Thursday, July 31, 2014

Website Down for a Bit...

Just a quick note, Stitchers: 
if you've been trying to get into my website today, you may have been directed to TRIPOD instead. 
 They are currently making some security changes/updates to my site, 
which apparently take a few days to go into effect. 

So please try again in a few days, and hopefully, we'll all have access to it again.  sigh.
Until then.... Keep Stitching!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Meanwhile, Back at the Beach...

Now that I've finished the PATRIOTIC canvas and stitch guide, I can go back to working on Sandra Gilmore's SHELLSCAPE canvas, which is a new design in her line this year.  I always start a new canvas by staring at it for quiet some time, decided where I want to start stitching.  It seemed easiest for me to start at the top (and begin a driftwood-looking border using a variegated #8 pearl from ThreadworX) and work downwards, to all the items in the foreground.


This canvas has lots of areas for tranquil "filling in" that don't require complex stitches -- or complex thinking -- which is perfect for nighttime stitching while watching tv, or afternoon stitching, when you don't want to do anything too taxing!  Because I wanted to add many soft, subtle colors, this piece has lots of "blended" threads -- where I mix a solid thread with a variegated thread for more visual interest.  As I began stitching I decided instead of working the sky, water, and beach all in tent stitch, I would use three different small scale stitches, to break up the canvas, and also to make it more interesting to stitch.

I've done the sky in a simple 4-way stitch, using 2 ply of a Splendor silk, so the aqua canvas shows through.  The clouds are diagonal satin stitches, broken up in cloud shapes, with the smaller colored sections done in a pale variegated ThreadworX in creams, apricots and lavenders. (I decided to let the variegated thread create the color changes, instead of stopping and starting several different solid colors.) 
 

The sea is done in rows of elongated tent stitches (to mimic the horizontal lines of an ocean view), using shimmery Ribbon Floss and a variegated blue ThreadworX cotton blended with 1 strand of a sparkly blending filament  - to add some subtle color changes and create a metallic sparkle over the whole sea:


The beach/dune area is done in plain old tent/basketweave stitch, again using a subtle variegated ThreadworX color.  But instead of doing ALL basketweave, I alternated my stitching directions randomly: doing rows of horizontal tent stitches, then switching to a patch of vertical tent stitches, then doing chunks of diagonal basketweave -- all to avoid creating those dreaded diagonal stripes that happen when you do a strict basketweave stitch with a variegated thread.  Below you can see how the patches of colors look very much like shadows on the beach dunes:


When I moved down to the lower level of the canvas, in the table/ledge area I chose a large blackwork pattern, using the same #8 pearl cotton variegated ThreadworX I used for the outer border and window sashes:


Again, there's more tent stitching (or basketweave) to be done on the RELAX sign and the terra cotta pot; lots more areas to fill up before moving on to the textural items: the shells, starfish, coral and flowers.  Bit by bit, this canvas is filling up... and I must say, I'm enjoying working on every part of this piece.  It's been very relaxing stitching.  I hope to get the rest of this piece done over the weekend, so I'll share the rest of my beachy adventure with you next week!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Celebrate July!

It's time to share my latest and newest stitch guide with you.... 
and it's perfect for a warm day in July:


PATRIOTIC 
by
Sandra Gilmore

This was fun to stitch, with lots of easy areas filled with simple stitches.
I padded the bunting and flag (with Splendor silks over #5 pearl cotton), to enhance the rippling effect:


And the masses of flowers are created by lots of French Knots, and other simple stitch combinations:


All in all, it was the perfect canvas to be stitching in the summer!
If you're interested in this new stitch guide for PATRIOTIC, please visit my website:
or contact your local stitchery store for ordering the painted canvas and stitch guide together 
from Fleur de Paris in Southern California.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

BARGELLO AND CARNATIONS Correction



For those of you who have purchased my recent BARGELLO AND CARNATIONS, please make a note of the following correction on your MATERIALS page, and also the four Main Graph pages:

For the Pink Carnations, it should read:
    
     YLI Ribbon Floss, 148-030 - coral rose/rose      
                                                               (or Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon, 007)

So sorry for the typo, Stitchers!

Saturday, July 5, 2014

NEW Cyber Class!

Hey, Stitchers:
     I'm excited to share my next new cyber class with you   -- it's called SUMMER ROSE:


It's intended as a companion piece to my previous PURPLE DAISY cyber class, which was so popular with you stitchers!   Anyway, this one has a vivid pink flower against a turquoise background (something I've been wanting to create for a long time, just because I think the color combination is so jazzy!)... It's stitched on a pre-printed canvas, with the finished dimensions being 6.25" x 7.75". 

You have a color choice this time: either with a PINK or a RED flower (both have the same turquoise background and green borders), as these models show you:


I have to say that this is another fast and easy project... AND it has more of that fun "messy beading" in the flower's center. Very cool and colorful!!


Registration is from now until mid-August, and class will start in September.  For more class particulars, please visit my website and read all about it.