Next up!

There's nothing like a small project to either while away some time between larger projects or as a diversion from a work-in-progress.  This postcard designed by Denise DeRusha falls in the latter category.

This will make the fifth in the postcard series that I've tackled, joining Connecticut, Texas and Kansas that I blog-stitched here and Nantucket, which I stitched for a Needlepoint Now column a few years ago.

I'll be back when I have something to show for myself!

Little girl bunny--finale

With Thanksgiving festivities intervening, it's taken more than a week but the little girl bunny is finally finished!

The narrow panels of dress peeking out from behind her apron limited the number of decorative stitches that could be used.  I chose a framed mosaic stitch, worked in two shades of pink DMC cotton floss.  The overall effect is a "country" look in keeping with the spirit of the design.

She'll join her little boy bunny companion on a trip to the finisher, who should have plenty of time to turn them into stand-ups before next Easter.

A bonnet and a basket

This little bunny's Easter bonnet is made of straw, so two shades of DMC #5 perle cotton have been used in a woven stitch to create it.

The crown was worked in a satin stitch, as was the ribbon of Impressions and the flower of Burmilana and DMC cotton floss.  I would have preferred French knots for the flower petals, but the flower was too close to the outside edge and I didn't want the future finisher to curse me.

Determined to work exclusively from my stash, I found just the shade of brown I wanted for the basket within a skein of Wildflowers Sunflower Seed.  I cut out all the brown in the otherwise golden strands and worked it in an oblong cross stitch.  DMC cotton floss in a satin stitch supplied the eggs, with Easter grass created with Arctic Rays.

All that remains is the bunny's dress, but since the skirt of the backside goes on forever, this is going to take a while!

Covering up

Little girl bunny now has an apron, worked in Vineyard Silk Classic Bright White and Evening Haze.

Working from the bottom up, the ruffle at the bottom was formed with slanted Gobelin stitches over four canvas threads intersected by vertical rows of tent stitches.  The trim above the ruffle repeats the pattern on the bib:  two rows of framed Scotch stitches.  The main portion of the apron was created with an encroaching Gobelin stitch, which allowed me to include some shading that had been painted.

Then a collar for her dress was stitched in basketweave with white DMC cotton floss, trimmed with aqua Impressions that was used for the stripes on the boy bunny's jacket.  Her brooch was worked in a stem stitch with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 002V and filled in with an oblong cross stitch with blue Kreinik metallic.

Getting started

Just like the boy bunny canvas, I began stitching on this design with the ears, face and paw.  I'm using the same threads, too:  mostly a medium brown Burmilana and some pink for the ears, combined with cream and dark brown Impressions in an encroaching Gobelin stitch.

The bib on her apron is now complete front and back, using Vineyard Silk Classic Bright White in a framed Scotch stitch with VSC Evening Haze for shading.

A little girl bunny

My next project is to stitch a companion for the little boy bunny.  As pink and blue are my favorite colors, I've saved the best for last!

The little girl bunny's pink dress coordinates with the boy bunny's pink bow tie, just as the blue ribbon on her hat and trimming on her dress ties in with the trim and pin stripes of his jacket. 

Just like the boy bunny, I'll be stash-busting to complete this canvas.  I made sure I had enough of the same thread to stitch the faces, ears and paw of each, so that's where I'll start to stitch her.

Rogues on the road

This weekend, the Crosby Mansion in Brewster, Massachusetts, has been decorated for the holidays as a fundraiser by the Nauset Garden Club.  In the room with a theme of "A Stitch in Time" is a Christmas tree decorated exclusively with my cylindrical ornaments.

More than 60 of these "little people" grace the tree.  They're in good company with samples of hardanger, blackwork, cross stitch, rug hooking and crewel embroidery displayed throughout the room.

I'm told the cylindrical ornaments have prompted questions including "How long does it take to make one?" and "What's inside them--a toilet paper roll?"  At least I'm doing my small part in making needlepoint more visible to the general public while helping to raise money for a worthy cause!

One down, one to go

The little boy bunny is now fully clothed with a basket of Easter eggs to be delivered!

His bow tie was created with satin and tent stitches using two shades of DMC cotton floss.  More Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 005 was used in a Leviathan stitch variation for his buttons.

The basket was worked in a woven stitch with Silken Straw Whiskey.  Pink and blue DMC floss in a satin stitch created the Easter eggs.

I rarely throw away a thread package. and it's a very good thing!  I remembered a thread given to me by the owner of my LNS back in Connecticut (pre-1998), which had just come out and was supposed to be great for creating Christmas trees.  I frankly wasn't impressed with the tree application, and tucked the card away for a rainy day.  It moved to Texas and finally Massachusetts, where some 18+ years later the card of Arctic Rays made some lovely Easter grass for my little boy bunny!

A little bunny's backside

Not only did I catch up from working the front, I actually finished the backside of the little boy bunny!

His collar is cream Petite Very Velvet, worked in basketweave, and trimmed with Impressions.  The same value of Impressions was used for the hem of his coat and for shading.

The wider stripes of his coat were worked in Vineyard Silk Classic Citron with VSC Dandelion for shading in a slanted Gobelin stitch  .A lighter value of Impressions was used in tent stitch for the pencil stripes.  Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 005 in a Leviathan stitch variation created the buttons.

More Burmilana in an encroaching Gobelin stitch formed his bottom.  For a bushier cotton tail, I switched to Silk & Ivory Sand in French knots.