In the nick of time

I finished lesson 2 with only a few days to spare. Luckily, I had the long weekend to get everything done 🙂

Here is block 5 finished:

And block 6:

I’m not sure about the Flair on the top-left log of this block. It really should be a shade lighter I think, but this is all I had. I could have used the Frosty Rays I used for the hearts, but I think the weight of it would have been a little too heavy. So, for the time being I will leave it in and wait to see how the whole heart turns out. If it needs that extra color contrast, I will suck it up and rip out my stitches and purchase more threads. But, until then, I’ll save the heartbreak and the money.

 

Put it all together:

 

Okay, so I NEVER thought I would finished in lesson in time, but miraculously I did it. Next month, I REALLY don’t think I’ll be able to finish in time. I have another 3 weeks here, and then I get 2 weeks vacation back in Jersey!!!! As wonderful as that is, this piece is simply too large to bring cross-country. So, unless I can finish in the next 2 weekends, this just isn’t going to happen. But, I do plan on bringing other WIP (works in project) to stitch on the plane/in dirty jerz.

 

Can’t wait for the next lesson to come out!

Snowman Pictures

Here are the pictures of the Snowman, as promised yesterday. Ever the awesome blogger mom, my mom snapped pictures of the snowman in a variety of locations.

On her counter:

On the floor (cute toes Mom!)

And against the window

Mystery Project Revealed!

Sorry I have been gone for so long! 2 weekends ago I went to visit my brother and sister-in-law in San Diego. We had a mini family reunion down there, as my parents flew out to meet us. I wrote a beautiful blog post for you all from the airport…but it wouldn’t post.

After the weekend, my mom flew up with me and stayed for a week at my place. My mom is AWESOME.

This leads us to my mystery project…which is my Chanukkah present to her 🙂 I probably should have waited until I went back to Jersey for the holidays to give it to her (wooohoo, made my plane reservations last night). But, because my mom is so awesome, I wanted to give her something to thank her, so I gave her the present early.

So, without further ado, the mystery project:

(NOOOOOOO!!! I can’t find the picture I’m sure I took of it before I let my mom take it back to Jersey. Mom, can you send me a picture of it?)

 

This is Let It SNOW-MAN by Joni Stevenson, from the September 2009 issue of Needle Pointers Magazine.

I made a few changes to the threads. I changed the golds to reds (as per my mom’s prefecnce. I also did the snow in his face and body with 3 threads of white floss and 1 strand of Kreinik 032 Blending Filament. What a perfect shimmer!!!

I used DMC Memory Thread in silver to write “Let it Snow.” I really like how it held it shape. It allowed me to form the letters, place them, then reform them until I liked the way it looked.

We’ll have it framed and I can represent it to Mom in December.

Back to the Cabin

After finishing up my mystery project, I set back to work on the Hearts of the Cabin. Lesson 2 came out on Nov 1, but I’ve just started. I know this is a course for fun, but I hate falling behind on my homework. Coupled with the fact that I’m going to be out of town this weekend, I think I might not finish in time for the next lesson. But, I have to keep reminding myself that this is just for fun, and its OKAY if I’m behind schedule.

 

I have finished 1/4 of this lesson – the light 1/2 of block 5.

The outer log is stitched with ThreadworX and Splendor. I am still in love with the Threadworx overdyed. In this log, both of the overdyed threads I used were very suble in their color change (the blue and pink/purple in this case). The inner log also used a ThreadworX overdyed thread, and you can clearly see that this one has a more dramatic color change. This part was stitched with a cashmere stitch, and I really like how the simple stitch is accentuated by the color change in the floss.

The middle log uses floss and Kreinik. The Double Star Mosaic stitch was really fun and I like the effect of it a lot, but it took a deceptively long time to stitch! But, I think it was definitely worthwhile, and I will be looking for places to use this stitch in the future.This log also calls for a bead to be placed in the center of each color block, but I learned my lesson last time and will not be stitching that bead until the end of the piece.

Here it is a little closer up.

 

And now a little further away so you can see the whole piece up to this point.

 

I think I’m off to check out a new needlepoint shop in my quest to go to all of the shops in the area. Also, there was one set of threads that I didn’t pick up for the project, so I need a couple more.

Happy Veteran’s Day!

Entertainment

I’m sitting here at work. My google reader is down to 0. I’m anxiously refreshing hoping someone else will post something new for me to read. It’s still at 0.

Then I thought, it’s not fair for me to be saddened that noone else is posting when I’m not posting either. So here you go!

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!!

(now please go post something new for me to read 🙂 )

No more mystery

Well, the mystery will still exist in the blogosphere…I’ve just (almost) finished the project.

I’ve been working on this the past week which is why I haven’t updated with pictures, but I was stitching a lot while watching the YANKEES WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

I have a little bit left to do to put the finishing touches on the piece, but the bulk of the stitching is complete. I should finish the rest of it tonight, assuming that couching down the memory thread doesn’t prove too tricky. I already formed it into the shape I want. Now I just need to locate the thread that I need to couch it (where could have possibly disappeared to in this small apartment?)

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!

 

(EDIT 30 seconds after publishing: a quick look at my old posts and I see that the thread I’m going to use to couch was in the thread box with all of my other supplies for the project. Whoops!)

Quick note

White and shiny thread on white and shiny canvas = ouchy eyes!

Mystery Project

Yesterday, I stopped by a new needlepoint shop to pick up some materials. I went to The Status Thimble in Burlingame, which BY FAR has the best name I have ever heard! The store itself was very very nice. The walls were completely covered in beautifully painted canvases. They had a large array of both Halloween and Christmas canvases, as well as other non-holiday options. These included a version of the butterfly I did years ago in a different color palate. I will definitely go back there when I want a new painted canvas!

Yesterday, however, I did not pick up a painted canvas. Instead, I found the materials I needed to make a Mystery Project. This project will remain a mystery for the next 2 months, because I intend for it to be a gift for someone who may stumble upon the blog ;-). However, my hint is that is it from Needlepointers. I made a few slight color changes to fit my (and the intended recipient’s) taste.

The canvas is 24 mesh congress cloth in white with flecks of silver running through. I had seen this online before, and am so excited to use it! I also have a few Krienik’s in there, and the rest is DMC. Oh yes, Floss and Perl Cotton…but also MEMORY THREAD.

Memory thread is another new item I have been wanting to try. It is a copper wire wrapped with fiber: in this case a metallic silver. It is best used for needlework couched down onto the top of the canvas. I’ve never couched before, either, so this will be quite an adventure.

In other news: lesson 2 of the Hearts of the Cabin was released this morning. I plan on attacking that soon, but the mystery project is my new #1. I have all month to finish my lesson 🙂