An Old Favorite Shines Again

I was printing up some older quilt designs this week and realized how much I enjoyed stitching this classic SHINING STAR design:

I always wanted to quilt something this complex, but knew I could never get all those fiddly triangular shapes to match up if I sewed them, so I figured out how to create the pattern on needlepoint canvas -- and THAT I COULD DO!

This is one of the few patterns that uses four variegated Watercolours threads, combined with four more solid color pearl cottons.  I was focused on re-creating an Amish quilt, with those rich jewel-tone colors of blues, purples and pinks.

And I LOVED stitching this piece!  It looks complex, with all those small elements, but really it was very easy and fast.  (Personally, I think it's one of my easiest quilts to stitch...)  I worked just one quadrant of the star first (the upper right section), and once I had that section completed, I could use it to continue stitching the remaining three quadrants that are mirror images of the first. 

Working the rectangular outer border was a no-brainer, too - except for keeping track of which color goes where!  Then I always leave the ecru background for last.... and on this piece, the different stitch directions create a really dazzling play of shifting light and dark ecru. Here's a shot that shows what I mean:

I created this design back in 1998, and at that time I only had a black and white printer to use for the graph.  Because this really is such a classic design, and truly one of my all-time favorites, I decided to take the time this week to revamp the whole pattern, incorporating COLOR symbols this time around (woo hoo), so it's much easier to work from the graphs and is a breeze to print on my big color laser printer.

So if you love Amish quilts (like I do) and want something really fast and fun to stitch, please consider my newly-updated SHINING STAR!

Mini Mystery Monday, January pt. 3

Just a few more stitches and we'll be done with this month's mystery piece, so let's get started!

All that remains to be done is fill in the area between the zig zag rows.  Here's the next graph for you to follow, showing three possible options:

And again, you can see that I've selected three different filling stitches you can choose from.

Option A is the simplest; lay whichever thread you want (the fatter metallic ribbon is a good choice), then couch it down with a few straight stitches done with the thin #8 Braid metallic, or even your dark pearl cotton color.

Option B is another fast and easy filling; just lay a trio of diagonal stitches in the zig zag space and cover the intersections with a metallic straight stitch.

Option C is the more complex filling, but it's not hard; it's a wonky, "stretched" cross stitch that fills the space and is then tied down at the middle with a small metallic stitch.  Here's what that Stretched Tied Cross looks like up close:

It's a strange stitch in that it's three stitches covering a four-holed area, but somehow it works.  It looks especially good using the fatter metallic ribbon, tied down with the #8 Braid.  The fatter ribbon thread covers a multitude of sins, so if you get your stitches in the wrong holes it's OKAY... the stitches cover the space just fine, no matter where your three long stitches are placed.

After you fill all your zig zag rows, all that's left to do is add some beads. Again, you can decide how many or what type of beads you want on your piece.  As the larger graph above shows, I've placed beads at the points where the snowflake/star tips touch.  If you stitched the Eyelet Stars, you can also add larger beads in those holes, to alternate with smaller beads at the star intersections.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this Mini Mystery piece.  It's a very versatile ornament and would be fun to stitch in lots of different colors and threads.  Please experiment with different stitch combinations as well.... I'll bet you'll come up with lots of great ornaments using this one design!

First New Pattern of 2013!

Here it is, the start of a New Year.  And you know what that means?  MORE NEW DESIGNS to share with you!  Woo Hoo!!

I'm hoping you're gonna love this one, because it's something some of you stitchers have requested over the past year - another season in the Long Panel series.   So, TA DA, here it is:  the LONG WINTER PANEL.....

I had fun stitching this one up, since it's very monochromatic (using the french blue family of DMC 930/931/932) with LOTS of shimmer and sparkle with two metallic ribbon threads, plus lots of silver and blue beads. Here's a close-up of the middle section; the blue arrow is pointing to the sky blue metallic ribbon, the purple arrow is pointing out the snowflake (there are three of them on the panel) made with really cool twisted bugle beads, and the pink arrow is pointing to the ice blue metallic ribbon:

 When I was designing this piece, I was thinking about the colors and shapes of SNOW: snow-covered mountain peaks (see the jagged mountain peaks that divide the sections?) .... different composite stitch patterns that suggest snowflakes or falling snow..... and of course blues and teals and silvers.... all built around  variegated Watercolours 157, "Polar Ice".  I stitched this 4.5" by 16" design on the pale "french blue" mono canvas, but it could also be done on pewter.... or hey, how about the white with silver metallic canvas?!?  Veeeeerrry Wintery.  Brrrrrrr.....

And ahem... I even received a surprise Christmas gift from a friend that matched this project PERFECTLY!

Talk about a beautiful, blingy blue scissor fob!! Whew, this one takes the prize, and I loved using it as I stitched this icy blue piece.  (Thanks, Laurel... how did you know I needed a blue one, huh??)

So if you're in the mood to work another long panel with a decidedly wintery palette, please visit my website (www.laurajperindesigns.net) and get the rest of the information.
Happy Friday Stitching!

Mini Mystery Monday, January, pt. 2

I hope you have your foundation work done for this cute ornament, because now we're going to fill in those empty diamond shapes with some fun starry/snowflake elements.  AND, you'll have some creative decisions to make over what type of snowflake/stars you want on your ornament.

Here's the next graph for you to work from:

I've chosen some simple Rhodes Stars for my starry snowflake elements, to give you some idea of how the alternating colors will look.

A second option is to make Eyelet Stars, where each arm/stitch goes DOWN into the center hole, thereby creating a hole that is an excellent place to add a bead later.

The third option is to make a complete Rhodes Star, where each hole is filled, and thereby creates a really fat/full diamond shape.

Here's a detail graph of the three different kinds of snowflake/star elements you can use:

Option A is the Eyelet Star, with a center hole  that can be left empty or filled with a big bead.
Option B is a "light" version of a Rhodes Star, which creates an airy feel to the space.
Option C is the "full" version of a Rhodes Star, where every hole is filled and creates a nice plump star.  When worked with the flat metallic ribbon, the finished raised shape adds great texture, and a whole row of these beauties is very eye-catching.

All three versions cover an 8 x 8 thread diamond shape.  And of course, you can alternate the different types of snowflake stars if you want, and also alternate the colors and thread types as well.... so go ahead and mix & match to your creative heart's delight!

Next Monday we'll finish up with the final filler element, and guess what?... you'll have some more creative choices to make then, too!    See ya then, Mystery Stitchers.

Mini Mystery Monday, January 2013

Well it's almost the start of a New Year, so doesn't it seem like a good time to start another small mystery piece that will kick off our new stitching year? 

To get in the proper mood, let's think about January and the winter season....  What colors do you associate with winter?  What colors make you think of swirling snow and chilly skies?  Okay... now go to your stash and grab a handful of threads that give you a feel for this time of year, and be sure to pick:

- one variegated #5 pearl cotton
- one dark (or medium) solid color #5 pearl cotton
- one metallic ribbon thread that matches your variegated thread
- one thin metallic, like Kreinik #8 Braid, in a base metal color (silver, gold, copper, etc.)
- a 7" x 7" piece of 18 ct. mono canvas in any color you want to play with

[Pssst": the finished piece will be stitched "on point" (in a diamond shape) and will end up as a 6" by 6" design.]

And here's your first graph, which is a quarter graph that only shows one quadrant of the design:

First things first!  Find your center point of your canvas and make a tiny hole as a visual reference point, using your needle tip (you'll cover it up later when you add more elements).

From there, begin working the zig zag rows with 1 ply of the 3-ply variegated #5 pearl cotton, making Straight Stitches that go over 4 canvas threads. Remember to skip the right number of threads between each row, as indicated in the graph.  Easy peasy, right?  (And remember: turn the graph around to complete the other three sections of this design.)

Once you have the zig zag rows stitched (or at least the first quadrant) you can start to add the outer border.  I've shown you this border before (in one of our fall 2012 mystery pieces) and I think it's really fun to create.  I call it my "Woven Border."  Start by laying the long diagonal stitches, using 1 strand of your dark pearl cotton, like this:

Then add the rest of the horizontal trios, so it looks like this:

Lastly, add the remaining "woven" stitches, with the trios of vertical stitches on top:

Continue working the other three sides of your border, turning the graph around to match your canvas area as you stitch.  Now if you get your foundation pattern in place and the outer border done, you'll be ready for next Monday when we'll start filling in with fast, fun elements that add some sparkle and zing!

 See ya then.... and have a Happy New Year's Eve tonight! 

Happy Holidays

May All Your Holidays be Merry and Bright!

First Cyber Class for 2013

Hey, Stitchers!  I've decided to try something a little bit different for my next cyber class.... 

I'm calling this one "FLOATING PANELS" since it's got lots of interesting geometric elements floating within a larger geometric area.

The wonderful thing about this design is that it features a variegated silk thread (Waterlilies) with a palette of silk threads that are mixed and matched in such a way as to change the look and color of each rectangular box.  I love experimenting with variegated threads, and this design plays around with how the variegated colors change throughout the piece, depending on which solid colors you mix with it.

I've created four different colorways, to broaden the interest in this piece: AMETHYST (shown above, in purples and blues with Waterlilies 06-Amethyst), SAPPHIRE (blues and aquas with Waterlilies 289-Lexi's Blues), RUBY (reds and purples with Waterlilies 290-Mystery Mix), and AMBER (golds and browns with Waterlilies 251-Sunflower Seed):
   

 

In the photos above, the first skein on the left is the color used for the borders; the next three skeins are the main color group; and the final two skeins on the right are the accent colors.  There's also a handful of matching metallic threads from thick to thin (not shown), just to add extra texture and sparkle.

There will also be a few Swarovski crystals, a sprinkling of beads, and a handmade fused glass jewel that will match each of the color groups.  All of the groups are worked on the sage green 18 ct. canvas, except for the RUBY colorway, which will get sandstone canvas. (If you want sandstone canvas for the other colorways, please let me know and I can adjust your kit.)  By the way, the finished size of this piece is 6.25" wide by 11.25" tall...not super big or complex, but the nice thing about this abstract is it can be framed/displayed vertically OR horizontally!

If this abstract geometric appeals to you, and you'd like to start the New Year with something totally different, please visit my website, Laura J. Perin Designs, for more information regarding this 2013 cyber class.