Skirting the issue

Fleece Fairy now has a face--or part of one, anyway, worked in basketweave with DMC floss.  I'll add eyes and eyebrows when I've decided what color her hair will be.

She also has a dress, again worked in basketweave with DMC floss #225 and shadows of DMC floss #224.  The white cuffs of her sleeves were worked in a satin stitch.  I added a single row of tent stitches at the neckline with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid to distinguish between her neck and her dress.

Her bolero was added with antique blue Petite Very Velvet, extending the right side a bit to cover some of the rose at her shoulder.

Love the combination of pink and blue!

Fairy wings

Fleece Fairy has wings!  Starting at the outside with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002, I outlined the wings in basketweave.  The inside four sections were worked in a woven stitch with white DMC cotton floss.

You'll notice that I haven't finished the inside of the top right part of the wing.  I'm not crazy about the flowers adorning her hair--they seem way too large when compared to the size of the fairy's face.  I'll finish work on this area when I've decided how to scale down the flowers a little.

In my last post, I mentioned that the margins around the design area are narrow.  The white lines you see at the top and right of the photo are the edges of the tape on the canvas, which is mounted on mini stretcher bars.  Not a lot of wiggle room if I add some kind of background around the lamb to make the finisher's job easier!

A fairy tale

Here's the next canvas I plan to stitch for this year's gift-giving--Fleece Fairy by Joan Thomasson.  It's yet another canvas included in the box of treasures bequeathed to me by a friend who can no longer stitch.

The only difference I can see between an angel and a fairy is the wings:  fairy wings appear to be injected with steroids.  I love the little lamb included in the design, and see a bunch of French knots in my future!

Thinking practically, I wonder how the finisher could work around those little lamb legs.  But the canvas margins are too narrow to put any kind of background around the entire fairy.  I'll have to give this more thought as I start in on the fairy herself.

Sock it to me!

One little present is finished for holiday giving--Christmas, that is, not Halloween, despite the colors!

All the lettering on this sock was stitched in basketweave with three different Kreinik metallic braids.  Although it wasn't painted on the canvas, I added a ribbed cuff in Kalem stitch with some vintage DMC Medici wool from my stash.

I hope to squeak in a few more ornaments to give as gifts this year, so stay tuned!

A change of pace

A family friend graduated last December from Oklahoma State University, so I decided to commemorate the occasion with a Christmas ornament for this coming holiday.  The design is by Kathy Schenkel, but I plan on adding a couple of little touches to make this mini-sock one-of-a-kind.

I've jump-started this project by stitching the background in basketweave with black Trio so as not to bore blog readers to tears.  But you'll notice that I painted in a date in an open space in the top right-hand corner.

Time to fill in the lettering and footballs!

Another angel finished

This little angel is ready to make the trip to the finisher with her friend Elizabeth!

Her robe was finished in basketweave with DMC floss #3753 and the folds with DMC floss #3752.

I wanted to work the border at the hem differently, but that was not to be since the stylized flowers painted on the canvas refused to be covered with the lighter blue thread.  So  I stuck with the original design, stitching the flowers with DMC floss #931 to match the Petite Very Velvet of the center panel and adding Smyrna cross centers with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #3221.  Finally, I added more Smyrna crosses on top of the Petite Very velvet in the center panel to tie the design elements together.

My goal in stitching this angel was to make her look different from Elizabeth, and by changing some of the design elements, I think I've succeeded!

Making some changes

This little angel is starting to look different from the original design.  The center panel of medallions has disappeared under antique blue Petite Very Velvet worked in basketweave.  The hem of her outfit now falls straight across the bottom, edged in rows of slanted Gobelin stitches with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #3221.  A row of stem stitches in the same metallic thread edges the center panel.

I finished her sleeves, adding a band of DMC floss #931 to match the Petite Very Velvet.  DMC floss #3752 was used to add folds and outline the sleeves.

Almost there--time to finish the robe!