stitch patterns, and have the fun of trying new techniques in small sections.  Additionally, each separating border pattern uses different stitch elements, so there's a nice variety of unusual stitches to experience within this panel piece.  Here's an up-close look at part of the bargello section and below it, the blackwork section:

I focused on using traditional Nordic elements, like the classic star and floral motifs, combined with a happy checked border.  And the colors I chose remind me of those bright Nordic sweaters you see in the winter months... Happy, happy, happy, don't you agree??   (Although I think this project can be displayed equally well in spring, summer, fall and winter!)

 Because I wanted to create a project that would appeal to beginning stitchers as well as intermediate stitchers, I kept the stitches simple.... Really, it's just the way that they are combined (and with the use of a variegated thread and a handful of metallics) that makes this piece LOOK complex!

When you sign up for the Nordic Needle Canvaswork Club, you'll initially get the full thread kit (it's only available in this one red/blue/green colorway), which also includes the first lesson. (You'll be using scroll bars on this long piece, so if you don't have a set, you can purchase those from Nordic Needle as well.)  After that, you'll need to sign up for the monthly lessons, so you can work on your panel month by month.  In addition, as a special club bonus you'll receive four small ornament designs that will come throughout the remainder of the stitching year.  The ornaments can be stitched up as separate pieces with threads from your stash, so you have the added pleasure of a few more fun projects to enjoy throughout the year. 
 
What more can I say, except: This is fun, fun, fun to stitch, I gotta tell you!  So if you're looking for a fantastic new project to inspire you in 2014, please visit Nordic Needle's website and find out all about their new Canvaswork Club.