Starting another long-term project

Another Christmas stocking has made its way to my house.  Actually, it's been sitting on the guest room bed for several weeks, as I made daily visits to ponder my plan of attack for stitching it.

Ivory Angel by Liz Goodrick-Dillon is quite different from the other three stockings by Liz that I've stitched to date.  This design is almost monochromatic, compared to the colorful Patchwork Snowman, Nutcracker Christmas and Nutcracker/Packages stockings.  Its lines are very delicate and the shading is extensive, so the choice of threads and stitches becomes critical to maintaining the proper balance in the finished piece.

When its cuff is added, the stocking will measure a little over two feet long--not the type of project to be completed overnight.  And there's other stitching on my plate right now which takes precedence.  So I'll work on the angel a little at a time in hopes of making the finishing deadline for this year's holiday season.  I'll be back with another post when I have something to show for myself!

Ready to perform!

The little Mariachi is finished!

His serape was filled in with snippets of Burmilana and Impressions from my stash in Scotch, mosaic, slanted Gobelin and tent stitches.

His mustache and beard were stitched in French knots with DMC Medici wool.  His guitar was created with DMC #5 perle cotton in basketweave.  Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 002 provided the strings in tent stitches and the tuning pegs in Smyrna crosses.

More Mariachi madness

The little Mariachi is warmer now that his shirt is finished.  Using Trio Natural, the body was worked in a framed mosaic stitch and the sleeves in a diagonal mosaic stitch, with wristbands of slanted Gobelin stitches over two canvas threads.

I've started stitching his serape, using a brown Burmilana tweed in an encroaching Gobelin stitch.  Now I can have some fun adding the colored bands!

Snow-day stitching

There's nothing like a snow day to get some stitching accomplished!  The Cape got clobbered with about 10 inches of the white stuff--not that remarkable compared to amounts falling elsewhere recently, but the most accumulation we've seen so far this winter.  We didn't lose power, so life was good and stitching was even better!

The Mariachi now has a face, hair and eyebrows, and I'll add his mustache and beard after doing a little more work around his chin area.

His pants have been worked with Trio Natural in an alternating pattern of vertical slanted Gobelin and tent stitches, with Felicity's Garden Truffle providing the shading.  The bottom of his shirt now has a border of alternating slanted Gobelin and mosaic stitch stripes.  On to the top of the shirt!

A sombrero and sandals

The Mariachi's sombrero has been worked in a woven stitch and tent stitch combination with shades of DMC #5 perle cotton.

Skin tones were added with DMC cotton floss--need to finish the facial features!

His sash was formed with an encroaching oblong cross stitch worked horizontally using Petite Very Velvet.  The same thread was used for his sandals in a slanted Gobelin/tent stitch.

Road trip company

DH and I took a trip to Boston this past week to attend the preview of Disney's newest release, The Finest Hours.  Heaven forbid I should ride in a car for an hour and a half each way without something to stitch, and my current magazine project was too big to take along.  So I unearthed an already-painted canvas of my Mexican Mariachi to keep me company.

The Mariachi is a cylindrical ornament, aka a "roll-up."  The trick in designing these ornaments is to think round while painting on the flat.  When finished, his serape will meet in the back for additional visual interest--no matter how good the finisher, I've never known an ornament that hangs completely straight!

Not enough stitching has been accomplished to take a progress photo--I switched back to the larger piece as soon as I got home--but I'll be back, hopefully soon,.

A buddy for Seamus

Still biding my time between major projects. I pulled out a canvas of Patrick the Penguin to work on.  This cheerful little fellow will keep Seamus the Sheep company.

The sky and rainbow were worked in DMC floss in basketweave and tent stitches.  Petite Very Velvet formed his hat and body, while vintage DMC Medici was used in basketweave and encroaching Gobelin stitches for his face, tummy, beak and feet.

His Aran sweater was worked in Trio Natural in a combination of slanted Gobelin, encroaching oblong cross, Kalem and tent stitches.  Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 002V provided the buckle on his hat and his pot of gold, a combination of horizontal encroaching oblong cross and woven stitches.  The shamrocks were formed with mosaic and tent stitches with Kreinik #12 tapestry braid 008HL.

For the grass, I tried a technique that Sue Dulle calls "puddling."  Using an overdyed thread--in this case Watercolours Jade--you skip around from one area to another to avoid streaking when stitching basketweave.