Another unicorn finish!

 After several long-term projects, it was really satisfying to have a fairly quick finish.  

Kreinik #12 braid 002 contributed the horn in slanted Gobelin stitch, hooves in encroaching Gobelin stitch and sparkles in the background with cross stitches.

The mane and tail were created with three colors of Silk Lame Braid for 18 ct. in an encroaching Gobelin stitch.

The eye and nose were worked in Smyrna cross stitches with black DMC floss.

If it weren't for the outrageously long waits for ornaments to be finished, this little unicorn would hang on a little girl's tree this Christmas.  Luckily with three-year-olds, if you haven't seen it, it doesn't exist.  So there'll be a nice surprise for Christmas 2022!

A simple, subtle background

 This canvas came with a stitch guide, something I generally ignore.  I began by stitching the background in basketweave using 3 strands of DMC cotton floss 3747.  Lavender is one of the recipient's favorite colors.

The body of the unicorn was worked in a diagonal mosaic stitch with 2 strands of Burmilana 3601 Bright White, with shading provided by gray Burmilana.  So far, so good!

Small is good!

  With a two-foot-long stocking under my belt, I was ready for something smaller to stitch.  This little unicorn canvas by Princess and Me fit the bill perfectly.

I'm stitching it for my oldest granddaughter as a Christmas tree ornament.  Right around the time she was born, unicorns became quite the rage and are still in vogue three years later.  I'd stitched another one by Rebecca Wood, which was favorably received, so figured if one was good, two would be better!

I've started by drawing a shaped border around the central figure to aid in finishing it as an ornament down the road.

Finally, a finish!

It took more than 18 months to stitch, but this stocking is in the TA-DA column!  It started off its stitching life on scroll bars, moved to stretcher bars for the bottom, then went up to the middle on stretcher bars to finish.  This was in progress in the heart of the pandemic, when threads were scarce, so I stitched what I could when I could.

The drapes and bedskirt were worked in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with three values of rose Impressions.  Santa's coat was fashioned in basketweave with two values of Petite Very Velvet.  The little girl's hair and Santa's hair and beard were stitched with Burmilana.  The trim on his hat and cuffs was stitched with French knots with Vineyard Silk Classic Bright White.

The coverlet was created with Vineyard Silk Classic in a Nobuko stitch for the center and outer band in encroaching Gobelin stitch.  The rug was worked entirely in basketweave using mostly Impressions, except for the gold, which was The Thread Gatherer's Sheep's Silk.

The stocking is already in the hands of the finisher and hopefully will be ready for Christmas 2021 to join the other three stockings in my youngest son's family.  But I'm weary of large projects, having now completed three in the last six months, and will look forward to something considerably smaller in the near future.
 

Mother's Day Memories

 Shirtwaist dresses, necklaces, permed hair, high heels, and shopping bags out the ying-yang.  That was my mother to a tee.  My mother was known for going to the mall to buy a pair of stockings and emerging three hours later with--believe it or not--one pair of stockings.  She hated to return anything, so what she didn't want was added to my closet.  She was known to borrow a dress from me and hike it up with a belt to allow for the fact that I was four inches taller than she was.

So what goes around, comes around.  Just this past week, I learned that my oldest granddaughter, just three, has inherited the "Shopping Gene."  Until recently that honor belonged to her father, the only one who could go shopping with my mother and, after four hours of cruising the mall, ask if there were any other places she'd like to go.  Did he know he'd be receiving his comeuppance someday when he chose my mother's name as part of his daughter's?

Happy Mother's Day, Ma--I'll always love you to pieces!

Bottoms up!

 I started stitching this stocking using scroll bars, moving up and down as threads became available.  I skipped over areas that would get French knots eventually and finally made my way to the bottom of the stocking.  As it appears here, the canvas has been transferred to stretcher bars so I could reach the toe of the stocking.

The bed skirt was worked in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with three values of rose Impressions and trimmed with white DMC #8 pearl cotton.  The letter to Santa was stitched in basketweave and tent stitches with DMC floss;  more floss in basketweave created the fitted bottom sheet.

The rug was also stitched in basketweave with various shades of Impressions, with the exception of the "Old Gold" Sheep's Silk .

At the foot of the bed is a painted chest, worked in encroaching Gobelin stitch and slanted Gobelin stitch with DMC #5 pearl cotton.  I like using pearl cotton to simulate wood and wooden objects--the twist in the thread looks to me like wood grain.  More pearl cotton in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with the canvas turned 90 degrees formed the hardwood floor.  It combined several shades of brown DMC pearl cotton and Weeks Dye Works #5 pearl "Molasses."

The edging of the comforter was created in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with Vineyard Silk Classic using three values of lavender.  The body of the comforter was worked in Nobuko stitch with Vineyard Silk Classic "Illusions."  With the canvas turned upside down, I worked my way to where it was stapled to the stretcher bars.  Time to move the canvas on the stretcher bars once again so I can reach the middle of the stocking!

The Lost Year

 

Hard to believe my last post was in October of 2019.  That's the kind of interruption a pandemic can cause, I guess.  I've stitched a lot of canvases since the little Rebecca Wood unicorn, but nothing of a personal nature that I could show here.  I did start another canvas a month after the unicorn was finished.  Believe it or not, I'm still working on it!  A stocking designed by Liz, it's destined for the little sister of the almost three-year-old who received the unicorn ornament.  I missed the "first Christmas" deadline because of difficulties in getting supplies, but hopefully will have it ready for Christmas 2021.

Getting ahead of myself

This isn't the first time I've kept stitching and stitching without stopping to take a progress, and it probably won't be my last, either.  The little unicorn ornament is ready for the finisher!

The white was worked in encroaching Gobelin with two strands of Burmilana 3601 accented with gray shading and tent-stitched black eye.  I changed the green in its mane to pink with Vineyard Silk Classic Peppermint Pink.  The lavender portions of the mane are Vineyard Silk Classic Haze.  Both silk threads are shaded with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid.  The unicorn's horn was stitched in Kreinik #12 braid 002 and the sky was dotted with Kreinik #12 braid 001.

 Green Impressions in a satin stitch formed the sprig of holly and French knots of DMC cotton floss provided the berries.

Not much going on....

...but you have to start somewhere!  The background has been stitched in basketweave with four strands of DMC cotton floss.

Next up....

Besides being a symbol of good luck, the unicorn has a special significance in our family.  It seems you can find a Halloween costume of almost anything for fairly little people!  And subsequently the unicorn provided the theme for Baby Unicorn's first birthday party.  So what better canvas could there be for me to stitch for a Christmas tree?!

This is a design by Rebecca Wood, one of my favorite NP people.  It's four inches wide, so should stitch up fairly quickly.

And we have a finish!

The London travel round was a fun little project.  Other than the Silk Lame Braid for 18 ct. used in the background, the rest of the stitching was done with DMC floss.  Budget-friendly and stash-busting all in one!

I changed out the gold with which Big Ben was painted for more stone-like colors.  I would expect a British company like Kirk & Bradley to be proud of such an icon, but one thing Big Ben isn't is metallic gold!  After googling the telephone booth, I changed it a little, too, but otherwise kept to the original design as painted.

A little bling

What to do when there's not much space between design elements?  Add a little bling instead of a decorative stitch!

On this Kirk & Bradley travel round, I used Silk Lame Braid for 18 ct. in basketweave for the background.  It's a neutral color but with a hint of twinkle.

The cap at the top of the ornament was worked in a woven stitch with Kreinik #12 braid 002.

It's been a long, long time!

I frankly was shocked to discover that the last time I blogged was back in November of 2018.  Good grief!  I must try to remedy the situation!

One of the reasons I haven't blogged is because I didn't have anything to talk about.  All the pieces I was working on were magazine-related, and I didn't want to show them until the particular issue was published.  But I do have one little ornament canvas to work on:  a Kirk & Bradley "travel round" of London to stitch for someone who made the trip across the pond earlier this year.  It's my first canvas by this designer, so I'm anxious to try it out.  There are a lot of little motifs in a fairly small space, so I'm not expecting a lot of fancy stitches on this one.  Perhaps I'll be able to spice it up by adding a little texture.

We shall see--stay tuned!

'Tis the season....

This time of year, it's easy to get pulled in any number of different directions, and stitching often takes a back seat.  But I did finally complete the little door hanger, and I'm happy with the overall effect.

The same Vineyard Silk Classic Foliage that formed the lettering was used in a stem stitch for the flower stems, with VSC Sage for leaves in a satin stitch.

 The main portion of the hot pink flower was worked in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with VSC Cherry Tree, outlined in tent stitches with Peppermint and accented with stem and long stitches with Burmilana.  The center was worked in a Leviathan stitch variation with VSC Jewel surrounded by French knots of VSC Creme Brulee.  More Peppermint was used in an encroaching Gobelin stitch for the other flower, with tent stitches of VSC Dream and Bright White and French knot flowers of Creme Brulee in the center.

Thje butterflies were worked in encroaching Gobelin, satin and tent stitches with VSC Jewel, Celestial, Cherry Tree, Jet Black and bright pink Burmilana.  I need to pick up some lace trim from the local fabric store before sending this project off for finishing.

The thought that counts

Plowing along on the background, I finally stitched enough to add the lettering in tent stitch with Vineyard Silk Classic Foliage.

I'm hoping to get more accomplished over the long weekend.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

A shining sun

My goal in the last week was to stitch enough background so I'd clear the outside rays of the sun.  With that accomplished, I filled in the rest of the sun with Vineyard Silk Classic Creme Brulee and Nectarine in an encroaching Gobelin stitch.  The facial features were added with tent stitches.

In the next week or so, I hope to complete enough background so I can add some lettering

A good start

This is just a little piece--about five in. by seven in.--so I wanted to keep the stitching fairly simple.  I started the background in basketweave with four strands of DMC floss 3841.

When the blue became a bit tedious, I treated myself to the center of the sun, working it in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with Vineyard Silk Classic Creme Brulee.

Back to the background for a while!

A little project for a little person

It's nice to have a small project on hand, and it's even nicer to have a new little person in the family.  This little doll is our granddaughter, now six months old.  Our first grandchild, she's the second girl to be born in seven generations of Stradals.

I used to sing "You are my sunshine" to her father, so when I saw this canvas offered on Facebook by Louise's Needlepoint in Powell, Ohio, it seemed to be the perfect choice.  I don't know who's the designer, but I wish it were me!  It's beautifully painted, that much I can tell you.

I'll be working on this canvas in between another, bigger project for a nice change of pace, and will be back when I have something to show for myself!

Three's the charm

Stitching these little hearts is a lot like eating potato chips--you can't be satisfied with just one.

For my third heart, I chose a horizontal band design, "lifting" a couple of motifs from one of my Eggs for All Seasons.  I used peach tones of DMC floss--948, 754 and 758--that I'm more accustomed to using for skin tones, and combined them with DMC 712, an off-white, and Kreinik #12 braid 9192.  The stitching was kept simple:  basketweave and Smyrna crosses.

I could go on and on, filling in heart shapes with an almost infinite combination of designs and colors, but for now I think it best to get back to work!

One more time

Stitching another heart for Greater Kansas City's Hearts for Hospice project, I chose pink, one of my favorite colors.

The background alternates floral stripes with panels of Nobuko stitch, separated by thin stripes of slanted Gobelin stitch, all using four strands of DMC floss 3326.  The rosebuds were worked in an encroaching Gobelin stitch with DMC floss 335, while the leaves were formed with satin stitches of DMC 367.

It's a pretty simple design, really, but pleasing to my eyes at least.  Hmmm....do I have time for just one more?  Stay tuned!