Hitting the floor running

Despite my being in paint-by-day, stitch-at-night mode, the floor is finally finished!

By the time I finished the last stripe, the canvas was badly racked on the scroll bars.  The thickness of the stitched canvas wadded up on the bars on the left side of the canvas created a bubble on the right side of the canvas at the level with the toe of the stocking.  So I took the canvas off the scroll bars and mounted the bottom on stretcher bars to regain a taut stitching surface.

The squares were stitched in basketweave with off-white and deep forest green Silk Lame Braid to simulate the look of marble tiles.  The flowers were worked in Smyrna cross stitches using red Impressions, with satin stitches of medium green Impressions forming the leaves.

I'll need to move the canvas up on the stretcher bars to finish some stitching that I didn't want to get crushed, and then the stocking will be completed.  Stay tuned!

The final stripe

Inching my way down to the bottom of the stocking!

For the last stripe, I used medium green and red Impressions in a diagonal mosaic stitch.  Intersecting the two colors is Vineyard Silk Classic Edwardian Gold in an interlocking/encroaching Gobelin stitch.

I've started in on the floor, but there's a lot of floor to stitch!

Boots on the move

How I love Petite Very Velvet, especially in black!

 The boots were worked in basketweave, stitching over the painted laces.  Red and gray Petite Very Velvet were added for the toes.

The hooks and laces were stitched with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002 in one ridiculously long strand for each boot.  Beginning at the top right with a Smyrna cross, I came up at the bottom left of the cross to the front of the canvas and carried the thread across to the second hook down on the right.  Zigzagging along in this fashion, I crossed over to the other side at the bottom hooks and made my way back up to the top.

I've started work on the last stripe across the canvas and can almost see the bottom of the design area!

A big fat stripe!

The next stripe is the largest, and took quite some time to stitch!

The light green section was worked in basketweave with Impressions and dotted with single cross stitches using the same dark green Impressions as that behind the nutcracker.  The looping arches were worked in interlocking/encroaching Gobelin stitches with two strands of vintage red DMC Medici wool.

The background behind the trees was stitched in basketweave with off-white Impressions.  The trees were worked in a diagonal oblong cross stitch with dark green Impressions and the trunks added in a satin stitch with the DMC Medici wool.  The decorative stitches used for the arches and trees gives these areas a higher profile against the basketweave background.

I've started stitching one boot, using black Petite Very Velvet in basketweave.  I'm stitching over the laces, but will add those back in later.

Stripes and boot tops

The canvas area is getting wider as I make my way down to the toe of the stocking!

The stripes have been outlined in a slanted Gobelin stitch with Wildflowers Golden Grains and stem stitches with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002.

The top stripe was stitched in basketweave with off-white Impressions and some vintage red DMC Medici wool.  The second stripe was also stitched in basketweave with the same dark green Impressions used behind the nutcracker and medium blue/green Burmilana for the holly.  More red Medici wool in Smyrna crosses formed the berries.

The boot tops were worked in basketweave with Vineyard Silk Classic and accented with Kreinik braid.  A single Scotch stitch of Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #003HL formed the top of the tassels and two shades of Vineyard Silk Classic in an interlocking/encroaching Gobelin stitch created the tassels themselves.

Well suited

The nutcracker's ascot and tunic are now finished, worked in basketweave and tent stitches with DMC cotton floss and Kreinik #12 tapestry braid #002.

His leggings were worked in a Kalem stitch, using white and gray Burmilana.

Time to scroll down and attack some stripes behind the nutcracker!

Happy Fourth of July!

A safe and happy July 4th to everyone!  I'll be stitching--what else is new?--and hoping the weather holds so we can have a barbequed dinner.

This design was created from a photo of an actual doorway.  Stitchery Square in Camden, Maine, had a brick-and-mortar shop at the time, and sponsored a yearly island stitching retreat.  The shop invited participants to submit photos of their doorways, and I adapted the images to canvas.

I was so pleased with this doorway that I asked the homeowner for permission to use the design going forward, and she said yes!