FINISHING TOUCHES
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I'll be the first to admit that the stitch guides for these canvases have been on my desk for far too long. Each of these guides is about 95% done - I just need to nail down the few remaining details.
I've decided that today is the day that I'm going to get them finished!
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First is Beach Books
from
Melissa Shirley
. To me, this canvas is like a patchwork quilt. Each book on the canvas has multiple things going on and is unique, with a personality of its own. Although each one is different, somehow they all have to work together. Just when you get that all figured out there's the beautiful still life on the stack of books. So, each individual book and the still life require a fresh outlook all the while considering the overall appearance of the complete design.
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Next, is a lovely scene from
Emma Williams
(distributed by
Melissa Shirley Designs
). A little more straightforward because the scene on the table is clearly the focal point so it gets the really fabulous threads and stitches. But the scene in the background is so peaceful and serene, it really sets the tone for the piece.
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Last, is
Estee Macleod's Winter Bird
(also distributed by Melissa Shirley).
Enough writing - I better get to the stitch guides!
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The minute
Melissa Shirley
posted this amazing design I knew I had to have it!
While I'm still waiting for
Seaside Bench
to arrive, I have been writing stitches and can't wait to actually sink my needle and thread into it!
I will definitely add this design to my
3- day project
classes. If you love Seaside Bench as much as I do, ask your local shop owner to contact me about scheduling a future class date.
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Also brand new, is this charming trio from
JP Needlepoint
. These just make me happy and I can't wait to see them stitched. Who knows?? Maybe they'll be a 3 part workshop over a period of time or the project for a stitch-away retreat. I'll see how they develop and then decide!
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STITCH AND SIGHTSEE WITH ME!
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Let's face it...it's wonderful to have a regular place and time to stitch. But, sometimes, it's really fun to do it a little differently! I love that I get to visit some really special places when I travel to teach. And, now, I get to share some of that with you!
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I've designed needlepoint experiences to give you amazing stitching opportunities in new and unique locations. That's what Stitch and SightSee is all about!
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Check out my upcoming trips to Whitefish, Montana and Charleston, South Carolina. I would love for you to explore this historic city and stitch along with us!
For another type of adventure,
there's the Rolling Stitch Party and Shop Crawl of the South ~ an extraordinary needlepoint event that I'm co-producing with Needlepoint Now.
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Click here for all of the details.
The time to sign up to stitch and se the world with me is NOW!
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WHERE I'VE BEEN AND AND WHERE I'M GOING...
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Last month, I made my teaching debut at The Needlepoint Clubhouse in St. Louis, Missouri and at The Wellesley Needlepoint Collection in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Both shops offered canvas Embellishment classes so everyone got to work on the project that made them most happy. I absolutely fell in love with both shops and the people who work and stitch in them!
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Over the next few months I'll be returning to some of my favorite shops to teach some brand new pieces as well as some time tested classics.
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Shop owners are pulling out all the stops to offer you really unique opportunities to learn and grow as stitchers. They're getting really creative with the class offerings, too.
In March we did something brand new and different along with beading and ribbon technique classes at The Needlepointer in Edmonds, Washington - we added a day of private lessons and a brand new
one-day class comprising canvas development as an interactive group experience. I guided everyone through the process that I use to come up with stitches and select threads for canvases. It was a really fun, informative and revealing opportunity for participants to get inside my head.
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I recently taught a beautiful piece that we call
Under the Tuscan Sun
, from
Julie Mar
, for the first time at Luv 2 Stitch in April. This class will repeat at Needle Nook of La Jolla on July 6-8.
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Christmas Glow
, by
Sandra Gilmore
, is sure to become a holiday classic. I'll be teaching this class for the first time at
Aristeia in Santa Monica, CA on July 19-21
and again at
Family Arts in Phoenix, August 10-12.
Along with all of my guest teaching trips, I continue to offer weekly canvas embellishment classes on
Thursdays at Aristeia
. We have openings in the morning class, which meets weekly from 10-12:30 (except when I'm on the road).
You can see all of the wonderful shops I'll be visiting in the very near future and the classes that I'm teaching on my website. Each time I have the chance to write I'll try to highlight a couple of the classes that are new or unique, but please check them all out!
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I really love this canvas ~ not just because it's adorable (especially the bear's little pink tongue sticking out) but also because it presents an interesting design challenge. It could be stitched in a rather straight-forward way, working both sides of the bear's head with a big stitch, changing colors as the painting dictates.
Or, there could be a stitch that flips in orientation so that it is mirrored from one side of the bear to the other. True, those would be two very acceptable solutions.
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But, I want to be a little less predictable. So, I've decided to work two completely different stitches on each side of the bear. I'll use threads that are similar in weight and finish to unify the treatment. It's important that the two stitches do not compete. One should not stand out or have more of an impact than the other. The result needs to be very balanced in appearance. The stitch on the bear's yellow nose has to be strong enough to bring the two sides together and stand out on it's own.
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This design, with all of the big spaces and blocks of color is a stitch guide writer's dream. It's also a really great piece for a less experienced stitcher to learn and master several stitches.
The canvas, entitled "Wake Up Call" by Terry Runyan is distributed by Maggie Co. (#M 2004 B). It can be ordered through your local needlepoint shop.
Hooray, this one is done and ready for you!
Click here to check out the stitch guides I currently have available. Please email if you don't see the one you're looking for.
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