With the completion of Kansas, my three postcards, designed by Denise DeRusha and stitched lovingly for my newly-transplanted son, are ready for the framer!
Sunflowers are the official state flower of Kansas, so I wanted to make these as pretty and realistic as I could. The petals were worked in a satin stitch with Vineyard Silk Classic "Citron" and "Dandelion." The centers of the "faces" were stitched in basketweave with Vineyard Silk Classic "Topaz," and I then added French knots of Sheep's Silk "Gingersnaps" between the centers and the petals.
On to the tornado! I had checked in with regional expert and stitching buddy Sue Dulle for recommendations: there was one operative word in all her suggestions--"fuzzy"! This made sense, as tornadoes are really super-sized dust storms. I practiced on doodle canvas, using several different threads in my stash, and finally settled on Trio "Caviar" which I stitched in basketweave. Using an old toothbrush, I then began to "fuzz up" the stitched area, isolating it with a piece of card stock to avoid disturbing already-stitched surrounding areas. I brushed, and brushed, and brushed some more--and finally produced a tornado!
Many thanks to Denise DeRusha, first for designing these charming canvases and allowing me to blog-stitch them, as well as providing me with what I hope will be the perfect gift for my son!
9 comments:
Charming! I admit I was a bit hesitant about fuzzing up a tornado but it turned out to be the perfect solution.
You really did a lovely job with this set. I hope your son enjoys them for years to come.
The tornado is superb! Of course it should be "fuzzy" - that's how they look! (I grew up in west Texas, where they were plentiful). The details in this are great - I especially like the background shading.
What a wonderful gift!
You saved the two best parts for last and did a masterful job on both. Now I can't wait to see them framed before you send them to your son. He's going to love these!
Ann, these are so GREAT!!! How did you get them stitched so fast? I've been meaning to post comments all along, and just when I figure how to post to your blog - they are all done! You have done an absolutely beautiful job and have made these canvases come alive!! Thanks for letting me watch the progress! Denise
Great choice of stitches and threads! This will be a stunning arrangement when it's framed.
Oh that tornado is perfect! Glad I could be of help. And if you ever feel the need to stitch a gift for someone...put my name at the top of the list. You do such wonderful, creative stitching.
Anne,
Is it possible to aquire a copy of the "Kansas" chart? It is just the best - my son is in Kansas too, so I'm always looking for Kansas charts-canvases.
Thanks,
ebaker
All three postcards were designed by Denise DeRusha. There's a list of shops where her canvases are available on her website: www.denisederushadesigns.com
Hope this helps!
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