Persian Fantasy: Jane D. Zimmerman, designer

Project: Persian Fantasy

(Skill level: Advance intermediate)

Designer: Jane D. Zimmerman

Type of needlework: Historical techniques of Eastern and Western silk

and metal thread embroidery through the ages,

in addition to Florentine work and some traditional canvas stitches

Photos: 29

Jane's website: http://www.janezimmerman.com/

Student's gallery here.

This was a Shining Needle Society cyberclass.

Shining Needle Society: http://www.shiningneedlesociety.com/

Comments: I was surprised at the number of photos taken when I was blogging this piece on my old blog "Love to Stitch", but decided to add them all on this new blog since some of you may have this project in your UFO pile and may like to see some close-up photos of the different steps.

Jane offered kit option with color choices. Mine is "Green and Cranberry" If you check on the student's gallery, you will some of the other color choices offered.

The five four photographs including the one above have been taken after completion of this project. All the photos afterwards have been taken when I was actually blogging the piece on my previous blog, something that I do not do anymore.

(A side view of the finished project)

(Close-up of the central area)

(A view of one side of the finished piece)

(A view of the bottom with parts of middle section and right side)

Now, all the photographs above have been taken from my previous blog and I believe that they are in chronological order.

(Photo showing area 1)

(Area 3)

(Area 2

(Areas 1, 2 and 3)

(Part of area 5 with area 3)

(Areas 1, 3 and 5)

(Areas 1, 3 and 5)

(All areas 1, 3 and 5 completed)

(Different view of the above)

(Area 4)

(Area 4 completed in all four corners)

(View of beginning of area 6)

(Area 6)

(Photo showing some area 6 completed and some not yet stitched)

(A little more done on area 6)

(Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 completed)

(Areas 7 and 8)

(Areas 7 and 8 completed in all four corners)

(Areas 7, 8 and 9 completed in one corner)

(General view of what has been stitched so far)

I stopped blogging for a while and when I restarted, since I am not blogging any projects anymore but blogging only completed ones, I have taken the 5 final photographs after completion of this project and they are at the beginning of this blog entry.

For those of you who have looked up to here, a bit more information about this project. Jane says "This 11.5" by 11.5" geometric design of octagons and squares, inspired by a Chinese fabric, is executed on  #18 canvas in two color families of silk (or cotton) and metallics. The techniques include laidwork/treillis fillings, burden stitch, pattern couching, padding, canvas composite variations, and couching"

I will add a final photo here after the project comes back from the framer. I will let you know about the update then.

I am very happy that I took this cyberclass with Jane. It was a long stitch, but the end result makes it very worthwhile.

UPDATE: April 24, 2010

 I have received Persian Fantasy back from our framer and have taken lots of photos and I am not happy with any of them.

One of them shows the frame itself wonderfully but there are glares on the mat. Another photo shows the frame project well but the frame looks flat. I have tried dozens of times to get a photo like the one that shows the frame beautifully but have not been able to reproduce it one single time. How frustrating is that?

I took a close up of the frame itself for good measure, but I think the one with the glares on the mat that shows the frame perfectly is the one that will give you the best idea of how nice that frame makes Persian Fantasy look like.

(This is the photo that really shows best the frame and gives you an idea of how it looks in person but the flares are not a pretty sight)

(This photo is better because there is no glare on it, but the frame somehow looks flat)

(This is a close-up of the frame)

European Scene: The Shambles York

Project: The Shambles York

(Landmark Designs)

Designer: M. & G. Luckman

(Produced in Keswick, Cumbria)

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

(simple long stitch tapestry)

Photos: 2

Comments: Over the years we have travelled all over Europe, and in this particular instance we were somewhere in England  when I spotted a little shop where they had needlework in their window display, so we went inside and I saw this design and it looked so charming added to the fact that I love European architecture, I decided that I had to purchase it.The Shambles York came as a kit with canvas and wools. The finished size is 6" by 9 1/4".

We had it finished with a very simple frame and I really like the way it looks.

Artistic dolls

(Green doll on the left was the second one I made and the pink angel one on the right was made by Terry)

Project: Christmas exchange with fabric dolls

Designers: Dolls' outfits, hairdos and selection of faces applied on the dolls shown in all the photos have been either made by Terry, Kerry or myself

Type of needlework: Artistic dolls

Photos: 6

Joggles web store : http://www.joggles.com/ 

where all the items have been purchased at the time we made the exchange

Comments: I was part of a little group of stitchers, in what seems like a lifetime ago, when one day we decided that it would be fun to make a little exchange between us for that upcoming Christmas. We had no idea what we could make, so we started suggesting things without much enthusiasm for any of the suggestions that far then one of the woman in our little group suggested that we could make artistic dolls. Jackie told us that she had made some in the past and they were easy to make, fun and not expensive, which was something that was in everyone's mind at the time.

Jackie sent us to a webstore where she had purchased hers and we each purchased some. I purchased 3 myself. As you can see from one of the photo below, they are very basic fabric dolls (the dolls were made of different fabric and colors, our choice to make), we got some different artificial hair colors, various printed faces to be transfered on the doll's head, a bit of fabric that we all had plenty of in our stash since we were all crazy quilters, some threads and a little bit of artistic imagination and we were ready to go.

I was so out of my element with this project that it was not even funny at the time and that project did not seem as easy as Jackie was making it to be, but I was willing to try and hope for the best. I made two dolls and received two lovely ones in return.

On the photo above, you can see my second doll, the one in green with reddish hair.

The photo just here below shows you what those dolls looked like when I received them from Joggles together with choices of doll faces and curly hairs of different colors.

Fabric doll, doll face transfers and curly hair

(I had purchased 3 fabric dolls of different colors, made 2 and this one remains for a later day)

The green and purple doll above is the first one I made. As you can see, I made her an everyday wear, nothing complicated but I need to give myself credit because the colors of her outfit perfectly matched the fabric of the doll itself. Jackie got this doll of mine in the exchange.

These are the two dolls that I have received in the exchange. The one on the left was made by Terry and the one on the right by Kerry. One of the girl was ready to fly like an angel and the other one to party all night long.

The doll that Kerry made standing alone.

(Photo of the doll Terry made for me - after she took this photo

she decided to add a little necklace as can be seen on photos above)

Candle Christmas ornament

Project: Candle Christmas ornament

Designer: Elsie Ottinger

Type of needlework: Brazilian embroidery

Photo: 1

Website showing Edmar threads used for this project

Comments: I used to belong to a Yahoo group where Elsie was helping stitchers to learn how to do Brazilian embroidery and she created a few designs that she generously shared with us all as members of her group.

This is actually my very first try at Brazilian embroidery. I have stitched others since then which I will be posting later.

I have also two Brazilian embroidery UFOs which I intent to finish in the coming months and I will be adding them to my blog upon their completion.

The Friendly Neighborhood Ghost

Project: The Friendly Neighborhood Ghost

Type of needlework: Embroidery

Designer: A drawing that I use from  http://cathycreatif.free.fr/index_galerie.php

Photos: 2

Comments: I love to stitch fun stuff but for some reason I rarely do, so when Halloween comes I indulge myself in fun stitching. I was trying to find some cute Halloween project and then I saw this charming ghost washing spider webs and I thought what a great idea this is, so I got busy and stitched it.

I wanted to be able to just put it on a shelf for display so I thought that a flat-fold finish would be just perfect.

Judy Odell from "Just a Thought" has a series of books on different kinds of  finishing so I ordered a few of her books. One of the book I purchased is called "The Flat-fold".  Doing the finishing was actually easier than I thought at first as I found her instructions quite easy to follow.

Name tag: Carole Lake, designer

Project: Name tag (Glitzy Accessories)

Designer: Carole Lake

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photo: 1

Carole's website: http://www.carolelake.com/

Comments: This is the last design in the Glitzy Accessories project.

Remember? There were six different stitching accessories: Frame Weight, Needlecase, Laying Tool Case, Scissor Case which have all been already posted on this blog and you may have another look at them again if you wish by looking on the side bar on the right side of the screen under "Labels" and then under "Carole Lake", and finally today the Name Tag with photo above.

Since I took this cyberclass with Carole, she has now published a book containing the instructions for all the Glitzy Accessories and you can find a copy of this book at Nordic Needle for those of you who might be interested in stitching them.

Hardanger Ornaments: Karen Buell, designer

Project: Hardanger ornaments

(Project number H17)

(1990)

Designer: Karen R. Buell

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photo: 1

A Karen Buell free design on Caron website

Lots of interesting designs from Karen at JDR

Comments: It was a surprise for me to discover the different types of designs that Karen Buell has created during the years when I made my little Google search. I thought she was a hardanger designer, but it seems that I was wrong in presuming this and I  must keep her other projects in mind as I love them.

The hardanger ornaments seen in the photo came from a little kit I purchased years ago. I was then starting to do hardanger and needed something easy to get me started and I found those online somewhere. I can't recall where now as it has been so long. The kit number is H17 and the publication date was 1990.

I also learned a new finishing method, new for me, which had been provided with the instructions that came with the kit. I love to learn how to finish projects myself as it gives me an opportunity to do a project from start to finish (excluding the designing part of course). I stay away though from framing any of my projects. A girl needs to draw a line somewhere and that is where I draw mine (grinning)

Pincushion and Count Keepers

Projects: Pincushion and Count keepers

Designer: Something that I did after seeing them elsewhere

Type of needlework: Not entirely sure how to classify these

Photo: 1

Tutorial giving instructions for creating your own pincushion similar to mine above can be found at Whipup.

Comments: I was looking for something practical and cute to make as a gift  and I thought of putting together a simple but cute little pincushion. Then, I got the idea of also making a count keeper to go with it. 

We all need and want stitching accessories so I thought it would be a useful gift, something that she could use on a daily basis. I know that I could never  have too many pincushions and this one was unpretentious, as it was only made with fabric, so she would not hesitate in stitcking needles in it.  I have some pincushions that I would never ever dare stick a needle in them. I just keep those around me in my stitching room as decorations.

I have used the tutorial indicated aboveto make mine and I had seen some count keepers in magazines and they seem simple enough to make so I went ahead and tried it and it worked wonderfully. Just one problem though, I forgot to make at least one for myself, something that I need to remedy as I do lots of counting and that sure would be helpful.

Floral sachet

Project: Floral sachet

Designer: DMC Hardanger Stitchery Kit

(Article T997KU)

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photo: 1

Comments: This is a cute little hardanger floral sachet that I stitched some time ago. I can't remember much information about it except that I purchased the kit through the internet. I believe that was my first or second hardanger project, when I still did  not  know too much what I was doing (grinning).

Old Country: Jim Wurth, designer

Project: Old Country

(10th of the series)

Designer: Jim Wurth

Series: Dodecagon ornaments

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photos: 6

Jim's Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DodecagonSeriesOrnaments/

Comments: This is another one of the Dodecagon Series ornaments that I have truly enjoyed stitching and with this one I took more photographs than I normally did with the previous ones.

Jim gives very good visuals in his instructions for all stitches to be performed, but if you are like me and want to know more about those particular stitches and much much more, there are a few Jean Hilton's books that I would highly recommend. Two of them are listed below with links where they can be purchased. You can also see other books and designs from Jean Hilton on this website. Stitches from the Heart is also a great shop to do business with.

(Mistake stitch which you can read more about in Jean Hilton's Needlepoint Stitches book, pages 10 and 11)

(A little bit more done on the center section - just love those colors)

(Past the mid-way stitching photograph)

(Lots of Jessicas in Jim Wurth's designs)

(Walneto motif - See Jean Hilton's book called Stimulating Stitches)