Haunted House - Week 4

More whittling away at details has been going on here!  The second roof section is almost done and the foundation has all of the Watercolour rocks embedded in it.

The house now has a front door and porch worked in DMC #5 pearl cotton in slanted Gobelin stitches and all of the windows are done.  From left to right:  a ghost of Kreinik #8 fine braid 5760, cobwebs of Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 001 in tent stitches, and a smiling Jack 'O Lantern.  All of the pumpkins feature Vineyard Silk Classic Simply Simmered and Pomegranate, stems of dark green Petite Very Velvet and eyes and mouths of Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 005HL.

Under the window with the pumpkin is what I call "The Thing in the Basement," two eyes of Smyrna crosses worked in blue Kreinik metallic braid.  To the right of the basement window stands a broom, worked in both slanted and straight Gobelin stitches  The cauldron has been stitched in Kreinik metallic and the logs under it begun, but the verdict is out on that section.  I'll be rethinking the way I stitch that before adding the flames.

Haunted House - Week 3

A little bit here, a little bit there.  Slowly but surely, a project comes together!

The roof section on the right is now nailed down with cross stitches of Kreinik #12 braid 001.  The window below it sports a bowl of candy and a padded satin-stitched candy apple, both done in DMC cotton floss.

The tombstone was worked in DMC #5 pearl cotton in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with tent stitches for the RIP and lines.  Next to it is a slightly droopy calla lily of Vineyard Silk Classic Bright White in a satin stitch with a stem and leaves in dark green Petite Very Velvet.  The next window over now has its little witch with French knot curls of vintage DMC Medici. 

Work has started on the second roof section, and the window below it has shutters and the beginnings of a basement window.  There's a Petite Very Velvet spider danging from stem stitches of Kreinik #12 braid 001 next to the door.  And the clapboards now extend into the fourth section of the house.

The idea of the different Halloween motifs "floating" along the foundation of the house bothered me, so after finishing the tent stitching on the foundation itself with Watercolours Belgian Stone, I added  some "soil" with a row of slanted Gobelin stitches two canvas threads high using Watercolours Copper.

Haunted House - Week 2

Work on this little house has been progressing nicely from right to left.  Almost all of the clapboards have been completed on three-quarters of the house.

Under the clapboards, I've started adding a foundation of Watercolours Belgian Stone in basketweave, and a couple of rocks within the foundation have been worked in a satin stitch using Watercolours Flagstone.  This thread has a fair amount of pink and rose in it, which I'm cutting out so I can use the remaining shades of gray.

Half of the roof of slanted Gobelin stitches is now done, minus its nails.  At the peak of the second section in from the right, I've added a bat of black Petite Very Velvet, dangling from a row of stem stitches in Kreinik #12 braid 001.  A second set of shutters is now complete, and the little witch peering out the window to check on her cauldron has a hat of black PVV.

Just about time to start adding some of the cool little details!  Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Haunted House - Week 1

When you're stitching a little house such as this one, the siding is basically the equivalent of background on another canvas.  I've chosen to treat the siding as clapboards, so my "go-to" stitch is a slanted Gobelin over two canvas threads, worked with three strands of DMC cotton floss 415.

The roof has been started with more slanted Gobelin stitches of DMC #5 perle cotton 414 and shaded with 413.  I'll wait until the whole section is finished before setting the "nails."

The first window has been given shutters of DMC #5 perle cotton 414, shaded with black perle cotton and illuminated with tent stitches of Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 091.  I'll keep working on the clapboards, treating myself from time to time by working one of the many details.